Schoolhouse Rock! Is Back to Save the Earth
Many adults have fond memories of Schoolhouse Rock!, short musical animations aired during Saturday morning cartoons between 1972 and 1986. In addition to being entertaining, these animations were also educational, with various subjects presented in a fun, down-to-earth fashion.
The music focused on the fundamentals of grammar, politics, science and other important topics. During its run, the show won four Emmy® Awards. Although Schoolhouse Rock! produced a few original episodes in the early 1990s, the show was officially cancelled in 2001.
However, there is good news: on March 31, 2009, the Schoolhouse Rock! will be releasing a new DVD entitled “Schoolhouse Rock! Earth.” This DVD will include 11 new songs about conservation. The release is planned in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22, 2009).
All-new original songs on the DVD include “Report from the North Pole,” “FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song,” and “Don’t Be a Carbon Sasquatch.”
Soon, a whole new generation of Schoolhouse Rock! fans will likely emerge.
Whitney said:
I love Schoolhouse Rock! So much so that I have purchased the dvd’s for my kids so they can grow and learn from them just like I did. Thank for sharing that a new one is coming out–it is definitely on my list of “must haves.”
March 29th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Dozzer said:
It’s amazing how much people remember and learn through music. There needs to be more formal school curriculum that has a music component. I also remember the Schoolhouse Rock videos (for lack of a better word) and I’m much older. This type of learning stays with a person.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Brainyhousewife said:
This is a great resource for English teachers.
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:14 am
Ricardo said:
I’d not heard of the series, but it sounds like a great idea. I do remember in the 70s being starved for rock music on television.
I wonder which sub-genres will be used in the current production of the DVD? If it can make a connection with its audience, I’m sure it will be a very effective tool.
April 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 am
skatss said:
I remember School House Rock and loved watching and listening to it as a child. The remarkable thing is that I really did learn from it. The cartoon was great and the songs were entertaining. It’s too bad nothing like this is on now in between children’s shows on Saturday mornings any more. Kids could learn so much from them.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
maculate said:
Ha, even a few short years ago when I was in public school teachers were still using SHR to try and pound basic concepts into our heads. I never really understood the appeal, no offense. I think it might be a generational gap-I do have a great recall of the educational songs on the Animaniacs and Pink & The Brain however. P&TB was also a great gateway into learning about classic films, in addition to being totally hilarious.
April 10th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
driver said:
I question using TV as teacher. Too much emphasis on quirky visuals and identification with characters. Sorry, I’m no TV buff and don’t mind saying so. Let’s wean children off television and quit telling ourselves that TV “can be a great teacher.” ALL IT TEACHES IS HOW TO SIT AND QUIETLY WATCH THE SCREEN.
June 28th, 2009 at 4:09 pm