gardensongs

= ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDEN THEMED EDUCATIONAL SONGS=

The following are environmental and garden themed educational songs, which can be used to teach elementary school children about a variety of topics. These songs can be used in isolation or as part of a larger lesson plan. Each song aligns with one or more of the Massachusetts science standards. The majority of these songs are written by the Banana Slug String Band. Recordings can be purchased from their website www.bananaslugstringband.com. Albums and individual songs can also be purchased on iTunes.

Song………………….Massachusetts Science Standard

Compost Cake………..Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (decomposition)

Gusano………….Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (decomposition)

Decomposition…………..Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (decomposition)

Dirt Made My Lunch………...PreK-2, Life Science, standard 3 (life cycles) Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (decomposition)

The FBI……………...PreK-2, Life Science, standard 3 (life cycles) Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (decomposition)

The Food Chain………..PreK-2, Life Science, standard 3 (life cycles)

Photosynthesis………..PreK-2, Earth and Space Science, standard 4 (sun provides heat needed for life)

Roots, Stems, Leaves………..PreK-2, Life Science, standard 1 (plants and animals are living) Grades 3-5, Life Science, standard 16 (plant parts)

Water Cycle Boogie…………PreK – 2, Earth and Space Science, standard 3 (weather) Grades 3-5, Earth and Space Science, standard 6 (types of weather)

COMPOST CAKE
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus:	In the compost pile, it’s a party for new soil In the compost pile, new dirt is what we make In the compost pile, come and join our celebration In the compost pile, making compost cake Cooking up a batch of that compost cake

Group 1:	layer it and layer it, layer it and layer it, layer it and layer it, compost cake! Group 2:	turn it and turn it, turn it and turn it, turn it and turn it, compost cake! Group 3:	pile it high, pile it high, pile it high, compost cake!

Layer it and layer it with straw or leaves And that leftover salad that we didn’t eat Microscopic life turns on the heat to bake it It’s a compost cake, that’s what it takes to make it

Chorus

Turn it and turn it, let the air flow through it The beetles, bugs, and worms will chew to renew it Whatever is here will never ever stay the same Because decomposition is the name of the game

Chorus

Pile it and pile it with more and more To heat it up for sure we add some manure This luscious steaming stack of organic decay Whatever you’ve got we’ll watch it rot away

Chorus

GUSANO
(Written by Mel McMurrin and Kevin Beals)

I am a worm. The wondrous worm. It’s down under. I love to squirm. To eat the dead. And the living’s my toil. And what comes out makes magnificent soil.

Chorus:	Gu-sa-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-no—si! Gu-sa-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-no—si! I aerate the earth as I tunnel and squirm. I’m proud to be called a worm.

Our tunnels flood. It rains all night. Come up for air. Be killed by light. When people die. Worms attend. Though its dull. But no one comes to a worm’s funeral.

Chorus

A robin’s cute But have you heard? Of the massacres. Of the early bird. We do such good. From us you could learn. But you make us fish bait in return

Chorus

DECOMPOSITION
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Is there waste? Well I don’t know One thing dies to let another grow This circle we see almost every day And the name that we call it is… decay

Chorus:	Well come on all you people, gather ‘round Break down and listen….. To decomposition:

Group 1:	Muncha, muncha, muncha….. Group 2:	Decomposition, decomposition, decomposition…. Group 3:	I get down, I break down, I get down, I break down….

There are many kinds of bugs Worms and snails and banana slugs They are useful for me and you They help to make the soil… renew.

Chorus

Decomposition is a useful game A tree drops its leaves, but they don’t stay the same A bug chews them up and spits them back out Making the soil for a new tree to… sprout.

Chorus

DIRT MADE MY LUNCH
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus:	Dirt made my lunch, dirt made my lunch Thank you dirt, thanks a bunch For my salad, my sandwich, my milk and my munch Dirt you made my lunch

Dirt is a word we often use, When we’re talking about the earth beneath our shoes. It is a place where plants can sink their toes, And in a little while a garden grows.

Chorus

A farmer’s plow will tickle the ground, You know the earth has laughed when wheat is found. The grain is taken and the flour is ground, For making a sandwich to munch on down.

Chorus

A stubby green beard grows upon the land Out of the soil grass will stand. But under hoof it must bow, For making milk by way of a cow.

Chorus

THE FBI
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus:	The FBI, whenever something dies, The FBI, is there on the scene The FBI, is working overtime The FBI, to pick those bones clean Fungus! (fungus), Bacteria! (bacteria), Invertebrates! (invertebrates), the FBI   (2x)

There’s fungus all among us and it’s breaking things down Returning nutrients into the fertile ground Millions of mycelium underground that’s why When you hold a handful of the earth you hold the FBI

Chorus

There are billions of bacteria in that soil over there Microscopic life in the water, land and air You should know that they are there though they are too small for your eye These are the secret agents of the FBI

Chorus

Insects, bugs, slugs, and worms are working night and day The invertebrate crew are special agents of decay To remove whatever’s rotten they will hop, crawl, hide or fly Enforcing nature’s laws they are the FBI

Chorus

Lay down very still in the duff and learn their ways Lift up a rotten log and you will surely be amazed Go creeping through the forest learn to see and be a spy In search of evidence of the FBI

Chorus

FOOD CHAIN
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Plants are producers, they’re sun users in the food chain; chain, chain They make food from the sun and the food chain has begun, food chain; chain, chain

Chorus	Predator and prey Producers and decay Are in the food chain; chain, chain

Rabbit comes along and eats the plants down in the food chain; chain, chain But the plants they have more to feed that herbivore in the food chain; chain, chain

Chorus

Coyotes likes to eat a little rabbit meat in the food chain; chain, chain And it really makes his day to eat that rabbit prey in the food chain; chain, chain

Chorus

Coyote lifts his tail and scats on the trail in the food chain; chain, chain For the bugs that’s a deal, scat’s a gourmet meal in the food chain; chain, chain

Chorus

The scat will decompose and a new plant grows in the food chain; chain, chain So the food chain never ends, it just begins again in the food chain; chain, chain

Chorus

You can see from this song how energy moves along in the food chain; chain, chain So eat your food my friend but think of where it’s been in the food chain; chain, chain

Chorus

PHOTOSYNTHESIS
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus	It’s a miracle up in those trees (A miracle, a miracle) It’s a miracle in each green leaf (A miracle, a miracle) All of life depends on this (A miracle, a miracle) Miracle, photosynthesis (A miracle, a miracle)

Group 1:	…sunlight coming down… Group 2:	…a miracle, a miracle… Group 3:	…photosynthesis!!!

Scientists don’t even know how it’s done How plants make sugar out of the sun Water, air combined with skill By the magical green stuff chlorophyll

Chorus

Now you can’t go out and take a bite Of the water, air, or the sunlight We depend on the plants to survive Making food to keep us alive

Chorus

ROOTS, STEMS, LEAVES
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus	Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. That’s six parts, six parts, Six plant parts that plants and people need.

The roots hold the plants in the ground, They gather up the water that falls around. And there’s a root inside of me Because a carrot is a root that I eat.

Chorus

A stem is an elevator growing up from the ground The water goes up and the sugar back down And there’s a stem inside of me Because celery is a stem that I eat.

Chorus

The leaves are the kitchens where the food is done They breathe the air and catch rays from the sun. And there’s a leaf inside of me Because lettuce is a leaf that I eat.

Chorus

The flowers are dressed so colorfully They hold the pollen and attract the bees And there’s a flower inside of me Because cauliflower is a flower that I eat.

Chorus

The fruit gets ripe, then it falls on down It holds the seeds and feeds the ground And there’s a fruit inside of me Because an apple is a fruit that I eat.

Chorus

The seeds get buried in the earth And the cycle starts again with a new plant’s birth And there are seeds inside of me Because sunflower is a seed that I eat.

Chorus

Now you all know what this whole world needs, It’s roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. There’s six plant parts inside of me Because a garden salad is what I eat.

Chorus

WATER CYCLE BOOGIE
(Steve Van Zandt of the Banana Slug String Band)

Chorus	Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, The water cycle boogie goes round and round. The water cycle boogie goes up and down.

The sun gives the water cycle power to spin The water goes up and down again The surface of the water heats up with the sun The water rises up and then the boogie’s begun What’s that called? What’s that called? EVAPORATION!!!

Chorus

Water holds together chemically, Hydrogen bonding is what you see. All those airborne vapors they squeeze together, To form a cloud that could change the weather. What’s that called? What’s that called? CONDENSATION!!!

Chorus

All those dark clouds can’t hold together, The water boogies down bringing stormy weather. Fog, rain, hail, flurries, ice and sleet, Splish, splash, and crunch beneath your feet. What’s that called? What’s that called? PRECIPITATION!!!

Chorus

Two thirds of the earth is water, it’s true, It gives life to every plant and animal too. Respect water’s power, only use your share, Don’t waste a drop, there’s none to spare. Let’s do the water cycle boogie again! Let’s go for another spin!

Chorus