Using real data in a classroom setting can help students better understand scientific concepts. By working with data from a place they are familiar with they can form deeper connections to the research or they can learn about a new place by examining how environmental observations differ with geography. Students are also exposed to, and can solve, challenges faced by "real" researchers, such as interpreting metadata and data scarcity.
With the support and resources provided by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), educators can more easily implement real data into their classroom. Free of cost, CUAHSI offers an extensive catalog of environmental observations, tools for accessing data, and staff support for developing data-driven lessons. To promote collaboration and sharing among educators, all lessons are made available on the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College (SERC) website. This presentation will describe community data tools, how educators have used them in developing lesson plans, and the resources available to learn more.