Econ in Music for Early Elementary

Here are three songs for young children that can be used to introduce economic ideas. And all can be downloaded for under a dollar.

The first is Iko, Iko by Parachute Express. You may also know it as the "Jambalaya" song. The song is about making jambalaya. Students should be able to identify human resources, natural resources and capital resources in this song.

The second is When I Build My House, also by Parachute Express. The lyrics talk about a number of tasks involved in building a house (hammering nails, laying bricks, painting the walls). The refrain is "When I build my house there's so much to do. It's fun when you come along and help me too." The concepts that can be integrated with this song are division of labor (splitting up the work) and specialization (the person who is best at each task).

The final song is Sittin' Down to Eat by Bill Harley. It's a fun song about a meal interrupted by all kinds of large animals. Each is invited to join the meal. But when a caterpillar finally joins, the house explodes. It offers an insight into the concept of marginal cost/benefit. One by one, the house gets crowded until the addition of one more imposes a significant cost.

I hope these are useful for you. I welcome comments.