Odes to a Physics Songbag

As an educator whose motivation and outreach repertoire includes writing and performing songs (see www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/lesser/Mathemusician.html ), I enjoyed July’s “Physics Songbag.” Although the examples were inherently enjoyable, readers may not have realized just how widespread and serious such songwriting is.

Educational songs are gaining attention and support. Examples include the Physics Pholk Songs CD, partially funded by NSF and available for purchase at www.teachersource.com/catalog/index.html , the searchable science song database www.science-groove.org/MASSIVE/ , and an article in the Wall Street Journal. ¹

Using songs in the classroom is fun and community-building, but also has research-backed benefits in helping to motivate students and helping them to recall information. See, for instance, http://www.science-groove.org/SSA/pedagogy.html and http://www.songsforteaching.com/references.htm .

Although many writers of educational songs take their craft quite seriously—there is the Science Songwriters Association—and have released professional recordings, songwriting is too fun and valuable to leave only to “experts.” All teachers and students have the ability and should have the opportunity to enhance class learning with a song, jingle, or rap. Comprehensive articles have been written about the use of songs in teaching math and science. ^2,3