Citizen Science Projects Research Activities

NTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE

Citizen science projects are research activities that allow non-scientists to participate in data collection and make contributions to many areas of science from ecology to astronomy. These projects are sponsored by individuals, organizations and universities. Activities vary widely from observing and counting birds to completing surveys on pet behavior.

You will be creating a presentation researching one citizen science project from the list below (or you may search the internet for a citizen science project of your choosing). You do not have to participate in the study to complete your assignment, but many of these projects are available for citizen participation all over the world.

1. Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force
   Project goal is to monitor water quality at local beaches, bays, and ponds.
   http://www.surfrider.org/programs/clean-water
2. Wildwatch Kenya
   Project goal is to count, identify and track the giraffes in conservation field sites through trail camera photos. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/sandiegozooglobal/wildwatch-kenya
3. The Great Backyard Bird Count
   Citizens collect data on the highest number of birds of each species seen together at one time.
   http://gbbc.birdcount.org/

Topics you should include in your presentation:

Slide 1
Title Slide with Name, Course and Date

Slides 2-3- Introduction
Introduction and background on your chosen citizen science project, including what questions are being asked and who is asking them. Include a summary of why you chose this project:

• What is the problem(s) the researchers are trying to solve?
• Complete additional research to determine what is known about the problem(s).
• What questions would you like answered?
• Include supporting images

Slides 4-5
Describe any observations or experiments that have been conducted to answer the research question(s). How will this help answer the questions being asked? Include any supporting images.

Slides 6-7
Add additional interesting facts you gathered about the citizen project (this may require additional research). Include any relevant images.

Slides 8-9 – Conclusion
Summarize your project findings.

• Why do scientists need the help of citizens to accurately answer their questions?
• What are some of the pros and cons of using citizens to collect data?
• Why is this research important?
• What are the possible real world applications?

Slide 10—References
Please provide your sources in APA format including the link to your citizen project.

SLP Assignment Expectations

For this SLP assignment you will develop a PowerPoint Presentation that is approximately 1-10 slides in length and addresses the requirements outlined above. Place the text containing the answers to the questions above in the slide area, summarizing each topic using bullet points (in your own words, you may expand in more detail using the notes area). Use 4-5 bullet points per slide. Avoid using lengthy sentences and paragraphs. Maintain consistent font sizes throughout the presentation.

Be sure to include citations referencing your sources on each slide (use either the slide or notes area). Include a descriptive title for each slide that describes the topic being discussed. Be sure to include a title slide with your name, assignment type (ex. SLP Module 1) and course title. Include a slide summarizing your project findings (Conclusion slide). Your final slide should contain a list of references cited in APA format.

Please upload your final presentation to the Module 1 SLP dropbox. Please also note your Turnitin originality score and make revisions as needed. Please contact your instructor with any questions.