Discover how simple adjustments in activity order can supercharge your students' knowledge construction and seamlessly integrate the NGSS into your teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro, Instructional Sequence Matters will empower you with both the rationale and tangible, real-world examples to revamp your hands-on teaching methods.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick Brown

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Explore how physical models foster an understanding of the importance of mitosis and meiosis to the growth and development of living things.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson

The goal of this session is for participants to be able to feel confident and competent with incorporating multiple SEPs into everyday sensemaking lessons in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience a hands-on lesson that walks them through the basic steps of how to lead a sensemaking lesson that incorporates multiple SEPs.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Schumann, Elizabeth Morris

Science is a social endeavor! Gain strategies to transform your classroom into a community of learners in which students and teachers actively try to make sense of the natural and built worlds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Classroom norms help ensure equitable science learning

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Earth faces pressing challenges: rising temperatures, extreme weather, resource strain, and pollution. Unfairly, students must tackle these, but solutions exist. Teachers play a vital role in providing students with academic tools, fostering confidence and hope for them to shape a sustainable future

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession

We will engage audience in experiencing strategies a group of middle-school science teachers used to customize OpenSciEd curriculum to better support students' equitable sensemaking by enhancing the curriculum's relevance. We will also share the challenges and lessons learned.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through this session, we hope that the attendees will walk away with a set of strategies they could use to enhance curriculum's relevance to students in future instruction, as well as the items they want to pay attention to during customization.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Buell, Brian Reiser, Claire Hiller, Yang Zhang, Kafi Chase, Stephanie Baldwin

Educators in Infant/Toddler classrooms can feel pressure to "teach science" in their groups. Yet, infants and toddlers, allowed to freely explore, engage in science learning daily. The framework's dimensions are part of their world, but adults seldom recognize this.

TAKEAWAYS:
The everyday "play" of infants and toddlers include their attempts to investigate their world, to find out patterns and predictability of objects in their lives. Adults who work with the youngest children rarely understand the scientific concepts that are being investigated and learned.

SPEAKERS:
Ellen Cogan

Explore transformative AI tools for education, including Questionwell, Curipod, and Twee. Learn to seamlessly integrate them into lessons, enhance student engagement, and elevate learning with AI-generated questions and personalized feedback.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain hands-on experience with AI tools for education, understanding their potential to enhance student engagement, streamline assessment, and promote innovative teaching strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Selene Verhofstad, Faryal Shaukat

Explore student-driven phenomena to teach and scaffold the NGSS Science Practices! This session is a mix of presentation, hands-on inquiry, and discussion. Utilizing a teacher’s experience in research and scientific publication, we’ll explore common areas of dissonance in emerging scientists.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to make authentic research accessible to diverse learners with a simple jelly, bread, and kitchen utensil investigation. Scaffolding progressions will cover scientific writing, data analysis, peer feedback, and scientific communication to bridge the gap between classroom and research.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Lane

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Engage with Hands-On Biology! Flinn Scientific presents a variety of easy to perform and exciting intro and Advanced Biology demonstrations. Come see Flinn’s new demonstrations and some of your old favorites—all guaranteed to make your science classroom come alive. Handouts provided for all.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Cambron, M.S.

We are conducting a workshop on how to engage science learners in a virtual platform. We will have an interactive workshop with examples of how to teach Life Science and Physical Science concepts from your home through science phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use various teaching tools and strategies in a virtual setting to foster the passion for science in all students. Use science phenomena to activate student’s critical thinking skills in a fun and interactive way.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Huffaker, Rebecca Miller, Latoya Moore

Making enhancements to our Science programming requires an integration of STEM concepts. In this session we share our technological journey and how we have infused 3D printing, drones, robots, coding, and Arduinos seamlessly into 6th-8th grade Science classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees learn how STEM can be infused seamlessly into current NGSS programming, new STEM options available, how they are being used to increase problem solving and critical thinking skills, and how to use the instructional planning framework to integrate STEM technology into any middle-level class.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Kopacz, Howard Frishman, Nicole McRee

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore the world of forensic science with these fun and exciting escape room activities! Try forensic blood detection and agarose gel electrophoresis experiments, decipher clues, and solve puzzles. Learn to design your own escape room to have students unravel the evidence and free the innocent.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD, Tom Cynkar

Hosting a STEM Science Fair promotes engagement with the scientific method and CER. It allows students to investigate areas of science that interest them. Learn the logistics of hosting a STEM science fair at your school and the benefits it can bring to your building.

TAKEAWAYS:
Hosting a Science Fair allows students to be active scientists as they study, experiment, and share their knowledge of an in-depth topic of their interest.

SPEAKERS:
Stacie Hopple

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Arts integration is a holistic approach that enables students to access the curriculum while developing scientific skills needed for the twenty-first century. Learn how poetry, music, storytelling, drama, visual art, and creative movement can be meaningfully embedded within the science curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Walters

Sponsoring Company: TCI

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

SPEAKERS:
Sara Kumar

Combining visual and text elements, Science Explainers help deepen student understanding by creating artifacts that give them creative freedom to walk through the solution to a problem, exercise, or example in a way they understand.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the best practices for making effective Explainers (physical and video) in their classroom. A variety of topics will be made available, allowing attendees to practice the method themselves and take them back to their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Matt Brady

Sponsoring Company: PEER Physics

How can pedagogical tools and materials support students with building and revising mechanistic models? We’ll explore strategies for building models using shared evidence and consensus. Co-presented by PEER Physics and Arbor Scientific.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Quinty

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Use gel electrophoresis to help astronauts identify bacteria growing aboard the International Space Station. This case study is based on the research of the NASA microbiology team. Also, learn about Genes in Space, a free experimental design competition that launches student experiments to the ISS.

SPEAKERS:
Marc Bliss

With literacy making it's way to the forefront of all core curriculum, do you ever feel like you don't have enough time to add a reading assignment to your lesson plans? Don't stress! I will present strategies that I have incorporated into my plans that have had positive results.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will take away literacy strategies that can be incorporated immediately into your lesson plans that will encourage students to read aloud, pick out important words and phrases, and put their ideas on paper. Also allows teachers to assess reading abilities and comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Stacey Barnett

Get ready to Rise to the Challenge in this Workshop series based on our Massachusetts STEM Week Challenges. From extreme weather to deserted islands, and zoo makeovers, there’s a challenge for everyone! You’ll experience hands-on, inquiry and phenomena-based investigations. Receive the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will explore STEM Design Challenges funded by the MA DHE and run during MA STEM Week. They will explore using a design challenge in their classroom that addresses the Science and Engineering Standards and the engineering design process, and will experience using phenomena-based units.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Stronach, Kathryn Atkins, Sandra Ryack-Bell

To meet the spirit and vision of NGSS, teachers need pedagogies and practices for facilitating scientific discourses at various stages of STEM lessons. This session introduces three discourse frameworks to help students engage in the practices of listening and speaking like scientists and engineers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn pedagogy and practice for scientific discourses. Participants learn how to facilitate 1.) science talks — how to generate curiosity, wonder, and theorize; 2.) scaffolding action, how to engage and expand scientific investigation and engineering design; and 3.) foster scientific argumentation.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Devitt

Sponsoring Company: PASCO

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

SPEAKERS:
Sophia Guzules

Implentation of spectroscopic evidence in an elective high school chemistry course to identify various unknown organic structures.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be provided with resources and assessments to identify an unknown organic compound given its % composition. The spectroscopic methods used are Infrared Spectrometry, Mass Spectrometry, and proton NMR Spectroscopy.

SPEAKERS:
Jeromy Bentley

Unlock the power of student sensemaking in science. Learn strategies to ignite curiosity, foster discussion, and use writing to create an inclusive classroom. Elevate science teaching to ensure you have a student-centered classroom using strategies that develop science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
For middle school students, communication through talking and writing is natural. When they are making sense of science through talking and writing, they are making their thinking visible. This session highlights strategies and routines that will transform science lessons into student-centered learning.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Rhoades

This session provides an overview of teaching science for social justice and how elementary teachers can design explorations that use science to critique injustices. Participants will engage in an elementary hands-on, social justice science lesson and discuss ways to do the same in their contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of teaching science for social justice, along with practical classroom strategies informed by the Learning for Justice (2022) standards and Davis’ (2022) Four Approaches to Equity Framework, to design their own elementary science lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Alesia Moldavan, Bailey Nafziger

A showcase of creating dynamic spreadsheets that provide instantaneous, differentiated feedback to students as they learn or practice new content independently or in small groups. This method amplifies confidence for students of all abilities and frees teachers to assist those most in need.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will make use of existing, free, and relatively ubiquitous digital spreadsheets in making presentations for new content. The use of this tool makes practicing content and skills helpful, engaging, and memorable. Educators will create their own spreadsheets for a lesson in their content.

SPEAKERS:
Sean Regan

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Teaching Chemistry should be AWESOME! Flinn Scientific presents a variety of easy to perform and exciting chemistry.. Come see Flinn’s new demonstrations and some of your old favorites—all guaranteed to make your science classroom come alive. Handouts provided for all.

SPEAKERS:
Savannah Stanley, M.Ed.

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Unleash the power of gene editing with your students using REAL CRISPR-Cas technology to knock out colorful genes in E. coli. Identify successful knockout based on the cell color. Experiment by switching RNA templates and analyzing results, letting your students prove the specificity of CRISPR!

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD, Tom Cynkar

Sponsoring Company: TCI

Join our dynamic workshop, blending engineering and speed dating! Experience hands-on challenges inspired by TCI's K-8 science programs. Engage in "speed dates" with engineering activities, gaining valuable lessons and insights. Don't miss this innovative session!

SPEAKERS:
Sara Kumar

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Come learn how to use effective literacy strategies so that students can better understand science content. Student understanding and critical-thinking skills will improve with these techniques. Join our constructivist approach that promotes literacy in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Thompson

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Learn about the intentional design of our units to embed equitable opportunities in phenomenon-based learning. This hands-on workshop uses a model activity showing how students use data to develop an evidence-based argument supporting the best way to recover copper from a waste solution.

SPEAKERS:
Ed Miller

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Get a close look at the pedagogical strategies of a highly acclaimed Earth Science book. Developed by the American Geoscience Institute, this book relies on student-centered activities, students doing science! Take part in several activities and connect with other earth science teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Curts

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Dive deep into water's secrets! Harness 3D models to unravel states of matter, polar covalent bonding, solubility, and beyond in an immersive journey.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt, Tim Herman

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Link physical science concepts like circuits and charged particles to the essential biotech method gel electrophoresis. Build a reusable gel electrophoresis system with the Bandit STEM Electrophoresis Kit, and use it to separate colorful dyes. Also, add the A to STEAM with creative pipetting art!

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

Sponsoring Company: Great Minds

Come along as we undergo a rigorous student experience to work through a complex investigation. Throughout the course of the session, participants will discover the importance of fostering an environment that encourages challenge where students can struggle in a safe space.

SPEAKERS:
Madeline Cronk

Sponsoring Company: PASCO

Get hands-on experience with sensors, demonstrators, and software for graphing motion. For students new to describing motion, position and velocity graphs can be challenging to interpret. Learn accessible methods to help your students solidify their motion graphing skills and comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Sophia Guzules

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP Science

Looking to help students develop science inquiry skills and think critically about scientific concepts? Join our session on Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER), the framework that helps students make sense of the world around them and leave with an in-depth understanding and practical strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Stocz

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

Forget boring! Ignite learning with Legends of Learning's Game Based Adventures! Embark on an immersive learning experience. Active, engaging, unforgettable. Unleash the learning within!

SPEAKERS:
Sean Reidy, Jonathan Gerlach

Participate in an exploration of science and STEM learning tailored for young learners. Navigate through informative stations, engage with colleagues, and establish connections with science leaders. Depart with lessons and resources designed to elevate STEM and science in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary and early childhood educators will leave with resources, lessons, and ideas that will advance science and STEM learning in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Williams

Participants will explore an engineering design challenge that engages upper elementary students in the creation of tiny homes as a solution to homelessness after a local natural disaster. Explore Design Thinking principles and how empathy plays a role in authentic and inclusive STEM inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in an NGSS-based engineering design challenge where you design a solution for homelessness caused by natural disasters and learn the role of empathy in STEM inquiries by using Design Thinking principles and place-based strategies that engage all learners in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Williams

Join NSTA and ECA Science Kits Services for the pilot of their ready-to-use (TM) Picture-Perfect STEM ClassPacks. These ClassPacks are built around the expanded editions of Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, K, 1, and 2 and feature everything you and your students will need to perform those activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science and literacy are a wonderful match, and our Picture-Perfect program combines these perfect partners to help you teach your elementary students through lesson/trade books and classroom activities. You teach the lessons, and we'll handle the rest, with refurbishments available for all kits.

SPEAKERS:
Cathy Iammartino, Emily Brady

Old Enough to Make a Difference? Yes, you are! It is possible for students of all ages to start making a positive difference in their community. Inspirations from student projects will be shared along with resources for teachers. Great ideas for family engagement nights, science fairs, and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will have resources that can used in the classroom and community right away.

SPEAKERS:
Katie Stevenson

Science and Children is the preeminent resource for educators of elementary and early childhood-aged children. Whether it is finding ideas for your classroom or writing articles to share with a wider audience, Science and Children is your resource for science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Find out how to write for Science and Children or discover the implementable ideas, strategies, and lessons contained within each journal.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn

Camouflage puppets, songs, and animal family activities for early childhood classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Camouflage puppets, songs, and animal family activities for early childhood classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Scharff

Mission Arctic takes your students on an in-class field trip to the Arctic to explore the environment with scientists. Activities will include exploration of ice in the classroom promoting an understanding of what we can learn from ice and how it can inform our future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Scientists explore our natural world to understand what happened in the past, what is happening in the present, and how it can inform our future.

SPEAKERS:
Cathy Barthelemy

We will demonstrate a 5E on the distribution of water on Earth (partially addressing 5-ESS2-2) and show how we give students experiences across the STEM disciplines. Each STEM discipline will be represented in the 5E.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn how you can embed science, engineering, technology, and math in a 5E on the distribution of water (5-ESS2-2).

SPEAKERS:
Elyse Clapp, Star Swain, Jesse Wilcox

Observations are the basis for understanding science principles, especially in elementary. Have you wondered if it is possible to “change” something by measuring it? Is there a difference in observation and measurement? Come find out.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students will be able to distinguish between destructive and non-destructive measurements. Students will be able to explain the difference in measurement and observation. Students will be able to determine when a change occurs while being measured.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler

Demonstrating motion is easy, but what about allowing students to collect data for nonaccelerated motion? A simple activity engages students with dune buggies to show how data is taken for distance and how graphing that data is a great visual representing constant velocity or uniform motion.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how use a constant speed dune buggy to show students how uniform motion is measured and graphed.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler

Join two instructional coaches who will lead a medical-themed session where attendees will have the opportunity to travel through the cross-curricular leveling-up (station-based) activity. Attendees will leave the session with instructional strategies to fuel student engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will participate in a cross-curricular leveling-up (station-based) activity. Attendees will also receive access to a website that includes meaningful instructional sequences, grade-appropriate resources, a cross-curricular map, rubrics, and student organizers fueling student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Jamesa Broome, Ann Vitello

A variety of activities exploring seeds, including: comparing and contrasting by size, shape, color, texture; experimenting with samaras to ask scientific questions, like which way do they spin as they fall to the ground; and more. Books about seeds will be available to view.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to integrate science into language arts, using seeds.

SPEAKERS:
Frances Hamilton

Science involves specific vocabulary & terminology. Students cannot develop & use models, analyze & interpret data, or construct explanations without using terminology & language structures that characterize the language of science. Experience using a simple vocabulary scaffold to reduce barriers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience using a simple vocabulary scaffold to reduce language barriers. This will support teachers' efforts to support students efforts to talk and write about science.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Jackson

Check out and learn how to access free ML-PBL integrated science curricular units for Grades K-5. See how the features of PBL support sensemaking, check out examples of unit overviews, literacy integration and recommended trade books, and research supporting the Multiple Literacies in PBL Project.

TAKEAWAYS:
After viewing examples from multiple units within the ML-PBL K-5 unit sequence, participants will learn how to access the free K-5 curricular resources on the Sprocket site. Handouts provide access to support for accessing and implementing the resources, or for adapting current units.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Codere

This introduction to STEM for elementary, secondary, or special education classrooms will allow participants to explore motion and energy while creating their own Rube Goldberg machine using found objects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students can easily plan, build, and solve problems on their own Rube Goldberg project using recycled and found materials.

SPEAKERS:
Elaine Sevin

This is a hands-on session where participants will use every day items and associate their use with scientific concepts. They will find that multiple items will lead to the same concept, and/or that one item can be associated with multiple science concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Children can learn real science through every day items. A handout will help participants remember some of these concepts and the science terms they can use with children.

SPEAKERS:
Ellen Cogan

Once upon a time, there were dedicated teachers who wanted nothing more than classrooms full of happy, engaged, and inspired students. Alas, our heroes must face many dastardly obstacles including boring curriculum! This session will provide storytelling tips to help turn duds into happy endings...

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with compelling explanations/research behind the effectiveness of storytelling as an instructional tool as well as several examples of story integration into various STEM activities.

SPEAKERS:
Elaine Wu

Communicating your findings is a huge piece of any science investigation or project. Come and see some of the different forms such communication can take in P-2 classes, as well as create some of your own!

TAKEAWAYS:
Ideas and formats for communicating science findings.

SPEAKERS:
Annette Venegas, Anne Lowry

Participants will directly experience and undertake a more authentic science investigation by adapting and extending exisiting hands-on investigations. This is a step toward more student-directed investigations that allow exploration and the creation of evidence-based claims (i.e. sensemaking).

TAKEAWAYS:
Using the provided hands-on activities, participants will be given a plausible scenario encouraging them to explore and then create evidence-based claim(s) — modelling a more student-directed approach. This process strongly aligns with the sensemaking framework of explore-before-explain...

SPEAKERS:
Ian Kennedy

Take a deep dive into the practice of developing and using models! We’ll explore how creating and using models help students build science ideas and can support students’ in developing and writing explanations. Experience the power of building science ideas together as part of a learning community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Developing models individually, in groups and as a class makes all students essential members of the knowledge-building community.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker, Patrice Scinta

Join members of NSTA’s Professional Learning Committee to explore strategies and tools that focus classroom talk on sensemaking using the Crosscutting Concepts. You’ll have the chance to experience sensemaking strategies linked to discourse and consider applications in your sphere.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with discussion strategies and tools they can implement right away in classrooms to support student discourse and sensemaking anchored in the Crosscutting Concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Garelli, Kimberley Astle

Museum educators have known that motivation and interest are vital for engagement. Learn how to bring these informal strategies into your classroom so students can not only interact with science in a different environment but make connections that allow them to see themselves as capable learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Come prepared to take part in activities led by a pair of formal and informal educators that will combine the best of both worlds. Museum educators know how to rapidly engage an audience and you will take away strategies to reach the same level of participation in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Matt Brady, Shari Brady

Learn effective ways to help students formulate effective questions, design explorations to answer their questions, apply analytical and critical thinking skills, collect and interpret data, and determine effective ways to communicate their findings and the concepts they have learned. Handouts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to help students read like a scientist, how to formulate effective questions they want to answer, how to set up explorations and learning experiences, how to apply skills and communicate their findings so that students can think, act, and communicate like scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Knoell

Nothing excites an educator more than learning a new skill and sharing it with others! The goal of this session is to introduce Place-Based STEM using digital mapping and storytelling resources. Educators will receive direct instruction in digital mapping and resources for their classes!

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn to connect location and geography to science content locally, regionally, and globally through the use of digital mapping and problem-based learning STEM strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Ragsdale

We often rely on Crosscutting Concepts within the Next Generation Science Standards as ways of thinking students participate all the time, in every grade, in every subject. But what happens when those skills have not been honed in the way we need them to be for our grade level and disciplinary core?

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave our session having attained concepts and skills that will help them measure attainment of Patterns, a critical Crosscutting Concept in the Next Generation Science Standards. Participants will be introduced to assessment resources and instructions for using them.

SPEAKERS:
Sonal Patel-Dame, Anoopa Singh

Blank stares and closed mouths no more! The Visual Non-Glossary makes rich, equitable small-group conversations super easy by providing structured visuals and guiding discussion questions and sentence stems for each of 1,500+ vocabulary words K-12 in Science, available in both English and Spanish.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to get kids to think deeply and talk elaborately about science content. We will interact in small groups with science content to see how all students of different backgrounds can intuitively engage with structured visuals.

SPEAKERS:
Stephen Fleenor

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Physics should be exciting! Flinn Scientific presents a variety of easy to perform and exciting physics demonstrations. Come see Flinn’s new demonstrations and some of your old favorites—all guaranteed to make your science classroom come alive. Handouts provided for all.

SPEAKERS:
Jonnathan Medina Ramos, Ph.D.

By 2050, 9.7 billion humans may be living on Earth. If current trends continue, food production will need to increase 60-100%. In this storyline, students design solutions to feed this growing population while building space spacing food production systems (ie-hydroponics, vertical garden).

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about a new storyline that engages students in designing and evaluating solutions for how to solve the issue of feeding the world’s growing human population based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.

SPEAKERS:
Shane Cullian

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Learning sequences to drive phenomena through a unit is one way to help students understand the content. In this model activity from our Lab-Aids program: Science and Global Issues: Biology, developed by SEPUP, you will use data to investigate how abiotic factors and species diversity are related.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Parker

This session introduces participants to the Dash robot and how it can be used in elementary science classrooms to explore the flow of energy. Participants will engage in a hands-on exploration with Dash to develop models using technology to illustrate sample food webs. Be sure to bring a laptop.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore how robotics can be used to communicate information about the flow of energy within an ecosystem (5-PS3-1 and 5-LS2-1). Participants will be introduced to the functionality of the Dash robot and how it can be used as a tool to develop a model to describe the phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Alesia Moldavan

Join us in mastering the art of the “explore-before-explain” instructional sequence, and witness the transformation in your classroom as you nurture an environment where every student’s voice resonates.

TAKEAWAYS:
An overview of essential planning considerations covers becoming an “explore-before-explain” teacher and designing lessons that use the assets all students bring to learning science.

SPEAKERS:
James Concannon, Patrick Brown

This session will offer practical and adaptable examples of formative classroom assessment techniques that could be incorporated into any science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will present formative assessment techniques that attendees can take back to their classrooms and use immediately.

SPEAKERS:
Tyler Buchan

Embark on an AI-powered journey with Chat-GPT to grow your teacher toolbox! Join us to discover how Chat-GPT can offer options for differentiation and equity within your science classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will observe and synthesize differentiated activities to better address performance expectations using ChatGPT, such as finding animations for abstract concepts, tiered reading materials, supports for ESL students, culture integration in lessons, and enrichment opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Kipp

Sponsoring Company: TCI

This workshop offers a unique opportunity for educators to gain practical insights into integrating literacy skills within the science curriculum. Attendees will leave with tangible strategies and tools to enrich their teaching practices, fostering a more engaging learning experience for students.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Kumar

Participants will learn about the characteristics of hiqh-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and how to identify them. They will use EdReports resources to compare and contrast materials based on markers of quality and discuss how to use this process when selecting HQIM for their local context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through engaging in a sample materials selection process, participants will gain an understanding of the characteristics of high-quality instructional materials (including sensemaking and the presence of phenomena and problems) and how to use EdReports' free resources.

SPEAKERS:
John-Carlos Marino, Shannon Wachowski

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

In the STEM classroom, an effective teacher selects actions that have an impact on student achievement. Come learn about the 15 STEM Teacher Actions to enhance your instructional practices and achieve improved student achievement.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Campana

Engage in teacher play with LED lights, objects, and screens that invite PK-2 students to independently investigate light & shadow phenomenon. STEM coaches and teachers will come away with a plan that gives children access to STEM learning every day during small group reading instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM coaches and PK-2 teachers will take away a list of easily obtained open-ended materials and a classroom-tested plan to allow students to independently engage in student-led STEM investigations every day that grows STEM dispositions and elevates student literacy learning as an added benefit.

SPEAKERS:
Beth Dykstra VanMeeteren

Join us learning how to teach observational skills to young learners. We will scaffold steps for learning observational skills. Participants will then learn how to teach observational skills through activities aligned to the NGSS for PreK – 2nd grade, taking home several classroom-ready lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will focus on the skill of observation for young learners. We will focus on how to scaffold this skill of observation for PreK - 2nd graders using examples that are aligned to the NGSS and practicing them by using student-friendly activities that can be replicated in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Judith McDonald

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Some of Mendel’s peas have been discovered in an old notebook! Can you confirm which gene Mendel studied in the 1800s using gel electrophoresis? This lab connects Mendelian genetics and Punnett squares with our modern understanding of how genes determine inherited traits.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Dive into modeling the movement of ions and nutrients across membranes. Help your students connect theory with the results from popular homeostasis labs.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson, Kris Herman

Although teachers understand the importance of literacy integration, the process of literacy integration remains elusive...until now! This session will support the development of a concrete plan for integrating literacy into your classroom. Resources included!

TAKEAWAYS:
Literacy integration does not mean teaching students to decode. Literacy integration, at its core, is the process of making text visible in the classroom so students can read, write, and speak like professional scientists. Literacy integration makes science fun!

SPEAKERS:
Mesa Davis

Research shows that time in nature is worth your WILD, with increased benefits for children. In this workshop, Denver Zoo will highlight the benefits of play in nature; how to build it into curriculum/schedules and ideas for implementing nature play tactics that engage entire school communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies to increase learning through play in nature and parent/caregiver participation in their school community.

SPEAKERS:
Claire Buckley, Emily Murgia

This workshop will introduce teachers to classroom investigations using the built-in gyroscope in their smartphones which connect foundational physics to real-world applications such as virtual reality and fitness tracking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will conduct multiple hands-on investigations using the gyroscope sensor in smartphones to explore rotational motion. They will directly experience the amazing capabilities of the sensors and will go away prepared to implement the investigations in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David Rakestraw, Michael Tobler, Helene McLaughlin

Participants will engage in the development of a PBL Life Science unit— from start to finish for any secondary student. Several examples of successful PBL Units will be shared and participants will have the opportunity to create their own PBL— specifically Brownfields, Env. Disasters, etc.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to walk away with a partial or entire PBL unit.

SPEAKERS:
Margaret Busker-Postlethwait

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Learn how to enhance students’ overall communication in and out of the science classroom throughout their learning. Delve deeper into topics that include listening using classroom norms, strategies that help students with short response, and how to enhance students’ use of CER!

SPEAKERS:
Brian Klaft

Prior experience and knowledge are key to reading comprehension, especially for tackling complex texts. Join us for an interactive session where we'll explore how doing science and applying effective reading strategies are what students need to be successful readers and scientists.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students need to engage fully in the science and engineering practices in order to build reading comprehension. Science cannot be learned through reading alone, and readers need to be able to draw upon their experiences in science to understand and make sense of new concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Claudio Vargas, Diana Velez

Promoting reading and writing while learning science? Utilize proven literacy strategies to enhance your students’ science knowledge and science literacy for the 21st (STEM) century.

TAKEAWAYS:
Enhancing student learning in science utilizing literacy strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Beverly DeVore-Wedding

Engage in a research strategy grounded in the Global Competence Framework. Using maps and data visualization tools, including the EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening Tool, participants will consider different perspectives, investigate the world, communicate ideas, and plan to take action.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn a research strategy that helps make student research personally meaningful and globally relevant while developing their global competence. Learn how to use data visualization tools to explore environmental justice in your own community and inspire students to take action for a more just world.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Emery, Catherine Knasas, Caroline Stabile

Racism is prevalent in our society. Participants will examine resources for engaging students in respectful and productive activity that contrast the social construct of race with scientific understandings of genetics. Examples of how science education can be a form of social justice will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anti-racism work in science education is difficult. Resources to support teachers in engaging in controversial topics will be examined and used by participants to rehearse effective pedagogical moves in engaging in classroom discussions of racism and science. Curricular resources will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison, Jeanne Chowning, Michal Robinson, Kelsie Fowler, Jason Foster

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Bring inquiry into your classroom with food science! Learn how to extract dyes from candy to analyze using agarose gel electrophoresis and paper chromatography. Students use the simple techniques as a starting point to design experiments, test hypotheses, and use STEM techniques to analyze results.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD, Tom Cynkar

Figuring out phenomena engages students in the nature and process of science through the integration of all three dimensions. Observe how scientists investigate a question. Then use a web tool to illuminate the nature and process of science and apply to any lesson or phenomenon in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use the Science Flowchart interactive journaling tool to illuminate the dynamic nature and process of science, and how to apply the tool to any phenomenon or lesson in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kirsten Smith, Lindsey Roy, Betsy Barent

Game-based learning is a powerful way to engage learners and introduce STEM topics. Working with experts, we designed an escape room for students and their families to increase their understanding of neuroscience phenomena and how the brain works. Try demo activities as you learn to design your own.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will demonstrate how to develop an educational escape room to serve informal and formal science learning objectives and get families actively interacting with science and engineering processes. It will also review methods of assessment, especially for out-of-school settings.

SPEAKERS:
Daisy Reyes, Lucas Leprince, Sandra Roberts

In this hands-on workshop, participants will work with models of chemical reactions, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration that can help students develop a deep and flexible understanding of these important processes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Modeling, an important component of the NGSS, can help students understand biological processes more fully. These hands-on, minds-on models are engaging and lead to rigorous learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Hofeld

Get acquainted with OpenSciEd HS, from the anchoring phenomena to the curricular routines to assessment.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd HS's storyline approach, curricular routines, student discourse strategies, and assessment systems work together to help students build equitable science learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Buck Bracey, Kate Henson

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Investigate transcription and translation without culturing cells! In this inquiry-based lab, RNA glows green and protein glows red, so you can see gene expression happen in a test tube. Use experimental data to test hypotheses about variables that affect transcription and translation.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD

Get ready for three-dimensional teaching with ways to sequence instruction that promote long-lasting understanding for your students by using a simple yet powerful sensemaking approach: Explore-Before-Explain.

TAKEAWAYS:
An overview of essential planning considerations covers becoming an “explore-before-explain” teacher and designing lessons that use the assets all students bring to learning science.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Blesse, Patrick Brown

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

BIOZONE's innovative worktext approach delivers flexible, engaging, student-centred resources. Learn how our titles integrate into our digital platform and how the Teacher Toolkit helps teachers plan, deliver, and assess. Attendees each receive a FREE print title & 1-year digital access to a title.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Stilwell

Learn from our experience as a math and a science teacher collaborating together to give our students an interdisciplinary learning opportunity so that you can start your own plan. We will share the logistics from this authentic inquiry-based project and you’ll hear testimonials from our students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be provided with one way to overcome logistical challenges inherent with interdisciplinary collaboration at the secondary level, including differing rosters and schedules. Furthermore, attendees will have the opportunity to start their own plan for their own interdisciplinary project.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Schneiderwind, Nadene Klein

Sponsoring Company: PASCO

Experience the best way to teach basic circuits! Support student investigations of current, voltage, resistance, and series and parallel circuits with modular components that look identical to schematic drawings. Learn how to skip the tangled wires that confuse students and focus on the physics.

SPEAKERS:
Sophia Guzules

What is the connection between coherent instructional sequences from the students’ perspective and equitable access to science learning? Learn how coherent storyline units support students’ genuine engagement and perseverance as they work to explain a complex phenomenon over the course of a unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Storyline unit Instructional routines provide a coherent path from students’ questions about a phenomenon to the explanation or model of that phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
NSTA Online Advisors, Holly Hereau, Patrice Scinta

Phenomena-based teaching and learning in science authentically lends itself to integration with literacy, language development, and other subject areas, yet each is often taught in silos. Explore how to shift K-5 classroom practice towards an integrated approach that supports all students’ learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers and leaders will gain insight into principles of content integration with science as the anchor and will explore tools, strategies, and system-wide approaches they can use in their own K-5 context in order to identify and plan for more equitable interdisciplinary science instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Diana Velez, Rebecca Abbott

Learn about the differences between content and disciplinary literacy. Participants will understand the benefits of implementing literacy strategies in science. Participants will learn vocabulary and literacy strategies that they can take to help build their student's comprehension of science texts.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will learn about the differences between content and disciplinary literacy, and engage in vocabulary and comprehension strategies that they can use in the classroom to build their student comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Hamada

After trying several K-12 solutions-based design challenges, choose one to customize for your students and environment. Adapt and leave ready to teach the entire QUEST (Question-Uncover-Explore-Solve-Teach). Written for Guam, these empower students to design projects that solve local problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will begin customizing one student-relevant purposeful design challenge QUEST, have access to many more, and will recognize the benefits of purposeful design challenges being part of a larger QUEST unit that requires intentional learning of STEM concepts and practices.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Arndt

Come learn two transformative whole class discussion routines for your classroom. “Data Discussions” support students in finding patterns in their data while “Sensemaking Summaries” guide them to integrate findings from multiple investigations to develop data-based explanations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be equipped to use “data discussions” in lessons to help students notice and analyze meaningful patterns in investigations, and use “sensemaking summary” talks to help students develop sophisticated explanations of phenomenon by synthesizing key findings from multiple investigations.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Forsythe

Using a co-designed NGSS curriculum unit, we highlight solutions to challenges in designing and implementing a phenomenon-based investigation unit. Participants examine both design templates and finished curriculum to familiarize themselves with a revision and customization process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with curriculum design templates to use when customizing curriculum to support students’ sensemaking of phenomena. An opportunity will be provided to explore templates and ask clarifying questions. Participants will have access to a curriculum unit designed using the templates.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Hug, Nick Leonardi

We use the 3-H socioemotional learning cycle to engage learners, using hands-on inquiry around the composition of different soil types. Teachers learn how to identify the soil types of clay, humus, sand, and compost, and apply this information to what can grow and flourish in different soil types.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be provided with lesson plans and student work to initiate discussions about classroom applications. At the end of the session, participants will learn how to apply the 3-H model to engage students' hearts, heads, and hands in science learning using the phenomenon of soils.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Trundle, Rita Hagevik

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Explore the movement of water with an interactive Aquaporin model to connect the molecular structure with protein function – and learn about this exciting phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman, Kris Herman

Explore the application of phenomenon-based science teaching through the lens of fishing. Applications for any state enable students to explore human impacts on natural recourses and the impact on the overall health of the ocean. Essential questions are investigated using mini-projects and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
This unit models a phenomenon-based unit about fishing and aquaculture. Students explore cultural, economical, and ecological impacts around fishing to explore human impacts on our natural resources. Mini project-based learning and dissections are used as teaching strategies in this unit.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Garcia

Explore advanced space propulsion methods, from chemical to laser propulsion, in this hands-on session. Learn how light intensity changes with distance using PocketLab Voyager Sensors and laser pointers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a deeper understanding of light and laser intensity variations with distance through engaging experiments and practical applications. Model how to implement the Pocketlab sensors and notebook into their curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Jenny McCall

Are you ready to take you teaching to the next level and create a innovative and engaging classroom environment for your student? This Hands On Minds On PD session will share research-based instructional practices, to enhance student engagement in the classroom environment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore a diverse range of innovative teaching strategies that encourage active learning through integration of technology, labs, and interactive learning resources to enhance learning experiences. Participants will access a wealth of online tools and teaching strategies.

SPEAKERS:
ROBBIE KEUCHLER JR

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Turn the traditional prescriptive lab on its head, adapting the learning style to meet your students as they explore and do science around real-world phenomena. See how you can combine videos, simulations, VR experiences, flexible assessments, and editable labs to create hands-on curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Savannah Stanley, M.Ed.

This presentation will showcase a 3D + NGSS-aligned Northern Lights Storyline designed for High School Chemistry. This presentation will showcase the: Student Activities, Teacher Narratives, Formative and Summative Assessments in this Storyline.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anyone attending this presentation will be shown an example of a completed Chemistry Storyline based on the Northern Lights and learn how to implement three-dimensional learning in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Charlie Pozen

Do you want your students to understand how current scientific research is relevant to their learning and has real world applications? We will present an accessible STEM curriculum, informed by current work in a university research lab, that integrates nanoscience phenomena with content standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about current research in the field of nanoscience and will gain access to a STEM curriculum package that draws on nanoscience to help all students in grades 5-8 make connections between STEM content and their everyday lives.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Kwan, Donna Terrasi, Silvia Kenna

In this interactive PBL experience, attendees will LISTEN to the STEAM podcast “Wow in the World”, WONDER to generate ideas, TINKER to choose a testable hypothesis, and MAKE a multimedia scientific inquiry or engineering design project in the free, private, and NGSS-aligned TinkerClass platform.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to streamline PBL instruction, manage the classroom to develop 21st Century skills, and excite K-5 students about hands-on scientific inquiry and engineering design using TinkerClass’ modular LISTEN, WONDER, TINKER, and MAKE experience.

SPEAKERS:
Carole Paterson, Twee Mac

This session will provide concrete and practical examples of how to implement lab skill performance assessments in the classroom and will offer easy-to-use and tangible information that teachers can take back to their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will present how to administer performance assessments of five basic lab skills and the benefits to the classroom that result.

SPEAKERS:
Tyler Buchan

Join other educators on the Giant Map of Colorado! Learn how to integrate physical mapping into science-focused, problem-based learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators have the opportunity to learn how to access a Colorado Giant Map, for inclusion of Place and Problem-Based Learning. This can help address climate science, ecosystems, geology, river concerns, weather, and scientific history of Colorado.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Ragsdale

Teaching students to use the Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) Framework is not easy. This workshop bridges the gap between theory and practice by providing a stepwise strategy that makes the process of evidence-based critical thinking visible to students. All activities are student-approved!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to successfully implement CER in their classrooms. In addition, attendees will leave the session with three readymade activities that are easily implemented but have a high impact.

SPEAKERS:
Mesa Davis

Learn strategies for planning an anchoring phenomenon routine that will generate questions to drive student learning. Participants will wear a "student hat" to share an experience to make sense of phenomenon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Planning inquiry-based lessons are easy as 1, 2, 3... Using an anchoring phenomenon routine to drive student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Karla White, Lisa Pitts

OpenSciEd Chemistry's 3rd unit explores how we can use chemistry and Earth and space science understandings to survive living off of Earth. Learn how students build understanding of atomic structure and function through modeling, investigations, and patterns of thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
This unit supports students as they figure out how atomic structure impacts the patterns we see on the Periodic Table and the role of water to sustain life and react with materials to form surface features. Participants will see how students build these ideas through investigations and manipulatives.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak, Nicole Vick

Talk is fundamental to learning. This workshop engages participants in a variety of talk strategies specifically designed for improving classroom equity while engaging in STEM learning experiences. Many supporting resources are shared that teachers can learn from and directly use with students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The goal of this session is to support teachers in understanding how best to meet the needs of all learners by starting from where students are at and drawing on their intuitive ideas and real world experiences to inform instruction. All strategies are framed as equitable 3D formative assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison, Kelsie Fowler

Workshop participants will conduct investigations using the built-in magnetometer sensors in smartphones to investigate the 3D properties of magnetic fields, including the Earth's magnetic field and magnetic information storage.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will conduct multiple hands-on investigations using the magnetometer sensor in smartphones to explore magnetic fields. They will directly experience the amazing capabilities of the three-axis magnetometer sensor and will go away prepared to implement the investigations in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David Rakestraw, Michael Tobler, Helene McLaughlin

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

You’ve planned the experiment and collected data, now let’s discuss the best way to analyze it. In this workshop, we’ll use PCR and ELISA to bring quantitative data analysis and statistics to the lab. Mastery of these skills is crucial to prepare students for careers in biotechnology and STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD, Tom Cynkar

Transform your assessment tool into a powerful instrument for enhancing learning. Designed for educators from K-16, with an aim to streamline the grading process, make rubrics strengths-based, differentiable across all levels, and centered on developing transferable skills. Bring your own rubric!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with their own revised rubric that not only simplifies grading but also fosters student engagement and achievement. They will discover ways to provide constructive, actionable feedback that drives improvement and facilitates student growth.

SPEAKERS:
Elise Naramore

Investigate fostering scientific understanding and practice skills in our youngest learners. Take away topics of inquiry and tools for planning experiments and documenting student thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with strategies to: • Plan investigations to integrate science into their early childhood curriculum. • Build scientific practice skills in all of our youngest learners. • Reveal and document student understanding through lab notebooks.

SPEAKERS:
Alyssa Barr, Katie Morrison

Delve into children’s literature that merges storytelling and science explanations, inviting elementary students to unravel intriguing investigations and uncover how and why science works.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will examine children’s literature that enhances critical thinking and guides elementary students in refining science models and explanations post-investigation. This session will showcase the transformative potential of literature in elementary science.

SPEAKERS:
Colleen Saxen, Michelle Fleming

Receive practical ideas to build understanding about how to combine hands-on activities and computational thinking skills as tools to understand the nature of sound and waves and support NGSS practices: analyze/interpret data, use computational thinking, construct explanations and design solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Offer ideas to integrate hands-on activities and computational thinking skills as tools to build confidence in, and understanding of, NGSS PS4-Sound and Waves. Provide examples about how we may advance teaching and learning in K-8 cross-disciplinary STEM and Computation education.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Robertson, Dylan Singleton, Chelsie Pratt, Chihche Tai, Michaela Slagle

You have a coherent phenomenon-based learning plan for your students, and midway through, you get sick, or have jury duty-- now what?!? This session will highlight approaches to substitute plans that are flexible, easy to implement, and support student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
When students are tasked with sensemaking and figuring out, day in and day out, it is easier to have that happen without the teacher present. Utilizing a quality curriculum that supports student coherence and phenomenon-based learning is the best tool to make that a reality.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Investigate strategies and ideas for using informational texts in science. As students obtain, evaluate, construct explanations, and communicate information about the world around them, engaging with informational texts is critical for building this background knowledge and supporting sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Marmolejo

Discover how AI can ease your workload and transform your instruction. Explore ways to harness the power of AI for your personal and professional gain. Learn how to leverage AI for deeper student learning. Whether you’re brand new to AI or a seasoned user, leave with ideas to implement right away.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be a game-changer in the classroom—saving teacher time and deepening student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Terra Tarango

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Take a deeper dive into understanding the importance of learning progressions in 3-dimensional learning using STC Middle School. Experience the importance of a coherent story line in student understanding. Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort

Learn about a free unit of instruction that uses a GIS data explorer tool from the USDA Forest Service to explore connections between forests and watersheds. You’ll have an opportunity to try out the activities and receive copies of three lesson plans connected to NGSS and CCSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to engage students in using cutting-edge GIS technology in learning about natural systems and the connection between forests and the water they drink. Walk away able to use these tools immediately in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Nagle, Jaclyn Stallard

This session will share the results of a four-year investigation into the genetics of different varieties of watermelons, and will highlight the advantages of using watermelons as a model organism for genetics investigations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Watermelons offer several advantages as a model organism for student research, including a variety of easily identifiable traits that exhibit Mendelian and non-Mendelian patterns, ease of growth, ease of cross-pollination, potential for cultural connections, and opportunities for original research.

SPEAKERS:
Steven Gaskill

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Why can't you walk through walls? This complex question spans biology, chemistry, physics, and involves strange quantum phenomena. Explore the answer and discover how to incorporate recent scientific innovations into your classroom through compelling storylines.

SPEAKERS:
Christopher Moore

Sponsoring Company: hand2mind

Finding time to teach science can be one of the most difficult tasks for an elementary teacher. Come experience how to engage students in phenomena-based learning in just 15-30 minutes a day using the 5E model.

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Goerig

Do you find yourself falling down the Google rabbit hole when searching for lesson ideas? We have a time-saving solution. Participants will gain access to a newly compiled list of numerous resources for middle level science teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be given access to a list of resources compiled specifically for middle level science educators.

SPEAKERS:
Kathleen Brooks

Observations of students entering middle school and their perceptions of science. How much of these perceptions are preformed, and how much are still malleable?

TAKEAWAYS:
Students leave our classrooms with a definition of what science is and isn't and how it can and cannot be used in their lives and careers.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Laborn

Presentation of a researcher designed tool for the purpose of authentic student data collection of wind speed & direction. Using the idea of a graph and a compass, a measurement tool was created for students to plot their wind direction and wind speed in place of (x,y) coordinates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with a template and understanding of how to implement tool for students to individually collect authentic wind data in a manner that is visually meaningful to them for analysis.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Laborn, Robert LaBorn

Learn how to incorporate innovative and safer non-animal methods in your dissection labs. Teachers will have the opportunity to demonstrate AR/VR tech as well as realistic non-animal resources that will both amaze and engage middle level students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to find and access non-animal methods for their classrooms, therefore enhancing student learning as well as creating a safer science environment.

SPEAKERS:
Alisa Brooks, Nicole Green

We will share the development of the Word Wall in our Science Classrooms and how they became interactive and informative to all of our Students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will walk away with an idea to support the use of scientific vocabulary for a diverse classroom of learners.

SPEAKERS:
Dawn Konieczny, Kim Nagle

Join two instructional coaches who will lead a medical-themed session where attendees will have the opportunity to travel through the cross-curricular leveling-up (station-based) activity. Attendees will leave the session with instructional strategies to fuel student engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will participate in a cross-curricular leveling-up (station-based) activity. Attendees will also receive access to a website that includes meaningful instructional sequences, grade-appropriate resources, a cross-curricular map, rubrics, and student organizers fueling student engagement.

Here we present curriculum units exploring phenomena in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems at multiple scales, from micro to macro. In these units, students investigate concepts of ecosystem stability with curricula based on science research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to facilitate NGSS-aligned, inquiry-driven classroom investigations of ecosystems at multiple scales. We will share multiple examples of investigations based on our current work through GEMS, a NSF Biology Integration Institute. Curriculum materials will be provided.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Hug, Patrick Wilson, Nick Leonardi, Jeannette Cullum

With NGSS and Common Core-aligned teaching guides and materials, tutorials, hands-on activities, PD and funding opportunities, NOS Education supports the teaching of ocean, coastal, climate, and Earth science at all student levels, and engages students and communities in hands-on stewardship.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about new and exciting data-driven, standard-aligned NOS Education resources to enhance their ocean, climate, Earth science content knowledge, and facilitate their planning and delivery of interactive, phenomena-based, age appropriate, classroom, and out of doors programs via a

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Moravchik

Discover how classroom pets can transform science education with engaging, hands-on lessons that spark curiosity! Learn to leverage these companions for engaging, hands-on lessons that spark curiosity. Review standards-based lesson plans and learn about how to get that classroom pet for free!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will feel confident in their ability to integrate a classroom pet, utilizing the standards based lessons presented. Pets foster empathy, responsibility, and emotional development but also teach the standards. And explore funding opportunities for your classroom companion!

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Biernat

Educators will learn how to use a free online resource called Skype-A-Scientist. This unique application pairs classrooms with professional scientists to be virtual guest speakers.

TAKEAWAYS:
The takeaway is to leverage Skype-A-Scientist strategically to connect your students with real professional scientists as guest speakers in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Nadene Klein

Building a science community in your classroom. Strategies and resources for increasing engagement in doing and talking about science.

TAKEAWAYS:
This resource will help you build a positive science community, structure and manage your class, engage students in science, help students talk about science, and understand what students know so you can use that information to plan and move them forward.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Shafer, PhD

Led by members of NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee, the session addresses the relationship between science education & children’s literature by providing an interactive platform for educators to discover how literature can support & enhance science & engineering practices in the classroom.

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

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Jennifer Williams, Katie Morrison, Melissa Parks, Annette Venegas, Jenn Brown-Whale, Anne Lowry

Experience the “magnetic attraction” of science and literacy while figuring out a noncontact force. Participants use speaking, listening, reading and writing to engage in a phenomenon routine that includes noticing, wondering, modeling, and finding evidence to support or refute their thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants understand the interdependency of science and literacy, receive knowledge of where to find investigations embedded with “inquiry principles” incorporated in the science and engineering practices, a sample interactive read aloud, and a resource list for everything shared in the session.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Ryack-Bell, Kathy Renfrew

Explore the application of ChatGPT to facilitate student choice, interest, and motivation and to address science and engineering practices! Investigate ChatGPT’s capacity to inform design decisions through inquisitive exploration, creative brainstorming, and interpretive lenses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore how ChatGPT elevates science and engineering practices through the investigation of problems, topics, and phenomena; creative brainstorming options; generation of experiments with conceptual and hypothetical results; and interpretation of data for product improvement.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Kipp

We will introduce our recently published NSTA book containing a collection of units and resources to help teachers engage students in three-dimensional learning through model-based inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about four biology model-based inquiry units for rigorous and equitable instruction. Developed with secondary science teachers, the session guides three-dimensional learning, anchoring phenomena, modeling, and scientific explanations.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Campbell, Ron Gray

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Experience an easy-to-implement genetic engineering lab with simple teacher prep - no starter cultures or incubator required! This robust lab allows students to visualize the transformation of bacteria from white to bright blue using a protocol that can be completed in a 45-minute class period.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD

Each will identify grade level, core disciplinary ideas (science content standards), Science & Engineering Practice and Crosscutting concepts. Participants will leave with lessons plans, websites, grants ideas and other resources. Over 14 PAs will bring best practices from their varied expertise.

TAKEAWAYS:
K-12 teachers will leave with lessons plans, websites, grant ideas, and other resources from Presidential Awardees.

SPEAKERS:
DeLene Hoffner

Chemistry storylines supporting phenomena-based curriculum and alignment to Next Generation Science Standards. High school chemistry teachers partnered with Northwestern University Materials Research Center to design and implement two new modules— STEM+C Solar Cell Project and SCI+Art Project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how NGSS inquiry and design pedagogy can be used with Materials World Modules. Each module connects everyday phenomena to NGSS performance expectations, emphasizing how to build toward design and engineering skills. Presenters will share modifications to meet varying academic levels.

SPEAKERS:
Ami LeFevre