Embedded Files
The lessons below were created by Mari Venturino as part of her Fulbright DAT Inquiry Project.
Early Finisher Citizen Science Directions
Early Finisher Citizen Science Directions
Use these directions for students who finish their classwork early or for whole-class exploration into citizen science
Burrowing Owls
Burrowing Owls
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to synthesize their knowledge about burrowing owls and the threats to their habitat as evidenced by creating a public service announcement about burrowing owls. Students will contribute to the Wildwatch Burrowing Owl citizen science project during the Explore phase of this lesson.
MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the
environment.
Target grade range: grades 5-8 (though it can be adapted for younger or older students)
SquirrelMapper
SquirrelMapper
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to explain how environmental factors lead to natural selection in squirrel populations as evidenced by writing a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph. Students will contribute to the SquirrelMapper citizen science project during the Elaborate and Evaluate phases of this lesson.
MS-LS4-6. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
Target grade range: grades 7-8 (though it can be adapted for younger or older students)
Tomatosphere
Tomatosphere
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to analyze what factors are necessary for plants to grow in an environment as evidenced by reading about growing plants in space and collecting and analyzing data for the Tomatosphere citizen science project.
MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Target grade range: grades 5-8
More Resources!
More Resources!
World is home to 50B birds, "breakthrough" citizen science research estimates (Newsela)
Want to help save animals threatened by extinction? Be a citizen scientist (Newsela)
BSCS Science Learning has also created 12 lessons which use real data collected through FieldScope with inquiry-based and NGSS-aligned lessons! (They also offer a free course for teachers)
How to use these lessons:
How to use these lessons:
Each of these lessons is a complete 5E cycle. They have not yet been tested with middle school students. I estimate each will take approximately one week of class time.
If you use some or all with students, please leave me feedback and/or insert comments on the slides.
Like the 5E slides template? Click here for your own copy :)
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