Science instruction is often deprioritized in many urban, low-resourced districts as literacy becomes the dominant focus. But every student, regardless of race, gender, or zip code, deserves access to meaningful, high-quality science learning. This session explores what happens when science is sidelined and why it must be brought back to the forefront. We’ll examine how integrating science with ELA strengthens literacy skills and deepens scientific understanding. Participants will explore national STEM data and patterns that reveal the broader global impact of limiting science access, and how equitable instruction can prepare students to thrive in an increasingly STEM-driven world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student—regardless of race, gender, or zip code—deserves high-quality science learning. Prioritizing science in urban, low-resourced schools and integrating it with ELA strengthens literacy, builds STEM understanding, and addresses global equity and workforce gaps.

SPEAKERS:
Tyrone McNichols, Nicole Williams, J Carrie Launius

Join us to explore how to teach climate change from a human centered perspective; engaging students in place-based, equity-centered science education that inspires and engages beyond the science classroom. Using Climate Generation’s resources, we will discover how climate education can build connections between classrooms, communities and the environment, and inspire sustainable thinking and action. Attendees will be introduced to activities from two multi-lesson units, Climate Generation’s newly revised Next Generation Climate and Experience Energy curricula, that integrate NGSS-aligned climate education with culturally sustaining teaching practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to identify age-appropriate ways to engage students in climate change education, describe strategies for connecting climate learning experiences to community-centered and national current events, and use Climate Generation’s resources to explore and practice climate education.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Hefferan

Science education has a key role to play in supporting a just transition to the climate crisis. Participants will learn about 20 priority areas associated with climate and environmental justice—and explore educational approaches, resources, and groups related to these areas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Working towards climate justice involves a multifaceted set of issues and priorities. Teachers will identify which priority areas relate to their goals and context and learn about related resources. A climate justice framework will help teachers learn about different dimensions of climate justice.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison, Nancy Price, Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

Science is a social endeavor! Gain strategies to transform your classroom into a community of learners in which students and teachers actively try to make sense of the natural and built worlds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with strategies for developing classroom norms in collaboration with your students.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Mathews, Kristen Moorhead

Do you ever feel exhausted by the end of the day AND wonder if the students gained understanding? Do you have students who demonstrate excellent thinking on lab days but not on daily, written tasks? Do you wonder how to best group students of different abilities for success? This session will help you meet all students where they are and engage them in sensemaking all while energizing yourself as a teacher through applying ideas from Peter Liljedahl's "Building a Thinking Classroom in Mathematics" in your science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will leave with a set of easy-to-implement strategies that will engage your students in thoughtful participation and sense making, allow you to interact with students in meaningful and fulfilling ways, and help build a community of thoughtful, independent learners in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Churchwell

The Framework for K-12 Science Education urges us to promote scientific literacy among all the nation’s people as a democratic ideal worthy of focused attention, significant resources, and continuing effort. Promoting equity and justice should be approached as a never-ending, detailed pursuit of collective liberation by everyone involved in education (Bell,2019). Science is about explaining phenomena. Doing so requires knowledge and creative imagination. The Minnesota Academic Science Standards (2019) require Minnesota Students to demonstrate proficiency in the science and Engineering Practices adapted from the Framework. How can science educators, especially in Minnesota, transform these practices into justice-centered, equitable practices for all students? In this presentation, we will review some of the tools and strategies, develop our capacity, and examine our collective mindset in advocating for justice-centered science education for all students in Minnesota.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science education devoid of justice-centeredness is a misrepresentation of the essence of science

SPEAKERS:
Angela Osuji

For many students, natural interest in science starts to decline in late elementary to early middle school. To maintain interest, they need to see the relevance of science and feel confident. Our methodology capitalizes on their natural interest in science and teaches them how to figure out what is going on in a science activity. We use an inquiry-based format that begins with a unique, two-setup discrepant event. Regardless of differences in their background, the first setup puts students on a level playing field by giving all students the information necessary to form an expectation about the outcome of the second, similar setup that results in an unexpected outcome. What follows is structured exploration requiring students using scientific inquiry to explain the different outcomes – they identify variables, develop hypotheses, design experiments, and conduct the experiments they design. Concepts and everyday applications are discussed. Participants experience a complete activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Exciting activities are just a first step in engaging students’ natural curiosity in science. To maintain their interest, differences in background must be addressed, and they need to practice strategies that help them solve problems while seeing the relevance of the science to their lives.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Jean Lynch, John Zenchak

This session explores the pivotal role teacher beliefs play in shaping students' attitudes, understanding, and actions related to climate change mitigation. Drawing on current research and classroom practice, we will examine how educators' personal and professional beliefs about climate science, environmental responsibility, and pedagogical approaches can directly influence student engagement, critical thinking, and climate-positive behaviors.

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether you're a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, or education leader, this session will provide insights into how cultivating informed and reflective teaching practices can inspire the next generation of climate stewards.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Luna

How do we truly know what a student understands? In this interactive workshop, participants will engage from a student’s perspective as they experience a set of creative science questions that move beyond rote recall. These questions are crafted to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and promote critical thinking. Participants will analyze question types—such as productive struggle prompts, error analysis, counterfactuals, and curiosity-builders—and learn how to embed them into any science lesson. This session is ideal for educators seeking ways to enhance formative assessment, differentiate instruction, and elevate student voice. Walk away with a toolkit of versatile question stems and strategies that help reveal what students really know.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to craft and use powerful science questions that deepen learning, promote critical thinking, and reveal student understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Jonte' Lee

Through a pre-post survey and empathy and semi-structured interviews, this dissertation in practice examined identity development using classroom observations, note taking, looking at student work, and interviews to gain a deeper understanding of science identity development.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how teachers can prioritize culturally sustaining pedagogy within the science classroom to help Black girls develop a positive science identity.

SPEAKERS:
Tasha Jordan

This poster presentation will highlight a National Science Foundation Noyce Track 3 project that aims to cultivate STEM teacher leadership by leveraging makerspace technology within the context of developing Justice-Centered STEM Curricula. Two of the project’s Master Teacher Fellows will describe and highlight lessons they created and implemented in their elementary and high school STEM courses. Both will detail how makerspace technology was leveraged in the lessons and how the lessons required transdisciplinary approaches that aimed to solve or address social justice STEM issues within their local context.

TAKEAWAYS:
One main takeaway from this presentation is how makerspace technology and social justice STEM issues can pique students' interests and set the stage for STEM learning.

SPEAKERS:
Benora Mccain, ANGELA WHITAKER, Vanessa Dodo Seriki

The NSTA Urban Science Education Advisory Board's charge is to advise, guide, and provide input on the Association’s efforts to address the distinct challenges faced by urban science educators, and to develop strategies to support NSTA members in urban areas. Stop by our poster session to share resources, build community with other urban science educators, and complete our survey to share your needs as an urban science educator. Your voice can help us better elevate the needs of urban science educators across the country!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be provided with resources supporting urban science educators, as well as an opportunity to take the Urban Science Education Advisory Board's needs assessment survey to help guide our efforts in supporting urban science education.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Seabloom

This presentation explores equity in STEM education, focusing on the underrepresentation of African American scholars in STEM fields. It highlights the importance of identity development in shaping their educational trajectory. Research shows that culturally responsive teaching in STEM helps African American scholars connect with content and see how STEM disciplines address real-world problems. Historically, these scholars have underperformed on standardized tests due to marginalization in the classroom and lack of representation. This presentation offers practical solutions to foster a positive STEM identity, including addressing teacher perceptions, incorporating literature that reflects African American experiences in STEM, and using performance-based tasks to encourage inquiry and creativity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore how to foster STEM identity in underrepresented scholars, especially African Americans. By building a positive STEM identity, teachers can empower scholars to drive change in their communities, helping break cycles of systemic oppression and engaging them beyond the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Jones

We show how instructional materials can be adapted for local contexts—and how to elevate issues of climate justice and ethical responses to the climate crisis. Participants will learn about how a high school physics unit from OpenSciEd was adapted to attend to Indigenous land rights and sovereignty.

TAKEAWAYS:
In relation to science and engineering projects in society (e.g., associated with the energy transition, ecological restoration, urban development), teachers will learn how to engage students in exploring moral and ethical dimensions of trade-offs in project approaches.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

Research shows that providing opportunities for youth to interact with and learn from diverse STEM role models can break stereotypes and increase motivation to pursue a career in STEM. Join Twin Cities PBS as we share research-based strategies for incorporating role models into STEM learning spaces, created through 20 years of award-winning research and outreach as part of the SciGirls television series on PBS Kids. This session will outline: ways for teachers to prepare students for meeting a role model; how to prepare the role model for talking with youth (including specific talking points for role models and self-paced training for role models); how to find STEM Role Models; and printed guides on Role Model strategies and gender equitable teaching strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn research based strategies for incorporating role models in formal and informal learning environments, with a focus on how to prepare youth and role models to get the most from the experience!

SPEAKERS:
Katie Hessen

My Taiwan Fulbright-Hays experience inspired me to incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all my courses (Environmental Science, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology). The SDGs help to teach our students through the lens of interdisciplinary challenges that are part of all our lives. This session will include examples of how I have integrated the SDGs and Climate Action into the standard curriculum for grades 9-12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Examples will be provided as to how to incorporate the UN SDGs into a high school science class, including elective courses (Environmental Science, Anatomy & Physiology) as well as core science classes with a more stringent curriculum (Biology, Anatomy & Physiology).

SPEAKERS:
Kristina Hayda

Scientifically speaking, how brains process information is tied to the kinds of tasks we need to perform. We examine the science of learning: how the brain learns, recalls information and how different tasks activate different brain processes. For example, spelling the word "yellow" involves different parts of the brain than understanding the concept of the color. Knowing these differences helps us understand and formulate relevant assessments. Once we understand the processes we can manage/avoid cognitive overload that occurs when learning new concepts. We will learn to use brain science to help long term retention of knowledge. By embedding neuroscience-informed strategies into curriculum design, educators can help students learn naturally. We develop our own personal intelligence! Participants are encouraged to bring their instructional material to create a template takeaway. Participants will take away 3 assessment and 3 instructional strategies grounded in brain research.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will learn how the human brain processes information. Use brain science to understand long term retention of knowledge. Participants will take away 2-3 assessment and instructional strategies grounded in brain research.

SPEAKERS:
Manisha Sharan

Is it important to distinguish between data and evidence in science? YES! We’ll observe young students engaged in analyzing data and then broaden our focus to explore how data and evidence are woven through the science and engineering practices and across students’ K-12 science experience in school.

TAKEAWAYS:
Distinguish between data and evidence and why the difference matters in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Moorhead, Ann Guglielmo, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

Engaging students in phenomenon-based 3D science learning is challenging; when students are absent, it can feel impossible. In this session, participants will take away strategies for supporting absent students in staying engaged in learning when they miss classroom instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away strategies for supporting absent students in staying engaged in learning when they miss classroom instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

Experience how classroom agreements can create productive and safe spaces for elementary students to share their ideas, let those ideas change and grow, and engage with each other as a community of learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary students can co-construct classroom agreements that support an environment where they recognize that science can be done in many ways, feel safe and compelled to share their ideas and questions, listen/look/respond to others' ideas, and let their ideas change and grow.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep, Janna Mahfoud

In this session, participants will explore how to build a Content Storyline to support coherent, discipline-rich, and equitable STEM project-based learning (PBL). Just as phenomena are used to anchor conceptual development in 3D science instruction, we’ll highlight how meaningful end products can serve as anchoring experiences in PBL—driving student sensemaking, surfacing key standards, and promoting authentic engagement with disciplinary practices. Participants will be introduced to a PBL planning framework designed to center science content and equity, analyze a completed Content Storyline to trace how learning builds and spirals across a project, and explore tools to begin developing their own. The session will support teachers in ensuring that their PBL units are grounded in rigorous, student-centered science learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
The PBL Project Planning Pyramid Framework highlights Content Storylining as a key element and an effective structure to ensure rigorous discipline-rich PBL projects. Let’s consider the project end product in parallel to a phenomenon and explore Content Storylining for STEM PBL.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah DiMaria

Youth need opportunities to learn about green colonialism and how Native Science and Indigenous sovereignty are fundamental to addressing the climate emergency. Workshop participants will engage in talk activities designed to support non-Indigenous youth in learning and processing these topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will support educators in understanding that climate experts across the globe are calling for the broad recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and climate expertise as fundamental to mitigating climate change and building a just future.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison, Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

Consider and discuss why student-to-student discourse in elementary classrooms is essential for making sense of science. Science is the perfect setting for building students' capacity for deep discussions, and the strategies for making those discussions happen are transferable to other subject areas. Consider ways to help elementary students grapple with evidence from multiple sources, make their thinking clear for others, and productively build upon or challenge the ideas of others.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will consider strategies for supporting deep and meaningful student-to-student discourse in elementary science class.

SPEAKERS:
Ryan King

You have a coherent phenomenon-based learning plan for your students, and midway through, you get sick or jury duty - now what?!? This session will highlight approaches to substitute plans that are flexible, easy to implement, and support student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
When students are tasked with sensemaking and figuring out day in and day out, it is easier to have that happen without the teacher present. Utilizing a quality curriculum that supports student coherence and phenomenon-based learning is the best tool to make that a reality.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

This interactive session models how to launch and sustain a 3-dimensional storyline curriculum using the real-world phenomenon that is place based for Florida’s disappearing manatee population. Participants will experience key moments from a high school biology unit aligned to NGSS and grounded in equity-based, student-driven inquiry. The unit integrates disciplinary core ideas (e.g., ecosystems and human impact), science and engineering practices (e.g., data analysis, modeling), and crosscutting concepts (e.g., cause and effect; systems) to build coherence and relevance.  Educators will collaborate in small groups, like students, to learn how to embed each layer of the 3-dimensional teaching and use strategies for diverse learners, and co-construct sensemaking opportunities that are meaningful and accessible. You'll leave with adaptable resources and a plan for building or revising your own storyline unit anchored in local, authentic phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to design and implement a phenomenon-driven, NGSS-aligned storyline that supports 3D learning and engages all students—especially in Title I schools—through equity-focused strategies and local relevance.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Holman

Food waste is more than an environmental issue—it's a matter of equity and justice. This session delves into the intersection of waste management, food systems, and climate justice, emphasizing how addressing food waste can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting social and environmental equity. Participants will explore the systemic causes of food waste, from production to consumption, and examine how waste disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Through interactive discussions, real-world case studies, and practical strategies, this session will highlight how schools, communities, and individuals can implement sustainable waste practices that support both planetary health and social justice.

TAKEAWAYS:
By connecting waste reduction to broader movements for climate and food justice, this session empowers educators, activists, and community leaders to drive meaningful change—transforming waste into a pathway for equity and sustainability.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Luna

Although concerns about navigating a commitment to high-quality science teaching and learning for every student amidst increasingly polarized rhetoric are acute right now, they are not new. In this session, participants will discuss why assessment practices that account for students backgrounds and experiences are necessary for achieving our vision for science education, and how to pursue this goal in the face of increasingly difficult and systemic pushback. We will discuss the neuroscience of equitable learning and assessment, frameworks for culturally relevant assessment that intentionally navigate around political pushback, and engage in scenario-based practice for participants to consider how they might respond to specific situations with grace, savvy, and a commitment to meaningful assessment for all.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will engage with ideas about science assessment for every learner that intentionally balances an equity- and justice-orientation with navigating current political realities.

SPEAKERS:
Aneesha Badrinarayan

Using Interactive notebooks (INBs) in Science classes is a great way to build inquiry, study skills, and a deeper understanding of the material covered in your class. In science classes of all ages, INBs are a great tool to organize topics, thoughts, and learning progress. This session will focus on middle-level classes, but can be adapted for elementary and high school. We will view different types of Interactive notebooks, including physical and digital. We will be putting together a physical and a digital INB for you to take with you.

TAKEAWAYS:
One main takeaway from this session is the many benefits of Interactive notebooks and samples to use in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Katrina Davidson

One of the first special education teachers I ever worked with said something to me that will stick forever; “ You modify assessments, not children.” Modifying assessments in a way that changes how students communicate rather than what they learn has become an essential part of my classroom. By taking a 3D approach to assessment, it's much easier to be responsive to student needs without diluting the content you expect them to know. I've successfully integrated several 3D assessments into my classrooms and would love to share my process, tips, and initial pitfalls (to help you avoid them).

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, you will learn several techniques and strategies for writing and modifying assessments that adjust how students communicate their knowledge rather than lowering expectations for student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Anneliese Johnson

Mentorship and support are vital to ensuring that we continue to grow the representation and retention of educators of color in STEM. In this session, we will build and curate a community of educators where we can learn from each other, no matter what stage of our careers. We will share stories, seek advice, provide feedback, address burnout, and walk away with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the STEM education community.

TAKEAWAYS:
A set of new connections and the ability to seek continued mentorship and camaraderie beyond the conference. Participants will also leave with a meeting guide to host recruitment, retention, and community events, continuing the charge to build a community of diverse educators in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Osuji

Learn about and apply lessons learned from Saint Paul Public Schools and BSCS Science Learning’s partnership to customize high quality instructional materials to align with state-specific 3D standards and local contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn what considerations are important for developing a well-crafted plan for implementing and customizing high quality instructional materials for use in local contexts. Leaders will review examples of customized units that are aligned with the MN Academic Standards for Science.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Leifeld, Abraham Lo

This session aims to deepen educators' expertise in selecting, modifying, and implementing high-quality assessment materials aligned with NGSS and state-specific standards. The focus will be on integrating the 3-dimensions of science into common formative assessments (CFA), ensuring equitable access for all students and teachers. Through guided practice and collaboration using a developed CFA and state-provided item specifications, educators will explore connections with standards, SEPs, CCCs, stimulus materials, and item types, ensuring seamless incorporation of the 3-dimensions of science. Participants will engage in hands-on activities to synthesize their knowledge, collaborating on exemplar responses and instructional strategies. By applying these skills, educators can develop and refine aligned assessments that foster a deeper understanding of content knowledge and enhance assessment accessibility, providing opportunities for student engagement with aligned materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will gain the skills to create and refine high-quality, aligned assessments that seamlessly incorporate the three dimensions of science, ensuring equitable access and deeper understanding for all students.

SPEAKERS:
Alicia Doty, Haley Smith

This session will focus on how using peer feedback in classrooms can drive students' ability to collaborate, evaluate phenomena, and deepen their skills of modeling and constructing explanations based on evidence. Emphasis will be on how collaboration through feedback creates an environment that allows students to enhance their growth mindset through the feed up, feed back, and feed forward framework. This method provides all students an opportunity to develop life skills through scientific practices. In this session, participants will observe classroom examples of how to implement the feed up, feed back, and feed forward framework supported by examples of students' work. Participants of this session will leave with adaptable tools that can be implemented with ease into their classrooms and strategies to help them create equitable learning environments driven by classroom collaboration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this session with adaptable tools and strategies on how to use peer feedback to empower students to take charge of their learning.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Hoenig

Educators need supports to create climate learning for their students. Now is the time to explore how to broaden climate learning across your school, district, region, or state. This session will provide pragmatic tools and design advice on how to best engage in this work for your specific context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away from this session with an action plan and the tools they need to begin to collaboratively design systemic climate learning efforts in their own contexts, sensitive to their particular local phenomena, socio-political norms, and educator capacities.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Talarico-Wolff, Deb Morrison

Place-based science teaching positions aspects of place–geographic location, geologic time, identity and community–at the forefront of science practices. This session will focus on the opportunities for place-based learning and teaching to explore our own locations: schoolyards and communities. Examples from the recently released book, Place-Based Science Teaching: Connecting Students to Curriculum, Community, and Caring for our Planet will be highlighted.

TAKEAWAYS:
Place-based learning honors the lived experiences of students and the living beings that form a community. Participants will learn how to implement a NGSS-aligned, place-based science lesson in their own space: schoolyard or community.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Aragaki

It can be hard to know what to do with relevance in assessment. What counts as “relevant enough”? Is it a must-have, or a nice-to-have? How can we make a single assessment relevant to a whole class—or school, or district, or state—worth of students without personalizing every test? Some topics or core ideas might simply not be interesting to some students—don’t they still need to develop and demonstrate proficiency? What is the difference between cultural and personal relevance? In this session, participants will examine the neuroscience of relevance to better understand exactly why, how, and when relevance matters in assessment. They will then explore evidence-based strategies for approaching relevance in appropriate, manageable, and meaningful ways such that every assessment has the opportunity to surface brilliance and learning edges from each learner.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will examine the neuroscience of relevance to better understand exactly why, how, and when relevance matters in assessment. We will explore strategies for approaching relevance in appropriate, manageable, and meaningful ways.

SPEAKERS:
Aneesha Badrinarayan

We promote teacher leadership by offering teachers paid opportunities to present our resources. We'll introduce teachers to ScienceSaves and show how our lessons can be used to teach content and skills, such as graphing, data analysis, and correlation vs causation. The session will share our scholarship opportunity for high school seniors ($15,000/yr) and include a cursory look at our science lessons. Examples: Do We Take Our Health for Granted? Students will work on graphing skills using a graph on child mortality data from 1800-2020, and learn the difference between causation and correlation in data. The Savior of Mothers Students will learn about Dr. Semmelweis, the first person to promote the idea of handwashing, and will design an experiment to test his hypothesis. The Scientist Who Saved A Billion Lives Students will interpret 2 graphs of the astounding agricultural advancements of Norman Borlaug. Each lesson includes standards and a modifiable lesson plan document.

TAKEAWAYS:
Recognize that scientists who make contributions to scientific knowledge come from all kinds of backgrounds and possess varied talents, interests, and goals.

SPEAKERS:
Kathlyn Van Hoeck

In this workshop session, participants will learn and try strategies to support language development related to each of the 3 dimensions of the science framework within the context of one model lesson. Language practices will support scientific language development for all students, and for multilingual learners specifically. Participants will leave the session with multiple oral language strategies they can differentiate at multiple grade levels and apply immediately in their teaching to support students in increasing their language output using the contextualized language of science. They will also come away with a better understanding of how to support multilingual students and develop oral language practices in the k-5 science classroom. Some of the focuses will include constructing explanations, sentence-level language structures, and developing vocabulary inside of scientific discourse for young learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Come away with a better understanding of how to support multilingual students and develop oral language practices in the k-5 science classroom, including constructing explanations, sentence-level language structures, and developing vocabulary inside of scientific discourse for young learners.

SPEAKERS:
Aanya DiBrito, Kelli Ellickson, Laura Mitchell

Empower your teaching with Scientist Circles! Discover research-backed strategies to foster collaborative learning, critical thinking skills and ignite curiosity in the classroom. Engage in immersive activities, share best practices and leave empowered to implement Scientist Circles effectively.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave equipped with proven methods and practical implementation tips to enhance student engagement and communication skills in the middle school classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Ann Guglielmo, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

This session will explore how high-quality, research-based PBS media can enhance STEM learning through a transdisciplinary approach. Using content from trusted sources like PBS LearningMedia, NOVA, and SciGirls, educators will learn to engage students in solving real-world problems by applying concepts from science, technology, engineering, math, humanities, arts, and computer science. Participants will explore classroom-ready tools that foster creativity, collaboration, and innovation. This session also highlights best practices and strategies for using media in the classroom to promote deeper understanding and active engagement. Attendees will leave with effective methods and access to thousands of free, standards-aligned PBS resources that support rich, cross-disciplinary STEM instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover how to use PBS media and best practices to create engaging, transdisciplinary STEM learning experiences that prepare students to think critically and solve real-world problems.

SPEAKERS:
Caylee Haus Reger

How can one rubric serve as a roadmap for sensemaking, assessment, and student feedback? In this session, explore how educators use NGSS-aligned, three-dimensional, standards-based rubrics to design instruction that supports phenomena-based learning and centers student thinking. Participants will learn how to create rubrics that integrate SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs using NGSS evidence statements and apply them across multiple grade levels. We’ll highlight student work, formative checkpoints, and summative tasks that show how these rubrics support equitable, transparent expectations for all learners. Classroom-tested examples will illustrate how 3D rubrics make student sensemaking visible and support lesson coherence. Participants will leave with adaptable templates, classroom samples, and strategies for using rubrics to design, assess, and advance student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to design NGSS-aligned, 3D rubrics that center student sensemaking, clarify expectations, and guide assessment. Leave with templates, student work examples, and strategies to plan, assess, and give feedback that supports equitable and coherent science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Deborah McMullen, Vincent Fosco, Frankie Valenzia

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

The NGSS calls for 3D learning grounded in real world phenomena to ensure science learning is equitable and relevant to all students. The SEPs and CCCs require sensemaking of complex texts and data as well as communicating explanations and arguments and engaging in scientific discourse.

In this session, participants will experience literacy strategies that support student engagement in the SEPs and CCCs, consider how these strategies support all students, particularly below grade-level readers and EMLs, in sensemaking, and consider how embedding these strategies in assessments allows all students to demonstrate their learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay

We will share insights from a research project to test middle school formative assessments that reduce language barriers. One of the participating educators will discuss how the design of the tasks and specificity of the rubrics helped improve communication between the teacher and students. Incorporating the materials positively contributed to a classroom culture where assessments are understood to be FOR learning, not OF learning; and students at all levels developed and used a common language for learning based on the three dimensions of NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with 3D formative assessments and rubrics ready for their middle school classrooms, as well as research-based strategies for adapting their existing assessments to meet the needs of learners at all levels.

SPEAKERS:
Katrina Pommerening, Esther Brown, Sara Krauskopf

This session will focus on effective strategies for fostering STEM vocabulary development for newcomer multilingual learners. I will start with a quick activity to highlight the challenges and opportunities in learning STEM terminology. Participants will then engage in a series of hands-on, collaborative tasks that model vocabulary-building strategies such as listener/speaker bookmarks, differentiated word banks, and context-based sentence stems specific for Newcomers. The session will feature sample STEM activities with embedded language supports, showcasing how to teach key academic vocabulary through inquiry-based learning. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas in small groups. The session will close with a reflection and resource share to help educators create vocabulary-rich, inclusive STEM classrooms for multilingual learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover practical, research-based strategies to build STEM vocabulary for newcomer multilingual learners. Explore engaging activities, scaffolding techniques, and tools to support word learning in context while promoting inquiry, collaboration, and language growth.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Cieslak

Many students struggle with the challenging literacy demands of science, including complex texts and specialized vocabulary. In this interactive session, participants will engage with an array of evidence-based literacy strategies specifically tailored to support science instruction at the secondary level. These strategies were thoughtfully developed and implemented through a partnership between science teachers and their literacy coaches. Attendees will explore practical approaches for integrating literacy practices into science curricula, with the goals of fostering equity, increasing deep student understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and enhancing classroom engagement. The session will highlight how embedding literacy within scientific contexts aligns with the NGSS strands of Asking Questions and Defining Problems, and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communication Ideas. Participants will leave with concrete examples to integrate literacy with science in their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with concrete, NGSS-aligned literacy strategies they can immediately apply to make science instruction more engaging, equitable, and inquiry-driven.

SPEAKERS:
Jeremy Parker, Jodi Baker

Project-Based Learning is a powerful tool, but implementing it can feel overwhelming. We’ll show you how to leverage AI coupled with our PBL framework and your expertise to plan discipline-rich projects efficiently. Learn strategies to integrate AI tools, save time, and best support your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leverage AI, our Project Planning Framework, and the expertise of educators to plan effective, engaging, discipline-rich Project-Based Learning projects. Identify entry points to designing and implementing PBL using AI, and then personalize and improve the project for your learners’ experience.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah DiMaria

All students have the right to develop a deep understanding of how the world works in ways that support their personal goals and the interests of their community. Come explore how instruction can more equitably support science learning that is consequential to your students and their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will develop an understanding of an equity project framework for science education for supporting professional learning and implementation projects. They will learn how open education resources (http://stemteachingtools.org/) can help them develop equitable approaches to science teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell

Explore how UDL principles are integrated into the OpenSciEd Natural Selection unit. This session will focus on using high quality instructional materials that meet the needs of all learners, ensuring accessibility and engagement for diverse student populations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies for scaffolding complex concepts, providing multiple means of representation and expression, and fostering student agency in collaborative, real-world problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker

This session will highlight how two middle school teachers embedded a model of Indigenous Ways of Knowing into a curricular unit focused DCI in aquatic ecosystems. We highlighted Indigenous perspectives on issues of water as biotic or abiotic, the importance of water quality, the interconnectedness of beings within an ecosystem, and solutions to water quality. Attendees to this session will participate in lesson activities including games, readings, short videos, online content, writing, individual work, small group work and entire class discussions. We will share our formative and summative assessment strategies. Participants will gain access to our online lessons, teacher and student guides, readings and all resources. We will conclude the session by describing lessons learned from our perspectives as experienced middle school teachers including challenges of the readings in the unit and trying to balance students' learning from the unit with other demands of our science classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how our model of Indigenous Ways of Knowing (IWK) can be embedded within curricular units, not just aquatic systems. They will leave this session with a model of how we embedded IWK and a plethora of materials that will allow them to bring elements of IWK into their teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Susie Freiburger, Patricia DuganHenriksen, Michele Koomen

Too often, science is treated as the expendable subject in the school setting, particularly in the elementary grades, where reading and math (and their standardized test scores) reign supreme. For many of our brightest students, however, it is also their favorite subject. This presentation will demonstrate the importance of implementing challenging and engaging science experiences that provide students with opportunities for critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity within the confines of district mandates.By engaging in hands-on experiences themselves, attendees will be provided with the tools they need to facilitate similar opportunities for their students, thereby instilling the ultimate goal for all educators—a love of learning and exploration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with easily implemented resources, effective strategies, and rigorous lessons that facilitate students' higher-order thinking, creativity, and problem solving in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Joyce Greco-Foster

This interactive workshop explores research-based strategies to support multilingual learners in accessing, engaging with, and excelling in physics education.Participants will explore evidence-based strategies that support multilingual learners in developing both physics understanding and academic language in learning environments that are both conceptually rigorous and linguistically inclusive. Through collaborative planning, hands-on modeling, and practical examples, educators will walk away with ready-to-implement tools to help all students—including English learners—thrive in the physics classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will apply presented strategies to engage multilingual learners to collaboratively revise a physics lesson or lab activity with language-integrated supports.

SPEAKERS:
Avery Travis, Shari Weaver

Do you struggle to help your multilingual students (MLP) engage with and understand your science lessons? If so, please join us to explore specific, practical strategies that you can use immediately to assist your MLP students.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to apply various strategies for Scientific Literacy, such as using, Language Objectives, graphic organizers, and color-coding key vocabulary to any science unit.

SPEAKERS:
Sydnie Chouery

Localizing science instruction is a powerful way to boost student engagement, and it’s invigorating for teachers, too. Join the professional learning team from the Lawrence Hall of Science to explore three low-effort, high-impact strategies to localize your core classroom science curriculum while continuing to reach your grade level learning goals. We will dive into an example lesson and engage with a tool for localizing your own instructional materials. Participants will come away with ideas for how to make small changes to nationally-designed materials that have a big impact on students' connections to science in school.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away a framework and examples for three practical ways they can localize their in-class science instruction across K-12 to meet the interests of their students.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Stenger, Rebecca Abbott

Equity is often stated as a key value in education, but how can we embed equity in science leadership work? Reflect on your own ideas, beliefs, and approaches to equity and learn how one science leadership development program weaves equity into the fabric of science curriculum leadership.

TAKEAWAYS:
Beliefs, knowledge, context, and lived-experiences shape approaches to equity work. The NEXUS Academy for Science Curriculum Leadership has developed Equity Principles to consider and intertwine with other leadership knowledge bases as leaders work to ensure equity for all learners in the system.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud

Using a module that was not only featured in the Science and Children Jan/Feb 2025 edition, but received a 2025 South Carolina Growing in STEM Educator Grant, attendees will see how incorporating the four attributes of sensemaking can create an environment where all students achieve mastery of the standard being taught as evidenced through examples of student work/formative assessments and a real world summative experience. Attendees will understand how by building student experiences through the framework for Science Education, and NGSS/state standards, even young students can develop their capabilities all subjects through the lens of STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will not only see an innovative transdisciplinary sample unit, but have time in the workshop to brainstorm ideas for sensemaking in their classroom/grade level. They will use attributes of sensemaking to support/create their own new/existing classroom experiences benefiting all students.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Stovall, Emily Wilkey, Fran Carden, Brittany Clark

Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory is an important consideration in every activity, assessment, and assignment we create as teachers. We will learn about the theory, the different types of cognitive load, and methods to enhance our time with students. Leave this session with hands on, logical ways to reduce unwanted cognitive load, while increasing efficiency of learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Do not waste precious teaching time by trying to increase content delivery. Use our knowledge of the different types of cognitive load to reduce where needed, and increase brain efficiency to avoid wasted ineffective teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Kirsten Landry

Grading that supports student sensemaking doesn't have to keep you at school all night. Learn approaches to grading that prioritize 3D sensemaking and utilize technology, collaboration, and existing resources so you have can your evenings back.

TAKEAWAYS:
The process of giving feedback and assigning grades is easier when there are strong materials and assessments to build from and technology can help make it faster without decreasing effectiveness for students.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

Without local data it is impossible to fully understand community environmental and climate problems and their effects on different groups. Attendees will explore different environmental and climate data sets and learn how to use these with students to create well-informed solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participatory methods for collecting and acting upon environmental and climate data is more important now than ever, yet students are not taught about this data or how to use it. Throughout the workshop, resources and examples for supporting youth in collecting and using data to create real community will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Fowler, Deb Morrison

Science education is a powerful tool for fostering curiosity and critical thinking in young learners. However, students with disabilities and learning differences often face barriers that can hinder their full participation and success in science activities. UDL is a framework for teachers to create an accessible and engaging instructional plan for all learners (Israel et al., 2020). Grounded in three core principles—multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression—UDL helps educators design accessible learning goals, methods, materials, and assessments (CAST, n.d.). During this session, elementary and special education faculty will use a co-teaching model to share the three main principles of UDL and how these apply specifically to support science 3D teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
This presentation will equip educators with practical strategies and insights to create an inclusive science learning environment for all students. Through the activities, participants will leave this session with actionable strategies and tools to ensure all students have equitable access.

SPEAKERS:
GaKyung Jeong, Jennifer Watson, Keisha Pearson

More schools are adopting Physics First—but how can we ensure mathematical rigor without leaving students behind? In this session, you’ll explore concrete strategies to support students of all levels in building math-based models, interpreting physical phenomena through patterns, and using multiple representations to deepen conceptual understanding. Learn how to streamline your curriculum around a toolbox of essential functions, design assessments that balance rigor and accessibility, and collaborate with math colleagues to align support. Walk away with adaptable lessons and practical tools for bringing 3D teaching and meaningful math into your physics classroom—starting on day one.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to structure a Physics First course that supports all learners by anchoring instruction in physical phenomena, modeling patterns with mathematical tools, and using multiple modes of representation to build lasting understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Meg Harms

How can science learning experiences help students develop ecological caring approaches to the living world? Come explore educational approaches to multispecies justice with us! Expanding how students connect to and care for the living world around them is vital at this time of climate crisis. We will draw on resources from STEM Teaching Tools (www.stemteachingtools.org) and Learning in Places (learninginplaces.org) to support these experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
People’s relationships to nature are culturally and historically rooted and are embedded in approaches to science teaching and learning. Science can be used to guide ecological caring responses and support the thriving of people and ecosystems.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Fowler, Nancy Price, Philip Bell

Research indicates that girls begin to drop out of certain STEM fields after the age of 12 (the start of a leaky pipeline), as girls tend to underestimate their ability to succeed in STEM fields (Gonzalez-Perez et al., 2020; Van Camp et al., 2019). Pre-service teachers (PSTs), especially female PSTs aiming for K-8 teaching certifications, often are reluctant to engage with science and mathematics due to a lack of confidence in personally doing science and mathematics (Adams et al., 2014). To address this, a university-sponsored summer camp was designed to engage middle school girls in STEM activities while providing female preservice teachers with valuable teaching experience. This session explores the experiences of middle school girls and female preservice teachers who participated in this all-girls STEM camp. This session will provide an in-depth look at the camp’s design, implementation, and impact on both student and teacher participants.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insights into the camp’s design, implementation, and impact on both students and teacher participants. This session will also offer practical recommendations for educators and program coordinators to implement similar initiatives.

SPEAKERS:
Li Sun

How can we help every student feel like they belong in STEM and succeed? This interactive session shares a real-world, problem-based approach to STEM that focuses on equity, representation, and access. You'll explore lessons and student work from a high school program designed to uplift underrepresented voices in STEM. The session highlights how science, technology, engineering, and math can be taught alongside real-world issues and students’ own experiences. You'll leave with easy-to-use planning tools, student voice rubrics, and strategies that promote inclusive, culturally responsive teaching. The presenter will also share research on how identity-affirming lessons increase student engagement and performance. This session supports NGSS, the NRC Framework, and NSTA’s focus on equity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with easy-to-use tools to create inclusive STEM lessons that highlight diverse voices and connect to real-world problems.

SPEAKERS:
Adnan Hakimji

The NSTA Sensemaking Tool can support teachers shifting their instruction to create opportunities for student sensemaking. Gain experience using the tool to identify “look and listen fors” in classroom observations and to facilitate productive discussions about successes and overcoming challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use the NSTA Sensemaking Tool for classroom observations and providing feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Patrice Scinta, Emily Mathews

Engaging students in real world science is an important first step in three-dimensional science instruction, but what do you do with phenomena once students are hooked? In this session, we look at the next steps of learning through phenomena, getting students to ask questions, collect evidence, and make meaning using claim, evidence, and reasoning. Attendees will dive into what makes a good phenomenon, eliciting questions from students, and how to structure instruction to guide students through the CER process. They will leave with strategies for creating a true 3D environment and graphic organizers to help them on their way.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to build true NGSS learning off of strong phenomena, taking the "next steps" in thinking like real scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Obie Martin

How much do NGSS-aligned strategies for teaching science have in common with recommended instruction of English Language Learners (ELL)? Learn about research and resources that overlap effective methods for supporting students as they strengthen both science content understanding and literacy skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will review and compare strategies for NGSS instruction and language development for ELL students across four domains (writing/reading/speaking/listening), taking away a list of practical elements to include in lesson planning and teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Bergman

Explore a COP30 teaching guide designed to help educators bring real-world climate discussions into the classroom. Aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this guide features NGSS aligned science lessons and resources. Attendees can preview classroom-ready activities and scan QR codes to access the full lessons and complete guide.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster introduces a COP30 teaching guide (still being developed) that connects real-world climate topics with NGSS and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, giving educators immediate access to engaging, standards-aligned lessons, resources, and teaching tips.

SPEAKERS:
Benjamin Charles

Ready to ignite real change in your school and community? This energizing session will show you how to design and host an Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Summit that unites educators, administrators, and local partners around a shared mission. From initial planning and promotion to hands-on sessions and lasting partnerships, you’ll get the full blueprint, plus practical tools like timelines, templates, and outreach strategies. Discover how this powerful event can boost curriculum, meet environmental literacy standards, and inspire action. Walk away ready to launch a summit that’s engaging, impactful, and unforgettable.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to plan and host an impactful EcoSummit that builds school-community partnerships, supports environmental literacy, and inspires action through hands-on learning and collaboration—all with ready-to-use tools and a step-by-step planning guide.

SPEAKERS:
Stacey Dickerson

Imagining and working toward positive futures is vital for students' senses of wellbeing, community, and partnership between themselves and the natural world. This poster will present educators with research, resources, and real experiences of a high school science teacher who shifted their mindset from a problem-based mindset to one of optimism and engagement. The poster will feature snapshots of various approaches to education, such as constructive hope, joyful education, and appreciative inquiry, that can be incorporated into any science classroom. Additionally, links to projects, slideshows, and other resources will be shared with others so that they have jumping-off points for their own journey into climate optimism.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster will leave educators feeling excited about instructional approaches that foster climate optimism, hope, and collaboration amongst students, and help them understand the importance of climate positivity for student engagement and wellbeing.

SPEAKERS:
Katie Torkelson-Regan

Extensive research has been conducted by Indigenous scholars in science education that has provided foundational theoretical guidance for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges into the science curriculum. Additionally, examples of curricula are written to meet Minnesota’s requirement of including Indigenous knowledges. These examples are found across content areas, particularly in English Language Arts and Social Studies, but are limited in science. The poster will report on the results of a coupled research process that integrated results from a literature review, review of existing curriculum, and the process a group of educators took to design a unit aligned with the Minnesota State Science Standards for high school Earth Science. The result is a framework that will inform educators interested in weaving Indigenous science knowledge into the curriculum. This poster will present a framework and the resulting unit for weaving Indigenous knowledges into secondary science curricula.

TAKEAWAYS:
Visitors to the poster will leave with a framework for creating lessons that incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the secondary science curriculum and access to an example unit.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Erickson

Science Curriculum Implementation, as a change process, provides opportunities to confront persistent inequities in educational systems. Curriculum leaders consider and seek information from multiple levels to understand how the current system is disadvantaging some learners so that they can redesign the system accordingly. The examination of state, district, and school level policies and practices can reveal factors contributing to equitable or inequitable outcomes. Participants will engage in an equity simulation and consider important takeaways that can help them lead change in ways that produce more equitable outcomes across student groups.

TAKEAWAYS:
Barriers to equity are not in learners, but rather in environments. When seeking to reach “all”, historical and current policies and practices need to be examined. Educational policies and practices that are seemingly neutral can contribute to persistent inequities for marginalized student groups.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby

NSTA’s suite of instructional coaching tools support teachers, coaches and leaders in making the best use of instructional coaching cycles to support students’ sensemaking in the classroom. Become familiar with all of our OER coaching tools and try a few out a few in this session!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use NSTA’s suite of instructional coaching tools to support instructional coaching cycles in your school/district.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira

Discover how invention education (IvE) empowers ALL students to solve real-world problems using STEAM! Educators will become inventors themselves! We will highlight how IvE engages all learners and allows students to take control of their learning. IvE begins with students reflecting on their lives and identifying problems. Once they identify a problem they are passionate about solving, their self-agency begins! Rather than being given a problem to solve, IvE empowers all students to solve problems in their lives/their communities. This compelling premise then inspires students to design a solution which marries STEM, empathy, and student-led learning. Attendees will become inventors as they go through an innovation activity. They will even brand and pitch their invention! Inventing/marketing leads to IP. Participants will learn the power of trademarks, and other types of IP. Educators will see free resources and be inspired by the power of invention and IP education!

TAKEAWAYS:
IvE empowers students to solve real-world problems using STEAM, fostering self-agency and student-led learning. Educators will experience the innovation process firsthand, creating their own inventions and learning how IP plays a key role in student creativity and ownership. Free resources too!

SPEAKERS:
Christine Lawlor-King

Leaning into cultural relevance and social justice issues can be a powerful tool for building strong student engagement in the sciences. This session will showcase strategies used with teachers to adapt and redesign phenomena-based science units in Chicago Public Schools to increase relevance, criticality, and joy. The techniques we will explore can be applied to any phenomena-based science curriculum and can help build deeper student engagement with pressing science issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore strategies for designing or modifying units to create rich, culturally relevant science unit storylines that engage students as critical actors within challenging, real-world phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Seabloom

Land Acknowledgements are an opportunity for students and teachers to undergo a common learning experience to uncover and expand their understanding of their shared place at school. This is an introductory session on Land Acknowledgements and their role in transformative science education. Examples from the recently released book, Place-Based Science Teaching: Connecting Students to Curriculum, Community, and Caring for our Planet will be highlighted.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be guided in an overview of the research and crafting components of Land Acknowledgements that support equitable science teaching and creates rigorous learning experiences for students.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Aragaki

What does it really mean to teach for sensemaking in science? In this interactive meta-lesson, participants will experience two contrasting lessons, one that supports student sensemaking and one that does not, through the lens of NGSS and the Framework for K–12 Science Education. Together, we’ll explore how students build understanding through phenomena-driven, three-dimensional learning and unpack strategies teachers can use to design lessons that deeply engage all learners in thinking, equitably. Participants will leave with practical, ready-to-use tools and instructional moves to strengthen sensemaking, promote student voice, and create more meaningful, inclusive science learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to spot when sensemaking is (and isn’t) happening in a lesson and leave with practical tools they can use right away to help students build their own explanations and understanding in science class.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole McRee

How can we design high school science curriculum to better support multilingual learners and close equity gaps? This session presents a biology curriculum developed through a federally-funded research and development center to address a pressing challenge: multilingual learners are struggling to succeed in high school biology—a course often required for graduation, assessed in many states, and critical for future STEM pathways. Drawing on data from a five-year research study, the presenter will describe how the team developed an NGSS-aligned curriculum with embedded scaffolds that promote both content mastery and language development. Attendees will explore sample lessons that integrate 3D learning, phenomenon-based instruction, and academic language supports. The design principles and strategies shared in this session can be applied across science disciplines and grade levels. Attendees will gain access to free resources and leave with strategies they can use in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how a free, NGSS-aligned, research-based biology curriculum with built-in scaffolds can close equity gaps by meeting the needs of multilingual learners while supporting rigorous science instruction for all students.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Debski

Help students build empathy and connect science to their lives using a STEM picture book (Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals). Engage in science phenomena embedded in the story and learn how open-sourced interdisciplinary lessons can address literacy, science content, and inquiry skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will engage in student activities that show how NGSS content and inquiry skills can be addressed by investigating real-world phenomena introduced through a STEM picture book. Teachers will leave with the resources and background knowledge to facilitate these activities with students.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Welborn

Learn how to use the NSTA Student Work Analysis tool and protocol to evaluate students’ three-dimensional learning. We’ll focus our discussions on what counts as evidence of students’ ownership of targeted elements of the three dimensions and how to use collected student data to inform instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to evaluate students’ three-dimensional learning using the NSTA Student Work Analysis tool and protocol.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira, Zoe Evans

This interactive 120-minute workshop invites educators to explore how Hip Hop culture can be a powerful tool for climate justice education. Participants will examine the limitations of standardized curricula and consider how core elements of Hip Hop, such as lyricism, beatmaking, cyphering, storytelling, and social critique, can transform science learning into culturally relevant, creative inquiry. The session features a curated playlist of artists whose work explores ecological and justice-centered themes, including Mos Def, Bad Bunny, Prince Ea, Malik Yusef, will.i.am, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and Climbing PoeTree. Participants will engage in hands-on activities such as constructing scientific arguments through rap battles, using AI tools to generate backbeats, and designing eco-graffiti inspired by local climate issues. Attendees will leave with NGSS-aligned lesson ideas, a climate justice playlist, and strategies to help students use both science and art to advocate for a sustainable

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore how to fuse Hip Hop, science literacy, and spoken word as culturally responsive practices to engage in a critical evaluation of climate science mindsets, elaborate through environmental justice dialogue, and amplify student voice through creative experimentation.

SPEAKERS:
José Morales Collazo, Kelly Thelen

Saint Paul Public Schools has developed two science units to meet the 2019 Minnesota Science Standards related to Indigenous tribes and communities in Grades 1 and 3. Learn about our multi-year, collaborative process involving science content specialists, the American Indian Education Department, Indigenous staff members, and classroom teachers. In this session, we will highlight the Grade 1 unit, Indigenous Communities and Ecosystems, which features Dakota and Ojibwe perspectives and science understanding through storytelling, hands-on activities, and culturally relevant texts. In the unit, students explore Indigenous communities’ relationships with the land, emphasizing sustainability, respect, and interdependence. Join us to explore how embedding Indigenous knowledge can enrich science learning for all students. Hear about lessons learned, teacher feedback, and how this work supports equity and representation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how one urban district approached integrating Indigenous knowledge into elementary science by collaborating with Indigenous educators, highlighting a Grade 1 unit developed to begin addressing the 2019 Minnesota Science Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Bosch, Jason Bresette, Jaime Dery

Looking for strategies that support all learners in your science class? Join experienced co-teachers as they share how they’ve built an inclusive biology course for both traditional diploma students and those earning an alternate diploma, typically students with significant cognitive disabilities. Learn how teachers use state standards and modified content connectors to build assessment, class supports, and more to support the sensemaking of a wide range of students. Instructional strategies in this session can be used to enable students to make their own ideas about science and the world around them. While the focus is on co-teaching, many of these tools and approaches can be applied by teachers to better support students in all classroom settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, teachers will discover practical strategies, planning tools, and alternate assessments that support sensemaking for both traditional diploma students and students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Fabian Lopez, Michelle Miller, Zackary Lopez

Interested in more equitable STEM learning, where all students can “see themselves” in your STEM curriculum? The SciGirls Strategies have been used by thousands of educators nationwide to develop gender equitable and culturally responsive STEM programs for youth. Participants will learn how to make small changes that will take a traditional STEM activity and turn it into one that engages all youth and develop skills to create an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces diversity. Whether you have been running STEM programs for a long time or just getting started, you will leave this session with strategies to immediately design and implement equitable STEM learning!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will develop skills to create an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that embraces diversity.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Beverly

Far too often equity efforts are relegated to the sidelines instead of embedded in core curriculum leadership tasks. Join us to consider how anchoring science leadership in equity principles can remove barriers to science teaching and learning through curriculum implementation efforts.

TAKEAWAYS:
The implementation of HQIM can lead to more equitable systems when barriers to equity are confronted and removed. The process of confronting barriers includes collaborating for justice, taking small actions to learn, and continual reflection and revision of implementation plans based on data.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep

Learn about making art as a way of understanding and engaging climate and environmental justice issues happening in our world today. We will engage the current science related to climate change and produce art to creatively explore and communicate just responses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will come away understanding of how climate science can be engaged and represented through various artistic forms—and the pedagogical power of art pedagogy. People will use supplies in this workshop to make their own creations during the session.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Price, Philip Bell

This workshop presents an innovative approach within a science methods course designed to equip future elementary educators with the knowledge and skills to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into science instruction. This workshop will share details about the course design and delivery, present the shared perspectives of the elementary teacher candidates’ as they navigated the course, and provide hands-on, community-based experiences with the final teacher candidate products – the Indigenized science lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave the workshop with basic knowledge of a successful model of integrating Indigenous ways of knowing science into an elementary methods course, and experience with research-based, local Indigenous Elder approved science lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Grace Tietz, Brea Tonsager, Sydney Feist, Trish Arnold

The Framework for K–12 Science Education emphasizes that all students, regardless of background, should have access to rigorous science learning. This session will demonstrate how we can support multilingual students through the four pillars of sensemaking: phenomena, science and engineering practices, student ideas, and science ideas. Participants will also explore "The Bridge" methodology, a transformative approach that helps dual language learners develop metalinguistic awareness by transferring knowledge across languages. Through classroom examples, student work, and language-bridging strategies, attendees will learn how to design lessons that make students’ full linguistic resources visible and valuable. Learn how to support students in analyzing scientific vocabulary, comparing sentence structures, and making meaning across languages through intentional contrast. Walk away with tools to raise rigor, equity, and engagement for all learners in 3D instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to support multilingual learners at all steps of the sensemaking process. Explore real classroom examples and leave with practical tools to plan instruction, scaffold language, and elevate student voice across all dimensions of 3D science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Deborah McMullen, Gloria Verastegui, Frankie Valenzia

This session will explore a process in development for creating NGSS aligned IEP science goals using the Science & Engineering Practices. Attendees will discuss the current shortcomings of science-based IEP goals, and will be presented with a prototype tool for collecting data, writing goals, and monitoring progress that has been created for use across Chicago Public Schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore a process for writing NGSS-aligned science IEP goals that goes beyond simply recreating math and literacy based goals.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Seabloom

How can we leverage digital tools to support biology learning that’s authentic and engages with science practices and cross-cutting concepts? We’ll explore “sit spot” strategies that connect students to their local context and communities through digital tools and a place-based teaching framework. Examples from the recently released book, Place-Based Science Teaching: Connecting Students to Curriculum, Community, and Caring for our Planet will be highlighted.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how implementing a “sit spot” assignment series can connect existing biology curricula to NGSS-aligned, place-based science explorations, as well as support student personal development and motivation, while overcoming the limitations of a traditional classroom experience.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Aragaki

In Minnesota (MN), the latest revision of the K-12 science standards included Earth science education (ESE) as part of the high school program, increasing the importance of ESE in high school. However, educators have limited access to a high-quality ESE curriculum specific to Minnesota standards and problems. This presentation will share the results of a year-long curriculum writing effort from four Earth science educators. Eight units were created that can be used in MN high schools. Each unit has pedagogical practices utilizing summary charts and driving question boards. Each unit focuses on a Minnesota-relevant phenomenon or problem, with lessons arranged within a coherent Storyline and incorporates 3D learning. Units include groundwater in southeastern Minnesota, Dams in Minnesota Rivers, and the effects of climate change in Minnesota.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have access to the eight units that are aligned to NGSS Earth and Space Science standards and the 2019 Minnesota State Science Standards. Each unit is focused on a Minnesota-relevant phenomenon /problem rooted in 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Alan Dewey, Barbara Wendt, Anna Karsten, Stephanie Erickson

Science teacher preparation programs have the opportunity to enhance three-dimensional teaching and learning through forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the university and middle/secondary science-level instruction. This session examines seven types of AI tools applicable to science education. Faculty, in-service teachers, and preservice teachers will experience a deeper level conceptual shift in understanding AI through the range and limitations of the following tools: personalized learning, adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring systems, automated grading and assessment, generative AI, language learning, assistive technology, data, and learning analytics, and virtual reality and augmented reality. Session activities support the following outcomes: Develop proficiency in aligning a specific AI tool with a science and engineering practice, and a crosscutting concept to support mastery of a disciplinary core idea. Practice integration of AI to promote equity in STEM for ALL.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will receive the AI Integration Model (AI-IM) tool for guidance to monitor the progress of NGSS three-dimensional or standards-based instruction and student learning. Preservice teachers will increase their ability to assess the effects of AI on students' shifts in scientific reasoning.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Bindis, Kimberly Staples

Interest and identity are key for supporting meaningful science learning for students (NRC, 2012), yet traditional secondary science assessments do not invite students to bring their sensemaking repertoires and interests to assessment tasks. Participants will examine features of meaningful, phenomenon-driven assessments. Teachers will adapt a community survey tool designed by the 5D Assessment Project, a collaboration between BSCS Science Learning and Inquiry Hub, to elicit information about their students’ interests and identities. Teachers will learn about an approach to customizing (or designing from scratch) assessments to better engage their students interests and science-linked identities as knowers, doers, and users of science. Teachers will explore adaptations developed by Minnesota teachers to meet the needs of their students. This session is open to all science teachers, but may be most appropriate for secondary teachers

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will adapt tools to elicit and use information about their students to customize meaningful, phenomenon-driven assessment opportunities to better engage their students’ interests and science linked identities.

SPEAKERS:
Abraham Lo

Too often, minority students are “benched” in the world of STEM - overlooked, underestimated, and/or underserved. This high-energy workshop equips educators with tools to get all K12 students into the STEM game. Discover how to empower minority students to engage STEM with confidence; shifting them from the STEM “sidelines” as passive observers to active and inspired STEM participants via identity-affirming practices and high-engagement strategies that center both student voice and experience. Walk away with a game plan to break barriers, increase representation, and level the STEM playing field. Whether you teach in a rural, urban, or suburban setting - this session will leave you inspired, empowered, and ready to coach every student toward STEM success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student deserves a chance to play—and win—in STEM. With the right coaching, support, and access, minority students don’t just join the game—they change it.

SPEAKERS:
Sierra Graves

Student engagement is a key predictor of student success, but assessing and promoting engagement in the STEM classroom is challenging due to the dynamic and ever-changing nature of these learning environments. Our multi-institutional team is developing a machine learning-driven digital learning platform, Scoutlier, that provides real-time insights and formative assessment of student engagement in STEM classrooms. In this presentation, we walk through a lesson delivered on Scoutlier and demonstrate how the platform scaffolds lessons and provides insights to teachers that help them equitably increase student engagement. We report on machine learning research that detects patterns in student engagement and employs large language models (LLMs) to provide meaningful real-time engagement reports and instructional strategies for teachers. These findings demonstrate the promise of classroom technology and emphasize the importance of integrating ever-evolving technology into equitable teaching

TAKEAWAYS:
The importance of integrating technological solutions into classrooms to increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes in K-12 STEM lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Luk Hendrik, Brandy Jackson

Explore how AI can empower educators to create diverse transdisciplinary STEM learning experiences. The session will showcase AI tools that help identify and address potential bias and generate culturally responsive material, differentiated instruction, and inclusive assessment strategies within STEM contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
AI can empower educators to create equitable, representative transdisciplinary STEM learning for all students by addressing biases and enabling inclusive materials and strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Tahsin Khalid, Jana Gerard

Translanguaging aligns with culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy and promotes equity in science learning (García et al., 2017). This session explores how translanguaging can be integrated into inquiry-based science instruction in elementary dual language immersion (DLI) classrooms and demonstrates practical applications from Grade 5 Mandarin-English DLI settings. Drawing on classroom experience and research (Du, 2022; Tian, 2020; Zhou, 2021), the presenter shows how educators can create purposeful opportunities for students to use both their first and target languages during hands-on science activities. In an ecosystem unit, for example, students co-construct a food web in Mandarin, read English science texts to deepen content knowledge, and discuss their reasoning in Mandarin. Attendees will see classroom-tested tools and how translanguaging supports science-specific literacy practices such as modeling, reasoning, and argument from evidence.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session offers strategies for integrating literacy and science through translanguaging, aligned with NGSS practices and designed to support multilingual learners in developing deep conceptual understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Hsiaomei Tsai

Elementary science educators face barriers like limited funding, reduced instructional time, insufficient materials, and inconsistent teacher preparation. In response, I developed a 5th grade Earth and Space Science unit grounded solely in pedagogical and content knowledge. This session highlights how meaningful, standards-aligned curriculum can be created without commercial resources. Attendees will explore the design process, instructional strategies for supporting diverse learners, and tools for building teacher content knowledge. The unit emphasizes inquiry-based learning and equitable access for all students. Participants will leave with insights into creating adaptable, student-driven science units for their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how an elementary classroom teacher designed an inquiry-based, equitable 5th grade science unit using only content and pedagogical knowledge, proving that rich, student-centered science instruction is possible even without extensive resources.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Bentivoglio

Students bring amazing intellectual resources to make sense of science phenomena based on their personal and community experiences—including language, perspectives, gestures, and knowledge, interests, and values. Come learn how to notice and leverage those intellectual gifts in your teaching! By analyzing a series of awesome learning situations, this session asks participants to work with others to ‘learn to see’ students’ diverse sense-making resources—and connect these pedagogical strategies to their own classroom practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Culturally responsive education supports student sensemaking and learning in science. Inclusive science strategies help teachers learn to see and leverage students’ diverse sense-making resources. These methods help us create and adapt curriculum that is equitable and centered on justice.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell

This session presents the Highlight and Reflect strategy as a quick and equitable tool for teaching climate science in South Carolina 8th grade classrooms. After a 3D-aligned quick check, students use the strategy to indicate their confidence, giving teachers real-time insight into understanding. This data is used to form small groups for differentiated instruction. While this session highlights South Carolina-specific examples and standards, the Highlight and Reflect strategy and accompanying resources are adaptable for use in classrooms across all states. Participants will explore how this approach fosters metacognition, identifies climate misconceptions, and connects students to local environmental issues. Equity is built in by amplifying student voice and supporting culturally responsive grouping.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with ready-to-use templates, activity ideas, and examples of how this strategy enhances climate literacy and sustainability instruction through meaningful, student-centered learning.

SPEAKERS:
Mikaela Schaller

Teaching about climate change is increasingly essential in today’s classrooms. Despite rising climate anxiety, students are eager to learn more. Integrating climate education doesn’t require an entire unit or course. Brief, purposeful connections can be just as impactful. In this 30-minute panel, experienced educators and education program leaders will share how they've brought climate change into their teaching. Panelists will discuss how place-based storytelling, free online resources, and cross-disciplinary approaches can work together to help educators meaningfully integrate climate topics across grade levels and subject areas. Attendees will leave with practical tools and inspiration to meet the urgent demand for climate education in their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective climate education is built from presenting relevant information and accessible tools. Educators will leave with ideas and tools for seamless implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Kirkland, Benjamin Charles, Deb Morrison

Student STEM research can be a life-changing experience, allowing students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and strong scientific communication skills. Facilitating high-quality student STEM research is a major challenge in rural areas with limited access to community resources, materials, and mentors. An innovative program to reach underserved rural high schools in North Carolina is the NC STEM Research Academy. The focus of the Academy is to develop capacity for teachers and students to engage in STEM research. Having implemented this program for eight years, we have learned: 1. Teachers and students must work together to successfully develop STEM research projects; 2. Modeling how to facilitate student-led research helps to build and sustain a culture of STEM research at schools; 3. Working with teachers to develop strong mentoring skills helps students focus; and 4. Students need access to outside school mentors to pursue high quality research projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies for working with high school students to facilitate independent student-led research. Materials and examples will be shared for developing high quality research questions, experimentation or engineering design testing, data analysis, and STEM communication.

SPEAKERS:
David Pugalee, Alisa Wickliff

Looking for a simple, powerful way to spark curiosity, encourage participation, and ensure every student’s voice is heard? In this session you will learn about a strategy called "Science Question of the Day." Each day begins with a thought-provoking science question posted on the board. Students respond by placing their student number next to a “yes” or “no” column, or by writing a brief response next to their number for open-ended questions. This practice builds a culture of inquiry, supports formative assessment, and gives all students—especially those who may be hesitant to speak up—an opportunity to contribute their thinking in a low-stakes way.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement Science Question of the Day, how to choose thought provoking questions, and will leave this session with ready-to-use examples and tips for adapting the activity to all grade levels and science content areas.

SPEAKERS:
Brandy Fairfax

In claims and evidence conversations, teachers and students work together to make sense of the evidence from investigations. Students consider questions such as, “What happened?”, “What does it mean?”, and “What do we know now?” They hear each other’s thoughts and engage in argumentation—supporting their claims and trying to convince each other by using and exploring evidence. These conversations have potential to support deep and meaningful engagement with claims and explanations. They can also be tricky to manage. How do we help students see what they are “supposed to see” while also valuing their sensemaking? How do we honor and connect multiple voices? How do we use resources that build explanation? In this presentation, we will explore these questions and provide tools that help educators plan for and enact these conversations in ways that recognize, build from, and resolve uncertainty.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will develop a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges of claims and evidence conversations and leave with actionable tools for implementing these conversations in ways that support student sensemaking about evidence and explanation.

SPEAKERS:
Eve Manz

This session showcases the photo field trip the presenter created for her students on the Geology of Pipestone National Monument, which is in SW Minnesota. This is a sacred location for many Native Americans due to the special stone used for carving pipes for prayers and ceremony. This unique location offers an active quarry that uses only hand tools to extract the rocks, hiking trails along native prairie grasses, waterfalls, exposed rock strata, and many exhibits with examples of local Lakota culture, art, and story. During the session people will get to see the photo field trip of Pipestone National Monument and explore the activities built around NGSS/MN State Earth Science Standards that go with this unit. Teachers will get links to the unit to use in their classroom, as well as instruction on how to create a photo field trip for your classroom to explore a location that may be out of your budget or geographical area.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the geological, cultural, and historical significance of Pipestone National Monumnet and be inspired to create your own photo field trip! Teachers will get access to a full unit of activities related to geology and Native American culture of this unique part of SW Minnesota.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Wendt

This session is for all educators hoping to get their foot in the door for incorporating equity into the classroom through a scientific lens. This a chance to engage in discourse with other educators around overcoming barriers and preparing a ready-to-implement lesson for when they return home!

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn how to engage with and educate around the historic weaponization of science. They will be able to build a lesson around this topic and create a dialogue geared toward middle school aged learners.

SPEAKERS:
Andi Twiss

Developing strong scientific reasoning skills is essential for students to understand and apply core scientific concepts, evaluate evidence, and engage in scientific inquiry. This session will focus on practical, research-based strategies for assessing and improving scientific reasoning skills in both high school and postsecondary science courses. The presenter will examine how students develop these skills over time, identify common misconceptions, and explore instructional techniques that foster critical thinking, logical analysis, and evidence-based argumentation. Additionally, the session will highlight ways to scaffold complex reasoning skills, differentiate instruction, and use assessment data to inform teaching. This session will be valuable for science educators seeking to deepen student understanding and equip them with transferable thinking skills that extend beyond the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session equipped with a deeper understanding of how scientific reasoning develops in students and why it is essential for success in science education and beyond.

SPEAKERS:
Cheryl Robertson

Many educators find it challenging to create science learning environments where multilingual learners (MLLs) can thrive. Traditional approaches often overlook MLLs' unique linguistic and cultural assets. How can we tap into students' rich background knowledge, so all students feel included and develop as confident science learners? This workshop helps educators deepen their understanding of how MLLs commonly experience science and provides strategies to create inclusive, 3D science learning experiences. We'll leverage AI tools to tap into students' rich background knowledge, fostering an "everyone is a scientist" mindset. Participants will engage in a phenomenon-based investigation, experiencing firsthand how to design and implement instruction that supports all students, even when teachers don't share the same first language as their students. Learn how AI can generate differentiated materials, offer personalized feedback, and support educators in creating more authentic tasks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with powerful strategies to engage students who are acquiring English in 3D science. Educators will discover ready-to-use, AI-enabled scaffolds that foster an "everyone is a scientist" mindset for every learner and walk away with practical examples.

SPEAKERS:
Solona Hollis, Amanda Drenth

Are you interested in teaching about climate change, sustainability or the environment? Come explore open educational resources and design practices from a variety of organizations with expertise in these areas! These include professional learning, curriculum, and pedagogical resources!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to interact with experts in climate change and sustainability instruction and walk away with free resources and design advice to support their own teaching practice.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison, Nancy Price, Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

This workshop will introduce teachers to the copper-nickel sulfide unit. The four-week storyline asks students to evaluate the claims around copper-nickel sulfide mining in Northern Minnesota. Various stakeholders, including Tribes, the mining industry, Northern Minnesota residents, and outdoor recreationalists, make claims. The unit design incorporated pedagogical practices in NGSS-aligned units, such as coherent storylines, standards bundling, and 3D learning. Practices emphasized through the unit are modeling, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. This workshop's participants will experience two lessons from the unit, including modeling the mining process and engaging with the knowledge and perspective of Native Minnesota tribes. The workshop aims to familiarize teachers with incorporating Indigenous knowledge in their science lessons in a way that maintains good relations with Tribes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have access to an entire unit on Copper-Nickel Sulfide Mining, which uses 3D Learning and Storyline development. They will also participate in lessons that integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Erickson

In this interactive session, OpenSciEd is proud to introduce eleven new assessment tasks (OATs)—designed to bring the science of agriculture and nutrition into high school classrooms. Rooted in real-world phenomena, these tasks were developed with the National Dairy Council and expert teachers. Each OAT is a "transfer task" that helps students apply what they’ve learned in an OpenSciEd unit to agricultural contexts, supporting deeper sensemaking and understanding of how science and engineering shape food systems. Aligned with OpenSciEd’s commitment to Framework-based standards like the NGSS, the tasks provide high-quality examples of how teachers can customize units to reinforce the curriculum’s student-centered approach.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, teachers will explore how the new OpenSciEd Agriculture Tasks (OATs) support 3D sensemaking and how the development process, which includes identifying unit gaps, student interests, and community connections, can guide thoughtful curriculum customization.

SPEAKERS:
Katie Van Horne, Calvin Atkins

As the politicization of science grows, teacher educators must ask: Are preservice science teachers authentically prepared—and permitted—to teach science equitably and meaningfully? This session shares findings from a cross-institutional survey of early childhood, elementary, secondary, and higher education science educators, including faculty and in-service teachers. We explore how respondents perceive their preparation for addressing DEI, sociocultural relevance, and controversial topics in science education—and whether they feel they have the autonomy to do so. This work emerges from a collaboration between a science education researcher in biology and a teacher educator in curriculum and literacy, reflecting on their shared but mismatched goals in culturally responsive preparation. Participants will consider the disconnect between teacher education ideals and the constraints of today’s science classrooms, identifying next steps for responsive and realistic preparation programs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how science teacher candidates and faculty perceive their autonomy to teach science authentically, especially regarding DEI and sociocultural relevance, and will explore how teacher preparation must evolve to meet the realities of 2025 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Julia Poplin

The story of the double helix is standard fare but is usually told in a cursory and superficial way. The actual story, however, can be brought into the classroom in a way that excites students and shows the scientific process, warts and all, in a manner that promotes equity, inclusion, & science. The double helix model of DNA is generally presented as the straightforward product of James Watson and Francis Crick’s interpretation of Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction photograph of DNA. However, the actual story of the double helix involves many individuals beyond these three scientists. I will describe how clues to DNA’s structure were developed over several decades and how they came together over six remarkable months in 1952 and 1953. I will focus on new research regarding Franklin’s role in the discovery and will examine how the race for the double helix fits into our usual understanding of the scientific process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be presented with a realistic narrative that departs from the usual step-by-step version of the scientific method, addressing what this work and the reaction to it illuminates about the role of women in science and ethical values in research.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller

What does the Science of Reading have to do with reading and writing science? Quite a bit, actually! In this session, we will explore some of the reasons students struggle to read, write, and comprehend scientific texts. More importantly, we’ll dive into some strategies you can use to support students in accessing grade-level texts, including doing more hands-on science! Educators will engage in real practice and take away tangible ideas to bring better literacy practice into any type of science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use strategies from the Science of Reading philosophy to help students become better readers, writers, and speakers of science.

SPEAKERS:
Obie Martin

In this session, teachers will learn about a research-driven approach to assessment customization that supports teachers in using information about their students and 3D standards to brainstorm alternative phenomena contexts to elicit students’ use of disciplinary core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts to make sense of phenomena and problems that matter to them. This approach was designed and tested by the 5D Assessment Project, a collaboration between BSCS Science Learning and Inquiry Hub. Teachers will work in content area groups to analyze an existing high-quality assessment and consider ways to customize it to better engage their students’ interests and identities as knowers, doers, and users of science. Lessons learned from this work can be applied to elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with strategies for identifying alternative phenomena contexts to frame phenomena-driven assessment opportunities that engage their students interests and science-linked identities.

SPEAKERS:
Abraham Lo

Teachers developed the Justice-Centered Ambitious Science Teaching framework and practices as part of professional learning communities to be responsive to students' cultures and communities, build upon expansive forms of student meaning-making, and committed to disrupting injustice in society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about teaching practices aimed at building a welcoming, joyful, and critical community that is meaningful for youth and centers justice, elicits local stories, nurtures revisions of scientific thinking with diverse and local expertise, and uses science to advocate for justice.

SPEAKERS:
April Luehmann, James Kostka, Breanna Uckermark

Participants will explore how intentional instructional shifts can break down the barriers that often limit student success in STEM classrooms. By focusing on equitable teaching practices, including teaching transferrable skills, we will uncover strategies that increase access and empower all students—especially diverse learners—to thrive in rigorous STEM content. Teachers will gain practical tools to design lessons that not only foster deep understanding but also build expertise for every student, regardless of background. The main takeaway is clear: When educators intentionally design for access, rigor, and expertise-building, every student has the opportunity to excel in STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student can excel in STEM when teachers design for access, rigor, and expertise-building.

SPEAKERS:
Shana Pyatt-Buckner

This interactive session explores engaging, game-based strategies to enhance multilingual learners’ academic language development in science and STEM classrooms. Participants will experience and analyze various hands-on classic games that promote vocabulary acquisition, structured conversations, and critical thinking, with a special focus on supporting multilingual learners in elementary settings. Attendees will work in small groups to play and adapt Vocabulary Grab Bags, Vocabulary Dice Games, Tic Tac Toe Review, Connect Four, Pictures Connections, Domino chains, Jenga Review, Taboo, and Dice Conversation games. Each game will be accompanied by tips for differentiation and language scaffolds. This session will wrap up with ways to incorporate gamification into daily instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how gamifying academic language can boost engagement and language growth for multilingual learners. Explore hands-on, in-person interactive games that build vocabulary, foster collaboration, and support content learning in fun, meaningful ways.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Cieslak

Assessment and grading are an integral part of science instruction in the classroom, but they don't have to be scary or daunting. Working together, the science curriculum team and the assessment team have developed a process for creating a transfer task with a new phenomenon to gather information and assess student understanding of their application of the standards from a unit. This process asks students to apply learning in a new way, rather than fill in the blanks with key vocabulary or recite certain facts from DCIs. These types of tasks peek student curiosity and promote a feeling of calm rather than anxiety because they don't look like a "test".

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk through the process that we use to create a transfer task for a unit of instruction. The process includes reviewing the standards, instruction from the unit, identifying a new phenomenon that the students can connect with, and designing the task.

SPEAKERS:
Tish Rezac, Miranda Orellana

The NGSS calls for science classrooms where students collaborate to make sense of phenomena, often in small groups. Providing students with support for collaboration can not only make group work more effective, but more equitable. Factors like race and gender can have a big impact on issues including whose ideas are taken seriously, who is treated as a leader, and who manipulates lab equipment. Group roles can be a powerful tool to disrupt inequitable patterns and teach students how to collaborate effectively. In this session, I will share how I have used group roles to improve collaboration in my classroom and especially promote equitable group work. This will include practical strategies for introducing and implementing group roles with students, example roles, and how different kinds of roles can support different kinds of collaboration. Participants will have time to adapt ideas from this session into their own instruction and lesson planning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with an understanding of how group roles can promote equitable group work and practical strategies for using group roles in their classrooms, including examples of different kinds of group roles.

SPEAKERS:
Marta Stoeckel

This interactive workshop will explore how Project-Based Learning (PBL) can serve as a transformative strategy to make physics education more inclusive, culturally relevant, and student-centered. Participants will explore two projects that foster cultural expression, The Physics of Art Virtual Museum and Cultural Festival Light-Up Clothing. They will then engage in collaborative lesson design that centers students’ cultural identities and lived experiences while fostering deep engagement with physics content.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave the workshop with strategies to build connections between physics content and students' real-world experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Avery Travis, Shari Weaver

For learners to feel safe taking risks in an increasingly hostile classroom setting, it’s our responsibility to build a foam pit for them; a low-risk environment where they can challenge themselves without the fear of long-term consequences. Attendees will learn why multiple factors have caused a deep slide for many learners into a discomfort with or inability to take risks, collaborate and be challenged. The focus will then be on multiple strategies to rebuild their confidence in risk-taking, including reassessing assessments by changing grading policies, reframing the way teachers praise learners, and gamifying classrooms by implementing the qualities in games that lower the stress and fear for the player. This conversation will be grounded in educational psychology (Dweck, Maslow, Vygotsky), include opportunities for small and whole group discussion, and give specific examples of formative and summative assessments when discussing how to build a foam pit for our learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will receive ready-to-go activities, posters and strategies to help all learners feel safe taking academic risks, while also gaining a clear understanding of three types of challenging learners: Low Performers, Apathetic Underachievers, and High-Achieving Perfectionists.

SPEAKERS:
Ramy Mahmoud

In an era of widespread misinformation, cultivating scientific literacy is essential for preparing students to critically evaluate information and make informed decisions. This session explores evidence-based strategies for improving scientific reasoning and critical thinking in both high school and postsecondary science education. We will discuss how to integrate media literacy, primary literature analysis, and science communication into science curricula to equip students with the skills to navigate scientific claims in a digital age. Additionally, we will address common misconceptions, cognitive biases, and how to help students distinguish between credible science and pseudoscience. Participants will leave with practical strategies, assessment tools, and classroom-ready activities that promote science literacy across disciplines, with an emphasis on fostering collaboration between secondary and postsecondary educators to create a more cohesive approach to scientific reasoning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a clear understanding of why scientific literacy is vital in combating misinformation and helping students critically evaluate scientific claims in today’s digital world.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Blank, Cheryl Robertson

Teachers often face questions from students such as "Why should we learn this?" "When will we ever use this?" "How many points is this assignment?" In order to get students more involved in the process of doing science, it is imperative that we make science relatable by addressing issues from our local community. By connecting student learning to local issues, current issues, and controversies, we can enhance student interest in science. In this workshop, participants will examine the case of the Kennewick Man, an ancient Native American's remains which were found on the banks of the Columbia River in Eastern Washington. We will learn about the interest of the scientific community from forensic anthropologists to the evolutionary history of the DNA remains, the proper way of honoring ancient human remains, the crucial role of courts in controversial cases, and understanding NAGPRA to help students navigate such debates in classroom settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using the example of the Kennewick Man - The Ancient Native American whose skeletal remains were accidentally found by two college students, participants will learn how to create a case study based on a local issue of interest and relate it to the scientific concepts being taught in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Rama Devagupta

Getting students out of the classroom has been shown to have numerous positive impacts at every age. Why not use that outdoor time to help scientists around the world? In this presentation you will learn about easy Citizen Science projects to do in all classrooms. From counting squirrels on the playground, to recording cloud types in the sky, to classifying the biodiversity in your schoolyard, there are projects for everyone! Hear about how easy it is to implement outdoor time from a SciStarter Ambassador who has led projects with preschoolers to college students to the community itself.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how easy it is to incorporate Citizen Science into any classroom. Leave with 1.) an understanding of several big Citizen Science projects, 2.) how they can be implemented in classrooms, 3.) how you can tie Citizen Science to standards.

SPEAKERS:
Elesha Goodfriend, Kelly Moore