Term
Summer 2022
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MAT
Facilitator(s)
Tia Clasen
Content Expert
Brittany Berres
Abstract
The purpose of this capstone was to create a two-week long ecology unit for high school biology students rooted in culturally relevant practices. The project sought to answer the question “How can utilizing a culturally relevant ecology curriculum help students see intersections between their scientific and cultural identities?” Data shows that people of color and women are underrepresented within the sciences. Disengagement and lack of interest in the sciences begins in middle and high school, suggesting students feel the material is irrelevant or disconnected from their lives. To address this gap, this project utilized a culturally relevant lens to create an ecology curriculum. Research showed that culturally relevant pedagogy increased student engagement with and retention of science concepts. The created curriculum draws on students’ pools of knowledge and integrates historical and cultural data into the practice of science. Students engage in a variety of learning activities including laboratory experiments, inquiry based activities, and reflective journaling. This project acts as a model for educators looking to engage in culturally relevant practices within the sciences as a mechanism to increase student engagement.
Project Type
Curriculum
Keywords
Curriculum, Science
Recommended Citation
Singer, Emma, "Utilizing a Culturally Relevant Ecology Curriculum to Help Students see Intersections between their Scientific and Cultural Identities" (2022). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 853.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/853
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects