FACILITATOR’S GUIDE TO CITIZEN SCIENCE | MONARCHS Driven to Discover IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Acknowledgements This publication has been made possible FIELD TESTERS through the contributions of many people and organizations to whom we are very grateful. This curriculum was tested in a variety of settings with a variety of research teams. Adult leaders provided feedback that significantly improved PROJECT TEAM the curriculum and the program model. The following people served as Driven to Discover Implementation of the Driven to Discover grant Club Leaders: project drew on the skills of a diverse team from the University of Minnesota, Department of Erick Anderson Jamie McBride Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, and Sandra Benton Laura Molenaar the University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Lynsey Bernfeld Amie Mondl Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Sciences, Kari Buse Dave Moehnke and the Center for Youth Development. Troy Cook Tracy Moshier Elana Dahlberg Kelly Nail Principal Investigators: Karen Oberhauser, Robert Ann Drzewiecki Sami Nichols B. Blair, Nathan J. Meyer, Pamela Larson Nippolt, Diane Erdmann Kirk Payne Andrea Lorek Strauss. Audrey Robinson Patrina Paxson Project Team: Grant Bowers, Katie-Lyn Bunney, Favorito Cindy Petersen Tania Homayoun, Eva Lewandowski, Rebecca L. Gerri Fitzloff Judy Plank Meyer, Kelly Nail, Sami Nichols, Cindy Peterson, Mike Fitzloff Kristin Pursell Amy RB Rager, Mike Rentz, Anne Stevenson, Lainet Garcia-Rivera Mike Rentz Elisabeth Young-Isebrand. Jayme Hanson Jo Sander Theresa Haynes Lesley Sheridan Project Evaluators: Kim Kies, Cecelia Garibay, Ned Heckman Sarah Shimek Garibay Group; Siri Scott, Sarah Shimek. Katie Humason Rachel Soika Barbara Jacobs-Smith Andrea Lorek Strauss Kim Jordan Annette Strom Melanie Kiernan Erica Tollefson Sarah Klintworth Mary Woodward Deb Marcinski Elisabeth Young- Kristina McCullough Isebrand Reviewer Dr. Kimberly S. Loomis, Professor of Science Education, Kennesaw State University MONARCHS | FACILITATOR’S GUIDE | INTRODUCTION 3 Advisory Panel Contact Information Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist PDF versions of this curriculum and the program coordinator (VA) corresponding Investigator’s Field Journal may be downloaded for free at www.extension.umn.edu/ Tim Vargo, Urban Ecology Center (WI) citizenscience. Jess Miller, Mosquito Hill Nature Center (WI) Inquiries about this publication or the Driven to Discover program can be directed to Andrea Rick Bonney, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (NY) Lorek Strauss, [email protected]. Nancy Trautmann, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (NY) Suggested Citation: Sonia Altizer, University of Georgia, Project Strauss, A.L., Homayoun, T., Meyer, R.L., MonarchHealth (GA) Nippolt, P.L., Oberhauser, K., Peterson, C., Rager, A., & Young-Isebrand, E. (2015). Driven to Discover: Facilitator’s Guide to Citizen Science. Editors & Designers St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension. Copy Editor: Marjorie Casey, Word Fountain, Ltd. Funding Graphic Designer: Mark Ohm This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, Driven to Cover Photo: Candy Sarikonda Discover: Enabling Authentic Inquiry through Citizen Science, Grant No. 000346525. Back Cover Photos: Jim Ellis, Denny Brooks Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. © 2015, Regents of the University of Minnesota, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Send copyright permission inquiries to: Copyright Coordinator, University of Minnesota Extension, 405 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108-6068. Email to [email protected] or fax to (612) 625-3967. 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Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10% postconsumer material. 4 MONARCHS | FACILITATOR’S GUIDE | INTRODUCTION Contents 3 Acknowledgements 5 Contents 7 Foreword INTRODUCTION 11 Thinking like a Scientist 15 What is Citizen Science? 16 The Driven to Discover Process 18 A Note About Informal Science Learning 20 Getting Ready for Citizen Science Clubs 22 Driven to Discover Process Checklist 23 Risk Management 25 Suggested Club Meeting Schedule and Sequence of Activities 27 Creating a Team Learning Environment 30 Forming a Research Team: Developing a Team Roster LESSON PLAN 32 Icebreaker Activity: Learning More about Us LESSON PLAN 34 Assigning Roles for Youth 35 Clever Methods for Dividing Youth into Small Groups 37 Building the Research Team: Reframing Conflict 38 Reflection: Making Sense of the Experience 39 Reflection Activity: Sum It Up LESSON PLAN 40 Reflection Activity: Let’s Celebrate Us LESSON PLAN 42 Showcases BUILDING SCIENCE SKILLS 47 Scientists Observe and Ask Questions 47 Capturing Scientific Ideas 48 “I Wonder” Board LESSON PLAN 50 Scientist’s Log: Stimulating Reflection LESSON PLAN 52 Monarch Identification LESSON PLAN 55 Monarch Anatomy LESSON PLAN 58 Raising Monarchs LESSON PLAN 60 Milkweek Identification LESSON PLAN 64 Arthropod Sampling LESSON PLAN MONARCHS | FACILITATOR’S GUIDE | INTRODUCTION 5 CONTRIBUTING TO CITIZEN SCIENCE 69 With Citizen Science Everyone Wins 70 Welcome to Citizen Science and the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project LESSON PLAN 72 MLMP Roadmap 75 Site Information LESSON PLAN 78 Milkweed Density LESSON PLAN 82 Activity 1: Monarch Density LESSON PLAN 88 Other MLMP Activities 88 Activity 2: Rainfall LESSON PLAN 90 Activity 3: Estimating Parasitism Rates LESSON PLAN 93 Activity 4: Comparing Plants Occupied by Monarchs to Random Plants LESSON PLAN 95 Activity 5: Monitoring Milkweed for Aphids LESSON PLAN 98 Observing Monarchs ANYWHERE and ANYTIME LESSON PLAN 100 Random Sampling CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS 105 Conducting Independent Investigations 106 Scientist Roundtable LESSON PLAN 108 The Process of Science: OBSERVE AND WONDER 109 The Process of Science: QUESTION LESSON PLAN 114 The Process of Science: DEVELOP HYPOTHESES LESSON PLAN 116 The Process of Science: PLAN AND TEST LESSON PLAN 119 The Process of Science: ANALYZE AND INTERPRET LESSON PLAN 121 The Process of Science: CONCLUDE AND REPORT LESSON PLAN 124 Practicing Monarch Investigations with Mini-Investigations 127 Sample Mini-Investigation LEADER’S TOOLBOX 133 Tips For Facilitating Groups Outdoors 134 Characteristics of Middle School Youth 137 Group Energizers/Team Builders LESSON PLAN 139 Community Programs To Promote Youth Development 147 Science Skill Builder Activities LESSON PLAN 154 Don’t Teach, Facilitate! 156 Prompting Scientific Thinking 158 What Do Science Practices Look Like? 160 Finding and Working With Local Scientists 161 Create a Learning Team APPENDIX 165 Glossary 169 Monarch Madness Scavenger Hunt 171 Mini Investigation 175 Scientist’s Logs 6 MONARCHS | FACILITATOR’S GUIDE | INTRODUCTION Foreword WELCOME TO THE DRIVEN TO DISCOVER career in science. By participating in Driven to PROGRAM! Discover, youth will discover the wonders of real world science that exists beyond a textbook. They The “Driven to Discover: Enabling Authentic will learn about the natural world, and begin Inquiry through Citizen Science” program is to think of themselves as scientists. They will designed around an inquiry-based curriculum collaborate with adult leaders and other youth, for after school and summer programming for forming teams or clubs (depending on what is the youth ages 10-14. The curriculum uses nationally- best fit for their group and setting). known citizen science programs as the basis for teaching youth how to engage in science the way The Driven to Discover program calls upon adults scientists do. in the community to guide and partner with youth. Adult leaders are often educators, youth The initial focus of the curriculum is to involve workers, naturalists, youth program volunteers, or youth in citizen science projects. During the parents. We have found that when adult leaders pilot testing phase of the project, participants take intentional steps to build effective group contributed to either the University of learning environments, youth are better able to Minnesota’s Monarch Larva Monitoring Project employ the skills and habits of mind necessary to (MLMP) or Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s fully engage with the process of science. The goal eBird and corresponding BirdSleuth Project. is to engage youth in authentic science. By contributing to citizen science, the young scientists are immersed in the ecology of the A diverse team of natural science, science species they study while learning to collect education, and youth development professionals and submit data. This process increases their has worked to develop and gather resources to engagement with the