Teaching Sequence

10 minutes	Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge
15 minutes	Part B: What is ClimateWatch?
30 minutes	Part C: Using the ClimateWatch App
5 minutes	Reflection

This lesson requires students to go out into your schoolyard and begin recording species using the ClimateWatch app. We recommend that prior to this lesson, you download the app and create a free ClimateWatch account for your students to log into. Alternatively, you can organise to create a class account by contacting ClimateWatch at: climatewatch@earthwatch.org.au.

It is advised that prior to this lesson, you scope out your schoolyard. Take 10-15 minutes to search for species featured in the app. If you are finding very few species, you can arrange for this lesson to be conducted as an excursion outside of school grounds. Check the ClimateWatch Trails page to see if there are any local ClimateWatch trails. ClimateWatch Trails and areas such as local parks are great places to find a range of species. Furthermore, ClimateWatch Trails have (free) online field recording sheets and species field guides available that can be used as learning materials.

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1. The following 'Stand on the Line' activity can be used as a barometer to test students' prior knowledge of the topic of citizen science.

Read the following statements to students. Use the additional notes to engage students in further conversation around each point:

I know what climate change is –
Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer.
Source: https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
I know what biodiversity is –
Biodiversity is the variety of all living things; the different plants, animals and micro organisms, the genetic information they contain and the ecosystems they form. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. These three levels work together to create the complexity of life on Earth.
Source: https://australianmuseum.net.au/what-is-biodiversity
Climate change is already changing biodiversity –
There is evidence that climate change is affecting the habitats of many species, who must either migrate to new suitable habitats or adapt to the changing conditions (NOVA). Warmer ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching throughout our own Great Barrier Reef (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority), and climate change is believed to be responsible for changes in birds’ migratory patterns (Nature World News). In addition, some plants appear to be flowering earlier or changing their distribution, affecting those animal species that rely on those plants for food (e.g. nectar) or shelter.
I know what science is –
Science is an area of study that deals with the natural world. It is knowledge about the natural world that is based upon facts learned from observations and experiments.
We can all be scientists –
Although professional scientists typically undertake extensive study and work in the scientific fields, some of the work they do can be replicated by non-scientists, with just a little bit of guidance and instruction. Many of us already ask questions about the world around us, make observations, apply critical thinking and draw conclusions about these observations – all tasks required by professional scientists.
I have heard about citizen science –
Citizen science can be described as scientific work that is undertaken by the general public. This work is usually overseen by professional scientists who devise the work, collaborate with the public and provide guidance.

Part B: What is ClimateWatch?

Step 1. Explain to students that in this lesson they will be investigating citizen science in more detail by looking at and participating in a citizen science program created by Earthwatch called ClimateWatch. Explain to students that ClimateWatch is a citizen science initiative that seeks to get people all across Australia engaged in phenological data collection and helping to shape the country’s scientific response to climate change. ClimateWatch is a program run by Earthwatch: Earthwatch is a global not-for-profit organisation that engages professional and non-professional scientists (citizens) in projects collecting biological data that is used to help protect and preserve biodiversity.

Remind the class of the definition of phenology as a branch of science which is concerned with how the climate influences the recurrence and duration of seasonal behaviours of animal and plant life, such as plant budding and bird nesting or migration.
Source: https://www.climatewatch.org.au/

Explain to students that they will be using the ClimateWatch app throughout the rest of this lesson and unit.

Share the following clip with students, explaining that this clip provides some background information to Earthwatch's ClimateWatch program. Students should record anything interesting or important that they see in this clip:

ClimateWatch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFg3PnS70Fs)

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts around the clip, including:

What is this clip about?
What is the ClimateWatch program about?
What did you see in this clip that you found interesting or important?

Step 2. Invite students to break into pairs or small groups. Each group needs to access the ClimateWatch app. Groups can spend several minutes looking at the app. Students should consider the following points when exploring the app (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Are you already familiar with any of the species on the app? Which ones and how do you know them?
Have you seen any of the species on the app in your local area?
Are there any existing ClimateWatch Trails in your area?

Invite students to share their responses with the class.

Step 3. Now, invite groups to look through the app and work together to answer the following questions (questions also available on the Student Worksheet):

What is the purpose of this app? – (Suggested answer: To help the community record phenological cycles so that we can better understand how climate change might be affecting biodiversity. This helps scientists collect data on a large time scale [across decades] and large spatial scale [across Australia] that would not be possible using traditional research methods. Long-term data collection is important when you are studying the impacts of long-term issues, such as climate change.)
What does the app do? (Suggested answer: Citizen scientists can record changes in biodiversity – such as plants budding and the appearance of migratory animals – using the ClimateWatch app. In particular, citizen scientists are encouraged to create and visit ClimateWatch Trails regularly and record what they see on the trail at different times of the year.)
How does this app help contribute to our understanding of how climate change is affecting biodiversity? (Suggested answer: By alerting us to any unusual changes in the phenological cycles of local biodiversity, and helping us to ascertain whether these changes are associated with climate change. This knowledge is largely lacking in our part of the world and we need to understand the impacts of climate change if we are to manage it effectively).
Is there anything in the app that you do not understand or any words you would like to look up?

Once complete, invite students to share their answers with the class.

Part C: Using the ClimateWatch App

Step 1. Explain to students that they will soon be heading outside to use the ClimateWatch app in the schoolyard. Before leaving the class, make sure that all devices that will be used have the ClimateWatch app loaded on to them and that students have registered using their school emails, or you have created a class profile that students are logged into. Before leaving emphasise that capturing ‘no’ data is also important to science.

Hot tip: If you are aware of some of the species in your local area, consider putting together a slideshow of these plants and animals and sharing it with your students prior to departing. You could also visit the ClimateWatch webpage and use the ‘filter’ box on the right hand side of the species page to list ClimateWatch species that can be encountered in your region.

Review your outdoor learning guidelines, such as:

Step 2. Break the class into groups and explain that students will have 15 minutes to try to find and identify some of the species listed on the app. Students can write down the animals they see in their notebooks.

Step 3. Once the class have had the time try and find several species on the app, gather students together in a discussion circle and invite them to share what they found. Before the sharing begins, remind students of the definition of climate change they learned in the previous lesson Understanding Climate Change and Phenology:

Climate change in Australia: rising levels of greenhouse gases – particularly CO₂ – caused by burning fossil fuels, are heating the atmosphere to an extent where the climate is changing. With more CO₂ in the atmosphere and with a changing climate we can expect:

More frequent high temperatures and less frequent low temperatures, and warmer winter conditions
A decrease in snow cover
An increase in both the frequency and severity of extreme weather events
Rising sea levels
Ocean acidification

Source: https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

Step 4. Engage students in a class discussion around the following questions:

Which of the species you found were new to you?
Which ones had you seen before?
Given what you already know and with the information provided on the app, how do you think the species you identified might be affected by climate change and why? For example, how might an increase in temperatures, more frequent droughts, more frequent storms, bushfires etc. affect these species?
What do you think happens to your data when you submit it?
What do you think happens when an observer makes an incorrect sighting?

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the following reflection questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What are three things I learnt about in this lesson?
What are two things I found interesting in this lesson?
What is one question I still have about this lesson?

Differentiated Learning

Provisional Learning Support – This activity is well suited to mixed ability groups.

Teacher Reflection

Note: Consider repeating this outdoor activity at the same location at different times of the year to demonstrate environmental change and reinforce concepts of phenology and climate change.

This lesson could also be extended to become cross curricular. Cool Australia and Earthwatch have also partnered to create citizen science units of work for maths and geography. To further enhance students' learning, consider teaming up with teachers in these complementary faculties to run a cross-curricular project on phenology and citizen science.

Citizen Science - Using Citizen Science to Explore Your Schoolyard

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