CoCoRaHS Student Precipitation Monitoring

At CoCoRaHS, 80  fifth grade students will be engaged in observing,  recording, reporting and exploring precipitation from their homes. By using a scientifically approved rain gauge, students will learn the discipline and pitfalls of collecting and reporting scientifically valid measurements for a citizen-science project with nearly 20,000 active observers in all 50 states.

Yuma County, Colorado, where the students live, is a rural areas with sparse precipitation data as well as limited science education resources. Here, the data will be most valuable to the scientific community while at the same time, students are provided with scientific equipment and activities that meet state and national education standards while enhancing climate literacy with a project that can include the entire family. Rural areas provide a unique  opportunity for education  outcomes. Participants living in rural areas are typically more connected to the direct correlation of precipitation and their livelihoods. Not only will collecting measurements help connect students to a key resource, but  receiving official scientific instruments and participating in a project where their data are used and applied both within and beyond their own communities is a perfect way to meet standards and improve science process skills.