Educational spin on music videos for children

Montessori Life, Spring 2003 by Turner, Joy

Series in three formats WeeBee Tunes Travel Adventures

GET YOUR PASSPORT! (2001)

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES! (2002) (Chicago: Girdwood Partners.) CD & look: Passport $19.99, Journey $15.99

VHS $14.95 ea./ DVD $18.95 ea.

Is our planet a bad place to live? With television and newspapers the most accessible windows to the world available to children, they might easily draw such a conclusion. From images of ten-or and threats of war to visions of the greenhouse effect, the news seems unfortunately negative. An antidote may be available, however, in the form of musical travel adventures that give children a positive introduction to the sights and sounds of other countries and cultures.

With a foundation of delightful original songs performed by authentic voices and instruments, each WeeBee Times production is built around 2-minute travel episodes that depict the diversity of the earth's populations, cultures, and physical geography. While the visuals are not "real" photography, both animation and music are charming and well done. Best of all, they are completely respectful of the cultures visited and not judgmental, even when dealing with material that could reflect bias.

Will learning occur? Probably, though it's likely to be mainly attitudinal in nature; many of the songs/videos condense too much information for children truly to absorb in a few viewings. At home, it will be fun. At school, as overview either before or after a cultural study, a relevant segment would be appropriate for 6-to-9-year-olds. A Teacher's Kit (activities guide, continent maps, art templates) can be downloaded free at the company website, www.weebeetunes.com.

Montessori parent Nancy Chung Hooper observes that the videos "inspire children's imaginations and give them sounds that correlate with different countries"; teacher Marie Gambetta, a geography educator, Montessori alum, and parent, attests, "It is a standards-based teaching tool and. . .my favorite geography teaching aid" (Soriano, personal communication, February 7, 2003). Co-producer Howard Soriano says,

We aim to make a lasting impression on children. The underlying premise is that no matter where we travel, we are likely to encounter people with different beliefs, customs, and cultures. WeeBee Tunes hopes to expose these differences to children in a positive and factual way and encourage them to want to learn more.

JOY TURNER is editor of Montessori Life.