Tutorials

Detailed instructions and step-by-step help modules for commonly used tools.

Fall Webinar 2011 - Create, Share & Connect

Learn about -

Creative ways for your students to share their findings with an authentic audience
All the ways to participate in conversations and collaborate with the VS community!

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
Resources I used: 
http://vitalsignsme.org/share-your-ideas-projects
How should others reference your work?: 
cvoyer, Fall Webinar 2011 - Create, Share & Connect, Vital Signs Program, 11/08/11
Documents

Fall Webinar 2011 - Mission: Analysis

http://vitalsignsme.org/mission-analysis-webinar

Learn about -

Analysis Missions
How students make meaning of their own species and habitat observations
Making meaning using the larger Vital Signs database

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
Resources I used: 
http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-biodiversity http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-change-over-time http://vitalsignsme.org/vital-signs-science-notebook http://vitalsignsme.org/talk-moves-card-game
How should others reference your work?: 
cvoyer, Fall Webinar 2011 - Mission: Analysis, Vital Signs Program, 11/8/11
Documents

Fall Webinar 2011 - Vital Signs Refresher

http://vitalsignsme.org/vs-refresher

What : Learn about -

Field Missions
Tools and resources
Data quality
Publishing observations

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
How should others reference your work?: 
cvoyer, Vital Signs Refresher Webinar, Vital Signs Program, 11/8/11
Documents

How do I find things on the map?

Where is my school? Where is my house? I know they're down here somewhere! Dana shows you how he uses clues on the Vital Signs map to find the places in Maine he cares most about. Next step, using the Vital Signs data! To be continued....

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Middle school (grades 6-8)
High school (grades 9-12)
How should others reference your work?: 
How do I find things on the map, Vital Signs Tutorial, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 2011
Documents

Analysis tutorial - Do invasive species affect biodiversity?

See how Wesley and Josephine use the VS export table and Excel to create a simple bar graph using species data and biodiversity counts. This analysis lets them compare the biodiversity counts where invasive species were found with the biodiversity counts where invasive species were not found. Is biodiversity different where invasive species are found? So nerdy.

This tutorial is part of Mission: Analysis - Do invasive species affect biodiversity? (http://vitalsignsme.org/analysis-biodiversity)

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Middle school (grades 6-8)
High school (grades 9-12)
Professional development
Resources I used: 
Our fab website and Numbers
How should others reference your work?: 
Data Analysis Tutorial, Do invasive species affect biodiversity,Vital Signs, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 2011
Documents

PowerPoint Presentation on Ready, Set, Science

Ready, Set, Science is a must-read for all science educators (and administrators)! This is a practical guide on HOW to teach science in a way that is most beneficial to students. This book also clearly outlines why teaching science is vital in a democracy, how students can learn the art of debate through science and the way even very young children can think very deeply about relationships and concepts in science. This PowerPoint gives a brief overview of the first chapter and then a few hints about the rest of the book.

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
Resources I used: 
The Book: Michaels, S., Shouse, A., & Schweingruber, H. (2008). Ready, set, science. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. Microsoft PowerPoint
How should others reference your work?: 
Bailey, E., PowerPoint on Michaels, S., Shouse, A., & Schweingruber, H. (2008). Ready, set, science. Washington DC: The National Academies Press., Vital Signs Program, 12/07/10
Documents
Documents: 

How to get notified when cool stuff happens

Anyone with a username can get notified by email when stuff happens on the Vital Signs site. Here's how it works for teachers like Larry. (Note that the steps are the same for those of you with citizen scientist and student accounts! Go on, get notified!)

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
How should others reference your work?: 
Tutorial: How to get notified when cool stuff happens. Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Vital Signs Program, 2010
Documents
Documents: 
Videos
Videos: 

When NOT FOUND is good. Really good.

Monsters. Cavities. Invasive species. These are all really great things to look for, but not necessarily great things to find. This tutorial shows situations when a NOT FOUND claim (after a careful investigation!) is a great claim to be able to make.

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Middle school (grades 6-8)
High school (grades 9-12)
Professional development
How should others reference your work?: 
vitalteach, Tutorial: When NOT FOUND is good. Really good., Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Vital Signs Program, 2010
Documents

How citizen scientists collect data and put it on the website

Follow along this step-by-step tutorial as citizen scientists Morgan and Harry collect data and put it on the website. Skim it to get comfy with Vital Signs, or print it out and use it as a guide during your own investigation. Go to it!

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Professional development
How should others reference your work?: 
vitalteach, Tutorials: How citizen scientists collect data and put it on the website, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Vital Signs program, 2010
Documents

Aaah! We lost our data! Nope. No you didn't.

This tutorial aims to provide drama-free data entry. Too often people think they've lost their species observations. Watch team "unicorns and glitter" figure out that their species observation is just a click away!

Project Information
Grade Level: 
Middle school (grades 6-8)
High school (grades 9-12)
Professional development
Resources I used: 
I was inspired by the fun and fancy username of team "unicorns and glitter" from Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland!
How should others reference your work?: 
vitalteach, Tutorial: Aah! We lost our data! Nope. No you didn't., Vital Signs Program, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 2010
Documents
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Vital Signs is a Gulf of Maine Research Institute Program. Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 License.