We are big fans of citizen science! Of course, science is always cool, and STEM/STEAM projects are an increasing part of everyone’s work and school experiences. So understanding how science works is not just fun, but a good way to understand what is going on in the world around us all.
So we are sharing some neat science you can do, contributing toward large projects, and learning new things. Maybe you can use this today; maybe you will save it for later. As long as you enjoy some exploration and learning new things – citizen science is for you! And it is definitely something you can use to bring some good programming to your library.
Check out this project from SciStarter:
| Goal | Determine if and how absolute pitch differs. |
|---|---|
| Task | Take a brief survey and a pitch-naming test. |
| Where | View map… |
| Description | The Perfect Pitch Test is a study to determine whether absolute pitch differs systematically for different timbres. Your participation involves a brief survey and a pitch-naming test and will make an important contribution to auditory research. Do you have absolute pitch, the ability to identify or recreate a musical note without any reference? If so, researchers at the Perfect Pitch Test need your help. |
| How to get started | Visit The Perfect Pitch Web site to take the pitch-naming test: http://perfectpitch.freehostia.com/info_eng.html. |
| Total expense | 0.00 |
| Ideal Age Group | Middle school (11 – 13 years), Graduate students, High school (14 – 17 years), College, Adults, Elementary school (6 – 10 years), Families, |
| Spend the time | Indoors |
| Ideal Frequency | Just once |
| Average Time | |
| Topics | Sound, |
| Media Mentions & Publications | Top 13 Citizen Science Projects of 2013Perfect Pitch: Citizen Science for Your EarsMusic Lovers Take Note: Citizen Science Music Projects! |
| Tags | auditory, human, music, neuroscience, pitch, psychology, sound, |
| Website | Perfect Pitch Test |
And if you want to bring in a few of these ideas to your library, it is useful to have a variety of different program strategies to help share this project. We have a few suggestions to help you get started:
- Ask students/patrons to bring in some of their favorite music to play
- Volunteers can sing their favorite songs
- Break out crayons or colored pencils and ask everyone to draw the music they hear
- Play recordings of music from different cultures
- Practice recording each other talking, singing, or other noises