In giving your consent to participate, you acknowledge that you are an 8th grade science teacher employed by a public, private, or charter school and that you have read the following information about the project and your role within it.
Project Leaders
This project is managed by Dr. Lindsay Zanno (Project Director) and Dr. Elizabeth Jones (Project Manager) in the Paleontology Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Questions can be sent to Dr. Jones at
[email protected].
Project Sponsors
Cretaceous Creatures is made possible by a generous donation from The Bank of America Charitable Foundation to The Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as the Dueling Dinosaurs Worldwide Education Sponsor.
Teacher Enrollment
I understand I must enroll at least 4 weeks in advance of the date I plan to implement this project in my classroom. I will provide the date in my application so my Cretaceous Creatures Kit can be prepared and mailed to my school at least 1 week in advance. I will return the Kit using the free return shipping label within 2 weeks of completing the project.
Student Participation
I understand that this project does not require student consent because it will not collect personal data from students in my classroom. As minors, their participation in this project, including their interactions with the online modules, is granted through my consent to participate.
Data Collection
I understand that Cretaceous Creatures will collect 3 sets of data: administrative data and scientific data and program assessment data. Administrative data pertains to information about teachers like myself who implement this project in their classrooms. The project will only collect data from me that is necessary for my successful participation and will not be used for research purposes. Scientific data pertains to information about the fossils that my students have identified using an online module. The fossils they submit online will be connected to a Class Code which will be linked to my name.
Data Management
I understand that the Administrative Database will be managed by the Project Manager and stored in a Google Drive through a secure account. This database will remain confidential and personal information about myself will not be shared. I understand that the Scientific Database will be managed by the Research Team and stored in a Google Drive through a secure account. It will be made publicly accessible and licensed in the Creative Commons public domain and archived in a controlled data repository. This is an anonymized database and it will not be possible to re-identify the classroom from the Class Code in this database alone.
Scientific Integrity
I understand that my classroom will be doing real science with real fossils and that the data my students submit will be a part of a scientific database for paleontologists to study. I will help ensure that my students treat the microfossil material and investigative equipment with care and adhere to honest research practices. This means not deliberately destroying, misplacing, or taking microfossils or equipment. It also means giving an honest effort to correctly identify the fossils using the Fossil Discovery Module.
Participation Recognition
I understand that I am a valued member of this project and that I have a choice in how my classroom will receive credit for their contribution. By default, participating teachers and students will be publicly recognized as a Cretaceous Creatures Classroom in professional and popular publications and presentations. I understand that I also have the option to be recognized by my name and school name or by my school name only, and that I can select my preference after consenting.
