Pathways to Science: NASA S'COOL and Project BudBurst

This is the fourth post in our series, Pathways to Science, where we are sharing opportunities for students to connect with scientists. 

Citizen science projects are an excellent way for students to make authentic connections with science and those who study it. Two projects that I have found worthwhile for students are the NASA S'COOL program and Project BudBurst. Both involve students collecting data and engaging deeply with their natural surroundings.

NASA S'COOL
NASA S'COOL is a free program that gives students the opportunity to learn about clouds and their impact on weather and climate, while contributing data to scientific research. It is an excellent extension to a weather unit. When in the classroom I used this program with 5th graders for several years, but it could definitely be used with older kids as well. In addition to teaching students how to collect scientific data, they offer lesson ideas based around weather patterns and clouds.

An example of cirrus clouds. image by: S'COOL

S'COOL, or Student Cloud Observations On-Line, teaches educators and students how to observe and identify cloud types to provide "ground-truth" data for the CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) satellites. The CERES satellites are gathering data and cloud images from their orbit above the Earth's surface. This is only one side of the picture. Students collect and provide data from the ground, to corroborate what is seen from above. The result is called "ground truth". In combination you then see the whole picture.

Students can learn a lot from clouds- including how to predict the weather from them. Once data is collected during a CERES satellite overpass the students input it on-line and receive a report back. S'COOL requests students analyze these reports to see how their data matches (or doesn't match) the CERES data. It is a dynamic, authentic process. The director of the project, Dr. Lin H. Chambers, is always helpful and at times has even sent the students messages about their data. Once we noted that it began to hail during an observation. Lin wrote back a simple "Be careful out there!" and the kids thought it was great. Knowing that they were sending their data to a scientist who then communicated back to them solidified that this was the real deal!

Even PBS SciGirls have gotten in on the S'COOL action!

Connect with NASA S'COOL through their website, Facebook page , and Twitter. 




Project BudBurst
Project BudBurst is a citizen science project that utilizes data collected by volunteers. The purpose of the study is to see how changes in climate are affecting the life stages (or phenology) of plants. Anyone can participate. I have used the "junior" version of this project, BudBurst Buddies, with 2nd graders as part of their plant unit. BudBurst Buddies is based on a story of children who observe trees around their home. They model how kids can also do this at their home. After kids have submitted 4 observations of a particular tree or shrub, they can print out a certificate.

For older volunteers in the program, observations can be made at any point in time. There are clear directions for adults and they are building quite the library of lesson plans to help implement the program in classrooms. The beauty of a citizen science project like this is that over time there is a large pool of data that can be accessed. Students can see where other people have observed in real time and view data from previous seasons. The scientists and educators who work with the project are very approachable and excited to have students working with them. You can even submit questions through their "ask a scientist" page.

Purple lilacs with a tiger swallowtail pollinator! Project BudBurst observation. image: ©Ross Feitlinger

To learn more about Project BudBurst visit my posts, "Project BudBurst: Easy, Authentic Plant Science" and "See it? Share it! Flower and Leaf Buds, Could it Be True?" You can also connect with them through their website, Facebook page, or on Twitter.

Pathways to Science: The Flame Challenge

This is the third post in our series, Pathways to Science, where we are sharing opportunities for students to connect with scientists.

We are going to take a closer look at the Flame Challenge, a contest for scientists where students are the judges. This is not only an exciting and engaging opportunity for kids because it puts them in the driver's seat, but also has great opportunities for extensions like teaching writing and communication in the sciences. 

Stonybrook University: Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science

The Flame Challenge began when Alan Alda, actor, writer and advocate for clear communication of science issued a challenge to scientists to explain, in an understandable way, the answer to the question "What is a flame?". Scientists from across the globe submitted their answers in written and visual form to be judged by 11 year olds.

This first challenge was issued in 2012, and the competition has evolved over the past few years. Now there are separate categories for written and visual submissions and schools can participate in a virtual Worldwide Assembly when it is time to announce the winners. Each year, the question is different. To date the questions have been: What is time? What is color? What is sleep? and What is sound?

When I was in the classroom I participated with my students for the first three years of the Flame Challenge, and students in grades 5 and 6 continue to participate at the school I worked in. What I thought was most important about having students judge the entries is how easily we could extend this activity in the classroom.

This is the perfect precursor to having students present their own findings at a science fair or event at school. They begin to learn what makes for interesting and clear communication. After judging the entries we would generate a list of why students thought the ones they had chosen were the best. This was always a thoughtful discussion. Students reasoned that giving examples we can all relate to is helpful. They did not want to be spoken down to and they didn't want too much technical language. A balance of humor was deemed important, but not too much and not too cheesy. They were appalled by grammatical errors and typos.

The students began to understand that scientists are people too. Although they hold information that is valuable to us all, it is okay to question the information that is being handed to you, and acknowledge there might be a better way to communicate with students and people who may not be professional scientists.

Although my students might never meet the scientists who they judged, they began to relate to them. They understood that these were people, and the people had personalities just like those they interact with at home and school. During one of the first years we participated, my students fell in love with a scientist named Steve who had submitted a particularly funny and informative video. (He also happened to win the challenge that year!) Over the course of the next year or so, they continued to ask if they could watch Steve again. I loved that he inspired them to be excited about science.

To register to participate in the challenge, visit the Flame Challenge website. Judging happens in the late fall and winners are announced in the spring. 5th and 6th graders may participate (regardless if they are exactly 11 years old or not!) Homeschoolers working on teams can participate too! You can also connect with the Flame Challenge on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you participated in this program? If so, we'd love to hear your experience. E-mail us at shareitscience@gmail.com or meet up with us on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.