Geoscience and Native American Culture: A field experience for Native American High School Students

苏必利尔湖州立大学（LSSU）将设计并开展新的地球科学活动，包括针对美洲原住民高中生的一到两周的夏季地球科学实地体验。苏必利尔湖州立大学位于密歇根州东部的上半岛，那里有大量的美洲原住民人口，例如，大约三分之一的当地高中生是美洲原住民，近10%的LSSU学生是美洲原住民。参加这个新项目的学生将参与将选定的地球科学概念与土著文化、知识和土著认识方式相结合的活动。基于实地的研究将要求学生解决问题，批判性地思考，利用模拟科学努力的方法，并为获取和应用地球科学概念提供重点。学生将使用包括计算机在内的技术来帮助他们学习地质概念和解决地质问题，同时发展他们的技术专长。地球科学实地研究将在不同的地点进行，包括一些因其有趣的地质特征而被选中的地点，以及它们对美国原住民的特殊意义（如：SD的熊丘；MN的派普斯通；WY的魔鬼塔；SD的高地和黑山；五大湖和河流系统等）。学生将把美国土著对物理现象的解释与科学解释结合起来，这样他们就能在科学思维方式和他们文化中的认知方式之间建立起联系。学生将了解地球科学在他们的生活和社区中的相关性。选定的活动将提高学生在学习地球科学知识和将其应用于实际地质问题方面的自信心。这些高中学生将直接与苏必利尔湖州立大学的教师和学生合作，成功地解决地质问题。为美国原住民高中生开发这个项目的目的是增加他们对地球科学的兴趣和理解，增加他们上大学的兴趣和信心，并增加他们参加大学地球科学课程的人数。

Lake Superior Sate University (LSSU) will design and conduct new geoscience activities, including a one to two-week summer geoscience field experience targeting Native-American high school students. Lake Superior State University is located in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula where there is a substantial Native American population, e.g., approximately one third of the local high school students are Native American as is nearly 10% of the LSSU student body. Students participating in this new program will be engaged in activities that integrate selected geoscience concepts with indigenous cultures, knowledge, and native ways of knowing. The field based studies developed will require students to problem-solve, think critically, utilize methodologies that model scientific endeavors, and provide a focus for the acquisition and application of geoscience concepts. Students will use technology including computers to assist their learning of geologic concepts and the solving of geologic problems along with developing their technological expertise. Geoscience field studies will be conducted at a variety of localities, including a number of sites selected because of their interesting geologic features in addition to their having special significance to Native American's (such as: Bear Butte, SD; Pipestone, MN, Devil's Tower, WY; Bandlands and Black Hills, SD; Great Lakes and river systems; etc.). Students will integrate Native American explanations of physical phenomena with scientific explanations so that they individually construct the linkage between ways of thinking scientifically and ways of knowing from within their culture. Students will develop an understanding of the relevance of geoscience in their lives and in their communities. The selected activities will promote students' self confidence in pursuing geoscience knowledge and its applications to actual geologic problems. These High School students will work directly with Lake Superior State University faculty and students to successfully solve geologic problems. An objective of developing this program for Native American High School students is to increase their interest in and understanding of the geosciences, increase their interest and confidence in attending university and to increase their enrollment in university-level geoscience programs.