Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes	Part A: What is a citizen scientist?
40 minutes	Part B: Training AI to help
05 minutes	Reflection

Part A: What is a citizen scientist?

Step 1.

Ask students to create a definition of the term ‘citizen scientist’. You might have to break the term into its component parts.

We all have some idea of what a scientist is, with the official definition being “a person who is studying or has expert knowledge of one or more of the natural or physical sciences.”

A citizen is “a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth”, but this is really just a fancy way of saying a regular person who lives in Australia (or anywhere).

Step 2.

Do these two terms seem to conflict with one another?

It seems like a scientist is a highly trained individual, while a citizen is just an ordinary person. It could even be one of us!

Do students think they are scientists?

It’s important to encourage students to realise that they are definitely already scientists in some sense. They think, they make hypotheses, they conduct experiments, and they discover new things about our world.

Step 3.

Conduct a GBB assessment of this idea.

Good, bad, better

A GBB is a tool for evaluating ideas and scenarios by putting aside our prejudices and innate ways of thinking, and instead looking at topics with empathy, and critical and creative thinking.

Students should work in small groups and spend three minutes on each of the filters below, starting with only 'good'.

Students should go around the group and offer one idea at a time. No idea is a bad idea, and everyone has to have something to say. As the teacher, keep track of the time. After three minutes, move the groups onto 'bad'.

Good. What is good about this idea? What did you really like about this concept? What is the main point in its favour that you would use to promote it to others? Remember, there is always someone benefiting from an idea, even if someone else is simultaneously suffering. We're looking for the benefits as part of the good.

Bad. What's not so great about this idea? Are there any potential drawbacks, such as cost, size, or difficulty in implementation? Who or what is it hurting being done like this? Even if you like the idea, try to find some problems or negatives.

Better. How could you improve this solution so that it worked even better, or to mitigate some of its drawbacks? Time to get creative. You can't change this idea entirely, but there might be some tweaks you can make to fix it or improve it.

Good - Anyone can contribute to the progress of science, not just specialists with years of training. It also means we can have more people helping with the work, rather than just leaving it to a few. It’s a way of making a real difference in the wake of bushfires.

Bad - The citizens won’t be as well trained or knowledgeable as professional scientists, meaning they might make mistakes or miss something important.

Better - What if there was a way to make the citizens just as effective as the scientists working on the project without having to go through years of training to become professional scientists?

Step 4.

Independently, students read more about the principles of citizen science.

Part B: Training AI to help

Step 1.

Independently, students check out the Australian Citizen Science Association’s citizen science program finder.

There are over 638 active programs students could get involved in. You can filter projects by more kid-friendly offerings or things that you can do at home.

You can also filter by area, meaning students can actually get involved in these projects

Step 2.

Students answer the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

name of the project
purpose of the project
equipment you’ll need for the project
how to engage in the project

Part C: Community participation

Step 1.

Now the important part: getting people involved.

Independently, students need to present their projects to a wider audience.

This could be through a quick poster, expanding upon their notes with images and a call to action encouraging audience participation. These could be posted around the school and even included in the newsletter.
It could also include a presentation - to your class or at assembly - making people aware of the project. It would be even better if this presentation was filmed and posted on your school’s Facebook site (if you have one).
Finally, your class might like to commit to a project and plan how you are going to conduct it. Is there a time and a place to meet to carry out the project together? What permissions will you need (from parents and principals) to get this project off the ground? What will you need to organise to make sure the project is safely undertaken? When will you make time to discuss some results? Who else in your community could you get involved to support you?

Reflection

How do students feel about the possibility of becoming a citizen scientist?

Ask students for one word to describe their feelings. They might be hopeful, excited, or a little intimidated. All of these are fair responses, but encourage students to take the initiative and have the courage that doing something is better than nothing!

Differentiated Learning

Extension

There might be a project around your community that isn’t listed on ACSA website. In which case, there’s no one better to start the movement than your class. Citizen science is the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge. Through citizen science, people share and contribute to data monitoring and collection programs.

Collaboration in citizen science involves scientists and researchers working with the public. Community-based groups may generate ideas and engage with scientists for advice, leadership, and program coordination. Interested volunteers, amateur scientists, students, and educators may network and promote new ideas to advance our understanding of the world.

Scientists may create a citizen-science program to capture more or more widely spread data without spending additional funding.

Volunteers have varying levels of expertise, from kids in their backyards to members of high school science clubs to amateur astronomers with sophisticated home equipment. Modern advances in technology make citizen science more accessible today than ever before. The success of any citizen science project depends on the establishment of a well-devised monitoring program and the dedication of its volunteers.

Teacher reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn’t work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Resilient Australia - How Can I Help as a Citizen Scientist?

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