We often rely on Crosscutting Concepts within the Next Generation Science Standards as ways of thinking students participate all the time, in every grade, in every subject. But what happens when those skills have not been honed in the way we need them to be for our grade level and disciplinary core?

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave our session having attained concepts and skills that will help them measure attainment of Patterns, a critical Crosscutting Concept in the Next Generation Science Standards. Participants will be introduced to assessment resources and instructions for using them.

SPEAKERS:
Sonal Patel-Dame, Anoopa Singh

This session will offer practical and adaptable examples of formative classroom assessment techniques that could be incorporated into any science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will present formative assessment techniques that attendees can take back to their classrooms and use immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Tyler Buchan

This presentation will showcase a 3D + NGSS-aligned Northern Lights Storyline designed for High School Chemistry. This presentation will showcase the: Student Activities, Teacher Narratives, Formative and Summative Assessments in this Storyline.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anyone attending this presentation will be shown an example of a completed Chemistry Storyline based on the Northern Lights and learn how to implement three-dimensional learning in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Charlie Pozen

This session will provide concrete and practical examples of how to implement lab skill performance assessments in the classroom and will offer easy-to-use and tangible information that teachers can take back to their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will present how to administer performance assessments of five basic lab skills and the benefits to the classroom that result.

SPEAKERS:
Tyler Buchan

Chemistry storylines supporting phenomena-based curriculum and alignment to Next Generation Science Standards. High school chemistry teachers partnered with Northwestern University Materials Research Center to design and implement two new modules— STEM+C Solar Cell Project and SCI+Art Project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how NGSS inquiry and design pedagogy can be used with Materials World Modules. Each module connects everyday phenomena to NGSS performance expectations, emphasizing how to build toward design and engineering skills. Presenters will share modifications to meet varying academic levels.

SPEAKERS:
Ami LeFevre

Participants in this session will leave with a STEM inquiry-based project and educational materials designed to captivate students while emphasizing 21st-century scientific applications and UN sustainable goals. Additionally, a list of potential RET opportunities for educators will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sharing how the RET experience has led to the production of a project that integrates nitrogen cycle pollution into a nitrogen circular economy, where the project's primary focus was on critical topics such as energy, climate, and food security; important topics to empower high school students.

SPEAKERS:
Milene De Farias

Cultural relevance promotes inclusive environments that expand perspectives of science education to question: Who can participate in science and what constitutes scientific activity? This session explores frameworks for cultural relevance and ways they can be applied in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
This proposed workshop will consider the questions: (1) What is cultural relevance? (2) How has cultural relevance been applied? and (3) How can we make actionable steps in our own classrooms to affirm the diverse cultures and perspectives of our students?

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Spencer

This session will share innovative activities to use with students where they will explore properties and patterns of the periodic table.

TAKEAWAYS:
Join us to share in ways to help students discover for themselves the patterns hidden in the periodic table.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Maguire

Join this workshop: “A Chemical Inquiry: Let’s Master Equilibrium!” and participate in a “hands-on” activity to help students overcome common chemical equilibrium misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn to use Inquiry to overcome student misconceptions about chemical equilibrium, a critical chemistry topic.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Dodd

Set up a simple lab and watch a cool demo to talk about resources and the environment, using copper as a specific example. These labs can be used for many levels of understanding - geology, environmental science, chemistry; and a focus on environmental impact of resource acquisition.

TAKEAWAYS:
Recovering pure copper will provide chances to talk about environmental impacts and concerns of resource acquisition. The Berkeley Pit in MT and mining in CO will be discussed. Resources provided will help students understand the challenges faced when balancing competing interests.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler, Briana Richardson

Participants will engage in a hands-on activity and a series of investigations to consider how fresh cheese is made (anf how this relates to science topics like pH and solubility). This activity will be delivered at ~grade 9, but can easily be scaled up or down to accommodate grades 5-12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about what components in milk make up curds and how they chemically change during curd formation and get resources that facilitate eliciting student prior knowledge, making observations, asking questions, and constructing claims based on evidence.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Strangfeld

How do we cultivate students’ voice & agency through civic action? Through a partnership between UC Irvine and Anaheim Union High SD, we co-designed equity/justice-centered, NGSS-aligned units and created a civic engagement matrix. We'll share how to use this tool to support students' civic action.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a civic action matrix that can be used to guide students' projects and empower students to become agents of change in their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Lieu, Jessica Yett, Hosun Kang

This session will connect the teaching methods of our elders to the current best practices in STEM education. This will include the removal of barriers to learning as well as taking the lessons into the world of students. Lesson templates will be shared as well as examples of all methods.

TAKEAWAYS:
For many attendees, existing materials and methods can be adapted to the worlds of the students and drastically increase engagement, critical thinking, and practical application. This will result in a strengthening of the student's identity as a STEM learner, as well as STEM being a possible career.

SPEAKERS:
Joel Truesdell

Come and take part in this workshop: “Copper: Two Inquiries to Begin and End the School Year” and learn about the chemical properties of copper using appropriate technology in a “hands-on” activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take part in an Inquiry experiment, use technology to collect/analyze data, and visualize what occurs on the submicroscopic level by employing particulate drawings.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Dodd

Come discover how free, NSF-funded simulations and curricula from The Concord Consortium can add all dimensions of the NGSS to your physics, physical science, and chemistry teaching with a special emphasis on the Science Practices. Bring a device to this interactive session and get free resources!

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies in the use of simulations for 3D NGSS-aligned teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Chad Dorsey

Educators and researchers from the inquiryHub partnership between DPS and CU Boulder share their experiences as they co-designed (and co-redesigned) the iHub Chemistry curriculum, professional learning to accompany it, and other classroom tools to support its use.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers partnering with researchers can yield engaging curriculum materials that support more equitable teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Douglas Watkins

A high school senior, her teacher, and her mother will discuss the execution and benefits of a third-year chemistry class that was driven by a local disaster.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain perspective on using real-life occurrences to help drive student engagement, scientific inquiry, and course content.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Miller, Karagin Miller, Veronica Kotel

Scientific communication through various media is a crucial skill. We discuss the importance of equitable access for science education and tools for advocating for educational equity. This is a practical session on creating scientific infographics and MS Sway website design for teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants form groups to work on a project combining elements of scientific communication, green chemistry, equity in education, and sustainability. Each group creates an infographic, a website mock-up, or a PowerPoint presentation on a relevant topic.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Juhl, Tisha Mendiola

This session will explore acid base chemistry. Hands-on, data collection, simulations, and card sorts will be utilized to encourage participants to have fun with the complex chemistry topic of acid base chemistry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Acid base chemistry and buffers are difficult concepts for students to grasp. This session will help teachers create and modify traditional lecture activities to be student-centered, hands-on learning opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Coker, Stacy Thibodeaux