By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Catchy tunes and math lessons turned out to be the perfect combination for learning in Emily Cross’s fifth-grade math class at Union City Middle Schools.
Mrs. Cross challenged her advanced students with a unique project that required them to be both creative and informative as they showcased lessons learned in her classroom this year.
In groups of three or four, students were assigned to pick any song and replace the original lyrics with ones describing math skills they’d learned during the 2021-22 school year. They were required to keep the original rhyme and rhythm of the song as close as possible and also produce a visual aid to help explain the math skill.
Grading of the project was based on a combination of group work and presentation.
The presentations were made in front of the remainder of the class, drawing head-bobs, toe-tapping and smiles.
Among the several original tunes used were “Rocky Top” and “Wheels of the Bus.”
It’s a practice Cross has repeated for several years, and she insists it has helped many students with their math retention skills.
“I told them I was not looking for beautiful singing voices,” she smiled. “I was looking for fun songs that help teach math skills.”
By all accounts afterward, it was mission accomplished.