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:
| Presented By | North Carolina State University |
|---|---|
| Goal | Learn more about animal heartbeats. |
| Task | Find and share animal heartbeat data. |
| Where | View map… |
| Description | What is the secret to a long life? The heartbeat of some animals may hold a clue. We are consolidating reports of the heart rate and lifespan of as many vertebrate species as possible. Our goal is to integrate the data from various sources into a single database, where they can be more readily accessible. |
| How to get started | To participate: Pick any species we don’t yet have in our database. Do some data sleuthing! Dig around in the literature for any study that recorded the species’ resting heart rate. We have some guidelines to get you started. Enter your record information into our online form! More information and relevant links are here: http://robdunnlab.com/projects/beats-per-life/ |
| Social Media | Follow Beats Per Life on Twitter Find Beats Per Life on Facebook Follow the Beats Per Life |
| Total expense | 0.00 |
| Special Skills | Must have access to a scientific literature search. |
| Ideal Age Group | Middle school (11 – 13 years), Adults, High school (14 – 17 years), College, Seniors, Graduate students, Families, |
| Spend the time | Indoors |
| Ideal Frequency | Just once |
| Average Time | |
| Type of Activity | Exclusively online, At home, At school, |
| Topics | Animals, Birds, Biology, |
| Tags | animals, birds, fish, heart, heartbeat, lifespan, pulse, reptiles, |
| Sustainable Development Goals | Relevant Sustainable Development Goals, identified by  ?: Good Health and Well-Being |
| Website | Beats Per Life |
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:
- Get a timer and record your heartbeat. Get up and run in place, or jump around, and then measure it again.
- Look up average heart rates for humans
- Draw a picture of a heart
- Make a chart measuring the different sizes of different animals, from smallest to largest
- Write up a plan for creating good heart health for yourself