This curriculum spans an entire academic year and contains a plethora of lessons and activities related to natural science and phenology. Students monitor a designated “citizen science data collection site” over a year and investigate changes that may occur. Students learn a wide variety of skills through this curriculum, including identification and conservation. The curriculum guides students from building science skills into contributing to citizen science, and ultimately, to conducting independent investigations. Original datasets and scientific publications are included for students to reproduce and see the process of discovery.
Teachers may adapt the lessons to a variety of grade levels.
https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/198624
This curriculum is based on the larger Community Science project Nature’s Notebook: https://www.usanpn.org/natures_notebook
LessonHiveAdmin –
This is a full curriculum carefully aligned to NGSS standards, and developing all the STEM practices in a steady, stepwise way over an entire year of lessons (15 to 21 class periods). There are rubrics, sample student responses, and more! It invites students to spend time observing and documenting the natural world around them. Many of the individual exercises could also be adapted for use individually; and there is a condensed schedule for 4-8 class periods. Very well done!