Comments

Gabe Green
April 7, 2009

Hi Dr. Phanstiel,

I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how nice it is to see all these songs. When I was a 17-year-old grad student/TA at UCLA way back in '90-'91 (my mentors were Don Cram and Chris Foote), I taught my students using chemistry songs. I started with old songs, because I was a fan of 30's-50's music, so I would do stuff like "Brominate Your Benzene With Some FeBr3" to the tune of "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody" and "Oxirane, Not Ethylene Oxide" to the tune of "Istanbul, Not Constantinople."

Of course, because a lot of people didn't know the original songs, I moved onto doing O-Chem raps. I got a lot of coverage in the L.A. Times, on CNN, and a bunch of other news channels. Anyway, your site has inspired me to write more organic chem songs. Perhaps I could send you some one of these days.

Thank you for realizing what a fun (and effective) teaching tool this is!

Best Regards,
Gabe Green

Dear Gabe Green,

Thank you for your wonderful email. Its nice to know that California and Florida chemistry profs think alike. I will toast you with a large glass of orange juice.

Thanks for sharing your own experiences and we look forward to your rap video.

Regards,
Dr. Phanstiel

Effie Sauer
March 26, 2009

Hello Dr. Phanstiel,
I'm a chemistry Lecturer at the University of Toronto in Canada. I just stumbled onto your web page while google searching for "funny chemistry" tidbits to include in my lectures. What a jewel I've found with your website! This is such a great idea - I can't wait to do something similar in my own lectures. To that end, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about this. First of all, I was hoping I could show one or two of the videos in class just to give the students a taste of what can be done. Secondly, I'm curious about the size of class that you do this project with and whether or not you have them participate for fun, or for credit. Thirdly, what sort of copyright issues have you had to consider, if any, with the music being played in class and/or posting it online.

Thanks for your time,
Effie Sauer

Hi Effie,
Thanks for your email. Feel free to use the videos in your classroom. We are glad you like them!

I started this project in my organic chemistry class of about 60 students and broke them into groups of 5.The students would take a popular song and change the lyrics to illustrate a concept in organic chemistry. They would then perform the songs in class (last day of class) and I would film them and put them on the web. The songs take about 3 to 5 min to perform, so 12 groups was my max #.

As the class size expanded to 185 students over the years, I was unable to get all the groups in during our 50 min class period. Therefore, I switched the assignment to a take home project. The students then submit a burnt CD or DVD with their filmed song performance on them. I then posted these videos on line with the revised lyrics to help viewers understand what they were singing about. What i noticed immediately was that the quality of the production varied tremendously depending upon the group, lighting and editing skills. As you can see some are outstanding and others difficult to see. Lighting issues abound!

In terms of copyright, I have students agree to a web release of their new lyrics and content as a stipulation of the assignment. Students who do not wish to perform a song can do an alternative term paper about a famous chemist for the same extra-credit points. In terms of the songs themselves many of them are karaoke versions or played by a student band for educational purposes. Since I am not charging anything and have used these for instructional purposes only I have never had a problem.

I hope this helps.
Regards,
Dr. Phanstiel

Crystal Coley
LHS Science Department
coleyc@lisd.net
Feb 19, 2009

Dr. Phanstiel,
I have had a great time viewing the videos your students produce. May I show some of them to my high school students and have a link to your site from my web page? I want them to do a similar project this year. Thanks!

Ron Rusay
May 9, 2008

Dear Dr. P, Very, very cool. Is it ok to use the materials with my o-chem courses? http://chemconnections.llnl.gov/Organic/Chem226/ http://chemconnections.llnl.gov/Organic/Chem227/

tks & bst rgds,
ron

Dr. Ron Rusay
Visiting Scholar
University of California, Berkeley
rrusay@berkeley.edu
_________________
Professor of Chemistry
Diablo Valley College
rrusay@dvc.edu
tel. 925-685-1230 x2508

Ron,
Yes! Enjoy the songs with your class!

Otto

Nathan Cline
Chemistry Teacher
National Honor Society Advisor
John T. Hoggard High School
May 4th 2008

Dr. P, I have been using your site ever since I was a supplemental instruction leader at North Carolina State University about 8 years ago. I am now a high school chemistry teacher in my 5th year and have decided to have my students create similar videos. However, I have been struggling to come up with a good rubric to use for grading and I am hoping you won't mind providing me with the one you use or at least some ideas.

Thanks for your help, and for the site!

Hi Nathan,
Thanks for your email. The song is worth 10 points on a 200 point final exam. Students get the full 10 pts regardless of the quality of their song and video. For me its all about the organic journey. As long as the students craft a song with chemically-correct lyrics then they receive the 10 point bonus. These points are added onto their sum total (600 points possible) at the end of the term. So a student could have 500 points at the end of the term but with the song they have 510 points. The song bonus is added on AFTER I have determined the grade cutoffs, so it can really help students who are close to the next grade level. I give four exams (100 pts each) and a final (200 pts). So the song is a small factor in terms of the final grade determination (600 pt total journey). In sum, it mostly helps students who are close to the next grade level.

The students really have fun with it and I think its a great way to tap into their creativity and energy.

Enjoy,
Dr. P

Thanks for the email. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and for the web site. It's an excellent tool to remind students how fun chemistry can be!

Nathan Cline

Aaron Moore
Environmental Scientist IV
April 28th 2008

Dr. P, I was looking for something the other day and came across my name in a web search and clicked the link to "Burn, Burn, Burn " from 1999. I must say it was quite a blast from the past. I can't believe you got us all up there to sing in front of everybody. It appears to be a success. I still love O-Chemistry and get to dabble with it a bit with some water quality work here in Sanford. Great job keep it up.

Go Knights.

Lenka Fiserova
Brno University of Technology
Czech Republic
March 18th 2008

Dear Dr. Phanstiel,
I would like to ask you for your permission to use your songs in my internet teaching material English for Chemists. Your songs are witty and I sure that they will enliven our seminars.

Is the internet version the only one available or can I kindly ask you to provide a file that can be saved on PC?

Thank you very much for your answer. With the best wishes of organic inspiration and a lot of positive experience with your students.

Marti
BHS Integrated Science
March 18th, 2008

I love what you and your students have done. Song is a great memory device and your students are obviously having a great time learning the material.

I teach general high school science and would like to ask permission to share "I'm a Hydrogen Atom" with my students.

Dr. Shehadeh A. Mizyed
March 8, 2007

Dear Dr. Otto Phanstiel's,
This is Shehadeh Mizyed from Yarmouk University, Jordan. I have landed to your website and enjoyed the songs. I would like to have your permission to use it in my chemistry classes and also to link to it in my web site. cheers.

Dr. Shehadeh A. Mizyed
Chemistry Department, Yarmouk University,
Irbid, Jordan
Phone# (962)-2-721-1111 ext 2771 work
http://www.yu.edu.jo/mizyed s

David W Barman, Esq
April 28th 2008

I am chemist now working as a Patent Attorney and one of your newest fans. I love your site with the Chem Songs (I also have a degree in music). They are fun and convey real info. Keep up the good work.

David W Barman, Esq
Registered Patent Attorney
Attorney and Counselor at Law
1101 NE 176 Terrace
North Miami Beach FL 33162
305‑332‑4089
www.thepatentman.com

"Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consist with the letter and spirit of the constitution, are constitutional." (McCulloch v Maryland)

Valerie Haley
October 12, 2006

I am a high school science teacher at Fairview High School in Grant LA. I was wondering if you minded if I used some of your chemistry songs for my class? I think they would really enjoy it.

Thank You,
Valerie Haley

George Householder
April 11, 2006

I am an Honors High School Chemistry Teacher in Glastonbury, CT. I am preparing my Freshman and Sophomores for the wonderful world of Organic Chemistry. I anticipate that I will be the only one that finds it wonderful and I thought the use of your videos in my class might make my students enjoy the nature of Organic Chemistry more. I would be greatly appreciative if I could use a few of your videos and if it is not too much to ask, include your website link on my Chemistry classes website. Thank you very much in advance.

Most Sincerely,
George Householder
Chemistry Teacher
Glastonbury High School
Glastonbury, CT 06033

Marielle Poulin
Dec 1, 2005

I've been looking for examples of songs that my students could write in my chemistry and physics classes next semester. Would it be alright to show my classes a few of the songs to inspire them?

Thanks

Jennifer Tareila
Nov 30, 2005

Dr. Phanstiel,
I came across your song page yesterday, and need to share it with my class. I have found a few terrible chem songs for my level 1-pre-AP chem classes, and the students were shocked and apalled by the lack of musical ability and humor. I played a song for a few students after school when I came across them, and they thought they were great. They had asked me to post them on my links page for them to peruse (and to share with the few parents that are chemists), and I have posted a link at http://guest.portaportal.com/?chem. Would I be able to use a few songs in class? Ideas for new songs are already being discussed among those few present, although I may wait until the end of the year because it would be great for review. (We would certainly send copies of any songs if you'd like.) Thanks for entertaining and informing!

Jennifer Tareila
Chemistry and Biology Teacher
Penncrest High School
Media, PA

Carolyn Pettey
Sept 10, 2005

I teach high school chemstry and would like permission to play some of your songs to my students. I would like to use them as examples to encourage them to write their own. I think your site is great and want my students to see it in class.

Thanks for your time,
Carolyn Pettey

Phyllis Anderson-Meyer
Jul 5, 2005

I enjoyed your students' songs and would like to try similar activity in my gen chem class. Right now I give the class 5 points to do karaoke of Tom Lehrer's Element Song and would like to have them do something more creative. Can you send me info on how you incorporate into your class, and permission to download and use in my class as models or to liven up my power points.

Thanks,
Phyllis Anderson-Meyer

Phyllis Anderson-Meyer
April 8, 2005

Dear Dr. Phanstiel,
I am a first year high school chemistry teacher. I would like to ask permission to show the videos to my chemistry classes. In addition, I would like to copy the idea of having the kids create their own songs. I think it could be used as a great review of the year. If possible could you also send me a copy of the requirements for the videos and a basic grading rubric. (I am trying not to reinvent the wheel).

Thank You,
Virginia Landgrebe
Chemistry Teacher
New Milford, CT

Tara Simmons, Ph.D.
March 24, 2005

Hi,
I found the excellent chemistry videos your students have put together and wanted to let you know I enjoy them. I would like to ask permission to use some of them in my organic classes and to put a link to your web site on my web page.

Thanks,
Tara

Tara Simmons, Ph.D.
College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL 60030

John Pavlakis
Dec. 22, 2004

This makes my wife and I want to retake Organic Chemistry (we both got A's, so Organic has good memories for us). My wife has been passing this around to the people she knows at work (NYU Medical center). My college roomate will pass this around the National Eye Institute. You may even get a video from us, one never knows...

John Pavlakis

Kathleen Monaco
December 1, 2004

Hello Dr. Phanstiel,
My name is Kathleen Monaco and I am a third year, undergraduate chemistry major at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. I was looking up some information on an organic question that someone asked me to solve and I turned to the internet for help and came across your page of organic songs and thought that they were awesome. I just wanted to let you know that its a great way to create interest in organic chemistry and I think that surviving organic chemistry would have been easier with an assignment like that.

Thanks for posting your class' songs,
Kathleen Monaco
Class of 2006

Donna Sheckler
November 17, 2004

I was surfing the web and happened to find your students' music videos. Just wanted to say thanks for putting a smile on the face of a high school chemistry teacher at the end of a long day! I haven't had a chance to look at all of them yet, but I am thinking that the chemistry will be beyond my students' understanding. If I find one or two that I think they would like, could I have your permission to show them in class?

Thanks,
Donna Sheckler
Chemistry/Physics Teacher
Midlakes H.S. Clifton Springs, NY

Donna Sheckler
November 19, 2004

I think it will be even more popular since I shared your website with my listserv made up of chemistry teachers from all over New York State. We are enjoying your students' efforts!

Donna

Kat Holmstrom
Oct 31, 2004

I stumbled across your website while looking for some chemistry of life information for my biology classes at Lafayette Central Catholic b high school. I it find highly entertaining and just wanted to get permission to show some of your students' videos to my biology classes - maybe even have them learn some of the songs.

Thanks,
Kat Holmstrom

Kat Holmstrom
Oct 31, 2004

I stumbled across your website while looking for some chemistry of life information for my biology classes at Lafayette Central Catholic b high school. I it find highly entertaining and just wanted to get permission to show some of your students' videos to my biology classes - maybe even have them learn some of the songs.

Thanks,
Kat Holmstrom

Rosalind Hautzenroder
Oct 29, 2004

WOW!
What a find!
Your students did a wonderful job with all of their creative parodies!!!
I would love to have permission to show them to my 8th grade Physical Science classes this year, if at all possible! My students are . . . shall we say . . . academically unmotivated . . . who NEED something to catch their attention and pull them in. Many tend to be cynical about the role of education in their lives, and as I age, I am finding it harder and harder to stimulate their intrinsic desire to learn. I'm always looking for things to "change it up," just a bit! I can tell you that I would really really love to show, Baby Got Bond, on the first day, I do this type of presentation, because it is so well done, and the kids will relate to it!

Thank you, and keep up the GREAT work with your motivated classes!

Rosalind Hautzenroder

Nicholas Huck
June 29, 2004

Hi Dr. Phanstiel,
I am a graduate and chemistry major of the University of Richmond and b currently a student in an M.Ed. program at Notre Dame. This upcoming year I will be teaching high school chem in an under-resourced school in Atlanta. I found your chemistry songs online and was wondering if there was any way I could download some of them for my class?

Thanks!
Nick Huck

Bruce A. Hathaway
Jan 28, 2004

Good afternoon Dr. P.,
Just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your students After seeing your students perform their songs, I thought mine could do the same. You can see some of our efforts at the following website: Dr. H's Chemsongs Enjoy, and thanks again!

Bruce A. Hathaway
Professor of Chemistry & Pre-Pharmacy Advisor
Southeast Missouri State University
bahathaway@semo.edu
Website: http://cstl-cst.semo.edu/Hathaway/

Michael Grainger
January 19, 2004

Hi,
Great songs but you must be pretty sad to sit there all aday thinking of new ones. Keep up the good work though, we've had many a laugh in our chemistry classes.

Thanks,
Michael

Sally Bateman
December 1, 2003

Dear Dr. P and students,
This is explosive stuff! Thanks-found you by chance & you've really cheered up my morning. Wish they did this in Bristol!

Sally Bateman
sallystars@moonbase-1.fsnet.co.uk
BSc (hons) applied chemical science undergraduate
2nd year

Steffen Glaser
November 15, 2003

Dear Dr. Phanstiel,
I was very impressed and delighted by your students songs. I would like to ask for your permission to use the song "Fisher Esterification" in my organic chemistry class.

With best regards,
Steffen Glaser

Prof. Dr. Steffen J. Glaser
Institut fuer Organische Chemie und Biochemie II
Technische Universitaet Muenchen
e-mail: glaser@ch.tum.de URL: www.org.ch.tum.de/glaser

Deborah Herrington
November 13, 2003

Hi Dr. Phanstiel,
I teach introductory organic chemistry for health sciences majors. I am getting ready to start into nomenclature and I thought your students' song about IUPAC naming would be a great way to introduce the topic. You students have really done a great job!

Sincerely,
Deborah Herrington Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Grand Valley State University

Karen Conner
November 13, 2003

I found your site and was amused to say the least. I would like to make a similar assignment for my general chemistry classes and wanted to see if I could get the specifics of your assignment. I would appreciate it if you would share with me any handouts or grading rubrics for this.

Thank you

Karen Conner
Chemistry Instructor
Benton Consolidated High School 103
Benton, IL

Joseph M. Allen
November 10, 2003

Thank you for your website, for our class projects this semester we had to re-teach a certain aspect of Chemistry. My topic was Phase Diagrams. We all tried to make our presentations interesting, but there's not much you can do with a phase diagram--then I found your website and "That Don't Impress Me Much". I handed out the lyrics to the class and played your video instant success. Maybe we don't know Otto Phanstiel to be impressed, but the song kept my class entertained, especially since one class member sang the original song for our talent show. When they saw the size of your class, they all said the girls were extremely brave to be able to do that. . .our Chem class has 13 people.

Thanks,
Joseph M. Allen

Marilyn Seemann
November 5, 2003

No trees were harmed in sending this message; however, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced. Your student's chem songs are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

Marilyn Seemann
Viewpoint Laptop Program Director

Mitchel Green
November 2, 2003

Dear Dr. P,
My name is Mitchel Green and I am an 8th grade student at Ferguson Middle School in Dayton, Ohio and we are doing Chemical Elements projects and I have Carbon. BI was wondering if there was any way i could use your song for my project? Please e-mail me back. Thanks for your time!

Mitchel Green

Gordon Wilson
October 31, 2003

Hello Dr. Phanstiel,
I am developing an "Organic Nomenclature Online" site for my Year 11 Chemistry class. I came across the website with your wonderful students performing the IUPAC song and am so impressed I would like to include it on my own page.

Thanks for your consideration,
Gordon Wilson
Head of Chemistry
Camberwell Grammar School
Canterbury, Australia

Dan Barker
October 31, 2003

I am a first year at St Catherines College, Oxford. I failed my Organic exam yesterday, but I was strangely cheered up by enolisation again having seen the site of chemistry songs. We might send you one at some point, maybe after retakes. I am here with another chemist who is laughing and a geographer who is confused, but now knows what a radical is.

Cheers,
Dan Barker

Donna Governor
October 28, 2003

I found your web page! Awesome! :-) Thanks for making my day.

Donna Governor
Brown Barge Middle School
Pensacola, FL 32506

William Clardy
October 28, 2003

I say this is an amazing project you have going: the musical productions of organic chemistry deserve a grammy award man. Wittig Wittig good!

William Clardy

Dan Smith
October 27, 2003

Dr. Phanstiel,
I discovered your "Chemistry, the Songs of Our Lives" website last night and was delighted by the efforts of your students. . . "Aldol Reaction One More Time" and "Changes in Carbonyls" were a couple of my favorites, but I can't fail to mention "Baby Got Bond". . .

Thanks for the inspiration,
Dan Smith
Department of Food Science and Technology
Oregon State University