Join NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary & BSB Committees as they explore how these award-winning books support STEM learning. Educators will engage in interactive activities, leaving with a head full of ideas on how these books enhance science & engineering practices (SEPs) in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants view and discuss the ten years of Best STEM Book winners and ways to incorporate them into their classrooms to teach the SEPs.

SPEAKERS:
J Carrie Launius, Anne Lowry, Simone Nance, Jennifer Williams

Discover how NSTA Kids Press books can move from page to practice in your classroom. Presenters will share encore favorites and premiere new titles, highlighting how these books support the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Participants will see practical ways to launch inquiry projects, connect to other curricular areas, and integrate literacy into science instruction. Each featured book will include classroom-ready ideas, from hands-on activities to assessment strategies, plus suggestions for extending learning with related texts. Whether you are looking to spark curiosity, strengthen student understanding, or make cross-curricular connections, you will leave with new ideas for teaching science and engineering practices through engaging stories.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore the integration of science and engineering practices and children’s literature through cross disciplinary connections and hands-on activities. Resources provided.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Parks, Patricia Vermillion, Rina Zampieron, Katie Morrison, Simone Nance, Jennifer Williams, Anne Lowry

Led by NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee members, the session addresses the relationship between the NSTA book series and natural phenomena, providing an interactive platform for educators to discover how this series of books can support & enhance SEPs in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore the integration of this series with science and engineering practices through cross-disciplinary connections and hands-on activities. Resources provided.

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Anne Lowry, Melissa Parks, Jennifer Williams

Discover how the 2025 and 2026 Best STEM Books were selected and explore practical ways to bring them into your classroom. This session will highlight the award criteria, selection process, and the unique power of STEM-rich literature to spark curiosity and critical thinking. Attendees will gain strategies for connecting books to the science and engineering practices (SEPs), along with concrete examples of classroom projects and activities inspired by specific titles from the recent award lists. Whether you are new to STEM literature or already use it in your teaching, you will leave with fresh ideas and ready to use projects that link literacy and STEM learning in meaningful ways

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate the 2025 and 2026 Best STEM Books into their classrooms by connecting them to science and engineering practices and adapting sample projects that make STEM learning meaningful, engaging, and literacy-rich.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Parks, Simone Nance, Katie Morrison, J Carrie Launius, Jennifer Williams

Led by members of NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee, participants with practice incorporating playing with common materials to explore science concepts. Participants will also discuss the relationship of play to inquiry, as well as how to pull formative and summative assessments while playing with science

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience different ways of playing with materials in a science classroom, generate ideas for using play to teach science concepts, and see how to assess the learning constructed by such play.

SPEAKERS:
Rina Zampieron, Katie Morrison, Anne Lowry

Discover how NSTA Kids Press books can move from page to practice in your classroom. Presenters will share encore favorites and premiere new titles, highlighting how these books support the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Participants will see practical ways to launch inquiry projects, connect to other curricular areas, and integrate literacy into science instruction. Each featured book will include classroom-ready ideas, from hands-on activities to assessment strategies, plus suggestions for extending learning with related texts. Whether you are looking to spark curiosity, strengthen student understanding, or make cross-curricular connections, you will leave with new ideas for teaching science and engineering practices through engaging stories.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use NSTA Kids Press books to engage students in the Science and Engineering Practices through inquiry projects, cross-curricular connections, and hands-on activities that bring science learning to life.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Parks, Simone Nance, Jennifer Williams

Short on STEM time? We’ve got you covered! Discover how Picture-Perfect STEM lessons turn everyday literacy blocks into powerful science learning experiences. In this hands-on session, you’ll explore ready-to-teach activities built on the 5E model, using beloved children’s picture books as the spark for investigation and problem-solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with practical strategies, real-world connections, and easy-to-implement kits that make STEM integration effortless. Perfect for engaging your youngest learners in sensemaking and three-dimensional learning—all aligned to your state standards!

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Crawford

Led by members of NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee, this workshop will introduce participants to the concepts on text sets. Participants will also discover where to find books on a variety of topics and criteria for choosing books to include in text sets

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to create and use text sets in the science classroom

SPEAKERS:
Rina Zampieron, Anne Lowry

Explore a seabird study and the effects of climate change. We will share our integrated curriculum: authentic data analysis, field techniques, seabird biology, the Arctic ecosystem, and talking about climate change with students. Come try a fish foraging simulation, bird banding technique, and research tools!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore an integrated curriculum centered on a 51-year Arctic seabird study and the impacts of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem. Hands-on: fish foraging simulation (very fun!), bird banding activity, research tools, and strategies for talking about climate change with students.

SPEAKERS:
Katie Morrison

From treasure maps to migration flyways, mapping opens a whole world for children. Imaginations take flight when we create and read maps, all while building skills in science, technology, engineer and math. During our time, we'll identify curriculum topics that can be enhanced through the use of mapping, such as following animal tracks and learning how our food gets from the farm to our table. Participants in this workshop will learn basic orienteering skills and will leave with a list of resources they can use to teach map literacy in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn basic orienteering skills and techniques for teaching map reading skills to young children. Teachers will leave with resources they can use in their own classrooms and ideas for how to include mapping in their existing curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Rina Zampieron