Sam the Clam by Mark Weltner
Self-regulation, science, math (size)
Lyrics:
Oh I’m a clam clam clam in the sand sand sand Open and shut hands
If you see a little hole, that’s where I am Look through “O” made with finger and thumb
And if you stomp around on top of the ground (Stomp!)
I might spit on you-ee, so watch out, patooee!
“Got me in the eye!” Slap hand over eye
‘Cause I’m Sam the digging clam Clam motion again
One day a little pup whose name was Scout Hands up like paws
Tried to dig me up and pull me out. “Dig” floor
He dug as fast as he could go but he was still too slow Dig faster!
‘Cause I’m Sam the digging clam. Clam motion again
(repeat first section)
Comments:
After you’ve taught the above version of the song, you can introduce the teeny and giant versions featured on the video (I usually wait until the next class or even later). These actually came about because a child mentioned that they’d heard of giant clams, and so we sponaneously made up giant and teeny versions.
I wrote this song after watching a child playing in the sandbox. He was challenging to have in a full class meeting context, and I wanted to connect with him, so I just sat quietly at the edge of the sandbox as he played. He was putting rocks in a bucket, and after a while, he informed me that he was making clam soup. So I wrote this song, and when I introduced it, I explained that I had seen him making clam soup, which made me think about what I knew about clams, and then do some research on them, and this is what I came up with.
