There is an increasing need for information that informs natural resource management for both human and ecosystem health. Citizen science is a hands-on participatory approach with two specific goals: providing meaningful learning experiences for students and helping scientists collect field data about ecosystems and the species found therein. Citizen science may also contribute to environmental literacy, which is defined by a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills and motivation to make responsible decisions about the built and natural environment. 

The Field Inquiry through Citizen Science: A Framework for Environmental Literacy (5th-8th Grades) (FICS) is a series of guidelines that aids educators interested in citizen science as a means for learning. By focusing on these guidelines, the FICS focuses curriculum development on the skills, knowledge, experiences, and goals essential to citizen science and environmental literacy for students. Additionally, the framework gives examples of how citizen science curriculum can be used to meet state and national education standards. Developed with citizen science professionals and national standards outlined in the North American Association for Environmental Education’s Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning, the framework facilitates curriculum development of citizen science programs.

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