I’ll never forget my high school chemistry teacher. He always loved a good song. Whether it be science related or not, he would constantly hum and mutter odd phrases from obscure songs that may or may not have been popular. I even found and memorized an old Wyle Coyote and Road Runner song for him when he reminisced about it one day in class. While he may not have always been lecturing about the subject at hand (who among us can say we’re always on task?), he always had us waiting for what might be sung next. It was with great fondness that I read a news article at Wired.com about Greg Crowther (not my old chemistry teacher), a science educator that uses music to engage his students.
Recognizing that song and verse is a great way to memorize and learn information, Greg has been rewriting popular tunes with new lyrics explaining how glucose is produced in the body or how the liver metabolizes cholesterol. He’s also gone on to write original science and math songs and has established a database of over 2000 of these educational songs. I was rolling in my seat while listening to his rendition of the Archie’s “Sugar, Sugar,” which he has renamed “Glucose, Glucose” and thought it quite brilliant at using Tommy Tutone’s 867-5309/Jennifer to help students remember the first 9 digits of Pi. If you have a chance visit the Science Groove MASSIVE Database he has created (you can listen to samples and purchase if you like) or head over to Greg’s homepage and listen to, or download, some of his hit tunes. My personal favorite? “Take me to the Liver.” In case you get lost on his site, here’s a direct link to the page with all of his mp3 files links.
Oh, and in case my old chemistry teacher ends up reading this post, here’s a link just for you, Lucky.
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