Developing Cross-cultural Education Programs Kathy Bertram Director, Education Outreach Office Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks
Communicating Science in Native Cultures Alaska Native students and Elders participate in the NSF ITEST Arctic Climate Modeling Program.
Cross-Cultural Education in Rural Alaska Cross-cultural education in Alaska focuses on building a bridge between Native ways of learning and western science.
Increasing Minority Student Achievement Aurora Alive is used in 57 schools in Alaska. Aurora photo by Jan Curtis Topics of community relevance and student interest are used to encourage academic involvement in the sciences.
Ola Ka Honua: Volcanoes Alive in Hawaii On the Ola Ka Honua CDROM, Hawaiian legends are used to introduce events that also can be explained scientifically. In Ola Ka Honua, artwork by Native Hawaiians is used to teach physics to Native Hawaiian students.
The Arctic Climate Modeling Program ACMP teaches physics within the context of Arctic climate.
Evidence of Climate Change in the Arctic Coastal erosion caused by changes in the Arctic climate in Shishmaref, Alaska, is causing the entire Native community to move to higher ground.
Bridging Schools with their Communities Alaska Native students in the Bering Strait learn about Arctic climate.
Involving Native Elders in the Classroom ACMP blends Western science with traditional Native cultural perspectives.
Artwork depicting Alaska Native life is used on the Aurora Alive CD-ROM to introduce physics to Alaska Native students. Aurora Legends
Arctic Climate Modeling CD-ROM The CD-ROM was designed with graphics that illustrate: clouds weather climate and climate change
Students Use Interactive Modeling
Weather Stations Weather data is piped to consoles in BSSD classrooms for student and community use. Weather Station at Brevig Mission School A state-of-the-art weather station will be installed at each BSSD school by next summer. Weather Station Console
Each weather station is equipped with: Anemometer Thermometer Humidity sensor Rain collector Stations record data about: Barometric pressure Humidity and dew point Rainfall Temperature Wind speed and direction Wind chill
Science Observation Network Weather data from each school is transmitted to the on-line Science Observation Network. Teachers incorporate data into the classroom. Sea ice observations Science Observation Network Interface Students view weather in all BSSD communities,and enter sea ice observations.
Science Observation Network Data can be displayed in line and bar graphs.
GINA The Geographic Information Network of Alaska uses satellites orbiting over Alaska to obtain daily information and provides the location of sea ice and weather storms off Alaska s shoreline
The Geographic Information Orbiting satellites obtain daily information on sea ice and weather. Network of Alaska Seal hunting off Nunivak Island Bering Strait Sea Ice, Spring 2005 GINA provides students and the community with near real-time weather and sea ice information.
Hawaiian Immersion Classrooms On every screen of the Ola Ka Honua CDROM, students can toggle instantly between English and the Hawaiian language.
Narration Over Text
Technology and Tradition The Ola Ka Honua CD- ROM shows students performing a dance related to the science concepts learned in class. Animated graphics on the Ola Ka Honua CD-ROM illustrate science concepts.
Incorporating Native Language
Weather Words in Other Languages
ACMP Classroom Lessons K-12 lessons include: National Science Standards Alaska Content Standards District-wide Standards
ACMP K-12 Progressive Instruction K-12 progressive instruction provides a pipeline of science, math and information technology starting with basic introductory concepts and culminating in workforce applications.
Team Development Approach Teachers Elders Scientists Curriculum Developers
Professional Development Delivery Throughout the school year, ACMP teachers pilot workshop strategies targeting diverse learning styles in cross-cultural classrooms.
ACMP Scientist Mentorship In the rural Bering Straits School District, scientists provide monthly lectures via videoconference and guide student inquiry related to professional research via email and Web.
ACMP Youth Camps Showcase Science
Program Websites This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. G-2591. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
International Polar Year IPY is a world-wide collaborative campaign of research, observation and analysis of the Arctic regions. ACMP Scientist Mentors are now planning IPY projects, which will be modeled by students.
Developing Cross-cultural Education Programs Kathy Bertram Director, Education Outreach Office Geophysical Institute University of Alaska Fairbanks Contact: Phone: (907) 474-7798 Email: kbertram@gi.alaska.edu