Welcome to the EMERGE Curriculum: Environmental Science Meets Community Action!
This open-access textbook is designed for anyone interested in using real data to explore mosquito-borne disease, environmental change, and public health.
Textbook
Chapter 1: Foundational Concepts
Chapter 2: Explore the Data
Chapter 3: Data from Satellites
Chapter 4: Analyze the Data
Chapter 5: Science Communication + Hosting Events
Recommendations by Audience
Libraries
Who this is for: Public, school, or academic library staff looking to host citizen science events, informal STEM programming, or community outreach.
Recommended Lessons:
- CH1: Lesson 1 – What is Citizen Science?
Introduces the concept of public participation in research, ideal for community workshops. - CH1: Lesson 3 – What is GLOBE Observer?
GLOBE Observer (part of the NASA-led Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program) is a free mobile app. This lesson supports libraries in leading hands-on citizen science activities. - CH2: Lesson 1 – Why Analyze Data?
Encourages patrons to think critically about environmental data—great for lifelong learning. - CH2: Lesson 2 – Mosquito & Land Cover Stats
Features accessible statistics (mean, median, max) for small group or teen STEM programs. - CH2: Lesson 3 – Map the Data
Promotes digital literacy and spatial awareness using interactive maps. - CH2: Lesson 5 – Decoding Habitat Photos
A visual, interactive activity that doesn’t require coding or prior experience. - CH5: Lesson 1 – Communicate the Science
Helps libraries display and share project findings through bulletin boards or social media. - CH5: Lesson 2 – Host Your Own Data Camp
Offers everything needed to organize a local citizen science event using free tools. - CH5: Lesson 4 – Sharing Your Findings
Encourages patrons to create and publish simple graphs, summaries, or visualizations.
Educators
Who this is for: K–12 and college instructors, out-of-school educators, and curriculum designers integrating environmental science, data analysis, or coding into learning.
Recommended Lessons:
CH5: Lesson 4 – Sharing Your Findings
Develops science communication and public presentation skills.
CH1: Lesson 1 – What is Citizen Science?
Frames a project-based learning experience that connects to science standards.
CH1: Lesson 2 – Why Mosquitoes?
Offers interdisciplinary opportunities to explore ecosystems, climate, and public health.
CH1: Lesson 4 – Intro to Coding & Data Science
Teaches introductory Python programming and data analysis.
CH1: Lesson 5 – Intro to Google Earth Engine
Teaches introductory Google Earth Engine, a cloud platform for Earth data analysis.
CH1: Lesson 6 – Intro to GLOBE Data
Strengthens student skills in identifying outliers and understanding data quality.
CH2: Lesson 2 – Mosquito & Land Cover Stats
Reinforces data interpretation using real-world datasets and mosquito counts.
CH2: Lesson 3 – Map the Data
Supports geographic learning and interpretation of environmental maps.
CH2: Lesson 4 – Visualizing Mosquito Hotspots
Introduces simple spatial pattern analysis like heatmaps and clustering.
CH2: Lesson 5 – Decoding Habitat Photos
Promotes visual classification and critical thinking around real-world images.
CH3: Lesson 1 – Our Eyes in the Sky & On the Ground
Explains remote sensing, satellite pixels, and resolution in student-friendly terms.
CH3: Lesson 2 – Zooming In with Satellites
Encourages comparisons between ground observations and satellite imagery.
CH3: Lesson 3 – Vegetation & Water Indices
Uses NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index) to assess vegetation and moisture from space.
CH4: Lesson 1 – Temperature, Rainfall & Mosquito Seasons
Helps students explore seasonal and climate trends using environmental datasets.
CH4: Lesson 2 – Environment & Habitats
Guides students in visualizing environmental factors against habitat presence.
CH4: Lesson 3 – Land Cover Analysis
Explores land cover over time.
CH4: Lesson 4 – Introduction to Risk Mapping
Teaches synthesis of multiple variables to visualize areas of concern.
CH5: Lesson 2 – Host Your Own Data Camp
Allows educators to lead events that center students as researchers and communicators.
CH5: Lesson 3 – Student Mini-Project
Scaffolds inquiry-based learning and scientific reasoning.
Local Government
Who this is for: City, county, or state agency professionals interested in public health, environmental resilience, or community data tools.
Recommended Lessons:
CH4: Lesson 4 – Introduction to Risk Mapping
Helps staff identify vulnerable zones using open data and basic mapping.
CH1: Lesson 2 – Why Mosquitoes?
Relevant to health departments and vector control agencies monitoring mosquito-borne disease.
CH1: Lesson 5 – Intro to Google Earth Engine
Offers useful foundations for analysts new to remote sensing and spatial data.
CH1: Lesson 6 – Intro to GLOBE Data
Introduces community-collected datasets, with attention to cleaning and validation.
CH2: Lesson 2 – Mosquito & Land Cover Stats
Enables detection of mosquito trends over time or geography.
CH2: Lesson 4 – Visualizing Mosquito Hotspots
Supports hotspot identification for public outreach or service targeting.
CH3: Lesson 3 – Vegetation & Water Indices
Useful for environmental assessments using satellite-based indices.
CH4: Lesson 2 – Environment & Habitats
Applies to land use planning or assessing habitat risk factors.
Ambassadors
Who this is for: Motivated citizen science volunteers who help lead outreach efforts and facilitate community learning.
Recommended Lessons:
CH5: Lesson 4 – Sharing Your Findings
Encourages public storytelling and community education.
CH1: Lesson 1 – What is Citizen Science?
Reinforces the “why” behind your work and how to explain it to others.
CH1: Lesson 3 – What is GLOBE Observer?
Essential for helping new users get started with data collection.
CH2: Lesson 1 – Why Analyze Data?
Makes it easy to guide others in going beyond data collection.
CH2: Lesson 3 – Map the Data
Great for demoing interactive tools at events or workshops.
CH5: Lesson 2 – Host Your Own Data Camp
Helps Ambassadors run successful programs and recruit participants.
General Public
Who this is for: Anyone curious about science, environmental issues, or how they can take local action using data.
Recommended Lessons:
CH5: Lesson 1 – Communicate the Science
Helps you turn what you learn into something worth sharing.
CH1: Lesson 1 – What is Citizen Science?
A clear and welcoming introduction to community-powered research.
CH1: Lesson 2 – Why Mosquitoes?
Helps explain why this small insect has big implications for health.
CH1: Lesson 3 – What is GLOBE Observer?
Learn how to participate using just a phone and your surroundings.
CH2: Lesson 2 – Mosquito & Land Cover Stats
Offers a hands-on way to explore mosquito patterns with no prior experience.
CH2: Lesson 5 – Decoding Habitat Photos
Makes science visual and approachable—even for non-coders.
About the EMERGE Curriculum
Whether you’re a library leader hosting citizen science programs, an educator bringing data-driven learning into the classroom, a local government official exploring tools for community resilience, a SciStarter Ambassador (a very motivated volunteer getting others involved in citizen science) guiding outreach, or a curious member of the public, these chapters offer practical, hands-on activities for all skill levels.
Each chapter walks you through a new layer of exploration — from understanding mosquito habitats and citizen science tools to analyzing satellite data, identifying environmental patterns, and sharing findings.
No prior experience with coding or science is needed — just curiosity and a desire to make a difference.
That being said, certain audiences make get more out of different chapters. The general public will likely get the most out of chapter 1 — foundational concepts (such as, “What is citizen science?” “Why study mosquitoes?”) — while a local government official with experience in Python (a statistical coding language) might really enjoy chapter 4 — analyze the data (finding correlations and habitat presence, plotting climate data against mosquito frequency).
Below, we have the entire textbook outlined in full, and then we have recommendations for each “type” of user about what textbook sections might be most relevant for them.
The textbook will continue to be a work in progress! We want your input.
Have materials you think we should include? Email us at team@geoemerge.com.
