NSF Awards: 1928832
This NSF funded research project creates innovative multimedia products and curriculum materials that are representative of Blacks in the United States. More specifically this research used the lived experiences and narratives of the African American Gullah Geechee peoples of South Carolina and Georgia to create exemplary multimedia products for the classroom. The cultural resources of Black students who attend a Historically Black College and University were used to inform the interest and direction of the science lessons created, even as students learn about science in the Gullah regions. Preservice elementary education majors explored science questions using the cultural resources of Black heritage. Participants engaged in inquiry, discussion, and hands-on activities supported by the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. The importance of situating the lived experiences and narratives of Black heritage in the science curriculum must be underscored. This video presentation provides an overview and glimpse into these multimedia products along with where you can find more information.
NSF Awards: 1928832
This NSF funded research project creates innovative multimedia products and curriculum materials that are representative of Blacks in the United States. More specifically this research used the lived experiences and narratives of the African American Gullah Geechee peoples of South Carolina and Georgia to create exemplary multimedia products for the classroom. The cultural resources of Black students who attend a Historically Black College and University were used to inform the interest and direction of the science lessons created, even as students learn about science in the Gullah regions. Preservice elementary education majors explored science questions using the cultural resources of Black heritage. Participants engaged in inquiry, discussion, and hands-on activities supported by the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. The importance of situating the lived experiences and narratives of Black heritage in the science curriculum must be underscored. This video presentation provides an overview and glimpse into these multimedia products along with where you can find more information.
Continue the discussion of this presentation on the Multiplex. Go to Multiplex
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much for visiting my Black Representation in the Science Curriculum video clip. This project led to the creation of video clips and an animation which may be viewed from my main website. Visit: https://www.visibilityinstem.com and select video clips and animation. I am interested in your feedback and discussion surrounding these video clips. You may provide your feedback in the discussion below or participate using the feedback link: https://forms.gle/3tSi5tD34Rik2wm47.
The multimedia has been used to create curriculum products using the 5E Lesson plan format that were tested in my preservice science methods courses. Recently, I gave an 11-hour (3 day) webinar with various guests to invite people to the launching of my curriculum lab (link will be made available on main website).
I am creating a network that participate on varying levels – from attending webinars/courses to learn, to implementing materials, to collaborating. Please indicate your level of interest using my interest form https://forms.gle/Yw73SgS56571UeU78.
For this video clip, I’d like to begin this discussion by asking you the following (Please feel free to answer some or all):
Chanda Jefferson
Regina Ciphrah
Carolyn White
Daniel Serrano
It was great to learn about this project!
I'm curious to hear if there are plans to expand these ideas across multiple different areas within STEM. For example, having math-specific stories, biology-specific stories, etc. so that educators can implement them in their subjects.
Nastassia Jones
Iris Wagstaff
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
That's a great question. Thank you so much. Yes, that is the plan. Some of the stories lend itself to biology, chemistry etc . . . And some of the data is math specific but with context. I'd like to make it accessible to the disciplines so teachers can simply select.
Iris Wagstaff
Chanda Jefferson
Diana Muckelrath
My reaction to this video, is that it is very informative in regards to teaching us about cultural diversity and awareness of other countries.
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you for your feedback.
Chanda Jefferson
Kristen Napolitano
Thank you for sharing! It is so interesting and helpful to see the embeddedness of NGSS's Science and Engineering Practices and Cross Cutting Concepts within local knowledges and how those practices can be shared in a way that centers those epistemologies. I look forward to exploring further how teachers can pull from the resources you provide here and in the video to highlight these connections.
Iris Wagstaff
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Daniel Damelin
Senior Scientist
In your introduction above you mention how the multimedia has been used in curricular development. It would be great to learn about how some of the videos/animations were contextualized in a science lesson and how it might link to the NGSS dimensions described in the video.
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much. I'm actually in the middle of writing that up to share out. However, one of the ways they were used were as an engaging context in the 5E model along with other engage activities. In one activity I created data cards for students from the research data I gathered and students engaged in inquiry. Great question. Thank you.
Chanda Jefferson
Sally Crissman
Senior Science Educator
I'm interested in learning how you learn or track who is using your varied resources and in what contexts. thanks!
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
That's a great question. Actually, that has been one of my challenges. While I can track by number of views ex. to YouTube, I acquired an account in two platforms - one for networking and one for course materials in the hopes that this might bring people together for discussion. My hope is that by launching my curriculum lab I would engage more users who could also provide feedback. Thank you for that question.
I am certainly open to suggestions.
Chanda Jefferson
Regina Ciphrah
Greetings Dr. Quinlan! Thank you for sharing your work in our Gullah community! We have very similar projects, so I am definitely interested in being in touch for potential synergies!
I appreciate your dissemination of resources through the curriculum lab. Can you share more about the intended purpose of and audience for your lab?
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Amazing!! Very very exciting Dr. Ciphrah. I just looked at your project and will post there too. Would definitely love to connect. I love your community engagement/connection focus which definitely complements my curriculum development focus. FYI: My goal is to complete the write up of my unit plan, hopefully this summer, if not into the coming year. I've already tested it out but want to get some publications out of it before fully releasing it to the public.
I just had an 11 hour long (3 day webinar) with some Gullah/Geechee folks including Queen Quet. I still need to post the videos.
I'm very excited about connecting with you.
Chanda Jefferson
Regina Ciphrah
Regina Ciphrah
I am excited to learn more about your unit plan and curriculum lab, and I just shared my contact via your Google Form.
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Chanda Jefferson
Educator/Education Policy Fellow
Hello Dr. Ciphrah,
It is so great to see some SC love on this project!
Karen Woodruff
Thank you for sharing this excellent work Dr. Quinlan. In response to your discussion prompt, I envision sharing your resources with my preservice teachers to deepen how we discuss representation in STEM. Thank you.
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
I'm glad to hear. I would love to hear how that goes. They have led to some interesting conversations, especially surrounding everyday lived experiences.
Thank you for your feedback.
Chanda Jefferson
Laura Ettinger
I enjoyed watching your video. This is a wonderful project! I'm a historian of science, and I especially like the way this project integrates history and STEM to increase Black representation in the science curriculum. Thank you for this important work!
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Chanda Jefferson
Chanda Jefferson
Educator/Education Policy Fellow
Hi Dr. Quinlan,
My name is Chanda Jefferson and I am so grateful to join the conversation. I was born in Georgia and raised in South Carolina and it brings me joy to see your work including the narratives of the Gullah Geechee community. Growing up in South Carolina, I only had one African American female science teacher from kindergarten through college and her class made me choose to pursue a degree in Science. Her lessons allowed me to see myself and my ancestors in the curriculum, so these amazing resources are needed in classrooms across the nation. It is important for students to see representation in all areas of STEM starting at an early age. I love this project and I would love for you to expand on the organization and structure of your unit plan. Do you all intend to connect the unit plan to South Carolina and Georgia Science Standards?
Andrea Tirres
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much!!! I'm so glad to hear. Yes, my next step is expansion. I am launching my lab and website/network for collaborators. I'll be making these sites available soon. Please fill out the interest form to stay connected.
I'm beginning with the NGSS and Common Core and plan to connect with SC, GA and other state standards. I've even created some new standards that I will be making available, hopefully soon - to help tighten these connections to science and the Gullah/Geechee community.
Thank you so much.
Iris Wagstaff
Chanda Jefferson
Educator/Education Policy Fellow
You are welcome! I look forward to seeing the new standards in the future.
Iris Wagstaff
Thank you for this important work. There is great potential and impact in bringing awareness to and highlighting our lived experiences, culture and heritage, and leveraging that for culturally relevant pedagogy. I have been mentoring and providing culturally relevant curriculum development for K-12 teachers and informal science leaders in the community for over 20 years and this work is greatly appreciated.
Chanda Jefferson
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback. It's great to hear of potential usefulness.
Molly Phillips
Thank you so much for sharing your work! I am a member of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections Education Sessional Committee I was thinking these resources would be particularly interesting and relevant to people who work in museums, or teach about natural history that want to have more representation.
To that end, I have an invitation for you. We are hosting a virtual Natural History Collection Education DemoCamp The goal of this free, virtual event is to share, discover, and discuss educational materials that have a framework in natural history. If you are interested you can learn more here https://spnhc.org/education-democamp/. I would also love to just talk with you more about other ways we could promote your work or collaborate together in the future. Thanks so much!
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Thank you so much!! I would absolutely love to talk about those possibilities. Thank you for connecting.
Catherine Quinlan
Assistant Professor
Please feel free to connect with me by email at catherine.quinlan@howard.edu
Nastassia Jones
Thank you for sharing your work!
Catherine Quinlan