Making mud pies might not appear to be a science. However, in a damp schoolyard in Hoonah children can distinguish between various materials and tools to build by securing the most suitable sticks, pinecones or rocks. They can also alter the materials by moistening dirt to create more mud that can be used to create.
Researchers in education Angela Lunda and Carie Green refer to it as “mud science.” They also claim that this kind of exploration with nature can assist children to develop an interest in environmental science.
In the case of Alaska Native children, activities that take place in nature are also a crucial element to build a strong sense of cultural identity.
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”The children are already stewards of our environment, aren’t they? They’re already seeing themselves in as such,” said Lunda, who is Lingit and is a professor in the University of Alaska Southeast. “And this is really the thing that defines us as Indigenous people. .”
Lunda as well as Green’s work — referred to by the Molly Community Science Project— is focused on strengthening STEM programs in the rural Alaska schools.
The project’s namesake comes from the popular PBS Kids program “Molly of Denali”, an educational animated series which features an Alaska Native main character. The aim is to build upon the success of the show by creating “Molly of Denali”-themed multimedia resources that are designed with Indigenous pupils in mind.
Lunda states that Alaska Native communities inherently possess an extensive knowledge of the environment and expertise. However, Alaska Native students are underrepresented in engineering, science, and maths fields, and traditional educational programs don’t allow for Indigenous culture.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”So it’s vital to be aware of this and be working towards a change,” Lunda said. “That is what happens when we construct upon their worldview and their view of the world. What they see, how they .”
The research concept they have developed is a literal interpretation of that, equipping Alaska Native elementary school children with GoPro cameras that they wear when they play, explore and play outside.
Green — who is a teacher in early child education of South Dakota State University -created the research technique through her previous work on children’s interactions with their environment. Green said that children often forget they’re wearing cameras.
It’s a great way to get your message across. style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”And that’s why they’ll talk about how they feel and they’ll even sing or tell stories about their activities,” Green said. “All this self-talk can be really insightful.”
In one video, a kid examines the different crab shells found on the beach to identify which are in use and which are squatters from Molting. In another clip, a child teaches her peers how to properly manage S’axt or Devil’s Club. Another clip shows the child is fishing with their mother and the video captures the children cheering while they reel in their catch.
“Yes! See? That’s how to fish because I have caught an object,” the child says. “Now place it into the water, so that it can live to grow.”
In analyzing these video clips, Lunda and Green can discover activities that promote empathy, knowledge and self-confidence that children need to behave responsibly in the surroundings. This research also involves interviews with families, elders and teachers from Bethel, Hoonah and Northway an area of the Interior.
Amelia Wilson is the project’s community liaison in Hoonah. She says that a lot of the current STEM programs specifically designed for Alaska Native students targets older students.
However, she is hoping that Molly project’s concentration on elementary school children will aid in fostering a sense of the concept of cultural identity from an early age and to show Alaska Native students that their Indigenous views can help them become more effective scientists.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Respect for the surroundings it’s a value in our culture that’s always been there,” Wilson said. “So how significant is it to have children who are the scientists who are forming policies and making environmental decisions? .”
She stated that Alaska Native representation in STEM is crucial as remote Alaska Native communities, including Hoonah are working to adapt to climate change.
The research team is working hard to study the interviews and videos. They’ll then begin to create as well as test “Molly of Denali’s” science-based programming at elementary schools that are part of the partnership over the course of the next year.
