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

苏必利尔湖上级萨特大学（LSSU）将设计和进行新的地球科学活动，包括一个为期一到两周的夏季地球科学领域的经验，针对美国本土高中学生。 苏必利尔湖上级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学生是美洲原住民，LSSU学生中有近10%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，知识和本土知识方式相结合的活动。开发的实地研究将要求学生解决问题，批判性思考，利用模拟科学努力的方法，并为地球科学概念的获取和应用提供重点。 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，并沿着发展他们的技术专长。 将在不同地点进行地球科学实地研究，其中包括一些地点，这些地点除了对美洲原住民具有特殊意义外，还具有有趣的地质特征（如：南达科他州的熊丘;明尼苏达州的管道石;怀俄明州的魔鬼塔;南达科他州的Bandlands和Black Hills;五大湖和河流系统等）。学生将把美国原住民对物理现象的解释与科学解释结合起来，使他们能够单独构建科学思维方式与其文化中的认知方式之间的联系。学生将发展地球科学在他们的生活和社区的相关性的理解。 这些活动将提高学生对追求地学知识及其应用于实际地质问题的自信心。 这些高中生将直接与苏必利尔湖上级州立大学的教师和学生合作，成功地解决地质问题。 为美国原住民高中学生开发此课程的目的是提高他们对地球科学的兴趣和理解，提高他们上大学的兴趣和信心，并增加他们在大学水平地球科学课程中的入学率。

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.