Multicultural Curriculum

Running head: MULTICULTURAL CURRICULUM UNIT

Multicultural Curriculum Unit Plan

Michael A. DePolis
Grand Canyon University: TSL 545
January 9, 2013

Multicultural Curriculum Unit Plan

Multicultural Curriculum

Goal Five: To Increase Awareness of the State of the Planet and Global Dynamics
This grade five life science unit plan will infuse a multicultural perspective as the actions
and behaviors of individuals will reveal the interdependence of all. Uses of technology have an
impact on individuals, families, communities, the nation, and indeed all of the worlds nations. In
fact, all of humanity is related to all of life in a connected global ecosystem. Multicultural
individuals can have loyalty to family, nation, ethnicity, and still yet have a global loyalty to all of
humankind (Bennett, 2007).
The United States uses a disproportionate amount of the worlds resources compared to
population. A very large amount of electronic technology is sold in this nation annually, with socalled planned obsolescence. Much of this electronic merchandise is manufactured inexpensively
in third world nations. Some may consider this to be economic exploitation. As a result, the nation
produces huge amounts of electronic waste. A further exploitative insult is that much of this waste
is exported back to third world nations, many of which employed laborers who manufactured the
goods. According to ABCs 20/20 program (2006), any U.S. recyclers of electronic waste are not
actually recycling, but rather exporting the old electronics to third world nations, such as
Indonesia, Nigeria, and China. Guiyu, China is sometimes called The Electronic Waste Dump of
the World. Toxic lead and dangerous chemicals are burnt off for the minute bits of gold or
precious metals. The waste is dumped into rivers or the smoke is inhaled by children and others
scavenging for useful bits (ABC 20/20, 2006).
This unit will provide hopeful ideas for the fifth graders, such as letter writing to
representatives and government officials, electronics and other forms of recycling/reusing, artistic
sculpture of old electronics, and discovery of alternative energy sources (Hawaii is a natural
setting for wind, solar, wave, desalination, and geothermal energy.), as well as alternative lifestyles
which are peaceful and less dependent on the consumer throw-away culture of technology.

Multicultural Curriculum

Sociocultural Background of Students

The student population is fifth grade level, English speaking of mostly Filipino descent,
and heterogeneously grouped. Since the Philippines is a third world nation exploited by the
American Technology industry, and many of the students have connections to the Philippines,
whether relatives, family friends, or occasional trips there, the relevance of this unit of study will
be strong for them. Motivation will be high because of the personal connection.
This unit will continue for one and one half weeks, including two field trips. The objective
will be for students to demonstrate understanding of the relationships between the physical world
and human activities. The multicultural objective will be for students to explain, in part, the
responsibilities of so-called first world nations to third world nations, and how we as world
citizens can influence our own society.
This rationale for the unit of study shows how inroads can be made within a school
curriculum. Schools can begin to think globally while making an impact locally. Multicultural
science education becomes possible when students think globally, and stop making assumptions
and taking for granted about how they, their families, and their communities have been living
(Atwater, 2010).