AMES, Iowa – Water Rocks!, an award-winning, statewide youth water education program based at Iowa State University, has released a series of new rap music videos created to engage audiences with music and messages about conservation topics ranging from soil health (“Royal Soil”) to understanding watersheds (“Watershed Rap”). The videos are available to view and enjoy on www.waterrocks.org.
Through classroom visits and school assembly programs, Water Rocks! uses a combination of science, music, games, audience interaction and videos to deliver information, engage with students and teach the upcoming generation about the importance of natural resources and ways to improve the environment. Topics include biodiversity, land management, water quality, the importance of pollinators and things every person can do to contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable ecosystem.
“Music is a powerful teaching tool that helps us learn faster and remember more. Through song, students learn key vocabulary and get a solid grasp of environmental issues,” said Ann Staudt, Water Rocks! director. “Our creative team had fun writing and producing these quirky videos, which are designed to appeal to an upper elementary and middle school audience, but we know everyone will enjoy them. We wanted them to be fun and we wanted the science to be solid.”
The rap video series includes “Royal Soil,” “Wetlands,” “Watershed Rap,” “Monarch Milkweed Magic,” “Biodiversity Rap” and “When We Waste Food.” These six new clips join some 80-plus Water Rocks! video selections available on www.waterrocks.org. Video content from Water Rocks! ranges from short animation clips to full-length documentaries, offering science-based education for audiences ranging from kindergarten students to adults.
Iowa City videographer Andrew Bentler directed and edited the rap series. Bentler has worked on national television programs such as Z Nation and Mountain Men. The songs featured in the videos are also performed live during Water Rocks! assemblies at schools across Iowa.
To inquire about bringing Water Rocks! and its music-driven conservation education to your school, please visit www.waterrocks.org/wr-school-assemblies
To learn more about Water Rocks!, please visit www.waterrocks.org/
— Ann Staudt, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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