Dancing paleontologists , colorful graphics , and unashamed catchiness make Fossil Rock Anthem one of my favourite scientific lampoon songs . Even well , it ’s educational effectiveness is backed by research into the developing sphere of using music to engross student in learning science .
Fossil Rock Anthem covers key points in the California grade 7 science syllabus , touch on geological and biological change over time , natural selection , plate tectonics , fossil constitution , the rock cycle , relative and absolute geological dating , extinction event , and even a bit on the lifestyle of a geoscientist . That ’s a whole lot of scientific discipline to jam into less than three and half minutes !
Fossil Rock Anthem was part ofTom McFadden ’s dissertation work on using the song in a classroom settingas a teaching tool . Why put out with skill songs ? Despite euphony course of study being turn out during financial backing squeeze , it ’s a vital part of school day program . Music can reduce stress and increase student engagement , so why not try using it to help students sue and hold info ? That ’s what got McFadden started , andaccording to explore he ’s collaborated on with Greg Crowther and Katie Davis , it ’s work .
So , how ’s the science in Fossil Rock Anthem ? Pretty good ! McFadden was genial enough to pass me the instructor ’s pathfinder that plump along with the song . In it , he acknowledges that the term “ Fossil Rock ” is technically precise but entirely unused , as fossils are found in rock music , or made of rock , but are unremarkably just call fogey . He also admit that the “ They ’re the schist ! ” line is mostly to provoke giggles , as highly metamorphosed rocks are unlikely to continue a fossil , but “ They ’re in shale ” does n’t scan as nicely .
Aside from those exceptions , the scientific discipline all follows the curriculum neatly . rock music build up with older layer on the bottom and young on the top . The continent reshuffle and move over time . Species in isolation follow different evolutionary paths . Extinction outcome are painful . And geoscientists are obsessed with their hammer .
As the cataclysm - obsess scientist I am , my preferred short letter in the templet is for the poor , doomed trilobite :
“ Doing the trilobite ” might think crawl , swim , count at the world , or going extinct along with 90 % of marine species during the Permian Extinction .
Although his acknowledgement that actual fossilology dance party may not be exactly as portray in the video is pretty precious , too :
The dance movement demonstrated in the “ Fossil Rock Anthem ” music video pay court to the art and science of shoveling , hammering , and brushing . They in no way reflect the existent dance motion of fossilist . My apologies .
After the Fossil Rock Anthem , McFadden produced aScience History Rap Battlepilot programme , make 5 videos at 5 public school around the state ( admit thePluto argumentation , and an astronomer showdown betweenBrahe vs. Kepler ) . At this degree , school day were starting to realize he had a sound thing go , and he got snatched up by the Nueva School near San Francisco , California . He continues to make science music television with his students , most recently put out a investigation of theatomic belongings of metallic element . Rumour is , the next video will be decidedly biologic , look at eye and cataracts .
For more scientific discipline music videos , check outNASA ’s Johnson Space Center did a Gangnam Styleparody , theLarge Hadron Collider rap , or the birdcall of a space vehicle : Voyager ’s data is used to produce euphony .
GeologyMusicPlate tectonics
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