Dr. Christopher Edmin a professor of education at Columbia University’s Teacher College has gone a different route in hopes of influencing public school children to learn about science through hip-hop. What Edmin ended up creating was a program called, “Science Genius which is part of a national push to try and influence minorities into taking interest in science.” This program eventually in true hip-hop fashion birthed a competition where the kids battled it out on the mic with lyrics centering around the topic of science. Titled B.A.T.T.L.E.S. (Bring Attention to Transforming Teaching, Learning and Engagement in Science) the students performed to a panel of judges that included the Wu Tang Clan’s GZA. Looking back it just seems right to have a member of Wu Tang on the panel because there had to be at least one reference to science in every Wu track. It’s refreshing to see alternative ways to teaching the youth of this country and if hip-hop can help do that I don’t see why more educators wouldn’t want to explore it as an option. Check out the video below and see what the kids learned and who took home the trophy.
[Via Frank151]
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