Here are our picks of the week for educators and learners (and, really, aren't we all life-long learners?). Each project includes lesson plans aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards.
Ooooooh! The school bell is about to ring. Here's to a great year of learning and contributing to science.
Cheers!
The SciStarter Team
Students Discover
Students Discover offers projects about that are sure to ignite students' interest in science. With lesson plans and hands-on activities, these projects are a great fit for any classroom.
Location: Global
Cat Tracker
Learn about the secret life of your outdoor cat by using inexpensive GPS technology to track your cat's every move! You can also compare your cat's behavior to other cats in the Cat Personality Survey, an affiliated project.
Location: Global
Stream Selfie
Take a walk, find a stream and snap a selfie with it! Stream Selfie asks that you snap a picture of your local stream to help researchers map streams across the country, and then start testing the waters!
Location: United States
Project Squirrel
Do all squirrels look the same to you? Did you know there were up to three different species climbing around your playground? Count how may squirrels you see during recess to keep track of squirrel populations to better understand tree squirrel ecology.
Location: Global
The Lost Ladybug Project
Chances are if you have plants, you'll have a ladybug or two! But, many native ladybug species in North America are in decline. Help study and protect these tiny critters by reporting any sightings, along with a photo, to this project.
Location: North America
Backyard Bark Beetles
With just a few inexpensive supplies, US students can construct a trap to monitor and catch bark beetles, some of which can have a devastating effect on forests and agricultural farms. The main trapping season is in spring but students are welcome to set traps throughout the year.
Location: United States
NOVA Labs
NOVA offers a variety of projects, covering topics ranging from RNA to renewable energy to evolution. Videos, interactive websites, and online resources are all available for teachers.
Location: Global
Free webinars for Educators
BirdSleuth K-12, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is now offering a free webinar series designed to help educators connect students to nature and develop science skills through citizen science.
Online
Various dates and times
Upcoming Workshop for Citizen Science Project Organizers
Practitioner Workshop for Deploying SciStarter Affiliate Tools To Support Strategic STEM Learning
Raleigh, NC
November 8-9, 2018
Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access this and other free tools. It's also how we match you with the best projects near you. Explore over 2000 other citizen science projects with our Project Finder!
Contact the SciStarter Team
Email: info@scistarter.com
Website: https://scistarter.com