Building and Using a Hydrology Experiment for Place-Based Learning With Native American Students

Geoscience has a known diversity problem, specifically a participation gap of ethnic minority representation, and it is especially severe regarding Native American representation. To address this participation gap, an identity gap needs to be addressed first. Native students need to visualize themselves as geoscientists before they can commit to geoscience programs and careers. This project uses a hands-on, place-based learning activity as an opportunity for Native students to better see themselves as geoscientists. A portable rainfall simulator was constructed, calibrated, and refined for use in teaching concepts about rainfall, runoff, and erosion. It was employed in place-based learning exercises with Native students from the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. Students who volunteered to complete surveys and participate in a group interview provided results indicating they could indeed see themselves as scientists better after the exercise