Quest 26 – The nature of citizen science
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- Earth School
Let’s Begin…
The awesome power of science is in your hands. Did you know that just weeks ago a high school student re-discovered a salamander that hadn’t been seen in his county in 40 years? No matter your age, you can make a scientific discovery. We need your eyes, ears, and minds to better understand the world. After the SciShow video with Hank Green about citizen science, continue onto other sections to learn more, interact, act and share.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Before you dive into the rest of this Quest, check out these videos for more information about citizen science and how to get involved:
Watch 1: How to use iNaturalist (iNaturalist)
Watch 2: Earth Challenge 2020: Air Quality (Earth Challenge)
Watch 3: Join the Globe at Night Project (SciStarter)
Watch 4: Crowd and Cloud (The Crowd & the Cloud)
LEARN + INTERACT
Before you begin, find background information. An important part of science is learning about discoveries that came before you. Before we dive into contributing to a citizen science project, let’s learn a thing or two:
Read some fun science. Check out Frontiers for Young Minds, a peer-reviewed journal that features articles about amazing scientific discoveries that often relate to our connection with nature. Scientists have written articles for young audiences, and then students like you worked with mentors to make sure that people of all ages can understand what has been discovered. (for ages 8-15)
Explore the night life of an animal. Most people sleep during the night, right? Lots of animals do too, but many wildlife species are most active at night, or as the sun is going up or down. Adding light to the habitats of these creatures might change their behaviors, and citizen scientists are helping understand how night skies are changing because of artificial lights. Consider completing the Globe at Night’s workbook to learn more. (for ages 6-12)
ACT + SHARE
Join citizen science projects to get involved in studying nature. The SciStarter citizen science community created an Earth School page where you will find exciting global projects to choose from that relate to different Earth School quests. SciStarter connects millions of people of all ages to thousands of citizen science projects, spanning from astronomy to zoology. Find a project on a topic you are passionate about, whether it’s birds, bees, trees, or something else. (see page for ages)
See where you and others are working together to support science around the world. If you decide to share pictures of bees on iNaturalist, air quality with Earth Challenge 2020, or study the night sky for Globe at Night, remember to come back and have a look at these maps and see what other kids like you are reporting. You can also see how data from GLOBE Observer’s mosquito habitat mapper is helping stop the spread of Zika. (for ages 12+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: See how one seven-year-old girl named Imani learned to love nature during a citizen science event called a bioblitz, in this short video (for all ages). To learn more about how citizen science is changing everyday lives around the world, check out this four-part series called The Crowd & The Crowd. (for ages 12+)
Read: Find out the full story about a high school student’s journey rediscovering a cute salamander that hadn’t been spotted for over 40 years! Check out free resources about the Bat Count and Crab Count citizen science picture books (for ages 8+). And if you’re still craving more info on what’s happening in citizen science, check out this collection of blogs by the SciStarter team and their collaborators (for all ages).
Do: Learn about birds and then discover them in the wild using your eyes and ears. Citizen scientists from around the world share the kinds and numbers of birds they see and hear, which helps scientists know whether habitats and bird populations are healthy. There are many ways you can learn about birds. Try using the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin app (for ages 8+) to help you easily identify birds, take the eBird course (for ages 13+), and check out fun distance-learning activities for kids (even more activities are here) (for ages 5-14). In time, you will become a birding pro! Share what you find using the eBird app. (for ages 13+)
Study: Learn how leaves change with seasons with a Do-It-Yourself experiment, and then you will better understand how contributing to GLOBE Observer Land Cover as a citizen science project helps NASA make better maps. (for ages 13+)
Resources for Parents and Educators:
Review the pollination activities you did in Quest 1 and add observations of pollinators to iNaturalist. Scientists are especially excited to see pictures of pollinators on flowers! Learn more about pollinators with this printable coloring sheet. (for ages 4+)
Find more citizen science articles, videos, and activities via this collection of educational resources from National Geographic. (for all ages)
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Jessie Oliver (Australian Citizen Science Association), Caroline Nickerson (SciStarter), Mary Ford (National Geographic Society), Anne Bowser (Wilson Center), Yang Cao (SciStarter), Darlene Cavalier (SciStarter), Metis Meloche (Wilson Center), Liz Newbury (Wilson Center), Tracey Ritchie (Earth Day Network)
Watch 1: How to use iNaturalist (iNaturalist)
Watch 2: Earth Challenge 2020: Air Quality (Earth Challenge)
Watch 3: Join the Globe at Night Project (SciStarter)
Watch 4: Crowd and Cloud (The Crowd & the Cloud)
LEARN + INTERACT
Before you begin, find background information. An important part of science is learning about discoveries that came before you. Before we dive into contributing to a citizen science project, let’s learn a thing or two:
Read some fun science. Check out Frontiers for Young Minds, a peer-reviewed journal that features articles about amazing scientific discoveries that often relate to our connection with nature. Scientists have written articles for young audiences, and then students like you worked with mentors to make sure that people of all ages can understand what has been discovered. (for ages 8-15)
Explore the night life of an animal. Most people sleep during the night, right? Lots of animals do too, but many wildlife species are most active at night, or as the sun is going up or down. Adding light to the habitats of these creatures might change their behaviors, and citizen scientists are helping understand how night skies are changing because of artificial lights. Consider completing the Globe at Night’s workbook to learn more. (for ages 6-12)
ACT + SHARE
Join citizen science projects to get involved in studying nature. The SciStarter citizen science community created an Earth School page where you will find exciting global projects to choose from that relate to different Earth School quests. SciStarter connects millions of people of all ages to thousands of citizen science projects, spanning from astronomy to zoology. Find a project on a topic you are passionate about, whether it’s birds, bees, trees, or something else. (see page for ages)
See where you and others are working together to support science around the world. If you decide to share pictures of bees on iNaturalist, air quality with Earth Challenge 2020, or study the night sky for Globe at Night, remember to come back and have a look at these maps and see what other kids like you are reporting. You can also see how data from GLOBE Observer’s mosquito habitat mapper is helping stop the spread of Zika. (for ages 12+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: See how one seven-year-old girl named Imani learned to love nature during a citizen science event called a bioblitz, in this short video (for all ages). To learn more about how citizen science is changing everyday lives around the world, check out this four-part series called The Crowd & The Crowd. (for ages 12+)
Read: Find out the full story about a high school student’s journey rediscovering a cute salamander that hadn’t been spotted for over 40 years! Check out free resources about the Bat Count and Crab Count citizen science picture books (for ages 8+). And if you’re still craving more info on what’s happening in citizen science, check out this collection of blogs by the SciStarter team and their collaborators (for all ages).
Do: Learn about birds and then discover them in the wild using your eyes and ears. Citizen scientists from around the world share the kinds and numbers of birds they see and hear, which helps scientists know whether habitats and bird populations are healthy. There are many ways you can learn about birds. Try using the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin app (for ages 8+) to help you easily identify birds, take the eBird course (for ages 13+), and check out fun distance-learning activities for kids (even more activities are here) (for ages 5-14). In time, you will become a birding pro! Share what you find using the eBird app. (for ages 13+)
Study: Learn how leaves change with seasons with a Do-It-Yourself experiment, and then you will better understand how contributing to GLOBE Observer Land Cover as a citizen science project helps NASA make better maps. (for ages 13+)
Resources for Parents and Educators:
Review the pollination activities you did in Quest 1 and add observations of pollinators to iNaturalist. Scientists are especially excited to see pictures of pollinators on flowers! Learn more about pollinators with this printable coloring sheet. (for ages 4+)
Find more citizen science articles, videos, and activities via this collection of educational resources from National Geographic. (for all ages)
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Jessie Oliver (Australian Citizen Science Association), Caroline Nickerson (SciStarter), Mary Ford (National Geographic Society), Anne Bowser (Wilson Center), Yang Cao (SciStarter), Darlene Cavalier (SciStarter), Metis Meloche (Wilson Center), Liz Newbury (Wilson Center), Tracey Ritchie (Earth Day Network)
We look forward to seeing your Quest in action!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Collective Action and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Collective Action and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.
