Untitled Document

Jimmy Carter
Steve Heineman: Musical Media for Education

This song is part of Musical Media for Education, Volume I, CD and Teaching Guide.

This song introduces students to President Jimmy Carter. The highlights and difficulties of his Presidency are discussed.

Jimmy Carter
Did pretty well for just a peanut farmer
Nineteen seventy six
He took his campaign out from the Georgia sticks

Some say he was not a great leader Jimmy Carter
But he made peace and fought for human rights
He set our standards high
That's what Jimmy Carter did.
Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter
He was a nuclear engineer for starters
Graduated from the Naval Academy
That would be quite an achievement for you and me

He met with Israel and Egypt, In 1978
Sadat and Begin at Camp David
Made peace for all the world to see
That's what Jimmy Carter did.
Jimmy Carter.

Washington outsider
Human rights protector and freedom fighter
It wasn't easy
But he always did his best to serve humanity

Jimmy Carter
The hostage crisis made his life much harder
Led by the Ayatollah Khomeini
Iran detained our folks for 14 months of misery

To get our people back home safely
Jimmy Carter
Gave in to all their conditions
And set the stage for Reagan's victory
That's what Jimmy Carter did.
Jimmy Carter.

President Carter
He took the heat for the oil embargo
Everybody panicked, it was high energy
The double-digit inflation killed his Presidency

But he tried to make us less dependent
On foreign oil
He showed us energy alternatives
Like solar power and natural gas
That's what Jimmy Carter did.
Jimmy Carter.

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With each song, the Musical Media for Education, Volume I, CD and Teaching Guide includes:
      1) A lyric sheet, enabling students to follow the song more easily.
      2) Suggested lesson activities
      3) Lyrical Footnotes. The narrative footnotes enrich student understanding with supplemental information and supporting commentary. The footnotes also suggest additional teaching possibilities.

Suggested Activities

1) Impressions of Carter
Before playing the learning song, ask students if they have any impressions of Jimmy Carter. These can be ascertained by an association activity that invites students to record the first thing that comes to mind when they hear,
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and, the real subject of concern, Jimmy Carter.
For whatever reason, students who know anything about him tend to have a negative view of Carter. Often he is seen as something of a joke and his Presidency a complete failure. After they hear "Jimmy Carter" you can provide more balanced information and, as a class, read the lyrical footnotes (included in the Teaching Guide).

2) Post-Presidency
Since leaving office, Jimmy Carter has led an active political life. Students will be interested to hear about his work on behalf of Habitat for Humanity as well as his role as an international election monitor. It is a good opportunity to explain the significance of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Carter Center's web site at www.cartercenter.org is a recommended resource.