Multicultural Project

Link to my Multicultural Project presentation:

https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cq11rjTwl4

Reflection on the project:

The inspiration for my multiculturalism project came from observing in a 10^th grade Biology classroom for my field experience. The idea of different scientists came to mind immediately when thinking about an aspect of a lesson that could be taught in a multiculturalism. This stemmed from observing a lesson on evolution, where the teacher began by introducing Charles Darwin, an English scientist, and his theory of evolution. Being introduced to a scientist, usually a white male, and their contributions, was a common theme I noticed when starting a new unit. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to include multiculturalism and diversity in a lesson, to highlight the contributions made by women scientists and scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds.

I thought it was first important to highlight what kind of classroom environment this aspect of the lesson would hypothetically be taught in. The classroom should be one where diversity and differences are celebrated. I think especially in a science classroom it can be harder to include this because of the nature of the subject, but there is definitely an opportunity for it. My ideas for this included the presence of reading materials about the diversity of science careers and scientists, and a bulletin board highlighting the contributions made by diverse scientists.

I decided to revolve the lesson around a group research project about a culturally diverse scientist. I chose to do this because I think it not only appeals to students of different cultural backgrounds, but it also appeals to students who have different learning abilities. For example, students have the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively, learn about their topic through videos and reading, and expressing their understanding via a multimedia presentation and a written assignment. This is allowing many entry points into the material for students with diverse learning abilities. I also think this is a lesson that is appropriate for a multicultural classroom that will motivate students. Students are able to choose a scientist that they are particularly interested in, have control over their presentation, and get to work collaboratively, which are all motivating factors to keep students engaged.