'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."
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