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Virtual Data Jam for Families: Becoming Eco-detectives [Video]


This webinar, led by Cary Institute and Baltimore Ecosystem Study educators, will help families prepare to participate in a virtual Data Jam.

Working as a team, families can explore scientific datasets, interpret the stories they tell, and share them through visual or performing arts. Sing a song, make a video, paint a picture – your imagination is the limit. Prizes will be awarded to top projects.  

Wondering how to pick a dataset? Learn how to access datasets from Cary Institute and Baltimore Ecosystem Study, choose an appropriate topic for your family team, use Google Sheets or Excel to explore your data, and tell a data ‘story’ using graphs.

What does the number of acorns on the forest floor have to do with tick populations? How does water chemistry differ between urban and suburban streams? Are migratory birds arriving earlier in the spring? The answers to these questions are hidden in scientific datasets – we just have to know how to look for them.

There are many exciting data stories to interpret and share. Join us to learn how to work with data and create a project that clearly communicates the data trends you discover.

Some past middle school winners...

"Lyme Disease Connections"

"My Hudson River" (homeschool) 

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