SciStarter’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!

The best gift is one that keeps on giving, and these nifty tools and resources certainly fit the bill! We’ve got useful gifts for birdwatchers, skygazers and weather-trackers, as well as books that will inspire anyone’s curiosity. Even better, many of these ideas tie directly in with one or more citizen science projects on SciStarter. … Read more “SciStarter’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!”

Categories: Affiliate Tools, Animals, Apps, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, book, Book Review, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Education, Environment, Field Guide to Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors, Newsletter

Two middle schoolers use their mobile phones to study cattails in a wetland area.

Citizen Science Goes to School

In this month’s SciStarter podcast, we’re heading back to school to see how teachers and even college professors are making citizen science a part of their classroom instruction. Participating in real science conducted by actual researchers can make science lessons come alive for students at all grade levels. Education leaders in Florida, North Carolina and … Read more “Citizen Science Goes to School”

Categories: Analyzing and interpreting data, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Citizen Science, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Developing and using models, Education, Engaging in argument from evidence, Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, Other, Planning and carrying out investigations, Science Education Standards, Using mathematics and computational thinking

SciStarter LIVE! Science we can do together. Live webinar.

SciStarter LIVE

SciStarter LIVE is an informal web series, where we go LIVE and work through a citizen science project. You’ll have opportunities to hear from project leaders, get your questions answered, hang out with the SciStarter team and more. Just join us on Zoom or watch the live stream on SciStarter’s Facebook page. If you register, we … Read more “SciStarter LIVE”

Categories: About Us, Citizen Science, Citizen Science News, Education, Events, Featured Projects, Webinar, Workshops

Announcing: Science Near Me!

We’re excited to announce the launch of a brand new resource to help you easily find all kinds of science-related experiences: Science Near Me.  On the Science Near Me website, a simple search tool lets you look for things like nearby science festivals, planetarium events, citizen science projects from SciStarter, science policy forums, star-gazing events … Read more “Announcing: Science Near Me!”

Categories: Education, Science Policy, SciStarter News

Ben Franklin: Founding father, citizen scientist

Benjamin Franklin was always curious. He loved to explore the world around him — just like the citizen scientists of today! We’re celebrating Ben Franklin this month in honor of Citizen Science Month and the new two part Ken Burns documentary, Benjamin Franklin, out now on PBS. And on April 20 at 7 pm ET, … Read more “Ben Franklin: Founding father, citizen scientist”

Categories: Citizen Science, Education, Events, Webinar

A great blue heron wades through shallow water.

The People’s University: Cooperative Extension’s Role with Citizen Science

Did you know that in nearly every county across the U.S., there’s an office working on programs for youth development, agriculture, landscaping, health and wellness, community development, natural resource conservation and more? They’re all part of what’s called the Cooperative Extension, or “Extension” for short. They’re one of the most far-reaching, non-formal educational programs there … Read more “The People’s University: Cooperative Extension’s Role with Citizen Science”

Categories: Citizen Science, Education, Nature & Outdoors, University

This image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows a cross-section of the undersea, land and sky at Tafeu Cove in American Somoa.

Exploring Earth with NOAA Citizen Science

This post is based on the latest episode of our podcast, Citizen Science: Stories of Science We Can Do Together! In it, co-host Bob Hirshon and Caroline Nickerson discuss some of the inspiring citizen science work conducted under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Listen here: Citizen Science: Stories of Science … Read more “Exploring Earth with NOAA Citizen Science”

Categories: Apps, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Ecology & Environment, Education, Environment, Featured Projects, Geology & Earth Sciences, Ocean & Water, Other, podcast

Three photos show students collecting snow depth measurements using a meter stick, thermometer and recording observations on a clipboard.

Got Snow? Classrooms Get Outside for Citizen Science

As snow blankets the world each winter, the colder temperatures and shorter days can tempt us to curl up indoors with a hot chocolate, watching the winter landscape through the window. But there’s still much to be learned from the great outdoors! That’s why Sknowledge Collective — short for Snow Knowledge — is bringing the … Read more “Got Snow? Classrooms Get Outside for Citizen Science”

Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Education, Environment, Nature & Outdoors

A young girl with short brown hair in a ponytail and a multicolored hooded sweater peers through green toy binoculars. She looks between wooden fenceposts along a bridge in a garden.

Lessons From Citizen Science During the Pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down in the spring of 2020, teachers, librarians, camp counsellors, park rangers and more found themselves scrambling to adapt. Although the virus drastically altered plans, the learning didn’t necessarily stop thanks to the tireless efforts of educators of all kinds.  In many cases, teachers and others found themselves … Read more “Lessons From Citizen Science During the Pandemic”

Categories: Citizen Science, Education, Nature & Outdoors

8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily do at Home

Around the world, millions of kids are headed back to school in a totally different way. Classes are online. Teachers talk to students in virtual classrooms. And parents are often left looking for new, hands-on science learning opportunities. We’ve got your back. Here are eight fun and easy science experiments that you can do at … Read more “8 Fun Science Experiments You Can Easily do at Home”

Categories: Education, Other