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

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

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

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

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

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: 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

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

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

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

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: 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

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 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

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

Looking to elevate student achievement through immersive learning? Discover how to harness the universal appeal of flight by captivating students with lessons and engaging activities rooted in biology standards while exploring exciting and fast-growing aviation career fields!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn strategies to construct activities resulting in greater interest and mastery of biology for students in grades K-12. Explore distinct professional practices that expand biology standards into unforgettable learning experiences associated with human life, animals, plantlife, and so much more!

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Steiner, Christina Davis

Students will create a Pokémon with specialized structures that assist them with their "powers". This will involve drawing the Pokémon, creating a Pokédex entry, and giving a short presentation about their Pokémon and how its anatomy leads to its function.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to make anatomy and physiology more engaging and relevant to students. It will also allow for more creativity to be involved in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Laurelin Geno

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Track the inheritance of the sickle cell allele in a family using gel electrophoresis. Available as a hands-on lab or virtual simulation, this activity teaches Mendelian genetics, inheritance patterns, and the molecular basis of sickle cell disease, including an extension on CRISPR gene editing.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin

Virtual field trips (VFTs) blend active, place-based learning with immersive digital exploration, connecting science content to real-world places. Come sample three VFT experiences to bring ecosystems and adaptations (LS2.A and LS4.C) to life! Introduce – Ecosystems BINGO: Travel across diverse U.S. ecosystems to investigate biotic and abiotic factors and see how they shape ecological communities. See if your team can complete your bingo board first! Develop – Create Your Own VFT: Step into the role of science communicator and design a virtual field trip that highlights the unique features and importance of an ecosystem of your choice. Apply – Alien Habitat Rescue: Apply your understanding of ecosystems by recommending a suitable Earth home for a stranded alien, based on its traits and needs. After learning about and exploring parts of these activities, participants will brainstorm ways they might use them in their classrooms. All related teacher and student resources will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience three ecosystem-focused virtual field trip activities and explore how place-based, immersive learning technology can support learners in making sense of science concepts through exploration, application, and creation.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Williams-Habibi, Kyla Cook

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Join us as we explore the phenomenon of lactase persistence in humans and engage in the science practices of asking questions, analyzing data, and developing scientific explanations using free resources from BioInteractive. Participants will explore the underlying genetic mechanism of lactase persistence and analyze data from human populations to make sense of how natural selection drove its evolution. Educators will have opportunities to consider ways to adapt the resource for their particular teaching contexts, sharing ideas with and learning alongside other educators. Participants will deepen their understanding of the phenomenon and walk away with new strategies and classroom-ready resources.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Short, Kathlyn Van Hoeck

Consumer DNA testing sits at the intersection of cutting-edge genomics and personal identity. This session pulls back the curtain on how direct-to-consumer tests generate and deliver results, from raw genotyping data to ethnicity estimates and migration inferences. We’ll explore scientific concepts such as reference populations, SNP arrays, population structure, and statistical modeling that underlie tools like ancestry composition and historical matching. Alongside the science, we’ll examine the powerful implications of these results—how they shape students’ understanding of uniqueness, shared origins, and global connections. Attendees will gain strategies for translating the science of commercial DNA testing into classroom lessons that are rigorous, relevant, and resonant.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understand the testing methodology behind consumer DNA tests and how they can be used to teach both genetics and human connection.

SPEAKERS:
Diahan Southard

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

What we can’t see still matters. Explore how scientists reveal the hidden materials in air and bring abstract concepts to life. This session models an engaging Smithsonian Science for the Classroom investigation teachers can use to help students visualize, question, and understand the unseen world.

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Imagine you’re a wildlife conservator preparing to introduce captive-bred lions into the wild. But before setting them free, there’s one crucial question: Do these lions actually belong in this habitat? Using phylogenetics, scientists analyze markers within a lion’s DNA to match the individuals with their compatible wild populations. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the use of RFLP analysis and phylogenetics in conservation biology. We will analyze the DNA samples of two lions and compare them to common genetic types across the continent of Africa. Your results will guide the decision to return these animals to their native habitats to help rewild the area. Can you send these lions back to their ancestral home?

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

A hallmark of three-dimensional assessment is making student thinking about a DCI, a CC, and an SEP visible at the same time. In this interactive session, you’ll step into the role of a student to experience two example 3D assessments and see how they bring sense-making to life. Together we will unpack what makes an assessment useful, identify key features of strong 3D tasks, and practice a “thinking analysis” of student responses to reveal patterns in learning. The agenda includes discussion, hands-on assessment experiences, analysis of student work, and time for questions. You’ll leave with strategies for designing meaningful assessments that surface student thinking and inform next steps in instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Three-dimensional assessment mirrors three-dimensional instruction and can be used to make students thinking about, and with, DCI, CCs, and SEPs visible.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson

Explore the evolution of life on Earth by constructing a "tree of life" -- metaphorical art that arranges groups of organisms by characteristics and when scientists think they first evolved. Build from life's beginnings in the ocean to beloved animals living today using cut out puzzle pieces and/or an interactive online puzzle. The first 30 participants can even receive beautiful "Tree of Life" posters by award-winning artist Ray Troll, complements of Shape of Life [shapeoflife.org]! Learn about other free lessons created by Engaging Every Student with Shape of Life and other partners, including one with an interactive animation about the tree of life and cartoon-creator activity, and the "Exploring Ocean Mysteries" curriculum created in partnership with NOAA and National Geographic Society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn hands-on strategies to engage students in the mysteries of evolution and other ocean-related phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Rick Reynolds

Lost or abandoned crab pots pose both environmental and navigational risks and can continue to catch animals or "ghost fish" long after they are lost. During this shar-a-thon, Delaware Sea Grant will share their newly created Ghost Fishing activity. In this lesson for middle and high school students, participants engage in an activity that simulates ghost fishing by derelict crab pots. This activity is based upon data collected during Delaware Sea Grant's annual derelict crab round-up. In addition to this activity, Delaware Sea Grant will be handing out copies of their 3D Horseshoe Crab Model activity and 3D Dogfish Model activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about ghost fishing by derelict crab, how this can affect ecosystems and populations of aquatic organisms, and how teachers can use this new created activity in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
David Christopher

Elevate your science teaching with LabXchange, a free online STEMM platform housed at Harvard University! Come to explore free, interactive lab simulations for middle school science on topics such as photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and using a light microscope. See how these inquiry-based simulations help students predict, analyze, and reflect, giving them real-time hints and feedback. Stop by to learn how to use the LabXchange platform and meet the LabXchange team to better understand how you can bring these resources to your classroom, school, or learning space!

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how LabXchange’s free interactive lab simulations can make science learning accessible and engaging to enhance your middle school classroom experience, no matter your budget, time, or experience.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Sjoblom

Want to help your students explore anatomy through a lens of compassion? Let Animalearn introduce you to amazing new teaching tools that can help turn your science lab into an inclusive learning space that benefits students, animals + the environment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Middle level science teachers will learn about the latest technology that they can use to replace animal dissection labs.

SPEAKERS:
Alisa Brooks, Nicole Green

SWMEA is a chapter of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), and consists of individuals and organizations found in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Our mission is to provide a forum for formal and informal educators to develop and exchange strategies to encourage learning and stewardship of marine and aquatic ecosystems.

TAKEAWAYS:
SWMEA plans to share curriculum and opportunities (volunteering, community science) to connect with local marine organizations.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Runyan

Dive into the world of whale science with this interactive session designed for educators eager to bring authentic marine biology into their classrooms. Join us as we share innovative lessons, classroom activities, and take-home resources that immerse students in the study of baleen whales, with a special focus on the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, one of the most critically endangered large whale species in the world. Our session offers a mix of hands-on learning, digital media, and inquiry-based activities that help students explore how scientists study whales in their natural habitats. Participants will leave with free, ready-to-use materials and online tools that connect students directly with real data, real science, and real conservation issues. By studying baleen whales, students learn not only about marine biology but also about the broader scientific process, including observation, data collection, pattern recognition, and informed conservation decision-making.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with classroom-ready materials, including handouts, short videos, and links to resource lists, as well as strategies for integrating whale research into science, geography, and environmental studies curricula.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Kennedy

Sponsoring Company: Anatomy in Clay

In this workshop, attendees will build replicas of human anatomy using clay and a specially designed skeletal model in a classroom setting. Educators will learn how to implement a unique curriculum system which helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy. They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Simonsen

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

At the intersection of art, science, and technology is Bio-Art, the creation of works of art using living matter. One common way to create Bio-Art uses bacteria transformed with DNA codes for brightly-colored proteins – the same bacteria that you’re already working with in your classroom! In this hands-on workshop, we will dive deep into bacterial transformation experiments to ensure success with this experiment in your classroom. We’ll discuss the science behind transformation and genetic engineering, share tips and tricks for the experiments, and explore ways to make the experiment more inquiry-driven for AP Biology. Then, you will use your transformed bacteria to paint on our petri dish canvasses and create your own living artwork. Ways to exhibit your Bio-Art will be discussed!

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Come explore how immersive project-based learning can be paired with AI to deepen science learning and engagement! Put on your student hat as we guide you through the first steps of creating a virtual field trip to showcase your science sense-making. Then, practice using our new AI Feedback Tool - designed to align to the project’s content requirements and used to provide students formative or summative feedback. Experience first-hand how design-thinking helps students develop their ability to obtain, evaluate, and effectively communicate information. We’ll share lesson plans, examples of student work related to ecosystems and biodiversity (LS4.D and LS2.A), and access to our AI Feedback Tool. No fancy tech or tech expertise needed—just bring your curiosity and a laptop. You’ll leave with a virtual field trip of your own creation, experience using AI for the classroom, and free resources to help students connect science content with the world around them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to guide students in creating virtual field trips and use AI-powered feedback to support rapid iteration, helping students refine their work, deepen science understanding, and connect learning to real-world phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Wolf, Kyla Cook

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Experience new ways to support student thinking with HHMI BioInteractive’s Model Builder. This free digital tool helps make student thinking visible as they model scientific phenomena. After an introduction to Model Builder and its library of resources, participants will experience a sample lesson sequence for the classroom, using Model Builder to model the evolution of the rock pocket mouse. They will then engage in strategies that help students use their models for learning and consider how to adapt the resources and strategies for their own contexts. Please bring a laptop or tablet if you have one.

SPEAKERS:
Marisa Alvarado, Deanna Digitale-Grider

This session features an 8th grade unit designed to connect science learning with students' local community. Anchored in the importance of biodiversity for humans and other species to thrive, the storyline invites students to ask what impact access to nature and biodiversity has on our mental health and how can we make biodiversity accessible to everyone? Participants will engage in selected lessons that show how teachers can launch learning with student questions and investigations that ultimately build toward understanding of the influence of environmental conditions on trait frequencies and the importance of green space corridors to serve as wildlife bridges for species. Effective field experiences inspire students to take action and implement design solutions in their community that expand the benefits of biodiversity and ecosystem services, illustrating how careful classroom design can link three-dimensional science learning with meaningful opportunities for action.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use the phenomenon of biodiversity impacting mental health to engage students in rigorous, three-dimensional science learning while highlighting the power of community partnerships and field experiences to inspire students to explore local solutions and enact change.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Learn, Diana Tafoya, Jeremiah Potter, Graham Montgomery

Sponsoring Company: Science Communication Lab

Step away from the daily rush and rediscover the joy of looking closely. Join fellow K–12 educators for an immersive professional development workshop centered on one of science’s most fundamental practices: observation. This interactive event features OBSERVER—our new documentary that follows scientists, artists, and other curious minds as they explore and interpret the world around them. In this workshop, you’ll dive into creative, hands-on activities inspired by the film. Using simple everyday tools, you’ll practice the same observational strategies you can bring back to your students—encouraging deeper thinking, inquiry, and curiosity in your classroom. Whether you teach elementary, middle or high school science, this workshop is designed to spark new ideas, build community, and reignite your love for discovery.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Bartol, Ariel Raymond, Brittany Beck, Shannon Behrman

Come discover how free, NSF-funded tools for data exploration and AI from The Concord Consortium can enhance your NGSS teaching, with a special emphasis on the Science and Engineering Practices. Take away free tips and resources that you can use immediately to bring NGSS to life in your classroom! This hands-on session will demonstrate how teachers can enhance existing lessons using free, open source software for data exploration and science investigation developed by The Concord Consortium over a decade of NSF funding. With a particular emphasis on use of the Science and Engineering Practices, examples and hands-on interaction will engage participants in exploring data, integrating AI tools, and using models and simulations for powerful NGSS-aligned teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will demonstrate a wide variety of materials using free software and platforms developed by The Concord Consortium over a decade of NSF funding. Participants will explore research-based models and simulations, data exploration tools, and AI-powered learning environments.

SPEAKERS:
Chad Dorsey

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

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

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

Bring ecosystems to life with “Ecosystem in an Envelope,” an interactive, NGSS-aligned lesson that turns students into ecologists. Designed as an anchoring phenomenon for ecology units, this activity engages learners in analyzing real ecosystems from around the world to explore how biotic and abiotic factors interact to shape stability and change. Participants will experience how students model ecosystems, apply data analysis and argumentation, and use sensemaking to explain energy flow and matter cycling. Leave with classroom-ready strategies that make ecology engaging, evidence-based, and memorable.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to use “Ecosystem in an Envelope” as an NGSS-aligned anchoring phenomenon to help students model real ecosystems, analyze interactions among biotic and abiotic factors, and use data and argumentation to explain energy flow and matter cycling.

SPEAKERS:
Shane E Raggio

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How does the food we eat fuel our bodies’ activities? Join us for a hands-on experience using HHMI BioInteractive’s free Biomolecules on the Menu Click & Learn activity to explore digestion, metabolism, and how nutrients fuel cellular processes. Educators will gain ready-to-use strategies for teaching metabolism and cellular respiration along with lesson ideas that support student engagement and deepen understanding. Experience how collaborative discussion and interactives can deepen students’ understanding of the overall function, inputs, and outputs of cellular respiration and how cells use nutrients to produce energy.

SPEAKERS:
Michele Koehler, Mark Eberhard

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Add a hands-on lab to your Ecology and Evolution units. Join an expedition to Madagascar to decide if an extinct lemur species has been rediscovered! Test DNA with gel electrophoresis, build phylogenetic trees, and analyze authentic field data from the Duke Lemur Center.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Step into the role of a research scientist. In this interactive breakout session; you’ll experience a classroom-ready lab activity designed to mirror authentic biomedical research practices. Led by Discovery Education and a Charles River scientist, this hands-on experience immerses educators in the scientific habits that drive innovation in real laboratories. Participants will explore core scientific practices, examine why precision and sterile technique are essential for reliable results, and uncover how these methods reflect the realities of today’s research environments. Drawing on insights from Charles River’s work, this session bridges classroom instruction with the authentic processes used in biomedical research. You’ll leave with practical strategies, ready-to-use resources from the STEM Careers Coalition, and a deeper understanding of how scientific rigor and ethical research practices fuel the innovations that improve lives every day.

SPEAKERS:
Carrie Willis, Caitlin Arakawa

Lots of things are made of plastic in our world. One of the unintended consequences is plastic waste and in particular microplastics, which are found in every environment. In this interactive workshop, you’ll step into your students’ shoes as we explore microplastics using a 5E teaching model that integrates science, math, and ELA strategies. Using Algalita’s standards-aligned classroom toolkits, you'll engage in hands-on investigations to identify microplastics, uncover where they’re found, and connect these to actionable solutions students can take in their own lives to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Standards addressed include: Human Impact, Synthetic Materials, Water Pollution, Physical and Environmental Science. We’ll end with discussions of classroom extensions such as action guides, lesson plans, mini-grants, etc. Algalita is an environmental education nonprofit specializing in plastic pollution research and education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about microplastics and how to use this as a science lesson to engage students in a relevant, timely science topic and think about solutions. This session will also show teachers ways that they can use science to build ELA and Math connections in 3-5 and 6-8 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Wanous, Virginia (Gini) Oberholzer Vandergon

Model organisms may be small, but they’ve unlocked some of science’s biggest discoveries—from genetics to epigenetics and beyond. In this engaging session, explore five model organisms and discover how they can bring authentic science into your classroom. Participants will examine real-life research examples, engage in hands-on demonstrations, and walk away with free resources to adapt for their own teaching. Learn how model organisms connect directly to NGSS practices, inspire curiosity, and show students how scientists investigate questions that impact human health.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with resources and strategies to use model organisms as powerful tools for teaching genetics, epigenetics, and the nature of science in engaging, NGSS-aligned ways.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Kavanagh

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Color plays a major role in the way we enjoy our food. Since ancient times, people have not only savored the flavor and texture of food, but we’ve also made it look as appealing as it tastes. For centuries, humans have used dyes from natural ingredients to add color to food, drink, clothing and more. In this workshop, we’ll extract food dyes from candy and analyze their composition using agarose gel electrophoresis and paper chromatography. In your classroom, you can extend the exploration to other foods and drinks that use natural and artificial colorants. We’ll share classroom-tested strategies and suggestions that encourage your students to design and test hypotheses based on the colors of their favorite treats. We’ll also show you how to collect data and analyze the data using authentic STEM techniques.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Sponsoring Company: Gardyn

Watch your science lessons come to life with a living lab that grows right in your classroom! Discover how Gardyn’s indoor hydroponic system turns everyday instruction into real-time, data-driven investigations that keep students asking questions and collecting evidence like real scientists. With AI monitoring, soil-free growing, and a compact design that works in any classroom, Gardyn makes science hands-on, without needing gardening experience. The living plant environment brings calm energy into the room, sparks curiosity, builds ownership, and connects scientific concepts to something students can see, measure, and care for. In this interactive workshop, you’ll: - Participate in a lesson using Gardyn grown plants. - Explore grade-level resources aligned to NGSS. - Learn practical ways to integrate Gardyn into labs, projects, and daily routines. - Leave with classroom-ready ideas, a sample lesson, and a new way to bring authentic science into your teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Tawnie Horner

Science teachers juggle endless demands such as labs, grading, and emotional challenges that can leave their nervous systems in constant overdrive. This interactive session explores the science of calm through simple, evidence-based chair yoga and breathwork routines designed for the classroom and beyond. Participants will learn how breathing patterns and gentle movement activated the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce cortisol, and restore focus. No mats or special clothing required, just your breath and a chair. Educators will experience accessible techniques to pause, release tension, and reset between classes. They will also craft personal “I Choose To” statements to build sustainable wellness habits and receive a printable “Calm Cycle” routine for daily use. These practices foster calm and balance in teachers and students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with a neuroscience-informed “Calm Cycle” of chair yoga and breathwork practices that can be applied during classes or shared with students to support focus, emotional regulation, and sustained joy in alignment with NGSS Science for All.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Ann Ng

Discover how teachers, students, and scientists can team up to address local biodiversity challenges through NGSS storylines—sparking student voice, community action, and powerful learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Collaboration drives student agency and community solutions to real-world biodiversity issues.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep, Jill Grace

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Over the past century, genetic research has shown how variations in our DNA genome change the way a person perceives their environment. A classic example is sensitivity to the bitter compound Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Some people find it bitter, while others can’t taste anything. The ability to taste PTC is linked to variations in the TAS2R38 gene, which codes for a taste receptor protein. TAS2R38 has two alleles: the dominant taster allele (T) and the recessive non-taster allele (t). The combination of these alleles, or the genotype, determines their phenotype: in this case whether a person is a “taster” or “non-taster”. In this workshop, you'll use the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis to identify TAS2R38 alleles, then connect genotype to phenotype by tasting the PTC paper. The experiment connects students to techniques that are used in biotechnology research, transforming abstract genetic concepts into concrete understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Explore real CRISPR technology with a hands-on DNA experiment. Program Cas9 to cut DNA, make predictions using sequence analysis, and verify results with gel electrophoresis. This activity is an engaging way to show how CRISPR works and why it’s such a groundbreaking tool for genome editing!

SPEAKERS:
Alexandra Dainis

Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Explore quorum sensing and cell signaling pathways in this hands-on workshop using Vibrio campbellii to investigate bioluminescence through engaging, classroom-ready experiments.

SPEAKERS:
Leigh Brown

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Life happens in water – and therefore many teachers consider water to be the first molecule of life. But there are four other small molecules that make up the major constituents of a living cell. These other molecules include (i) amino acids – which become proteins, (ii) phospholipids – which become membranes, (iii) carbohydrates – which become cell walls and food, and (iv) nucleotides – which become DNA and RNA. This workshop will explore physical models of these molecules of life and how they can be used to introduce your students to the molecular basis of life. This session will present teacher-tested suggestions for how these Molecules of Life can be used to introduce virtually any topic in a high school biology curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman

What if your science units started with curiosity instead of content coverage? In this interactive session, participants will explore how to anchor instruction around compelling, real-world phenomena that spark student questions and sustain inquiry across a unit. We’ll model the process of choosing and framing phenomena that are authentic, relevant, and three-dimensional, from local environmental issues to global scientific breakthroughs. Teachers will engage in sample sensemaking routines to experience the shift from “learning about” to “figuring out,” and we’ll unpack strategies for guiding students to generate questions, connect crosscutting concepts, and apply science and engineering practices. Attendees will leave with practical tools, planning templates, and a bank of classroom-tested phenomena to immediately adapt for their own grade level and discipline.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway for this session is for teachers to understand how shifting science instruction from covering content to anchoring learning in real-world phenomena fosters curiosity, student-driven questions, and deeper sensemaking, while giving teachers practical tools to implement this approach.

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Rhea-Neely

Help students connect science learning to the world around them through engaging, hands-on activities that explore ecological connections between people’s land and resource use, climate change, wildlife habitat, and sustainable communities. In this interactive session, participants work collaboratively on systems modeling, simulations and problem-solving challenges that build environmental literacy and inspire students to take informed action. The presented activities emphasize human–environment interactions through crosscutting concepts like cause and effect and stability and change. Attendees will leave with classroom-ready materials that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and environmental literacy, empowering middle school learners to see themselves as problem solvers in a changing world. The presenter will also introduce a tool kit for students to extend their learning to civic engagement and multi-media projects outside of the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn NGSS-aligned, hands-on activities that build students’ environmental awareness, data skills, and problem-solving abilities while inspiring them to take informed action on real-world sustainability challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Short, Barbara Huth

Engage in an authentic scientific experience that demonstrates how science evolves through evidence-based discovery. As a mystery skeleton is progressively revealed, participants use the ladder of inference—a systems thinking tool—to make their thinking visible as they move from observations to interpretations to conclusions about the animal's identity. Drawing on their knowledge of animal anatomy and adaptations, participants form and revise hypotheses with each new piece of evidence, experiencing firsthand that changing one's mind is the hallmark of good scientific practice. The lesson integrates literacy through the picture book "Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs!", which extends the learning by showing how paleontological understanding has evolved over time. Participants leave with a complete 5E lesson plan differentiated for PreK-12, ready-to-use templates, and strategies for helping students develop metacognitive awareness about their reasoning processes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use progressive evidence revelation and the ladder of inference, a systems thinking tool, to help students understand that revising conclusions based on new data is the essence of scientific thinking.

SPEAKERS:
DaNel Hogan

This session will highlight an innovative approach to middle school science education that combines experiential learning with effective teaching strategies and classroom practices. The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology SPARK initiative, an after-school program for middle school students supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, will provide a framework for participants to explore how authentic science experiences support rigorous, standards-centered learning while improving students’ STEM identity. HudsonAlpha SPARK provides a replicable model for supporting middle school students in developing 21st‑century scientific practices while fostering curiosity, persistence, and confidence in their identities as scientists. Designed in alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school, SPARK engages learners as student scientists, encouraging them to conduct experiments, collect data, and connect findings to real-world applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with strategies to include similar programs in their teaching, adaptable for both formal & informal learning environments. The session will provide practical resources, illustrative examples of student work, & reflections on challenges & successes from program implementation.

SPEAKERS:
April Reis, Dasi Price

Effective science communication is an often overlooked student skill. Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City presents an annual Cosmic Creator Challenge for all Utah sixth-grade students to learn how to communicate science concepts through creating their own digital media. Students have three dimensions of choice: choice of topic from the Utah space science standards, choice of medium or software type, and choice of approach. They are required to have their project evaluated by at least three peers using a Google Form with the criteria of scientific accuracy, creativity, quality, software proficiency, and communication skills. Students then make revisions before submitting the final project to Clark Planetarium for judging. Participating teachers report high levels of engagement as we see enhanced creativity and deeper science learning in the students' projects while they also learn marketable digital media skills. This session discusses how you can implement your own Creator Challenge.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement student choice in the form of a media design challenge, where students can choose a subject area topic, a media form to use, and their approach and be evaluated by three peers.

SPEAKERS:
David Black

Bricks can be used as models to represent simple sugars. Students build macromolecules as they link these sugars together. Models may be simple or more complex, and complexity can assist students’ understanding of molecular function. The simple sugar, glucose, can form the complex carbohydrate starch, which stores energy, while glucose may also form the structural carbohydrate cellulose. In building these molecules students act as enzymes by listening to instructions, following directions, and completing a task. One big difference between a young student and an enzyme is that students can multi-task, while an enzyme can only do one job.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students build all the time, but can they act like an enzyme? Bricks model simple sugars, and students build complex carbohydrates by linking sugars together.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Cunningham

Integrating science and language arts has become more common practice since the release of the ELA Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. At this share-a-thon table, participants will learn about a two-day mini unit taught in first grade, where students participated in a variety of activities that provided opportunities for peer collaboration. First, they used data to identify characteristics of living things. Next, they used those characteristics to determine whether items were living or nonliving during different activities. Additionally, multiple areas of language arts were incorporated, including writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing. Finally, the lesson culminated in an outdoor scavenger hunt before students used their drawing and sentence-writing skills to demonstrate new knowledge. Activity ideas and handouts will be shared, including how to properly implement an outdoor scavenger hunt.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn to effectively integrate science and language arts while teaching students about living and nonliving things, as well as how to properly implement an outdoor scavenger hunt.

SPEAKERS:
Frances Hamilton

Explore “The Spirit Bear Phenomenon,” an interactive, NGSS-aligned genetics lesson that connects heredity, probability, and data analysis through the real-world mystery of the Kermode bear. Participants will experience how students use Punnett squares to model genetic outcomes, calculate trait frequencies, and represent data with bar graphs. Through hands-on inquiry and sensemaking, learners explore dominant and recessive inheritance patterns while linking abstract genetics concepts to meaningful, observable phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how to teach heredity and probability through the real-world mystery of the Kermode bear using NGSS-aligned modeling and data analysis—helping students build sensemaking skills and connect genetics concepts to observable phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Shane E Raggio

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek, Inc.

Food and environmental allergies are a growing health concern worldwide. In this workshop, you’ll learn about the steps an allergist takes to diagnose and treat these dangerous reactions. First, you will review the patient's symptoms and meal history to identify potential triggers from their diet. Next, you’ll perform simulated skin prick and component-resolved blood tests to distinguish true food allergies from cross-reactivity like oral allergy syndrome. By analyzing the results and presenting their conclusions, students model the process that health professionals use to diagnose and treat allergies.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Dayton

Be a bioengineer! Preview a free middle school curriculum module that merges engineering design with life science standards. Students learn about sensory and motor systems through multimedia and kinesthetic activities, and complete a scaffolded challenge to design, test, and improve prosthetic hand models made from common inexpensive materials. The unit was co-designed by 17 teachers from across the U.S. and the Genetic Science Learning Center, and is easily accessible from the center’s Teach.Genetics website.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to access and use a free 3-5 day curriculum module that integrates NGSS middle school standards in life science and engineering design, enabling students to describe how the nervous system responds to stimuli through motor and sensory neurons and design a solution to a bioengineering problem.

SPEAKERS:
Jen Taylor

Bricks can be used as models to represent simple sugars. Students build macromolecules as they link these sugars together. Models may be simple or complex, and complexity can assist students’ understanding of molecular function. The simple sugar, glucose, can form the complex carbohydrate starch, which stores energy, or form the structural carbohydrate, cellulose. Certain polygons can form tessellation patterns and are used to show how simple cellular functions lead to organism complexity. Tessellation patterns may be discussed in Mathematics and Art classes as simple 3- and 4- sided polygons can be transformed into works of art. Students participate in activities and extrapolate chemical and life science concepts using English, too. Engaging in multiple learning styles assists a wide range of student learners. Simple models are terrific tools for addressing science misconceptions like there is only one way to illustrate a concept or idea.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students discuss how 3-D molecular structures affect their chemical properties as they “Act as Enzymes”. The students use geometric shapes to create tessellation patterns (X-cutting concept) and English analogies to explain cellular processes and growth. Students learn in inclusive environments.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Cunningham

This workshop will engage teachers in critical dialogue (Socratic seminar) facilitation techniques to add to their teaching toolbox. A variety of topics will be presented including should we bring back the woolly mammoth. These discussions help students develop their critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and ability to evaluate evidence. They also strengthen communication and active listening skills as students articulate ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore diverse perspectives. By choosing real-world science-based topics, students are engaged and further develop their scientific literacy. These discussions are evidence-based and require student preparation including readings and interpretation of data (graphs/tables) to support their evidence-based thought and discussion. The workshop will include examples of seminars done with both middle and high school students, as well as time to practice the presented facilitation skills with other teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be introduced to and practice critical dialogue (Socratic seminar) facilitation techniques using science topics which they can then use with their students to strengthen critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and data evaluation skills along with communication and active listening.

SPEAKERS:
Alison Seymour

Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Explore Ozempic's dual action on diabetes and weight loss. Learn about semaglutide's role in blood sugar and appetite regulation through hands-on ELISA simulations.

SPEAKERS:
Leigh Brown

This presentation introduces educators to California’s Alternate Diploma Pathway—a transformative and inclusive graduation option for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Participants will learn from veteran special education teachers how students can earn a standard high school diploma by meeting the state's minimum course requirements using California’s Alternate Achievement Standards, fully aligned with federal accountability guidelines under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Audiences will learn how East Side Union High School District’s special education program transformed over the last 3 years to answer the CA Alternate Diploma pathway requirement. Presenters will also share the instructional shifts that provide high-quality, equity-driven standards-based science education, rooted in the Next Generation Science Standards that engage and empower learners often left out of traditional pathways. Participants will see examples of strategies for adapting science l

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be equipped with a model of a school district’s programmatic shift that provides authentic access to the standards based science curriculum for students with significant cognitive disabilities and instructional strategies needed to ensure their success in science.

SPEAKERS:
Ethyl Santos, Vanessa Vitug, Marrika Martin

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

In 1483, two English princes vanished; now, their remains may have been found! Use DNA analysis based on the FBI CODIS system to determine if the remains might belong to the lost princes. This gel electrophoresis activity makes it easy to incorporate hands-on DNA analysis into your forensics class!

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

How can we redesign a better school lunch to meet the nutritional needs of all students? In this workshop, participants will explore a 7-lesson high school biology unit that engages students in authentic sensemaking by connecting biochemistry, nutrition, anatomy, and engineering design to their own school meals. Built using OpenSciEd design principles, the unit launches with an anchor phenomena routine where students investigate USDA changes to school lunches and create timelines of how meals have evolved. Lessons then examine added sugars, how carbohydrates fuel the body, balancing energy from macronutrients, protein sources, and the impact of cooking on nutrition, culminating in student-designed lunch menus. Participants will engage in key routines, analyze student-generated questions, and take part in a gallery walk of student work, assessments, and redesign projects. All student-facing slides, worksheets, rubrics, and assessments will be shared as open educational resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience an OpenSciEd-inspired anchor phenomena routine and leave with a complete, freely available 7-lesson biology unit—featuring 3D assessments, student work, and strategies to adapt length and scaffolds to support all learners.

SPEAKERS:
William Baur

In an age when biology is taught in silos and students face an onslaught of misinformation, The Flow of Information reframes stimulus–response as an interdisciplinary story. This 60-minute workshop makes visible the hidden steps—sensory organs → brain and neurotransmitters → endocrine hormones → DNA regulation → RNA → proteins → response—showing how molecular events scale into behavior. By weaving biology, neuroscience, and psychology, the unit helps students see how perception, signaling, and cellular change interlock to shape actions. Participants will experience model trackers, data-driven labs (reaction time, glucose regulation, stress response), and iterative model revisions that mirror student learning. To ground the session, teachers will also create a sample artifact that parallels student work. They will leave with practical resources, interdisciplinary strategies, and a framework for helping students understand the power of their own minds and the solace science provides.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students leave this unit seeing the hidden steps between stimulus and response, realizing the power of their own minds. By tracing biology through neuroscience and psychology, they gain solace in science and a deeper sense of agency over their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Hirsch

The Framework for K-12 Science Education and NGSS call for 3D learning grounded in authentic phenomena and problems to ensure relevant learning for ALL students. Leaders can use instructional materials design to help teachers achieve these synergistic goals. The BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model succeeds the 5Es and utilizes authentic phenomena/problems 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 how AIL integrates elements of the 5E instructional model, NextGen Science storylines, and problem-based learning instructional models; 2) consider the role of an instructional model in high quality instructional materials, and 3) consider their own education contexts and how they can apply AIL to design meaningful learning experiences to support their teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the successful BSCS 5E instructional model. Leaders leverage this model to support teachers in 1) developing a shared vision of effective science teaching and learning and 2) creating a student-centered classroom for all.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay

How can we leverage students’ lived experiences to authentically engage them in phenomenon-driven, student-centered learning? In this session, participants will be introduced to a teacher-designed Planning Tool created to evaluate and refine instructional materials for authentic integration of an anchoring phenomenon, inquiry-driven instructional practices, and student discourse. These elements work together to create engaging learning experiences that build students’ capacity for critical thinking as they work together to “figure something out.” By applying the Planning Tool to interdisciplinary NGSS-aligned curricula, participants will examine strategies used to transform traditional lessons into 3-dimensional learning experiences featuring student-driven discussions and inquiry-based explorations. The transformed lessons build on students’ lived experiences, strengthening their understanding of scientific principles and developing their critical thinking skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with a ready-to-use, teacher-designed Planning Tool and practical experience applying it to evaluate and refine instructional materials to better integrate phenomenon, student-driven inquiry, and discourse into their instructional materials and practices.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Carpe

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

During this workshop, we will use a set of free, classroom-ready resources to explore CRISPR-Cas9. Participants will use hands-on paper resources as well as an interactive module to obtain first-hand accounts from scientists employing this revolutionary technology, understand CRISPR-Cas9’s practical applications, and model the CRISPR-Cas9 molecular tool. Together, participants will not only discover how these materials can help their students grasp the mechanics of CRISPR-Cas9 but also how to help them think and work like real scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Wuerth, Katherine Ward

Are you looking for innovative ways to engage multilingual learners in your science classroom? Do you need effective strategies to build academic vocabulary while fostering student voice and participation? Join us for an interactive, hands-on session designed to equip educators with a toolkit of literacy strategies tailored to support multilingual learners in science. Each strategy will be paired with a dynamic tech tool that enhances engagement and deepens content understanding. Participants will experience these strategies from the student perspective, gaining insight into how they can be seamlessly integrated into instruction. During the session, educators will explore research-based vocabulary-building techniques that support reading, writing, and speaking in science, discover tech tools that amplify student voice and scaffold language development, and engage in modeling and collaborative practice to experience the strategies firsthand.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the session, participants will leave with a ready-to-use collection of strategies and digital tools that promote science literacy, increase classroom engagement, and empower multilingual learners to thrive.

SPEAKERS:
Kenya Miles, Sharon Bicey

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

This authentic case study analyzes microbial DNA from the International Space Station. Available as a hands-on gel electrophoresis experiment or a free virtual lab. Plus, learn about Genes in Space, a free experimental design competition that launches student-designed experiments to space!

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

Sponsoring Company: Animalearn

Let Animalearn introduce you to innovative dissection resources that will encourage you to revamp your current science lab. In this session you will get the opportunity to try out amazing new teaching tools (both hands-on models and AR/VR tech) that can help turn your science lab into an inclusive learning space that benefits ALL student learners, animals, and the environment. Attendees will dissect the Kind Frog (the latest realistic dissectible frog model) and simulated owl pellets! Teachers will also get to explore dissection experiences using AR/VR technology, i.e. Merge Cube, Victory XR and Curio XR with a Meta Quest headset. BONUS: Lots of giveaways!

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Green

Explore how multilingual learners' (MLLs) linguistic and cultural assets can strengthen data literacy instruction. Through hands-on data investigations and pedagogical reflection, participants will learn to design equitable data analysis experiences that leverage MLLs' full multimodal repertoires for scientific sensemaking. Participants will first engage as learners in data-rich activities featuring explicit scaffolds that support MLLs in analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting scientific data. These activities model how translanguaging, visual representations, and collaborative discourse structures can make complex data accessible while honoring students' linguistic diversity. After experiencing these supports firsthand, participants will examine the pedagogical principles behind effective data literacy instruction for MLLs and work collaboratively in small groups to modify existing data analysis tasks to incorporate in their own classrooms with their students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn research-based strategies for supporting MLLs in data analysis and interpretation by leveraging translanguaging, multimodal representations, and collaborative structures that position linguistic diversity as an asset for deeper scientific data literacy and collective sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Nico Janik, Karen Lionberger

Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

In this hands-on workshop, explore how vaping affects the human body at the molecular and genetic levels. Learn how ELISA is used to detect biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress and how gel electrophoresis can be used to examine genetic predispositions to vaping-related harm. Analyze real-world case studies and get some fresh ideas for bringing health science into your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Damon Tighe

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Experience firsthand how PASCO has integrated our award-winning sensors and technology into OpenSciEd Investigations. See how students engage in real-time data collection and analysis using our Wireless CO2 Sensor to investigate decomposition as it relates to Zombie Fires. Discover how the PASCO Portal® streamlines and organizes the entire OpenSciEd curriculum saving teachers valuable time simplifying planning and instruction while providing additional supports such as on-demand learning and more. Whether you're looking to start a pilot or moving towards full implementation, PASCO has you covered.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Brennan

This lesson incorporates an engaging phenomenon that has been a part of Louisiana history for generations. With our warm an mostly tropical climate, we have become home to several invasive species. Students will first hear about our great states law makers radical resolution for one aggressive plant species in particular and also fix the decline in meat on the bayous! Can you guess the species our dear Huey P was trying to bring into our waterways? The solution was not only 2 fold, but utterly ridiculous! But, this lesson in ecosystem balance, biodiversity, natural selection, and invasive species shines light on how far we have come and how biotechnology may pave the way ahead in ecosystem balance in the future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Ecosystems present as a delicate balance. Our Bayous, though complex and brackish, have a very delicate composition of abiotic and biotic components that make it such a magnificent sanctuary. Solving the problem of invasive species is more difficult due to this balance.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Marshall

At the elementary level, teachers can share examples of organisms whose traits challenge heteronormative thinking and support children in seeing that ‘difference’ is a norm in nature (Gunkel, Davis, & Bautista, 2024). Join us for an exploration of how penguins are portrayed in children's literature and how learning about penguins can be used to create LGBTQ+ inclusive science classrooms. We will share an annotated bibliography of children’s literature as well as the activities we used to engage teachers in considering LGBTQ+ issues related to science and science teaching, and how to foster a sense of belonging for all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
By identifying implicit biases in materials, resources, and language and by focusing on teaching about diversity among organisms, teachers can meet NGSS standards while creating inclusive classrooms for all students, LGBTQ+ in particular.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Hanuscin, Trinadey Coville

There is a critical shortage of professionals in the healthcare industry due, in part, to the significant toll of the pandemic. This has led to increased efforts to attract people to the field at many levels, the most significant of which is the middle school years. These years have been shown to be a time when students can benefit from a process of building self-awareness and learning about careers. This is the underpinning for Indiana University’s Medical Research Education Project. This poster presentation will provide information about the project and how teachers can get involved. The presenters will also highlight a few hands-on exemplar, inquiry-based lessons that have been co-designed and tested by middle-level teachers, biomedical researchers, and education faculty. Alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards, and links to literature will also be emphasized. This project is funded by the National Institute of Health.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Medical Research Education Project at Indiana University is working with middle level teachers to determine the best ways to teach about medical research generally and cancer research specifically in the hopes of creating the next generation of medical and cancer researchers.

SPEAKERS:
Gayle Buck, Adam Scribner

Discover the Health DataWell instructional materials, co-developed by HESI and NSTA, to address the lack of materials focused on public health and data literacy. The materials provide opportunities for students to build data literacy by analyzing complex public health data, using statistics and computational models, and comparing sources to develop evidence-based explanations and solutions. In this session, you will hear from teachers who implemented the materials (Health Data Well Ambassadors) and gain practical strategies for utilizing complex public health data analysis tools with your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies for implementing the Health DataWell instructional materials, focusing on using real-world data and data analysis tools to identify disparities in health outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Rebekah Hall

With their natural beauty, tactile interest, and observable wide intraspecies variation, seashells offer wonderful opportunities to teach various key science themes to elementary learners. In this session, I will present a hands-on data analysis lesson that I conduct at my local science center and libraries for early elementary learners. The lesson is based on my upcoming book, a story about a blind seashell scientist. The activities are directly inspired by the main subject’s research and even draw upon some of his authentic data. The book enhances the lesson but is not required to carry it out. The audience will leave understanding why it is important to teach variations in traits within a species to build a foundation for understanding natural selection. They will also learn practical strategies for teaching nature of science themes, including observation, inquiry, data analysis, and constructing explanations. Free copies of the lesson plan will be available.

TAKEAWAYS:
Audience members will receive concrete strategies for using seashells to teach variation in traits, tactile observation, inquiry, data analysis, and relevant common core math skills, as well as a copy of the full lesson plan.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Sherman

The research was based on a questionnaire administered to 74 high school biology teachers (State or non-religious, n=47, Religious, n=27). The study examined the relationships between sector, tenure, and teacher's role perceptions with their attitudes regarding the teaching of reproduction. Through factor analysis, three constructs with high internal reliability were identified: teacher anxieties, the importance of teaching reproduction, and teacher's perception of student interest in the subject. Significant differences were found as that high school teachers in the religious education system expressed a higher level of anxiety compared to teachers in the state education system. 60% of teachers in the state education system integrate the teaching of contraception, compared to 26% in the religious education system. The results indicate the importance of adapting professional development and teaching materials to the teacher's culture and values.

TAKEAWAYS:
The results indicate the importance of adapting professional development and teaching materials to the teacher's culture and values, while influencing teacher's role perceptions to promote engagement with sensitive socio-scientific issues as teaching reproduction in biology classes in high school.

SPEAKERS:
Amichai Yavlovich

It’s no question that humans have vastly changed the landscape of local and global environments. Pollution has many detrimental and unintended impacts throughout ecosystems. What remains less understood is how organisms adapt to these changes. Pollution Evolution invites students to analyze data on peppered moths and draw conclusions about how organisms adapt to human-caused changes. This lesson plan follows the following standards: first, from NGGS HS-LS4-3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait; second, Alabama’s SC15.BIO.14 Analyze and interpret data to evaluate adaptations resulting from natural and artificial selection that may cause changes in populations over time.. This lesson utilizes a simulation lab developed by askbiologist.asu.edu that students follow along with a lab worksheet.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers should take away that this lesson is about connecting environmental science with evolutionary biology, while students are encouraged to think critically about human impacts on nature.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Santallana, Jonathan Scott

Informal learning environments are vital for children in K-2 to improve science learning and achievement. This poster will describe the development of a science kit to teach children in K-2 about composting using storytelling in public libraries. NGSS life science standards, science practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts for the kit will be discussed, as well as hands-on learning activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
After attending this session, attendees will be able to describe the development of a science kit to teach children in K-2 about composting using storytelling in public libraries.

SPEAKERS:
Abednego Bansah, Kerri Greene, David Holben

This poster presents a 7th-grade PBL unit integrating Western science and Native Hawaiian knowledge to restore ecosystems at Kalauhaʻihaʻi. Students investigate biodiversity, energy flow, and human impacts, conduct field studies, test models of structures like kuapā walls, engineering, and present solutions to community experts. The project shows how culturally grounded, place-based science fosters engagement, collaboration, and stewardship.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design NGSS-aligned, phenomenon-driven PBL units that integrate Western science and Native Hawaiian knowledge, using real-world ecosystem restoration to foster student inquiry, cultural relevance, and community stewardship.

SPEAKERS:
Shawna Nishimoto

Several hands-on activities/demonstrations will demonstrate various soil physical, chemical and biological properties and their application to engineering and environmental science. Sand castles demonstrate the basic forces of friction, adhesion and cohesion and the effect of particle size on the angle of repose. Soil is a Filter and Soil is Charged are companion activities that demonstrate soil charge properties and require students to use inductive reasoning to determine the charge on the soil and organic dyes in grape Koolaid and discuss leaching and water pollution. A biology activity will demonstrate microbial diversity or activity. All demos start as simple, visual activities suitable to demonstrate principles for elementary students but are easily scaled to all grades by applying the scientific method to design experiments and make observations, measurements and calculations and draw conclusions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every Soil Has a Story. Learning its story starts with basic science. Soil science is an applied, interdisciplinary science that can be used to introduce and generate interest in physics, chemistry, biology and environmental science for all grade levels.

SPEAKERS:
Clay Robinson

Planting a school garden is a goal for many classroom and science teachers. Gardening helps connect science with a variety of subjects, and students love eating what they have planted. Gardening connects to NGSS such as describing patterns of what plants need to survive, organization for matter and energy flow in organisms, crosscutting concepts such as patterns in the natural world, and how systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together. But many schools are reluctant to begin a garden because of both space and financial restrictions. This class will show teachers how to begin planting using upcycled and free materials, how to reuse containers as planters, how to make biodegradable seedling planters in seconds, and how to transform desolate ground into a blooming wildflower garden with seeds and a container of air-dry clay. Educators will learn how to start a successful garden using such common materials as newspaper, tin cans, and air-dry clay.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to start a school garden, even with a very limited budget.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson

Students in physiology encounter different ways that homeostasis can be affected in the body. One interesting example is hyponatremia. Understanding homeostasis is an essential part of a physiology course, and finding ways to make this concept more accessible and engaging for students is important to instructors. This project uses hyponatremia to demonstrate a disruption to homeostasis in the body. A combination of pre-/post- multiple-choice quizzes and a free response question to evaluate students’ learning gains through novel exercises associated with hyponatremia using water beads to simulate human cells. This poster focuses on the methods used to collect and analyze data from various classes from the 2021-2025 school years, as well as initial findings for student learning gains. This data will inform our understanding of what students learn from these activities and how to refine future iterations of the activities that support learning about homeostasis in physiology courses.

TAKEAWAYS:
By using these novel experiments, students demonstrated statistically significant educational gains in understanding the topic of hyponatremia.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Meza, Ryan Somers

Effective science communication is an often overlooked student skill. Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City presents an annual Cosmic Creator Challenge for all Utah sixth-grade students to learn how to communicate science concepts through creating their own digital media. Students have three dimensions of choice: choice of topic from the Utah space science standards, choice of medium or software type, and choice of approach. They are required to have their project evaluated by at least three peers using a Google Form with the criteria of scientific accuracy, creativity, quality, software proficiency, and communication skills. Students then make revisions before submitting the final project to Clark Planetarium for judging. Participating teachers report high levels of engagement as we see enhanced creativity and deeper science learning in the students' projects while they also learn marketable digital media skills. This poster discusses how you can implement your own Creator Challenge.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement their own Creator Challenge to enhance student creativity, engagement, and deeper learning through student-created digital media projects and specific tips for peer evaluation and revision to improve project quality.

SPEAKERS:
David Black

Drosophila Melanogaster, a well-established genetic model organism, provides powerful tools for studying cancer biology. I plan to explore how tumor-like growth can be induced and observed in Drosophila larvae, offering insights into cell proliferation, migration, and tissue invasion. The simplicity of the larval system, combined with the fruit fly’s conserved genetic pathways, makes it an accessible and cost-effective model for investigating mechanisms underlying cancer progression. By examining parallels between fly tumor biology and human cancers, everyone can gain an appreciation for how this model organism continues to advance biomedical research as well as education. My presentation will highlight the importance of model systems in bridging basic research with translational insights into human health.

TAKEAWAYS:
Studying cancer cells in Drosophila larvae reveals certain mechanisms of tumor growth and offers an accessible model for understanding human cancer biology.

SPEAKERS:
Emery Breitbarth

This poster showcases the use of inquiry-based learning in biology labs to allow students to learn about core concepts through research and experimentation while promoting student engagement. For a cell biology lab, Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) was utilized to let the students actively conduct research on the effects of caffeine on HeLa cells and then report their research to their peers. Although this study found no significant differences in terms of quantitative data, the qualitative data showed students were more engaged in the classroom activities and material. Pulling from this study, inquiry-based learning will be applied to a human physiology postsecondary lab. By utilizing inquiry-based activities that would simulate real-world experiences, it is predicted that students will be more engaged in class material leading to greater conceptual understanding over time than students not in an inquiry-based lab.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover ways to implement inquiry-based learning into biology labs to help promote student learning and engagement. This approach emphasizes collaboration, research, and real-world applications to better equip students for life after graduation.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Grieshop

How do students learn biology best? The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) scaffolded students in science, if used. Scaffolding information continues as students enter college. Most scaffolding occurs in courses students want to take for their majors. Sometimes science is a general education requirement and not a desired goal. Data collected from a three-year study on student perceptions of their learning in a non-major’s biology class has directed a foundational class and laboratory. A prominent theme in the data emerged, as students want to participate in their learning process. This poster represents one of the class topics presented with multimodal strategies. The lecture focuses on the immune system using lecture, films and games. The lab focuses on viruses using individual virtual work, which can be paired-checked for thoroughness before submission and a group hands-on activity where students become more collaborative as they must decide where a virus originates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use multimodal learning instructional strategies to encourage differentiated learning in science without differentiating students.

SPEAKERS:
Tamera Klingbyll

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Science

Explore how living organisms enrich science classrooms through authentic, hands-on investigation and deeper student engagement. This session highlights effective strategies for integrating live materials while demonstrating how Carolina serves as a dependable partner, managing the sourcing, shipping, and support needed to successfully use living organisms in teaching.

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Tired of complex, low-yield transformation labs? Meet an easy-to-implement transformation where students change bacteria from white to blue. Enjoy a simple teacher prep, a 45-minute student protocol, and minimal equipment. We will raffle a Cozy Cube™ Incubator in this session!

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

Can your students outsmart artificial intelligence? In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore an engaging classroom activity where students train an AI image-recognition model to identify four major tissue types: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous. After training, students test the model with unknown samples and compare its accuracy to their own. Along the way, participants will discover how this activity strengthens student understanding of tissue structure and function while also introducing critical conversations about the role of AI in science, data quality, and human vs. machine learning. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use materials, strategies for integrating AI tools like Google Teachable Machine into NGSS-aligned instruction, and ideas for extending the activity into other science disciplines and grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a ready-to-use, NGSS-aligned classroom activity that demonstrates how to integrate AI tools into science instruction—engaging students in comparing human and machine learning while building content knowledge and transferable skills that extend across disciplines and grad

SPEAKERS:
Katelyn Christensen

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

This hands-on session will challenge participants to create and interpret models to illustrate the diversity of structures and functions of life at the cellular level. Participants will be given a brief overview of the Cell Modeling Kits and then a challenge to create a cell model of a specific type of cell, provided only its function. Participants will then evaluate and revise their models as they walk through David Goodsell's Molecular Landscape.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Fowler, Philip Bell

Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Decoding bacterial “conversations” offers insight into new strategies for treating chronic infections, such as those associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). In this hands-on workshop, participants use bioluminescent bacteria to investigate quorum sensing and model the signal transduction pathways that regulate virulence and biofilm formation in CF airways. Through pathway modeling, co-plating experiments, and testing quorum-sensing inhibitors, participants explore how disrupting bacterial communication—rather than killing cells outright—can alter disease progression and outcomes. The session emphasizes classroom-ready approaches for teaching cell communication and gene expression and for connecting microbial signaling to therapeutic innovation.

SPEAKERS:
Damon Tighe

Flap to the Future: The Flight Adaptations Game by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Academy allows students to explore and understand the adaptations birds have evolved that help them fly. The K-12 education team has developed this activity resource to help educators scaffold Flap to the Future for middle school students, grades 6-8. Jump, Glide, or Fly? Exploring Bird Evolution addresses key concepts such as adaptation, anatomy, evolution, and structure and function. As your students enjoy playing Flap to the Future, these activities will help ensure students learn the most from this fun online game. Attendees of this session will be introduced to three separate NGSS aligned activities that are freely available on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology K-12 website.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees of this session will be introduced to three separate NGSS aligned activities, including the learning game Flap to the Future, which investigates topics in the evolutionary pathways from dinosaurs to birds, flight adaptations, and extrapolating on the direction of future bird evolution.

SPEAKERS:
Greg Czekaj

Sponsoring Company: FLINN

Discover interactive activities that spark curiosity and bring science to life. This session highlights microscope-based explorations, hands-on investigations, and engaging STEM challenges that promote creativity and critical thinking. Students move beyond passive learning to do science—examining real specimens, collecting and analyzing data, solving problems, and collaborating with peers. By blending experiments, technology, and inquiry-based activities, learning becomes dynamic, memorable, and fun while building the skills scientists and engineers use every day. Handouts included.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Knabe

Discover how NGSS/STEELS-aligned science notebooks can transform student learning in grades K–8. In this interactive session, participants will explore research-based strategies for using notebooks as tools for inquiry, sensemaking, and formative assessment. See real examples from 6th grade classrooms and learn how notebooks support student voice, differentiation, and literacy while mirroring the practices of scientists. Designed for educators new to notebooking, this session offers practical tips, classroom-ready ideas, and opportunities for Q&A.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to use NGSS/STEELS-aligned science notebooks to boost inquiry, sensemaking, and assessment. See classroom examples, gain practical strategies, and learn how notebooks support student voice, literacy, and authentic scientific practices.

SPEAKERS:
Natalie Hafer

How can science teacher educators and mentors prepare science teachers to deeply engage multilingual learners in science practices? This presentation models and discusses tools, research, and lessons learned from a federally funded project to answer this question through translanguaging pedagogy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Translanguaging pedagogy involves teaching moves that go beyond giving multilingual learners access to the content and instead helps them mobilize their full linguistic repertoire to engage in science practices.

SPEAKERS:
Jonah Firestone

How can science classrooms - whether general, honors, or co-taught-become spaces where every student sees themselves as a scientist and engages in authentic sensemaking? This interactive session will showcase teaching strategies and classroom practices that transform high school science instruction into accessible, student-centered learning experiences across disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Forensic Science, and IB Sports Science. Using the four pillars of sensemaking-participants will explore how intentional lesson design fosters deeper understanding, motivation, and equity in science learning. Presenters will model approaches to integrate real-world phenomena (integrate real-world phenomena with student-driven inquiry and collaboration. These examples will include adaptations for co-taught classrooms, highlighting how strategies can support diverse learners, including students with IEPs, English Learners, and those needing enrichment.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway from this session is that every high school science classroom-whether general, honors, or co-taught-can be a space where students learn science by doing science. Participants will leave with ready-to-implement strategies that balance rigor and accessibility.

SPEAKERS:
Ramon Reeves, Shannon Harris, Tracy Joyner, Dana Peeples

Join Pilot Light Chefs to discover simple, high-impact strategies for connecting food education to science learning using Pilot Light’s newly revised Food Education Standards. Attendees will explore how food-based phenomena—like the chemical reactions behind baking bread or the physics of emulsions in salad dressing—can make NGSS concepts tangible and relevant. The Standards provide an easy-to-implement tool that engages students’ senses and curiosity while deepening understanding of scientific inquiry, sustainability, and real-world systems. Perfect for educators seeking a fresh, classroom-ready way to make science meaningful through the everyday lens of food.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a practical, ready-to-use strategy for connecting food experiences to core science concepts, helping students explore NGSS-aligned inquiry, chemical reactions, and systems thinking in an engaging, hands-on way.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How did humans evolve diverse skin colors across the globe? Engage with free resources from HHMI BioInteractive to gather evidence for how natural selection has led to the diversity of human skin color seen today. We will use the short film “The Biology of Skin Color” to engage students in the phenomenon, along with companion resources that feature primary data and pedagogical scaffolds to support students in developing an evolutionary explanation. Participants will experience an interactive, phenomenon-based lesson sequence and have opportunities to discuss ways to adapt the sequence to fit their own instructional contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Short, Deanna Digitale-Grider

This Share-a-thon proposal focuses on the integration of public health laboratory science in K-12 education. Specifically, it will focus on the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)'s K-12 outreach programming, including K-12 educational resources focused on public health and the Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors program, composed of a network of volunteers across the country interested in speaking to students about their work in public health laboratories. It will also highlight APHL’s partnership with the Lab Drawer, and the educational STEAM kits available for Public Health Laboratory Ambassadors to use when conducting classroom demonstrations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover resources available to educators to assist in incorporating public health laboratory science concepts into the classroom and beyond the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Mya Bledsoe, Hailey Reiss

GrowingGreat’s mission is to empower children to make healthy food choices through hands-on science and garden education. We are all about hands-on activities for gardens and classrooms and we would like to share everything with YOU! We will feature two of our award-winning national programs. With "Seeds to STEM"’s inquiry-based curriculum, supported by NIH, we work with children ages 3-5 and their teachers to promote early science, technology, engineering and math skills, literacy and nutrition to help prepare children for kindergarten. Through "Food in Space and in the City", our NASA Community Anchor program, K-12th grade students explore air, water and soil resources and the important role they play in food security. Activities include: developing experimental design, critical thinking and science literacy skills; designing and publishing activities aligned to NASA themes; and evaluating the intersections of food security, environmental justice and space exploration.

TAKEAWAYS:
We are giving away 20+ activities, each featuring hands-on STEM, garden and/or nutrition, a healthy snack, and, for the younger ones, a read-aloud book and song to sing. We address incorporating nutrition education in day-to-day curriculum and lack of access to fresh produce and green space.

SPEAKERS:
Jill Coons, Jennifer Jovanovic

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

The T4 bacteriophage is a fantastical E. coli killing machine. It has evolved – over several billion years – the ability to walk around in the tall grass that covers the outside surface of an E. coli cell until it finds its specific receptor protein embedded in the E. coli outer membrane. This binding of the long, spindly legs of the T4 phage with its receptor then triggers the subsequent events that results in the efficient infection of the E. coli cell. Once the T4 phage has injected its DNA into E. coli, it begins choreographing the many processes that lead to the replication of hundreds of new T4 phage particles. In the last phase of the T4 phage infection cycle, the infected E. coli bursts open releasing hundreds of new phage particles. This session will introduce a physical model of a T4 phage that students can use to explore all phases the phage’s life cycle. This model is enhanced by a digital exploration of a molecular landscape of the T4 Life Cycle by David Goodsell.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman

Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Experience CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing experiments designed for your students' learning! In this hands-on workshop edit a chromosomal gene, complete with essential experimental controls, using the same cut-and-repair technology used in medicinal and agricultural applications.

SPEAKERS:
Damon Tighe

his presentation will explore how implementing a Flipped Classroom model can enhance student-centered learning in Middle and Upper School Life Sciences courses. By shifting direct instruction outside of class through videos and readings, students engage more deeply in hands-on, inquiry-based activities during class time. The session will also highlight how literacy integration, lab investigations, and Visible Thinking Routines enrich student understanding and promote critical thinking. Drawing from five years of classroom data, I will share evidence of improved student engagement, conceptual mastery, and collaboration through this model. Participants will leave with practical strategies, digital tools, and ready-to-use resources for designing and implementing their own Flipped Classroom lessons in Life Sciences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how the Flipped Classroom model boosts engagement and deeper learning in Life Sciences. Attendees will be able to learn how to plan a flipped classroom lesson and feel motivated to begin using this method. I will be sharing examples and resources to utilize in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Fernando Azcona

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How has the mouse, of all animals, evolved to become one of the most extreme endurance athletes on the planet? Join us as we explore this phenomenon using HHMI BioInteractive's Scientists at Work video “Science of the Extreme Animal Athlete” and the “Biomolecules on the Menu” Click & Learn activity. We'll engage in sense-making activities as we work to build an explanation of this phenomenon and deepen our understanding of biomolecules, energy, metabolism, and evolution. Attendees will leave with classroom-ready strategies, lesson ideas, and free resources that make challenging concepts more accessible and engaging for students.

SPEAKERS:
Keri Shingleton, Michele Koehler

Mobile technologies, including smartphones and smartwatches, are creating new opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world biomedical applications. In this hands-on workshop, participants will transform their own smartphones into portable laboratories by using built-in sensors—accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras—to make biomedical-related measurements. Activities will include analyzing the cardiac cycle with photoplethysmography and seismocardiography, measuring physiological tremors, and investigating gait dynamics. Along the way, participants will see how foundational concepts in mechanics and electromagnetic waves can be directly linked to human health and biology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with ready-to-use, low-cost labs that connect physics principles to biomedical applications such as heart rate, tremor, and gait. They will experience these activities as students, gaining strategies to engage learners through interdisciplinary, real-world investigations.

SPEAKERS:
Helene McLaughlin, David Rakestraw

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

How do seeds get the energy they need to grow? Investigate cellular respiration by measuring real-time CO2 production in germinating peas and analyzing variables of metabolic rates. Use Vernier Connections to deliver this 3D-aligned lesson, capture sensor data, and support evidence-based modeling.

SPEAKERS:
Ann Hammersly

Experience the "a-ha" moments firsthand. In this immersive session where we'll explore scientist circles, a classroom approach that puts students in the driver's seat of their own learning and discovery. We will analyze video case studies of my 6th-grade classroom, where we will witness students actively grappling with complex phenomena, negotiating ideas, and collaboratively building consensus as they reach a learning target! Attendees will see the tangible benefits of a phenomena-based, student-driven approach to science and will also learn the teaching strategies that make it all happen. We'll cover best practices for facilitating sensemaking, fostering critical thinking, and ensuring every student's voice is heard. Attendees will leave with a toolbox of tips and tricks to bring the magic of scientist circles back to your own classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave the session feeling empowered, inspired, and prepared to bring scientist circles to their classrooms!

SPEAKERS:
Jed Graboys

Ready to supercharge your science instruction? This session demystifies AI, offering a practical toolkit designed not to replace you, but to free you. Discover how to instantly draft NGSS-aligned learning experiences and differentiate resources for all learners in your classroom. We’ll demo how you can generate stunning presentations from a simple outline, turn long lab videos into short, dynamic review clips, and create custom study guides directly from your source materials. The true power of AI isn't just automation; it's the restoration of your time for human connection. By offloading these routine tasks, you reclaim invaluable hours. We will explore concrete strategies to reinvest that time into what truly matters: providing more one-on-one feedback, facilitating deeper hands-on inquiry, and building relationships that foster a genuine curiosity technology never can. Walk away with a curated list of tools and concrete strategies you can implement immediately to transform your teac

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to implement AI tools to automate planning and create dynamic content, freeing up valuable time to focus on what truly matters: fostering student curiosity, facilitating hands-on inquiry, and building stronger connections in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Nunez

Join us for an interactive workshop where you’ll experience dynamic, student-centered teaching aligned with the latest science and ELA standards. Learn how to integrate literacy practices, such as reading, writing, and speaking, into your science instruction to create a rich, 3D learning experience. Participate in a hands-on science investigation about an Elk reintroduction project in Virginia, engaging with complex scientific ideas while strengthening literacy skills. Through small-group activities, discover strategies to support students' sense-making and deepen their thinking. Walk away with practical tools to: • Integrate literacy into science lessons for cross-disciplinary learning • Foster collaboration through reading, writing, and speaking activities • Use real-world phenomena to deepen student engagement • Provide timely support to challenge all learners Transform your science instruction and inspire your students with engaging, hands-on experiences!

TAKEAWAYS:
Student sense-making and development of important literacy skills are enhanced when a learning experience requires students to read, write, talk, and listen with the goal of obtaining and communicating new information and evaluating what they figured out.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson

Join teachers from across the United States as we share our first-year journey with Growing Beyond Earth® (GBE), a nationwide citizen science program started by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with NASA. This year, GBE engages 510 schools across 48 states and 10 countries, connecting students directly to authentic NASA research on growing plants in space. Using specialized growth chambers, students test crops, collect real data, and contribute findings that help refine experimental protocols for spaceflight. In this interactive session, you’ll hear our stories of launching GBE in the classroom, explore lessons learned, and gain practical tips for implementation. You’ll also try hands-on experimental protocols, brainstorm adaptations for non-participating schools, and discover cross-curricular connections to math, ELA, and social studies. Walk away with strategies to inspire your students through authentic science and space exploration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to bring Growing Beyond Earth® into your classroom. In this hands-on session, you’ll practice experimental protocols, learn implementation strategies, and explore ways to connect life and space science across disciplines.

SPEAKERS:
Marci Yoseph, Amy Padolf, Rachelle Travis

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital collaborated with teachers, scientists, and educational researchers to co-create an inquiry-driven Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) learning module that explores the concept of infectious diseases in primary grades. Students’ inquiry is sparked by the anchor text, Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney. Through the lens of using STEMM as a tool for transformation and for care, students assume the roles of microbiologists to create an investigation identifying germs in their learning environment. In this inquiry-based investigation, students develop class norms to establish healthy social habits that they and others can follow. This workshop will examine the STEMM curriculum’s impact on students’ perception of science and include information on how to register for access to the free learning module.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in an inquiry-driven learning module to identify how to use the curriculum in their learning environment. Participants will examine the scientific practices evident in the learning module through workshop collaboration. Participants will identify the mission and vision of St

SPEAKERS:
Anika Britton, Krisderlawn Motley, Hailey Wolfe

Investigate the role of confirmation bias in reasoning with an interactive activity. Participants evaluate evidence and engage in argumentation about the use of social media. The activity is part of a new free high school curriculum called Scientific Thinking for All: A Toolkit. The course provides a toolkit of cognitive strategies applied to real-world issues such as water quality, energy use, and student well-being. Students utilize scientific approaches for interpreting evidence, engaging in probabilistic reasoning, identifying sources of uncertainty, and developing iterative solutions. They develop skills in reasoning and collaboration, equipping them to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. The material is an adaptation of a University of California, Berkeley course created by Nobel Prize winner Saul Perlmutter and is being developed by the UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will investigate the role of confirmation bias in reasoning as they explore evidence and engage in argumentation about the use of social media. The activity, a part of a 10-lesson unit on evaluating information in the context of biology and public health, is free for download.

SPEAKERS:
Janet Bellantoni, Sarah Metz

Step into the world of game-based science learning by experiencing it for yourself! In this interactive session, participants will play at least two science games—The Cell Game and the Natural Selection Game—each designed to engage learners in active, hands-on exploration of standards based life science concepts. These games typically take about 30 minutes with adults and highlight how structured play through game-based models can build deep content understanding while encouraging collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. After playing, we’ll shift into discussion and reflection, making explicit connections to the NGSS Three-Dimensional Learning Framework. Together, we’ll unpack how the game mechanics align with disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. Participants will then explore strategies for designing their own classroom games and activities that bring NGSS standards to life through meaningful play.

TAKEAWAYS:
When you are finished with this session you will have a new understanding of how games can add to the learning of every student. You will see how games naturally encourage student discourse, prediction, and evidence-based reasoning. Games are by their very nature hypothesis generating tools.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Bowman

An immersive two-hour workshop where K-12 teachers learn the framework of Model-Based Inquiry—how to design units centered around phenomena, model construction, revision, and key science practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers across grade levels will explore how the MBI framework enables three-dimensional, NGSS-aligned units. They’ll learn how to choose anchoring phenomena, develop and refine scientific models, and plan for explanation, evidence, and argumentation.

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Baird, Jennifer Askew, Ron Gray

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a form of participatory science, where students contribute to authentic research by engaging in the scientific practices highlighted by the NRC Framework and NGSS. By embedding research within courses, CUREs make research more inclusive by maximizing opportunities for students of all backgrounds to engage in research and can decrease equity gaps among students of historically marginalized backgrounds. Here, I present results from two studies analyzing the impact of CUREs and discuss how CUREs can be applied in both high school and undergraduate classrooms. The first study examines how students engage with mathematical thinking in both CURE and traditional biology labs, while the second study examines students’ experiences in CUREs that rely on digitized natural history specimens. Both studies suggest positive impacts for students in CUREs, and we will discuss how CUREs can be implemented in different course contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), a type of participatory science where students engage in authentic scientific practices, and cognitive and affective benefits of CUREs. In addition, we will connect participants to a national network of CUREs.

SPEAKERS:
Jeremy Hsu

In the Feeding the Future project, students explored how hydroponics and vertical farming can help address one of the world’s pressing problems: feeding a growing population with limited farmland. Working with real-world hydroponics engineers, students learn about different systems and design solutions, and build a small-scale vertical hydroponic system of their choice that supports plants using minimal horizontal space. They create a self-watering system that delivers nutrients, water, and light directly to the plants without the need for soil. They test their designs by growing plants in their systems under the same conditions. Students write a design report and present designs, along with plant growth data. Using the data, students come to a consensus on the best solution to scale up in our greenhouse. This process guides MS students through the engineering design process, developing engineering skills such as brainstorming, designing, building, testing, and refining solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Feeding the Future project enables students to address global food challenges by designing and testing vertical hydroponic systems, while developing real-world engineering skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and data-driven decision-making.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Mello

Join representatives from the Association of Public Health Laboratory Science (APHL) for an engaging session exploring career pathways in public health laboratory science. This initiative, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides opportunities for students, early-career scientists, and public health laboratory professionals! Attendees will gain insights into viable career paths in this sector, including public health laboratory fellowship and internship opportunities in state and local public health laboratory settings. Public health laboratory science is a potential career field for many students! Learning more about this career path and its connection to science can equip educators with the knowledge to share information about this profession with their students. Furthermore, educators will be provided with resources they can integrate into their curricula to expose students to these career paths.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to describe public health laboratories and their connection to science education. Furthermore, participants will obtain resources available to educators to incorporate public health laboratory science concepts into the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Mya Bledsoe, Hailey Reiss

This 120-minute immersive workshop empowers educators to harness artificial intelligence tools to strengthen sensemaking in middle school science classrooms. Participants will actively engage as “students-as-scientists” while exploring how AI supports the four pillars of sensemaking—phenomena, science and engineering practices, student ideas, and disciplinary core ideas—across curriculum design, instruction, and assessment. Through hands-on activities, educators will experience AI-enhanced lesson planning, worksheet and presentation creation, rubric and assessment development, and simulated data for investigations. Participants will analyze classroom examples, including AI-supported student work, and reflect on equity and culturally relevant pedagogy. Attendees are highly encouraged to bring a Wi-Fi-enabled device (laptop, Chromebook, or tablet) for full participation. Participants leave with ready-to-use strategies and resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn practical strategies for using AI tools to enhance sensemaking in science through lesson design, assessments, and student investigations, leaving with classroom-ready resources and equity-focused practices.

SPEAKERS:
Sherrita Blackshear

Tired of feeling like you’re talking at your students instead of sparking their curiosity? In this session, two high school teachers share how they transformed their Marine Biology class into a hands-on, practice-driven course where students actively engaged in Science and Engineering Practices every day. Even better—the strategies carried over seamlessly into other Life Science courses. Come discover practical ways to weave in Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts without sacrificing content. You’ll walk away with classroom-tested examples, assessment ideas, and strategies you can immediately use to boost engagement and deepen learning in your own science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn practical strategies to integrate Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts into daily lessons—along with examples and assessments they can immediately use in their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Sherry Shook, Jill Ronstadt

How can schools translate belief into intradisciplinary learning that sticks? At Miami Country Day School, middle school teachers used established departmental belief statements and long-term transfer goals as a foundation to reimagine a STEM program that challenges students to Think Deeply About the World Around You Through a Scientific Lens. Across Grades 6–8, students revisit the interconnected concepts of water, energy, and conservation through an arc of grade-level themes that include The Science Of: Where We Are and How We Got Here, Who Calls Florida Home? and How Our Interactions Shape and Impact the Future. These explorations include climate storytelling, energy justice, and ecological belonging. Grounded in Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) science and CTTL-informed practices, the program fosters relevance, student agency, and enduring understanding. Attendees will leave with tools to spark faculty-led curriculum design rooted in purpose and powered by authentic, global inquiry

TAKEAWAYS:
Grounding interdisciplinary curriculum in whole-child principles and a faculty-driven, inquiry-focused design process can create a vertically aligned STEM program that honors disciplinary integrity, spirals environmental concepts, and fosters deep, globally relevant inquiry.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Brill, Joanne Aronson

This 30-minute session presents a dynamic, case-based microbiology lab activity grounded in three-dimensional (3D) learning, integrating disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts as outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The activity is centered around a clinical case study of a patient with a skin infection that does not respond to initial antibiotic treatment. Students simulate the diagnostic process used in a clinical microbiology lab—isolating, identifying, and performing antibiotic susceptibility testing on a Gram-positive cocci specimen. As students move through each lab step (e.g., Gram staining, culturing, biochemical testing, AST), they connect technical procedures to real-world clinical decisions. The activity emphasizes evidence-based reasoning, critical thinking, and the importance of antimicrobial stewardship. In doing so, it prepares students to apply microbiological knowledge to practical healthcare challenge

TAKEAWAYS:
This session is ideal for life science and biology educators seeking to bring real-world applications into the microbiology lab and increase student engagement and understanding through case-based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Jones

The best way to engage students is to bring real-world examples into the classroom. Teachers who participate in scientific research and/or wildlife conservation projects demonstrate the relevancy of their practice and serve as role models for their students. I know this from experience. As a wildlife biologist, I've studied, volunteered and worked on a variety of research projects around the globe. I brought those experiences to my high school biology classroom, sharing both the excitement and rigor of what it's like to work in the field. To supplement my teaching, I developed lab activities and community-based projects that integrated key concepts from my experiences. My lessons challenged students to think critically about global issues while empowering them to develop solutions. In my presentation, I will share specifics on how teachers can get hands-on field experience. Additionally, I'll share specific activities I used to engage my students.

TAKEAWAYS:
High school biology teachers will learn about opportunities to get hands-on, field experience in conservation biology research, and ways to bring their experience back to their classroom to engage their students.

SPEAKERS:
Ramona Gonzales

The presenter/author demonstrates how to address NGSS’s three-dimensional learning in an engaging way by using the storyline in the NSTA Kids book, Too Much Quiet!. Second grader Patsy Beth has just learned about climate change at school. With the help of her teacher she convinces fellow students to take small, but inspiring, action to help slow down climate change and help nature. Teachers will recognize best practices used by Ms. Green and will discover ways to use the story conflict (change in natural habitat) as a driving phenomenon to integrate science and ELA using real Project-Based Learning. Takeaways: 1. Crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices within life science lessons modeled in this book. 2. Using literature to engage and inspire young students to realize the importance of understanding science. 3. Best practices in teaching modeled in the book. 4. Free online resources for the primary classroom that extend the scientific teachings in this book.

TAKEAWAYS:
Second grader Patsy Beth may be a drama queen, but she has BIG IDEAS! Jump into her fictional world to explore factual life science and climate change while discussing Ms. Green’s clever teaching tactics. Combining science and ELA, Too Much Quiet! models practical science teaching strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Kottie Christie-Blick

This session will explore development and implementation of a K-2 nutrition-based life science and reading program in Mississippi public libraries. This session will not only showcase the collaboration of K-2 science and reading educators; public, school, and academic librarians; scientists; and the public in the development of the informal science education program, but also the approach of using a storyline and children's books to facilitate science learning of children in K-2.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, attendees will be able to describe the development of nutrition-based life science STEM kits for implementation in informal learning environments.

SPEAKERS:
Abednego Bansah, Kerri Greene, David Holben

This session explores collaborative learning exercises using manipulatives like pop-beads to enhance student understanding of cellular respiration and fermentation. By engaging their tactile sense, students actively participate in tracing a glucose molecule (modeled by a string of 6 pop-beads) through the various stages outlined on a provided handout. This hands-on approach allows them to track carbon movement and record its release throughout the process. Additionally, students learn to distinguish between energy production via substrate-level phosphorylation and oxidative phosphorylation. The activity fosters a clear understanding of how glucose hydrolysis fuels cellular processes. This simplified approach to cellular respiration and fermentation effectively conveys key details without sacrificing scientific accuracy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Unravel the secrets of cellular respiration! Track the fate of carbon atoms in glucose as it undergoes oxidation through various stages.

SPEAKERS:
Deborah Cardenas

Students will join a Citizen Science program about monarch butterflies and create monarchs, which are sent to schools in Mexico in the fall. In Spanish, students will learn vocabulary related to monarchs and their migration. In art class, the students will invent and paint imaginary (but accurate) insects. How does your insect eat? Where does your insect live? How does your insect help the ecosystem? As students study insects and butterflies, they will model and create accurate visual interpretations in two and three dimensions of insects in Art class. Having them design and build an accurate insect (three body parts, six legs, antennae, sometimes wings) is a good way for them to go beyond rote memorization. In Science, we will add literature to the unit (nonfiction and fiction, such as Hey, Little Ant) and will discuss how insects are the largest and most diverse group of organisms on Earth, and worthy of respect.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will teach educators how to use STEAM to advocate for monarch butterflies.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson

Discover how food—a universally engaging topic—can be a powerful lens for teaching science. This session introduces educators to Pilot Light’s newly revised Food Education Standards (FES) and their connection to core science practices. Participants will explore how food systems, nutrition, and sustainability naturally align with NGSS crosscutting concepts such as systems thinking, cause and effect, and energy flow. Through case studies drawn from real classrooms across the country, attendees will see how integrating the FES can deepen inquiry, promote real-world relevance, and strengthen students’ scientific literacy. Join us to experience how food can make science more meaningful, equitable, and connected to students’ daily lives—fueling curiosity from the classroom to the cafeteria.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate Pilot Light’s Food Education Standards with science instruction, using food systems and nutrition to deepen inquiry, connect NGSS concepts to real life, and engage young children in impactful, culturally relevant, and hands-on scientific learning.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

This 30-minute presentation will analyze and compare student performance data from a college microbiology course and lab taught in three distinct modalities over several years: fully online (lecture and lab), hybrid (online lecture and in-person lab), and traditional (in-person lecture and lab). The session will provide an overview of the course structures, present quantitative and qualitative findings, and discuss implications for future course delivery. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how different teaching formats impact student learning outcomes and engagement in science education.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to: • Interpret comparative student performance data across different course modalities. • Identify advantages and limitations of online, hybrid, and traditional course formats. • Apply evidence-based strategies to enhance student learning in science education.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Jones

20 exciting, 20-minute mini-experiments will increase student interest and engagement. The inquiry-based activities encourage hands-on learning that focuses on important content. Students can pose their own questions, design and perform their experiment, and share results. The activities can be used as a quick review demonstration or as a “launching pad” for further investigations. Many of the activities are perfect for phenomena-based learning. These inexpensive activities cover numerous areas of biology, and the activities have repeating themes to help students tie their developing knowledge together and to previous concepts and activities. Includes genetics, electrophoresis, photosynthesis and respiration, enzymes, macromolecules, human and plant physiology, water, plant and animal responses, evolution, mitosis, and protein synthesis. Incorporation of math, writing, and art helps students make more connections. Handout available electronically.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will get to do over 20 student friendly life science mini-experiments that boost student engagement and knowledge. By doing the activities in the session, attendees will develop the skill and confidence to share them with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins

Planting a school garden is a goal for many classroom and science teachers. Gardening helps connect science with a variety of subjects, and students love eating what they have planted. Gardening connects to NGSS such as describing patterns of what plants need to survive, organization for matter and energy flow in organisms, crosscutting concepts such as patterns in the natural world, and how systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together. But many schools are reluctant to begin a garden because of both space and financial restrictions. This class will show teachers how to begin planting indoors using upcycled and inexpensive materials, how to reuse containers as planters, how to make biodegradable seedling planters in seconds, and how to transform even a barren, windowless classroom into a paradise. Teachers will learn how to grow fresh treats like mint, basil, cherry tomatoes, as well as growing milkweed plants for monarch butterfly gardens.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to find resources to create an indoor paradise, even when you don't have windows!

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson

Discover a classroom-tested simulation that helps students visualize how the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems work together to support cellular function. This interactive, NGSS-aligned activity engages middle school learners in systems thinking and supports MS-LS1-3 by encouraging evidence-based explanations of how body systems interact. Aligned with the NSTA theme “Growing Together,” this session provides ready-to-use materials, differentiation strategies, and practical ideas to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and lifelong learning in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement a collaborative, NGSS-aligned simulation that helps students understand how the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems work together to support cells, reinforcing systems thinking and evidence-based reasoning aligned to MS-LS1-3.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Woolley, Karre Nevarez

Science teachers face the challenge of building deep understanding while managing heavy grading loads. This 60-minute workshop introduces two high-impact, teacher-tested strategies for science educators that are effective across all science courses and academic levels: the use of bulleted scoring guides for student graded free-response questions and incorporating group retakes on multiple-choice assessments. These efficient grading and assessment methods will empower students and free up teacher time for instructional creativity and reduce teacher workload. Participants will learn how and will practice using real classroom examples to: Utilize concise scoring guides to reduce time spent on feedback for FRQs by incorporating student self-grading that deepens engagement and self-awareness of content mastery. Use group retakes to encourage discussion and peer-to-peer explanation, helping students clarify misconceptions, strengthen reasoning, and build a richer conceptual understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to immediately implement strategies of using peer grading free response questions with scoring guides and group multiple-choice retakes with justifications to reduce teacher stress and workload while boosting student ownership, precision, and long-term understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Jill Lytle, Jessica Morris

Models are excellent tools assisting students’ understanding of chemical reactions. Models enable students to visualize molecular structure and chemical bonding. Students build 3-D structures of glucose using two modeling systems. Models are used to develop questions, predictions, and explanations. Remember, models are representations, not replications. Students explain the photosynthetic reaction in terms of Conservation of Mass and Conservation of Energy. Photosynthesis is not just a chemical equation; it is a physiological process whereby light energy is transformed and stored as chemical energy. LEGOTM bricks and/or MolymodTM atom representations of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen are used to build water and carbon dioxide. Students then build glucose. Oxygen gas is emitted. Students will understand the 3-D structure of the five-carbon, one-oxygen ring in the glucose molecule and discuss how the ring structure affects the orientation of the OH- and H+ groups on the glucose ring.

TAKEAWAYS:
Models of atoms create small molecules, build glucose, and assist students’ understanding of photosynthesis. These models are used to explain chemical bonding and molecular function. Science misconceptions are addressed. Students misconstrue the source of the oxygen gas produced from the reaction.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Cunningham

Participants will gain insight into the interplay of three-dimensional learning and assessment by diving into a 7th grade learning sequence anchored in the phenomenon of a global biodiversity hotspot. Participants will engage with key instructional and assessment moments to learn how students study the challenges species face and use engineering design to enact a solution that protects and enhances biodiversity in their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discuss and make sense of how the use of three-dimensional formative assessments can strengthen instruction and student sensemaking in science.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Griffith, Stacey Vigallon, Andrea Frias

How can you apply the discoveries and lessons of the Human Genome Project to your classroom? Learn how to read sample over-the-counter DNA health reports. Learn how to analyze the magnitude, position, and frequency of traits, carrier status, and tendency toward diseases. Learn the nuance between “tendency toward” a disease or condition and “diagnosis of.” Find out what the Human Genome Project discovered about specific genetically linked traits and diseases. Analyze what the tests can tell you and what can they not tell you. Take worksheets and sample results back to your classroom to bring this topic to life.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore the Human Genome Project through a lens of DNA health reports. Take worksheets and sample results back to your classroom to bring this topic to life.

SPEAKERS:
Kelli Bergheimer

How do consumer DNA tests identify genetic relatives? This session unpacks the science behind “DNA matchmaking,” showing how shared DNA segments can reveal family relationships across generations. Participants will explore the concepts of identity by descent (IBD), centimorgans, recombination, and inheritance probabilities, and see how testing companies use these principles to estimate relatedness. Along the way, we’ll connect abstract genetic concepts—like recombination and chromosome shuffling—to engaging, real-world examples of how scientists (and students) can track family trees through DNA. Teachers will leave with classroom-ready strategies for explaining why siblings share different percentages of DNA, why second cousins can be more alike than first cousins once removed, and how genetic evidence can be both precise and probabilistic.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain tools to teach genetics and probability through real-world examples of how shared DNA segments reveal family relationships.

SPEAKERS:
Diahan Southard

Using fire science related anchor phenomenon, we will present the Use-Modify-Create computational thinking framework as a means by which to make decisions about curricula. In the “use” section, we will present an interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates indigenous approaches to fire science as well as reading and social studies. In the “modify” section we will present a robotics/coding curriculum that integrates science and engineering in computational thinking, and we will demonstrate how to modify this curriculum to meet local needs. In the “create” section we will present ways to create teachers’ own curricular unit that addresses fire science. Participants will have time to experience lessons from each of these sections and will see student work samples from classrooms implementing each.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to apply the Use-Modify-Create framework to become empowered to modify and create more locally relevant materials. Teachers will generate a set of local phenomena ideas based on the prompts we provide and will learn how to adapt national resources to local contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Kari Hinkle, Heidi Schuster, Jeanette Chipps

Teaching environmental science to preschoolers may seem daunting, but with time, curiosity, and repeated opportunities to explore the garden, children become empowered scientists and environmental stewards. This session aligns with the Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice strand by demonstrating how NGSS-aligned, hands-on garden projects can nurture inquiry, collaboration, and sustainability. We will share how teachers partnered with field experts to connect classroom learning to real-world science through observation, prediction, and evidence-based reasoning. The project intentionally supported multilingual and neurodivergent learners using visual supports, peer collaboration, and family engagement—creating equitable access for all children to participate in science inquiry. Participants will engage in a short garden inquiry simulation, review child work samples, and discuss practical ways to integrate green STEM learning into their settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain actionable strategies to transform garden spaces into equitable, inclusive science classrooms that spark children’s curiosity and environmental responsibility.

SPEAKERS:
Daisy Acevedo-Encizo, Samuel Ortiz Romero

Medicine is at a fundamental tipping point, transforming from a reactive disease-care system to a proactive Systems Medicine discipline that utilizes a breadth of personalized data to optimize wellness and minimize disease. To help individuals thrive now and in the future, scientists at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) are working to understand the biological complexities of wellness and disease. Hundreds of teachers, students, scientists and physicians have come together to develop and pilot a free and accessible 180-hour course for 11-12 graders to learn about these complexities and the emerging careers around them. We will begin with a high-level overview of the modular course, providing a brief overview of the paradigm shifts and technologic advances that led us to this tipping point. Then in groups we’ll explore this “Systems Medicine” curriculum from a student’s perspective while completing sample hands-on activities and viewing student work and lab set ups.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Systems Medicine free 180-hour course will guide you through a variety of engaging pedagogical strategies for 11-12 graders as they apply their biology knowledge to learn new interdisciplinary STEM content while exploring the many careers around this new field.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Steffens

Experiential learning such as field trips, lab investigations, and community partner visits sparks curiosity but often lacks strong connections to rigorous, standards based science. This interactive session demonstrates how artificial intelligence can serve as a thought partner for teachers, transforming these experiences into inquiry rich investigations anchored in NGSS and Tennessee standards. Participants will practice using AI to design pre learning prompts, on site data collection tasks, and post learning reflections. While examples highlight middle school Physical Science including forces, motion, energy, and waves, the framework adapts across K–12 and extends to Life and Earth Science as well. Educators will leave with adaptable AI prompts, ready to use frameworks, and strategies that ensure every experiential learning opportunity advances student mastery of science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will practice using AI to design pre, during, and post learning tasks that transform experiential learning into rigorous, standards based science investigations that deepen student understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Jeannie Whitlock

What do young learners know about how the brain works? Brain-based research and mindfulness can have a profound impact on young learners. Foster a growth mindset in your young students. The presenter will share research and curriculum guides to plan a similar unit in your classroom. Students learned about the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex, and why learning to control impulsive, angry behavior would benefit everyone. Students made mindfulness jars for themselves and for their classrooms so they could use them to calm down, refocus, and give their pre-frontal cortex time to make better decisions. We finished the unit by engineering skulls that could protect their “brain,” (a raw egg), from a five-foot drop. Introducing brain study and growth mindset to the youngest students will have a profound impact on their future. I will provide teachers with research and curriculum guides to plan a similar unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Introducing brain study and growth mindset to the youngest students will have a profound impact on their future.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson

Ditch the worksheets and bring science to life through visual notetaking in the biology lab. In this interactive session, participants will experience how sketching procedures, observations, and data helps students think, communicate, and work like scientists. Engage in a hands-on, NGSS-aligned biology lab where visual notes replace fill-in-the-blank worksheets with meaningful records of inquiry and sensemaking from start to finish. Explore ready-to-use strategies and examples for integrating visual notetaking into labs across Biology, Anatomy, and AP Biology. Discover how this approach deepens understanding, strengthens retention, and fosters engagement while empowering students to collaborate, model thinking, and document evidence-based learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how visual notetaking transforms biology labs into spaces for inquiry, sensemaking, and communication—replacing worksheets with authentic scientific thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Shane E Raggio

Open Science Education (OSE) offers an excellent, NGSS-aligned curriculum that brings phenomena-based learning to life. To maximize engagement and learning outcomes, teachers must adapt materials to meet students' diverse needs. I've developed a collection of customizable resources that deepen student engagement and strengthen NGSS alignment. My work preserves OSE's core philosophy while providing teachers with tools to strengthen instruction.  My work focuses on five key areas:  Investigation Worksheets: Comprehensive, student-friendly worksheets for student empowerment  Science Texts: Differentiated, interactive readings with comprehension checks  Assessments: Tools to backward plan from unit standards, creating targeted exit tickets and assessments  Scientist Circles: Resources for students to reference during discussions, driving greater engagement and participation  Review Materials: Targeted practice and review resources that support content internalization and mastery.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will feel empowered to customize their Open Science Ed classroom while maintaining fidelity! They will leave with tangible tools and techniques to efficiently, and meaningfully create student-facing materials that will drive stronger engagement, participation, and student learning outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Jed Graboys

Get Wild! Wildlife Ecology will introduce participants to ways to engage students in learning about, caring for, and protecting local and global wildlife. This workshop will be based on a successful original summer camp design, and will be adaptable to school-year classroom Life Sciences units. This will be an interactive workshop with resource guides, hands-on activities, and collaborative conversations. Most students love animals and want to learn how to protect them!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore their foundational experiences with wildlife, using this personal reflection to inform their teaching. They will leave with concrete ideas and resources to build engaging lessons, units, or camps that inspire students to become stewards of wildlife.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Trapanese

Explore the significance of antibody-antigen interaction and its role in immunoprecipitation testing by participating in this hands-on activity! Most people will use an immunoassay test several times in their lives. This technology that harnesses an immune system mechanism is used for pregnancy tests, COVID tests, illegal drug tests, and many more. After simulating an immunoassay lab test in small groups from a student perspective, we will explore the versatility of this activity with various storylines to fit your course and standards. Participants will receive an educator’s guide with lesson plans and resources for several immunoassay activities and will be entered to win a class set of materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the science of immunoprecipitation testing and how to apply it in a standards-aligned, hands-on activity in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Bethany Kenyon, Lily Dancy-Jones

A fusion of playful observation, song, and autonomy will keep students coming back for more. Learn how to organize your MS units into a menu of delightful choice for students! Experience the power of sneaking in the content using parodies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Playing and singing together are powerful way to encourage learning in science

SPEAKERS:
Jen Taylor