What is multicultural education, and how is it relevant to science instruction? Over the past decade, educators have ignored this question and instead, they have focused on ways and methods of incorporating multiculturalism in the humanities. In the most recent assessment of Virginias Science Standards of Learning, Virginia received a grade of D, almost failing, in part because of the absence of a multicultural approach towards instruction. In research and discussions with professionals in the fields of both elementary science and multicultural education, we learned and discussed numerous ways for teachers to consider this crucial element in their classrooms. In particular, Virginia educators must stress the real-life applications in science, focus instruction on ALL groups of students, and use the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) to support multicultural science education.

In the article The Way Kids Are: Science for All? author Lisa Nyberg asserts Kids need to see the real-life connections to their world so that they realize science isnt something that happens only in a laboratory or in a faraway exotic location. Science happens in their own homes, backyards, and communities (Nyberg, p. 2, 1998). In an interview with a local gifted educator, she supports the same approach, organizing her science teaching around problem-based instruction with performance-based assessment. This is important because students focus on the how of science, constructing their knowledge based on their own experiences, as opposed to memorizing definitions and formulas. Doing science, this educator suggests, is accessible to every student, while rote memorization does not take into account cultural, ethnic, and gender differences in each learner.

Educators have often overlooked cultural beliefs and perspectives in science education, however recent research emphasizes the importance of recognizing diversity in the science classroom. In an interview with Dr. C, a leading educator in multicultural issues, we learned that recognizing diversity facilitates a more active learning experience for the student because it emphasizes understanding in terms of different perspectives rather than just learning the facts. Children are not all the same, and consequently, the way that they all do science will not be the same. According to a computer science professor, Were up against something cultural (Cone, P. 1, 1998) as far as diversity in science fields. As a result, teachers must find a way to make science appealing to everyone, and multicultural education is one way to facilitate communication in all subjects between students, their teachers, and the rest of society.

In Virginia, the Standards of Learning mostly ignore the issues of multiculturalism in science and this must change in order to ensure the development of multicultural education in the Virginia sciences. It is vital that students understand not only the hows and whys of science, but also the whos. Children have a strong image of a white male, with glasses and messy hair, as the standard scientist (Chambers, 1983), but it is our job to erase that image and show them that scientists look just like them. In fact, there are scientists of every race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic background. Teachers need to provide this diverse curriculum that exposes students to women, people of color, and people with disabilities in history, science, mathematics, and so on (Mee, P. 56). Presently, America needs more scientists and engineers and students must realize that they do not have to be a stereotypical scientist (Atwater, P. 22, 1995). Until this idea is printed in the Standards of Learning, it is unlikely that multiculturalism and science will be blended in classrooms around the state. It is imperative that this change is made so that we may change the way our students in Virginia view themselves and science.

There will come a day when multiculturalism and science are not discussed independently, but are instead found in the same conversation. However, until that day comes, we as teachers need to be sure that in our own classrooms science instruction stresses real-life applications and acknowledges individual differences so that our students understand that every person is a scientist no matter their ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. We cannot afford to wait until the Standards of Learning tell us this is important, we must start today in every classroom.