MAKING SPACE FOR AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE IN AN INTRODUCTORY EARTH SCIENCE COURSE FOR KAIAPUNI (HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION) STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

Culturally relevant geoscience curriculum rooted in traditional practices and local knowledge can engage students from indigenous communities in geoscience learning. However, place-based ancestral knowledge is not often incorporated in conventional introductory earth science courses to a meaningful extent. For this presentation, we showcase how infusing a component of ancestral knowledge in some parts of an earth science course can enhance student learning.

The ERTH 103, Geology of the Hawaiian Islands, course offered to the Kaiapuni (Hawaiian language immersion) students of Kailua High School in Kailua, HI, through Windward Community College (WCC) includes a course project component where the students were encouraged to include Hawaiian ways of knowing and being, when possible, to contribute to explanations and enhance understanding about geological processes and/or features. This course project was worth 20% of the total course grade, and the students were expected to work on this project mostly by themselves either individually or in pairs.

The high school Success Coaches reached out to UW-Whitewater colleagues for support in incorporating the indigenous perspective in a more holistic way. Coaches and students met virtually every week during spring semester 2024 with participants from UW-Whitewater for discussing course content and their individual projects. The WCC instructor provided basic Geology of Hawaiʻi content, while the Success Coaches worked with UW-Whitewater to increase understanding and engagement through indigenous perspectives. UW-Whitewater participants served as science content experts and provided research support. At the culmination of this collaboration, Kailua High School students virtually presented their course projects to UW-Whitewater participants. All participants were highly engaged in the process.

This presentation will showcase the learning gains made by the ERTH 103 students due to this virtual collaboration and discuss the benefits of making space for an indigenous perspective in earth science courses at every level.