'Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection' - DVD Review for Parents

Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection - Overview

Schoolhouse Rock was a series of three-minute animated shorts that use music and funny yet educational lyrics to teach kids about grammar, arithmetic, history, science, government and more. The series aired from 1973 until 1986 and in the early nineties and won several awards. The Election Collection is a compilation of songs related to US government and US history. The menu allows viewers to play all songs or to choose election-related songs by category:

• The Campaign
  
  • "Energy Blues": The earth talks about the history of energy and our current need to conserve and utilize renewable sources.
  • "Tax Man Max": Taxes are a big issue in elections. Learn about what taxes are and why we pay them.
  • "Walkin' on Walstreet": Why is Walstreet important to America?
  • "Tyrannosaurus Debt": Candidates are always talking about the national debt. What is it? and how did it get SO BIG?
  • "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College": About the Electoral College -- a refresher we can all use!

• Our History
  
  • "No More Kings": Song about early Americans' problems with the King.
  • "The Shot Heard 'Round the World": Song about the American Revolution.
  • "Fireworks": Learn about why we celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks.
  • "Mother Necessity": Necessity has born a long line of great inventors who have improved our lives. This song pays tribute to some of those great minds.
  • "The Great American Melting Pot": Why is America called a "melting pot"?
• How Government Works
  
  • "The Preamble": Sing along to a song about the preamble to the Constitution.
  • "Three Ring Government": The three branches of government are compared to a three ring circus. Perfect memory cue!
  • "I'm Just a Bill": Famous song about how a bill becomes a law -- if it ever does.
  • "Sufferin' til Suffrage": Women finally got the right to vote with the 19th Amendment.
• Extra Credit
  
  • "Presidential Minute" (version 1): New to DVD song about candidates and campaigns.
  • "Presidential Minute" (version 2): New to DVD song about candidates and campaigns. Can you spot the difference from version 1?

Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection - Guide Review

Many of us remember at least a couple of the tunes like "I'm Just a Bill" that provided toe-tapping education from the folks at Schoolhouse Rock. They are at it again! This new compilation brings those same snappy sounds to kids today, and another upcoming DVD, Schoolhouse Rock: Earth is advertised in the trailers on Election Collection. The songs are fun, catchy, and educational. The fast pace and sophisticated ideas make them more effective for 7 or 8 year-olds and up, but even preschoolers can enjoy the music and cartoons.

The songs and cartoons on the Election Collection DVD are older, so there is one song which features animated scantily clad girls who are part of a chorus line of sorts (we probably wouldn't see something like this in newer productions aimed at kids). Also, parents should know that certain political issues are addressed, such as the environment, the national debt, and the Electoral College, and these issues may spark questions from kids about these subjects. The songs offer parents and children the opportunity to discuss current issues and the differences political candidates have in their ideas on how to solve political problems.

Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection - DVD Bonus Features