GRANITE: A GEOSCIENCE FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR NATIVE-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The GRANITE (Geological Reasoning And Natives Investigating The Earth) geoscience project was developed by Lake Superior State University (LSSU), a comprehensive public university located in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. The highlight of the GRANITE program is a two week summer geoscience field experience targeting Native-American high school students in grades 11-12. The GRANITE staff includes geoscience university faculty, secondary science teachers, undergraduate geology students, local scientists and local Native American experts. We utilize active learning strategies to integrate select geoscience concepts with indigenous cultures, paradigms, knowledge, and ways of knowing. GRANITE students solve geologic problems at sites selected because of their interesting geologic features in addition to having special significance to Native Americans, such as the Great Lakes; Mississippi/Missouri Rivers; Pipestone, MN; Bear Butte, SD; Wind Cave, SD; Devil’s Tower, WY; Badlands, SD; and Black Hills, SD. Students 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 local Native communities. Thus the GRANITE experience develops students’ understanding of the relevance of geoscience in their lives, in their communities and the world around them. GRANITE also promotes students’ self confidence in pursuing geoscience knowledge and its applications with the objective of increasing Native American interest in and confidence with geoscience topics and with pursuing higher education. Through the GRANITE program students improved their understanding of geoscience concepts aligned with the State of Michigan standards and increased their interest in a geoscience career.