Student engagement in STEM increases when research activities are included in the curriculum. These research experiences, when paired with Culturally Relevant Education, may create a more equitable experience for students by engaging their particular interests and activating the resources they bring to the classroom. To explore the intersection between research experiences and Culturally Relevant Education, we designed and implemented a classroom-based research unit where students investigated apun (Iñupiaq word for snow on the ground) in science courses at Ilisagvik College. The snow chemistry unit was designed and developed collaboratively with instructors, researchers, and community members, increasing the potential that the curricular materials can be used sustainably within the specific classroom context while also addressing the community's needs. Through this unit, students were empowered to apply their Traditional and local knowledge along with science concepts and practices to design and conduct research on the changing Arctic. We used design-based implementation research to capture the extent to which both Indigenous and local resources were integrated alongside Western science as the unit was iterated over multiple semesters. Here we will present how the unit's design was changed to better integrate these resources in response to classroom observations and student reflections.

Capturing the collaborative design of a culturally relevant classroom-based chemistry research unit

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.