Email Updates RSS
Search
Rap Battles Promote Science Education Among Middle Schoolers

Telling Stories

By IGI Global on Aug 26, 2013
Contributed by Kristen Stauffer, Discipline Manager

What is your favorite mnemonic device? That visual or kinesthetic trick that helped you memorize facts and bits of history, like the lines of the treble clef, the colors of the rainbow, or the elements of the periodic table?

In the NPR article, "Science Rap B.A.T.T.L.E.S. Bring Hip-Hop Into The Classroom", Bay Area teacher Tom McFadden gets kids excited about science through rap. Recently, a group of seventh-graders from Oakland, CA, worked with McFadden to create a rap and music video about the discovery of DNA's structure, meaning an intelligent showdown between Watson & Crick and the under-recognized Rosalind Franklin:



Using music to tell the stories of the conflicts that surround the history of scientific discoveries makes them more accessible and memorable for students. “When you incorporate these stories, it allows you not only to make the scientific information much more fun to digest," McFadden says. "It allows you to discuss scientific process." When students begin to have intellectual arguments on the playground about the things they’re learning in the classroom, the material moves from mnemonic device to a higher level of engagement.

The video and DNA rap are connected to a larger movement called Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S. (Bring Attention to Transforming Teaching, Learning and Engagement in Science), which was started by Christopher Emdin, a professor of education at Columbia University's Teacher’s College.

A recent IGI Global chapter written by Dr. Angela Kelly (Associate Director of Science Education, Stony Brook University, USA) entitled, "Promoting the Physical Sciences among Middle School Urban Youth through Informal Learning Experiences", describes “the effectiveness of developing informal physical science experiences for middle school students in underserved urban communities. Several cohorts of students have participated in inquiry-based physics and chemistry weekend classes that incorporated authentic applications from the urban setting, field visits to scientists’ laboratories and museums, advanced educational technology tools, and learning complex scientific concepts.”

Professor Kelly’s work summarizes that “well designed constructivist physical science programs are potentially transformative in improving students’ academic self-efficacy, confidence, and persistence in science, and positional advantage.” The theme of accessibility driving her article is parallel to the teaching methods behind the use of popular music to bring science into every day real life. In both studies, accessibility equals knowledge, power, and confidence.

This chapter is part of the IGI Global title Approaches and Strategies in Next Generation Science Learning, which is edited by Myint Swe Khine (Professor of Learning Sciences and Technology and head of Graduate Programs and Research) and Issa M. Saleh (Associate Professor and head of the Education Studies Division at Bahrain Teachers College), both from the University of Bahrain.

Approaches and Strategies in Next Generation Science Learning is also indexed in ERIC, the world's largest digital library of education literature. For a list of IGI Global titles recently included in ERIC, please visit the IGI Global Newsroom post, “A Comprehensive, Full-Text Database of Education Research”.

We invite you to check out our entire excellent selection of education publications, including books, journals, and cases. IGI Global currently has 41 book series (Including Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education), each of which hold as many as 16 titles, with a minimum of 4 titles added to each annually. All series contain peer-reviewed reference books focusing on global research by world-renowned experts in the fields of business, education, healthcare, engineering, government, social science, and communications.
Browse for more posts in:
EducationApplied E-LearningArticlesBook SeriesBooks & E-BooksChaptersJournalsTeaching CasesNewsletterMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaAuthor NewsResources for Librarians

No comments Comments

Log in or sign up to comment.
Be the first to comment!

More from IGI Global

May 31, 2024 IGI Global Titles Included in Doody's Core Titles 2024
Recently, Doody's Core Titles, an essential collection development tool for health science librarians, included 5 IGI Global reference books in their book database.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesBooks & E-BooksAwards & RecognitionResources for Librarians
May 30, 2024 Tourists are Ruining EVERYTHING
Japan is among several locations struggling with rebuilding sustainable tourism since it halted during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic. How will this industry survive if tourists are allowed to destroy both habitats and culture?
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementHospitality, Travel & Tourism ManagementSustainable DevelopmentBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
May 29, 2024 How Concerned Should Authors Be With Formatting, Style, and Accessibility?
When preparing a manuscript for publication, it is important that authors pay special attention not only to showcasing their research but also to formatting, citations, and accessibility.
Mikaela FeltyRead More
NewsletterResources for LibrariansAuthor NewsResources for ResearchersAcquisitions
May 23, 2024 Economic Showdown: China and the United States
President Biden's administration is implementing tariff increases on various Chinese goods to tackle persistent issues like intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices, aiming to create leverage for negotiating more favorable trade terms and protecting American industries.
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementGovernment and LawGlobal BusinessResearch Trends
May 16, 2024 Sketch the Future
What is sketchnoting, and can it improve learning outcomes and student engagement?
IGI GlobalRead More
EducationInstructional DesignVirtual Learning EnvironmentsBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
May 14, 2024 IGI Global and Scite Partner to Fortify the Next Generation of Citations
Scite, an award-winning platform used by students and researchers to discover and understand the scientific literature better, has partnered with IGI Global, an independent academic publisher of Business & Management; Scientific, Technical, and Medical (STM); and Education books and journals, to enhance citations and create deeper research insights for its global audience.
IGI GlobalRead More
ArticlesResources for Researchers
May 9, 2024 Navigating the "High" Risks and "High" Rewards of Cannabis Legalization in Medicine
Despite increasing acceptance and legalization of cannabis in some US states, disparities persist in federal marijuana laws, exacerbated by the Biden administration's classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug. This inconsistency leads to unfair penalties in the criminal justice system, where individuals in legal states can still face federal prosecution.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
May 2, 2024 Who will Win the AI Chat Wars?
Google has recently introduced its new Gemini platform, which competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT. This platform promises to provide real-time chat with advanced algorithms to meet the increasing demand for instant AI interactions.
IGI GlobalRead More
Computer Science and Information TechnologyArtificial IntelligenceBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
Apr 25, 2024 How AI Changes the Game with Targeted Advertising and Rapid Upscaling
How can advertisers possibly keep up with billions of unique individuals on the planet? Enter artificial intelligence.
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementMarketingBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
Apr 23, 2024 Participate in the IGI Global Annual Academic Publishing Trends & Open Access Survey 2024
In its second year, the IGI Global Annual Academic Publishing Trends & Open Access Survey 2024 seeks to create a realistic outlook on problems faced by the academic community and their potential solutions.
IGI GlobalRead More
Resources for LibrariansResources for ResearchersOpen Access
First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  ... Next Last