Nurturing Local-to-Global Thinking

Citizen science provides an opportunity for students to capture data both locally and globally while supporting the real-time work of scientists seeking to understand natural events. In this article, the authors present a project-based approach that explores climate at home and abroad to help develop elementary students' local-to-global perspectives. Third-grade students "virtually" travel to a faraway place, compare and contrast this place to their local environment, examine photographs taken by scientists there, and report what they see. By engaging with this authentic project, elementary learners contribute actual data to make a difference in current scientific endeavors.