Rap

Thank you for attending VOICES 2019!

I wrote a rap song about the intersection of science and faith -- as an added verse to “When the Saints Go Marching In” -- which I first performed with a street band at the March for Science in Lansing, MI.  In a nutshell, the song argues that science requires faith, just like religion, and that the facts of science are often revised/updated, so dogma (in any direction) is dangerous. I'm not sure exactly what to do with the song ... add a beat? update the lyrics? make a music video? move on with my life to other projects? Also, I am curious about how people respond to the song.

I've made science raps music videos on YouTube for classes ranging from undergrad to elementary. And yet I'm trying to get out of the way. Students really ought to be the creators and the stars. We all know that person creating the song learns so much much more than someone passively listening. In this session, I'll run through many of my experiments to get students more involved in the process of creation, from writing their own verse to finishing the rhyme to making their own videos.

Using music, especially song lyrics, to motivate students has long been a practice for in education to get and keep students engaged and to teach academic content. Most song based instruction involves writing/creating original works that focus on specific content or skills. Unfortunately, these songs may not resonate with all students, thus it may not be as effective as a mechanism for learning. This reality is particularly possible for students with disabilities and students in alternative settings who are usually considered as having behavioral struggles.

Math and music go hand in hand at Westerville South High School. With over seven math rap music videos and a total of 7.5 million views, teachers from Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio have created engaging math raps to teach content through popular music. Learn from math rap producer and teacher Dave Schultz on how the process works from start to finish.

Math and music go hand in hand at Westerville South High School. With over seven math rap music videos and a total of 7.5 million views, teachers from Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio have created engaging math raps to teach content through popular music. Learn from math rap producer and teacher Dave Schultz on how the process works from start to finish.

We can effectively promote student discourse, deeper level understanding, and student content creation when we use music and hip hop to teach. Since hip hop is our youths culture we can effectively use it as a tool to build relationships and teach our next generation of learners. The key is a solid understanding of implementation within the context of social emotional, developmental, and physiological needs.

Jon will perform a live rap about the VOICES project and our vision!

Science songs can often be seen in a one-dimensional way, i.e. "It's a song about genetics/ dinosaurs/space" or "It's a cool way to teach science" but science songs have different strengths and play to different needs in the listener. Some songs present factual statements that could be used as rhythm or rhyme based mnemonics; like jingles. Some songs portray an idea in a way that can help a listener to get a deeper understanding of it for example, a song about the roles scientists play in society or a song about a misunderstood concept (such as climate change or evolution).