STEM is often pushed aside in 1st and 2nd grade, but it plays a critical role in building thinking, language, and confidence. In this session, a teacher from a rural Title I school in North Carolina shares how simple, hands-on STEM experiences can create powerful learning moments for students with limited access to real-world opportunities. Participants will engage in classroom-tested activities like a paper airplane design challenge and a chain link engineering task using basic materials. These experiences show how STEM supports literacy, problem-solving, and collaboration. Attendees will leave with practical, realistic strategies they can use immediately.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use simple, low-cost STEM activities in 1st and 2nd grade to build student language, problem-solving, and real-world understanding, especially in classrooms with limited resources.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Calhoun-Minnis

How can educators (re)imagine science education that builds authentic, transformative opportunities for deepening engagement towards career and community readiness? We will introduce participants to a framework for Place-Based Science Teaching that dynamically supports science teachers in (re)envisioning and creating learning activities to respond to the historical and present contexts of students and schools, all while integrating rigorous science practices and phenomena. In this NGSS-aligned session, participants will explore high-interest activities that strengthen students’ sense of geographic location and geologic time, all while triangulating themselves and their potential as scientists in their local context. We’ll then provide an opportunity for participants to engage in a (re)design challenge of an existing activity through the lens of the Place-Based Science Teaching framework. This framework was published in our book with Corwin Press (2025).

TAKEAWAYS:
Place-based learning honors the lived experiences of students and the living beings that form a community. Participants will learn how to develop NGSS-aligned, place-based science lessons that cultivate curiosity and innovation.

SPEAKERS:
Kirstin Milks, Whitney Aragaki

The proliferation of special education frameworks and expectations for general education science and math teachers, whether in the form of inclusion, documentation, behavioral and classroom management expectations, curriculum design, accommodations, etc., has resulted in a whole new world of challenges for teachers without special education training, often accompanied by vague and potentially misleading ‘guidance’ from education professionals who are not themselves SPED and/or science and math teachers. *SPEDagogy provides an approach to support science and math teachers by using the foundations and practices in special education to provide ways to differentiate instruction and assessment as well as assist social emotional learning in gen. ed. classrooms. This session will highlight the interplay of supporting learners and teachers by presenting an overview of adaptations and accommodations to highlight special education’s “how” with science content and applied activities’ “what”.

TAKEAWAYS:
We'll provide you with tools and tips for planning, teaching, and assessment, as well as classroom management in the age of inclusion, while maintaining intellectual rigor and behavioral expectations.

SPEAKERS:
Deborah Bruns, Travis Clayton

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

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Lasky

This energetic Lesson Showcase reveals how robotics competitions drive NGSS-aligned science learning through authentic student challenges. During the 60-minute share-a-thon, attendees will explore a complete robotics competition lesson cycle: pre-competition hooks that spark curiosity and build foundational skills, the featured robotics competition lesson where students engage in engineering design, data analysis, teamwork, iteration, and sensemaking during actual competition prep and events, and post-competition extensions that sustain teams, reflect on learning, and connect to classroom instruction. The poster shares take-home resources, equitable strategies that broaden access, and practical tools for building durable skills like problem-solving and collaboration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with practical resources and strategies for robotics competitions that support three-dimensional science learning and sustainable student teams.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Lupton

What happens when 5th graders think like real scientists and engineers? In this interactive poster session, explore a high-energy engineering design lesson that gets students asking questions, solving problems, and making sense of the world around them. You’ll see exactly how the lesson unfolds from sparking curiosity at the start, to hands-on investigation, to meaningful reflection and extension. Walk away with ready-to-use resources, student examples, and simple strategies you can bring straight into your classroom. If you’re looking for ways to boost engagement, deepen thinking, and make science come alive for your students, this session is for you.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a complete, ready-to-implement 5th-grade science/STEM lesson, along with practical strategies to increase student engagement through inquiry. Attendees will walk away with clear, actionable approaches for aligning science instruction to standards.

SPEAKERS:
Samantha Henery

A significant shortage of healthcare professionals is currently observed. To mitigate this challenge, multiple approaches have been implemented, including efforts to promote medical careers among K-12 students. The National Cancer Institute is actively working to increase the pool of entrants into cancer-related medical fields. Increasingly, initiatives are emphasizing career education at the middle school level, supported by research demonstrating its critical role in career development. Successful outcomes depend on the active participation of middle-level teachers, a principle foundational to the Medical Research Education Project at Indiana University. This poster presentation will provide an overview of the project and describe engagement opportunities for teachers. Presenters will highlight selected hands-on, inquiry-driven medical lessons collaboratively designed by educators, biomedical researchers, and education faculty. Emphasis will be placed on the alignment with NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Medical Research Education Project at Indiana University is collaborating with middle-level teachers to identify optimal methods for teaching students about medical inquiry. This poster presentation highlights this program, shares previous outcomes, and provides paths to involvement.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Scribner, Gayle Buck

What does digital literacy actually look like in a classroom? In this lesson showcase, step inside an Inquisitive Technology lesson and experience how students move from clicking to thinking. Through a real classroom example, see how inquiry-based routines help students use digital tools with purpose, communicate responsibly, and make informed choices online. Watch how a simple, open-and-go lesson builds understanding of digital systems, online safety, and responsible decision-making. Notice how student thinking is surfaced, supported, and extended through discussion, interaction, and reflection. With built-in supports and multiple entry points, these lessons make digital literacy meaningful for students and manageable for teachers. Walk away with practical ideas you can use right away.

TAKEAWAYS:
Seeing a digital literacy lesson in action reveals how simple, structured routines can help students think critically, make informed choices, and act responsibly in a digital world.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Shaw

The lesson presented in this showcase from The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis focuses on the principles, protocols, and technology needed to successfully collect evidence from the scene of a mystery. Teachers will be empowered to lead their students through an activity where they will have the opportunity to practice following procedures, making observations, and using the tools that forensic technicians use in their work. Teachers will also be able to lead students in the analysis of the evidence collected, allowing them to draw conclusions as to who might be responsible for leaving the evidence behind.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will see how to set up a simulated crime scene and learn how to guide students through the collection of evidence using real forensics techniques.

SPEAKERS:
John McCollum

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 action research project looks at how hands-on, constructionist learning can support student sensemaking in a high school biology classroom, especially during a genetics and DNA unit. Instead of focusing on memorization, students engaged in projects where they designed and created models to explain complex ideas, connecting their work to real-world phenomena. Throughout the unit, I intentionally assigned projects that gave students the opportunity to construct their own understanding by building, testing, and revising their ideas. Rather than just measuring how much content students remembered, this study focuses on how students made sense of the material. Student-created artifacts, reflections, and discussions were used to see how their understanding developed over time. Overall, this approach highlights how giving students opportunities to design and create can lead to deeper understanding, increased engagement, and more meaningful learning in biology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Biology teachers will gain practical strategies for using constructionist, project-based learning within their DNA/Genetics unit to move beyond memorization and support student sensemaking through designing, building, and revising artifacts.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Stewart

Every time we fry food, we produce used cooking oil. Most of it gets thrown down the drain or into the trash, quietly polluting waterways, harming aquatic life and the land. But what if that waste could become something valuable? In this 3–4-week STEAM project, high school students turn hazardous waste cooking oil into real, handmade soap. Students begin by investigating the environmental impact of WCO waterways using real water quality data. They then learn the chemistry of soap-making, calculate their own ingredient ratios, choose natural colorants and scents, and design eco-friendly packaging. Along the way, they collect data from their households and use it to build a persuasive public awareness campaign for their community. This project is rooted in a real local problem, particularly in developing countries. Every decision students make, from soap formula to campaign audience, is theirs. Chemistry is the backbone, but the project asks students to think as scientists, engineers,

TAKEAWAYS:
A single topic learned at school can be the entry point for students to think across disciplines, engage with a real local problem, and produce something that actually matters to their community.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Rahmadianty

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

Looking for a way to bring authentic Earth System data to life for your students? Check out our My NASA Data StoryMap collection! My NASA Data StoryMaps offer an immersive storytelling experience that blends rich narrative text with interactive maps and NASA visualizations designed to captivate students. These resources use high-quality multimedia—including images and video— empowering students with the tools to explore complex Earth system processes. Each of the My NASA Data StoryMaps follows the 5E Instructional Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), is aligned with NGSS Earth System phenomena, and is ready for "plug and play" use in whole-class instruction, small group rotations, or independent student-led explorations making them a seamless fit for your existing curriculum. Bring Earth system science to your classroom through real world storylines that will engage your students with NASA data relevant to what they are experiencing in their own community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Each of the My NASA Data StoryMaps follow the 5E Instructional Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), is aligned with NGSS Earth System phenomena, and is ready for "plug and play" use in whole-class instruction, small group rotations, or independent student-led explorations.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Rizzi, Tina Harte - Ballinger

This poster showcases a classroom-tested framework that supports student agency through real-world problem solving. The poster will feature visual models of the research cycle, student project examples (including food justice and environmental initiatives), and scaffolds used to guide learners from idea to implementation. Attendees will explore practical tools such as project planners, research protocols, and assessment rubrics, along with strategies for supporting diverse learners in open-ended inquiry. This poster is designed as a “lesson showcase,” highlighting what happens before, during, and after student projects. Participants will leave with adaptable resources to implement this research model in their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with adaptable resources to implement this research model in their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Kavita Gupta

In rural Alaska, Science becomes most meaningful when it is rooted in place, culture, and lived experienced. This teacher-student collaborative project investigates how locally available resources and subsistence knowledge systems can be integrated into formal science instruction to increase student engagement, conceptual understanding, and scientific identity. Students participated in multiple inquiry-based investigations using materials sourced from their environment, including spruce sap as a potential adhesive, freeze-thaw plant growth systems using lettuce, Do it yourself Pipeline, and Alaskan blueberries as pH paper. These investigations were designed to connect Western scientific methods with Indigenous knowledge systems and rural subsistence practices. This project highlights how place-based, culturally responsive science education can transform student attitudes toward STEM while maintaining rigorous scientific inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how integrating local subsistence knowledge and hands-on investigations can increase student engagement, strengthen scientific thinking, and make science more meaningful in rural and culturally diverse classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Adrian Suladay

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:
Christina Davis

In this session teachers will explore research-based strategies for teaching science in the era of the science of reading, aiding in developing understandings in reading, as well as science content, nature of scientific knowledge, and scientific inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies for combining reading and science teaching will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Gayle Buck, Valarie Akerson

Bring STEM to life without breaking your budget! In this hands-on session, educators will learn how to guide students in designing, building, and testing balloon-powered cars using recycled and everyday materials. Participants will explore key science concepts such as force, motion, friction, and air resistance while engaging in an engineering design challenge that promotes creativity and problem-solving. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies, classroom management tips, and ideas for differentiating instruction for diverse learners. Perfect for elementary and middle school teachers, this session shows how “trash” can be transformed into high-impact learning that supports standards and excites students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to design and facilitate a low-cost, standards-aligned STEM challenge where students build and test balloon-powered cars from recycled materials to explore force, motion, and engineering design.

SPEAKERS:
Daniell Cossey

The EDP or Engineering Design Process is not just for older students! Any teacher of any class can teach using the EDP as a framework. This interactive poster session will prove it. The poster will allow participants to choose a "lesson" that has been divided into sections and actively connect the sections to the parts of the EDP. This will facilitate valuable conversation and aspects of fun! Blank handouts of the EDP will be available for takeaways in order for partipants to engage themselves in creating their own lesson using the EDP. It's not just simple, it's Elementary!

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway is the Engineering Design Process, and its parts. The poster will feature an interactive portion where participants can choose a "lesson" that has been divided into sections and actively connect the sections to the parts of the EDP aiding valuable conversation and aspects of fun!

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Clark

Participants will explore the importance of building a positive STEM identity and integrating it into the K–12 curriculum. This poster will highlight strategies for fostering an environment that promotes competence, curiosity, and confidence in students as they pursue STEM learning. Attendees will discover ways to leverage students’ existing “working knowledge” to deepen engagement and connection to STEM concepts. Resources and examples will be provided to help educators support students in developing a strong and lasting STEM identity. This session is ideal for educators seeking to empower their students in STEM, regardless of background or experience. Participants will leave inspired and equipped to make a meaningful impact on their students’ STEM identity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Unlock students' STEM IDENTITY with hands-on strategies that inspire confidence, curiosity, and STEM skills. Learn how aviation and aeronautics can promote a growth mindset and create real-life engineering scenarios and career connections. Get free resources and actionable steps at this session.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Davis

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

What if the true origin of scientific thinking begins with what students see? In this visually rich, graphic novel–inspired session, discover how Visual Wonder acts as the catalyst for engaging students in Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Through compelling imagery and simple, classroom-ready routines, you’ll explore how noticing, questioning, and interpreting visuals can spark curiosity and lead students into authentic investigation and sensemaking. Grounded in NGSS and aligned with a Wonder → Investigation → Sensemaking structure, this session offers practical strategies that are both meaningful for students and manageable for teachers. Walk away with ready-to-use tools that help students think and act like scientists, starting with the power of what they see.

TAKEAWAYS:
Visual Wonder sparks curiosity that leads directly to Science and Engineering Practices. With simple routines, teachers can turn what students see into meaningful investigation and sensemaking, helping them think and act like scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Shaw

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

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

The NSTA Sensemaking Tool can help educators be critical consumers of instructional materials and create/revise lessons that reflect the shifts required by new standards (sensemaking). Gain experience using the tool and facilitating criteria-based consensus conversations with your colleagues!

TAKEAWAYS:
Use the NSTA Sensemaking Tool to evaluate instructional materials (lessons) and provide feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Mathews

The first human beings who will ever set foot on Mars are very likely in elementary or middle school right now. Learn how you can use this fact to inspire success in both literacy and science through the speaker’s book, Max Goes to Mars, which has been read from the International Space Station (ISS) in both English and Spanish and is currently being made into a movie/planetarium show that you will be able to FREELY stream into your classrooms. This session will also introduce you to the FREE Story Time From Space program (storytimefromspace.com), in which books are read aloud from the ISS and to other ways the speaker/author can support your teaching, including through his free school visits.

TAKEAWAYS:
Inspire your students across the STEAM curriculum by thinking about the fact that some of today’s students are likely to be the first humans to visit Mars.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Bennett

This opening session will introduce current initiatives in science, computer science, AI, and STEM from the Indiana Department of Education. Participants will receive an overview of the major projects, resources, and instructional supports currently available to Indiana educators. The session will also provide a conference road map that highlights sessions, workshops, and presentations relevant to Indiana priorities so that participants can maximize their learning throughout the event. The purpose of the session is to ground attendees in the current vision for science and STEM education in Indiana and to support informed participation in the sessions that follow. This session is designed to be accessible to educators from all states who are interested in statewide implementation models and cross state alignment of STEM and science initiatives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain a clear picture of current IDOE science, computer science, AI, and STEM initiatives and will receive guidance on navigating Indiana relevant sessions throughout the conference.

SPEAKERS:
Eimear Towler

The Science of Purification: Hands-On Water Filtration Lab is an engaging STEM activity that allows students to investigate how water can be cleaned through physical filtration methods. Working collaboratively, students design and build their own filtration systems using common materials to remove impurities from contaminated water samples. Throughout the lab, students explore concepts such as mixtures, particle size, engineering design, and environmental science while collecting and analyzing data to improve their models. This interactive experience promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork while helping students understand the importance of clean water access and the real-world applications of science and engineering in water purification systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will design and test water filtration systems to explore purification methods, engineering design, and environmental science concepts while developing problem-solving, collaboration, and data analysis skills through a hands-on STEM investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Bailey

# 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

How can robotics competitions spark deeper science learning? This speed sharing session shows how competition-based experiences can build integrated learning and durable skills in science classrooms. Attendees will explore practical strategies for using robotics competitions to strengthen teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and persistence while connecting science, engineering, and other disciplines. Designed as a fast-paced, high-value session, this presentation offers an adaptable idea participants can use immediately to engage students in authentic challenges and support real-world skill development.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how robotics competitions can build integrated learning and durable skills by strengthening teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and persistence across science and engineering experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Lupton

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

Traditional lab reports and written responses do not always reveal what students understand about a science concept. Short student-created video explanations give learners another way to explain phenomena, defend models, interpret data, reflect on labs, and communicate claim-evidence-reasoning arguments. This presentation shares a classroom-ready approach for using concise video explanations as formative and summative evidence of science understanding. Attendees will explore prompt types, success criteria, feedback routines, and grading strategies that keep the focus on science thinking rather than production quality. Examples will show how video explanations can support multilingual learners, oral rehearsal before writing, student self-assessment, and teacher identification of misconceptions. The session emphasizes low-prep routines that help students practice science communication while making their thinking more visible.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use short student-created video explanations to make science thinking visible, strengthen communication, and assess understanding without creating grading overload.

SPEAKERS:
Lynette Dickerson

Technology literacy is an increasingly important part of science and STEM education, yet technological literacy now extends beyond simply using digital tools. Students must also learn to critically evaluate technologies, consider tradeoffs, and make informed decisions about technologies in personal, societal, and scientific contexts. Research suggests that students often hold uncritical positive views toward emerging technologies, which can limit thoughtful decision-making and engagement with socio-scientific issues (Ankiewicz, 2016). At the same time, many science teachers receive limited preparation in how to facilitate deeper conversations about technology and its impacts. This session will provide an overview of what it means to be technology literate in today's world and introduces a simple, adaptable questioning tool designed to help teachers embed technology literacy discussions into existing science instruction without requiring major curricular changes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Help students move beyond simply using technology to critically evaluating it. Participants will leave with a practical questioning tool that promotes effectively embedding technology literacy discourse into science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Isaiah Kent-Schneider

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

Take your students’ learning to new heights in this interactive workshop designed to help you plan and launch a school-wide Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience that’s truly out of this world! Participants will actively explore how our middle school implemented a collaborative, hands-on rocketry project that engaged every student and teacher across grades 7 and 8. In this workshop, you will experience and design elements of five major challenges: stomp rockets, model rockets, horizontal rockets, parachute design, and egg-safe landing. You’ll work through key components of the planning process, including organizing student groups, facilitating design thinking, and structuring trial tests and final launch events. Walk away with practical strategies, planning tools, and adaptable resources to implement a large-scale PBL experience in your own school. Be ready to collaborate, create, and launch ideas you can take back to your classroom immediately!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a practical, scalable strategy for organizing a school-wide PBL experience that engages all students and staff through structured team roles, STEM-based challenges, and efficient implementation.

SPEAKERS:
JoElla Hauselman, Abbi Richcreek

Look‑to‑learn items are brief, visual prompts that guide students to analyze models, discuss evidence, and revise explanations during sensemaking lessons. In this speed‑sharing presentation, the presenter will model look‑to‑learn items that use existing diagrams, GIFs, and simplified comics. Participants will see classroom‑ready examples of both open‑ and closed‑ended look‑to‑learn items and learn how these quick scaffolds can be used at multiple points in a lesson. The presenter will also share brief rationales for matching question types to visuals based on the intended performance outcome. Examples are drawn from grades 6–12 science classrooms, including AP Environmental Science and AP Biology, though the underlying principles are broadly transferable.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn practical ways to use visuals—diagrams, GIFs, and comics—as prompts for categorizing, fill‑in‑the‑blank, matching, and sequencing tasks that help students notice patterns, discuss evidence, and revise explanations. Receive a link to a library of classroom‑ready examples with feedback.

SPEAKERS:
TeNeal Metcalf

Our year-long STEM Buddy Program fosters enthusiasm for science, builds essential skills and strengthens our school community through meaningful cross-grade interactions. This program is intentionally aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, with a strong emphasis on the Science and Engineering Practices that foster essential, transferable skills. While students engage in hands-on engineering challenges, the primary purpose of these experiences is to develop critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. This cross-age STEM buddy program supports STEM for All by creating equitable access to meaningful, hands-on engineering experiences for all students. By pairing 8th grade mentors with 4th grade partners, the program reduces barriers to participation and fosters an inclusive learning environment where students of varying abilities and backgrounds can engage in collaborative problem solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session highlights a yearlong STEM buddy program that pairs 8th grade students with 4th grade partners for monthly, hands-on engineering challenges. Attendees will explore examples of low-cost, easily implemented challenges and gain strategies for establishing a program in their own school.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole McJunkin

Short on time but want to bring meaningful engineering into your classroom? Are you looking for plug-and-play STEM labs that require minimal prep while maximizing student engagement and real-world connections? In this fast-paced session, educators will explore ready-to-use, NGSS-aligned engineering labs that come with all materials provided—at no cost. Participants will see how students engage in hands-on problem-solving while collaborating virtually with professional engineers and college mentors, helping them make sense of science concepts through authentic application. What Participants Will Experience: Quick overview of a complete, ready-to-implement engineering lab Hands-on interaction with lab materials Snapshot of how virtual mentorship supports student thinking and engagement Practical strategies for immediate classroom implementation Classroom Relevance: Zero-prep or low-prep labs ready “out of the box” Applicable to existing science units Designed to fit typical class

TAKEAWAYS:
With over 6,900 schools and 1.3 million students served nationwide, engineering focused labs demonstrate how high-quality, equitable STEM experiences can be both scalable and easy to implement—helping students build the durable skills they need for future success.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Kysely

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

How do science teachers help students determine what climate information is credible? This qualitative case study examines three Indonesian science teachers' approaches to teaching epistemic evaluation, the practice of critically assessing claims and sources, within interdisciplinary Science classrooms. Findings reveal three key patterns: the instructional strategies teachers use to scaffold information evaluation, how teachers conceptualize this practice, and the curriculum and contextual challenges they face. Although situated in Indonesia, the challenges these teachers navigate:  misinformation, fragmented curricula, and limited frameworks for teaching evidence evaluation, mirror those faced by science educators globally. This session offers practical insights and transferable strategies for science teachers seeking to strengthen students' ability to critically evaluate information about climate change and other natural phenomena in today's complex information landscape.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees, particularly teachers, will gain insight with transferable strategies for teaching students to critically evaluate climate change information, grounded in real classroom practice across any kind of teaching contexts

SPEAKERS:
Anna Rahmadianty

Great ag-based science lessons already exist! But do they align with your standards...? NASELI (Nebraska Agricultural Science Education Leadership Initiative) developed a simple cover sheet model that helps teachers localize existing agricultural curriculum to fit both state science standards and NGSS's three-dimensional learning framework. In this session, you'll see how NASELI teacher leaders create localized guides to connect agricultural phenomena, such as corn genetics and water management, to disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The result: ready-to-use lessons grounded in local agriculture and aligned to the standards you already teach. Walk away with a replicable model you can use to adapt agriculture curriculum in your own classroom or region, plus access to a free, growing repository of localized and aligned agriculture guides and curriculum on OER Commons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use NASELI's localization model to utilize existing ag-based science curriculum and connect it to your state standards and NGSS's three-dimensional learning framework.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Jones

Educators will explore NGSS-aligned interactive, ready-to-use, digital lessons that support sensemaking. Learn how media-rich lessons can engage students in science and engineering content through a variety of self-paced formats including image hotspots, drawing, or drag-and-drop to involve students in organizing ideas, analyzing data, and building evidence-based explanations. Designed in manageable segments with embedded supports, the lessons promote reasoning, analysis, and discourse, with access for diverse learners. Teachers can flexibly implement interactive lessons within existing units—whole class, group, or independent work—without extra planning. Classroom examples, teacher tips, and student deliverables will be included in this session to help educators integrate these strategies, make student thinking visible, boost engagement, and engage students in meaningful science practices by connecting content to their lives and society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to use and assign a set of free, NGSS-aligned interactive lessons on PBS LearningMedia, that support student sensemaking and discourse while leveraging embedded formative assessments to check for understanding and reduce planning time.

SPEAKERS:
Stefana Dunn

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

Under the philosophy of "We Do Science," The Citizen Science Lab (TCSL) positions students not as consumers of science content, but as practicing scientists. In this hands-on workshop, participants will do the same, designing and prototyping their own microbial fuel cells (MFCs), devices that use living microorganisms to generate electricity from organic matter. TCSL's ICE-T Project requires young scientists to simultaneously engage microbial metabolism, electrochemistry, circuit design, biosensor data collection, and computational modeling as a single integrated experience. Students author their own prototypes, propose hypotheses, iterate, and present findings of authentic research inside a community nonprofit. Educators will experience the ICE-T model firsthand, leaving with a replicable framework for bringing genuine cross-disciplinary research into their own classrooms regardless of budget, building, or zip code.

TAKEAWAYS:
A replicable framework for designing cross-disciplinary STEM programs that treat science as a unified practice. Strategies for building science identity in youth who have historically been excluded from science culture, including how space, story, and community change who feels like a scientist.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Andre Samuel

How do you create a robotics competition that engages hundreds of elementary students while supporting STEM learning across an entire school district? This session shares a practical framework for designing, launching, and sustaining a district-wide elementary robotics competition. Participants will explore strategies for securing stakeholder support, developing equitable participation opportunities, creating age-appropriate challenges, training teachers, managing logistics, and measuring impact.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with planning tools, implementation timelines, sample competition structures, and lessons learned that can be adapted to districts of any size.

SPEAKERS:
Kiera Elledge

The NSTA Sensemaking Tool can help educators be critical consumers of instructional materials and create/revise lessons that reflect the shifts required by new standards (sensemaking). Gain experience using the tool and facilitating criteria-based consensus conversations with your colleagues!

TAKEAWAYS:
Use the NSTA Sensemaking Tool to evaluate instructional materials (lessons) and provide feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Mathews

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

What happens when young learners are invited to notice first and explain later? This session challenges PK–2 educators to reimagine science instruction by stepping outside—literally—and embracing a phenomena-based, inquiry-driven approach that nurtures curiosity, sensemaking, and a lasting connection to the natural world. Through practical examples, we’ll share strategies for lesson design, integrating STEM and literacy, and using themes like birds or trees to build connections. Learn how to overcome barriers, use available space and resources, and embrace “messy” science without needing all the answers. Leave with simple, adaptable ideas, increased confidence, and a clear message: meaningful science learning can happen anywhere—starting just outside your door.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to use curiosity and everyday outdoor spaces to drive phenomenon-based, inquiry science. You’ll gain practical, easy-to-apply strategies, integrate STEM and literacy, build confidence, and leave thinking, “I can do this.”

SPEAKERS:
Joel Eichenauer, Susan Gnagy

Join us for an engaging workshop that brings cutting-edge particle physics into your classroom. Explore how scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN tackle fundamental questions about the universe—and how their discoveries connect to high school science. Through hands-on activities from the NSF-supported QuarkNet program, you'll experience ways to integrate real data, current research, and core physics concepts into your curriculum, all aligned with national science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with examples of standards-based classroom activities that link cutting-edge physics research to core concepts taught in high school physics and physical science.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Cecire, Shane Wood

What if you could turn any lesson into a science-rich experience? In this interactive session, explore how to layer meaningful STEM connections into the curriculum you already teach—without rewriting your plans. Discover simple strategies to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and boost student engagement across subjects. Hear about some out-of-the box ways to plan and connect with grade level partners to maximize the minimum minutes together. Science educator or classroom teachers benefit from the interactive session. Make it easy, make it effective and make it fun for you and your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn ways to infuse science into existing curriculum areas, if applicable. If they are science educators, they can learn how to think about new ways to enrich their lessons and to add a dash of STEM to their already rich lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Maureen Lee

This interactive session explores how hands-on, project-based STEM experiences increase student engagement, academic achievement, and workforce readiness for learners of all backgrounds. Participants will discover proven strategies for creating robust STEM learning environments that expose students to real-world STEM applications, inspire curiosity, engage learners through experiential activities, and empower them to pursue STEM pathways and careers. Drawing from STEM NOLA’s nationally recognized Cradle-to-Career Model, which has impacted more than 250,000 students across the United States and internationally, attendees will learn how vertical mentorship, industry partnerships, workforce development initiatives, and community-centered programming create sustainable pathways . The session includes practical examples, scalable models, and take-home resources that educators, administrators, and community leaders can use to expand STEM access, participation, and long-term success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain actionable strategies and a scalable Cradle-to-Career framework that leverages hands-on STEM learning, vertical mentorship, and workforce development partnerships to increase engagement, build confidence, and create pathways to STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Mills

Discover a powerful, replicable model for community partnership (local and national), student leadership and vertical alignment in STEM education. This session details the creation and execution of a STEM Ambassador Program where high school students partner with an elementary school to teach 4th graders the Design Thinking Process. We will provide a practical blueprint covering essential components: high school student selection and training, curriculum development, securing materials and funding, and managing the necessary time commitment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with actionable strategies for building a thriving community partnership as well as cross-grade partnership and experience a hands-on, simulated 4th-grade lesson to see the curriculum in action! Learn how to transform your high school students into effective, inspiring STEM educators.

SPEAKERS:
Melinda Clark, Lauren Allman

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

For more than 50 years, the National Inventors Hall of Fame has celebrated inventors while advancing creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. At the heart of this work is Invention Education, which builds STEM interest and confidence alongside essential life skills. During this interactive session, participants will explore how Invention Education drives a student-centered approach through real-world problem solving, hands-on exploration, and exposure to innovative role models. They will also examine how triangulating data—from third-party evaluations to program observations—accelerates continuous improvement and impact. Participants will take the driver’s seat to build momentum and design their own high-impact roadmap for empowering STEM experiences through Invention Education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will get in the fast lane as they explore how Invention Education uses real-world problem solving, hands-on STEM learning, and data insights to empower students and drive meaningful, measurable impact.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Mills

Driving Question: How do environmental conditions influence plant growth? This hands-on workshop demonstrates how to use plant processes to investigate how environmental conditions influence plant growth through a three-dimensional model aligned to NGSS (e.g., HS-LS1-5). Participants will engage in a classroom-ready activity manipulating variables such as light and temperature, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting a sample dataset to construct evidence-based explanations using a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework to determine the cause and effect relationship between environmental factors and plant growth. The session emphasizes coherence across curriculum, instruction, and assessment by aligning learning goals, inquiry-based investigation, and CER assessment to make student thinking visible. Attendees will explore how disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts support sensemaking. Strategies for diverse learners, including s

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to implement a coherent, three-dimensional lesson using plant investigations and CER to support student sensemaking and explain how environmental conditions influence plant growth.

SPEAKERS:
Macon Beck

The K–8 Core Content Standards Alignment Crosswalks were developed as planning and coherence tools to support intentional interdisciplinary alignment across ELA, mathematics, science, social studies, computer science, and Integrated STEM. The crosswalks organize Indiana Academic Standards into shared instructional focus areas and observable student practices that can be supported across disciplines without adding new content or replacing adopted curriculum materials. The session will introduce the structure and purpose of the K–2, 3–5, and 6–8 crosswalks and will engage participants in examining how standards align within a shared instructional focus such as evidence based reasoning, data analysis and interpretation, or communication and discourse. Participants will explore use cases for grade level planning, PLC conversations, walkthrough evidence collection, and interdisciplinary task design. Sample use cases will demonstrate how teachers and teams can apply crosswalks to create cohe

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how K–8 interdisciplinary crosswalks can strengthen instructional coherence by helping teams identify shared practices, align standards across content areas, and support consistent student thinking without adding new requirements.

SPEAKERS:
Eimear Towler

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

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

Across STEM education, there is a growing push to move beyond isolated disciplines toward learning that reflects the complexity of real-world challenges. This session shares insights from co-design work between Boston University’s Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale and Vivayic focused on developing convergence professional learning pathways and impact networks. Participants will explore how to design transdisciplinary, phenomenon-based learning grounded in real problems and local contexts. Through examples from pathway design and facilitation, the session highlights strategies such as systems mapping, stakeholder mapping, and collaborative routines that help make sense of complex problems. Attendees will also examine how convergence approaches and networks of educators and organizations can break down silos and support scalable approaches that foster systems thinking, agency, and equitable participation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how convergence-based professional learning can support educators in designing learning experiences that help students make sense of complex, real-world problems across disciplines and leverage community assets.

SPEAKERS:
Craig Rebich, Brian Beierle

This session explores how the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) can serve as a powerful foundation for helping students connect phenomena-driven learning to high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers. This session will offer practical insights into the current postsecondary and workforce landscape and demonstrate how career-connected learning can increase student engagement by making science more relevant and purposeful.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using state science standards as a foundation for career connected learning helps students see science as purposeful and relevant by directly linking science content and application to in-demand career pathways boosting both engagement and motivation.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker

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

In this session, I will share classroom tested ideas aligned to the Indiana Science Academic standards along with principles of the Science of Reading. I will show how to incorporate science topics, using a variety of children's literature and integrate comprehension, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and vocabulary. Lessons will include several from the Picture Perfect Science series (NSTA Press text) along with other science related children's literature. Participants will receive access to digital copies of children's literature titles along with brief activity examples. To engage attendees during the session, participants will have the opportunity to try out many of the hands-on activities that are shared and leave with at least one example to remind them of the activity. The children's literature will cover all areas of science as well as STEM and will include a diverse group of scientists represented within them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Short on science teaching time?? In this session you will find out how to integrate children's literature that focuses on science into your other content areas. During this session, attendees will hear about classroom tested lessons that help them integrate science content throughout their school

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Poindexter

It’s hard to miss the growing importance and capabilities of generative AI. While first seen as something that needed to be avoided, especially by students, views about its usefulness and appropriateness are evolving. In this session, we will explore different AI platforms, how they can be used to lighten teacher workload, and most importantly how they can be used by students as an instructional tool. We will leverage Science Olympiad’s recent work exploring AI as a learning and competition tool to provide teachers with concrete examples as well as brainstorm solutions to current challenges that attendees may be facing.

TAKEAWAYS:
By attending this session, attendees will gain a better sense of AI options and capabilities as well as how those capabilities can be used to lighten their load while at the same time engaging their students in meaningful learning and problem solving.

SPEAKERS:
John Loehr

In this session, participants will learn about the NSTA Best STEM books and how they are selected. They will dive into the SEPs and examine how they are portrayed in the books. They will also take advantage of opportunities to examine how each book models the SEPs, improving their ability to identify and apply them throughout the book. The books selected will be from previous BSB lists.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn to utilize the Best STEM Books to teach the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs).

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Kimberly Berry, Christine Anne Royce, J Carrie Launius

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

Participants will learn how to integrate PreK-2 science and math concepts into English Language Arts (ELA) instruction to support students’ literacy development while nurturing critical thinking, problem-solving, and a lifelong interest in the world around them. Primary students are exposed to the 5 C’s of STEM: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and character which will help them to be better prepared for a 21st Century workforce.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM learning in the Primary grades supports the most critical point of brain development (between birth to age 5). STEM learning improves social-emotional learning skills, builds vocabulary and encourages a positive school experience.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Berry

The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) immerses students and educators at all levels for free in STEM programming. Through competitions, summer camps, and comprehensive professional development, AEOP stands at the forefront of educational innovation, preparing participants to excel in life.

TAKEAWAYS:
You’ll discover how AEOP spans a variety of educational stages, offering tailored programs that empower both students and teachers to thrive in STEM. We’ll cover how these initiatives equip participants with crucial skills and experiences, setting the stage for personal and professional success.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Lasky

Help students see the link between textiles in their lives and science and engineering, through hands-on experience, language development, and a virtual lab visit! We will investigate textiles and sample an open source video for classroom use. In addition, we will share language-rich card games, linked to the video content. This session connects classroom learning to outside research and answers the question, “How does this lesson connect to the real world?” These resources were developed through a research collaboration among the Colleges of Education & Engineering at URI and the School of Engineering at UCONN through an Office of Naval Research grant addressing STEM workforce development needs. The resources expose elementary students to careers in STEM fields, and offer an invitation for future work in STEM. We will address opportunities for localized learning and connecting with industry partners, including maritime careers. Leave with materials to implement the next day!

TAKEAWAYS:
Through exploring open source resources, you will see the impact of textile engineering on our daily lives and how to translate this into your classroom. Leave with a deeper understanding of how to link engineering and future STEM careers to existing early childhood lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Charlene Tuttle, Rachele Limberakis

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 often wonder how the science they learn in class connects to life beyond school. This session tackles that question by showcasing practical strategies for bridging core science instruction with Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and career applications. Participants will explore how phenomena-driven, three-dimensional science learning naturally aligns with the skills and knowledge used in engineering, health sciences, technology fields, agriculture, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through examples, discussion, and ready-to-use ideas, attendees will discover how to help students see the relevance of scientific thinking in authentic career contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker

How do robotics competitions spark deeper science learning? In this high-energy 60-minute workshop, participants will explore how robotics programs can engage students in authentic challenge, teamwork, and problem-solving while supporting three-dimensional, NGSS-aligned science learning. Led by a robotics team mentor, this session shares practical strategies for using competition experiences to build student sensemaking, strengthen science and engineering practices, and sustain teams over time while widening access for all learners. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use ideas, planning tools, and sustainability strategies they can apply immediately.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use robotics competitions to energize student engagement, strengthen NGSS-aligned science learning, and sustain equitable teams through sensemaking, teamwork, and problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Lupton

Discover how real-world research can transform your STEM classroom. This session is designed for middle and high school educators interested in connecting authentic research experiences to meaningful student learning. Learn how the Army STEM Teacher Fellowships support teachers in bringing real-world science and engineering into their instruction. You’ll explore practical ways to turn research experiences into integrated STEM lessons that help students connect core ideas, apply science and engineering practices, and build skills in problem-solving and data analysis. Through classroom-ready examples, you’ll see how teachers translate authentic research into engaging lessons that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and evidence-based reasoning. You’ll leave with adaptable ideas and strategies you can use right away to create more connected, real-world learning experiences that prepare students for future careers and complex challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about Army STEM Teacher Fellowships (RESET). When working alongside Army researchers & Engineers, teachers don’t just gain content knowledge, they bring back real-world context, current practices, & practices, &increased confidence that improves how they teach STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Winnie Boyle

Federal education policy is changing rapidly. From proposed reductions at the Department of Education to shifting priorities at NSF, AI workforce initiatives, and new approaches to career and technical education, decisions in Washington are reshaping the STEM education landscape. This session will provide an insider's briefing on the latest developments in Congress and the Administration, including the FY2027 appropriations process, emerging STEM workforce policies, and key federal funding opportunities. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how federal decisions affect classrooms, schools, districts, and state education systems—and how science educators can engage effectively in the policy process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understanding current federal STEM policy trends allows educators to anticipate changes, identify opportunities, and engage more effectively with policymakers.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

This session pulls back the curtain on the NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book award, examining the selection process and how titles can anchor complex, three-dimensional learning. Participants will first explore the committee's specific criteria, looking beyond standard narratives to identify books that authentically model the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and the iterative nature of design. In a hands-on workshop format, you will act as a committee member to evaluate a variety of high-quality trade books. Can you identify which titles meet the "Best STEM" threshold and which fall short? We will analyze how these books highlight real-world problem-solving and divergent thinking. Finally, we will demonstrate how to move beyond "read-alouds" by using these books as catalysts for these practices. You will leave with instructional strategies and ideas for support materials to help students engage with complex content through the lens of award-winning STEM literature.

TAKEAWAYS:
Go beyond read-alouds by learning how the NSTA/CBC committee selects Best STEM Books. Evaluate titles using the Science and Engineering Practices to anchor three-dimensional learning. You'll leave with strategies to integrate these books into instruction, making the practices come alive for students

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Elizabeth (Betsy) O'Day, Christine Anne Royce, J Carrie Launius

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

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

Join us for an immersive journey where STEM standards meet epic, character-driven quests! This workshop explores a transformative framework for elementary classrooms. We bridge rigorous science and math skills—with vital character education, rebranding them as "Superpowers." Participants will learn to guide students through the design process, using geometry standards to craft personalized superhero characters. We’ll demonstrate how to synthesize math and creativity through collaborative school-wide mural projects and AI-assisted art creations, proving that every student has the potential for scientific heroism. Leave with a practical, high-engagement roadmap to inspire the next generation of innovators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Rebrand STEM skills as tangible 'superpowers' to boost engagement. By using geometry in character design and collaborative AI art, we empower every student to see themselves as a scientific hero, transforming the classroom into a launchpad for connecting to Scientists with Superpowers.

SPEAKERS:
Annette Larson

This interactive session will explore the benefits of authentic problem-based learning (PBL) while addressing challenges that teachers encounter during its implementation. Participants will engage in group activities that spark reflection and creative thinking while sharing ideas that will equip them with practical strategies and ready-to-use tools for their classrooms. Educators will also be introduced to a free STEM competition that offers resources designed to support teachers and students, such as grants, classroom-ready lessons, student incentives and so much more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in interactive activities centered around problem-based learning (PBL) as we explore classroom challenges with implementing PBL, potential solutions and free resources that you can utilize to engage students.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Lasky

Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers bring powerful real-world expertise, but too often, their work sits apart from core science instruction. This session focuses on putting PLCs together so teachers from science and CTE can strategically align units with their disciplines, creating opportunities for authentic, applied learning that benefits both students and teachers. Participants will explore a framework for identifying natural connections between NGSS science domains and CTE pathways, such as welding with physical science, health careers with life science, agriculture with earth and environmental science, and engineering with physical and mathematical modeling. Attendees will learn how collaborative planning between science and CTE educators can result in lessons and projects that meaningfully incorporate scientific ideas and technical applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through examples, planning tools, and shared experiences, participants will leave with strategies for matching CTE expertise to the science content where it naturally fits and designing instruction that blends scientific sensemaking with hands-on technical skills.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker

Science educators are among the most trusted voices in education policy—but many have never been trained to advocate effectively. This highly interactive session will provide practical tools for communicating with elected officials, building coalitions, working with media, and influencing policy decisions at the local, state, and federal levels. Through real-world examples and guided exercises, participants will learn how to translate classroom expertise into policy influence and become effective champions for science and STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective advocacy is a learned skill that allows science educators to transform their expertise into meaningful policy impact.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

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

Science and STEM learning deepen when students engage concepts through multiple modalities. In this interactive session, participants will explore three elementary arts integration experiences embedded within science and engineering units. Attendees will experience movement-based investigations of wind, forces, and energy transfer; a watercolor mixing inquiry that mirrors scientific experimentation in a properties of matter unit; and a partner movement activity that explores material properties through physical representation. Participants will leave with practical strategies for integrating visual arts and movement into science instruction to strengthen conceptual understanding, student engagement, and durable skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how purposeful integration of movement and visual arts can deepen elementary students’ understanding of scientific concepts while building creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills.

SPEAKERS:
Trudy Giasi

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 is a poster I am working with the DESC STEM group: Poster explores how cognitive dissonance can transform student misconceptions into powerful learning opportunities in 9th grade physics. The implementation began with a “failed” free-fall lab in which students strongly argued that heavier balls fall faster than lighter ones. Rather than correcting students immediately, the lesson leveraged prediction, experimentation, and evidence-based discussion to challenge deeply held beliefs about gravity and motion. Students conducted investigations using balls of different sizes and masses, then analyzed surprising results showing that objects fall at nearly the same rate. The session also highlights how connecting physics concepts to physical therapy careers increased relevance and engagement through the use of weighted balls and household resistance tools. Attendees will learn how productive struggle, scientific argumentation, and career connections can deepen learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students learn physics more deeply when evidence challenges their misconceptions. In this investigation, cognitive dissonance transformed a “failed” lab into a memorable learning experience, increasing engagement, scientific reasoning, and conceptual understanding through hands-on experimentation.

SPEAKERS:
Eileen Malick

The Eco-Design Builders Project empowers elementary students to explore sustainability, environmental education, and STEM through hands-on learning with 3DuxDesign and recycled materials. Using Design Thinking and the Engineering Design Process, students become young architects and engineers as they design and build eco-friendly communities, sustainable carnival attractions, green spaces, and innovative environmental solutions. This project integrates science, engineering, creativity, and collaboration while teaching students about recycling, renewable energy, water conservation, and responsible community design. Attendees will learn how to implement engaging, standards-aligned sustainability projects that foster problem-solving, student voice, and real-world connections in elementary classrooms. The session will showcase student prototypes, project ideas, classroom strategies, and interdisciplinary connections that support environmental stewardship and 21st-century learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use 3DuxDesign and Design Thinking to engage elementary students in hands-on sustainability and environmental STEM projects that promote creativity, engineering, and real-world problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Alvin De Lara

HERO (Healthcare Experience and Research in Oncology) is a two-week, part-time virtual program designed to introduce high school students to oncology through a collaborative, cross-institutional model. Led by multiple institutions in partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS), the program integrates hands-on research, cancer care education, and mentorship. Students engage in a hybrid curriculum that includes laboratory training, case studies, and career panels, culminating in a holistic understanding of cancer and its human impact.

TAKEAWAYS:
The model exemplifies a scalable approach to cultivating future oncology professionals and advocates (or that of other in-demand STEM expertise).

SPEAKERS:
Carey Dieleman

Discover Rubin Observatory’s free, classroom-ready astronomy investigations, built to support NGSS and spark curiosity with authentic data. Each lesson begins with a phenomenon and guides students through interactive tools, scaffolded questions, and active learning strategies that strengthen sensemaking. Formative and summative assessments with scoring guides can be downloaded and customized. Additional resources—such as Rubin Voices Trading Cards that highlight diverse STEM careers, animated videos, interactive tours of images using the Skyviewer, and activities ranging from galaxy counting to Rubin Bingo—bring astronomy to life. Teachers can also access free professional development, classroom support, and an education newsletter for current updates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use Rubin Observatory’s free classroom-ready investigations and STEM activities. These complete lessons on introductory astronomy topics are designed to support the NGSS. Mix and match add-on resources such as videos, games, data-based image tours, and trading cards for a deeper dive.

SPEAKERS:
Ardis Herrold

Explore classroom-ready NASA Artemis educator resources designed to engage K–12 students in lunar exploration, engineering design, and STEM careers. This poster will highlight hands-on activities, lesson ideas, multimedia tools, engineering challenges, and outreach resources that educators can easily adapt for classrooms, afterschool programs, and informal STEM settings. Featured materials will support student sensemaking through authentic NASA mission connections while encouraging problem-solving, collaboration, and curiosity about space exploration. Attendees will be able to browse sample activities, visuals, and resource collections and discuss implementation ideas for a variety of grade levels and learning environments. QR codes will provide easy access to free NASA and Illinois Space Grant resources for immediate classroom use.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with free, classroom-ready NASA Artemis resources, hands-on activity ideas, and implementation strategies to engage K–12 students in authentic STEM learning connected to lunar exploration and space careers.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Bjerke

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

his session explores innovative strategies for integrating science and literacy instruction to improve student engagement, critical thinking, and academic achievement across K–12 classrooms. Participants will examine how reading, writing, speaking, and inquiry-based learning can work together to deepen scientific understanding and strengthen literacy development. The presentation will highlight practical classroom approaches including scientific argument writing, close reading of informational texts, vocabulary development, collaborative discussions, and hands-on STEM investigations. Attendees will gain access to standards-aligned instructional resources, interdisciplinary lesson ideas, and evidence-based practices that support diverse learners and promote equitable access to high-quality STEM education. Educators will leave with ready-to-use tools and strategies designed to foster scientific literacy, increase student confidence, and create engaging, student-centered learning environm

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn practical strategies for integrating science and literacy instruction to increase student engagement, strengthen critical thinking, and improve achievement through inquiry-based, student-centered STEM learning.

SPEAKERS:
April Braddy

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

During a unit of study on the Respiratory System, 10-12th grade students engaged in a written conversation protocol followed by a facilitated circle conversation evaluating trends of lung capacity data when a race factor is applied to respiratory health for non-White people and how this impacts overall Respiratory health for people of color, particular the Black community. This poster session includes samples of authentic student work from the activity and educator facilitation recommendations that utilize anti-racist practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will be able to identify existing social justice topics connected to their science curriculum content and be able to facilitate a written conversation data analysis activity.

SPEAKERS:
Elly Walsh-Rock

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira

In this interactive session, members of the DoW STEM Ambassadors cohort will showcase free, classroom-ready resources available through the DoW STEM ecosystem and its partners. Participants will explore hands-on activities, virtual and in-person learning opportunities, career-connected STEM experiences, competitions, educator professional development programs, and student engagement resources that support innovation, problem-solving, and workforce readiness. Ambassadors will share implementation strategies and examples from various educational settings while providing attendees with a curated toolkit of resources that can be immediately adapted for classrooms and informal learning environments. Participants will leave with practical materials, new professional connections, and actionable ideas to engage students in authentic STEM learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a curated collection of free, classroom-ready STEM resources, opportunities, and implementation strategies that connect science learning to authentic careers, innovation, and future workforce pathways.

SPEAKERS:
Daniella Hubbard, Stephanie McGrew, Elizabeth Colton, Nicole Mills, Sara Leikin

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

The Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) of the Next Generation Science Standards already mirror many of the skills employers value most: problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and iterative design. This session explores how intentionally pairing the SEPs with Career Readiness Competencies can help students build transferable workforce skills while engaging in authentic science learning. Participants will examine classroom examples and instructional strategies that make these connections explicit, allowing students to practice thinking and working like scientists and engineers while developing skills essential for college, careers, and the modern workforce.

TAKEAWAYS:
When the Science and Engineering Practices are intentionally aligned with Career Readiness Competencies, everyday science instruction becomes a powerful way for students to develop real, transferable workforce skills without adding “one more thing” to the curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker

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

Teachers face the challenge of making NGSS-aligned instruction meaningful for students with diverse identities, interests, and community and workforce contexts. The K-12 Framework emphasizes student sensemaking through authentic engagement with real-world phenomena, but teachers need more than materials to do this well. They need practical strategies and adaptable frameworks for customizing curriculum without losing coherence. This session shares guidance for modifying curriculum and OER using place-based design to better reflect students’ lives, communities, and workforce connections. Drawing on work with national STEM initiatives, participants will explore models that support three-dimensional learning, strengthen equity, and expand access for diverse learners. Through classroom examples and adaptations, attendees will leave with concrete approaches for designing rigorous, culturally responsive STEM learning grounded in place.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn practical strategies to customize curriculum for local contexts by using community assets, relevant phenomena, and culturally responsive place-based practices.

SPEAKERS:
Rick Henningfeld, Brian Beierle

Increasingly, the most important STEM education decisions are being made in state capitals rather than Washington. State legislatures, governors, boards of education, and education agencies are driving debates over standards, accountability, curriculum, teacher workforce development, and STEM funding. This session will explore major state policy trends shaping science education in 2026 and highlight successful examples of state-level advocacy. Participants will learn how to identify key decision makers, understand state policy processes, and build effective strategies for advancing STEM priorities in their own states.

TAKEAWAYS:
State governments have become central drivers of STEM education policy, making state-level engagement essential for science education leaders.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

Polymers are characterized as thermoplastic or thermoset; natural or synthetic; or as being formed by addition or condensation reactions. The amount of cross-linking in polymers also affects their properties. Activities will be shared that highlight and explain the categorization of polymers. We will investigate polymer powders to infer the amount of crosslinking when they are exposed to water. PVA slime also can show crosslinking. Thermoplastics can be reshaped after heating so are recyclable. Thermosets are the result of a heat-producing chemical reaction and are non-recyclable. We will do activities with each, investigating properties and uses. Our clothing is made up of a variety of polymers, some natural, a growing percentage synthetic. We will share some observational tasks using materials to discuss the benefits of each type of polymer in clothing. The environmental impact of polymers will be discussed and activities related to biopolymers and recycling will also be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Overview of polymers - different ways of categorizing, difficulties with recycling, and the variety of properties. We will provide hands-on activities to be done in the classroom, exploring cross-linking, reactions to heat and water, and natural vs synthetic polymers in clothing to name a few.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Richardson

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

In a Title I classroom where 99% of students qualify for free lunch, 5th graders matched the NC state science average despite serving a population that statewide scores 13 points lower. That gap does not close by accident. This workshop puts participants in the student seat. You will experience a full STEM Talk protocol, examine real student notebook entries across proficiency levels, and leave having looked at one lesson from your existing curriculum through both lenses. Grounded in NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, specifically argumentation from evidence and obtaining and communicating information, these structures meet the standards and the student simultaneously. The structures here were built for students who arrived writing random letters in English, for ELL students who had never argued a scientific claim out loud, and for EC students who had never been called on because someone believed they had something worth saying. They did. They do. So do yours.

TAKEAWAYS:
Three questions to hold against any lesson: How do I reach every student with this content? What does mastery look, sound, and feel like here? How do I keep every student thinking, talking, and valued? Applicable to any standard, any grade, any state.

SPEAKERS:
Jacqueline Cormier

ASA’s Artemis missions provide powerful opportunities to inspire students through authentic connections to science, engineering, technology, and future career pathways. This interactive session will explore classroom strategies, educator resources, and outreach approaches that use NASA’s return to the Moon to increase student engagement in STEM learning and career exploration. Participants will examine hands-on activities, multimedia resources, engineering design challenges, and real-world mission applications that help students connect classroom science to future workforce opportunities. The session will also highlight ways educators can foster curiosity, problem solving, collaboration, and STEM identity through space exploration themes across diverse learning environments. Attendees will leave with practical resources and implementation ideas to help students envision themselves as part of the future Artemis generation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain practical strategies and NASA Artemis resources that help students connect STEM learning to future careers in science, engineering, technology, and space exploration.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Bjerke

Explore research-backed and interactive zines that help teachers shift their instructional practice to empower students as epistemic agents in the science classrooms. The zines support teachers in unpacking what it means to redistribute power and authority in the classroom through culture norms, curriculum materials, routines and classroom talk. Teachers can use the zines to support reflection, to prepare and adapt lessons, and as tool for developing professional learning communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
You'll take home zines and facilitator guides to can support your and your colleagues’ to make instructional and curricular decisions that shift power and authority in your classroom!

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson

NASA Data, Building Block by Block with Legos offers an innovative, hands-on approach to simplify complex NASA Earth science datasets for K-8 learners. In this workshop, participants will discover how to transform abstract NASA Earth observations into physical 3D models and graphs using Legos. By leveraging the tactile nature of brick-building, educators can bridge the gap between "big data" and learner understanding. We will explore a suite of classroom-ready activities that integrate mathematical thinking and data literacy within the scope of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) 3D learning. Participants will practice using Legos to represent data points, build land cover maps, and visualize sea ice and sea level changes in Earth’s systems, while exploring frameworks for scaffolding data literacy for diverse learners, and gaining access to curated NASA datasets specifically selected for elementary and middle school classroom integration.

TAKEAWAYS:
NASA Data, Building Block by Block with Legos offers an innovative, hands-on approach to simplify complex NASA Earth science datasets for K-8 learners. In this workshop, participants will discover how to transform abstract NASA Earth observations into physical 3D models and graphs using Legos.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Rizzi, Tina Harte - Ballinger

Multilingual learners bring diverse strengths, experiences, and language resources to the science classroom. Using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lens, this session explores how teachers can make intentional instructional choices to support meaningful participation for multilingual learners and benefit all students. Participants will analyze classroom video to identify how teachers proactively make choices that provide multiple ways for students to access ideas, engage in sensemaking, and communicate their thinking. Participants will leave with classroom-ready strategies for supporting multilingual learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use a UDL-informed approach to design science instruction that leverages multilingual learners’ strengths and provides multiple pathways for all students to engage in sensemaking and communicate their thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Reilly Oliveira

Transform your classroom into a hub of engineering innovation using everyday items! This interactive session will give 3rd-8th grade science teachers an engaging activity for integrating STEM engineering challenges into their classroom. Participants will dive into a hands-on activity to show how they can spark critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity in their students making engineering accessible, exciting, and highly effective, proving that impactful STEM learning is within reach for all. Join us to ignite curiosity and cultivate the next generation of innovators!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in a hands-on engineering challenge using everyday materials and leave with a ready-to-use classroom activity that builds problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity in grades 3–8 STEM instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Mills

Storylines are often presented as a powerful way to engage students in authentic science learning, but what does implementation really look like in practice? This session provides an honest examination of using storylines in a secondary science classroom, including both successes and failures. Through classroom examples, participant discussions, and collaborative brainstorming, attendees will explore how storyline instruction compares with traditional teaching approaches in supporting student engagement, curiosity, and scientific thinking. Participants will leave with a realistic understanding of the opportunities and challenges of storyline implementation and ideas they can immediately adapt for their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain a realistic understanding of how storyline instruction can transform science learning and identify practical steps for implementing storylines in their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Snelling

Speaker will actively engage attendees with explorations and discourse, and offer strategies and ideas teachers can implement, to set up Science and STEM explorations and simple engineering problems for young children that support NGSS. She will help attendees grasp the vast scientific concepts and exploration opportunities that comprise the young child’s everyday world. She will discuss the importance of nurturing a child’s natural curiosity and will offer strategies to help children develop their observation and thinking skills. She will emphasize the importance of engaging young children in manipulation of objects and materials so they can recognize the effects of their actions. She will offer strategies to help children develop their science vocabulary. She will model how instruction that starts with children’s questions and provides rich opportunities for exploration and investigation is the most engaging way to introduce and teach science concepts to young children. Handouts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies and engaging exploration ideas, to create sense-making opportunities for young children, and to inspire children’s sustained curiosities. Activities will be easy and inexpensive to replicate and will help launch a trajectory of learning for young children.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Knoell

Family STEM nights can strengthen school-community relationships, increase STEM engagement, and help students see science and engineering as collaborative, creative, and accessible. Many educators struggle with limited budgets, staffing constraints, activity planning, and concerns about family participation. This interactive session equips educators with practical tools to plan and facilitate successful STEM nights in schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations. Participants will explore adaptable themes, low-cost activity stations aligned to NGSS, volunteer coordination strategies, accessibility considerations, assessment tools, and methods to increase family engagement across diverse communities. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use planning templates, budget examples, NGSS aligned activity ideas, and implementation strategies suitable for a variety of grade levels and settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Plan engaging, low-cost, engaging Family STEM Nights that build school connections and boost STEM interest. This interactive session provides themes, NGSS aligned activity ideas, volunteer strategies, and ready-to-use templates to support inclusive, effective events across diverse settings.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Wonnacott-Stanley, Liza Basden

Biotechnology concepts can be difficult for students to visualize and connect to real-world applications. To address this, we developed an interactive escape room that combines inquiry-based learning with gamified problem-solving. Students investigate biotechnology and fermentation concepts through challenges focused on pH, temperature, microbial metabolism, DNA, and carbon dioxide production while working to “save” a malfunctioning bioreactor. In this presentation, we will review all five stations and demonstrate how collaborative problem-solving and hands-on activities can be used to teach fermentation science, biotechnology, and industrial microbiology in an engaging and accessible way. Participants will leave with strategies for increasing student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world STEM connections in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with strategies for increasing student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world STEM/biotechnology connections in the classroom through inquiry-based learning with gamified problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Wells

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

The Indiana STEM Certified Schools process was redesigned for the 2025–26 school year to strengthen instructional coherence, embed Indiana Integrated STEM Standards, align expectations across science, mathematics, and computer science, and implement a clarified rubric emphasizing data‑driven evaluation. Statewide evidence reviews and school visits conducted through the process indicated strong inquiry‑based instructional culture, increasing cross‑curricular integration, and purposeful incorporation of technology and AI, while also revealing needs in full‑year standards documentation, mathematics alignment, and protocol‑based analysis of student outcome data. End‑of‑school‑year analysis informed minor procedural refinements designed to improve clarity in documentation, expectations for standards mapping, and consistency of evidence submission for the 2026–27 cycle.

TAKEAWAYS:
Clear insights into designing coherent STEM schoolwide systems will be gained by examining how a redesigned STEM Certified Schools process operated in practice and how end‑of‑school‑year findings informed refinements that strengthened clarity, documentation, and implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Eimear Towler

This session will help science educators understand Indiana’s new diploma and how science and STEM intentionally shape student readiness. Attendees will explore how science coursework fits into the statewide vision, the role of STEM in the broader diploma framework, and how students can earn relevant diploma seals. While designed to support strong Indiana representation, the session offers national value by clarifying how policy, pathways, and classroom practice intersect to prepare students for postsecondary success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science educators need a clear, accessible understanding of Indiana’s new diploma and how science and STEM contribute to overall requirements and diploma seals.

SPEAKERS:
Rebekah Frazer

Through the use of primary sources, inquiry explorations, and STEM strategies, STEM Stories engage elementary students. Teachers get free access to booklets that guide students in active learning activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM Stories include student booklets and teacher guides ready for immediate classroom use. Investigations using common household materials to maximize learning and engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Boulden

This session will run as a panel of state organizational leaders and other industry leaders. These experts will answer: What challenges are you facing in your state and how are you addressing them? What tools and strategies have you found to be especially useful in supporting educators in your context? How do you support rural schools, educators, and students? How do you collaborate with informal educators, industry partners, and other orgs to provide high quality instruction to students in your region? How have you leveraged local expertise and resources to meet the needs of your educational communities? Have you used a PLC structure to support professional growth for educators in your state and if so, what model have you used and what is working well? In New Mexico, we struggle to meet the needs of our diverse educators from our largest district, Albuquerque with ~70,000 students down to 20 microdistricts with fewer than 200 students each, representing a total of 2,360 students.

TAKEAWAYS:
As we talk with our peers in other states, we realize this is not an uncommon problem. With open communication and collaboration, we can learn from each other to build better systems to support our own educators, and yours. We will see you at the table.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Heneghan, Heather Summers

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

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs provide educators opportunities to participate in science research and connect it to their classroom practice. While positioned as a valuable form of professional learning, participation and experiences within these programs may be influenced by a range of personal, professional, and sociocultural factors. This collaborative discussion will be centered on how teachers experience RET programs and what factors shape access and participation such as motivation, identity and belonging in science learning contexts, and institutional support and structures that may unintentionally support or limit participation. This session is intended for K-12 educators, teacher educators, and RET facilitators interested in equitable and inclusive professional learning opportunities. Participants will leave with discussion-based insights for expanding participation and supporting diverse teacher experiences within RET programs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain shared insights from educators, researchers, and program facilitators about the opportunities and challenges associated with RET participation and will leave with actionable ideas for creating more inclusive and supportive RET experiences for teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Morrison

I prepare future secondary science teachers in a state that did not adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, but I have teacher candidates who come from states that have adopted NGSS and may plan to return to teach in states where NGSS is used. In this session, I plan to address how I mix both NGSS and state learning standards to develop fluency in the three dimensions of NGSS while preparing teacher candidates to teach in a state that has different learning standards. Discussion following my presentation will center around strategies and tips to prepare future science teachers to navigate a variety of learning standards in order to teach secondary-level students effectively.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees of this session will walk away with ideas on how to prepare future science teachers who can be flexible in their teaching and can provide a quality education along the three dimensions of NGSS even when NGSS is not directly adopted.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Bindis

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

This roundtable discussion will use a collaborative approach to develop tips for facilitating teamwork in college classrooms. I have taught using a team-based approach in and out of the classroom, including asynchronous courses, with enrollments ranging from 15 to 180 students. Despite years of experience, I continue to learn more tips whenever I have conversations with my colleagues. Therefore, I am facilitating a round table discussion to promote these conversations with guided questions, such as “What are your ideas and/or experience in assigning roles to students who work in teams?” This conversation will be open to any attendees who teach or are interested in teaching in a college classroom, regardless of their experience implementing teamwork.

TAKEAWAYS:
Collaborate in small groups to discuss and develop tips on facilitating student teamwork in the college classroom, regardless of enrollment size or the level of experience, if any, implementing teamwork.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Bierema

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

Teaching Project Lead the Way Design and Modeling course to my 7th and 8th graders, students are tasked with researching, designing and creating a therapeutic toy for a child who has cerebral palsy. Students first met with our Applied Skills students and teachers to first meet with students who have cerebral palsy and learn more about the condition and ask questions/get advice. Next they met with our school physical therapist to also learn about the condition and how it affect the human body and exercises that can help the individual. Then it was time for brainstorming their designs and creating their toys using Tinker cad for 3D designs of their prototype , robotics (Hummingbird kits) and in some case 3D printing of materials. After 2 weeks, our Applied Skills students and teachers came back to review/play with the toys and gave valuable feedback to the students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students will learn empathy and compassion from completing this project as they get to learn from their fellow students on cerebral palsy and how it can affect their body. It brings attending to the condition and allows collaboration with students of different abilities to learn from each other.

SPEAKERS:
Tiauna Washington

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

Want to introduce fun chemistry concepts into your upper elementary classroom? This session showcases a suite of physical science lessons developed by Purdue University Honors Chemistry students specifically for upper elementary educators. Participants will explore a curated collection of "kitchen chemistry" investigations that transform common household items (red cabbage, honey, and baking soda) into scientific tools. We will demonstrate how to model abstract concepts like surface tension and proton transfer through kinetic group games, and how to use student-built spectroscopes to investigate the properties of light. Participants will learn how hands-on approaches support student sensemaking and facilitate interest in science. These lessons emphasize student learning while keeping prep time and material costs at a minimum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore fun and creative “kitchen chemistry” demonstrations to use in the upper elementary classroom. Attendees will gain full access to premade lesson plans and resources.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Starr

Your students eat every day. Do they know the science behind it? Corn alone touches genetics, energy transformation, solution chemistry, carbon cycling, and more, making it one of the richest phenomenon-based anchors available to MS/HS science teachers. In this session, presenters from NASELI (Nebraska Agriculture and Science Education Leadership Institute) show how putting teachers in the field with producers and industry partners transforms how they connect agriculture to 3D science instruction. Follow a single storyline: the sun powers everything, and corn is the converter. See how this thread connects biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science, and how NASELI teachers localized existing ag-science lessons to their standards and community. Learn the transferable process for doing the same in your own region. Whether you teach in a rural community or an urban school where students have never seen a cornfield, agriculture is a phenomenon your students already have a stake in.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student eats, making agriculture a universally accessible phenomenon for any science classroom. Learn the NASELI framework for matching local ag contexts to your standards and walk away with tools to localize lessons in a way that feels relevant to your own students and community.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Bahr, Jennifer Jones

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

Come learn about elements of a successful leadership development program that has produced 2 national and 15 state presidents plus dozens of board and committee members in science associations in North Carolina. This session will demonstrate how the program involves participants in learning experiences, guided by the NC state standards and the NGSS Framework, with the goal of producing leaders for the STEM pipeline. It will focus on how the program develops the critical skills needed for success in leadership roles at any level. Participants will engage in a sample learning experience; discuss the skills covered in the program and how they apply to leaders; and understand how the program supports state standards and the NRC Framework, which NC has adopted. The program actively seeks variety among its cohorts to help ensure diversity in future leadership for the STEM pipeline and draws applicants from all individuals interested in improving STEM education. Handouts will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain an understanding of the critical skills and format of a successful leadership development program through an overview, participation in a learning experience, discussion, and application of the program elements to the work of successful leaders.

SPEAKERS:
Pat Shane

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

In this hands-on session, participants will explore how to emphasize the “T” in STEM by integrating simple microcontrollers into authentic scientific inquiry. Attendees will use microcontrollers as accessible measuring tools to collect real-time data, observe patterns, and support evidence-based explanations. Through short inquiry investigations, we will examine how technology can deepen students’ understanding of scientific concepts while building their confidence with computational thinking. This session is designed for beginners and those looking to expand their STEM toolkit with meaningful, manageable technology integration.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will use microcontrollers and scientific inquiry to give students a hands-on experience with a technological tool that has sensor integration. The investigation will show the three dimensions and how the microcontroller can be a tool that drives modern STEM exploration.

SPEAKERS:
Susan German

Discover how one Title I school used a school garden to grow a culture of leadership, collaboration, and innovation. This session shares how a small hydroponic garden grew into a district-recognized model for STEM leadership and practice. What began as a classroom project now unites STEM, culinary arts, and health programs through hands-on, sustainable learning. Attendees will see how this initiative sparked teacher leadership, community partnerships, and cross-curricular innovation while improving student engagement and achievement. The session will highlight strategies for scaling impact, from writing grants and building partnerships to mentoring colleagues and creating programs that connect learning to real-world impact. Participants will receive resources for project planning, leadership reflection, and community outreach. Whether you are starting small or leading districtwide change, you’ll leave inspired and equipped to grow a sustainable, high-impact STEM culture at your school

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore how garden-based STEM can serve as a platform for teacher leadership and student empowerment. Leave with tools to build partnerships, sustain growth, and lead meaningful, hands-on programs that transform teaching, learning, and community engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Rebeor