WHAT IS CITIZEN SCIENCE?
Research often involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents. Now, using the power of the Internet, non-specialists of all ages are participating, too. Citizen Scientists can engage in the process of scientific investigations: asking questions, collecting data, and/or interpreting results. This is expanding the capacity of professional scientists and making research possible that would otherwise be impractical.
WHY CITIZEN SCIENCE IN (OR OUTSIDE OF) THE CLASSROOM?
In well-implemented, school-based CS, students learn core ideas by engaging in science practices, including planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations and models. Recognizing the educative potential of CS and the unique position of classroom teachers, a recent six-year-long program located in the upper Midwest of the United States, studied the effects of integrating CS into grades 3–8 on student motivation, engagement, and learning in two collaborating school districts. Each grade level’s project was intended to engage students in research designed to address questions of both scientific significance and local relevance.
Research often involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents. Now, using the power of the Internet, non-specialists of all ages are participating, too. Citizen Scientists can engage in the process of scientific investigations: asking questions, collecting data, and/or interpreting results. This is expanding the capacity of professional scientists and making research possible that would otherwise be impractical.
WHY CITIZEN SCIENCE IN (OR OUTSIDE OF) THE CLASSROOM?
In well-implemented, school-based CS, students learn core ideas by engaging in science practices, including planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations and models. Recognizing the educative potential of CS and the unique position of classroom teachers, a recent six-year-long program located in the upper Midwest of the United States, studied the effects of integrating CS into grades 3–8 on student motivation, engagement, and learning in two collaborating school districts. Each grade level’s project was intended to engage students in research designed to address questions of both scientific significance and local relevance.
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JOURNEY NORTH
JN has a variety of CS opportunities including: Tracking Hummingbirds Tulip Test Garden Symbolic Migration Sunlight and Seasons Monarchs and Milkweed |
CoCoRaHS
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network is a community-based project for all ages that measures and maps precipitation (rain, hail and snow). Using low-cost measurement tools, the project provides the highest quality data for natural resource, education and research applications. |
The Cornell Lab
They lead one of the most familiar CS projects - The Great Backyard Bird Count - along with several other bird related CS projects. Note: no bird feeders in the courtyard |
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ANT PICNIC
In this activity, students learn about the major food groups and explore the diet preferences of ants by participating in a real science project. Students will set out prescribed ant food baits, collect the baits, count the ants present at each bait, and share the data with a scientist. |
PROJECT SQUIRREL
This CS is a good hands-on activity when studying ecosystems or habitats. Students record date, time, setting, number of squirrels and info about the setting. Recommended to observe at least once a season. A great activity after lunch on the Birdsong Nature Trail. |
S'COOL
NASA scientists are very interested in learning how clouds affect our atmosphere. The more we know about clouds, the more we will know about our Earth as a system. Students can help by sending NASA their observations! |
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TOMATOSPHERE
Tomatosphere™ uses the excitement of space exploration to teach the skills and processes of scientific experimentation and inquiry. Students investigate the effects of the space environment on the growth of food that will inevitably support long-term human space travel. |
GREAT SUNFLOWER PROJECT
This offers opportunities to count pollinators on Lemon Queen sunflowers, or on other pollinator friendly plants. Students count for 5 minutes. Ideal for K-2 students who don't participate in the Georgia Pollinator Census. Counts can be taken different times of day, and different times of the year and be used to interpret data. |
BAMONA
(Butterflies and Moths of North America) Students can observe, identify, and report butterflies found on OGE's campus. Use data for graphing and interpretation. |
