Seminar: Connecting to Place Through Culturally Sustaining and Investigative STEM for/with Indigenous Students
Program: CSIS
Subject Area: Science
Grade Level: 5th
Year of Publication: 2025
Abstract
The EARTH Cards: Catching Stories, Training Minds unit invites my fifth graders in Moenkopi
to study local plants and animals and share what they learn through collectible cards that weave
science, math, art, and family knowledge. The purpose is simple and clear. I want students to see that science lives in the places and people they know, and that careful observation, measurement, and modeling can sit alongside stories and names they hear at home. The unit focuses on nearby flora and fauna, Hopi and scientific naming, measurement and graphing with line plots, and models that explain how matter moves among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. It is designed for a setting where science time is tight, and students benefit from work that feels local and hands-on.