 Citizen
Science in Action |
Here are the basic steps for conducting citizen
science with your students:
1. Getting Started
2. Learn To Identify Your Birds
3. Collect Data
4. Submit Data Over the Internet
5. Students Design Their Own Research Projects
6. Retrieve & Analyze Data to Answer Research
Question(s)
7. Report/Publish Results and Artwork
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| Resources to help you guide students through inquiry
research (steps 5-7) are found in the Student
Research section of this web site. |
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| Step 1: Getting Started |
| Start by setting up the Citizen
Science project with your students. For information on how to get started with
specific projects, see individual project web sites, found on Citizen
Science Projects for Educators. |
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| Step 2: Learn To Identify Your Birds |
Get to know your birds! For general information on learning to identify birds, go to
"How to Identify Birds" in the Lab's Understanding
Birds site (coming soon in 2002!). |
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| Step 3: Collect Data
Collect your citizen science data
using the protocol for the project you are participating in. |
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| Step 4: Submit Data Over the Internet |
| Submit your data
through your project's Data Entry section. "Classroom FeederWatch seems to be a
perfect project to give students experience on the Web in a directed way." Jane
Erickson, elementary school teacher, Aurora, Illinois. |
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| Step 5: Students Design Their Own Research Projects Use the resources found in Student Research
to help guide your students through the process of designing and conducting their own
inquiry-based research projects.
"Classroom FeederWatch
teaches kids how to 'do' science, which fits in nicely with our new state standards."
Susan Hoffman, elementary school teacher, Crested Butte, Colorado. |
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| Step 6: Retrieve & Analyze Data to Answer Research
Questions Use the
"Looking at Data" page (Student
Research) in working with your students as they retrieve and analyze their
own data, or data from the online databases of our Citizen Science projects.
"Classroom FeederWatch
is the best way I know to help kids understand the nature of science." Susan Botts,
middle school science teacher, Orlando, Florida. |
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| Step 7: Report/Publish Results and Artwork
Students can
"We look forward to
seeing this year’s Birdscope and reading students’ work from around the country.
I think this is a very valuable part of the CFW experience. Thank you for your efforts in
compiling this publication." Patricia Hines, middle school teacher, Clayton, Ohio. |
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