Why it’s OK to fail: empowering students to discover

By Lea Shell Middle school students are presented with a bucket of what, at first glance, looks like dirt. They pull handfuls onto their lab bench and carefully begin to sift. “I found a shark tooth!” one student exclaims,  prompting the other students to peer more intently at their own piles. Before long, they see … Read more “Why it’s OK to fail: empowering students to discover”

Categories: Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Citizen Science, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), EarthSchool, Education, Guest Contributor, Science Practices

If you sleep or age, you can do these projects!

Citizen Science about you. Contribute to research on sleeping, aging, and even your fidgeting habits. Something for everyone.  Below, we highlight five fun projects that contribute to our understanding of the human race.  Find more with the SciStarter Project Finder. Cheers! The SciStarter Team

Categories: Citizen Science, Newsletter

Celebrate World Science Day with Citizen Science and NASA

Today is World Science Day, an internationally celebrated day to increase the public’s ability to participate more meaningfully in science and to take action on environmental issues important to their community. The day also coincides with International Science Center and Science Museum Day. At SciStarter, we see citizen science as the perfect way to celebrate and … Read more “Celebrate World Science Day with Citizen Science and NASA”

Categories: Apps, Citizen Science, Events

Coming to Consensus on Classifying Cyclones

For years,  weather-monitoring agencies around the globe have collected data to help determine whether and how tropical cyclones — called hurricanes in the US — change over time. But another thing that changes over time is the technology used to record storm data. This, combined with changes in record keeping standards has created an inconsistent … Read more “Coming to Consensus on Classifying Cyclones”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Project Profile

SciStarter and the Science Cheerleaders join forces at the Bay Area Science Festival

Imagine thousands of scientists, naturalists, engineers, and innovators in one place and that’s the Bay Area Science Festival! The SciStarter team travelled to San Francisco to spread the joy of citizen science to this excited group. We were lucky to be joined by Kayla and Anelisse from the 49ers Gold Rush squad and the two … Read more “SciStarter and the Science Cheerleaders join forces at the Bay Area Science Festival”

Categories: Citizen Science, Events, Science Cheerleaders, SciFests

Celebrating the citizen in citizen science

I believe that citizen science is about citizenship as well as science. By this, I don’t mean citizenship in a specific country, but in a larger community. As a citizen scientist focusing on the natural world, I become a better citizen of that world—the world of tree frogs, say, or hummingbirds or dragonflies. Citizen science makes … Read more “Celebrating the citizen in citizen science”

Categories: Birds, Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Project Profile

Citizen Science Makers Summit at Arizona State University

  SciStarter and Arizona State University hosted change-makers from both the citizen science and maker movements at last week’s first-ever Citizen Science Makers Summit. These two movements both aim to disrupt the status quo of science by changing who participates in the scientific process. “Makers just dive in and create creative engineering solutions” says Darlene … Read more “Citizen Science Makers Summit at Arizona State University”

Categories: ASU Citizen Science Maker Summit, Citizen Science, Events

Celebrate Halloween with SciStarter

Are you looking for something to make you shudder this Halloween? You can skip the scary movies and the frightening costumes. We’ve got projects that are creepy, slimy, scary, and above all else fun!  Below, we’ve highlighted five spooky projects to help you celebrate Halloween. Find more with the Scistarter Project Finder. Cheers! The SciStarter … Read more “Celebrate Halloween with SciStarter”

Categories: Bats, Citizen Science, Newsletter

The Poetry of Science at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Carl Sandburg Home National Historical Site stretches over 246 rolling acres in Flat Rock, N.C. The writer and poet Sandburg moved to the property in 1945 for the solitude the natural landscape provides. Today, it is a place where nature, science, and creativity intertwine. Five miles of trails meander throughout the site – some leisurely … Read more “The Poetry of Science at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site”

Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Nature & Outdoors, Project Profile

Join SciStarter and the Science Cheerleaders at the Bay Area Science Festival!

November 5th, 2016 10am-4pm AT&T Park FREE ADMISSION Join SciStarter at the Bay Area Science Festival this November! This free festival will be packed with science enthusiasts. Come to explore hundreds of hands-on activities, opportunities to meet local scientists and engineers, plus fun and educational entertainment. Find SciStarter to learn about citizen science projects you can do in … Read more “Join SciStarter and the Science Cheerleaders at the Bay Area Science Festival!”

Categories: Citizen Science, Events, Science Cheerleaders, SciFests