Citizen Science in Schools
Learn to Discover. Learn to Collaborate. Learn to contribute.
The teachSTEM Citizen Science Programs offer a unique, hands-on STEM learning experience for students across all grade levels, from kindergarten through to Year 12. These programs are designed to immerse students in real-world scientific research projects where they can contribute to environmental sustainability, biodiversity monitoring, and global scientific efforts. Citizen science allows students to engage directly with scientific research by participating in projects that involve data collection, analysis, and sharing findings with the global community.
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How does citizen science align with school learning?
Citizen science seamlessly integrates with the curriculum and learning goals for students. It provides practical applications that align with any unit plan and lesson plan, especially in subjects such as science, geography, environmental studies, and technology, and allows for formative assessment items that students can link to their own personal life. Citizen science gives students the ability to develop essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and scientific inquiry—skills that are central to the modern educational framework. Through these experiences, students see how the content they learn in school actually contributes to solving global challenges, to inspire lifelong learning and environmental stewardship.
Learning Objectives
The program successfully enhances students’ critical thinking, inquiry skills, and environmental awareness. Students learn the scientific inquiry process from scientists, engage with scientific content, and apply their findings to real-world issues. The program’s focus on inquiry-driven exploration and hands-on learning leads to increased student engagement, a deeper understanding of ecological concepts, and the development of practical problem-solving skills.
Program Implementation
For Primary School Students
The program runs over a term with weekly sessions focused on inquiry and investigation. Students start by questioning everyday objects and progress to exploring environmental challenges. Through apps like iNaturalist, students document their findings to contribute to global scientific databases and gain a sense of ownership in their learning.
For High School Students
Students participate in workshops and fieldwork where they learn to operate drones, collect environmental data, and analyse the results. Teachers receive drone training and curriculum aligned lesson plans and assessment items to ensure the program is effectively integrated into the classroom.
Interested in what teachSTEM offers?
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teachSTEM Programs
All programs are run by experienced scientists and educators, align with the Australian Curriculum (V9), and come with built-in lesson plans and formative assessment items.
Contact us to learn more about any of our teachSTEM programs.
