A professor "raps" about science

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A Professor of Education from Columbia Teachers College is using hip- hop music in a science experiment.

Can he use hip hop to teach science to high school students?

'Professor' Chris Emdin is not just rapping. His science classes include the very popular language of hip-hop.

"You want a positive emotional energy surrounding science," Dr. Chris Emdin said. "And all those attributes that you want in a science classroom happens when they are involved in hip-hop culture, so there has to be a way to merge these two things."

Dr. Emdin is a science education professor at Columbia Teachers College. He uses classes at Marie Curie High School, in the Bronx, as a lab for developing his methods.

For example, a lesson about the scientific process of photosynthesis can become a hip-hop rhyme.

A big part of Dr. Emdin's experiment is to instruct teachers on how to incorporate the hip-hop approach in their science classes. It does not take long for some teachers to realize how useful hip-hop science can be.

Science teacher Melissa Villanueva used rap lyrics to teach a lesson about sickle cell anemia.

And this is her rhyme:

"Genes in my closet, genes in my family. If they mutated, then it's a calamity. Sickle cell anemia is caused by mutation. Many people get it, it's a problem for the nation."

There is little doubt that students enjoy science class, when it's time to "bust a rhyme."

"I asked Junior, "man", you know how we get it done, just a couple of beats and just have some fun."</p.

<!--NOTHING BELOW HERE-->

NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS

USEFUL LINKS:
EMAIL EDUCATION UNIT || REPORT TYPO ||  GET WIDGET

 EYEWITNESS TWITTER ||  FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Get more Education News »

education news, art mcfarland

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•