Why do some burned hillsides suddenly flood or slide after a storm? This session uses phenomena-based instruction to explore how soil chemistry and structure regulate water movement, nutrient transport, and pollutant filtration. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that model how soils can absorb or repel water, store and release nutrients, and contribute to hazards such as flooding, landslides, and fire-altered soils that become water-repellent. Investigating soil data and maps, educators will uncover how soil processes connect to essential Earth and environmental science concepts. Participants will leave with freely available resources, professional development opportunities, and strategies for guiding students to explain natural hazards and ecosystem functions through the lens of soil science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Why do burned slopes flood or slide? Engage your students in hands-on soil investigations to uncover how structure and chemistry regulate water flow, stability, and susceptibility to hazards and take home free resources to spark phenomena-based learning in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Brase, Lindsay Mossa, Natalie Macke

This workshop equips both middle and high school teachers to use My NASA Data’s Earth System Data Explorer to investigate the Urban Heat Island Effect as a phenomenon for teaching heat transfer and thermodynamics. Participants will work with authentic NASA satellite datasets—land surface temperature, albedo, and vegetation indices—to explore how urban and rural environments differ in absorbing and releasing energy. Case studies from California and North Carolina provide contrasting examples of geography, land cover, and climate, helping participants connect conduction, convection, and radiation to real-world contexts. Educators will leave with NGSS-aligned, classroom-ready lessons and strategies for guiding students in analyzing satellite data, constructing explanations, and applying science concepts to local and global challenges of urbanization and climate resilience.

TAKEAWAYS:
Middle and high school science teachers will gain classroom-ready, phenomena-based lessons using NASA satellite data to investigate Earth’s energy budget, making heat transfer and thermodynamics meaningful through the Urban Heat Island Effect.

SPEAKERS:
Kellyn Hardin, Natalie Macke

This interactive workshop helps educators bridge classroom science concepts with real-world environmental action. While national in scope, the session highlights examples and opportunities specific to West Coast educators—illustrating how local environmental issues, from coastal monitoring to drought resilience, can anchor student inquiry and action. Participants will explore place-based and participatory science practices that engage students in locally relevant, data-driven investigations inspiring stewardship and problem-solving. Through a model lesson, teachers will learn to guide students in discussing community needs through the lens of sustainability goals, helping them connect science learning with purposeful action. By the end of the workshop, participants will have access to free resources, databases, and networks that support stewardship-oriented instruction and leave ready to design their own classroom-to-community project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how classroom science can lead to real-world impact! Leave with free resources, data tools, and networks that support stewardship-based teaching—and the inspiration to design your own classroom-to-community project. Find out how to get $5000 toward your project.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Martinez, Peggy Steffen