EMPOWERING K-5 TEACHERS TO DESIGN CITIZEN SCIENCE BASED CURRICULA THROUGH THE SCHOOLYARD SITES MODEL

Schoolyard SITES (Schoolyard Science Investigations by Teachers, Extension Volunteers, and Students, https://extension.unh.edu/programs/schoolyard-sites) is a new professional development model for elementary teachers (K-5^th grade) that partners teachers with community-based science volunteers to bring locally-relevant citizen science projects to their students. With support from University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension science volunteers, teachers develop science investigations that incorporate student learning goals aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) performance expectations and involve existing citizen science projects, such as the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) and iNaturalist. In this presentation, you will gain an understanding of how teacher-volunteer teams co-designed a science project that is relevant to their school district’s curriculum and school site. We will introduce you to the Schoolyard SITES Curriculum Workbook (https://scholars.unh.edu/extension/1687/) and Citizen Science Guide, and explore ways in which citizen science can be integrated with elementary school curricula. You will see examples of how Schoolyard SITES students engaged in real-world, problem-based learning in their schoolyards, while addressing NGSS science practice standards, and contributing valuable data to citizen science initiatives.