Fusing Multiculturalism and Environmental Education

Environmental education curricula tend to focus on the experiences of "mainstream " Americans (i.e. White Anglo Saxon Protestants) and often do not take into consideration the cultures and histories of other racial, re ligious, and ethnic groups. (Banks and Banks, 1993) Because classroom make-up is diverse and students learn best and are more highly motivated when school curricula reflect their cultures, experiences, and perspectives (Banks and Banks, 1993), cultural diversity needs to be integrated into educational curricula. To effectively do this, environmental educators need to use curricula that develop their students ' abilities to view concepts and issues from different viewpoints. Sometimes it is advantageous to view an event, issue, or concept from the viewpoint of cultural, ethnic, or racial groups that were most influenced. For example, students could create a school garden and grow a variety of plants from around the world. This project will foster both an appreciation for the environment, as well as cultural knowledge. Another example of incorporating cultural awareness in environmental education may involve teaching students about the history of Great Plains ecology through traditional Native American use of the land. In addition, traditional folklore can be used to show students how various cultures view wildlife. This could be used as an introduction to learning about a specific animal. With this in mind, it can safely be expected that environmental educators will be successful in the development of responsible citizenship behavior and action when environmental education can completely integrate cultural diversity into its curricula