Detect real change in monitoring data
and trace pollution sources
Environmental scientists find anomalies in monitoring data, trace sources, and explain findings to officials and the public. This requires baselines, causal thinking, and clear communication.
2 scenariosStats + earth scienceSuitable for grades 6–8
Skills this track needs
Identify true anomalies across multiple datasets
Understand what a baseline is and why it matters
Use data to rule out incorrect hypotheses
Explain scientific findings to non-experts
Draw cautious conclusions with limited evidence
Related school subjects
Math: statistics & probability
earth science
data literacy
NGSS
Statistics from math class are tools for real-world evidence.