K-12 Curriculum: Citizen Science

Spring 2008 Citizen Science Update for Teachers (PDF)

Background on Citizen Science at Tremont

What is citizen science?
Citizen science, put simply, is the involvement of non-scientists in scientific research.  It is a terrific tool for both educators and scientists.  The research process begins with posing questions for investigation, includes hypothesizing, designing methods, and collecting and analyzing data, and culminates in sharing research findings with other people.  Students, teachers, and other citizens can be involved with one or more of these steps.

Why is Tremont involved in citizen science?
At Tremont, we are using citizen science as another tool to connect people with nature.  By giving students and volunteers hands-on experience with real research projects, we are able to engage and excite them.  The knowledge that they have helped scientists learn something new about Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a memory that stays with students for a long time.  If you have been coming to Tremont for a while, you’ve probably already been doing citizen science, perhaps as part of our weather monitoring study or our salamander monitoring project. 

What kind of research can students do?
We have about a dozen different on-going research projects.  The specific mix of projects varies seasonally and from year-to-year.  Many of them relate to the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a long-term study aimed at identifying and mapping all 100,000 species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  All of our projects are real research; the data students and volunteers collect are maintained and shared with park managers and scientists.

How can you get involved?
If you haven’t already been involved in a citizen science project at Tremont, now is your chance! This is an up-to-date list of our current research projects, divided by month.  Below are descriptions of each project.  As you’ll see, the time of year you will be at Tremont and the age of your students or group will affect which projects are most appropriate for your group.  Some of the projects can be done with all your students, and some are most appropriate for a small, select group.  The latter category of projects can be a great opportunity for those budding young scientists who need an extra challenge.  Some of the projects can be done as a part of one of our regular lessons, and some can be done as entire lessons of their own.  Please take a look at this list and let us know, know how you might like to incorporate citizen science into your trip.

If you’re interested in having your students volunteer as citizen scientists, please contact Citizen Science Director Jason Love at (865) 448-6709 or Jason@gsmit.org.

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