How do we get high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) into the hands of teachers prepared to use them? Join the discussion with other district leaders and share experiences and practical insights when supporting implementation of HQIM as a means of ensuring meaningful learning experiences for each student. The session will focus on challenges faced, lessons learned, and tested approaches to consider when planning for effective and sustained use of HQIM. Learn how BSCS's Curriculum Implementation Model can support you in taking critical leadership actions through the process.

Set sail on a journey through the newly released full elementary OpenSciEd curriculum—where manatees glide, dolphins echolocate, and young learners tackle real-world phenomena with brilliance and curiosity. In this session, we’ll dive into an instructional approach that supports all students in figuring out complex science ideas through coherent, phenomenon-driven storylines.

Participants will experience a taste of a third grade unit to figure out why living things live where they do —connecting you to the why and the how of 3-dimensional science teaching. Along the way, we’ll explore key features of the curriculum through classroom video and surface how classroom agreements can foster inclusive and collaborative environments. We’ll also unpack how purposeful classroom discussion helps students make sense of science, not just memorize it.

Come ready to explore, reflect, and imagine what’s possible when high-quality materials meet the brilliance of elementary learners.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Belcastro, Guy Ollison, Yanira Vazquez

Join Tuva and the NSTA Professional Learning Team for a deep dive into using local data as evidence in making sense of complex phenomena. At the start of the session, educators will pose questions about a local anchoring phenomenon and use the Tuva Tools to explore and visualize real datasets in pursuit of answers. The latter half will include a community science experience, where participants will gather and analyze their own data. Participants will leave with practical strategies for guiding students to use mathematics and science practices to uncover patterns in their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
--Develop a deeper understanding of the role of data and mathematical thinking in the process of sensemaking. --Explore authentic local data using the Tuva data, graphing, and statistics tools to make sense of local phenomena. --Develop practical strategies to help all students productively engage with data.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira, Jocelyn Foran

Step right up to the Carnival of Collisions!

Welcome to Class CrunchLabs (CCL), a completely free, NGSS-designed (phenomena and problem-based) curriculum resource composed of short, modular units packed with videos, activities, googly eyes, and serious science sensemaking.

In this session, we'll join YouTuber Mark Rober and his unit co-hosts as they navigate the Carnival of Collisions storyline [MS-PS2-1 & MS-PS2-2]. We'll explore how to lead classroom investigations designed by the CrunchLabs toy creators, teach with interactive video assessments, track student progress with multi-unit Mission Logs (student portfolios) and reflection activities, plus more.

Curious about teacher and student supports? Our curriculum writers will host these discussions firsthand and answer your questions. We’ll also explore how to customize the curriculum to fit your classroom, all while keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal: sparking student curiosity and boosting creative confidence. Of course, we'll engage in plenty of purposeful play, which may or may not include slingshots, projectiles, and a very large stack of stuffed squirrels.

Please Note: Mark Rober will not attend this session, but he may share a video message for early adopters. Don't miss out!

TAKEAWAYS:
--Gain a clear understanding of how to implement CCL's NGSS-designed, phenomenon-based science units and promote sensemaking through hands-on investigations. --Explore effective strategies for using CCL's interactive video assessments, Mission Logs (student portfolios), and reflection activities to track and support student progress. --Discover ways to customize and adapt this playful, engaging curriculum to spark student curiosity and build creative confidence in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Tommy Clayton, Sara Cooper, Tara Graham, Sarah Ridder, Spencer Martin

Every student deserves access to high-quality, meaningful science instruction designed to leverage and support students' linguistic resources. Join professional learning leaders from BSCS Science Learning and NSTA for a full-day deep dive into classroom instruction that supports multilingual learners through rich, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences.

In this immersive session, we’ll explore the specific approaches using lesson examples and video footage to see how intentional strategies and routines promote language and science understanding. You’ll learn how high-quality science curricula foster opportunities for multilingual learners to interact with the classroom community to share their ideas, deepen their ability to engage in science, and make sense of the natural world.

TAKEAWAYS:
--How intentional instructional design supports multilingual learners --Strategies that promote language-rich, collaborative science classrooms --Real-world video examples and specific strategies from classrooms

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud, Susan Gomez Zwiep

Get ready to spark your students’ curiosity and imagination with science stories that make learning come alive! In this full-day, hands-on session, Stories that Spark Science: Harnessing NSTA Kids and Award-Winning Children's Books, we will dive into a treasure trove of children’s literature perfect for connecting literacy and science.

The morning will be an inspiring journey through three engaging segments:

1. The Next Time You See Series Explore this beloved NSTA Kids series, discover strategies for using it in your classroom or program, and hear real-world examples of how these books inspire wonder and inquiry.

2. Spotlight on New and Timeless NSTA Kids™ Books From timeless favorites to exciting new releases, you’ll get a guided tour of NSTA Kids titles and supporting resources, along with practical tips for bringing them to life for your learners.

3. Award-Winning Reads: NSTA–CBC Best STEM Books & Outstanding Science Trade Books Learn about the rigorous criteria behind these celebrated titles, explore ways to engage students with them, and see how they connect to NSTA Press resources.

Along the way, we will model strategies for selecting high-quality literature, creating text sets that support diverse learners, and integrating science and literacy with ease. You’ll also have time to browse the books, share ideas with fellow educators, and discover helpful NSTA resources.

In the afternoon, roll up your sleeves and put inspiration into action! Working in grade-band groups, you will develop lesson plans and activities using the featured books, aligned to shared themes and standards. Plus, you’ll have the chance to win a free NSTA Kids™ “Text Set” to jump-start your own classroom library.

Come ready to read, collaborate, and leave with lessons, ideas, and resources you can use right away to get kids excited about science through story.

Our work with educators demonstrates that compassion can be a powerful resource for maintaining hope, connecting with purpose, and sparking joy, even in difficult times. We invite you to join this workshop to develop perspectives and learn practices for mindfulness, kindness, and compassion for self and others that support emotional regulation and overall well-being. You will also engage in activities and practices to integrate compassion into your classroom and everyday life. Anchored in teaching about climate change, this workshop is relevant to any educator who has experienced uncertainty, overwhelm, or stress.

Are you looking for better ways to design meaningful, standards-aligned classroom-based assessments that reflect your students' thinking? In this full-day workshop, we'll work together to create three-dimensional (3D) science assessments—supported by a powerful generative AI tool and guided by your teacher's expertise. Using the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) Design Framework, we will show you how to develop 3D knowledge-in-use assessment tasks by walking through how to unpack performance expectations, craft learning performances and evidence statements, and co-create tasks responsive to your students' diverse backgrounds and learning needs. You'll learn how to write effective prompts for AI, evaluate and adapt AI-generated content, and ensure that what you create is instructionally useful and meaningful. Along the way, we'll also engage in honest, practical conversations about the ethical and appropriate uses of AI in education. This session is designed specifically for upper elementary and middle school teachers but is open to all who are interested. You will leave with ready-to-use assessment tasks, access to customizable prompts and design templates, new strategies you can apply immediately in your classroom, and knowledge of how to craft 3D assessment tasks.

TAKEAWAYS:
-Learn how to design knowledge-in-use aligned with NGSS using Generative AI tools. -Gain practical experience writing prompts, generating and refining tasks, and applying a systematic design framework. -Explore ways to responsibly integrate GenAI into your work that honors student voice, local context, and teacher judgment. -Walk away with a complete prototype assessment, classroom-ready resources, and a deeper confidence in your ability to design assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Tingting Li, Joseph Krajcik, Selin Akgun

Onsite registration and badge printing are available.

Don’t miss this exciting event showcasing science and STEM-based programs, organizations, mobile labs, and local Anaheim attractions! Explore a variety of displays, connect with showcase presenters, enjoy tasty bites, and take advantage of ample networking opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about science and STEM-based programs, organizations, mobile labs, and local Anaheim attractions.

Navigate your first National NSTA Conference with ease! Join our session for an orientation to the conference, tips on selecting sessions, and an opportunity to meet other first-time attendees. We will share a few insider tips from experienced conference attendees and give an overview of the conference app. This session will help you discover why you belong at NSTA and how to make the most of your experience.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get the most out of your conference experience in addition to becoming an engaged learner.

Join us for an opening reception to mark the start of NSTA ANA26! We’ll keep it casual—enjoy beverages and small bites while networking with old and new friends. The event is complimentary and open to all registered conference attendees.

In this transformative keynote, Erin delivers a powerful framework in her signature entertaining and high-energy style, designed to help leaders and teams unlock next-level performance while maintaining balance and resilience. Packed with actionable insights and inspiring stories drawn from her hyper-growth leadership background and decades of research with CEOs, Fortune 100 leaders, Olympians and celebrities, Erin empowers audiences to move beyond hustle culture and embrace strategies that drive exceptional results without burning out.

This keynote is more than a roadmap for success—it’s a call to inspire action, recharge your team, and create unstoppable momentum. Leaders and teams will walk away energized, focused, and equipped to achieve extraordinary results with balance, clarity, and purpose. Ready to burn bright, not out? This session is your blueprint for unstoppable success.

TAKEAWAYS:
-Learn how to maintain energy and focus while achieving ambitious goals. -Identify high-leverage actions that drive results and fulfillment. -Inspire teams to perform at their best by reconnecting with what drives them. -Learn how to maximize output without burning out. -Develop sustainable habits that keep you and your team at the top of your game. -Shift from a grind mentality to a balanced approach that continually energizes and inspires.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Stafford

Calling all yoga enthusiasts! Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, join yoga teacher, Azra Chughtai, RYT, for a warm-up with breathwork, hatha yoga (gentle stretching exercises to wake up the body), and, of course, meditation for relaxation and de-stressing. Beginner friendly!

TAKEAWAYS:
Recharge: Energizing and Stress Relief

Fuel up for a great day of learning and connection! All attendees are welcome to enjoy a complimentary Grab & Go Breakfast on Thursday and Friday mornings, from 6:45 to 8:00 AM (in the Lobby of both the Main building and the North building). Offerings will include gluten-free and vegan-friendly options.

Fuel up for a great day of learning and connection! All attendees are welcome to enjoy a complimentary Grab & Go Breakfast on Thursday and Friday mornings, from 6:45 to 8:00 AM (in the Lobby of both the Main building and the North building). Offerings will include gluten-free and vegan-friendly options.

Onsite registration and badge printing are available.

Navigate your first National NSTA Conference with ease! Join our session for an orientation to the conference, tips on selecting sessions, and an opportunity to meet other first-time attendees. We will share a few insider tips from experienced conference attendees and give an overview of the conference app. This session will help you discover why you belong at NSTA and how to make the most of your experience.

Please note, this is a repeat of the session from Wednesday afternoon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get the most out of your conference experience in addition to becoming an engaged learner.

A vision to support collaboration of district teachers, administrators, scientists and educators working to integrate Earth and environmental science phenomena into high school biology, chemistry, and physics courses in Baltimore City Schools. The 5+1 framework guides the integration of earth science by incorporating the following components: 1) 3-Dimensional instruction, 2) phenomenon driven units, 3) student-centered learning (specific to ML with language and content objectives) , 4) responsive instruction with “in the moment” resources, tools, and strategies;, and 5) Earth science content for all students (+1). The framework ensures the curriculum developed is aligned to NGSS, infuses Earth science content, and is accessible to all students. Participants will use the 5+1 model to examine specific unit/lesson examples, in biology, to develop instruction that is responsive, phenomena driven with considerations to use language objectives to build instruction for ML students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using the 5+1 model for Earth science integrated instruction, participants will analyze units and lessons in biology for the presence of key components designed to differentiate instruction for all students with a focus on diverse learners with a specific focus on multi-language learners (ML).

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Garner, Andrew Collins, Edmund Mitzel, Jr., Ph.D.

Explore an innovative, skills-based approach to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) career discovery with CareerXplorer, a free tool from LabXchange. In this session, participants will experience how integrative tools can connect learners to a wide range of real-world STEMM opportunities through skill development. With interactive activities, participants will explore STEMM careers and discover how to empower students to connect their classroom learning with real-world career skills and chart their own futures in STEMM. Leave the workshop with practical strategies and lesson plan ideas for integrating these free digital career-connected resources into your own learning spaces and educational standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical tools and strategies to empower students to explore diverse STEMM careers through skills-based learning with CareerXplorer by LabXchange.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Sjoblom

Take your students on the newest addition to the Crash Science in the Classroom website - an immersive 3D 360° virtual field trip inside the IIHS’s crash-testing facility—normally closed to the public. Designed with scaffolded content, the tour promotes equitable classroom practices by offering multimodal instructional strategies by blending 360° navigation with award-winning videos, guiding questions, exciting demos, English/Spanish captions, and hands-on activities to help include all students in self-paced learning. The tour brings experts on relevant and timely topics (i.e., car crashes, crash dummies, teen driving issues, crash avoidance technologies) into classrooms to integrate multi-disciplinary core ideas with science and engineering practices. This high-interest, place-based experience shows how science, engineering, and technology shape society (NGSS Crosscutting Concept) by driving real-world vehicle safety innovations while equipping students with life-saving knowledge.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn how to utilize a placed-based, interactive virtual tour paired with inquiry-based activities to foster students’ engagement and 3D learning by integrating STEM concepts and real-world data with vehicle crashworthiness, crash avoidance technologies, and teen driver safety.

SPEAKERS:
Pini Kalnite, Griff Jones

A key part of learning science is developing language to talk about your ideas. Traditional methods of introducing a science lesson or unit with a vocabulary list and definitions don’t help students develop understanding of science ideas or hold onto the language. In this session, participants will explore instructional strategies for introducing and earning science vocabulary that support understanding for all learners, and especially multilingual learners. Attendees will analyze classroom video to identify teacher moves that embed vocabulary instruction within investigations and discussions. Participants will leave with practical strategies for helping students actively develop and use new science terminology in their sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to embed science vocabulary development within investigations and discussions to strengthen student sensemaking and support all learners, especially multilingual students.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Pawlowski, Ji Sun Ham, Zoe Evans

Sponsoring Company: Switch Classroom

Prepare your students for success on the AP Enviro exam with expert tips for tackling multiple-choice and free-response questions. Learn strategies to enhance critical thinking and test-taking skills, helping your students achieve their best scores.

SPEAKERS:
Jillian Swets

Don’t have time to build a project-based learning (PBL) science unit from the ground up? Learn how to adapt high-quality open educational resources (OER) for your students and community. This session is designed for science educators interested in working with PBL science OERs to increase student engagement and deepen learning. Learn three principles that guide adaptation. 1) Make It Authentic: revise projects to connect with local issues and phenomena that matter to students. 2) Center Students’ Identities and Interests: adapt PBL experiences to affirm students’ backgrounds and increase relevance. 3) Localize to the Community: embed projects in local histories, resources, and cultures so learning feels meaningful and connected. We’ll share how teachers in Guam adapted K-8 PBL science OER units to center students’ cultures and geographies in a unique Pacific island context. Participants will apply lessons learned from Guam and explore strategies for adapting for their own students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Informed by the experiences of educators on Guam, attendees will learn to apply tools and strategies for adapting free project-based learning science curriculum to increase authenticity, center students’ identities, and localize to their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Nachtigal, Alexandra Goodell

Discover how to transform everyday recyclables into a dynamic, learning-rich project. This session provides a practical blueprint for creating an engaging force and motion science lab centered around building a balloon-powered car. We'll guide you through the materials needed and the step-by-step setup, teaching you how to use this fun activity to illustrate key physics principles, including Newton's Laws of Motion, friction, and aerodynamics. Participants will gain the skills to lead a hands-on, inquiry-based lesson that fosters creativity, problem-solving, and an understanding of engineering concepts. Leave with a ready-to-implement lesson plan that turns a simple craft into a powerful STEM exploration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to implement a full force and motion lesson plan by using a hands-on balloon car project with recycled materials, effectively teaching key physics principles like Newton's Laws, force, and friction in an engaging, inquiry-based lab setting.

SPEAKERS:
Daniell Cossey

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Your students can tell you what happened. Can they tell you why? This hands-on session tackles the part of CER most students (and teachers) find hardest: building the bridge between evidence and reasoning. Using BrainPOP Science, you'll practice feedback moves and instructional strategies that help students construct stronger scientific arguments — not just restate conclusions. Walk away with approaches you can try this week

SPEAKERS:
Bobbi Bear

How can we inspire young learners to see themselves as future innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders in STEM? This session explores how computer science and STEM can be meaningfully integrated into elementary classrooms in ways that are both engaging and accessible. In our district’s Imagineer Studio, teachers help students build problem-solving, algorithmic thinking, and logical reasoning skills while fostering a classroom culture that emphasizes creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Through hands-on STEM experiences and career-focused investigations, students begin to recognize clear connections between their classroom learning and real-world STEM careers. Participants will gain practical strategies and classroom-tested approaches that make STEM and computer science exciting, relevant, and aspirational, while equipping young learners to envision their own futures in STEM fields.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this session with practical strategies to make STEM and computer science engaging, relevant, and tied to real-world careers, helping students develop skills and envision future opportunities in STEM fields.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Wiggins, Christopher Bowen

Sponsoring Company: InnerOrbit

AI tools can now generate NGSS-style assessment items in seconds — but how do we know these questions are truly three-dimensional, instructionally sound, and valid? This session examines new research on the promises and limitations of AI-generated assessments and contrasts them with human-designed, field-tested items grounded in real student data. Participants will leave with a clear, classroom-ready checklist for reviewing assessment quality—giving you the confidence to evaluate both AI-generated items and traditional assessments with the same high standards.

SPEAKERS:
Brendan Finch, Emily Miller

Imagine a classroom where every child, regardless of background or ability, is engaged in collaborative science experiences that lead to meaningful learning outcomes. By harnessing the power of Learning Through Play and applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning, teachers can unlock meaningful science learning for every student. LEGO® Education teams up with industry experts to equip teachers with strategies and best practices to transform their science classrooms today. In this session, participants will get hands-on with a standards-aligned science lesson and explore how Learning Through Play and inclusive practices can create meaningful impact. This session empowers participants to think critically about their classroom needs and how to integrate best practices in order to enable every student to believe “science is for me”. Participants will walk away with concrete strategies to bring inclusive playful learning to their classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
By harnessing the power of Learning Through Play and applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning, teachers can unlock meaningful science learning for every student. Participants will receive tips and tricks to bring inclusive playful learning to their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Hanuscin, Stacia Jackson

Did you know that there are nearly 300,000 STEM professionals at the DoW? And did you know that those DoW STEM professionals, along with partner organizations, are leveraged to provide unique STEM learning experiences for students and educators? Participants will have the opportunity to explore STEM resources and opportunities offered by the Department of War. From hands-on learning activities to paid internships and college scholarships, learn how DoW STEM can help you power the next generation of innovators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how the Department of Defense’s extensive STEM workforce and programs, ranging from hands-on activities to internships and scholarships, can provide powerful learning opportunities that inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Marquis Mason, Kristen McInerney

A core tenet of modern science standards is providing students with phenomena-based questions that assess their skills and knowledge across the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards. As assessments become more three-dimensional, a new problem has arisen: how do we help students make sense of these high-demand questions? The key is providing students with a strategy to help them identify and parse essential information in the question. Using a two-column note strategy, students can effectively identify what the question is asking of them, sort essential information from non-essential information, connect prior knowledge, and use their notes to answer the question correctly. During this workshop, attendees will be introduced to the two-column note strategy for assessments and given an opportunity to practice it themselves. Participants will see several examples of student work from a diverse group of students and receive a digital poster to use with students in class.

TAKEAWAYS:
This workshop introduces a two-column note strategy to help students analyze complex phenomena-based assessments, improving test scores by identifying key information and connecting prior knowledge.

SPEAKERS:
Lori Boyer

This workshop offers a hands-on experience with a simple, structured approach to science notebooking designed for both new and experienced teachers. Participants will explore how to transform everyday classroom activities into clear, student-friendly notebook pages that support deeper sensemaking. The session covers the entire process—from planning and designing notebook pages to setting up student notebooks and using straightforward daily templates in class. Attendees will examine examples of high-quality student work for inspiration, create an assignment based on their own subject matter, and receive editable slides ready for immediate use in the classroom. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have the materials and confidence to implement this game-changing approach in their own science teaching right away!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore how to transform everyday classroom activities into clear, student-friendly notebook pages that support deeper sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Kurt Dragomanovich

Come and explore the connections between the teaching and learning of science, CTE, and climate literacy, including intersections with workforce development.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees learn strategies for interweaving science, CTE, and climate learning into a variety of learning contexts and courses.

SPEAKERS:
Johanna Brown, Carol ODonnell, Deb Morrison

How can science departments expand offerings in ways that both engage students and strengthen enrollment? This session shares the step-by-step process of designing, launching, and refining a high school food science elective. Participants will learn how the course was structured to balance rigor with accessibility and connect chemistry, biology, and sustainability to real-world issues. The session will highlight strategies for curriculum design, lab experiences, assessments, and partnerships that made the course successful. Data on enrollment growth and student engagement will be shared, along with practical tools attendees can adapt to their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a roadmap and practical tools for developing a food science elective that engages students, boosts enrollment, and connects science learning to careers, sustainability, and everyday life.

SPEAKERS:
Yana Zubarev, Christopher Taylor

In this workshop, we will explore several phenomena-based hands-on science activities developed by the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, known as science snacks. We will apply an equity lens to draw connections from the scientific phenomena to some social phenomena. Participants will learn to make metaphorical connections between the science of perception and equitable teaching practices, which will help in science teacher professional development, science teaching, and also in public outreach.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn to make metaphorical connections between the science of perception and equitable teaching practices

SPEAKERS:
Eric Muller, Desiré Whitmore, Rachel Myers

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Do you know where your electrical energy comes from? How is energy captured from the wind? Find out with KidWind Renewable Energy Kits! Introduce students of all levels to renewable energy by exploring energy generation. Optimize your wind turbine by building prototypes and testing blade design.

SPEAKERS:
Tom Smith

NSTA’s Elementary Extravaganza is a dedicated learning and connecting space for elementary school educators. Explore discipline-specific sessions, relax in our community space outfitted with cell phone charging stations and connect with other educators.

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Puppies are born to Molly the Labradoodle, and students must use genetics to solve the paternity mystery. Use Punnett squares and DNA gel electrophoresis to track the inheritance of a single trait across the litter. Then decide who’s the daddy: Zeus the Poodle or Otto the Labradoodle?

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD

Discover how to engage students in sensemaking of natural phenomena with Stellarium, a free online planetarium tool. With Stellarium, students can make observations, collect and interpret data, and investigate how the sky changes throughout the year. They can track the motion of the Sun, Moon, and stars, deepening their understanding of Earth’s place in the universe. In this session, participants will learn how to access and use Stellarium to guide students in recognizing patterns and systems. All activities are adaptable across grade levels, align with NGSS science and engineering practices, and include interdisciplinary connections to math, social studies, and ELA.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore ready-to-use Stellarium lessons that ignite student curiosity, deepen inquiry into Earth and Space Science standards, and build meaningful interdisciplinary connections.

SPEAKERS:
Shefali Mehta

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

How do forensic scientists find evidence in invisible ink? Students must think like both detectives AND scientists to find out! By capturing spectra of ink samples, students investigate electromagnetic radiation, explore light-matter interactions, and use mathematical models to calculate energy.

SPEAKERS:
Nüsret Hisim

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Explore the world of forensic science with these fun and exciting escape room activities designed to engage your students! In this investigation, you’ll decipher clues, solve puzzles, and unravel evidence to free the innocent. Hands-on techniques include forensic blood detection, blood typing, and DNA fingerprinting using agarose gel electrophoresis, giving students experience with core biotechnology methods. We’ll share tips and tricks for setting up and managing the escape room in class. This sequence of experiments supports critical thinking, collaboration, and the application of scientific principles in a way that aligns with high school life science performance expectations, making it easy to integrate into your existing biotechnology curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Ready to transform your science teaching? Discover Cultural Bridges - an equity strategy connecting students' lived experiences with NGSS phenomena through culturally responsive questioning. This hands-on workshop guides PreK-8 educators through adapting existing lessons using the Framework's emphasis on connecting to students' interests and experiences. Participants will experience student perspectives while transforming their chosen lesson using Cultural Bridge questions, witnessing increased engagement for multilingual learners and students who may face barriers to access or engagement. Leave with your revised lesson, implementation rubric, and practical tools. Bring any PreK-8 science lesson you teach. Address equity while maintaining three-dimensional learning rigor.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will adapt an existing science lesson using Cultural Bridge questions, experiencing how this simple addition transforms student engagement and deepens NGSS learning for multilingual learners and students who may face barriers to access or engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Almitra Berry

Career Lab 360 reimagines traditional career exploration by immersing students in hands-on, real-world tasks that mirror the responsibilities and problem-solving skills used across a wide range of professions. This session highlights how the Career Lab model transforms passive career awareness into active, skill-driven engagement through a series of interactive stations. Each station is designed to showcase a different career pathway, allowing students to rotate through experiences that connect classroom learning to authentic workforce applications. Participants will learn how this approach strengthens student understanding of career possibilities, builds foundational skills, and fosters a future-ready mindset. By partnering with community organizations and industry professionals, Career Lab 360 creates meaningful bridges between schools and the world of work, inspiring students to envision their future careers with clarity and confidence.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to design and implement hands-on, experiential career stations in partnership with community and industry organizations that replicate real-world tasks and foster students’ problem-solving skills, career awareness, and future-ready mindsets.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Patti, Beverly Stambaugh

Learn about Educating for Environmental Change (EFEC), a free Indiana University program that helps educators teach the science and policy of climate change and participate in exemplar activities. This workshop will introduce the EFEC project and provide information on how teachers can get involved. The presenter will also facilitate exemplar activities from the project that are designed to engage students in the practice of scientific argumentation. Surfacing student thinking, addressing student misconceptions, and alignment to the NGSS will also be emphasized. The EFEC project is designed to elucidate and deepen understanding of environmental issues through hands-on lessons co-designed by IU's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, the School of Education, and veteran K-12 science teachers. EFEC utilizes the following driving questions: how do we know the climate is changing; what are the impacts of these changes; what can be done moving forward; and how do we cultivate optimism in our students?

TAKEAWAYS:
The Educating for Environmental Change (EfEC) project utilizes the following driving questions: how do we know the climate is changing; what are the impacts of these changes; how can we mitigate these changes; and how do we cultivate optimism in our students while teaching them about climate change?

SPEAKERS:
Adam Scribner

Explore how place-based and environmental justice focused lessons transform science learning by connecting students’ lived experiences to local water systems. Participants will examine three NGSS aligned case studies: Salmon in the Klamath, San Gabriel Valley groundwater pollution, and Owens Valley water conflict, to see how Traditional Ecological Knowledge, local data collection, and storytelling deepen understanding of Living Earth systems. Attendees will engage in interdisciplinary strategies that integrate biology, earth science, and environmental policy while supporting multilingual and neurodiverse learners through visual data tools, community mapping, and reflective journaling. The workshop models assessments that invite students to think critically, act locally, and communicate scientifically. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use lesson frameworks demonstrating how equity-centered science increases engagement, equity, and agency in the STEM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain ready-to-use, NGSS-aligned frameworks for teaching local water systems through place-based and environmental justice lenses. They will leave equipped to integrate storytelling, data analysis, and traditional ecological knowledge to engage all learners in equitable science.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Ann Ng

Sponsoring Company: Kiddom

What does it take to make sense-making of phenomena through investigating the center of science instruction, not just in theory, but in daily practice? Join Dr. Mike Flanagan and explore how intentional curriculum design, when paired with powerful learning intelligence technology (LIT), can transform instruction and empower all learners. Featuring actionable strategies, this session will leave you inspired and equipped to design learning experiences that are coherent and genuinely engaging.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how thoughtful curriculum design and digital tools work together to support sense-making in science instruction, with practical strategies they can apply immediately to create more coherent, equitable, and engaging learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Flanagan

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Splash into the molecular world of water and membranes through hands-on learning. Experience simple, powerful models that bring water’s abstract properties to life and reveal how they drive membrane structure and behavior. Step into your students’ shoes as you tinker with models to wonder, investigate, and revise your own ideas about biological membranes. We’ll spotlight strategies that center student discovery and thinking, support NGSS practices, and connect microscopic interactions to big biological ideas. Join us to explore ways to make membrane chemistry tangible, visual, and fun.

SPEAKERS:
Keri Shingleton

Join this session to explore how my former students with special education experiences are using GenAI to dismantle barriers and expand learning opportunities in their daily lives. Drawing on case studies from my research and Engeström’s concept of expansive learning, I will highlight how collaborative engagement with GenAI fosters agency, supports expansive learning, and opens new possibilities. Examining why youth use GenAI also helps identify changes and innovations needed in learning environments. I will share moments when a participant’s use of ChatGPT raised questions about potential misuse and prompted reflection on how I designed the study. Join to explore the power of co-design with GenAI for expansive learning and accessibility, and gain practical strategies for engaging students as active, ethical participants in shaping their learning environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore the power of discussing and collaborating with youth on GenAI use, using these conversations to inform improvements, foster ethical decision-making, and create more inclusive, responsive learning environments.

SPEAKERS:
Gina Tesoriero

Explore interactive strategies to inspire student engagement in complex science discussions. Using genetic engineering as a focus, this session highlights how you can support students in discussing the intersection of innovation with bioethics and public policy. Learn approaches to guide students in researching diverse perspectives on GMOs and CRISPR use and regulations, analyzing case studies, and participating in discussions. Discover ways to foster civil discourse on ethical debates while building independent research and synthesis skills. You will leave with practical tools and free resources to make real-world connections, helping students strengthen communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. Aligned to honors and AP Biology (Unit 6), the session also connects to environmental science, ethics, government, and economics, offering interdisciplinary connections for deeper learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn strategies and gain resources to engage students in real-world science conversations, with a specific focus on the intersections of genetic engineering, bioethics, and policy. This is to better support building student research, communication, and critical thinking skills.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Lane

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering science classrooms, yet many educators are unsure how to begin using it in purposeful and responsible ways. In this introductory session, participants will explore what AI is, what it is not, and how it can support NGSS sensemaking without replacing student thinking. Through live demonstrations and simple classroom examples, educators will learn how AI can help students ask better questions, strengthen reasoning, and engage more deeply with phenomena. The session highlights ethical use of AI as a partner in science learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will understand how to use AI as a tool for sensemaking that strengthens student questioning and reasoning while supporting phenomenon-based science learning routines.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Lazzaro, Velma Itamura

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

Come experience what Carolina + OpenSciEd Elementary is all about through a hands-on model lesson in which students explore water in natural systems, determine if it is healthy or unhealthy, and discuss what can be done. Discover how the new Carolina Certified Version of OpenSciEd’s high-quality instructional materials are more accessible, more user-friendly, and enhanced for classroom safety. Participants will walk away with valuable resources for their classroom.    

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera

Discover motion, sound, thermal, radiant, chemical, and electrical energy through hands-on experiments using everyday materials. Lessons are differentiated for all grade levels, making energy concepts accessible and engaging for every classroom. You’ll leave with fun, ready-to-use investigations that build scientific reasoning, connect to the real world, and give you the confidence to teach energy forms and transformations with ease.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to teach energy forms and transformations to students of all grade levels and can take right back to their classroom with all lessons available as a free PDF download, including translated to Spanish.

SPEAKERS:
Don Pruett, Jr.

NSTA’s High School Haven is a dedicated learning and connecting space for high school educators. Explore discipline-specific sessions, relax in our community space outfitted with cell phone charging stations and refuel with daily afternoon snacks.

Sponsoring Company: FLINN

Stop the daydreaming and start the questioning! This high-energy session focuses on the power of the "visual hook" to drive engagement through the undeniable evidence of chemistry in action. Witness a series of demonstrations—from vibrant color changes and dramatic shifts in state to unexpected phenomena like boiling water in a bell jar or reactive metals in oil. These techniques grab attention and trigger immediate curiosity for students at all levels. Designed for any stage of a career, new and veteran teachers alike will leave with a practical toolkit of safe, high-impact demos ready for use on Monday morning!

SPEAKERS:
Mike Marvel, Ph.D.

Participants will make sense of a phenomenon by engaging in 3D tasks that require the explicit use and application of Disciplinary Core Ideas to develop system models and construct explanations. Participants will discuss how the Principles of Learning (How People Learn, 1999) and recommendations from the Framework (NRC, 2012) require us to rethink the role of Core Ideas to promote conceptual understanding. We will show and discuss several unique classroom videos to illustrate what this looks like in a classroom and how it motivates all students to learn science. We will share examples of student models and explanations and as well as tools and strategies to support students in using and applying Core Ideas to phenomena. Participants will have open access to these tools, which can be used with any investigation, and they will leave with strategies that build community, spark passion for science, and ensure all learners have access to meaningful science experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will deepen their understanding of Core Ideas in science learning and gain strategies and tools to help all students use and apply these ideas to explore and explain phenomena in any 3D investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Wil Van der Veen, Brielle Tesauro

Sponsoring Company: RAYN Growing Systems

Hydroponics gives students a living laboratory where science, literacy, and agriculture come alive. In this hands-on workshop, educators will explore NGSS-aligned investigations using a cheap plastic cup experiment to teach plant growth, environmental science, CTE, and STEM. Participants will experience a phenomena-based lab that models real agricultural research—how pH affects plant development—using simple and cheap materials that work in any school setting. We will demonstrate student-friendly data collection strategies, cross-curricular literacy connections, and ways to integrate STEM and sustainability. Educators will leave with ready-to-use lessons, assessment rubrics, and digital student data tables that build scientific thinking and support National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes. Whether teaching PreK–5, middle school, or high school, attendees will learn how to transform food systems learning into powerful experiential education while helping students explore career pathways

SPEAKERS:
Bryce Corning

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Classroom communities make sense of scientific phenomena through discussion. Purposeful talk is essential for drawing out student ideas, negotiating and refining those ideas, and supporting communication in scientific ways. This session focuses on the discussion types used in OpenSciEd high school classrooms to support 3-dimensional sensemaking. In this session, come see what makes us different! Participants will explore how discussion helps connect science and engineering practices with disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, making student thinking visible and actionable.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Marmolejo, Faith Blaine

Current teaching and practice in preschool classrooms often includes limited exposure to informational science texts; which are essential to building all children’s sensemaking of disciplinary core ideas. In this 60-minute presentation, participants will learn strategies for embedding language-rich discussions into read-alouds of informational science texts focused on life, Earth and Space, and physical science topics. Participants will also learn about conducting hands-on science activities based on informational science texts and real-life phenomena. High-quality nonfiction science texts and hands-on activities will be presented. Videos and pictures captured in authentic preschool classrooms will be used to help participants gain firsthand accounts of evidence-based discussion strategies for building children’s language around science using information science texts and hands-on activities in preschool classrooms. Feedback from teacher implementation will also be included.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away practical, evidence-based discussion strategies and hands-on activities that foster understanding of disciplinary core science ideas for all children in preschool classrooms. Participants will also come away with a list of texts and materials for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Robin McGinnis

Join us to explore how science teaching and learning in elementary classrooms can be leveraged to improve student learning across subjects. Participants will start by sharing their experiences and perspectives around barriers to making time for science in elementary classrooms, and then start to look for solutions. We will engage in three dimensional, integrated literacy and science learning activities and reflect on the instructional strategies and how phenomena-based learning promotes growth in both disciplines. The session will culminate with an overview of current research in the field highlighting how increased time spent on science instruction is beneficial to growth across content areas. This session is designed to support K-5 educators and education leaders in advocating for increased science time in their schools or regions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away both the research and the instructional strategies learned in the session to advocate for increased science instructional time in K-5 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Stenger, Vanessa Lujan

This session will highlight strategies for supporting two key attributes of sensemaking: student ideas and science ideas. Presenters will share an NSTA tool for evaluating lessons, focusing on equitable instruction. In small groups, participants will experience hands-on strategies that promote student discourse and equitable access, such as chalk-talk, QFT, card sorts, and whiteboarding. These strategies will be grounded in classroom evidence from Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science, using examples of engineering design, data analysis, and models. The session includes dedicated time for reflection, allowing participants to connect these techniques to NSTA's sensemaking criteria and plan for implementation in their own teaching. Through small-group discussions and large-group share-outs, participants will personalize their learning and gain valuable insights from their peers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience and review student work from strategies that create equitable, sensemaking science environments. Focusing on science and student ideas, participants will identify strategies to implement in their own practice to improve sensemaking for all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Emilie Cross, Kevin Henson

Step into the Leadership Lounge, a dedicated space for school, district, and state leaders to pause, recharge, and make the most of their time in Anaheim. Designed in partnership with NSELA and supported by Vernier, it’s your hub to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and reflect on how conference insights can translate into action. Stop by anytime to enjoy a coffee or snack, catch up between sessions, and recharge for what’s next.

See the full schedule of opportunities here.

Generously sponsored by: Vernier Science Education

This presentation will share a full kinematics PBL unit based on speed walking and highlight the key activities. The presentation will begin with an overview of the project and rationale for leveraging PBLs to engage students in science and engineering practices. The PBL begins with the anchoring question “How do you win a race?”. The presentation includes an overview of the scaffolded activities to get students comfortable with the software and sensors used to collect their own speed walking data. The PBL unit includes activities to support students to analyze their collected speed walking data. Finally, the presentation details the two peer review cycles students engage in to improve their presentation skills and to get feedback on their work. Throughout the presentation, attendees will be encouraged to ask questions in addition to reflecting on how this PBL unit could fit into their context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain access to a complete kinematics PBL unit that can be adapted to their context, including a unit outline, activities, and assignments. Attendees will learn about the unit structure, how to implement the key activities, and consider how to modify the resources to meet their needs.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Estes

Step into the shoes of your students and experience the power of puzzles firsthand! In this interactive session, participants will begin with a mini escape room challenge—working together to unlock a mystery box using science clues and critical thinking. Then, we’ll break down how to design and implement your own classroom escape experiences to deepen engagement, collaboration, and content mastery. From low-prep paper puzzles to more immersive breakouts, you’ll leave with practical strategies, templates, and inspiration to make any middle or high school science lesson feel like an adventure.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn strategies for using escape rooms and puzzles to transform science learning—boosting engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking while making your classroom an unforgettable experience.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Yi, Kim Bathker

Grab your coffee and pull up a seat. This is your chance to connect live with the Class CrunchLabs team and other educators who are building the future of science class. Ask questions, share wins, swap stories, and get real-time tips from the people designing the units and using them with students. Whether you are just getting started or deep into your first mission, this is a space for honest conversation, curiosity, and community. No slides. No pressure. Just real talk with your Class CrunchLabs crew.

TAKEAWAYS:
Bring your questions, feedback, and curiosity. This is your space to connect live with the Class CrunchLabs team, swap ideas with other educators, and get support from real humans.

SPEAKERS:
DeAnna Lee Rivers, Arash Jamshidi, Tommy Clayton, Rebecca Garelli, Jesse Semeyn, Megan Kuehl, Spencer Martin, Tara Graham

Sponsoring Company: TCI

Learn to promote interest and engagement while helping students achieve specific learning objectives with games. Join us as you learn simple and valuable ways to gamify your lessons. We will be sharing a few creative game ideas for building relationships and reviewing and learning content.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Hall

Explore the phenomena of shorebird migration to figure out the amazing journeys of these birds. Engage in What  Can I Eat investigation connecting to how internal and external features support survival. Many birds such as loons, hummingbirds and ospreys  migrate using the flyways but this  session focuses on the  migration data and flyway maps of sanderlings and other shorebirds. We will figure out how patterns of parental behavior influence migration..

We will demonstrate how to use phenomena-based learning tools as we explore the migration of a sanderling called Gilbert during a fall migration...

We will use an interactive read aloud guide to demonstrate the connections between science and literacy. Discussions will include how we leverage migration to do science and how we are explicitly  teaching  reading at the same time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with inquiry investigations to use in their classroom, access to real time data, strategies for using phenomena-based and place-based pedagogy in the elementary classroom, a read-aloud guide and a list of resources for using literary to teach science.,

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Renfrew

NSTA’s Meet Me in the Middle is a dedicated learning and connecting space for middle school educators. Explore discipline-specific sessions, relax in our community space outfitted with cell phone charging stations and connect with other educators.

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Experience the power of cross-disciplinary learning! In this hands-on workshop, teachers will use micropipettes to serve as powerful tools for reinforcing measurement accuracy, proportional reasoning, and data analysis—all while producing stunning visual art. Teachers will practice valuable transferable lab skills and discover an approachable entry point for STEM learners of all levels. Leave with classroom-ready ideas that blend art, math, and scientific precision in meaningful ways.

SPEAKERS:
Erika Fong

Discover innovative ways to bring bioethics into your classroom through the thought-provoking Playing God? podcast from The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Using real-world stories of medical advancement, this session highlights how storytelling can spark curiosity, invite critical dialogue, and engage all learners in exploring the intersection of science, ethics, and society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies to use real-life bioethical dilemmas from Playing God? to foster interdisciplinary, inclusive, and participatory science learning that develops students’ critical thinking and global awareness.

SPEAKERS:
Kenji Nomura

This session explores the crucial lessons learned during the first year of our OpenSciEd high school materials rollout and details the successful instructional shifts observed in the second year. We will share a multi-faceted model for systemic change, focusing on three core strategies: building effective school-based leadership, leveraging trailblazing teachers to support reluctant implementers, and proactively minimizing barriers to high-quality science instruction for all students. Join us to gain actionable insights into supporting science educators and accelerating the transition of high school instruction to align with A Framework for K-12 Science Education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how a phased rollout strategy provided scalable affordances, built a robust network of administrators, and leveraged science teacher leaders to address challenges and remove barriers to support all students with a high-quality science learning experience at scale.

SPEAKERS:
Anne Craddock, Kristin Lilley, Kristoffer Carroll, Mary Shane, Dawn Bien, Audri Rosen

This session focuses on the trilogy of NSTA Press books on the Three Dimensions and is led by NSTA’s former in-house expert on science standards who recruited the lead authors of all three books. Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices provides a play-by-play understanding of the practices. Disciplinary Core Ideas: Reshaping Teaching and Learning provides an in depth perspective on the disciplinary core ideas. Crosscutting Concepts: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning is designed to help educators grasp the foundational issues that undergird crosscutting concepts. These books are written in clear, nontechnical language. Many of the authors contributed to the development of the Framework and NGSS. The authors also share a wealth of real-world examples drawn from their own classroom experiences to show what’s different about three-dimensional teaching and learning at all grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn techniques to use these three books to help educators have a deep understanding of practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts to foster better student learning in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard

[10 min] Participants will be provided with and introduced to our phenomena-based planning tool for content instruction that is both meaningful to students and shows how science disciplines work together. [40 min] Participants will use our tool to develop unit plans that they can take back to the classroom. First, they will: 1) identify phenomena and interdisciplinary connections for an upcoming lesson/unit; and 2) identify anchoring questions. Second, they will outline a plan for a unit. Participants will work in groups by their needs based on content and teaching context. Facilitators will circulate to each group and use timed check-ins during the workshop as a way to monitor progress, address whole group questions and offer feedback and support. [10 min] In groups, participants will share their outline for an phenomena based, interdisciplinary lesson, exchange feedback and respond to questions. To conclude, participants will map out their next steps to prepare for implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a phenomena-based planning tool and a draft of an interdisciplinary unit plan that promotes engaging, experience-driven learning aligned with NGSS, OpenSciEd and other curricula.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Stetzenmeyer, Takumi Sato, PhD

How can a greenhouse become more than a structure, serving as a space for equity, sustainability, and student voice in science education? The Greenhouse Initiative at New Brunswick Public Schools showcases how place-based, three-dimensional learning can transform science education through sustainability, equity, and community engagement. Created as a living lab, the greenhouse provides equitable spaces for Multilingual Learners and Ability Diverse Learners to engage in authentic, NGSS-aligned learning experiences that honor student voice and foster inclusion. This initiative led to the development of an elective course that naturally integrates science, health, and environmental problem-solving, positioning students as leaders in addressing local and global challenges tied to UNSDG #11: Sustainable Cities & Communities. District leadership, science specialists, teachers, and community members collaborated to design and sustain this work, ensuring alignment with system-wide priorities.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will explore how a Greenhouse Initiative promotes a place-based approach to environmental challenges, while advancing equity for all and cultivating strong community partnerships. This initiative deepens three-dimensional learning and drives system-level advocacy for sustainable practices.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Nunez

This session is for informal educators and K-12 educators interested in connecting with the informal community. We will use an engaging activity used in an informal education setting to explore how informal educators can "talk the talk" with K-12 teachers and align their work with the NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies for aligning PL activities with the NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Hays, Leah Litz, Jesse Wilcox

Selecting and implementing instructional materials is a key part of implementing the vision of the NRC Framework. This session will explore the current state of culturally responsive STEM curriculum in the country as well as lessons learned from the field to increase the use of materials that empower all students. Breakout discussions will allow participants to explore opportunities to overcome common challenges to implementing culturally-response curriculum in an effort to community source and solve these challenges. Session discussion will focus on integrating instructional practices that promote equity and support culturally responsive instruction across materials that embody the vision of the Framework. By strategizing about how to implement curriculum and instruction that realize culturally responsive practices, instructional leaders will be equipped to support teachers in fostering deeper connections with diverse learners, empowering their STEM thinking and identity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the importance of culturally responsive teaching and the role it plays in STEM education through identifying key components that make curriculum culturally responsive and considering lessons learned for making sustainable, scaled changes in curricula and teaching practices.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Childress Self, Joi Merritt, Shannon Wachowski

Sponsoring Company: Biozone, Inc.

Science teachers are master problem solvers, yet you’re stuck solving the wrong problems: endless prep, assessment creation, and juggling resources that don’t quite fit together. What if your science resources actually made your job easier? Join us to explore how BIOZONE’s innovative worktext format reimagines teaching with a cohesive suite of print and digital resources that reduce workload while boosting student engagement. Our resources support active, concept-driven learning, and the Teacher Toolkit provides fully built pacing guides, teacher notes, assessments, and slides that cut hours from your week. Paired with BIOZONE WORLD and the Resource Hub, you’ll see how BIOZONE’s system can transform instruction, empower diverse learners, and take the stress out of science instruction, making every student’s experience meaningful. Attendees receive a FREE print copy & 30-day digital access to a title of their choice.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Wilson

Sponsoring Company: FLINN

Get energized with Flinn’s newly designed and refreshed AP Environmental Science labs, fully aligned with the 2024 College Board Course and Exam Description. Explore classroom-ready investigations that have been reimagined to strengthen exam readiness, featuring updated AP-style multiple-choice and free-response questions that mirror the AP Exam experience. This interactive session includes hands-on demonstrations of inquiry-based learning, engaging outdoor activities, and practical teaching resources designed to captivate students, deepen understanding, and inspire real-world environmental thinking. Handouts included.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Knabe

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

Discover how STCMS brings NGSS to life through purposeful design and hands-on learning. See authentic student work, brief classroom clips, and clear evidence of 3D sensemaking. Participants will perform sample tasks and learn how STCMS supports diverse learners and strengthens NGSS instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Baldwin, Heather Toothaker

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Learn how to facilitate simple hands-on photosynthesis experiments with wireless sensors. Help students collect and analyze carbon exchange data from plant leaves in real-time! Dispel student doubts in their understanding of photosynthesis and respiration.

SPEAKERS:
Roger Palmer

STEM teachers are under constant pressure to balance innovation in the classroom with heavy workloads. This session bridges AI in Education and Teacher Well-Being in STEM by highlighting practical, time-saving uses of artificial intelligence that directly support teaching and learning. Participants will explore freely available AI tools and clever strategies for applying them to everyday tasks such as generating lab rubrics, scaffolding assignments, and personalizing feedback. By streamlining routine work, these approaches free time for meaningful instruction and student engagement, with the added benefit of reducing stress and restoring balance for educators. The session emphasizes responsible and equitable use, ensuring AI integration supports all learners without adding complexity to the teacher’s role. Attendees will leave with a set of vetted tools, ready-to-use examples, and a personal action plan to strengthen STEM teaching while making professional life more manageable.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how freely available AI tools can lighten the STEM teacher workload while boosting student equity and engagement. Participants will leave with strategies that enhance student learning while helping STEM teachers focus on high-impact instruction and reclaim energy for what matters most.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Link, PhD

Broaden young students’ environmental literacy while developing skills in scientific inquiry, modeling and data analysis. In this hands-on session, engage in creative games and collaborative problem solving on natural resource use, ecosystem health and pathways to sustainability. Create 3-D representations of global land use, model natural resource extraction, and simulate carrying capacity in nature and habitat fragmentation. Discuss the power of cumulative action for environmental stewardship with an elementary art project. The NGSS-aligned activities nurture students’ sensemaking, critical thinking and communication skills. Participants will receive lesson plans and background materials in an electronic format.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn ways to introduce elementary students to human ecology concepts, including natural resource use and interdependence in ecosystems with NGSS-aligned hands-on activities (3D simulations, collaborative problem solving and games).

SPEAKERS:
Helen De la Maza

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

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Grab your goggles and dive into the Discovery Education Phenomena Science Playground. Explore hands-on experiments and walk away with classroom-ready resources, fresh ideas, and practical tools to bring science to life. Step into the Discovery Education Phenomena Science Playground—a hands-on experience designed to spark curiosity and connect classrooms to real-world science. Participants rotate through interactive stations featuring engaging activities and classroom-ready resources. Through a phenomena-driven approach, educators explore tools and content co-created with industry partners that support inquiry-based learning and student engagement. Whether the goal is to enhance hands-on instruction, integrate STEM, or bring more relevance into the classroom, this session offers both inspiration and practical takeaways.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Hampton, Justin Karkow

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

Bring your Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to life with captivating, interactive simulations! Dive into a dynamic toolkit filled with powerful, curriculum-aligned digital resources. You'll leave fully equipped with (free!) access to a huge collection of engaging simulations that vividly illustrate science concepts and get students engaging meaningfully with the science and engineering practices, making lessons memorable and meaningful.

SPEAKERS:
Clayton Forest

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. Science education can help build a more just and equitable world. Come explore how instruction can support science learning that is consequential to your students, their communities, and the broader world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about and apply two equity project frameworks for science education to support 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:
Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

Join us as we share and discuss how leadership can support NGSS implementation through professional learning experiences that center the needs of teachers and students through the use of high quality instructional materials. We will discuss specific strategies, resources and tools leveraging high quality instructional materials to strengthen the shared vision of the instructional shifts called for by the NGSS and engage educators in three dimensional phenomena driven teaching, learning and leadership. Hear how a state level partnership with multiple districts deepened teacher’s knowledge of the NGSS and three dimensional instructional practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using high quality instructional materials as a lever to further NGSS implementation across multiple district/school contexts can support teachers and leaders as they enhance and expand their practice to improve outcomes for their students and learning communities.

SPEAKERS:
Guy Ollison, Jenine Cotton-Proby, Nancy Hopkins-Evans

Discover how food can bring science to life in the classroom! In this interactive 60-minute workshop, we will model Pilot Light’s integrated food education approach, connecting science concepts to real-world experiences. Participants will engage in a sample live lesson, experiencing firsthand from the student perspective how food-based learning deepens understanding of NGSS-aligned practices. Through reflection, discussion, and hands-on activities, attendees will learn strategies to overcome barriers such as time, access, or uncertainty in linking food to standards. The session provides practical tools, frameworks, and digital resources to design authentic, student-centered lessons that connect science, nutrition, and sustainability, foster curiosity, and strengthen classroom and community connections.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain hands-on strategies to connect food-based experiences to science learning, and leave with practical tools, resources, and ideas to design engaging, NGSS-aligned, student-centered lessons that make science tangible and relevant.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

Engaging place-based Pacific-Coast-centered storylines are presented that allow students to develop sensemaking skills for investigating up-to-date, research-driven climate science and how it relates to their home communities. For example, the Pacific Ocean El Niño / La Niña cycles greatly influence the climates of the U.S. West Coast, including regional temperature and precipitation variations and therefore the timing and locations of floods, droughts, and wildfires. Increased global warming due to increased greenhouse gases is amplifying some of these impact. A recent example is the Southern California wildfires of 2025, where global warming has now extended the lengths of La Niña droughts into January, so they are now overlapping with the start of the winter Santa Ana winds. Another example is how increased Pacific Ocean surface temperatures increase the likelihood of future atmospheric rivers that can cause severe flooding along parts of the West Coast.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students effectively develop sensemaking of NGSS performance expectations concerning weather and climate using place-based storylines anchored by Pacific Coast regional phenomena. Instructors will leave with multiple ideas for incorporating the latest climate science into their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession

This presentation is centered around the 2019 National Geographic Magazine, "The Race Issue". This is a mini-unit that engages secondary students in accountable talk about the science of race, diversity, and genetics. The unit includes microscopy, guided readings, hands-on activities, and discussion. Participants will leave with tools to share with their students that are safe and appropriate. Contextualizing race within the study of genetics allows students, and adults, to speak about misconceptions and experiences. This session will share differentiated lessons for learners at multiple levels (grades, IEPs, gifted). Prerequisites for this unit are an understanding of mitosis and meiosis, experience in accountable talk and microscopy. I have done this unit for 6 years with much success, I teach in a diverse, urban school.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a "camera-ready" unit, that is relevant and appropriate, to extend their current genetic lessons. The unit engages participants in the science behind the discussions of race, ethnicity, and diversity. The lesson is adaptable for all learners in a 7-12 life science class.

SPEAKERS:
Margaret Busker-Postlethwait

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the education landscape, with new tools and features transforming what’s possible for science teachers. This session will explore both the how and the when of using AI intentionally in everyday teaching practice. Participants will learn strategies for writing effective prompts, selecting the right tools for different tasks, and creating classroom-ready materials during the session. They will also consider how to decide when AI can serve as a powerful support for teachers and when more traditional methods remain the most effective. Throughout the session educators will consider AI as a teacher-directed tool that enhances instruction through teacher-expertise. Participants should bring a laptop or device capable of connecting to AI platforms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to select appropriate AI tools for both instructional and non-instructional tasks, practice writing effective prompts, and create a classroom-ready resource. They will also develop a personal framework for deciding when and how AI can support teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Ariela Ikezawa

Step into a calm, supportive space designed to help you recharge. This room includes tactile objects and sensory-friendly features to promote relaxation, focus, and wellbeing. Whether you need a moment of quiet or grounding sensory input, this space is open to all attendees.

Step into a calm, supportive space designed to help you recharge. This room includes tactile objects and sensory-friendly features to promote relaxation, focus, and wellbeing. Whether you need a moment of quiet or grounding sensory input, this space is open to all attendees.

Are grading, data analysis, and material prep consuming your nights and weekends? This hands-on workshop is your first step toward a sustainable teaching career. We will build a personal automation toolkit using simple offline Python scripts. Learn to auto grade quizzes, instantly graph lab data, and generate differentiated worksheets, reclaiming hours each week. Reinvest this precious time into what matters most: enhancing instruction through targeted student interventions, crafting engaging, phenomena-based lessons, and fostering a more dynamic classroom culture that benefits all learners. This session focuses exclusively on educator well-being, providing practical strategies to reduce burnout by automating tedious tasks. Leave with a USB stick containing your new digital assistant and a practical plan to regain time for what matters most. No prior coding experience required.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to use offline Python scripts to automate grading and data tasks, ensuring student privacy while reclaiming time to reduce burnout and reinvest in student instruction. They will leave with a digital toolkit and the confidence to implement these tools or strategies immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Nitindra Chowdary Pavuluri

A calm retreat from the energy of the conference – a place to pause, breathe, and reset before rejoining the action.

A calm retreat from the energy of the conference – a place to pause, breathe, and reset before rejoining the action.

Discover incredible opportunities in STEM education with a range of NSTA-administered K-12 opportunities that engage through innovative programming and recognize achievement with amazing awards. We’ll explore programs and awards that are sure to ignite a passion for discovery and innovation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Empower your teaching with dynamic STEM programs and awards administered by NSTA as you learn about innovative opportunities to boost engagement and enthusiasm for K-12 students and teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Lasky, Sue Whitsett, Brian Kutsch

In a science classroom, accountable and productive talk is essential for developing students’ understanding of scientific concepts and for fostering critical thinking. In this session, participants will engage with a breakdown of what this looks and sounds like, and how it contributes to student growth. Included learnings in the session: how to encourage students to actively participate in discussions, not just listening passively; how to encourage peer-to-peer dialogue, not just student-to-teacher talk; teaching respectful debate and understanding of multiple viewpoints; and encouraging students to apply concepts to new situations or real-world problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn and practice the classroom-tested practices of accountable and productive talk that turns science class into a space for thinking, not just knowing and helps students become inquirers, analyzers, and communicators (core components of scientific literacy and critical thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Annette Venegas

Experience how leveraging complex culturally relevant societal challenges as phenomena in 3D teaching and learning supports student motivation and engagement and develops student agency within and beyond the classroom! The Framework for K-12 Science Education and NGSS call for learning grounded in real world phenomena and problems to ensure that science learning is relevant to all students. The AIL instructional model succeeds the 5Es and utilizes complex and culturally relevant societal challenges to anchor multiple cycles of inquiry and sensemaking, culminating with student explanations/design solutions. AIL employs science education research emphasizing coherence from students’ perspective. In this session, participants will 1) consider their own ideas about teaching complex societal challenges, 2) experience 3D learning, and 3) consider the science concepts of a societal challenge (antibiotic resistance, heart disease, food sustainability, anthropogenic changes to biodiversity)

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages complex societal issues as anchoring phenomena/problems, culminating tasks, and performance assessments in 3D units of instruction to motivate students and develop agency in addressing these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay

ShakeAlert, the U.S. Earthquake Early Warning system, offers a powerful way to connect wave science, engineering, and public safety in the classroom. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how ShakeAlert uses P- and S-waves, seismic networks, and GPS to provide alerts, and how these concepts align with NGSS standards (HS-PS4-5, HS-ETS1-3) and the crosscutting concept of systems. Teachers will engage with tools such as USGS Earthquake Hazards, IRIS Seismic Monitor, and jAmaSeis to analyze real earthquake data just as seismologists do. Participants will also experience in-class demonstrations, simulations, and models that make wave behavior tangible. Attendees will draft place-based lesson plans that integrate local seismic data and emphasize equity by considering how early warning technologies reach diverse communities. They will leave with templates, curated resources, and strategies for connecting science to personal protective action and public safety.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use ShakeAlert and real-time seismic data to create place-based, NGSS-aligned lessons on waves, engineering solutions, personal protective action, and public safety—leaving with classroom-ready templates, resources, and equity-focused strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Pyle, Ariel Raymond

Many biology students approach graphing as a purely procedural task, focusing on format selection and adherence to rubrics without fully engaging with its scientific significance. This roundtable session will delve into undergraduates' perceptions of the role of graphing in inquiry, argumentation, and identity within biology labs. Drawing on qualitative data from an introductory lab course and sociocultural theory (Vygotsky), we will examine how students' graphing perceptions may reflect or obscure their epistemic value. The discussion will feature student quotes, connections to identity (Lockhart et al., 2022), and insights into graphing as an effective tool for science communication (Alderfer, 2023). Participants can share strategies for reframing graphing as a meaningful and communicative practice that aligns with the NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore student perceptions of the purpose of graphing in biology labs, connect findings to science identity and Vygotsky’s theory, and discuss strategies for reframing graphing as a communicative, inquiry-based practice aligned with NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Adriana Quiros

Undergraduates in teacher preparation programs often take a capstone class before student teaching. While these courses vary by institution, capstones provide students with a culminating experience. These classes are important as they help students deepen their content knowledge, connect science content to teaching practices & standards, and develop their identity as educators. Yet, these classes also run the risk of being repetitive and not meeting the current demands of the teaching profession. As we plan future capstone classes for 7-12 grade pre-service science teachers, we seek input from both new and experienced teachers as well as other college faculty. This roundtable discussion will explore a) beneficial experiences from capstone classes and b) topics that educators believe that pre-service teachers need in capstone classes. Data will be collected from participants, and a summary of results will be shared. Future course syllabi will also be made available.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will assess various capstone frameworks, discuss the knowledge and skills needed to be successful science educators, and contribute feedback to ensure future capstone courses support 7-12 grade pre-service science teacher development. Roundtable results will be aggregated and shared.

SPEAKERS:
Carrie Sharitt

Join us for a discussion on how to advocate for and build capacity in elementary science education in rural, high-needs school districts. As part of an NSF-funded project, we've launched the Midwest STEM Alliance to elevate science teaching in rural elementary schools in Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas44. This roundtable will explore the initial strategies we've implemented in Year 1 to recruit and select a small number of STEM Teacher Corps members from this often-overlooked demographic of teacher leaders. We will share key findings from our Rural Elementary Science Needs Assessment to identify and address the specific challenges faced by rural elementary teachers. We invite participants to share their own experiences and collaborate on developing an advocacy agenda that centers on the unique needs of rural schools and creates a foundation for a long-term professional network that extends beyond the project's funding period.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in a dialogue about how to advocate for and support elementary science teachers in rural areas by establishing a sustainable professional community.

SPEAKERS:
Selin Akgun, Gillian Roehrig, Imogen Herrick, Dana Atwood-Blaine

Join for an interactive session, where we will explore how the Flipped Classroom model and the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework can transform student learning and engagement. This session will highlight practical strategies for shifting direct instruction outside the classroom, freeing up valuable in-class time for collaborative, inquiry-based learning in chemistry classroom. Participants will discover how integrating CER into flipped lessons empowers students to think critically, construct scientific explanations, and support their claims with evidence and logical reasoning. Through real-world examples, hands-on activities, and discussion, educators will leave with actionable tools to foster deeper understanding, promote student voice, and enhance formative assessment practices. Whether you're new to flipped learning or looking to refine your use of CER, this session offers insights and inspiration to elevate your teaching practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session equips educators with practical strategies for designing flipped lessons that incorporate CER seamlessly. Participants will explore real classroom examples, tackle common challenges, and engage in hands-on activities that model the CER process.

SPEAKERS:
Bhagyashree Kulkarni

NAMs—including organs on a chip, 3D cell cultures, and computational models—are rapidly advancing scientific research and testing while reducing reliance on animal experimentation. These breakthroughs promise not only more relevant, human-based results, but also foreshadow the tools and technology that today’s students may encounter in higher education and future STEM careers. This roundtable will bring together experts in experimental methods, classroom teaching, and humane education, to discuss how NAMs are reshaping science and how K-12 educators can begin preparing students now. Participants are invited to consider how familiarity with NAMs may promote science literacy, college preparation and career-readiness, and discuss how these technologies could filter into classroom science practice. The session is intended for secondary teachers, curriculum developers, STEM coordinators, and any educators who are interested in humane, innovative teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of NAMs, exploring potential connections to disciplinary core ideas and cross-cutting concepts, as well as practices to equip students with the competencies needed to thrive in a science landscape that is moving beyond animal use.

SPEAKERS:
Regina Terlau-Benford

What happens when you hand teachers powerful tools but no blueprint for how to use them? There is likely a lot of confusion and inconsistency. As school systems work to align instruction to NGSS, many turn to open educational resources (OER) to advance opportunity and access, but real transformation requires more than merely adopting new materials. They need skillful, intentional, and high-quality practice. This roundtable brings together leaders from J.S. Morton High School District (IL) and Great Oaks Legacy Charter Network (NJ) to share how they’re implementing NGSS-aligned OER curricula at scale. Participants will explore leadership structures, professional learning systems, and data tools that enable coherence across classrooms and grade bands. Attendees will leave with practical considerations for balancing fidelity with local adaptation, building teacher capacity, and leading sustainable, systemwide improvement in science teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain strategies to lead sustainable, systemwide science improvement by aligning leadership, professional learning, and data systems to support effective, consistent implementation of NGSS-aligned OER.

SPEAKERS:
Solona Hollis, Solona Hollis

How can department chairs cultivate trust and collaboration that allow every teacher to thrive? Drawing on 24 years in the classroom and over a decade as department chair, I’ve learned that effective leadership is less about fixing problems and more about nurturing relationships. This roundtable invites science leaders to share strategies for building inclusive, flexible, and human-centered departments. Discussion will include practices such as differentiated goal-setting, rotating peer-learning structures, flexible meetings that build connection, and feedback tools that elevate all voices. Participants will leave with ideas for fostering trust, shared purpose, and professional growth across diverse teaching teams.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain ideas to lead with trust and collaboration to sustain thriving, human-centered science departments, through practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Ellie Beyers

Curious about what it takes to become a Shell Science Teaching Award or Shell Urban Award winner? Join this dynamic panel of past and current recipients of the Shell Science Teaching Award and the Shell Urban Science Educators Development Award, along with award panelists, as they share their journeys, classroom innovations, and tips for crafting a strong application. Learn how these prestigious awards recognize and support outstanding science educators—especially those making an impact in under-resourced schools and urban communities. Attendees will hear candid stories, ask questions directly to winners and reviewers, and walk away with resources, encouragement, and inspiration. Bonus: Attend for a chance to win exciting door prizes that support your classroom and professional journey!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insider knowledge and confidence to apply for the Shell Awards and grow as leaders in science education.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton

So you are here at the conference… what’s next? Come learn from a panel of experienced science education leaders about opportunities to grow professionally by being involved in local, regional, and national science education professional organizations. Professional organizations like NSTA, its state and regional chapters, National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA), and other associated member organizations that can be found on the NSTA website are rich with opportunities to collaborate and grow professionally and personally. Regardless of your years of experience, educators in settings like yours and unique from yours can share experiences, problem-solve, share resources, elevate and celebrate your great work, lift you on tough days, and so much more. Learn how to get involved and grow professionally by volunteering, running for office, or participating in conferences, professional learning, or networking opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get involved and grow professionally by volunteering, running for office, or participating in conferences, professional learning, or networking opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Kelly, Kellie Boquet, Amy Tankersley, Kevin Niemi, Tami Lunsford

Developing a future-focus for science education with emphasis of music and arts. Bridging out for cross-curriculum among various disciplines, however, focus upon STEM education. Utilizing the ODE State Science Standards, along with state standards from various content, as well as the connections to the Next Generation Science Standards. My proposal is for the audience of 6-12 general science educators. Educators from outside of the 6-12 parameter are always welcome to attend the proposed session. The information provided for the proposed session presentation is to help all STEM educators with the integration of music and arts into the STEM education and curriculum (STEAM). Empower and equip educators thinking outside of the bun to utilize music with the STEM curricula. Teachers will learn how to improve their critical thinking to achieve the talented and gifted students who may not be advanced in science, but advanced in arts and music.

TAKEAWAYS:
Empower and equip educators thinking outside of the bun to utilize music with the STEM curricula. There are digital programs the educators can utilize without costs to improve the connections of arts and music with STEM. Teachers will learn how to improve their critical thinking to STEAM TAG kids.

SPEAKERS:
John Davis III

Every lab comes with risk, and when there is a significant injury, the average settlement in the US exceeds $ 4 million. However, with the right tools, teachers can make every activity safer, smarter, and more engaging. In this interactive session, explore how VERA AI, a teacher-centered safety system, supports lesson planning, lab prep, and classroom management through real-time risk analysis and safer material substitutions. Using real K–12 scenarios, participants will experience how AI “safety wrappers” transform everyday lab routines into proactive safety checks that build student awareness and confidence. Learn how to integrate these AI tools to save time, strengthen compliance, and foster a shared culture of safety in science and makerspace learning. Walk away with free access to VERA AI and ready-to-use strategies for your next lab day.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to utilize free VERA AI tools to proactively identify lab risks, make safer substitutions, and save planning time—enabling them to focus more on meaningful, hands-on learning and feel confident teaching students in a safe learning environment.

SPEAKERS:
Edward Cohen

Bridging the gap between informal science educators and classroom teachers requires a shared language that fosters collaboration, advocacy, and meaningful learning experiences. This session explores strategies for aligning communication and goals across educational settings, equipping teachers and school leaders with the tools to champion informal science opportunities as integral to student success. Participants will engage in practical frameworks for building partnerships, amplifying impact, and advancing advocacy for science learning beyond the classroom. Together, we will reframe informal science not as enrichment, but as essential to developing curiosity, critical thinking, and lifelong learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical strategies and shared language tools to strengthen partnerships between teachers and informal science educators, positioning informal learning as essential to student success.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Eisla, Dr. Dieuwertje Kast

Urban school districts are uniquely positioned at the intersection of innovation and inequity. This roundtable invites educators, leaders, and community stakeholders to discuss strategies that increase access, engagement, and achievement in STEM for historically underserved students. Together, participants will examine real-world challenges such as resource gaps, culturally relevant pedagogy, and teacher retention, while sharing solutions like community partnerships, after-school STEM initiatives, and project-based learning. The session will serve as a collaborative space to exchange best practices and inspire actionable steps toward equity in STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Equity in STEM education requires more than good intentions—it takes intentional strategies, culturally relevant teaching, and sustainable partnerships that ensure urban students see themselves as scientists, engineers, and innovators.

SPEAKERS:
Tamia Murphy

Student agency involves students taking ownership of their learning, and it can have many positive benefits, including motivation and self-efficacy. However, cultivating agency requires opportunities to do so. What kinds of agency opportunities do educators provide? How receptive are educators to providing them? Do science teachers differ from teachers in other subjects in these regards? In this session, I’ll share what we know about student agency, what it can look like in science, the findings of recent research, and what else we have yet to learn about it. Session participants will engage in conversation about the unique affordances and challenges of providing students with agency opportunities and leave with ideas, strategies, and a report on recent research findings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about ways to define agency, what research tells us the benefits of agency are, what agency can look like in science, and the latest research on student agency, both generally and in science.

SPEAKERS:
Nicholas Balisciano

How can teachers bring real-world multidisciplinary science into their classrooms? This roundtable features teacher fellows from the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship, a yearlong program by UL Research Institutes. Fellows learn from scientists and peers to co-develop free, standards-aligned lessons on pressing challenges such as fire safety, batteries, and sustainability. Starting from the same set of science ideas and phenomena, fellows adapt these resources in very different ways to reflect their students’ cultures, prior ideas, and learning goals. Together, their stories highlight the creativity of teachers and the power of diverse perspectives in sensemaking. In this moderated discussion, fellows will share how the experience influenced their practice, engaged students in authentic science, and expanded their professional networks. Attendees will also learn more about the fellowship itself and how to access free classroom-ready resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Hear directly from Xplorlabs Educator Fellows about collaborating with researchers, co-developing free STEM lessons, and engaging students with authentic science. Learn more about the fellowship and explore free resources for bringing safety science into classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Megan O'Keeffe, Samantha Eddis, Danielle Shaw-Jones, Dominique Thomas, Daniel Sternberg

Mark Rober has spent his career proving that when learning feels like play, the impact lasts a lifetime. From landing rovers on Mars to launching CrunchLabs, he has mastered the art of “hiding the vegetables” using jaw-dropping spectacle to sneak in real science. In this keynote, Mark will share how teachers can harness the same magic in the classroom. He will also give an exclusive look at the most ambitious project he’s ever taken on, one designed to inspire millions of future problem solvers.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Rober

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Unlock the cosmos for your classroom with our interesting and engaging Astronomy workshop! Discover standards-aligned lessons with teacher resources and delve into the latest astronomical discoveries. Gain confidence and receive tools to ignite students' curiosity about the wonders of the universe. For Grades 6-8, 9-12 & AP.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Goodman

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

What if the background knowledge you build in science helped students write better arguments in every class? This session explores how BrainPOP and BrainPOP Science work together to support Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) across subjects. Whether students are explaining why ecosystems change or analyzing a primary source document, the same thinking framework applies. You'll see how giving students the shared understanding they need to construct evidence-based arguments—from ecosystems to the Electoral College —and leave with strategies that transfer across your curriculum

SPEAKERS:
Bobbi Bear

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Modern biotechnology has ushered in a new era of scientific discovery, with powerful techniques like genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology transforming research and medicine. These innovations have enabled scientists to manipulate DNA sequences directly, dramatically reducing the time needed to study and improve organisms. Among the most groundbreaking advancements of the past decade is the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system—a precise, cost-effective, and efficient gene-editing tool that is revolutionizing the field of biotechnology and transforming human health in real time. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore CRISPR-Cas gene editing with fast, hands-on experiments modeling cures for genetic diseases like Sickle Cell Anemia and Cystic Fibrosis. We’ll discuss options for performing authentic CRISPR experiments in your classroom. Bring this revolutionary science to your classroom today!

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Put Newton’s laws to the test in a hands-on crash safety investigation. Use Sensor Carts to collect velocity data and explore: How do seat belts save lives? How do we engineer safer vehicles? Leave with ready-to-use, 3D lessons that challenge students to model, analyze & mitigate forces of impact.

SPEAKERS:
Tom Smith

Sponsoring Company: JoVE

What Secondary Science Leaders Can Do When Every Teacher Fills the Gaps Differently. Middle and high school science leaders know that curriculum supplementation is common, with most teachers adding videos, labs, or activities to fill gaps. The challenge is guiding supplementation in ways that support instructional quality and coherence across classrooms. This interactive workshop is designed for middle and high school science leaders, instructional coaches, and department chairs responsible for instructional consistency and teacher support. Through live polling, leadership case scenarios, and small group discussion, participants will examine where supplementation occurs, what drives teacher decision-making, and how variation impacts instruction. Attendees will discuss practical strategies to guide supplementation while preserving teacher autonomy, including shared instructional anchors and trusted instructional resources.

SPEAKERS:
Shauna Carlson

Please join us for the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the exhibit hall, featuring companies with services, support, and resources for science educators.

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Join us to explore best practices for using biomedical sensors with Graphical Analysis! We'll cover EKGs, EMGs, and heart rate. Designed for health sciences, biology, and physiology educators, this session offers hands-on experience, Q&A, and support for all experience levels.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Tallarovic

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Where does electrical energy come from? How does the energy transferred from a battery to a coil produce a magnetic field? We will investigate these questions using a dissectable generator, exploring how different variables affect the output voltage using sensor data. We'll also do investigate the reverse process to see how energy from an electrical source can be transferred to a magnetic field to do work. This engaging lesson is a great enhancement to physical science, physics, and OpenSciEd curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Hanna

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

Join us for an interactive, hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for High School to discover how the Carolina Certified Version takes these high-quality instructional materials to the next level— more accessible, more user-friendly, and enhanced for classroom safety. Dive into the Biology 1 unit and experience how the Serengeti board game transforms complex concepts into engaging learning. Participants will leave with practical strategies and valuable resources to energize their classrooms. 

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Leander ISD, TX, made a deliberate shift from traditional science instruction to fully embracing 3-D teaching and learning as envisioned by NGSS and their state standards, placing student sensemaking and classroom discussion at the center of instruction. Learn how they implemented OpenSciEd through a thoughtful, step-by-step process that built teacher capacity, aligned curriculum, and sustained momentum over time. The session highlights how purposeful discussion became the engine for connecting science and engineering practices with disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. Gain insight into the professional learning structures, leadership supports, and instructional strategies that helped educators navigate challenges and bring phenomenon-driven, student-centered science to life. Leave with practical ideas, lessons learned, and inspiration to spark your own district’s transformation, putting student ideas in motion through talk, sensemaking, and shared understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Wydeven, Jennifer Lopez, Lauren Carter

Sponsoring Company: Thames & Kosmos

Make STEM learning fun with Thames & Kosmos! Teachers will experience a hands-on 5-E lesson from Structural Engineering: Bridges and Skyscrapers, one of the Thames & Kosmos kits that includes a complete standards-based curriculum. Experience the material from the student's perspective as you build a structure and compete against your fellow teachers. You will also get a sneak peek at some of our other kits, which include high-quality curricula: Robotics Workshop with Micro:Bit, Renewable Energy Lab, Roller Coaster Engineering, and Happy Atoms. These kits include scope & sequence, teacher guides and student workbooks, plus scaffolding to support literacy and knowledge-building — all free to access on our website. Calling all physics, chemistry, coding, and engineering teachers! This workshop is great for anyone who teaches STEM at the upper elementary, middle school, or high school level.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Mintz, Edmund McGuire

Sponsoring Company: LEGO Education

How can you get middle school students to collaborate, communicate, and think critically and creatively about science? Join Compton USD and LEGO Education to learn how hands-on, collaborative science lessons equip students with 21st century skills while deepening their understanding and interest in science. Experience an interactive, inquiry-based lesson, and walk away with hands-on materials, sample lessons, and practical strategies to build transferable skills and ignite student’s curiosity and success in science.

SPEAKERS:
Amelia Crespo, Amber Holloway

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Explore interactive, narrative-driven digital labs that can be used independently or alongside hands-on biotech activities. This session highlights classroom use cases that engage students with genetics laboratory topics, including sickle cell disease, the central dogma, and others.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

Turn struggling readers into confident scientists! Discover simple, high-impact literacy strategies that help students tackle tough science texts, master vocabulary, and make meaning of complex ideas. See how a few tweaks can transform reading time into real science learning—and send your students’ confidence soaring.

SPEAKERS:
Erika James

Sponsoring Company: Pitsco Education

Ignite student curiosity with Take Flight: Drone Missions for Student Engagement- an exciting and relevant session that brings STEM learning to life through real-world drone applications. Explore how students can design, build, and pilot drones while tackling mission-based challenges that reinforce concepts in engineering and problem-solving. Participants will discover strategies for integrating drones into various learning environments, engaging learners of all levels, and fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and career-ready skills. Get ready to elevate engagement and see STEM from a whole new perspective!

SPEAKERS:
Oscar Rios

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Skip the boiling, skip the scrubbing — keep the investigation! Learn fast, low-prep assays for identifying key five biological macromolecules including DNA, using minimal reagents and ZERO test tubes. Then apply these techniques to uncover macromolecules hidden in everyday foods. A clean, efficient, classroom-ready lab that keeps students engaged while saving time, supplies, and teacher sanity.

SPEAKERS:
Erika Fong

Sponsoring Company: TCI

Elevate your students’ science thinking with CER Writing! This interactive workshop will equip educators with practical strategies for guiding students in constructing Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning. Learn how to scaffold the CER process, integrate it seamlessly into science lessons, and support students at all ability levels in developing strong scientific explanations. Participants will analyze student work, share best practices, and take away ready-to-use resources that foster critical thinking and effective science communication in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ladd

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Literacy instruction does not have to compete with science for instructional time. When thoughtfully designed, science lessons can serve as a powerful context for building reading, writing, and academic language skills—particularly in elementary classrooms. In this session, participants will explore how phenomena-driven science instruction advances literacy by using purposeful reading, evidence-based writing, and structured discussion to support student sense-making through the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). The session focuses on practical approaches to lesson design that support diverse learners and promote sense-making across disciplines. Participants will review classroom examples from Discovery Education’s Science Techbook, illustrating how three-dimensional, phenomena-driven lessons can be structured to deepen engagement and reinforce core literacy skills within science instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Hampton, Justin Karkow

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

Join our interactive workshop where literacy meets exploration! Experience through hands-on modeling, playing a card game, and reading stories about how students can build explanations of confusing weather phenomena. Learn strategies to build your students’ literacy skills. Leave with classroom resources. Smithsonian Science for the Classroom earned an All-Green rating from EdReports. 

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera, Rachel Patton, Dr. Sarah Glassman

Sponsoring Company: Switch Classroom

Get ready for a session that’s bright, squishy, and full of “aha!” moments! Using colorful Play-Doh, LEDs, and batteries, participants will explore Switch Classroom’s Intro to Electricity lesson and bring foundational circuit concepts to life. You’ll investigate conductivity, resistance, open and closed circuits, and series versus parallel designs through playful, hands-on exploration. Designed for elementary through high school classrooms, this adaptable lab makes abstract electrical concepts tangible while supporting NGSS science and engineering practices. Optional extensions allow the challenge to be simplified for younger learners or expanded for grades 9–12. Leave with free Switch Classroom resources, classroom-ready strategies, and the confidence to spark curiosity—and light up learning—in any classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jillian Swets

Discover the latest and greatest science and STEM teaching and learning resources, tools, and products available during this break in concurrent sessions.

Visit the NSTA Hub in the Expo Hall during the conference! We'll have a variety of fun activities and photo opportunities PLUS a store showcasing the latest NSTA Press books available and awesome t-shirts to make the perfect conference souvenir!

Join us to explore how rural New Mexico elementary teachers teamed up with the NM Museum of Natural History & Science to create fossil kit lessons that bring local geology and paleontology into the classroom. You’ll discover how place-based partnerships can transform “fun” community activities into inclusive NGSS-aligned, standards-driven learning. Our teacher-tested 3rd and 4th grade fossil lessons feature storytelling connections to ELA, hands-on investigations, and easy-to-use assessments that work for all learners, including multilingual, neurodiverse, and culturally diverse students. Walk away with strategies for: (1) co-creating engaging lessons that reflect your students’ place and culture, (2) building stronger community partnerships, and (3) ideas for aligning participatory, real-world science with classroom standards. Come get inspired to design lessons that spark curiosity, honor equity, and are ready to be adapted to your community!

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary teachers will leave equipped with strategies for: (1) co-creating engaging lessons that reflect your students’ place and culture, (2) building stronger community partnerships, and (3) ideas for aligning participatory, real-world science with classroom standards.

SPEAKERS:
Amy DeGroat, Deena Gould, Liz Gilroy

This vocabulary strategy engages students in authentic research and visual learning. Using Google and Google Images, students investigate science terms to build accurate definitions and context. They then transform their research into labeled diagrams, comparisons, and sketches, reinforcing meaning through both inquiry and visualization. By moving beyond rote memorization, this method helps students actively “piece together” vocabulary, fostering deeper understanding, stronger retention, and connections between words and concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with a ready-to-use vocabulary strategy that combines digital research with visual synthesis, making abstract terms more concrete and memorable for students.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Davis

This poster highlights The Great Indoors, a free, NGSS-aligned climate and health unit for grades 6–8 that connects cutting-edge research with practical classroom strategies. Built around case studies and data-rich activities, the unit helps students explore how climate-driven events—such as wildfires, flooding, and pesticide use—affect indoor environments and human health. Students engage in experiments, analyze data, and use design thinking to propose solutions that build community resilience. Aligned with NGSS and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the unit integrates frameworks such as Causal Learning in the Classroom (CliC) and the 5E instructional model. Lessons are modular, adaptable to various schedules, and accessible to diverse learners. Teachers will walk away with free, classroom-ready resources that support sensemaking, foster student problem-solving, and make climate science engaging and relevant to middle school learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will discover a ready-to-use, research-backed climate and health unit. They’ll learn strategies to engage students with case studies, experiments, and design challenges that make climate science relevant, inclusive, and action-oriented.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Link, PhD

ARM is a project-based internship focused on the construction and programming of autonomous robotic arms. ARM merges AI with physical robots using Python and an accessible hardware platform. Modules included: Introduction to Robotics, Python Fundamentals & Applications (e.g. Tic-Tac-Toe), Arm Construction, Object Detection, and Autonomous Arm Programming. All components: parts, 3D printing files, construction instructions, programming activities, and lecture slides are available online and can be used as a whole or piecemeal for clubs and classrooms. ARM participants include high school students, college students, and a high school teacher. Pre and Post evaluations found that the immersive internship experience improved important indicators of retention and success such as Sense of Belonging in Computing. TTIC is a philanthropically endowed research institute & university focused on AI and theory. NGSS Alignment: HS-ETS1-1 & HS-ETS1-2; CCC 2,4,& 6; Practices 1,2,3,4 & 6.

TAKEAWAYS:
Robots + AI = Student Engagement. Please steal our ideas. They work!

SPEAKERS:
Michael Rodgers, Randall Landsberg

I have found students’ fear of science, scientific concepts, and deeper understanding lingers, even in preservice undergrads. Many found science as unrelatable and something to get through. Students tended to not understand the “big picture” and concept connection to personal interests/ activities. I use alternative writing assignments to elevate HOTS levels while supporting cross-curricular understanding. I created a rubric that was general in the sense of product development but precise in the understanding conveyed. The rubric guides students to widen their understanding and incorporate individualism. Although full rubric completion takes students to an average, C letter grade, it provides multiple avenues for personal interests with the ability to exemplify superior work for them, physically linking sensemaking between science ideas and student ideas. The culminating products have been more unimaginably diverse and deeply engaging for their peers, the instructor, and themselves.

TAKEAWAYS:
My AWA (alternative writing assignment) rubric will be explained and shared, showing how concepts can be created, taught, and presented by students.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Bechtel

This interactive poster explores the fascinating world of native bumble bees and discover how creativity can inspire conservation! Visitors will learn to recognize local bumble bee species by their distinctive color patterns, behaviors, and preferred native plants. Participants will design and build “bee bracelets” that mimic real species—like the White-shouldered Bumble Bee or the Golden-belted Bumble Bee—while learning how these color combinations help bees communicate, defend, and thrive in their environments.    Educators and citizen scientists will receive free identification guides, plant lists, and data-collection resources to help them engage in citizen science projects such as Bumble Bee Watch and iNaturalist. The booth invites teachers of all grade levels to connect art, science, and stewardship—leaving with a tangible reminder of local biodiversity and a call to action to go outdoors, observe, and share their bee discoveries to support pollinator research and conservation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to identify native bumble bees by color pattern and behavior, connect these traits to pollination ecology, and engage students or visitors in creative, hands-on activities that inspire participation in citizen science and local pollinator conservation.

SPEAKERS:
Claire Lannoye-Hall

Faculty websites are often the first entry point for students seeking research opportunities, yet they vary widely in showing inclusive values. We examine how biology faculty websites at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and non-MSIs include elements that welcome students from marginalized backgrounds. The main focus is the presence and content of inclusivity statements, referencing diversity, equity, and inclusion, provide resources, or support underrepresented students. Using qualitative coding, we analyze websites from a random sample of biology departments, examining inclusive factors such as lab member representation, personal information, and explicit anti-discrimination language. Results show that inclusivity statements remain rare overall, with minimal differences between MSI and non-MSI websites. By raising awareness of the role of faculty webpages in shaping belonging, this project advocates for intentional, equitable, and welcoming online spaces in biology education.

TAKEAWAYS:
This project is aimed towards research faculty. It highlights the importance of personal websites, and encourages those without one to create one. For faculty with a website, it is hoped to implement more inclusive and welcoming practices, increasing participation from minoritized groups in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Taona Maphosa

In an era of eroding trust in science and rampant misinformation, educators need evidence-based resources to help students distinguish fact from fiction. Science Friday, a nonprofit media organization known for excellence in science journalism, offers free NGSS aligned resources to build science literacy. Our approach bridges the gap between scientific experts and the public through conversational science communication and storytelling. Our resources transform podcast content into engaging educational experiences that help students identify reliable sources, understand how science works, and evaluate claims confidently. The poster features ready-to-use materials across grade bands designed with equity in mind, including curated topic lists, hands-on STEM activities, and book club resources. Attendees will discover strategies for using trusted science media to foster conversations, develop critical thinking, and empower students as informed consumers of scientific information.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain NGSS-aligned strategies and free classroom resources to help students identify science misinformation, evaluate source credibility, and develop critical thinking skills for navigating today's information landscape across all grade levels.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Roberts

NSTA has several resources to support STEM teaching, two tools that were impactful for my teaching practice through the Scaling Up For STEM Cohort were the STEM Lesson Evaluation Tool and STEM Implementation Plan Tool. Together these two tools allowed me to consider more integrated approaches to career awareness in my middle school STEAM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use the STEM Lesson Evaluation Tool and STEM Implementation Plan Tool to design more integrated, career-connected STEM learning experiences in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Olivia Bello

Students partnered with the University of Central Florida to grow red mangroves from propagules in a campus nursery, later contributing to real-world shoreline stabilization efforts. The project immersed learners in three-dimensional (3D) learning through inquiry-driven investigations that emphasized sensemaking, problem solving, and key concepts such as ecosystems, plant structures, and reproduction. By integrating conservation, restoration, and data collection, students developed a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship while applying Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and facilitate authentic, inquiry-driven STEM experiences that engage students in real-world environmental problem solving through three-dimensional learning and community partnerships.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lynn Hess

This poster will share information from an NSF-funded teacher professional development program focused on "Two Eyed Seeing"-- the braiding together of Western and Indigenous science in a place-based curriculum focused on exploring marine habitats. In the Ocean Tech unit, students learn how First Nations harvested dentallium shells, which were used as currency, from 60 feet beneath the ocean surface. They also learn how local tribes are engineering clam gardens to restore local habitat health and nourish communities. Engineering and technology are integrated through students designing and building a remote-operated vehicle (ROV) that they can use to answer questions about their local marine environments and engage in stewardship projects based on what they learn. We will showcase real examples of Western and Indigenous scientists collaborating, and how ROVs are being used in scientific work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Poster visitors will learn how in-service and pre-service teachers adapted and implemented the Ocean Tech unit to incorporate students' own culture and funds of knowledge while introducing them to ways Western and Indigenous scientists are working together to address environmental problems.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Hanuscin

This poster highlights how generative AI can support educators in developing high-quality instructional units using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. UbD emphasizes beginning with the end in mind—identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence, and then planning learning experiences. Generative AI tools offer powerful support at each stage, from brainstorming enduring understandings and essential questions, to drafting performance assessments, to creating differentiated instructional activities. The poster presents a step-by-step example of how AI was used to co-develop a science unit aligned with NGSS standards, demonstrating the “before, during, and after” stages of the design process. Supportive visuals illustrate the UbD framework alongside AI outputs, showing both the opportunities and teacher decision points where professional judgment remains essential. Attendees will gain practical resources, including prompts for effective AI use, examples of UbD-aligne

TAKEAWAYS:
Promotes Reflective Practice – Using AI encourages teachers to critically evaluate and refine outputs, deepening their own understanding of UbD principles.

SPEAKERS:
Katrina Roseler

This study examined the perceptions of agriculture and science-technology teachers regarding inquiry-based teaching in elementary schools. Through semi-open interviews with ten teachers, teaching methods and perceptions were explored with an emphasis on developing scientific and emotional identity. The results show differences between the curriculum: while the science-technology curriculum focuses on developing cognitive knowledge, the agriculture curriculum emphasizes emotional aspects and scientific identity. However, in practice, teachers in both fields integrate scientific identity into their teaching processes, emphasizing the connection of science to daily life, critical thinking, and the promotion of environmental values. The study highlights the importance of scientific identity in teaching as a tool for improving student engagement and motivation and recommends expanding the research to all teachers to deepen understanding and improve teaching methods.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research emphasizes the importance of developing scientific identity in inquiry-based learning in elementary school to increase student's engagement and motivation in science subjects. In class, teachers implement approaches that integrate scientific identity with cognitive and emotional skills.

SPEAKERS:
Amichai Yavlovich

Explore an April Earth Month calendar that offers a diverse range of daily engaging and educational activities designed to inspire environmental consciousness. The resource can be printed or distributed digitally, and all actions can be done at home or school. This provides attendees with an accessible tool to participate in events that promote a healthier, more sustainable future for our planet.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore an April Earth Month calendar that offers a diverse range of daily engaging and educational activities designed to inspire environmental consciousness.

SPEAKERS:
Benjamin Charles

The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) empowers educators to advance their instructional practice through professional learning, high-quality resources, and a supportive community aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This session highlights how NESTA—through strategic partnerships—helps teachers integrate Earth and space science phenomena that inspire student-centered inquiry and authentic sensemaking. By fostering educator resilience, collaboration, and leadership, NESTA promotes excellence in Earth and space science education. Participants will explore NESTA’s wide range of offerings, including timely classroom resources, professional development opportunities, access to best practices through our peer-reviewed journal The Earth Scientist, and strategies for building interdisciplinary connections across the sciences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about a community that elevates Earth and space science teaching! NESTA helps educators connect, grow, and lead—transforming curiosity into discovery through shared resources, collaboration, and real-world phenomena that inspire student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kellyn Hardin, Natalie Macke

This poster showcases how you can transform your Canvas courses into inclusive, dynamic, and enriching learning experiences for all students. Swing by to tap into essential strategies, tools, and best practices to foster inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility through your school's Canvas site!

TAKEAWAYS:
Visitors will learn how to implement tools like Canvas Groups for collaborative learning, media opportunities with Canvas Studio, and using Canvas to showcase student understanding while harnessing student strengths!

SPEAKERS:
Tanya MacMartin, Ed.D.

Our collaborative team of teachers and researchers share a culminating engineering task from a 3-week integrated STEM unit. As the unit uncovers disproportionate negative outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for linguistic minorities, the engineering task challenges students to develop a solution to the lack of timely health information in languages other than English. First, we describe the task: Students analyze and interpret data about linguistic diversity in neighborhoods (quantitative) as well as data on the affordances and limitations of artificial intelligence versus human translation (qualitative). Then, we demonstrate how based on the data, students argue for how and with whom to pilot the design of a multilingual health emergency alert system for a future health crisis. Finally, we describe how to evaluate the engineering design task using a rubric.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn our conceptual approach to developing an integrated engineering task that uses real-world data in the context of a future societal challenge (i.e., planning a response to a future health crisis using data from the COVID-19 pandemic).

SPEAKERS:
Stephen Kos, Alison Haas, Abigail Schwenger

The work of geoscientists is essential for protecting the environment, responding to natural hazards, and using resources responsibly – making geoscience careers vital and rewarding. To help students make these connections, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has developed free online resources that link student interests with global challenges and career pathways. A new Sustainability Interactive introduces real-world scenarios tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and encourages students to reflect on what matters most to them. When paired with AGI’s Career Explorer, which highlights geoscience-related careers, this resource provides teachers with engaging ways to help students explore how their interests align with sustainability issues and discover how geoscience can contribute to solutions. Educator resources, including lesson plans designed to help teachers integrate these applications into the classroom, will also be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about and can explore AGI’s free online applications that connect student interests with global sustainability challenges and geoscience careers.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Brase, Lindsay Mossa

See the 5E instructional model, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate, come to life in a complete phenomena-based science lesson. This simple five-step framework makes teaching NGSS, inquiry-driven science easy, structured, and fun for any classroom. In this poster session, you will explore each phase through visuals, lesson examples, and student work samples. Discover how the 5E model sparks curiosity, strengthens sensemaking, and turns real-world phenomena into meaningful learning experiences without adding extra work. You will leave with ready-to-use lesson ideas, practical strategies, and a digital toolkit that makes implementing the 5E model approachable, playful, and completely doable. This session demonstrates how even teachers new to phenomena-based science can confidently design lessons that engage students and support lasting understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
The 5E model gives teachers a simple, five-step framework to design phenomena-based science lessons that spark curiosity, support sensemaking, and engage students, all with low prep and tools ready to use immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Paddy Rich

This poster highlights a scaffolded, interdisciplinary lesson where 7th grade students explored how humans, whales, and dolphins communicate over long distances, comparing sensory organs and experimenting with Morse code and hieroglyphics. Students were able to explore the different levels of sensemaking through this lesson implementation and demonstrate their understanding by participating in a lab experiment. The lesson integrated science, math, ELA, and social studies, emphasizing the importance of hearing in communication and the value of sensemaking strategies for deeper understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and implement interdisciplinary, sensemaking-driven lessons that engage students in exploring real-world communication phenomena through hands-on, cross-disciplinary experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Scoleri

Step into the spotlight with this interactive poster session featuring the current Grand Prize Winners of the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge! Connect one-on-one with these outstanding science educators as they share their journey—from transforming under-resourced labs into hubs of innovation, to winning one of science education’s most prestigious awards. Learn firsthand how they’ve elevated student learning, built strong safety practices, and used the Challenge as a platform for professional growth and leadership. Whether you’re curious about applying or simply looking for inspiration to energize your own classroom or lab space, this is your chance to ask questions, gather tips, and walk away empowered by educators who’ve done it.

TAKEAWAYS:
Personal conversations with Grand Prize Winners will inspire attendees with practical ideas and confidence to transform their own science classrooms and consider applying for the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton

In collaboration with the USGS, and as a spin-off of ShakeAlert Ready Schools, the Hero in You Foundation is developing “Rocket’s Rules” materials for Grades K-2 children to build understanding of earthquakes, protective action, and how to Be ShakeAlert Safe with Rocket (BSSWR). Principles underlying design of the new materials include making things active for children, prioritizing key information (e.g., Drop! Cover! Hold On!) and encouraging children to share materials with their family and friends. The new BSSWR materials feature a range of resources suitable for the classroom and other venues, such as safety fairs, children’s museums, park settings, and beyond. Resources include a video, a poster and pop-up banner, giveaways (pin, sticker, postcard, certificate), worksheets, a comic, and gifs suitable for use on social media or in presentations. A Facilitator Guide/Tool-Kit, Quick Reference, and FAQ are also included to help facilitators (e.g., teachers, emergency managers, park personnel) quickly assemble relevant resources, activities, and scripts tailored to the timeframe of their specific interactive setting.

TAKEAWAYS:
The new Hero in You Foundation materials promote children and families’ knowledge of earthquakes, earthquake early warning, and how to Be ShakeAlert Safe with Rocket.

SPEAKERS:
Katrina Arras, Dare Baldwin

How can we make chemistry more interesting, relevant, and exciting to students while still keeping rigor? Hear from teachers across the U.S. who have used lessons centered around food-based phenomena that teach chemistry concepts like atomic structure, bonding, thermal energy, intermolecular forces, and chemical reactions, and are aligned to NGSS. Learn how this has helped student engagement, disposition, and understanding of science concepts, and their ideas about what science is. Teachers can answer questions about what this can look like logistically and how to support common classroom challenges like supporting students of different levels and backgrounds, lab equipment, and providing 3D assessments that align to NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
See how other teachers have used different series of lessons centered around different food-based phenomena and labs and how this has helped student engagement, disposition, and understanding of science concepts, and their ideas about what science is.

SPEAKERS:
April Thompson, Jacob Rice, David Meyer, Kate Strangfeld

The Inquiry-Based STEM Game Development via Generative AI tool functions as an expert pedagogical system to address the complexity of rigorous, cross-disciplinary STEM curriculum design. Teachers input learning objectives, STEM knowledge units, and select an inquiry model (e.g., 6E, PBL). The GenAI analyzes the underlying STEM literacies, automatically generates dynamic, authentic problem scenarios for the game's plot, and integrates multimedia. The tool ensures high pedagogical fidelity, guiding students to perceive STEM concepts, attempt problem resolution, and understand the socio-cultural impact of science. Crucially, the system uses dynamic generation to alter gameplay upon each launch, maintaining student engagement and curiosity. A robust backend logs detailed learning outcomes, providing teachers with granular data for both formative and summative assessment, thereby elevating the quality and reach of inquiry-based STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
GenAI-driven game development enhances inquiry-based STEM by generating dynamic, cross-disciplinary scenarios. Teachers gain a tool for high pedagogical fidelity and granular assessment data, significantly boosting student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Chi-Ruei Tsai

This transdisciplinary experience links human biology, geography, and economics through student exploration. Students use an interactive website to produce maps by comparing health-related and non-medical factors in their region. After reflecting on observed patterns, students turn to two maps of state ZIP codes with the lowest and highest median incomes. In groups balanced for individual strengths, they compare/contrast features of the two regions based on non-medical factors they explored in the opening activity. Students then enter data for a “patient” into a professional disease risk prediction calculator that incorporates ZIP codes. By varying the ZIP code, they compare output to see how predicted risk changes with "place." Finally, they develop a map visualization that explains how non-medical factors related to place act on health. The activity reflects Framework elements that include obtaining/evaluating/communicating information and identifying patterns and cause and effect.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this transdisciplinary activity, students observe phenomena, draw out patterns they detect, and then test the real-world health outcomes of these patterns for people based on where they live, arriving at a deep understanding of the role of place in human health.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Willingham

This poster highlights the Water Replenishment District’s free education programs designed to inspire students, teachers, and community members to become water-wise leaders. Through hands-on learning and discovery, participants explore: Water Careers – Introducing students to diverse opportunities in science, engineering, and environmental stewardship. Albert Robles Center Field Trips – Immersive experiences where students see water purification and sustainability in action. Eco Gardener Workshops – Community classes that teach sustainable landscaping and water conservation practices at home. Together, these programs connect classrooms and communities to the importance of protecting our most precious resource—water—while opening pathways to future careers and sustainable living.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will discover free WRD programs that bring real-world water science to life—field trips, Eco Gardener workshops, and career exploration—equipping students with hands-on learning and pathways to sustainability.

SPEAKERS:
Monica Sijder

Learn about the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association and what we offer to our members.

TAKEAWAYS:
The National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA) is the only national organization dedicated to the support of middle level educators—grades five through nine.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lou Lipscomb

Within in food education, Pilot Light has set the table, where they have created a national footprint by impacting students, teachers, and families in Chicago, NYC, and nationwide. They are now part of school culture with in 26 states, over 530 educators have received professional development, and over 24,640 have engaged in the program. Pilot Light has created a vision for a future where Food Education becomes an integral part of schools nationwide, through the leases of curiosity, community, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity. The standards: 1. Food connects us to each other. 2. Foods have sources and origins. 3. Food and the environment are interconnected. 4. Food behaviors are influenced by external and internal factors. 5. Food impacts health. 6. We can make informed food choices. Each of these standards can and have been integrated within the NGSS, Common Core, and SEL.

TAKEAWAYS:
Planting the seeds of change, Pilot Light has created a cultural shift in food education where they cultivated food standards, within the lenses of NGSS, Common Core, and SEL. One apple at a time....food education is here to stay!

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Ernst, Antoinette Schlobohm, NBCT, NCST

The research examined the perceptions of middle school science and technology teachers regarding the integration of bioethical dilemmas in teaching genetics, comparing religious and secular teachers. The qualitative research was based on semi-structured interviews with ten teachers with over five years of experience – five of them religious, teaching in state-religious schools, and five non-religious, teaching in state schools. The analysis of the interviews was conducted using a narrative approach and focused on identifying patterns of ethical thinking and attitudes towards moral dilemmas in the field of genetic counseling. The findings indicate that all teachers attribute importance to ethical discourse, but significant differences were found in the sources of authority and the types of ethical reasoning: the religious teachers relied on Jewish sources and religious considerations, while the non-religious emphasized state laws as a source of authority.

TAKEAWAYS:
Integration of bioethical dilemmas in teaching can contribute to the educational process by encouraging critical thinking and demonstrating the connection between science and society. The study highlights the need for professional development and teaching materials on ethics.

SPEAKERS:
Amichai Yavlovich