Science Rapper

Science put to music can inspire wonder.
Marsha Lewis, Contributing Producer

(Inside Science TV) –   There's a new science teacher in town!

His name is Tom McFadden, a graduate of Stanford University in California, and a human biology teacher.

He works with his students, producing music videos about some rather deep topics. Hoping to connect the innate joy music brings to most people with his love for all things science.

His mix of music and science came naturally to him.

“I knew that I loved learning and I loved being alive. So learning about being alive was this obvious way to explore the world. I kinda have this life mission of sharing my enthusiasm for biology with whoever,” he said.

Students rap about everything from DNA, the black plague and even weigh in on the solar system.

“I really believe, even more important than learning the information, is creating confidence and critical thinking abilities and in doing a huge video project where students have to tell a story about science that involves visual storytelling and research and project management and teamwork, that that experience, from an educational perspective is just powerful and ideally, the products that they make or that I make, can then be used by other students," said McFadden.

Now there is still plenty of traditional teaching in his classroom … but at any time, the teacher or the students can burst into out in to song.

“My goal isn’t to have every kid become a scientist, but to just have humans care about science and find the wonder of it," he said.

Filed under
Author Bio & Story Archive

Marsha Lewis is a freelance producer based in California.  She has won 11 National Telly Awards and nine Regional Emmy Awards for her work in local and national syndicated news.

I’ve dedicated my time to reporting and producing stories focused on medical, science and technology. I created a nationally award winning series dedicated to promoting women and their great accomplishments.  Now I’ve taken that expertise outside the traditional TV news format and broadened the viewership to people around the world.