Supporting Communication and Argumentation in Urban Science Education: Hip-hop, the Battle, and the Cypher

This paper is based on an exploration of communication and argumentation in urban science classrooms, and provides a description of the role that Hip-hop based education plays in supporting these major components of science education. The paper is intended to both support, and critique conventional uses of hip-hop based education, and provide insight into the rap battle and the hip-hop cypher; two under-focused upon aspects of hiphop culture that have tremendous pedagogical potential.