Tracking the Collaborative Design of a Culturally Relevant Environmental Chemistry Unit

• In Event: Indigenous Knowledge as Decolonial Curricular Transformation

Abstract

Non-majority students often struggle to relate classroom material to their lived experiences and culture due to a focus on traditional Western academic perspectives. Although cultural relevance gains momentum, salient examples remain sparse in postsecondary chemistry. This collaborative project explores how culture and context influence the design and implementation of culturally relevant curricular materials for introductory chemistry at a Tribal College. Participating students explore Arctic snow processes by working with community members, Elders, and scientists to design and implement a research project that integrates local, traditional, and scientific perspectives. We outline the design considerations used to construct and implement a culturally relevant chemistry unit and describe activities where students interacted with the community and selected resources to inform their research design.

Authors

• Jeffrey L. Spencer, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• Danielle Maxwell, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Linda Nicholas-Figueroa, Ilisagvik College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kerri Pratt, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ginger Shultz, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author