Citizen Science in the

Classroom
Teaching & Sharing, Winter 2018
Stephanie Finley and Summer Stevenson
What is Citizen Science?

“Citizen Science is the collection and analysis of data

relating to the natural world by members of the general
public, typically as part of a collaborative project with
professional scientists”
The Societal Value of Citizen Science

● Engaged Citizenship
● Larger Datasets --> creation of new knowledge
● Democratization of Science
● Demystification of the Research Process
Citizen Science contributions and discoveries
 Case Study:

● Largest data set in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and
has added more than 85 million records
● Core user base = intermediate or advanced birders (72%)
● 80% of the data comes from about 10% of its participants

To date, over 200 peer-reviewed publications have used eBird data

Why do Citizen Science in the Classroom?

● Engaged Inquiry
○ Working to address real world issues and
contribute to scientific understanding
● Foster Scientific Literacy
● Active Participation
Scientific Literacy
“A scientifically and technologically literate person is
one who can read and understand common media
reports about science and technology, critically evaluate
the information presented, and confidently engage in
discussions and decision-making activities regarding
issues that involve science and technology.”
- Science Co-ordinators’ and Consultants’ Association of Ontario
and Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario
Integrating Citizen Science into the Classroom

● Incorporate the Four Broad Areas of Scientific Investigation

○ Initiating and Planning
○ Performing and Recording
○ Analysing and Interpreting
○ Communicating
● Move beyond data collection - engage in the PROCESS
Citizen Science in Action: Project Level

● Using a citizen science initiative to guide a science inquiry project

(Initiating and Planning, Performing and Recording, Analysing and Interpreting, and
Communication)
● Examples:
○ Science in the Garden (Grades 1 & 2)
○ 5 Part Biodiversity Survey, with Lesson Plans (Secondary)
Citizen Science in Action: Lesson Level

● Using data collected by citizen science initiatives to engage in one or

more (but not all) of the four broad areas of scientific investigation
● Examples:
○ Analyzing NASA data (Grade 5)
Citizen Science in Action: Gamification

● Participating in a citizen science initiative at the Performing and

Recording level
● Examples:
○ Playing Foldit to learn about protein structure
○ Stall Catchers game that took Lake Hazel Middle School in Idaho
by storm speeding up Alzheimer’s research
Considerations

● Identify your goals prior to implementing any project

● Recognize effort/outcome trade off - ex., Gamification is the easiest to
implement but may have the fewest benefits
● Don’t be constrained by discrete “units” of study
● Understand how your chosen initiative collects data. You should be
comfortable with providing quality data