Citizen Science: Collecting Real-Life Data Tips for conducting citizen science projects with K-12 Students By Cathy Scott H
AVE YOU EVER WONDERED how you could get your students involved in local scientific research, and what opportunities exist for students to take
part in collecting data and learning more about the world around them? Citizen science, or scientific research completed by ama-
teur scientists (i.e., the general public), provides ripe oppor- tunities to engage students in learning scientific content and how it applies to their local environment. Not only does citi- zen science provide wonderful opportunities to contribute to scientific research, it also engages students in work aligned with educational standards and goals, making it ideal for both in-school and out-of-school learning. One key characteristic of citizen science is the value of
context. Citizen science is completed locally, often in the par- ticipants’ neighborhood, schoolyard, or local parks. Research- ers1 note that a sense of “place” is huge for urban youth, and that opportunities to engage in citizen science allow students to make connections to the community and the history of place. Another critical aspect of citizen science is that it provides a
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humanistic view of science for children2, enabling them to work with animals (a passion for many children), something that can often be lacking in traditional lab-based sciences. A number of citizen science projects are fairly well
known, such as Cornell University and the National Audu- bon Society’s Great Backyard Bird Count. In the count, which takes place annually each February in both the United States and Canada, citizens count the number and types of birds that they see in a 15-minute time span in their yards, then report the data to Cornell labs. Another popular project is Journey North’s Monarch Tracking, where citizens across North America report when they see monarchs in their area. This enables scientists to monitor monarch migra- tion patterns as they head south to Mexico. There are many resources online for teachers interested in completing citi- zen science projects with their students, such as: •
Nature.org’s annual blog about the most popular citizen science projects3
• The Citizen Science Alliance • Scientific American’s database of International citizen science projects Journey North’s Citizen Science project hub, geared towards U.S. and Canadian K-12 classrooms
GREEN TEACHER 109
Cathy Scott
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