Citizen Scientists: What They Do and How YOU Can Join Them!

A book review for kids in grades 4 - 6 

Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard

by Loree Griffin Burns

Henry Holt and Company, 2012

Grades 4 - 8 

Lexile 1050L

What do you imagine when you think of a scientist? Is it an adult? Working in a lab? Wearing a white coat? What if, instead, when you think of a scientist, you think of a kid, exploring in their own back yard, wearing shorts in the summer and a coat in the winter? Or better yet, what if, when you imagine a scientist, you think of yourself?

In the book, Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard, author Loree Griffin Burns talks about what it means to be a citizen scientist: “All men, women, and children who use their senses and smarts to understand the world about them” (2012, p. 5). She tells real stories of kids from around the U.S. who not only enjoy science and perform experiments but also make observations, collect data, and even tag specimens for large-scale research projects. As she writes about these projects, she also invites readers like you to join in the work from your own backyard!

You’ll find lots of detailed and helpful information about being a citizen scientist in this book, including the following:

• Four different real-life citizen science projects, one for each season: Fall butterflying, winter birding, spring frogging, and summer ladybugging.
• Information about the professional scientists and citizen scientists who are doing this work.
• Stories for each season that help you imagine what it would be like for you to join in.
• Tips to help you conduct your own citizen science projects.
• Information about other projects studying butterflies, birds, frogs, and ladybugs that you can join in and contribute to.
• Photos of various species, along with the people and projects included in the book. 

Sample of a page with tips for conducting your own citizen science observations (Burns, 2012, p. 22)

As you read Citizen Scientists, you might notice that the author has squeezed a lot of information into this small book, and it can be easy to get lost. To help you follow along with the book, here’s an outline of how the book is organized:

• A Table of Contents helps you jump to the chapters you find most interesting.
• An introduction helps define citizen science and why kids are especially good at it.
• There are four chapters, one for each season/animal.
• Each chapter has four sections which are set apart by different colors, page borders, and backgrounds:
• A section where you can imagine yourself as a scientist. This section is even written in second person, where the author actually talks directly to you.
• A section about the history and progress of large-scale citizen science projects about each species. 
• A section about kids like you who have helped with the citizen science projects.
• A section with tips for conducting your own observations and info to help you identify the animals. 
• At the end, there are lots of resources, including information about each animal, additional citizen science projects, and an index to help you locate information about specific topics.

Sample of a resources page on one of the animals in the book (Burns, 2012, p. 73)

One other feature of the book that might feel confusing is the Quick Quiz at the end of each chapter. The species in the quizzes aren’t discussed specifically in the book, so if you don’t already know the answers, you have to look them up in an identification guide or guess and then look up the answers at the back of the book. Also, if there are words you don’t know as you’re reading, Citizen Scientists features an extensive glossary in the back, too. 

There are a lot of great science books and websites that help you make observations and conduct experiments in your backyard, but this book is unique in that it connects you directly to the citizen science movement. If you’re ready to take your science beyond personal interest and school assignments, check out Citizen Scientists and help professional scientists with large-scale research projects by participating in your own backyard. 

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Try This! 

Part of being a citizen scientist is matching your resources and interests with the research needs in your area. Whether you’re ready to join a project or not, find out what research is being conducted now by using the websites below. Which ones interest you? What are the criteria to help? What would you need to do to join? Remember to get permission from your parents or guardians before entering your personal information or signing up for any projects. 

• Visit SciStarter.org and do an Advanced Search to indicate your geographical area, age, availability, and interest to find ongoing research projects available for you to join. 
• Visit the National Parks Service Citizen Science webpage to find research projects being conducted in many national parks. 
• Visit Indiana Phenology to find citizen science projects around Indiana specifically related to the timing and impact of seasonal changes in nature. 
• Visit IUPUI’s Center for Earth and Environmental Science’s Citizen science: education and events for the community webpage. This page includes information about local, regional, national, and global Public Participation in Scientific Research projects. 

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More Resources

If you’re going to be a citizen scientist, these resources can help prepare you for the work you’ll do.

Be a Citizen Scientist 

by Michael Rajczak

Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2019 

Grades 3 - 6 

This book will make a great companion to Citizen Scientists because it covers projects in other scientific areas, including astronomy, climate and weather, and technology. 

SciStarter YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@SciStarter/videos

These videos highlight scientists whose research projects have benefitted from citizen scientists, along with tips for becoming a citizen scientist and science projects you can do at home. 

Screenshot of SciStarter YouTube Channel (SciStarter, 2010)

John Muir Laws website

https://johnmuirlaws.com/

John Muir Laws is a naturalist, artist, and leader in the worldwide nature journaling movement, an important tool for citizen scientists. His website features lots of free resources, tutorials, tips, and tricks for making field observations and recording findings.

Screenshot of John Muir Laws website (Laws, 2017)

References 

Burns, L.G. (2012). Citizen scientists: Be a part of scientific discovery from your own backyard. Henry Holt and Company.

SciStarter. (2010). SciStarter [YouTube Channel]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/@SciStarter/featured

Laws, J.M. (2017). John Muir Laws: Nature stewardship through science, education, and art. https://johnmuirlaws.com/

Finding Winnie: When One Story Ends and Another Begins

Review for Parents and Caregivers of Children in Grades K - 2

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

Little, Brown and Company, 2015

Grades PK – 2

Lexile 420L-820L

Your child may think they already know the story of a bear named Winnie, having watched a Winnie the Pooh movie or read about the honey-loving bear in one of A.A. Milne’s books. But when they pick up Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, there’s a whole new story awaiting them.

This book tells the true story of veterinarian Harry Coleburn, who rescues a bear cub from a trapper on his way to fight in World War I. Coleburn names the bear Winnie, after his beloved home city of Winnipeg, and Winnie becomes the regiment mascot, all the way from the fields of rural Quebec, Canada, to the rolling hills of Salisbury Plain, England. When the regiment prepares to ship to France, Harry has a hard decision to make, a decision that ultimately lets “one story end so the next one can begin,” as the narrator of Winnie’s story describes (Mattick, 2015, p. 37). The result is a real-life connection between this small Canadian black bear and the famous yellow bear named Winnie the Pooh. It’s a story you’ll love just as much as the young reader you share it with.

Finding Winnie is a tender story, told by a mother to her young son. When the boy, Cole, occasionally interrupts the story with a question or an observation, you’ll also have the chance to check in with your young reader to ask them questions about what they’re reading. This narrative feature makes the book delightfully interactive.

(Mattick, 2015, p. 13)

The “finely detailed and emotionally expansive” (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, n.d., para. 1) ink and watercolor illustrations also give the story both warmth and depth, beyond the words on the page, like this image of Harry and Winnie which speaks volumes about their relationship.

(Mattick, 2015, p. 31)

Another interesting feature of the book is the Album at the back. Since Winnie’s story is true, and the author is the great-granddaughter of Harry Coleburn, these photos, diary entries, and other primary sources allow readers to engage with the types of texts their own families may have in boxes or albums (Colwell, 2019).

(Mattick, 2015, p. 50)

While there’s so much to love about this book, the multiple layers of this story may be a lot for new readers to absorb. Let children take their time with this book. They may focus on only one part of the story or show little interest in the primary sources at the back, especially at first. That’s okay. Talk about the parts of the story that most interest them. Some of the text blocks also run long for newer readers. You may want to take turns reading with your young reader or read it to them on the first pass. A glossary also would help, especially with some of the military jargon in the story, though the book doesn’t offer one. A short glossary is included at the bottom of this post, along with other suggested activities to help you and your child get the most out of this book.

Though it might take a little extra work, this 2016 Caldecott Medal winner and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book is a great connector between narrative (or fiction) and informational (or nonfiction) books, which your child will increasingly be assigned to read in school through the Common Core State Standards (Indiana Department of Education, 2023). It’s also a great example of books about remarkable animals, which many kids enjoy. Look for a list of similar books to introduce to your young reader below. If you child is a fan of Winnie the Pooh, if they like animals and especially animal stories, or if they just love a good true story, they’ll enjoy Finding Winnie. It’s a picture book with a big story to tell, so older children might enjoy the history and real-life details it includes. Preschoolers with a good attention span also might sit still long enough to listen to the story. But readers in first and second grade will especially love reading along and reading aloud this true and surprising story of Finding Winnie.

 

Glossary for Finding Winnie

All definitions are adapted from Merriam-Webster’s Student Dictionary for Kids.

Captain – the officer in charge of a military unit

Colonel – an officer in the army, air force, or marine corps

Condensed milk - evaporated milk with sugar added, often used in baking

Diary – a book where daily reflections or feelings are recorded

Front – an area where battling armies fight

Mascot – a person, animal, or object adopted by a group to represent them

Regiment – a military unit made up of a several of battalions

Terrace – a level plain usually with steep front

Train platform – an elevated area where passengers board trains

Trapper – a person who catches animals in traps

Voyage – a trip or journey, especially by sea

 

Activities for Children and Caregivers

Animal Role Play

Talk about the bear in Finding Winnie or animals in other stories you read. Ask your child what they knew about each animal before they read these books. Ask them to pretend to be that animal or to act out how the animals behave in the wild or at the zoo (if they don’t have experience with these animals, consider looking up videos online) (Brookes, 2022). Next, talk about how the animals in the stories are different than the ones your child has seen or known about previously. What makes them different? Why do they act differently? Have them act out how the animals in the stories behaved.

My Favorite Animal: A Write & Read Book

Use this Scholastic Teachable mini-book to help your child create their own story about a remarkable animal (Scholastic, n.d.). This mini-book invites children to think about a specific animal they love and to write about why. They can draw a picture, print and glue one in the book, or use a family photo. This exercise also has them make comparisons to other animals and imagine what it would be like to have that animal as a pet. (NOTE: Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library cardholders can access and download this resource for free through Scholastic Teachables in our Digital Library Branch.)

Other Books about Remarkable Animals

Elephants Can Paint Too!

by Katya Arnold

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005

Grades 1 - 8

Lexile 420L-820L

This book is about Asian elephants who were taught to hold a paintbrush and create art. Author Katya Arnold documents the lives of elephants in Thailand who have been part of her art classes through the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project.

Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu

Scholastic Press, 2006

Grades PK - 5

Lexile 740L-1010L

This book is about a baby hippo who was orphaned during a tsunami off the coast of Kenya. When the hippo was rescued and taken to a wildlife sanctuary, he struck up an unlikely friendship with a 130-year-old Aldabra tortoise. The two became an international phenomenon. This is the first of several books about them.

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

by Katherine Applegate

Clarion Books, 2014

Grades PK - 5

This is the story of the baby gorilla who was captured in central Africa and sold to a man who owned a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington. The gorilla was raised as a human when he was little, and then he lived in a concrete room as a mall side show until customers protested and he was sent to live in Zoo Atlanta. The gorilla also inspired a series of children’s novels by Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and The One and Only Ruby.

References

Brookes Publishing. (2022, Sept. 15). 11 fun animal activities that encourage early language & literacy skills. Brookes Blog. https://blog.brookespublishing.com/11-fun-animal-activities-that-encourage-early-language-literacy-skills/

Colwell, J. (2019). Selecting texts for disciplinary literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 72(5), 631-637.

Cooperative Children's Book Center. (n.d.). Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear. [Review of the book Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear, by L. Mattick]. CCBC-Recommended Book Search. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/recommended-books/?bookId=6686

Indiana Department of Education. (2023). English/Language Arts. https://www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-academic-standards/englishlanguage-arts/

Mattick, L. (2015). Finding Winnie: The true story of the world’s most famous bear (S. Blackall, Illus.). Little, Brown & Company.

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. (2023). Student Dictionary for Kids. https://www.merriam-webster.com/kids

Scholastic Inc. (n.d.). My favorite animal: A write & read book. Scholastic Teachables. https://teachables.scholastic.com/teachables/books/My-Favorite-Animal-A-Write-Read-Book-9780439557528_011.html