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