Students, teachers, and science lovers can submit a "verse two" for each new song.

Feel free to work ALONE OR submit as a group.

UPDATE: Tom has Verse Two worksheets available to teacher beta testers. Interested in signing up to test out these new tools. Contact Tom here.

• Choose a topic, using one of the following prompts (or your teacher's prompt):

  • Prompts for Is it Livin?
    • #1: Do an investigation into the traits of living things. Rap about what you did.
    • #2: Summarize how you define living things vs. non-living things
    • #3: Go in-depth into ONE of the traits of living things (ex: reproduction, metabolism, evolution). (BONUS: Explore any non-living things that show this trait, or any living things that don't display this trait.)
  • Prompts for What is the Golgi?
    • #1: Choose an organelle that is NOT THE GOLGI (nucleus, mitochondria, plasma membrane, or cell wall) and explain its structure or function
    • #2: Compare the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes
    • #3 Compare structure and function of plant and animal cells
    • #4: Create a metaphor for how different cell parts work together
  • Prompts for So Many Systems
    • #1: Choose TWO body systems (circulatory, excretory, digestive, respiratory, muscular, or nervous) and describe how they interact
    • #2: Explore how different tissues (nervous, muscular, epithelial, or connective) interact in a given organ or body system
    • #3: Rap about what happens in a disease, when an organ or organ system stops working (BONUS: and how this affects other body systems)
  • Prompts for Drosophila Song
    • #1: Describe an example of how an animal's behavior can lead to survival and reproductive success (Examples: nest building to protect young from cold, herding of animals to protect young from predators, and vocalization of animals and colorful plumage to attract mates for breeding)
    • #2: Explain how a specific plant structure leads to survival or reproductive success (Examples: transferring pollen or seeds, and creating conditions for seed germination and growth. Examples of plant structures could include bright flowers attracting butterflies that transfer pollen, flower nectar and odors that attract insects that transfer pollen, and hard shells on nuts that squirrels bury)

• Use the instrumental to write your verse

  • Your verse should be "12 bars" - the space of the blank verse in the music video. (For more information on how to count music, click here)
  • You may want to consult Verse One lyrics on rap genius (Livin, Golgi, Systems) when thinking about the length of each line and rhyme scheme, but feel free to be creative.
  • Skip to the instrumental portion of the music video on YouTube, and write your lyrics to match the beat.

• want to write but not perform? (option #1)

  • Post your verse as a YouTube comment AND submit it via this form to get a "Science With Tom" sticker for your classroom.
    • Post your verse on the Science With Tom YouTube music video using your own YouTube account OR have your teacher post it for you.

• Want to perform on video? (option #2)

  • Press play on the music video and use the audio from the "verse two" instrumental portion as the backing track to spit your verse. Have somebody video your performance, or use your computer's camera. Upload your video to YouTube (make sure to ask your parent's permission if you are under 18) and then send me the link to your video via our contact page. It is up to you and your family whether you make your link "public", "private" or "unlisted".
  • If your submit as a public YouTube video, I am happy to add it to the Science With Tom Verse Two Playlist
  • The best video submissions will be entered for a slot on the 2015-2016 Verse Two Mixtape, and may even win a live performance by Tom at your school.