Submit your proposal (with parental permission) as early as you like but no later than this deadline date.

Download Proposal Form

Project drop off at Avery School.

Invite your family, friends and neighbors to see your project.  Check out what other students have done and join in the fun!    DPS District-wide Citizen Science Expo at Avery School gym

“Citizen science is scientific research conducted by members of the general public. It involves volunteers or non-professional scientists – like our school kids – to collect and analyze data in collaboration with real scientists and researchers. In a nutshell, volunteer scientists like our students can take on a research challenge set by a scientific organization and submit their findings back to help develop necessary research. Pretty cool, right?

Also known as backyard science, this method enables professional researchers to gather data over a wider geographical area. It frequently uses technology, such as apps, to help scientists collect data from people in communities worldwide.”

 from https://www.teachstarter.com/

The first thing that you will need to do is to research Citizen Science projects. There are many, many to choose from! Think about the things in the world that interest you, then find a project that is related. Here are some resources to help you get started (these are just a start…there are many sites that are about Citizen Science!):

• SciStarter.org
• National Geographic - Citizen Science Projects
• 20 Citizen Science Projects for Students of All Ages
• Citizen Science for Kids: Engaging with Nature While Helping to Save It
• Science Lessons That Rock: Citizen Science Projects
• PBSKids.org - SciGirls - Citizen Science Fun for All!

Some Books About Citizen Science:

• Citizen Scientists: Be a Part is Scientific Discovery from You Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns
• Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester
• Moonlight Crab Count by Dr. Neeti Bathala and Jennifer Keats Curtis
• The Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference by Darlene Cavalier, Catherine Hoffman, and Caren Cooper
• Citizen Science Guide for Families: Taking Part in Real Science by Greg Landgraf
• Get Into Citizen Science by Vic Kovacs
• Citizen Science by Kristin Fontichiaro

As you think about what interests you, remember that your project will need to be approved by submitting a Proposal and Permission Slip.  Note that projects involving animals or people must meet the criteria attached to the Proposal and Permission Slip to be approved.  You can find even more information about project safety by visiting Science Buddies - Safety Guidelines.

Make sure your project is something that is feasible based upon the materials needed and the location.  For example, if the project involves visiting a beach, but you don’t have a way to get there, you’ll need to find something else.

TIP: Set up a science notebook as you get started and use it to do all of your planning, data-collecting, research, and thinking.  You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to put your presentation together in the end!

“Preparation is the key to success.” - Alexander Graham Bell

This is an important planning phase.  Being thorough and careful here will make your project go so much more smoothly and save time in the long run. 

Go through all of the information that you can find about your chosen Citizen Science project. You’ll want to research the background of the project. Start making some lists:

• What equipment and materials are you going to need?
• Are you going to need to research some things before participating:
  • How to identify some animals?
  • How to do certain skills?
  • Does the website for your project offer tools and resources to learn these necessary components?
• Will you need an adult to help? (gathering materials, transportation, etc.)
• What are the procedures (steps), in order, that you need to follow to complete your role in the project?
• Are there different roles you could divide up to make the work easier and more efficient?
• Do you need to travel to do your project?  When will you go? How will you get there?

Important Note: Share this list with your parent or guardian to make sure that you’ll be able to do all of this and make sure that you submit the required Proposal and Permission Slip

Now that you’re ready to get started, take some time to set up before you begin.  Gather all of your materials together in your work space.  Check off each item to make sure that it’s all there.  Review your procedures.  Make sure that you have all the space that you need.  By reviewing the procedures you are also refreshing your memory on what you plan to do.  This will make things go more smoothly for you.  With your notebook in hand, you can get started!
 

►  Work through each step of the project. Make sure you are careful with each step - you want your data to be accurate and useful to scientists!

►  Keep track of any questions that come up.  Are they things you can answer right now? Do you need to do some research?

►  Keep track of interesting things you are learning. Think about how you will present this to others.

►  If it makes sense, take pictures of the work you are doing.

►  When you are done participating, make sure you send in the data if that is part of the project!
(Some projects may have you upload it online, some projects collect data while you are participating, and some ask you to send in data sheets. Be sure you know how the data is going to make it to the scientists.)

►  Make drawings and take pictures of what you see.  Drawings and photos can be a great addition to your presentation and they can help you understand your data as well.  

Here the most important thing to remember is to look at your data with an open mind.  It may or may not turn out the way you expected, being right is not what’s most important.  What’s most important is to learn and try to make sense of what the data shows. What do you notice overall about your data? How might you present this information to others?

Write out in words what you did and what data you collected.  Consider doing more research to help you better understand what your data means.  Maybe you’ll come up with ideas on what you'd do differently if you tried again.
 

Congratulations!  You should be proud of all your hard work and what you’ve learned about your topic and doing science!  Now it’s time to put it all together and share what you’ve done!

Your presentation could be on a tri-fold, a poster, a scrapbook, a written report or some other creative way. You could also include graphs, models, photos, and/or drawings. If you’d like to include a video or slideshow, you’ll have to provide your own device to show it at the Expo.

Things to include in your presentation include: 

• A title
• Your name(s)
• Background information on the citizen science project, including what questions are being asked and who is asking them
• A paragraph explaining why you chose that particular project
• Research you gathered to do in the project
• The materials you used
• The steps you followed 
• What type(s) of data you were collecting and how they will help answer the research questions being asked
• Anything interesting you saw in the data you were collecting
• The question(s) you had while participating, and how you answered it/them  (or how you would answer it, if it’s an original question)
• Your findings/conclusions from participating in a Citizen Science project

You may also want to include:

• Drawings
• Photos
• Graphs
• Or anything else that helps the viewer to understand what you did and learned

The most important thing to remember about your presentation is that you should be proud to show off what you have done!!