The public needs a fundamental literacy regarding data science—its methods, functions, and role in daily life. This is vital today as data science powers the AI algorithms shaping our world. Its relevance is underscored by massive field growth; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 36% job growth in data science and computing sectors by 2032. To meet this demand, we must prepare students for a workforce where data fluency is a prerequisite. Science education is a critical venue for this across the K-12 science spectrum. This session presents a selection of author contributions from data science special issues in NSTA’s Science & Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher. These exemplars offer concrete starting points for designing and assessing data science learning across all grade levels. By bridging the gap between raw data and classroom practice, we aim to empower teachers to equip students with the competitive skills necessary for modern data-driven careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain a working definition of data science literacy and see how science teachers design data science lessons using real-world applications. The session also covers pedagogical opportunities and challenges when integrating data science and AI into the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Lindeman, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Justice Walker

This presentation focuses on student use of AI, with an emphasis on how their motivation can help build a classroom of Sensemakers. Participants will engage with several AI tools and applications commonly used by high school students and evaluate how these tools can be leveraged to support Sensemaking. A strong emphasis will be placed on classroom assessment examples, particularly those involving the critique of AI-generated responses to traditional open-ended student questions. Additionally, survey data from current high school physics students will be shared to help examine student voice regarding the use and leverage of AI implemented instructional strategies. Attendees will leave with adaptable tools and clear next steps to immediately implement routines and activities that foster a community of Sensemakers who also use AI in their learning environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Instead of fighting AI, flip the script in your high school classroom. This session will explore multiple AI tools, but more importantly, how to leverage those tools to build a community of Sensemakers that critically analyze AI-generated content. Special emphasis will be placed on assessment use.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Bulman

In the modern science classroom, literacy extends far beyond the lab bench, it now encompasses the digital interfaces through which our students consume and process scientific information. This session explores the critical convergence of digital, media, and AI literacies and how they can be leveraged to sharpen, rather than bypass, scientific thinking. As students navigate a digital Wild West of social media algorithms and AI-generated content, the traditional motto of "seeing is believing" is no longer enough. We will discuss how to move students from passive consumers to active investigators by teaching them to recognize human influence in media, understand AI as a pattern-recognition tool rather than a "truth machine," and apply epistemic vigilance to scientific claims found online.

TAKEAWAYS:
Moving from the era of "finding information" to "filtering information" to ensure students use digital tools for the betterment of society. Join us to discover how to transform the potential distractions into powerful opportunities for deep sensemaking and critical scientific inquiry.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce

How can students design technologies that detect and warn people about natural hazards, while learning the science behind them? In this interactive session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science integrates coding, sensors, and engineering design into a 6th-grade science unit on Natural Hazards. Step into the role of students as you investigate earthquakes and tsunamis using micro:bit devices to collect and analyze data. See how students design and program early warning systems by adjusting inputs, thresholds, and outputs. Discover how coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology, seeing how it works as they build it, while deepening science understanding. Ideal for current OpenSciEd users and those new to the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how students use coding, sensors, and engineering design to unlock the “black box” of technology while designing early warning systems for natural hazards through phenomenon-based science learning

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

The public needs a fundamental literacy regarding data science—its methods, functions, and role in daily life. This is vital today as data science powers the AI algorithms shaping our world. Its relevance is underscored by massive field growth; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 36% job growth in data science and computing sectors by 2032. To meet this demand, we must prepare students for a workforce where data fluency is a prerequisite. Science education is a critical venue for this across the K-12 science spectrum. This session presents a selection of author contributions from data science special issues in NSTA’s Science & Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher. These exemplars offer concrete starting points for designing and assessing data science learning across all grade levels. By bridging the gap between raw data and classroom practice, we aim to empower teachers to equip students with the competitive skills necessary for modern data-driven careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain a working definition of data science literacy and see how science teachers design data science lessons using real-world applications. The session also covers pedagogical opportunities and challenges when integrating data science and AI into the science classroom.

Want to help high school students analyze community and citizen science data? Want to use real data in your classroom to support your existing curriculum? FieldScope and BSCS Science Learning offer "Invitations to Inquiry," free instructional activities designed to connect learners with real-world environmental data. These free lessons build student confidence in using scientific evidence to answer critical questions about our planet and the natural world. BSCS Science Learning's Invitations to Inquiry help high school students work with community and citizen science data from projects hosted on FieldScope—BSCS’s platform for collecting, displaying, and analyzing data. Invitations to Inquiry are activities in which students explore FieldScope’s mapping and graphing tools to dig into data in the context of meaningful questions. Each lesson engages students in interpreting graphs and maps to learn about where the data are collected and what they mean.

TAKEAWAYS:
Free, ready to use, and adaptable lessons, datasets, and visualizations for your classroom, using community and citizen science projects! Learn how to use the lessons as is or to build them into your existing curriculum! Teacher guides, slides, handouts, and other instructional resources included!

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Noll

What if elementary students could explore real careers while building essential STEM skills? In this session, discover how micro:bit and the engineering design process can introduce students to CTE pathways through hands-on, career-connected learning. Participants will experience ready-to-implement lessons that integrate coding, problem-solving, and career exploration in fields such as engineering, marketing, transportation, and animal science. These engaging strategies help students build early awareness of workforce opportunities while making learning relevant and meaningful. Walk away with practical tools, lesson ideas, and a framework for embedding career-connected STEM into your classroom—starting tomorrow.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use micro:bit and design-based STEM lessons to introduce elementary students to CTE career pathways through engaging, real-world, hands-on experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Kelly

Get your students excited about science with a hands-on project that demonstrates how to help prevent mosquito-borne disease spread using data science with real data collected from a NASA satellite and scientists. Mosquitos that carry serious diseases, such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Zika virus, are becoming more prevalent in the United States because of climate change. Unlike the United States, less prosperous countries do not always have sufficient resources to eliminate mosquitoes and stop the spread of these diseases. In these lessons, we will learn how data science and sensemaking can help solve the problem of mosquito-borne diseases in a cost-effective, time-efficient manner. Your students will see how studies using data science techniques can synthesize data to obtain relevant information that can help solve many societal problems in the 21st century. This relates to careers in biology, environmental science, and data science.

TAKEAWAYS:
This presentation will demonstrate how to use data science to find the answers to problems in our environment. The lesson will be based on the eight NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. You will receive the lesson plan, the data, and tips for engaging diverse learners.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Feille

Explore meaningful ways to incorporate AI into your classrooms, clubs, and science festivals that encourage critical examination of this emergent technology. Use AI as a tool to examine AI via: the eeriness of voice cloning, the biases counterfactual thinking combined with prompt engineering can reveal, and the inaccuracies uncovered by testing AI on content that you and your students are experts in.  Learn about field-tested activities on the construction and programming of small autonomous robotic arms (available online at arm.ttic.edu). TTIC (ttic.edu) is a philanthropically endowed university and research institute focused on AI and CS theory. NGSS Alignment.  NGSS Alignment: CCC 1, 2, & 4; Practices 1, 3, 4, 6, & 8.

TAKEAWAYS:
AI is here but one should take it with a grain of salt - here is how.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Rodgers, Randall Landsberg

Explore how Micro:bits can empower students to quickly design and conduct their own science investigations using built-in sensors. This poster highlights hands-on, NGSS-aligned activities that engage learners in real-time data collection, analysis, and evidence-based reasoning across grade levels. Discover how students can investigate phenomena through motion, temperature, light, and more while integrating computational thinking and scientific practices. The poster shares classroom-tested lessons, strategies for scaffolding inquiry, and approaches to support equitable access and participation in STEM. Attendees will see examples of student-driven investigations, discuss implementation ideas, and gather adaptable, ready-to-use resources. Walk away with practical tools to foster curiosity, ownership, and deeper sensemaking through data-rich, student-centered science learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to empower students to design and carry out investigations using Micro:bits’ built-in sensors. Walk way with NGSS-aligned activities that integrate real-time data collection, computational thinking, and student-driven inquiry across grade levels.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Silbernagel

This poster shares preliminary findings from a qualitative thematic analysis of public responses to AI-generated speculative science content on TikTok and Reddit. Guided by research on epistemic play and the NRC Framework’s science and engineering practices, we examine how non-experts question claims, test plausibility, construct explanations, and challenge inaccuracies in comment-thread discussions. Preliminary analysis suggests that humor, exaggeration, and speculative framing can function as low-risk entry points into science sensemaking, making critique and tentative reasoning more socially acceptable in public online spaces. These findings can inform conversations about AI literacy and scientific reasoning in informal learning spaces.

TAKEAWAYS:
AI-generated science media can be a productive prompt for questioning, critique, and evidence-based sensemaking, giving science educators a useful lens for teaching AI literacy and critical engagement with scientific representations.

SPEAKERS:
Lucy Bae, Xinyu Xu

This poster session highlights how students use real-world data to investigate scientific questions and make evidence-based decisions. It showcases a structured approach to building data literacy within science instruction, allowing students to analyze patterns, interpret results, and communicate findings. Attendees will explore a classroom model that integrates data analysis into everyday learning without requiring additional courses or resources. The poster will include sample tasks, student learning progression, and strategies that support inquiry, sensemaking, and engagement. Participants will leave with practical ideas to help students connect scientific concepts to real-world applications through data-driven learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use real-world data to support student inquiry, helping students analyze information, identify patterns, and make evidence-based decisions in science.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Triplett

Is your classroom bringing learning to life, or is it simply a space where students learn? Dr. Chad LeDune draws on 22 years of public education experience to demonstrate how innovative, student-centered learning environments can transform science instruction into a launchpad for career-connected success. This session explores how technology tools function best not as the focus, but as process-driven supports that enhance inquiry, problem-solving, and real-world application of content knowledge. Participants will examine how iterative instructional design builds entrepreneurial thinking, career awareness, and durable, AI-resilient skills. Through practical examples, attendees will learn how to create engaging environments where students apply science concepts to authentic challenges, develop solutions, and communicate outcomes with purpose. Walk away with strategies to foster engagement, learning, and clear connections between classroom experiences and future career pathways.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave understanding how to design learning experiences where technology supports an iterative process of inquiry, application, entrepreneurship, and career-connected problem solving

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Chad LeDune

How can students design technologies that help communities respond to water challenges while learning the science behind them? In this interactive session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science integrates coding, sensors, and engineering design into a 7th-grade science unit on Earth’s Resources and Human Impact. Step into the role of students as you investigate flooding, drought, and carbon imbalance case studies from communities across the United States using micro:bit devices and sensors to collect and analyze environmental data. See how students explore and modify MakeCode programs as they design technologies to monitor conditions and develop solutions to community water problems. Discover how coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology, seeing how it works as they build it, while deepening science understanding. Ideal for current OpenSciEd users and those new to the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how students use coding, sensors, and engineering design to unlock the “black box” of technology while designing solutions to community water challenges through phenomenon-based science learning

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

Data plays a central role in how students make sense of scientific phenomena. In this hands-on session, co-facilitated by the NSTA Professional Learning Team and Tuva, participants will build confidence with foundational data skills while exploring how graphing, statistical reasoning, and data interpretation support students in analyzing evidence, identifying patterns, and constructing explanations. Using real-world datasets and interactive tools in Tuva, participants will examine graph choice, variability, distributions, and common data visualizations through the lens of science instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will deepen their understanding of core data literacy concepts and learn practical strategies for helping students use data to analyze evidence, identify patterns, and engage in science sensemaking aligned to the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

This session explores the practical and ethical implementation of AI-driven "Study Bots" to enhance student mastery in high school chemistry. We will demonstrate how to shift AI from a potential source of academic dishonesty to a powerful formative tool that delivers on-demand, targeted practice for complex topics such as stoichiometry and exam preparation. Participants will see concrete examples of how bots can be trained on specific classroom materials—such as unit tests and lab manuals—to provide personalized feedback, guide students through multi-step calculations, and help them develop strategic study plans. The session will also outline a practical rollout strategy, including student verification checklists and clear ethical guardrails, to ensure technology use remains safe, equitable, and focused on original student thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with copy-ready AI prompts and a student verification protocol they can immediately use to create custom, content-specific study bots. These tools streamline instructional planning and feedback while building the durable data-literacy skills students need for future STEM care

SPEAKERS:
Diane Vrobel

Quantum science-related career paths are rapidly increasing and reshaping curriculum needs. High school students need access now to quality quantum resources to be prepared for their future. Engage in a hands-on introduction to the PhET Interactive Simulations project’s Quantum Education Initiative, which includes a growing suite of free, research-based simulations and classroom-ready activities designed for high school physical science. Participants will engage as learners with newly updated simulations (Photoelectric Effect, Alpha & Beta Decay, Models of the Hydrogen Atom, Quantum Wave Interference, and others), then work through two model activities from the initiative database. Leave with lesson plans, student handouts, and implementation tips you can use next week. You will also learn how you can join the community for this multi-year effort.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave ready to bring quantum science into physics, chemistry, or Earth science classrooms using free, classroom-tested simulations and ready-to-use activities from PhET’s Quantum Education Initiative.

SPEAKERS:
Brett Fiedler, Katherine Perkins

# The Hunt for the Mill Race Monster: Building Community-Connected Learning with Lovable AI Follow the clues and discover how a local legend became an engaging, cross-curricular learning experience. In this hands-on session, participants will explore how Lovable AI helped transform the story of the Mill Race Monster into a community-connected unit that engaged students while saving teachers valuable planning time. Learn how we partnered with the Columbus Area Arts Council to support and promote a community arts event through our public schools, creating authentic connections between classroom learning and the local community. Participants will see how Lovable AI can generate lessons, projects, communication tools, websites, and student activities in minutes. Attendees will leave with a working AI-created classroom resource, ready-to-use prompts, practical strategies for creating community-based learning experiences, and ideas they can implement immediately in their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how a local legend—the Mill Race Monster—became an engaging cross-curricular learning experience, and learn how Lovable AI can help you transform community stories, events, and partnerships into authentic student learning in minutes.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa HAINES

In this session, educators explore how to redesign assignments for the AI era to strengthen student thinking, creativity, and authenticity. We will examine practical strategies for updating tasks that emphasize curiosity and responsible use, ensuring AI becomes a tool for deeper learning rather than a shortcut. Participants will learn how to approach AI integration at a pace that feels manageable and aligned to their students’ needs and teaching style. By the end, teachers will leave with concrete redesign ideas and a personalized pathway for thoughtfully and confidently incorporating AI into their unique instructional practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will have a better understanding of how to increase the rigor of science-related tasks while integrating the use of GenAI.

SPEAKERS:
Tanika Kinartail

"This session will demonstrate a classroom-tested approach for teaching series and parallel circuits through hands-on materials, mathematical reasoning, and digital simulations. Participants will experience how a simple circuit kit can introduce key concepts such as brightness, current distribution, and the effect of removing a bulb in a series circuit. The session will also highlight how students use calculations to determine total resistance, voltage drops, and current flow. The presenter will show how the PhET Circuit Construction Kit simulation supports verification, modeling, and deeper conceptual understanding. The session will end with a look at a culminating engineering design challenge where students design and build a functional house prototype using series and parallel circuits. An optional competition format where students present their prototypes to judges for evaluation will also be discussed. "

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn a complete, classroom-tested way to teach series and parallel circuits using hands-on kits, math reasoning, PhET simulations, and a student house‑prototype design challenge.

SPEAKERS:
JOANNA MARIE DE BORJA, Kelly Feille

Description Students are increasingly using AI in science classrooms, but using AI does not automatically lead to deeper thinking. This session shares one simple, classroom-ready strategy that uses AI to prompt students to pause and extend their reasoning during scientific tasks. A single prompt can push students to clarify their thinking, identify gaps, and strengthen explanations, supporting NGSS-aligned practices such as analyzing evidence and constructing explanations. This quick, practical move is easy to implement and positions AI as a support for student thinking rather than a source of answers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn one simple way to use AI to prompt students to pause, extend their thinking, and strengthen scientific explanations during classroom tasks.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle McClanan

In the rapidly evolving landscape of STEM education, artificial intelligence is often viewed through the lens of academic integrity concerns. However, when integrated intentionally, AI can serve as a powerful catalyst for authentic learning, bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world scientific inquiry. This speed talk explores two distinct case studies in high school Chemistry and Environmental Science. First, we examine the use of AI in Chemistry, where students evaluate Large Language Models (LLMs) to support their learning of Chemistry topics. Second, we highlight an Environmental Science project in which AI-driven tools enabled students to evaluate ecological problems, identify areas impacted using data collected from the internet, and create an infographic using that data to help solve the problem, transforming them from passive observers into active participants in the solution.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a framework for designing not AI-resistant, but AI-enhanced use that prioritizes critical thinking, data interpretation, and the ethical application of emerging technologies.

SPEAKERS:
Joe Hendrzak

What does digital literacy actually look like in a real lesson? In this fast-paced 15-minute session, take a speed tour through an Inquisitive Technology lesson using the 5E model. See how students move from initial curiosity to making thoughtful decisions in digital spaces through structured, inquiry-based learning. Experience how each phase, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate, supports students in thinking critically, communicating responsibly, and making informed choices online. With simple routines, built-in supports, and ready-to-use materials, this approach makes digital literacy both meaningful for students and manageable for teachers. Walk away with practical ideas you can apply immediately.

TAKEAWAYS:
A 5E lesson structure helps teachers turn digital literacy into meaningful, manageable learning by guiding students from curiosity to informed decision-making.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Shaw

This session demonstrates how science methods instructors can leverage an "AI Portfolio" to bridge the gap between AI as a convenience and AI as a cognitive catalyst for pre-service teachers (PSTs). By guiding PSTs through a structured cycle of "Quick Writes" and "AI Interaction Evidence," instructors can challenge students to evaluate the quality of AI-generated outputs against established content and pedagogical knowledge. This process pushes PSTs to go beyond passive consumption, requiring them to generate new knowledge by synthesizing AI suggestions with their own emerging expertise and creativity. Attendees will see how this framework builds essential skills in critical decision-making, as students must explicitly justify why they keep or reject specific AI outputs. Ultimately, this session provides a roadmap for methods instructors to help PSTs refine their professional judgment and develop the durable skills needed to use AI as a sophisticated thought partner in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
A digital checklist and set of reflection guiding questions that can be immediately integrated into university science methods courses to facilitate responsible AI use.

SPEAKERS:
William Thornburgh

Diminished conceptual understanding of core concepts in physics and calculus acts as a primary barrier to STEM persistence. Students frequently struggle to apply theoretical concepts which lead to lower retention in STEM majors. This presentation will focus on how educators can enhance understanding and build connections between various metrics in sports and foundational concepts of math and physical science. Utilization of affordable sensor technology to capture real student/athlete generated data in sport settings such as golf and baseball will help educators visualize how to bring these concepts into their classrooms. The application of various Artificial Intelligence platforms to manipulate student/athlete generated data in various functions and calculations in math and science will be covered and a case study presented. Finally, pilot data demonstrates how conceptual understanding of core concepts in calculus and physics is improved through presented methods.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how sports analytics connects calculus and physics through real athlete-generated data, affordable sensors, and AI tools. Explore how students can apply math and science concepts to analyze performance, solve problems, and deepen conceptual understanding in authentic sports scenarios.

SPEAKERS:
Timothy Goodale

What if you could build a fully interactive, standards-aligned science skill practice page in under five minutes, no coding required? In this speed session, participants will watch a working web tool built live using Claude's Design and Code feature, starting from a plain-language prompt and ending with a browser-ready page that students can use the same day. The prompt structure demonstrated supports educators in designing a single web page that engages students in developing skills from NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and Cross-Cutting Concepts into any science scenario. Attendees leave with a reusable prompt template card, three grade-band-specific example prompts, and a QR-linked resource page to share with their department. Let's create a simple skill-building scenario, ready before the next bell.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical, repeatable methods for turning science skills into an interactive, single-page web experience using AI, enabling faster creation of meaningful, skill-based learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Huber

This session presents a secure, fully offline AI system for K-12 science classrooms that supports assignment generation, auto-grading, and real-time AI tutoring. Aligned with the AI and Data education strand and the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education, the tool demonstrates how instructional design and feedback can support NGSS three-dimensional learning, including Science and Engineering Practices such as analyzing and interpreting data and constructing evidence-based explanations. Participants will explore classroom-ready workflows showing how assignments are created, how student work is evaluated using consistent rubrics, and how tutoring responses adapt to learner input using performance data. The system enables continuous instructional feedback loops grounded in student work. Designed for privacy-sensitive and low-bandwidth environments, the platform operates entirely offline to ensure equitable access while reducing teacher workload and improving feedback consistency.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn an offline AI workflow for K-12 science education that supports NGSS-aligned instruction through assignment generation, auto-grading, and adaptive tutoring, enabling data-informed feedback, reduced teacher workload, and equitable implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Nitindra Chowdary Pavuluri

AI and instructional technologies are everywhere, but how do we use them to strengthen science learning without adding complexity? This session presents a classroom-tested framework that integrates AI, data tools, and Project-Based Learning (PBL) to build career-connected, three-dimensional science experiences. Grounded in Beyond the Algorithm: Reimagining STEAM and Project-Based Learning for a Human-Centered AI Future and the Tapas Approach to PBL, participants will explore how to use technology to enhance -not replace- student thinking while streamlining planning, feedback, and assessment. Through real classroom examples, educators will examine how students take on authentic roles (engineers, data analysts) while using simulations, data tools, and AI-supported workflows. Attendees will leave with practical tools, templates, and strategies that connect science learning to real-world careers while saving time and improving instructional decision-making.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use AI, data tools, and PBL to design career-connected science experiences that build transferable skills, improve feedback and decision-making, and remain feasible within everyday classroom constraints.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Koehler, John Sammon

How can students use technology to investigate weather and climate systems while learning the science behind them? In this interactive session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science integrates coding, sensors, data analysis, and modeling into a middle school science unit on Weather and Climate. Step into the role of students as you investigate hailstorms, severe weather, and unusual climate patterns using digital sensors and simulations to collect and analyze atmospheric data. See how students use coding and computational tools to model how sunlight, gravity, air movement, and water interactions drive weather and climate systems. Discover how coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology, seeing how it works as they build and revise models, while deepening science understanding. Ideal for current OpenSciEd users and those new to the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how students use coding, sensors, data analysis, and modeling to unlock the “black box” of technology while investigating weather and climate systems through phenomenon-based science learning

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

The process of science is driven by questions. While it’s easy to ask a general question, crafting an investigable question requires deeper thinking and intentionality. Doing so within the constraints of an existing dataset creates an additional challenge. This session, co-facilitated by the NSTA professional learning team and Tuva, will highlight strategies for helping students clarify what data they have to work with, determine the types of questions that can and cannot be answered with a given dataset, and frame six different types of questions about data.

TAKEAWAYS:
The types of questions you can ask depend on the data you have. Participants will learn how to guide students in identifying the structure and limits of the local datasets they encounter and in framing investigable questions that unlock the potential of data.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

How can we safeguard future scientists against automation bias, cognitive offloading, and scientific slop? The SIFT (Stop-Investigate-Find-Trace) framework is a learner-focused procedural approach for assessing the contributions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a partner in the context of inquiry science. Phase 1 emphasizes literacy as students develop a method for critically evaluating their own use of AI, a model’s reliability, and the viability of the output. In Phase 2, they broaden their critical lens to assess output in regards to its validity within the field: Is it accurate? Does it align with current scientific consensus? What might it be overlooking or excluding?

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to scaffold AI-enhanced lesson plans with an active learning process that develops a student’s habit of a routine critical evaluation of collaborative AI in the context of accuracy, usefulness, and suitability.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Yost

Attendees will be shown various strategies and platforms for utilizing AI in the science classroom. Participants will be able to discuss strategies to address common misconceptions connected with AI use. Attendees will be shown ways AI can be used to create meaningful, critical-thinking, hands-on activities for science students. Educators will also be shown the positive and negative aspects of AI use by teachers and students. The AI policies that some school systems are adopting will also be discussed in this workshop.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will address the misconception that teachers might believe that AI is only useful for text-based tasks (essays/reports) and cannot contribute to the hands-on, experimental nature of a science lab.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Stracener

Generative AI makes it easier for students to produce polished science responses without necessarily showing deep understanding. This session presents a research-informed approach for using conceptual modeling to make student thinking visible by revealing how learners represent components, relationships, processes, and change. Drawing on empirical work with undergraduate engineering students and broader research on systems thinking and modeling, the session shows how conceptual representations can expose gaps that fluent written answers may hide. Rather than using AI mainly to generate content, the session explores how AI-informed prompts can support questioning, reflection, revision, and formative assessment. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for prompts, feedback, and assessment that can be adapted for science settings in secondary, postsecondary, and teacher education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how conceptual modeling and AI-informed prompts can help reveal and support real student understanding, not just polished AI-assisted answers.

SPEAKERS:
Roee Peretz

How can students design technologies that measure and reduce damage from collisions while learning the science behind contact forces? In this interactive session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science integrates coding, sensors, and engineering design into a middle school science unit on Contact Forces. Step into the role of students as you investigate why some collisions cause damage while others do not, using sensor systems to collect and analyze force data. See how students design and program technologies that measure forces and help minimize damage from collisions. Discover how coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology, seeing how it works as they build it, while deepening science understanding. Ideal for current OpenSciEd users and those new to the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how students use coding, sensors, and engineering design to unlock the “black box” of technology while designing solutions to measure and reduce damage from collisions through phenomenon-based science learning

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

Discover the power of NSTA Collections – curated "bundles" designed to organize your NSTA Library with resources from NSTA and beyond. This hands-on workshop guides you through creating your own collection, a vital tool for saving time when searching for topic-specific materials. Learn how to effectively share these collections with your colleagues or make them public to benefit the wider NSTA community. Leave ready to build and leverage collections to streamline your resource management.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave knowing how to create NSTA Collections, add NSTA and external resources, and manage sharing options. They will grasp the benefits of organizing, including time savings and collaboration, and gain practical skills to build and share curated resource lists.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez

Science data analysis relies on mathematical and statistical reasoning that develops across grade levels. Co-facilitated by the NSTA Professional Learning Team and Tuva, this workshop explores how NGSS Science and Engineering Practices connect with grade-level math standards to support student data analysis and interpretation. Participants will analyze authentic science datasets to identify grade-level mathematical, statistical, and data skills. They will examine how these math standards and science practices align and discover how to leverage math learning to strengthen science sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will identify grade-level data and statistical reasoning skills and examine how they support student use of the Science and Engineering Practices. Teachers will leave with strategies for connecting mathematics learning to data-rich science instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

We grew up with encyclopedias. Our students grew up on Google. Now AI is here and the digital divide is widening every day we wait. This is not a debate about whether to use it. It is a conversation about whether our students can afford for us to keep stalling. This workshop skips the hype and gets to work. You will open your actual state standards, identify a vertically aligned strand, and build one real standards-aligned artifact using AI before you leave this room. Grounded in NGSS Science and Engineering Practice 8, obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information, AI literacy is science literacy. Then you will consider what honest, responsible student use looks like, grounded in a classroom-tested model where Title I students were quizzed, challenged, and guided without ever getting an answer handed to them. Real concerns get named. Policy gets addressed. In April 2025, a federal executive order directed schools to advance AI education for every student.

TAKEAWAYS:
One self-built artifact tied to your own state standards, a plain-language guide for locating your district AI policy, and a framework for teaching students to use AI as a thinking tool, not a shortcut, before they need it.

SPEAKERS:
Jacqueline Cormier

The STEM workforce is changing. From facilities in Indiana to global tech hubs in Asia, companies now use Physical AI (intelligence built into physical tools like sensors) and Agentic AI (systems that can finish multi-step tasks on their own). This session shows how science and engineering are evolving. We demonstrate how teachers can use these technologies to prepare for and teach in class by incorporating low-cost pocket computers and sensors. Physical and Agentic AI can help teachers align lessons to NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, improve skills, and make sense of student lab data more quickly. This allows for better instructional choices and helps teachers give more helpful feedback. Integrating these tools into a structured science classroom can level the playing field for all students. By the end of this session, you will see how robust science education paired with AI—not just technology for its own sake—prepares every student to lead and innovate in modern careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will receive an Advanced AI Science & Engineering Education Toolkit that shows how to use Physical and Agentic AI to make planning smoother, lab feedback easier, and improve decision-making while helping students learn the skills needed for modern science and engineering careers.

SPEAKERS:
Naeem Turner-Bandele, PhD

How can students use technology to investigate how sound is produced, detected, and modified while learning the science behind sound systems? In this interactive session, experience how OpenSciEd + Computer Science integrates coding, sensors, data analysis, and modeling into a middle school science unit on Sound Waves. Step into the role of students as you investigate how sound causes things to move using micro:bits and digital tools to collect and analyze wave data. See how students modify MakeCode programs to synthesize sounds, analyze wave patterns, and explore how sound technologies work. Discover how coding helps students unlock the “black box” of technology, seeing how it works as they build and modify sound-based systems, while deepening science understanding. Ideal for current OpenSciEd users and those new to the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience how students use coding, sensors, and sound technologies to unlock the “black box” of technology while investigating how sound is produced, detected, modified, and used in the world around us

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

This workshop will have teachers to critically examine the role of Deep Fakes in science classrooms. Educators will be challenged to challenge their students to critically examine media for reliability and credibility. The workshop will revisit the role of background research in the science classroom and how to teach learners to navigate a world of AI and Deep Fakes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn how Deep Fakes are made and how to teach their learners to spot them.

SPEAKERS:
Cecelia Gillam

Participants will explore a classroom-ready video and engineering task using research from the University of Rhode Island Robotics Lab, where drones are programmed to monitor algae blooms in local ponds. Educators will engage in hands-on algorithm design, pattern recognition, and optimization challenges that mirror authentic engineering practices. This session provides additional classroom-ready videos, tasks, and facilitation strategies to foster an engineering mindset while introducing students to STEAM careers in robotics, environmental science, and computer science. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use materials that promote problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world community connections.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with ready-to-use, classroom-tested open source resources and strategies to engage students in real-world engineering with drone technology, strengthen problem-solving skills, and explore STEAM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Charlene Tuttle, Rachele Limberakis

AI is reshaping what it means to learn and create. This session introduces Human-AI Teaming, a bold approach to learning where students don’t just use AI, they collaborate and think with it. Discover how AI as partner and provocateur can expand agency, equity, and the future of learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a visionary understanding of Human-AI Teaming as a framework for the future of learning. See how AI can expand inquiry, creativity, and belonging in classrooms. Leave inspired with a complete Teaming Tool-Kit and practical entry points for teaching about and with AI in your classroom, school an

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson

This workshop demonstrates how data interpretation and AI-supported tools can strengthen real-world science learning using H5N1 (bird influenza) in poultry. Led by a teacher educator and an agricultural diagnostician, the session makes connections to relevant topics such as disease spread and egg prices. Participants will engage in two free, classroom-ready lessons: (1) analyzing real-time USDA outbreak data to identify patterns in commercial and backyard flocks, and (2) an introductory activity with UniProt and AlphaFold that explores the cell receptor the H5N1 virus uses to dock and infect poultry cells. These activities highlight practical classroom applications and reflect tools used in agriculture and health science careers. Participants will leave with ready-to-use materials and strategies to help build transferable skills in data analysis, problem solving, and evidence-based reasoning, grounded in current events.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with two ready-to-use lessons that use real bird flu outbreak data and simple AI tools to help students analyze patterns, understand disease spread, and connect science to real-world issues like rising egg prices.

SPEAKERS:
Jane Hunt, Zack Bateson

Join Dr. Carlotta A. Berry, professor, engineering, researcher, advocate, NoireSTEMinist®, and children’s book author, for the launch of her latest children’s picture book, The STEM Kids Make a Robot published by NSTA kids. This engaging book follows a diverse team of fourth graders as they design a recycling robot to solve a problem in their elementary school cafeteria. Along the way, the students model teamwork through the cooperative learning cycle (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning) and the engineering design process, from identifying a need, research, brainstorming a solution, prototyping, testing, evaluating results, all the way to deployment and presentation. She will also share her robotics children’s book series, There’s a Robot! for baby through 4th grade, and Robot Explorations for 1st – 5th grade at DrCarlottaABerry.com/childrensbooks. This event will celebrate the power of imagination, collaboration, and problem-solving to change the face of STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: • Understand the steps of the engineering design process as demonstrated in The STEM Kids Make a Robot. • Recognize the importance of teamwork and the cooperative learning cycle in solving complex problems. • Connect the book’s diverse characters and storylines to real-world problems

SPEAKERS:
Carlotta Berry

Many educators are asking how to integrate AI into science classrooms without sacrificing critical thinking or meaningful learning. This interactive session shares an emerging framework for integrating AI literacy and AI applications into science instruction. Using examples from OpenSciEd’s Biology + AI development project, participants will experience student-facing AI routines, decision-making tools, and structured prompts that help students use AI purposefully and critically evaluate its outputs. Grounded in science education research, the framework supports three-dimensional sensemaking and student reasoning and can be adapted across science disciplines or grades. Whether you teach with OpenSciEd or another science curriculum, you'll leave with practical strategies for meaningful AI integration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience practical routines, prompts, and decision-making tools that help students use AI purposefully, critically evaluate AI outputs, and deepen science sensemaking without replacing student thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Lathrop

In this workshop you will experience our innovative unit: Self Driving Cars. Incorporate AI, computer science, and a compelling social issue into science and STEM classrooms. During the workshop you will participate in hands-on unit activities as well as review this freely available curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will leave ready to implement our high quality unit with your students engaging student interest and using powerful storylining teaching routines. You will also have authentic student assessments to accompany the unit.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson

Students are increasingly using AI in science classrooms, but using AI does not always lead to deeper thinking. This workshop focuses on how teachers can design classroom tasks that use AI to support, rather than replace, scientific reasoning. After a brief introduction, participants will work through example tasks from a student perspective and examine how specific prompts can push thinking, reveal gaps, and strengthen explanations. Grounded in NGSS practices, this session emphasizes analyzing evidence and constructing explanations. Participants will leave with practical strategies and a clear structure for designing tasks that position AI as a tool for thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design classroom tasks that use AI to prompt deeper thinking and strengthen evidence-based scientific reasoning.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle McClanan

Do you teach multiple subjects (we do!) want an easy-to-implement tool that works for all your classes? Wish every student could explain the thinking behind their work? Do you spend way too long giving feedback that isn’t read? Need students to spend more time on areas they haven’t mastered yet? Or maybe administrators are telling you “use AI,” but you’re not sure what to do? Two tools can do just that – Snorkl and Brisk Teaching! Snorkl allows students to submit their work and gives you the option to have them verbally explain their thinking - Snorkl’s AI will provide the feedback! Brisk Boost uses an AI chatbot to question students until they’ve met their learning targets, based on an artifact (video, PDF, image, etc.) you’ve uploaded. You’ll get (A) a quick overview of what the tools do (and what they don’t that I wish they did!), (B) examples of student work from multiple disciplines, and (C) time to try activities we’ve created and to create your own to use in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to leverage Snorkl and Brisk Boost to automate meaningful feedback and deepen student reflection. You'll discover how each tool uses AI in different ways, from using student-written and verbal work to provide feedback, to using AI chatbots to ensure mastery of learning targets.

SPEAKERS:
Brandi Argentar, Andy Fitz

Simulations and games have shown great promise in science education, increasing students' scientific reasoning, enhancing motivation, and reducing cognitive load. However, teachers have been relying on developers to offer a fixed set of simulations or games. With the emergence of AI coding tools such as Claude Code (CC), teachers and students can now design simulations and games tailored to their own needs and interests. With coding no longer a barrier, mathematical and scientific principles can be harnessed to create something teachers and students are passionate about. We start with a 15 min intro to CC with a demonstration of a simulation and a game developed by a nonprofessional coder. The next 15 min, teachers brainstorm a game or simulation supporting phenomenon sense-making. The remaining time is dedicated to implementation using CC on six provided computers with CC pre-installed. We close with a 5-minute wrap and will provide resources including an installation guide and a proc

TAKEAWAYS:
Familiarizing oneself with simulation and gaming possibilities one can create for their class on CC with alignment to NGSS and 3D learning. Understanding the current limitations of the tool, such as computational power and working memory. Awareness of the ethical aspects of using CC.

SPEAKERS:
Ella Yonai, Emanuel Eidin

As states implement sweeping computer science (CS) and digital literacy mandates, science educators face a critical challenge: how do we transition middle schoolers from passive screen consumption to active technological creation without causing instructional overload? This session introduces an innovative, low-barrier framework that cross-walks foundational CS principles—like algorithmic flow, database logic gates, and nested logic—directly into existing physical science labs. By protecting the first 40 minutes for tactile, hands-on inquiry and introducing a strategic, 10-minute digital collaboration layer at the end, educators deepen 3D science sensemaking while seamlessly meeting state tech requirements. Participants will analyze authentic student artifacts, walk through an integrated pacing sequence, and receive a plug-and-play toolkit featuring cross-walk templates, rubric frames, and access to a complimentary professional credential resource.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will master a frictionless 10-minute digital protocol to integrate algorithmic thinking and cloud database logic directly into existing hands-on science labs, meeting state computer science mandates simultaneously without causing instructional or pacing schedule overload.

SPEAKERS:
Moni Singh

This presentation shares findings from a study of preservice science teachers using a custom AI chatbot designed to support NGSS-aligned, phenomenon-based lesson and unit planning. Drawing on analyses of chatbot interactions, interviews, and teacher reflections, we highlight how participants used the tool to identify engaging phenomena, align instruction to standards, generate lesson ideas, and strengthen unit coherence. We also discuss challenges, including evaluating AI-generated suggestions and avoiding over-reliance on AI. Participants will leave with practical strategies for using AI to support science teaching and teacher learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Custom AI tools can be a valuable planning partner for science teachers when it helps them think more deeply about instructional decisions rather than making those decisions for them.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson

Artificial intelligence is reshaping STEM learning, making it essential for educators to rethink how students engage with complex problems. As AI can now generate answers and procedures instantly, STEM instruction must emphasize reasoning, creativity, design thinking, and authentic application. The Department of War (DoW) STEM is advancing AI literacy and innovation by connecting students to emerging technologies and STEM career pathways. In this session, participants will explore how AI is changing expectations for student work and learn practical strategies for redesigning STEM tasks to promote deeper learning, interdisciplinary thinking, and student agency. Educators will examine real-world applications of AI, identify opportunities for meaningful classroom integration, and leave with ready-to-use strategies that support both STEM learning and workforce readiness.

TAKEAWAYS:
Design STEM learning for an AI-driven world by shifting from answers to reasoning. Participants will experience using AI to enhance learning and connect classroom experiences to real-world applications and emerging STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Mills

Connecting AI to the physical world (aka embodied AI) is the next technological frontier. Join us to explore project-based activities that combine AI with physical robots via the construction and programming of autonomous robotic arms. These field-tested actives use Python and an accessible (relatively cheap ~$300) hardware platform. This workshop will walk you through the parts, construction, Python skill building, game theory, object detection, and autonomous arm programing modules. All components: parts, 3D printing files, construction instructions, programming activities, and lecture slides are available online (arm.ttic.edu) and can be used as a whole or piecemeal for clubs and classrooms. High school interns who explored these activities saw key indicators of retention and success in CS, such as Sense of Belonging in Computing, increase. TTIC is a university & research institute focused on AI and CS theory. NGSS Alignment: HS-ETS1-1 & HS-ETS1-2; CCC 1,2,4,& 6; Practices 1,2,3,4 &

TAKEAWAYS:
Robots + AI = Tool You Can Use + Student Engagement

SPEAKERS:
Michael Rodgers, Randall Landsberg

Discover practical ways science teachers can use AI tools to streamline planning, differentiate instruction, generate assessments, create engaging review activities, and support diverse learners. This interactive poster session features authentic classroom examples, ready-to-use prompts, QR-linked resources, and a live “Prompt Makeover” station where attendees can revise and improve their own classroom prompts for immediate implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with practical AI prompts, classroom-ready examples, and implementation strategies they can immediately use to create engaging, differentiated, and standards-aligned science instruction while saving valuable planning time.

SPEAKERS:
Caitlynn Richardson

This project focused on work with the Ozobot Evo robot, which is programmable through block-coding and color-coding. During the summer of 2025, teachers participated in three, 6-hour sessions to learn how to integrate Evo into their classroom activities. Training activities included work with learning programming structures and how to use Evo in the block-coding and color-coding (with markers and magnetic tiles) formats. Each teacher self-evaluated knowledge and skills, before and after the 3-day workshop. Nine teachers provided paired survey data for a self-efficacy scale and responded to open-ended questions. The goal was to provide high-quality, teacher professional development to increase knowledge and instructional skills for integrating robotics into the elementary, middle, and secondary grades classroom. Results showed a significant improvement in programming self-efficacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this initial project, results showed a significant increase in computer programming self-efficacy and significant increases in all five sub-scale scores. In a follow-up session, teachers provided qualitative data regarding use and modifications for the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Lynberg, Deborah McAllister

Discover how to leverage AI to design high-impact, interdisciplinary elementary STEM lessons that prepare students for the future workforce. While not all students pursue STEM careers, these lessons cultivate the essential 21st-century skills—critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication—needed for all career pathways. Explore why early engagement is critical for students to identify diverse career opportunities. Participants will learn to apply Backward Design—identifying results, determining evidence, and planning instruction—to integrate community-led STEM experiences. Walk away with actionable, AI-generated lesson examples to implement immediately.

TAKEAWAYS:
Take away a roadmap for AI-assisted, career-aligned STEM instruction. Attendees will use a QR code to access a comprehensive Padlet of resources, featuring the Backward Design framework and ready-to-use interdisciplinary lesson examples for immediate classroom implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Annette Larson

This poster session explores practical strategies for integrating AI and data tools into middle school science classrooms while building career-connected learning pathways. Attendees will discover classroom-safe AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, NotebookLM) and data analysis tools (CODAP, Google Sheets, Python/Colab, Tuva Labs) mapped to real STEM careers. The session features a sample "AI vs. Human: Data Detective" activity using the CER framework to help students evaluate AI-generated analyses alongside human scientific work. We will also discuss how to connect each tool and activity to real STEM career pathways, giving students a clear picture of where these skills lead. Resources include ready-to-use rubrics, datasets, and career profile cards. Whether you are new to AI or looking to deepen data literacy instruction, this share-a-thon format offers hands-on resources, mentor guidance, and actionable takeaways to prepare students for data-driven futures.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with practical strategies and ready-to-use resources for integrating AI and data tools into science instruction, helping students build critical thinking skills while connecting classroom learning to real STEM career pathways.

SPEAKERS:
Treshana Weise

This session presents a secure, fully offline AI system for K-12 science classrooms that supports assignment generation, auto-grading, and real-time AI tutoring. Aligned with the AI and Data education strand and the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education, the tool demonstrates how instructional design and feedback can support NGSS three-dimensional learning, including Science and Engineering Practices such as analyzing and interpreting data and constructing evidence-based explanations. Participants will explore classroom-ready workflows showing how assignments are created, how student work is evaluated using consistent rubrics, and how tutoring responses adapt to learner input using performance data. The system enables continuous instructional feedback loops grounded in student work. Designed for privacy-sensitive and low-bandwidth environments, the platform operates entirely offline to ensure equitable access while reducing teacher workload and improving feedback consistency.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn an offline AI workflow for K-12 science education that supports NGSS-aligned instruction through assignment generation, auto-grading, and adaptive tutoring, enabling data-informed feedback, reduced teacher workload, and equitable implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Nitindra Chowdary Pavuluri

Artificial intelligence can do more than answer questions. With thoughtful design, it can support student thinking. In this hands-on session, you will experience a custom AI Tutor from a student’s perspective, examine how its prompt shapes its behavior and learn how to define the instructional purpose of a tutor bot. We will focus on one key design step: turning a classroom learning need into clear bot instructions. You will draft a purpose statement and initial prompt for an AI Tutor that could support review, practice, feedback, or student questioning in your own classroom. You will see how AI can support this entire design process. This session is designed to show that effective AI tutoring begins with instructional design, not technical expertise. Bring your computer so that you can get the most out of this session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a practical process for translating a classroom learning need into clear bot instructions that can guide an AI Tutor to support student thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Pennell

Scientists at Institute for Systems Biology have been using AI and Machine Learning (ML) to analyze complex systems biology datasets for many years. As such, we developed an interactive lesson that guides high school students through how, why, and when ML can be used. These step-by-step free resources were built for non-computer science teachers using a heart-health dataset. We believe all people should understand, and be able to use, the process of ML to make sense of data, especially life science data. In this workshop, we will give a quick overview of the lesson and will share all curricular materials so that attendees can try the activities as students would. We’ll work through the correlations portion of the lesson with plenty of time for questions and technical assistance. We’ll then give an overview of the logistic regression and applications portions of the lesson. We will focus on having all teachers leave with the links, skills & confidence to bring this to their students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Machine learning is a subset of AI and is easy to comprehend when you guide “learning” using a spreadsheet to analyze an interesting dataset. You can use our step-by-step resources to guide your students through this lesson and then watch as they apply their learning to other data sets of interest.

SPEAKERS:
Claudia Ludwig

Science leaders from a large, urban, school district will describe and model a process they have developted to utilize generative AI tools for making their district-level science assessments better (psychometrically, linguistically, standards-alignement-wise, etc...).

TAKEAWAYS:
Generative AI tools can be used to help shape the development of resources in ways that account for context-specific requirements within a local education association.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson

Students use AI but do they critically think about it? This workshop will explore classroom activities that use AI to examine the veracity, biases, flaws, and ethics of AI. Delve into voice cloning technology, and debate its pros and cons. Employ counterfactual/what if thinking and prompt engineering (e.g., images generated from “old man in a church” vs “Asian old man in a church”) to reveal biases in AI models. Try a simple student-centered activity to critically analyze AI by testing its knowledge of something you yourself and/or your students are experts in. TTIC (ttic.edu) is a philanthropically endowed research institute and university focused on AI and CS theory. NGSS Alignment: HS-ETS1-2 & 3; CCC 1, 2, & 4; Practices 1, 3, 4, 6, & 8.

TAKEAWAYS:
These activities will help your students to think critically about AI in their lives and in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Randall Landsberg

I'm a Physics teacher, and over the last six months I've been building something I didn't realize I would be capable of building. This 1-hour session is a chance for other teachers to see firsthand what is possible before deciding whether to invest the time and small expense to set the tools up themselves. Most teachers do not yet realize the kind of tooling that has become accessible through AI coding agents that take instructions in plain English rather than in code. I have built a small but growing curriculum platform that generates problem sets, analyzes my course through different pedagogical lenses, and writes narrative feedback for each of my students after every assessment. I built it on my kitchen table with an AI coding agent called Claude Code and plain-English prompts. For the full hands-on installation experience, see my 2-hour workshop.

TAKEAWAYS:
This 1-hour session is, honestly, the demo I wish someone had shown me before I went down the AI rabbit hole alone. This is the working-teacher version of AI tools, not the marketing. See what is actually possible right now in a real classroom—no AI slop here.

SPEAKERS:
Brendan Wischweh

Integrating a scanning electron microscope (SEM) into a high school classroom provides a unique and engaging way to bring STEM learning to life. Since acquiring an SEM in 2013, we have developed a specialized course that builds technical skills, fosters scientific thinking, and promotes student-driven inquiry. Students begin with hands-on training in microscope operation and imaging, then progress to sample analysis and independent investigation. The course blends theory with practice while supporting NGSS through authentic applications, including experimental design, troubleshooting, and analysis of structure-function relationships. This session will highlight our implementation process, share student work, and provide an overview of a curriculum that makes advanced scientific tools accessible and meaningful for high school learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
A scanning electron microscope can be successfully integrated into a high school classroom to provide authentic, hands-on STEM experiences that build technical skills, deepen scientific thinking, and make advanced science accessible to students.

SPEAKERS:
Gena Dalan, Krista Wilks

This presentation describes the design and implementation of a health data science professional development program created for middle and high school educators participating in a one-week, face-to-face summer teacher institute. The program integrated foundational data science concepts with laboratory sciences through authentic healthcare delivery contexts. Teachers engaged with real healthcare laboratory datasets, using Excel to analyze data, identify trends, and create data visualizations that mirror practices used in health and laboratory science careers. A primary goal of the program was to expand awareness of laboratory science, data science, and health-related career pathways among rural teachers and their students, while providing classroom-ready curriculum that supports career-connected science learning. Instruction emphasized core data science practices, ethical use of health data, and technology-supported analysis, aligning with the NSTA Position Statement on Data Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Authentic healthcare laboratory data can be effectively used with accessible technology like Excel to build teachers’ data science skills, connect science instruction to real healthcare careers, and empower educators—especially in rural settings—to introduce ethical, career-connected data analysis a

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Reynolds

Bring bioinformatics into your classroom through introductory, plant-focused investigations. This session highlights classroom-ready activities such as DNA barcoding for species identification, phylogenetic analysis using carnivorous plants, and exploring plant immune systems. Designed for high school classrooms, these lessons use free, web-based tools and genetics to build student skills in data interpretation. Activities are scaffolded, flexible, and aligned to NGSS, allowing teachers to integrate them into units on evolution, heredity, and plant biology. Participants will see how bioinformatics can move beyond human-focused examples to increase relevance, accessibility, and student interest using plants as a familiar and meaningful context.

TAKEAWAYS:
A practical starting point for teaching bioinformatics through classroom-ready plant investigations you can use immediately, built on free tools and real data, no prior experience required.

SPEAKERS:
Zack Bateson

This presentation introduces a dynamic resource designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional STEM applications. The STEM Career Repository offers an extensive collection of 2–3 minute videos featuring diverse professionals who share insights into their daily work and career paths. By providing students with relatable role models and clear examples of success, this tool helps demystify the vast landscape of STEM opportunities. Attendees will learn how to leverage the repository's keyword search functionality to align career exploration with specific curriculum topics. The session also highlights supplemental resources, including STEM Career Highlights, which facilitate direct integration into middle and high school lessons. Whether you are looking to enhance college and career readiness or inspire students through representation, this repository provides the practical materials needed to bring professional science into the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Access a searchable database of 2–3 minute videos from STEM professionals to link curriculum to real-world careers. Use "STEM Career Highlights" handouts to support student exploration and boost representation, helping every student find a relatable path to success in science and technology.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Nern

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education, but many science teachers are still searching for practical, classroom-ready applications that genuinely improve instruction rather than simply automate tasks. In this session, participants will explore how generative AI tools such as Claude can support science teaching through lesson planning, assessment creation, differentiation, lab design, review games, data analysis, and student engagement activities. Participants will leave with practical prompt templates, implementation ideas, and strategies for responsibly integrating AI into science classrooms in ways that enhance efficiency, accessibility, and student learning. This presentation is designed for educators with little to moderate experience using AI tools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical, classroom-tested strategies for using AI to design engaging science lessons, differentiate instruction, create assessments, and save planning time while maintaining strong pedagogy and teacher oversight.

SPEAKERS:
Caitlynn Richardson

Students often struggle with science concepts because hidden prerequisite skills go undiagnosed. A student may appear to misunderstand ecosystems, chemical reactions, forces, or data analysis when the real barrier is vocabulary, graph interpretation, proportional reasoning, measurement, or evidence-based explanation. This presentation shares a practical mastery-mapping process teachers can use to break science tasks into essential skills, identify likely points of breakdown, and plan targeted next steps. Attendees will see examples of how quick evidence checks can support grouping, reteaching, intervention, extension, and student ownership of progress. The session focuses on a repeatable instructional workflow: define the target skill, identify prerequisite knowledge, gather evidence, assign a targeted next step, and monitor progress toward mastery.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use mastery maps to identify hidden skill gaps in science tasks and plan targeted next steps that move students toward standards-based mastery.

SPEAKERS:
Lynette Dickerson

Forecasting with evidence can help students connect classroom data to larger weather systems. This session shares an eighth grade severe weather unit in which students collected local weather data, created graphs, explored ArcGIS weather layers, and developed forecasts for Tippecanoe County. Students used data sources such as satellite imagery, precipitation forecasts, temperature, pressure, and wind station data to examine weather patterns across the United States before considering local impacts. The session will highlight how geospatial tools can support three dimensional science learning, data literacy, and evidence based reasoning. Attendees will see examples of the unit sequence, student facing materials, ArcGIS layers, and the final forecasting task. Participants will leave with adaptable ideas for helping students use real weather data to explain and forecast changing weather.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to guide students in using classroom weather data, graphs, and ArcGIS layers to connect larger weather systems to local forecasts through evidence based reasoning.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Malone, Kelly Feille

This session shares the design and relaunch of a district-wide STEAM program integrating AI, data literacy, multilingual learning, and career-connected experiences to prepare students for the future workforce. Originally launched in 2019, the program showed strong engagement but was interrupted by the pandemic. It is now being reimagined for Summer 2027 to include CTE pathways, manufacturing, technology, and community partnerships. Participants will hear from a 2025 Illinois State Board of Education Those Who Excel – Meritorious Service awardee and a 2026 Shell NSTA Urban Science Educator Development Award recipient, sharing insights from implementation and redesign. Participants will explore how to build a teacher cohort, integrate AI and data into student projects, develop meaningful partnerships, and design a scalable, high-impact STEAM program.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to design a district-wide STEAM program that connects AI, CTE, and real-world careers Strategies for building meaningful community and industry partnerships that extend beyond guest speakers A replicable framework for launching or relaunching a high-impact summer STEAM experience

SPEAKERS:
DANIELLE ENGLISH

In this session, we will explore the dual nature of AI in the modern classroom. Teachers often feel caught between preventing misuse and embracing progress. AI is something that is not going away so we need to discover how it can be used to our benefit within our classrooms. I will show you how to navigate both the positive and negative aspects of AI. We’ll dive into practical strategies for designing curriculum that maintains academic integrity in an AI-driven world, ensuring student work remains authentic. On the flip side, we will discover how to leverage these same tools to personalize instruction and bridge accessibility gaps, making high-quality content available to every student regardless of their starting point.

TAKEAWAYS:
We’re going to explore the dual nature of AI in education. I'll show you how to design curriculum that maintains academic integrity in an AI world, while using these same tools to personalize learning and bridge accessibility gaps for all students.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Bean

How can higher education faculty prepare preservice teachers for a data-rich, AI-driven future? This hands-on, future-focused session shares practical strategies for integrating interactive notebooks, artificial intelligence, and data science into elementary science methods courses. Participants will explore sample K–6 notebook activities that engage students in collecting, organizing, and interpreting data, while modeling effective instructional practices. Faculty will also experiment with AI tools to support instructional planning and reduce workload. Through guided discussion, attendees will consider how to adapt these approaches within their own courses to better prepare preservice educators for today’s classrooms. Leave with ready-to-use ideas that connect pedagogy, technology, and real-world application.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies to integrate interactive notebooks, AI tools, and data science into preservice science courses to better prepare future teachers for engaging, data-informed K–6 instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Sumreen Asim

This session presents a secure, fully offline AI system for K-12 science classrooms that supports assignment generation, auto-grading, and real-time AI tutoring. Aligned with the AI and Data education strand and the NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education, the tool demonstrates how instructional design and feedback can support NGSS three-dimensional learning, including Science and Engineering Practices such as analyzing and interpreting data and constructing evidence-based explanations. Participants will explore classroom-ready workflows showing how assignments are created, how student work is evaluated using consistent rubrics, and how tutoring responses adapt to learner input using performance data. The system enables continuous instructional feedback loops grounded in student work. Designed for privacy-sensitive and low-bandwidth environments, the platform operates entirely offline to ensure equitable access while reducing teacher workload and improving feedback consistency.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn an offline AI workflow for K-12 science education that supports NGSS-aligned instruction through assignment generation, auto-grading, and adaptive tutoring, enabling data-informed feedback, reduced teacher workload, and equitable implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Nitindra Chowdary Pavuluri

Discover how preservice teachers at Indiana University Indianapolis are transforming elementary science education through culturally responsive, inquiry-based lesson design that integrates 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and community data. This session highlights a capstone project where future educators co-create lessons with students, connect science standards to lived experiences, and use technology tools to build hands-on investigations and models. Participants will explore practical strategies for leveraging AI and 3D printing to personalize learning, foster equity, and deepen conceptual understanding. The session also shares plans to integrate ePortfolios and career competencies, empowering teachers to curate evidence of growth, communicate impact, and prepare for dynamic STEM careers. Join us for actionable ideas, innovative practices, and inspiration to advance career-connected science teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies for integrating AI, 3D printing, and culturally responsive pedagogy to design equitable, inquiry-based science lessons and learn how ePortfolios and career competencies can prepare students for future-ready STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Garvin

The NeuroCase Chronicles is an innovative, case-based curriculum that engages students in emerging neuroscience topics—neurodiversity, neuromodulation, therapeutics, and AI—while integrating ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) throughout. This interactive workshop introduces educators to a classroom-ready curriculum that uses real-world case scenarios to deepen understanding and connect neuroscience to students’ experiences. Participants will engage as learners by completing selected activities. Through these hands-on experiences, teachers explore how students study brain structure and function, model neural signaling, and examine brain-computer interfaces and related therapies. They will also consider how AI influences cognition, learning, and decision-making, especially in developing brains, while evaluating its limitations and ethical challenges. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based reasoning and supports critical analysis of complex scientific and societal issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore NeuroCase Chronicles, a hands-on, case-based neuroscience curriculum. Experience activities on emerging topics in neuroscience including brain-computer interfaces, AI, therapeutic interventions, and ethics, and leave with ready-to-use lessons and strategies for engaging high school students.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Blank

Getting tired of the same forensics activities but don't know how to spice it up? Interested in AI but don't know how to get it to produce what you need? I got you! This presentation will show you FREE AI tools that can kick your forensics lessons in to high gear! Increase engagement and have some fun while learning how to use AI in your forensics classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers leave with several free AI tools as well as lessons created using these tools. Everything is ready to implement right away!

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Mullen

Students are increasingly using AI in science classrooms, but using AI does not always lead to deeper thinking. Many students rely on AI-generated responses without fully engaging in scientific reasoning. This session explores how teachers can use AI to support, rather than replace, student thinking. Attendees will see classroom examples of how targeted prompts can help students clarify ideas, identify gaps, and strengthen explanations, supporting NGSS-aligned practices such as analyzing evidence and constructing explanations. This session focuses on practical strategies that position AI as a tool for thinking, not an answer source.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use AI to support student thinking and strengthen scientific reasoning rather than replace it during classroom tasks.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle McClanan

This workshop builds data literacy for science instruction through mathematical modeling with data. In this session, co-facilitated by the NSTA Professional Learning Team and Tuva, participants will work in a student role, using data to make sense of phenomena as they explore how distributions describe variability using dot plots, box plots, and histograms, and when to use mean, median, or mode. They will also model relationships between variables using scatterplots, lines of best fit, and concepts such as correlation, association, and linear vs. nonlinear patterns. Participants will reflect on how these skills can be incorporated into their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will strengthen their understanding of distributions, variability, and relationships through mathematical modeling and will consider how to bring these ideas into their own classrooms to support student sensemaking with authentic science data.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran, Brianna Reilly Oliveira

Do your students struggle to construct explanations and engage in argument from evidence using data? During this session, co-facilitated by Tuva and the NSTA Professional Learning Team, participants will analyze datasets to explore how explanations and arguments can be scaffolded with the CER structure. Data is central to the process of constructing a claim and selecting the strongest evidence. Participants will surface common student challenges, and identify instructional moves and prompts that strengthen claims, evidence selection, and reasoning in science instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies to help students construct explanations and argue from evidence using data to support clearer claims, stronger evidence selection, and more effective reasoning in NGSS-aligned science sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran, Brianna Reilly Oliveira