Citizen Science

STEM in Action August 18, 2012

What is Citizen Science?

Average citizens are getting involved in the scientific process every day by participating in citizen science, a movement in which volunteers are helping professional scientists collect and analyze data.

And in the classroom?

By encouraging your students to record and share their observations, you not only help students to reconnect with nature, you provide them with real opportunities to make a difference. Citizen science is a hands-on participatory approach with two specific goals: providing meaningful learning experiences for students and helping scientists collect field data Project Based Learning STEM

Projects can incorporate life, physical, and earth and space science topics
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives and History and Nature of Science Easy cross-curricular connections Scientific method firsthand Observation - Collect data organize data verifying data - integrate student-directed inquiry into lessons. Data collection leads to questions that can be used to design and carry out investigations. Using student-collected data provides authentic experiences in using evidence to construct claims and arguments. Observing, recording and sharing date can also involve tech integration

What Is Phenology?
Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. It is also the study of these recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate.

The timing of phenological events is important for: Health (allergens and infectious diseases) Recreation (wildflower displays and fall colors) Agriculture (planting and harvest times, pest control) Management of natural resources (water and timber) Understanding hazards (monitoring and prediction of drought and fire risk) Conservation (abundance and diversity of plants and animals) .
How Does It Relate to Climate Change? Help us understand plant and animal responses to climate change. The phenology of some species is changing quickly, while for others it is changing slowly or not at all. These different shifts in timing are shaking up ecosystems. Citizen scientist monitoring and reporting will help professionals identify which species are changing, and how, so that we can better predict the impact of these changes on natural systems and people.

Why Observe Phenology? Scientists need more data

Species growth and development

Species location and movement Climate and natural cycls Document patterns of for critical plant and animal species Broadly distributed phenological data are relatively rare in the United States. Who Observes Phenology? Anyone can participate in our phenology observation program, Nature's Notebook, by registering and entering their observations online.

http://pinterest.com/grannydebs/citizenscience-az-students/

http://www.azsit.org