The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking the help of science teachers and students from around the country to help participate in a “nationwide experiment in citizen-science,” said WQAD 8.

The Invasive Mosquito Project has been created to help the government track the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes as more and more people are becoming affected by the Zika virus.

The project represents a great opportunity for teachers and students to embark on an exciting science project that carries a lot of significance.

"This citizen science project provides students, teachers, and anyone interested the opportunity to collect real data and contribute to a national mosquito species distribution study,” according to the project’s website.

"This project not only gives individuals an opportunity to explore and collect around their house, but also raises awareness of diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes, and how they can make an effort to protect themselves, communities, and pets from illness.”

The project’s website provides teachers with several useful resources for instructing about egg collection, data collection, and mosquitoes in general. Resources include full lesson plans, hand-outs and more. Worksheets and quizzes are available through e-mailing [email protected].

Submitting data for the project is simple; an online collection form has slots to enter both collection and rearing information.

Read more about The Invasive Mosquito Project here.

Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

5/16/2016