Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey Guide for

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey! Guide for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Multi-Level Troops August 2017

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist I am a Troop Leader, I will… 1. Create a girl scouts scistarter account here: https: //scistarter. com/girlscouts/volunteer/landing 1. On my Sci. Starter Journey page, view videos from scientists with my troop and ask them to select a citizen science project. 1. Invite the girl scouts to start their scistarter account to join the project using email template sent to my inbox. 1. Learn how to participate in the project and schedule a time to collect data with the girl scouts. 1. Assist the girl scouts in making and sharing observations.

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist I am a Troop Leader, I will… 6. Return to my Sci. Starter Journey page (once you have a scistarter account, anytime you sign in, you’ll be directed to your Journey): enter the data the girl scouts collected (if not already entered using mobile device) then take attendance using the Girl Scouts Management tab on your Journey. 7. Lead a discussion with the girl scouts about why this data is important for the community and the scientist who is collecting it. Help them design a Take Action project. 8. Upload their take action project on the Sci. Starter Journey Page and Mark Attendance for all who participated. we’ve completed the Journey. Celebrate!

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist I am a Girl Scout, I will… 1. Watch the videos of scientists describing their project and Decide with my sister Scouts which project we want to do with scientists! 1. Use the link my leader sends me to create a user account on Sci. Starter. 1. View a Welcome Video from the scientist we decided to help and Learn how to participate in the project and what materials we need. gather the materials. 1. Meet with my leader and sister Scouts to make and share observations.

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist I am a Girl Scout, I will… 5. Reflect on our observations. Consider why collecting this data is important where we are, and how it connects to the question the scientist is asking. 6. Take Action with what we learned from our experience. we’ve completed our Journey. Celebrate! Get involved in more citizen science projects with our family through Sci. Starter!

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Your Toolkit! Confidently lead your Girl Scouts through this new experience. These are the main resources you will be using. 1 Your Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit 2 The Troop Leader Sci. Starter Account and Journey Page 3 A Sci. Starter User Account for each Girl Scout

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist 1 Your Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit This is located when you log in to “My GS” on your Council website. Your Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a helpful guide to plan and execute the meetings. If you are having difficulty accessing it, please contact the staff at your local Council.

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist 2 The Troop Leader Sci. Starter Account and Dashboard The Troop Leader will create a Sci. Starter account to manage the troop’s experience. Troop Leader accounts should ONLY be created using this link available in the VTK: https: //scistarter. com/girlscouts/volunteer/landing

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist 3 Sci. Starter Accounts for each Girl Scout/Family All participating girls/families will create an account so that their participation can be tracked and supported by the Troop Leader. GIRL/FAMILY accounts should ONLY be created using the custom link provided to the Troop Leader specific to your Troop and project. The link for individual Girl Scout families to join is available on the Troop Leader’s Girl Management Tab when logged in to Sci. Starter.

Your Journey to Think Like a Citizen Scientist Your Journey includes access to many resources that will help you confidently lead your Girl Scouts through this Journey. This overview will help you use them. Meeting What the girls will learn Using the VTK you will: On Sci. Starter Website Journey page you will: Meeting 1 How to observe like a scientist -Use meeting plan to guide activities -Record girl attendance -View half of the project videos Meeting 2 Learn to analyze data like a scientist -Use meeting plan to guide activities -Record girl attendance -Decide which project the girls want to do -View rest of project videos Meeting 3 Collect data for scientists -Use meeting plan to guide activities -Learn about project, collect and enter data, log attendance and girl participation Meeting 4 Design Take Action projects -Use meeting plan to guide activities Meeting 5 Complete Take Action projects -Use meeting plan to guide activities Record completed Take Action projects and log attendance, share photos Meeting 6 Celebrate accomplishments as citizen scientists -Use meeting plan to guide activities -Record girl attendance View thank you video from scientists

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Picking a Project for Success Your girls will watch overview videos and determine which project they would like to participate in together. Some projects may be better suited to the abilities of your girls or time constraints of your troop events. Project What the girls will do: Notes Name Scientists are Studying: Ant Picnic What do ants prefer to eat around the world? -Prepare a picnic for ants to -Activity requires materials, 20 minutes learn about what types of food preparation, one hour waiting, 20 minutes they prefer in your data collection neighborhood -The ingredients are easily accessible in your community Stream Selfie What is the health of every stream in the country? -Your troop will locate a local -Activity requires stream, camera, online stream and snap pictures of the access to upload data stream -Taking photos may be a quick activity -Your troop will share the pictures using an online form with a few simple questions NASA GLOBE Observer : Clouds Compare cloud observations you see with what NASA satellites "see" to help scientists predict Troop Leader will download the app to a mobile device and assist girls in making and sharing observations about clouds -Requires downloading an app on mobile device and setting up a user account with NASA GLOBE (put “SCISTARTER” in the referral field) -Activity usually completed during daylight hours when clouds are visible

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Picking a Project for Success Your girls will watch overview videos and determine which project they would like to participate in together. Some projects may be better suited to the abilities of your girls or time constraints of your troop events. Project Name What the Scientists are Studying: What the girls will do: Notes Globe at Night Seven out of 10 people in the US have never seen our Milky Way Galaxy arch across their night sky from where they live. How much light pollution exists where you are and what effect does it have on nocturnal animals and ecology? -Take your troop outside at least an hour after sunset but before 10 pm local time -Don't stand under or near a light. Wait about 10 minutes for everyone's eyes to get adjusted to the night sky. Then, help your troop locate in the night sky the constellation of the month -Must plan activity clear and moonless nights during the 10 -day campaign timeframe each month -Observations will take about 20 minutes Project Squirrel Scientists are curious to understand more about tree squirrels. What can we learn about them through collecting some basic data from a lot of different places? -Go outside and look for squirrels! Learn how to tell different species apart with useful guides, count them, think about what predators and food are in the habitat -Observations can be completed in twenty minutes or less, anywhere -Even data that squirrels are not present is useful to the scientists

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Picking a Project for Success Your girls will watch overview videos and determine which project they would like to participate in together. Some projects may be better suited to the abilities of your girls or time constraints of your troop events. Project Name What the Scientists are Studying: What the girls will do: Notes i. See. Chang e How are environments changing locally and globally? Are leaves turning colors earlier than usual? Does it seem like there's more (or less) fireflies than last year? Help your troop select and join an "investigation" to explore or dive deep into something they care about. From bugs to smog to heat and “seasonal firsts, ” i. See. Change let’s you explore your environment in many ways -Requires that an account on iseechange website is created to enter data -Requires that girls are able to make observations relative to similar events in the past Nature’s Notebook How are plants and animals changing locally and globally as a result of climate change? Observing life cycles of plants and animals with Nature's Notebook is easy and fun, and you will discover so much more about the plants and animals you see everyday -Focused on specific plants and animals; review species list to identify animals/plants that are part of study -Requires that an account on Nature’s Notebook website is

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Tips for a Journey Program Event The Journey is designed to take place in six typical Girl Scout meetings, but can be facilitated during a day or weekend-long adventure. Condensing the time frame will require additional preparation. These tips are designed to help you be successful in preparing. PLAN AHEAD BEFORE THE EVENT: At least 2 weeks before the day of your event, make sure you: Create your leader Sci. Starter Account https: //scistarter. com/girlscouts/volunteer/landing and review the project requirements/videos Invite the girls to create their own Sci. Starter Accounts using the code you email them (you’ll find this on your Girl Scouts management tab on your Sci. Starter Journey page) Download the videos of the scientists describing the projects and saying thank you allow the girls to really connect the dots between their contributions and the scientific community. Make sure you integrate these videos in the process, whether they be viewed at the event, or at home before/after. Acquire essential materials for project. (This will take more time for some projects than others, plan ahead!) Print data sheets so all Girl Scouts can participate in data collection. EARNING THE JOURNEY AWARD THE DAY OF THE EVENT Consolidate the observation (Meeting 1) and data analysis (Meeting 2) activities into sequential activities. Ask girls to consider what kinds of questions could be answered with the data they are collecting, discuss what the scientists are examining, why this data is important. Collect data more than once in a weekend, have girls compare their data and results, and keep it fun for a lifelong love of citizen science. Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments as part of the program. Mark attendance in your Sci. Starter Girl Management tab for all of the girls who attended the event. TAKING ACTION (MAY BE AN ACTIVITY OF EVENT PROGRAM OR SOMETHING DONE AFTER BY THE GIRLS): Take Action projects can include making an educational piece like a piece of art, brochure or video that the girls will share. Create a zine, write a blog article, make a video or powerpoint presentation then have the girls share it at school or with their friends after your Journey event. Girl Scouts should report back to their Troop Leaders about their Take Action Projects. AWARDS: There are two awards for each level to earn on this Journey. Be prepared to hand out the first once the day is complete. Prepare a plan that works in your setting for girls to complete their Take Action award. Taking Action is an important part of the Journey process!

Think Like a Citizen Scientist QUESTIONS? Contact: Girl. Scouts@scistarter. com 15