TOOLS AND SUPPORT FOR INTEGRATING REAL ENVIRONMENTAL DATA INTO EDUCATION

Using real data in a classroom setting can help students better understand scientific concepts. By working with data from a place they are familiar with they can form deeper connections and solve challenges faced by "real" researchers, such as interpreting metadata and data scarcity. With the support and resources provided by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), educators can more easily incorporate real data into their classroom. CUAHSI offers an extensive catalogue of environmental observations, tools for accessing data, and staff support for developing data-driven lessons free of cost. To promote collaboration and sharing among educators, all lessons are made available on the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College (SERC) website. This poster will describe CUAHSI’s data tools, how researchers have used them in developing lesson plans, and the resources available to learn more.