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 | The OpenStreetMap Foundation |
|---|---|
| Goal | A free and open map of the world |
| Task | Map your neighbourhood |
| Where | Global, anywhere on the planet |
| Description | OpenStreetMap is a free, interactive map that allows anyone to view, edit, and use geographical data in a collaborative way from anywhere on Earth. The project was started because many maps available online have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding back people from using them in creative, productive, or unexpected ways. Contributors to OpenStreetMap carry out detailed surveys or quick observations. They record map details right down to shops, restaurants and even residential addresses. This surveying can make use of smartphones, digital cameras, voice-recorders, or just a pen and paper. Back at the computer, contributors make edits to OpenStreetMap’s collaborative database. That data is then processed to produce detailed street-level maps, which can be published freely to websites, mobile apps, handheld or in-car navigation devices, or printed and copied without restriction. |
| How to get started | Sign up on the website at: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/new From there you can follow the ‘welcome’ instructions, and take a tour of the online editor. Then… have a go at contributing to the map! Find something missing, and add it. For example is your favourite restaurant on the map? A wide range of resources and instructions can be found on the OpenStreetMap wiki. http://wiki.openstreetmap.org including a beginners guide: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners’_guide . You may also like http://learnosm.org , a beginners introduction with a humanitarian slant, and http://teachosm.org resources for school teachers. |
| Social Media | Follow OpenStreetMap on Twitter Find OpenStreetMap on Facebook Follow the OpenStreetMap |
| Total expense | 0.00 |
| Special Skills | Map making. Exploring! |
| Ideal Age Group | Seniors, College, High school (14 – 17 years), Families, Elementary school (6 – 10 years), Graduate students, Middle school (11 – 13 years), Adults, |
| Spend the time | Indoors and Outdoors |
| Ideal Frequency | Just once |
| Average Time | |
| Type of Activity | At home, In the car, Exclusively online, |
| Topics | Computers & Technology, Geography, Nature & Outdoors, |
| Training Materials | https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guide |
| Classroom Materials | http://teachosm.org |
| Media Mentions & Publications | OpenStreetMap in the media (list) |
| Tags | geo, maps, open data, the crowd and the cloud, |
| Sustainable Development Goals | Relevant Sustainable Development Goals, identified by  ?:Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure |
| Website | OpenStreetMap |
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:
- Find a map of your neighborhood. What kinds of different features are you finding?
- How far away from your home is your school or work? How far to Glacier National Park?
- Take a picture of a walk around your neighborhood, with pictures every few feet. Put them together into a diorama so you can see the whole walk.
- Write a story about following a map to some wonderful place