7 Culturally Responsive Instruction- Korean Culture for Landforms

Grade 5 Science Lesson

Topic Question: What are the similarities and differences between Korean and American landforms?

TEKS – Science
3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:

• (b) Draw or develop a model that represents how something that cannot be seen, such as the Sun, Earth, and Moon system, and formation of sedimentary rock works or looks.

Objectives

• Students can comprehend the similarities and differences between Korean and American landforms.
• Students can examine the structure and composition of each landform.
• Students can identify the types of rocks present in the landforms and understand their formation processes.

Materials

• Headphones
• Tablets/Chromebooks
• Access to VR

Engage

Guiding Questions:

1. What do you know about landforms? Do you believe they are similar across the world?
2. Have you seen basalt before? How do you think it forms?

Activity:

• Teacher asks students the questions to spark curiosity about landforms.
• Students share prior knowledge and make predictions about rock formation and landform similarities.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Invite students to share landforms from their own communities or cultural backgrounds. Highlight that different regions may have unique geological features, validating students’ cultural and environmental experiences.

Explore

Guiding Questions:

1. What do you see?
2. Compare and contrast what you see. What similarities and differences do you notice between Korean and American landforms?

Activity:

• Students explore VR simulations of Korean and American landforms.
• They discuss similarities and differences in terms of shape, size, rock composition, and formation.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Encourage students to research and compare landforms from their own or ancestral countries. This practice respects cultural heritage and broadens students’ perspectives on natural diversity.

Explain

Activity:

• As a class, students analyze their observations to explore the structure and composition of landforms in both Korea and the U.S.
• Students create online posters showing characteristics of basalt and other rock types, including their origins and formation processes.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Connect science content to local or culturally significant landmarks. For example, compare basalt columns in Jeju Island (Korea) with Devil’s Tower (USA) to make learning relatable and meaningful.

Elaborate

Guiding Questions:

1. How do columnar joints form?
2. What are the structural and compositional differences between rocks in Korea and the U.S.?

Activity:

• Students examine rock formations and structures in greater detail using VR or images.
• They discuss rock composition, erosion processes, and formation mechanisms across countries.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Encourage students to investigate landforms important to their communities. Highlight how human culture, economy, or history is connected to landforms (e.g., farming on fertile volcanic soil or cultural sites near mountains).

Evaluate

Activity:

• Teacher assesses students’ responses to guiding questions.
• Students’ online posters are evaluated for accuracy in depicting landform composition and structures.
• Science journals summarize similarities and differences between Korean and American landforms.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Include self-reflection prompts where students connect scientific knowledge to their own experiences or cultural understanding of landforms. This reinforces relevance and inclusion.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Barnes, R., & Price, S. (2020). Exploring Earth’s landforms: Comparing continents through geology. New York, NY: GeoScience Press.

National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Southerland, S. A., Abrams, E., Cummins, C. L., Anzelmo, J., & Silva, P. (2011). Culturally responsive science teaching: A review of strategies for diverse learners. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(3), 195–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-010-9203-5

Tarbuck, E. J., Lutgens, F. K., & Tasa, D. (2019). Earth: An introduction to physical geology (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson