Curriculum & content

1) Students' prior academic knowledge, cultural knowledge, and experiences are elicited and embedded in learning activitIes. 

Students have opportunities to share their cultural experiences and prior knowledge through surveys, discussions, one-to-one conversations, and reflections.

• Pre-assessment strategies curated by the National Council on Measurement in Education in a FAST (formative assessment for classroom teachers) module to determine what students already know and identify misconceptions.

• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A Needed Change in Stance, Terminology, and practice Foundational article defining culturally sustaining pedagogy as pedagogy intended to foster and sustain linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism.

• Read the commentary by Carrie Tzou, Megan Bang, & Leah Bricker Designing Science Instructional Materials that Contribute to More Just, Equitable, and Culturally Thriving Learning and Teaching in Science Education.

Students’ prior knowledge and skills are leveraged and built upon in learning goals and activities. 

• Read Culturally relevant/responsive and sustaining pedagogies in science education: theoretical perspectives and curriculum implications. The article argues the value of culturally relevant/responsive and sustaining pedagogies in science education, particularly in former colonial contexts. 

• Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy Module 17: Reimagining Equity and Access for Diverse Youth (READY) Project aimed at youth services librarians has a wide array of resources, primarily for K-12 audience.

Course adjusts instructional materials based on what students know and understand to engage them in work that is meaningful to them.

• Adopt an asset-based instructional approach to promote a growth mindset.

• Use pre-course surveys and polls to learn about previous content and experiences.

• Be mindful of how prior knowledge is elicited and used, as students with fewer experiences may feel unprepared.

• Encourage students to use language flexibly– whether colloquial language to describe phenomena or other languages they can speak (e.g., translanguaging).