Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Thousands of Teacher-reviewed Resources!

Prepare for Citizen Science Month 2023!

April is Citizen Science Month, a celebration started in 2016 as part of a global movement to encourage people to get involved in real science that matters to them. Every year, leaders host events that help people discover ways to participate in research to help their cause. This week, we are sharing resources that will allow your students to become citizen scientists! 

Grades 6-12

Citizen Science for Educators

Read about many low or no-cost ideas for collecting and interpreting data as a citizen scientist. Click the tab at the top to find resource collections by topic, then select a project link to find additional information and requirements.

Grades K-12

Citizen Science Month

Learn the basics of citizen science and find project ideas and events for both beginners and experienced scientists on the Citizen Science Month site. View a database of science projects and a library network with free resources for creating an event.

Grades 5-12

SciStarter

View the video, “What is Citizen Science?,” then choose a project by level: PreK–2, 3–5, 6–8, or 9–12. Each project has a video, thorough directions, and links to additional resources. Teachers can also register for emails describing upcoming projects.

Grades K-12

20 Citizen Science Projects for Students of All Ages

These featured projects include a range of ideas for students of all ages, like tracking bird populations or studying the effects of light pollution on fireflies. Select any featured project to find a list of materials and instructions.

Grades K-12

Citizen Science Platforms & Organizations

Browse this curated list of citizen science platforms and organizations to find your perfect match. Use this list to find information from government resources, crowdsourcing media, global community connections, and more to share with your students.

Grades K-12

World Wildlife Foundation Educator's Toolkits

Discover several educational toolkits for teaching about the conservation of the planet. Elementary-level kits primarily focus on exploring animals, while secondary activities tackle in-depth topics like biodiversity and food waste.

Grades K-12

Citizen Community Science for Bees

Join scientists in advancing bee research. Using the free iNaturalist app, citizen scientists find and photograph pollinators, then share their images with millions of scientists. After taking pictures, upload and share your images with bee experts.

Grades K-12

Community Science Opportunities

Introduce your students to citizen science by participating in one or more community science opportunities shared by the Maritime Aquarium. Projects include the City Nature Challenge, Frog Watch USA, The Great Backyard Bird Count, and others.

Grades 3-12

Journey North

Try this citizen science program to collaborate on documenting the migration of animals and insects. Get involved by adding your images and sightings, or follow the site to view the observations of others through maps, photos, and descriptions.

Grades K-12

Monarch Lab

This citizen science project includes volunteers from around the country and shares long-term data on monarch butterfly populations and their milkweed habitats. Sign up, share your data, or explore the site to learn about monarch butterflies.

Grades 3-12

BirdSleuth

Join BirdSleuth, an inquiry-based science curriculum that engages kids in scientific study. Each grade level has several categories, including kits and curriculum units, free downloads, posters, cards, games, and lesson plans.

Grades 7-12

Zooniverse

Zooniverse is one of the largest and most popular citizen science projects. Choose from the featured projects or click See All Projects to choose from categories like arts, biology, climate, history, literature, medicine, and others.

This Week at TeachersFirst

We invite you to register for our new season of FREE OK2Ask virtual workshops starting this Tuesday. We are also sharing a related blog post and kindly ask for your input on our weekly poll.