Quads and Hamstrings

by Greg Crowther

This short rap -- about the major muscles of the thigh -- was originally written for Biology 241 at South Seattle College.

Let's kick it! Muscles of the quads.
Let's kick it! Muscles of the hamstrings.
Let's kick it! What are the odds
That we'll remember every one of these damn things?
Here we go....

Vastus lateralis.
Vastus intermedius.
Vastus medialis.
Rectus femoris.

Semimembranosus.
Semitendinosis.
Biceps femoris.
Let's do it as a chorus!

Vastus lateralis.
Vastus intermedius.
Vastus medialis.
Rectus femoris.

Semimembranosus.
Semitendinosis.
Biceps femoris.
Our teachers will adore us!

• MP3 (demo)

• sheet music

Songs like this one can be used during class meetings and/or in homework assignments. Either way, the song will be most impactful if students DO something with it, as opposed to just listening.

An initial, simple follow-up activity could be to answer the study questions below. A more extensive interaction with the song might entail (A) learning to sing it, using an audio file and/or sheet music as a guide, and/or (B) illustrating it with pictures, bodily poses, and/or bodily movements. The latter activity could begin with students identifying the most important or most challenging content of the song, and deciding how to illustrate that particular content.

(1) If you were to follow the rapper's instructions to "kick it," which joint or joints would be extended or flexed?

(2) Which muscles named in the rap contribute to this kicking motion?