Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Karen McDonald, Feb 24, 2014
Citizen Science in the Classroom: Quake-Catcher Network Quake-Catcher Network Citizen Science Project Meeting Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards Grades: K-12 Description: Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) is a citizen science project that uses internet and sensors (subsidized or free for K-12 classrooms) to connect schools and other entities to an earthquake monitoring network. It is hosted … Read more “Using the Quake-Catcher Network Citizen Science Project to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards”
Categories: Computers & Technology, Geology & Earth Sciences, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Feb 04, 2014
Students Explore the Surface of Mars and Contribute to Citizen Science From Their Classroom Grades: 1st -12th Description: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is asking for help in processing data collected on Mars, in the form of pictures taken by the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Curiosity. On the “Be a Martian” home page … Read more “Citizen Science in the Classrom: Mapping Mars and Be a Martian with NASA”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Jan 23, 2014
Using Project Noah to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards Grades: K-12th Description: Project Noah is a digital platform that is designed to allow students, teachers, citizens and biologists to create a database that documents the biodiversity of plants, animals, insects, and much more across the planet. The data uploaded includes photos, geographic location, date, … Read more “Citizen Science in the Classroom Series: Project Noah”
Categories: Citizen Science, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Jan 08, 2014
Using Citizen Science Weather Data Collection with CoCoRaHS to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards Grades: 2nd-6th Grades Description: The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) is hosted by the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University. It is a network of citizen scientists and classrooms (K-12) that participate in a … Read more “Citizen Science in the Classroom Series: CoCoRaHS”
Categories: Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Dec 25, 2013
Tracking the Invasive Chinese Mitten Crab through the Chinese Mitten Crab Watch When you go outside on a cold and snowy day you put on a coat and mittens to keep you warm, but did you know that there’s a type of crab that actually wears mittens all year round? It’s called the Chinese Mitten … Read more “Monitoring the Spread of the Invasive Chinese Mitten Crab with the Smithsonian”
Categories: Animals, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water
By Karen McDonald, Dec 15, 2013
Using the Lost Lady Bug Project Citizen Science Project to Meet Common Core and Next Generation Teaching Standards Grades: Primary through adult Description: Scientists are asking for help learning about the distribution of native and invasive ladybugs, their populations, and ranges. Classrooms and individuals may participate by joining this project to upload their sightings of … Read more “Citizen Science in the Classroom Series: Lost Ladybug Project”
Categories: Analyzing and interpreting data, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Citizen Science, Insects, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Planning and carrying out investigations, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Dec 02, 2013
This is the first installment for a brand new series about citizen science in schools and classrooms. Teachers often hear the term citizen science, but it’s never really clear what it is and how it might integrate into their classrooms. Citizen science is methodical scientific research conducted in part (or sometimes entirely) by non-professional scientists. … Read more “Integrating Citizen Science Into Your Classroom or Organization”
Categories: Guest Contributor, Science Education Standards
By Karen McDonald, Nov 24, 2013
When you consider the field of citizen science you probably think of it as something you do by collecting data, taking pictures, finding plants or animals, or uploading sightings. There’s a new form of citizen science emerging called a “thought experiment.” You may be familiar with thought experiments like that of “Schrödinger’s Cat” or Einstein’s … Read more “Smithsonian Science, a Thought Experiment, and a Citizen Science Challenge”
Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, Guest Contributor
