Lesson 6 Better Together
Citizen Science: Be Part of the Solution
A common misconception in science is that only highly trained experts ____ participate in research and data analysis.
However, with the right opportunity, anyone can become a scientist, and yes, that ____ even you!
Dealing with a vast amount of data can take scientists decades, but with the eyes, ears, and perspectives of citizen scientists, this job can be completed in a few years or even just ____ few months.
Citizen scientists collect, classify, or analyze data so that scientists can use ____ for research.
By making observations of their surrounding environments or even by playing a simple mobile game, they can help the professional scientific community expand knowledge and speed up new ____ and innovations.
Project ____
Most ____ bloom in spring, and many leaves change color in autumn.
Due to global ____ however, the timing of seasonal cycles is changing.
Scientists have been trying to find out ____ how and where these cycles are changing, as well as how fast the changes are occurring.
The problem is that it is impossible for ____ to keep track of every single plant in the country.
This is where ____ science comes in.
Project ____ is a program that engages citizens across the nation to observe and record details about nearby plants.
How It ____
Project Budburst can be easily accessed anywhere ____ have an internet connection.
To get involved, you first ____ to go through a simple tutorial that helps you understand what to look for when you observe a plant.
Next, you choose a particular plant to observe, ____ as a tree in your backyard or a bush in a neighborhood park.
As you conduct your observations, you will fill out ____ form to record the plant’s location and track its changes throughout the seasons.
You will record when it grows leaves, flowers, and fruit, and when its leaves change color and fall ____ in the autumn.
You ____ submit these observation notes on the website or the app.
Benefits and ____
Project Budburst is beneficial to scientists, educators, ____ participating individuals.
With the information you provide, scientists and researchers can better understand how plant species respond ____ climate change at local, national, and international levels.
They ____ compare the data you record with what they already have in order to forecast future changes in climates and ecosystems.
The information on the project’s website can be used as educational material by educators as ____
By collecting and utilizing real-world data, participants can both improve their ____ literacy and help tackle significant environmental questions.
Moreover, the project is a fun and rewarding outdoor activity ____ participants of all ages.
Review
One of my favorite parts of this ____ is that I don’t need to be an expert to take part.
I’ve always been fascinated by the diverse range of flowers in ____ local garden.
Thanks to this project, now I ____ them all by name.
Feature Hunter
NASA has more than three ____ photos of Earth taken from space.
These photos can be invaluable to researchers in fields such as geology, ____ science, and urban planning.
However, many of the photos are difficult to use because ____ lack labels for common features like islands, glaciers, volcanoes, and cities.
With such a ____ amount of photographic data, it can be challenging for scientists to search for specific features and analyze them in detail.
In response to this challenge, a group of students came up with the Feature Hunter ____ for NASA.
Participants of this project examine images and label previously uncategorized photos for a more comprehensive and ____ database.
How It ____
As a Feature Hunter participant, you will ____ provided with a collection of images and asked to identify specific features.
You begin by selecting the kind of feature you want to ____ for, such as islands, volcanoes, or cities.
You then examine the displayed ____ and determine whether the feature you are looking for is visible.
____ you can see the feature in the image, select the Yes option.
This will bring you to a page where you will be asked to identify the feature’s location by moving and resizing ____ boxes around it.
If you cannot see the feature, or if it is not clear, click the No or Not ____ option.
Both of these options will contribute to the creation of ____ best data possible.
____ and Outcomes
The data gathered from Feature Hunter plays a crucial role in training and improving machine ____ models, which will automatically label raw photographs with geographical features.
Machine learning requires large sets of training data to produce accurate results, and Feature Hunter ____ can help develop this training data by simply viewing images and identifying features.
The more data ____ citizen scientists label, the higher the accuracy of the machine learning models can be.
Ultimately, this project will enhance the ____ and usefulness of the images for both the scientific community and the general public.
Review
I didn’t realize it was this easy to participate in such a big ____ project.
I made a difference in ____ world and had fun doing it!
It’s ____ that people from different countries can work together when they don’t speak the same language.