Pages

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sing About Science & Math

I can remember the words and melodies to hundreds (thousands?) of songs, so it's not surprising that scientists are looking at how music can be used as a tool in the classroom to help students learn and retain important information. The Scout Report recently wrote about the Sing About Science website:
"A team of scientists interested in studying the 'usefulness of music in science and math education,' created this musical archive with funds provided by the National Science Foundation.
"First-time visitors should start by clicking on the "Featured Videos" area. Here they will find a few sample songs from topics that include biology, math, and engineering. Moving on, visitors can use the "Find/Add Songs" section to look for songs by keyword, song title, or performer. Visitors may want to start by listening to songs such as "Biochemistry, Biochemistry" (sung to the tune of "O Christmas tree") or "Protein biosynthesis" (sung to the tune of "My Bonny lies over the ocean"). Educators shouldn't miss the "Educating with Music" area, as it contains examples of how best to use these informative and melodious numbers in the classroom."
Most of what is here is music in an MP3 format, although there are some videos, many of which are hosted on YouTube. The database pulls up results that tell you if lyrics are available, and if you can hear an entire song or only a sample of it.

No comments: