It's All Genetics

Paul Sagawa of Harvard Krokodiloes fame stars as Gregor Mendel in this "melodic-mnemonics science education through music video" from the early 1990s in which we tried to literally "bring the textbook to life". Sagawa also plays the saxophone throughout the track. Dr. Sherry Kerr cameos as Charles Darwin's pious wife -- Darwin was played by a substitute teacher at Jefferson High -- while biology teachers Todd Ullah and colleague play Watson and Crick. T.H. Culhane plays Alfred Russel Wallace while his beloved Harvard Professor E.O. Wilson is represented by photographs. The idea was to take images from the standard biology textbook and, using early blue screen technology available at the Beverly Hills Community Access Television station, superimpose the teachers playing the historical characters over the images from the book to tell the story of how evolution, genetics and sociobiology have transformed our view of the world. The audio was recorded on a little Tascam 4 track cassette recorder. Nobody involved in the production was a professional; we did our best to demonstrate what a small group of inspired inner city school teachers and their students could do to enliven the lesson and "bring the textbook to life".

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Gregor
• Genetics
• Sociobiology
• Watson
• Crick
• Mendel
• Alfred
• Russel
• Wallace
• E.O.
• Wilson
• Evolutionary
• Biology
• Education
• Reform

[PupuTheClown]

love the jewish narrator with the British accent, cheesy !

[tculhane]

Not exactly jewish -- Arab. Or rather, half Arab half Irish. My Iraqi grandfather organized against the British occupation and was jailed by the English for it. My Irish ancestors were also jailed or killed by the British colonialists. They say that the irony is that we end up using their accents, buying their products, dressing like them... But we retain our sense of humor -- I was a clown too so the idea of the meek making fun of their historical oppressors. Blessed are the Cheesemakers!

[cadermd]

Funded by?

[tculhane]

Self funded on a teacher's salary when working in the ghettoes of L.A. for Los Angeles Unified School District. The "actors" are all teachers from Jefferson High School, except Mendel -- he is a wall street financial analyst.

[CreativeCritisizm]

Hmmm, interesting, but Iraqis, Jews & Brittons can still live in peace if only they knew the keenship of brotherhood !,,,tculhane, your tatics of friendship and wisdom will live in eternal manuscripts for a new generation.

[cadermd]

Thank God you are Iraqi, Black or the abused and NOT the abuser. The ABUSED will go to HEAVEN for ETERNITY. So, are your ancestors.

[cadermd]

Thank God you are Iraqi, Black or the abused and NOT the abuser. The ABUSED will go to HEAVEN for ETERNITY. So, are your ancestors.

[cadermd]

"tculhane" I am not sure whether you are "posing" as Arab and Iraqi and Irish. That does not matter anyway.

Remember the Chained & caught Western African Black People were also given - Pilgrim Food, Clothes and accent. You should be VERY GLAD that you are not the mean "occupier" and "slayer"- because GOD is waiting at the gates of Hell for these guys and ETERNAL (do you understand the MATHEMATICAL consequences of "eternal"- it is scarry..) SUFFERING.

[cadermd]

Bush, CIA, FBI, Mussad, Hitler, and all those "evil" will be Hell Fuel. THE THEATER OF LIFE GOES ON. The good will do good. The bad will do bad. You have a FREE WILL and choice. JUST ASK GOD to HELP to be GOOD. He will help. Sometimes He removes you from the abuser and to Himself. Call the world to PEACE and TOTAL disarmament of ALL NUCLEAR weapons, first from Europe, Russia, China and India and then the rest

[cadermd]

Funding PLAYS a great influence in US scientific "discoveries".