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Driven to Discover: Citizen Science 2017

by , posted on 8:23 PM, February 23, 2017
Driven to Discover: Citizen Science 2017

featuring full investigations along with claims, evidence and reasoning
Immerse yourself in authentic field science with UMN scientists AND deepen your classroom practice for full
scientific investigations that include analysis and communication. We utilize established citizen science projects
as spring-boards to engage students in on-going ecology research that inspire their own investigations. Our
goal is to have student work reflect the language and mathematics of science. Join a collaboration between the
UMN Monarch Lab and UMN Curriculum and Instruction Department to strengthen your teaching of critical
STEM content, current ecology research, and using claims, evidence and reasoning to further science literacy
within your classroom.

Summer Dates & Location:  
- June 26-June 30  (4 days/3 nights at Gustavus Adolphus & remaining days at University of Minnesota St.
Paul Campus 8:30-3:30)
- July 10-14: University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus 8:30-
3:30

Opportunities and Stipends:  
- $2266 stipend OR 3 UMN graduate credits
- Field equipment and supportive curriculum
- $400 for classroom materials   
- Bus $ for students to attend UMN Ecology Fair
- Eligibility for $1000 Schoolyard Garden Grant
 
School–year Involvement:
- 2 Saturday meetings during the school year (October, January, and April on the UMN St. Paul Campus)  
- 3 Small group meetings at school district sites
- Visits to your classroom from UMN faculty & staff
- Ecology Research Fair focused on student work (UMN Coffman Memorial Union, December)

Teacher Engagement Includes:
- Participate in a 2 week ecology field research with UMN faculty and graduate students  
- Deepen your skills for guiding students through meaningful investigations
- Access leveled reading materials for the classroom
- Implement and modify curriculum focused on citizen science and science process skills
 
To apply contact Sarah Weaver at weave048@umn.edu.   
 
Priority Offered for Middle and High School Teachers in:
 - So. Minnesota school districts (LeSueur-Henderson, St. Peter, Sibley East MN)
  - Anoka Hennepin Public Schools
  - Minneapolis Public Schools
  - St. Paul Public Schools

Citizen Science Project Choices
 
Experience one of the following projects in detail during summer workshop:

The Great Sunflower Project (www.greatsunflower.org). Pollinators provide essential
services, ensuring the survival of most plants as well as contributing significantly to our
food supplies. The Great Sunflower Project provides data that can help gauge the health
of pollinator populations across the continent.  
 
Dragonfly Pond Watch (www.xerces.org/dragonfly-migration/pondwatch/). This project
is designed to determine the ranges of dragonfly and damselfly populations. You will
learn the biology and behavior of many different species of dragonflies and damselflies,
including some bizarre and ferocious habits.

National Phenology Network (www.usanpn.org). Phenologists record nature’s calendar:
weather events, the return of migrant species, and plants blooming. Citizen scientists are
helping to take the pulse of the planet, collecting data that help us understand climate
fluctuations and responses by plants and animals.

eBird (www.ebird.org). Track the abundance and distribution of North America birds.
Learn bird identification and counting skills, and gain experience collecting data on the
birds you see anywhere! The eBird database, with millions of records, provides a
springboard to countless scientific research questions.
 
Gustavus Adolphus College
The first few days of the summer will be spent in the field at the Linnaeus Arboretum on the Gustavus
Adolphus campus (dormitory lodging included). We will utilize 125 acres of prairie, woodlands and
wetlands to collect citizen science data and pursue a unique investigation.
 
Why Use Citizen Science?
Data from everyday people, including our students, are needed to help ecologists with current science
research. Ecologists can’t be everywhere at once. You and your students can be the eyes, ears, and
help in the field that scientists need to fill their data gaps. But that’s not all….

Student interest and confidence are bolstered when contributing to a larger project with impact on
the professional scientific community. Classroom or small group investigations done within students’
school community offer opportunity for local engagement and accessibility. Join us and renew your
approach to student investigations!