This resource shares six ongoing community science research projects with Connecticut chapters that students can volunteer with.
The projects include making nature observations, helping monitor species populations, and tracking species mortalities.
Teaching Tips
Positives
Students can get involved in their community while supporting scientific research.
These challenges give students an authentic sense of purpose as they explore nature!
Additional Prerequisites
There is a link to complete a form to volunteer as a community scientist.
Click on each project to read more about it and find information about upcoming training sessions.
Some projects may have age requirements. For example, the Terrapin Tracking Team requires volunteers to be 18 years old, but children can accompany a trained adult, and the City Nature Challenge is for Fairfield and Westchester counties.
Differentiation
Students can choose a volunteer project to participate in from this list and report back about their experience with the class.
Many of the projects are best suited for older students. For younger students, the best options are the City Nature Challenge, where volunteers observe and document wildlife in their area, or the Great Backyard Bird Count, where participants observe and count birds.
Students can research other volunteer opportunities similar to these in their community.
Scientist Notes
This resource includes a link to apply to become a community science member at the Maritime Aquarium. Citizen science groups can be a vital part of data collection. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
HS-LS4-D.2. Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (secondary to HS-LS2-7), (HS-LS4-6)
LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
HS-LS4-5 Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 4: Taking Informed Action
D4.7.9-12 Assess options for individual and collective action to address local, regional, and global problems by engaging in self-reflection, strategy identification, and complex causal reasoning.
