The Breakout Box: Manufacturing Challenge takes participants on a 20-minute immersive adventure where they apply critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and manufacturing skills to successfully run an eyewear manufacturing facility.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to understand the manufacturing process, the importance of teamwork and its relevance in the real world.

SPEAKERS:
Ali Main

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Eaton

Stop in and take a peek at our mobile manufacturing lab! Learning Undefeated staff will show you around, answer questions, and share how you can bring this unique experience to your classroom.

Join this dynamic workshop to explore three hands-on classroom activities that highlight the math and science skills needed in the manufacturing industry. Explore how geometry, measurement, and critical thinking skills all come together to create new products.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn 3 hands on activities that demonstrate how science and math skills translate to real world jobs in manufacturing.

SPEAKERS:
Ali Main

Launch your STEM program into orbit with @DoDSTEM resources! Discover hands-on learning, paid internships, and scholarships for future innovators. Join us to create your "All Systems Are Go" plan leveraging DoD STEM resources and opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover the wealth of STEM resources and opportunities offered by the Department of Defense. From hands-on learning activities to paid internships and college scholarships, learn how DoD STEM can help you power the next generation of innovators.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Stanley, Jennifer Preston

Join us for an engaging session exploring several sense-making lessons, aligned with the NGSS. Discover amazing assessment tools used to inform your teaching and focus on increased student learning/excitement. Come investigate assessment strategies while engaging in sense-making lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will take away a deeper understanding of innovative assessments (prior, formative and summative) that will inform them using sense-making lessons. We will specifically focus on what the results of the assessments mean and how that will change their teaching and student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Dey, Judith McDonald

Join us for boppin’ lessons that address NGSS K-2 (force & motion, biomimicry, pollination). We integrate computational thinking, literacy, robots, science, and sense-making! We show how we adapted for students’ cultural, and linguistic (Apache, Navajo, Spanish) backgrounds.

TAKEAWAYS:
The attendees will learn to analyze and implement interdisciplinary K-2 STEM teaching and learning using 3D NGSS standards, sense-making, aligned assessment and also integrates the language, culture, and place of a community in ways that position young students as leaders for their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Sophie Forbes, Deena Gould, Megan Smith

Led by members of NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee, this 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 and engineering practices in classrooms.

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

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Jennifer Williams, Melissa Parks

This presentation shows how the UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition employs modular K-12 outreach to engage students from 2nd grade to high school along a few like-activities. Participants take part in our most successful activity, build-a-boat, in both the middle and high school configurations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies for engaging students across grade levels to cultivate STEM curiosity while conserving resources through building scalable, modular lesson plans which serve a wide swath of ages with minimal design changes.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Logue

In this interactive workshop, educators will dive deep into the world of STEM grant writing, equipping themselves with proven strategies to secure funding for their classrooms. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and learn from real-world examples to develop their grant-writing skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will develop a toolkit of practical strategies to transform their Science & STEM project ideas into fundable grant proposals. This workshop will provide valuable insights to help you unlock new funding opportunities for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Welch

Explore how AI tools like ChatGPT can streamline the creation of NGSS-aligned science lessons. Through live demonstrations and guided practice, participants will generate personalized lesson plans, learn to ask effective AI prompts and understand how human expertise makes AI an effective tool.

TAKEAWAYS:
Write effective AI prompts for NGSS-aligned lesson plans Create classroom-ready plans using AI tools Understand how AI can augment lesson planning and evaluate your own AI-generated lesson plans for accuracy and NGSS compliance. Learn to integrate AI with their expertise for more efficient planning.

SPEAKERS:
Ariela Ikezawa

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Together, we can change this by making science more engaging, relevant and meaningful. We’ll explore how hands-on experiences with LEGO® Education spark those 'ah-ha' moments, helping students build knowledge, skills, and excitement for learning.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Sliwinski

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Engage students in hands-on, student-led learning with the Go Direct Motion Detector! We’ll share 3 hands-on experiments to help students explore position, velocity & acceleration. From kinematics in fall to dynamics & conservation laws in spring, this versatile sensor supports 3D learning all year.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for High School and discover how the new Carolina Certified Version enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

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

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

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:
Brian Ell, Maria Dayton

Build a deep understanding of what STEM means by creating opportunities to fully engage students in science learning. Participants will engage in hands-on STEM and learn how to incorporate it in the everyday science classroom. Learn how STEM integration increases students’ desire to learn science!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies for engaging all students in science learning using STEM integration. Walk away with a deeper understanding of what “doing STEM” means and how STEM integration offers an engaging, effective way for students to learn science.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Drager, Courtney Heikkila, Amy Monahan

Discover ways to strengthen NGSS practices through interdisciplinary practices with children's literature, beginning with Ada Twist and Rosie Revere.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Hesson

Build, test, and change ramps and consider ways to help early elementary students answer some BIG questions: How do different objects move? How can we change the way an object moves?

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this workshop with the hands-on experience and curricular materials needed to support young elementary students as they explore and make sense of forces and interactions.

SPEAKERS:
Adrien Kaye

Join award-winning science educator Griff Jones and members of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center to explore a sample of engaging demos and video-supported, inquiry-based activities from the IIHS’s free, online “Crash Science in the Classroom” program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will see a selection of discrepant events and learn how to access other classroom-tested lessons plans, teacher/student tips videos, lab sheets, and answer keys to teach crash-related science and engineering concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Pini Kalnite, Joe Young, Griff Jones

Use a lab and demo to talk about resources and the environment, using copper as an example. The labs can be used for many fields - geology, environmental science, chemistry; focus on the impact of resource acquisition; and provide resources to highlight the depth and complexity of these issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Copper recovery from ore with two methods - these labs can be used for many fields: geology, environmental science, chemistry; they focus on the impact of resource acquisition; and they provide resources to highlight the depth and complexity of these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Richardson

Engage with STEM Design Challenges by designing solutions in the aftermath of a fictional hurricane or stranding on a deserted island. Collaborate to evacuate citizens, build shelters, and develop alternative energy systems while redesigning the city’s infrastructure for future disaster prevention.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to integrate hands-on, real-world engineering design into your classroom, equipping students with critical thinking and collaboration skills to address complex challenges like disaster preparedness, sustainability, and engineering solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Ryack-Bell, Regan McKinnon, Kathryn Atkins

This presentation provides a window into students’ thinking and reasoning as they propose, develop, and test engineering design solutions in small groups. We focus on how students use STEM content knowledge and the design context to make engineering decisions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the different ways students engage in the process of engineering in small groups and how to better support student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Muhammad Purwanto, Gillian Roehrig

Learn how to incorporate sensemaking and engineering design into your K-12 STEM classroom using the Teach Engineering Digital Library! In this hands-on workshop, participants act as students and tackle a real-world design challenge while engaging in phenomena-based and three-dimensional learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn effective strategies to integrate sensemaking and engineering design into their STEM classrooms. They will experience firsthand how engineering involves designing solutions to problems that arise from phenomena while engaging in student sensemaking and 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Dua Chaker, Jennifer Kracha, Ellen Sukovich

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, Kelsie Fowler

Problem solving? Creativity? Collaboration? Design Challenge? Learn about an instructional strategy that provides students opportunities to participate that focuses on local and state environmental issues. Join a mini design sprint and develop your own challenge before you leave.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the design sprint, an instructional strategy that provides students with a unique opportunity to participate in a challenge that focuses on local and state environmental issues. Participants will create the initial ideas for their own student design challenge.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Martinez, Peggy Steffen

Transdisciplinary learning that positions students in the context of real-life scenarios to problem solve authentic issues can increase conceptual understanding of content area knowledge, inspire community connections, and increase student engagement, while also building transformative SEL skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discover how transdisciplinary education and transformative social and emotional learning can be facilitated in their classrooms and educational communities.

SPEAKERS:
Stefanie Holloway

Why can mammals survive the first few weeks or months of life by only ingesting milk? But, what happens when someone is lactose intolerant? Why can lactose-intolerant people tolerate some dairy products? Explore the answers to these questions in a new unit storyline on MILK.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this new storyline on milk students construct an explanation based on evidence for why dairy is an important source of food energy. Human babies double their weight during the first 6 months of life, yet some lose the ability to digest lactose. Fermentation is one way to solve this problem.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Embry Mohr

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore CRISPR-Cas gene editing in our hands-on electrophoresis workshop! The Nobel-winning biotechnology breakthrough is making dramatic changes to human health TODAY. Dive into CRISPR biology with quick experiments modeling cures for genetic diseases like Sickle Cell Anemia and Cystic Fibrosis.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell, Maria Dayton

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

From friction to collisions, engage students in real-world motion phenomena! Investigate questions like “How do brakes stop a bicycle?” or “Why are seat belts crucial to car safety?” We’ll explore sensor carts in action, analyze velocity and acceleration data, and share hands-on investigations.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Sponsoring Company: PhET Interactive Simulations

Be empowered with PhET Studio, PhET’s first customization tool for teachers! Learn how to create unique sim experiences that fit your lessons and inspire students like never before. Join us to see Studio in action and gain free Open House access. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity!

SPEAKERS:
Linda Stegemann

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Explore easy, engaging, and safe chemistry activities that guarantee a reaction in your students. These lab activities support 3-dimensional learning and work every time, not just periodically.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Participants will make and use alginate beads containing algae and alginate beads containing yeast. They will learn how the beads can be used to model the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

SPEAKERS:
Crystal Risko

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Why are some coral and fish species disappearing? In this 3D lesson, biology and environmental science students use real-time data to explore how excess CO2 in water affects the pH. Using their findings, students can model how these changes impact interdependent relationships in ocean ecosystems.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Successfully engaging students in scientific reasoning, discourse, and investigation requires confident educators and reliable tools. Join us to explore hands-on lessons you can use to spark student curiosity, address Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards, and improve outcomes with LEGO® Education classroom solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Tom Taylor, Evangelia Papacostas

What are the latest and greatest technologies and websites for science instruction? Come learn about them and how they can be used.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with an understanding of a variety of resources for incorporating technology into their science instruction

SPEAKERS:
Patti Duncan

Did you know sugar is grown and refined in 17 US states? Sugar cane thrives in the south, while sugar beets flourish in the north. Discover the difference!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the sugar-making process from field to final product and see a variety of activities you can use with students to discover the difference between sugar cane and sugar beets.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Sponholtz, Michelle Blodgett

Educators can integrate Minecraft Education with academic standards. They can create challenges for students to gauge students' interests and provide creativity using Minecraft. Educators will also discover that there are built in lesson plans on Minecraft Education to assist with standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to create lesson plans, integrate standards from multiple academic content with Minecraft Education. Educators will be able to instill enthusiasm and positive learning outcomes using Minecraft Education to teach students their core academic content.

SPEAKERS:
Veena Black

Learn how you can use robots to integrate with core academic content to teach skills to your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn about different types of robots that are available and how they can incorporate technology with academic content.

SPEAKERS:
Veena Black

This poster shares a middle-school project where students create fictional ice cream parlors! Students design menus and merch, create a website, and build 3D models. Along the way, they’ll pick up important skills through connections to computer science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and design.

TAKEAWAYS:
The ready-to-use “Ice Cream Parlor” project offers students exciting ways to engage with important STEM concepts in an interactive, relevant, and hands on learning experience. The project inherently has many avenues for extension that can integrate it seamlessly into a variety of courses.

SPEAKERS:
Cristin Sedelmaier, David Amiel

Upon witnessing poverty in South Africa 13 years ago and wanting to make an impact, the idea of storing “Sunshine in a Jar” was developed. Currently, this solar lantern project is evolving into a “Power it Forward” movement in hopes of providing reliable solar power to those in energy poverty.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendants are briefed on the solar lantern project, which covers the middle and high school NGSS Physics standards as well as the NRC Framework Standards for Matter, Energy, and Human Impacts. Plans will be shared about how these lanterns are launching a movement towards alleviating energy poverty.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Ulicny

This poster showcases the culturally relevant middle school 5E STEM lesson that interweaves Native American stories, language, and culture through Two-Eyed Seeing and Place-Based Learning. The lesson is part of the Native Earth Native Sky free online asynchronous professional development course.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about effective strategies and tools to implement culturally relevant STEM lessons that interweave Native American stories, language and culture. Attendees will also learn about other lessons that are a part of an online asynchronous professional development course.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah McDowell, Angela Just

Engage learners in science through exciting hands-on activities, media, and discussions that make complex topics accessible. This lesson showcase offers free, adaptable resources, tools, and strategies to inspire STEM interest in classrooms and spark critical thinking in learners of all ages.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain strategies to engage diverse learners with hands-on STEM lessons that foster inclusion, critical thinking, and community connections, while empowering them to address real-world challenges through science literacy and active participation.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Roberts

Access to supplies is often a barrier to learning yet amazing projects can be made with just paper, tape and scissors. Paper is great for introducing students to engineering fundamentals. Together we will explore how to use just  paper, tape and scissors to make amazing engineering projects

TAKEAWAYS:
Science and engineering can be done with inexpensive materials

SPEAKERS:
Godwyn Morris

This session will explore using Success Criteria as steps toward mastery in math and science assessments to enhance student understanding and engagement. Participants will learn to create quality open educational resources (OER) that align with standards for effective assessment practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with practical strategies for integrating Success Criteria into assessments, promoting student ownership of learning and improving instructional practices in math and science.

SPEAKERS:
Laura - Ashley Hayes

Teach Engineering and the AspireIT Toolkit offer educators free resources to enhance K-12 STEM education through inclusivity, hands-on learning, sensemaking, and student-centered instruction. These tools empower educators to create engaging and accessible STEM learning experiences for all.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster session introduces the Teach Engineering K-12 STEM digital library and the NCWIT AspireIT Toolkit. These tools are designed to enhance K-12 education with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and hands-on learning, addressing the need for equitable access to high-quality STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Dua Chaker, Jennifer Kracha, Ellen Sukovich

In this lesson unit, middle school students explore interdisciplinary concepts through the book "The Wild Robot" integrating ELA, Science, and Computer Science.Transitioning to the Engineering Design Process (EDP) students embark on a project to design and build prosthetic hands inspire by the book.

TAKEAWAYS:
This lesson unit not only enriches students' comprehension of "The Wild Robot" but also provides valuable experience in engineering and AI. It connects literature with practical applications, enhancing problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Suters, Kim Alvin De Lara

Outdoor education takes many forms and focuses on promoting real-world, inquiry-based learning. Learn how schools in different states have developed camping programs including how to effectively prepare, advocate for, and organize a camp experience integrating NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Outdoor Ed aligns with NGSS to enhance learning through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. Visitors will gain strategies to create an outdoor education program that fits their school's needs, including lessons and units that foster critical thinking and problem solving.

SPEAKERS:
Myriah Leisher, Pamela Waters

The University of Nebraska offers a geology field course to science teachers where participants will travel through Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota over a 2 week experience. The only cost for participants is tuition.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants in the course will not only learn about the geology of the area, but they will also learn new strategies to reinforce 3 dimensional learning in their own classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kyle Thompson

Explore innovative strategies from the book, "Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life". Join author Annalies Corbin, PhD as we reimagine the classroom, overcome change barriers, and collaborate on implementing successful school innovations that prepare students for the future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with a customizable "Hacking School Toolkit" containing five actionable strategies, and implementation guides to immediately begin transforming their classrooms by connecting curriculum to real-world challenges and opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Schneider

Attendees will receive materials for a unit on nutrient cycling and the transfer of matter. Student examples show collection and sensemaking of their own data using iNaturalist. Students then apply data to monitor and make changes to the ecosystem model, serving as a local and current data set.

TAKEAWAYS:
Scaled ecosystem models provide opportunities for students to generate their own data. Further generations of students can collect long-term data on the model. Data can be used to propose changes to the model and make sense of larger phenomena. Students develop personal connections to the ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Verdiguel Gillet

Join us at this Share-A-Thon to discover a treasure trove of educational materials and resources provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office of Public Engagement. Our poster session aims to showcase innovative teaching tools that empower educators to foster inventing and creativity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage with live demonstrations of free educational tools and trading card lesson plans designed to enhance student learning across STEM at various grade levels. Learn about professional development opportunities for enhancing invention and intellectual property education.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe

Discover how PBS LearningMedia, a free and trusted resource for PreK-12 classrooms, utilizes media-rich resources from PBS shows like NOVA, NATURE, Weathered, and PBS Eons to spark students' curiosity, facilitate student sense-making, and support 3D learning frameworks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies for seamlessly incorporating multimedia content from PBS LearningMedia into curriculum and learn new methods to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving as students learn about and discuss challenges posed by environmental issues and the potential solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Merek Chang, Lori Brittain

How do you leverage the powerful computer in students' pockets to teach E&M? The modern smartphone's magnetometer can be used to do things as basic as detecting currents and permanent magnets and as complex as collecting data to linearize and discover distance dependencies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student "doing the lab" is better than one student "doing the lab" and 3+ students watching a demonstration of the lab. Turn your students into scientists with the tools to answer questions right in their pockets.

SPEAKERS:
Helene McLaughlin, David Rakestraw, Michael Tobler

Scientific ocean drilling is disappearing from textbooks. An OER was developed to share the ships and sampling process, profiles of scientists and crew, and onshore analyses. The OER includes multimedia material, interactive fact checks, and student exercises to increase ocean literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Viewers will learn about the organization of a free educational resource on scientific ocean drilling, which includes spotlights of the scientists and crew in text and audio, video clips, interactive fact checks, and questions and exercises, to increase student ocean literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Guertin

Discover how 3D printing and modeling can transform STEM education. Come ready learn practical strategies, see student-driven projects, and gain resources to bring hands-on, problem based creative learning into your classroom. Learn how to integrate this into all subject areas to bring STEM to life

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether you're new to 3D printing or want to expand its use, this session will provide ideas, resources, and confidence to integrate 3D technology into your classroom. Learn how to use free software to bring science and engineering concepts to life, engaging students in real world projects

SPEAKERS:
Scott Woodard, Alicia Yewcic

This session will showcase STEM choices educators can consider to gauge students' interests with academic standards. Student artifacts will highlight the NSS of Human and Structure, i.e. the skeletal system on Minecraft Education, skeletal system illustration of cartoon characters.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will explore offering students choices to foster collaboration and creativity in their learning of science standards.

SPEAKERS:
Veena Black

Engage students in the engineering design process by having them design and create candy dispensing machines. The project will be presented from the perspectives of different educators at different grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to use Halloween candy dispensing machines to engage students in exploring the Engineering Design Process. We will share project rubrics, instructions, and examples to guide the implementation. Discussion on extending the project to reflect additional themes will be included.

SPEAKERS:
Fernando Azcona, Eileen Koenig

An annual high school competition organized as a team-based student project to design a creative solution for a fire safety problem. Student teams work in their high school, are provided with educational material, a small-scale house model, mentoring, and compete on Burn Day to test their solution.

TAKEAWAYS:
An example of how high school science teachers can introduce exciting and instructive educational material on STEM and Safety Science into their classroom. Attendees will learn about the unique field of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) and learn how to include FPE material into their curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Hollywood, Arnaud Trouve

Guiding your students through sensemaking is a combination of more than you’d expect: the questions you ask, the activities you choose, and even how your classroom set up. In this session, you will learn the components of a formative classroom and walk away with ideas to enhance students' learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the components of a formative classroom, and specific techniques they can use in order to give students a more formative experience; examples include collaborative work, room setup, cycles for questioning, appropriate feedback, and more. This can be done with any age group.

SPEAKERS:
Rama Sreekantham

This presentation will share results of my research with a middle school science class on how the online program Classbank boosts student motivation for reassessment in mastery-based learning. It examines how game-like rewards impact students' willingness to improve performance and perceive learning

TAKEAWAYS:
A key takeaway is how Classbank's gamification enhances middle school students' motivation to engage in reassessment, driving improvement in performance.

SPEAKERS:
Alma Fernandez, Cecilia Duenas

Using Makey-Makey controllers is a great way to increase hands-on learning in STEM classes. This presentation will explore how Makey-Makey works and how it can be used within different lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how the Makey-Makey controller can be used in a variety of different lessons and settings.

SPEAKERS:
Alyna Raynovich

How can we introduce even first-grade students to atoms and molecules? Visitors can hold actual teaching materials and models that students will build, view photos and classroom evaluation data, and learn how molecular models can deepen even young students’ scientific understanding of our world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn a basic plan for younger students who are new to atoms and molecules and for more advanced students who are fed up with reaction formulas. It includes concrete, practical examples to introduce them to the physical images of atoms and molecules in a fun way.

SPEAKERS:
Koji Tsukamoto, Haruhiko Funahashi, Tomoko HASEGAWA, Mariko Kobayashi, Taro YAMAMOTO

We show how instructional materials can be adapted for local contexts—and how to elevate issues of climate justice and ethical responses to the climate crisis. Participants will learn about how a high school physics unit from OpenSciEd was adapted to attend to Indigenous land rights and sovereignty.

TAKEAWAYS:
In relation to science and engineering projects in society (e.g., associated with the energy transition, ecological restoration, urban development), teachers will learn how to engage students in exploring moral and ethical dimensions of trade-offs in project approaches.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell, Kelsie Fowler

No time for science? Tap into children’s curiosity and wonder to bring joyful, student-led STEM experiences into your classroom. Engage in teacher-play as you design and engineer kinetic balance sculptures and imagine how you can make STEM learning happen daily in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
PreK-2 educators will be provided a framework for integrative STEM learning that fits into their scheduled day, and learn how it easily integrates with existing curriculum. By designing and engineering a kinetic balance sculpture, participants will view STEM from the perspective of PreK-2 children .

SPEAKERS:
Beth Dykstra VanMeeteren

Gain practical knowledge to provide accessible STEM experiences for all students. Participants will analyze scenarios and brainstorm ways to create a more authentic experience for students. Participants will have the opportunity to apply these new strategies using provided STEM lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with ideas and actionable strategies to engage all students in learning STEM at appropriately challenging levels.

SPEAKERS:
Beverly Berekian, Jessica Minton

How can we bring STEM to life by weaving in history? Explore exciting activities that link groundbreaking discoveries and innovations with historical events, helping students connect STEM to the real world and see its role in shaping our past, present, and future!

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover fresh, innovative ways to fuse history with science! Attendees will explore hands-on, interdisciplinary activities that bring science lessons to life, deepening student engagement and making complex concepts more relatable by linking them to historical breakthroughs and events.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Verdeflor, Yishan Lee

A hands-on experience for understanding how to utilize Micro:bits as a tool for manually or automated data collection, analyzing data sets, introducing data science concepts, and using phenomena to evoke curiosity and connecting to a STEM project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore how students can use Micro:bits to log motion data in and egg and spoon race and then improve the design of their spoons to reduce motion. Extensions to the use of the data logging function include designing earthquake proof structures and a mini house moving project.

SPEAKERS:
Eileen Koenig

Neurodivergent students often think differently - aren’t we lucky they do? We will share best teaching practices that involve inclusive innovation. Learn to engage students in STEAM learning where they create authentic maker space products that build their self-confidence.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain ideas for maker space projects that utilize laser cutting, 3D printing, stop motion videos, and coding. These can help students demonstrate their understanding of earth science, physics, and life science, as they build on students’ strengths and creativity.

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Surette, Megan Saunders

Learn strategies and try hands-on lessons to engage all students and multilingual learners in exploring the natural world through, STEM-focused content. Receive three free lesson plans with connections to NGSS, Common Core, and UN SDGs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain knowledge and materials needed to engage all students and multilingual learners in nature-based learning. Walk away ready to immediately use these strategies and materials.

SPEAKERS:
Ana Leirner, Kate Nagle

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Rockets zoom and race cars zip through hands-on activities that engage your middle and high school students. Apply creative problem-solving skills and engineering practices to chemistry and physical science challenges. Experience how Carolina makes it easy to incorporate STEM into your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau, Alexandra Felts

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for Elementary School and discover how the Carolina Certified Version enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

From coffee to cola, many of your students’ favorite beverages contain acid! Help them investigate the acid concentrations in different drinks using pH sensors and a simple acid/base titration. Walk away with a go-to experiment and tips to connect key chemistry concepts to real-world food science.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Join LEGO Education for a special presentation/Q&A with Dr. Lisa Carnell from NASA’s Biological and Physical Science Division. Learn how they use space-based research to study phenomena in ways that cannot be done on Earth. Get inspired, be curious, and empower the next generation through science. 

Why is data science important? How can I integrate it in my classroom? The High School 2 Health Care project will share engaging data science content for teacher professional development. Join our interactive session to gain confidence to teach real-world data science and inspire your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The High School 2 Health Care project aligns with the NSTA’s Position on Data Science that all students should have knowledge of data science and ethical use of data. Data science modules will be provided and results showing our modules increased teachers’ data science knowledge and self-efficacy.

SPEAKERS:
Simpfronia Taylor, Rebecca Reynolds

Learn how Blue Origin's Club for the Future is helping students get excited about space careers via hands on STEM lessons. Explore the lesson Cosmic Clutter: The Mission to Clean Up Space Debris and learn how to implement the lesson into your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to implement the lesson into their classroom and learn about the free resources Club for the Future has to offer.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Yip

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Wildlife conservators often return captive-bred animals to their native habitats to rewild the area. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the use of RFLP analysis and phylogenetics in conservation biology to analyze the DNA samples of two lions. Can we return them to their ancestral home?

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell, Maria Dayton

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Is there a reason to wear sneakers in gym class or a white shirt on a sunny day? The data say yes! Help middle school students explore real-world science with Vernier sensors that measure temperature, light, color, force & acceleration. Walk away with 3D, sensor-based experiments for your toolkit.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Join this dynamic workshop to explore three hands-on classroom activities that highlight the math and science skills needed in the manufacturing industry. Explore how geometry, measurement, and critical thinking skills all come together to create new products.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn 3 hands on activities that demonstrate how science and math skills translate to real world jobs in manufacturing.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Diamantides

This workshop is designed to equip elementary teachers with strategies for fostering science inquiry through dialogue and discussion. By emphasizing collaborative learning and critical thinking, the workshop aims to enhance student engagement, understanding, and scientific literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
The workshop aims to provide teachers with strategies for creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment for discussion.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Sanvictores, Michelle Velho

Transform early learning with "Teaching STEM Through Literacy". Blend STEM, books, and tech to nurture 21st-century skills in young minds. Join us for hands-on activities that create immersive learning spaces, igniting curiosity and problem-solving in our littlest innovators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Empower early childhood educators to seamlessly integrate STEM, literacy, and technology, creating engaging, multi-disciplinary learning experiences that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and a lifelong love of learning in young children.

SPEAKERS:
Clint Coleman

Deepen student data literacy and build engagement with data sets that will surprise you! Activate critical thinking and questioning in data readers with innumerable and creative ways to represent data. Experience data representation as a scientist and artist.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience graphing in artful and innovative ways. Modeled after ‘Dear Data,’ attendees will obtain and organize data, then create data visualizations to view as a community. Participants will receive lesson and activity plans to expand students’ thinking around graphing and data representation.

SPEAKERS:
Nina Hipps, Amanda Becker

This presentation would cover 2025 trends developing in state-level education policy and their potential to impact science education and science teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Be an informed science educator on the big policy issues that could impact your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Alex Molinich, James Brown

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, Amanda Upton, Sue Whitsett, Brian Kutsch

Teachers rotate among stations to explore air quality activities, sensors, service projects, and games aligned with NGSS/CC standards followed by discussion. Phenomena-based lessons and assessments that address wildfires, climate change, and environmental justice will be prioritized.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers can confidently engage students with air quality topics to empower them with skills, content, and actions to protect their communities. Includes free activities from the Air & Waste Management Association, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and Clean Air Partners.

SPEAKERS:
Joann Held, Madelyn Percy, Amelia Cavazos, Elizabeth Spike

The American Meteorological Society’s Education Team offers four professional development courses for teachers throughout the year. Learn about these free opportunities to deepen your understanding of Earth Science topics and how to teach them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will walk away with information about the DataStreme Weather and Ocean, Project Ice, and Project Atmosphere, including the focus and components of each course, types of activities, and how to apply.

SPEAKERS:
Diane Ripollone, Erin Smoak

I will present an electrical circuit game that uses closed circuits and a switch. This game can be adapted for higher or lower classes and can be used for limitless topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to help students research, design, and build a closed circuit gameboard that uses simple materials.

Gamify your classroom with "The Adaptation Game," a fun activity supporting critical thinking, art skills, and data organization. Loosely based on the nonfiction book, THE ODDBALL BOOK OF ARMADILLOS, the game helps kids understand natural selection. Free card decks and book giveaway!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain a free, easy-to-use classroom activity that encourages science literary and supports reading skills. During the session, we'll play a round or two. You'll design and draw your own special critter...but will it survive? Suitable for MS and upper elementary levels.

SPEAKERS:
Sierra Satterstrom, Elizabeth Shreeve

Our classrooms are filled with diverse learners who value choice. We must proactively design differentiated activities that empower students, fostering independence, creativity, and ownership. Join this share-a-thorn session to explore strategies for designing and implementing Choice & Voice!

TAKEAWAYS:
Takeaway from the share-a-thorn session include: designing Choice & Voice assessments and empowering students to be independent learners, knowledge constructors, and creative communicators. The presenter will share tested, standards-based Choice & Voice assessments and student work exemplars.

SPEAKERS:
Gaganjot Singh

Learn to use the Sphero Mini robot to teach middle school students kinetics concepts like velocity, acceleration, and force. This session offers hands-on activities aligned with NGSS, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and inquiry-based learning to make science engaging and interactive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate the Sphero Mini robot into science lessons to teach kinetics concepts such as velocity, acceleration, and force, using NGSS-aligned, hands-on activities that foster student engagement, critical thinking, and collaborative inquiry-based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Marrero

All students should have access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities, especially PK-12 learning environments. Experience and learn how one small rural school has sparked excitement for STEM on the primary campus and continued to foster this environment on the secondary campus.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to learn how one small rural school has sparked excitement for STEM on the primary campus and continued to foster this environment on the secondary campus.

SPEAKERS:
Judy Butcher

Shape of Life will debut their new animated film of the Tree of Life created by Ray Troll which depicts the beginning of life on earth.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through two featured Lesson Plans, teachers will learn how the film was constructed with a fun intereactive Tree of Life puzzle along with how to build animation.

SPEAKERS:
Denise Ryan

Shape of Life provides FREE online resources that depicts the evolution of the animal kingdom on planet earth. Drived from a PBS eight hour series, Shape of Life offers short videos, animation film, lesson plans, feature articles and readings that have been engaging students all over the world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how students may create their own cartoons and animations that depict the evolution of the animal kingdom as seen in the newly produced film by Ray Troll.

SPEAKERS:
Denise Ryan

Come try engaging, exciting and hands-on biotechnology activities for middle school students. Using colored dyes, students learn the basics of pipetting and running an electrophoresis gel.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about age appropriate biotechnology activities for middle school.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins

Air Camp is a hands-on educational adventure in aviation and aeronautics for students in grades 4-12 and K-12 STEM educators. Aiming to connect, inspire, and provide STEM learning opportunities while offering teachers professional development, valuable resources, classroom materials, and much more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Access to teacher resources and professional development opportunities designed to integrate aviation-focused STEM lessons and real-world applications into the middle school classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Stormer, Christina Davis

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:
Brian Kutsch

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Ignite your students’ curiosity with hands-on STEM activities that integrate engineering, physical, life, and earth sciences. Designed for middle and high school teachers, these real-world connections energize students and enhance learning. Handouts provided! Visit www.flinnsci.com.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Cambron, M.S., Jillian Saddler

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Learn about our 3 most popular biology sensors that support hands-on, phenomenon-based learning with real-time data. You'll learn how to investigate cellular respiration, photosynthesis, and enzyme action with easy-to-use probeware and data-analysis apps that work together to promote 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

This session focuses on the context, vision, and projected impact of a career-connected learning framework that is being implemented across organization in the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC). We will share a model for connecting STEM learning, in both in- and out-of school environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
A model for designing STEM learning experiences in articulated pathways to emphasize transitions and hand-offs that are critical for students to pursue STEM.

SPEAKERS:
John Lee, Eric Moore

Build capacity in providing opportunities for students to have voice and choice in exploring topics and fostering STEM skills through engaging space-themed curriculum. The charge is on educators to provide opportunities for all students to envision themselves in a STEM career field.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with ideas and simple yet impactful strategies to leverage knowledge of students to help ensure all students feel valued in STEM learning and can envision themselves in STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Minton, Beverly Berekian

Representatives from the GLOBE Program, MYNASA Data, and NASA GLOBE Mission Earth, will discuss and answer questions about available educational and scientific products, that focus on Acquiring -Analyzing- Applying satellite imagery, remote sensing, and computer visualizations for student research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using the Space to Earth:Earth to Space (SEES) Model, students can actively engage in investigations using authentic NASA imagery, data, and visualizations using from Earth Observing Satellites, remote sensing, and ground observations and measurements using scientific protocols

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Taylor, Michael Jabot, John Moore

Design standards driven, highly engaging inquiry to action units that empower students to become changemakers in their local communities? Explore using the Solutionary Framework to support student implementation of real-world solutions to issues of clean water access and quality in their communities

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how using the Solutionary Framework can improve student engagement and support teachers in designing and implementing student-led projects to address water quality and watershed health in their communities. Free materials and lesson plans.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Bertini, Angela Whittaker

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Join this hands-on workshop to explore three engaging experiments about how light, gravity & nutrients impact plant growth. Each participant receives Fast Plants seeds flown in space with Emily Calandrelli on a Blue Origin rocket, plus fun lesson plans for all experiments.

SPEAKERS:
Hedi Lauffer, Alexandra Felts

Youth need opportunities to learn about green colonialism and how Native Science and Indigenous sovereignty are fundamental to addressing the climate emergency. Workshop participants will engage in talk activities designed to support non-Indigenous youth in learning and processing these topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will support educators in understanding that climate experts across the globe are calling for the broad recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and climate expertise as fundamental to mitigating climate change and building a just future.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell, Kelsie Fowler, Deb Morrison

How might a single microbe curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and invasive species? Join us to discuss the implementation of student-driven research programs and contribution of meaningful data to the scientific community. Together, let’s unravel the biodiversity of this fascinating microbe!

TAKEAWAYS:
Course-based research experiences (CREs) develop workforce-ready skills, build confidence and expertise to pursue postsecondary STEM education, and, most importantly, allow students to envision themselves as scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Rosensteel, Meghan Kanski, Sarah Bordenstein

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for Middle School and discover how the Carolina Certified Version enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort

Discover chemical reactions and animal adaptations through fireflies! We'll explore chemiluminescence, build a circuit, and practice communicating like beetles. This workshop is half chemistry lab, half engineering design challenge, and 100% fun!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learners will walk away with a clear understanding of how to run the lab activity, including access to all digital and printable materials. A hyperlinked list of affordable consumable materials is included.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Leys

Science, math and social studies educators employ similar strategies for teaching students to build arguments and support conclusions. Explore how to use historical primary sources from the Library of Congress to engage learners in thinking practices they can use the whole school day!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to inspire students to investigate questions of personal, local, cultural, and societal concern, build new knowledge, and keep coming back to the evidence as their arguments grow in sophistication, across multiple school subjects.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Apfeldorf, Ralph Pantozzi

Explore how students can change a metal’s properties through alloying, heat-treating, and/or cold-working. Classroom activities that will enhance chemistry understanding of atomic structure and real world engineering relevance. Deepen understanding of binary phase diagrams.

TAKEAWAYS:
How do architects and manufacturers manipulate common metal properties to get the metals to behave in the desired way for a specific use? Participants will make a simple low-melt tin-based alloy and explore a binary phase diagram. Heat-treating of steel and cold-working of copper is also explored.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler

Explore how leaders can use the new BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model to support teachers in creating learning experiences that motivate students with significant, real world phenomena and problems! Learn how AIL cycles of inquiry and sensemaking culminate in student agency!

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and forms the basis for high-quality instructional materials. Leaders can leverage this model to support teachers in creating a student centered classroom that provides effective teaching and learning for all.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay

Join us as we simulate a mini unit on sound which integrates 1st grade reading, math, and science standards through an engineering task assessment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience a project based learning task which integrates standards from multiple content areas.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Bay, Margaret Strehle, Alyssa Larkham

This session will equip educators with practical strategies to lead project-based learning (PBL) activities that align with state standards, engage students in real-world problem-solving, and foster a collaborative school culture, ultimately preparing students for future success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to effectively implement and lead project-based learning (PBL) activities that align with educational goals, enhance student engagement, and foster essential skills like critical thinking and collaboration, ultimately transforming school culture and improving student outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Oktay Ince

This session will provide an overview of the major national policy trends relative to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education going into 2025. We will discuss what we can expect from the recent 2024 Election results and their implications for the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learning what is brewing at the national level in STEM education and that trends you can expect in federal education policy in 2025.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

Don't miss this informative presentation on integrating Minecraft into science education. Discover innovative strategies to enhance student engagement, promote collaboration, and inspire critical thinking. Leave with actionable strategies to bring the power of Minecraft into your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with ideas to empower students to explore scientific concepts creatively through Minecraft, enhancing engagement and fostering a deeper understanding of the material.

SPEAKERS:
Erik Wade

This hands-on session is designed to engage elementary science teachers in a model lesson on building and testing ziplines using an engineering design process as advocated by the Next Generation Science Standards. We will also explore the physics, and energy and forces involved in a zipline.

TAKEAWAYS:
The experience within the session will help teachers develop a shared understanding of NGSS in action, 5E model, and engineering design process. Participants will work collaboratively to experience designing and testing ziplines for them to engage their future students in engineering design.

SPEAKERS:
Derek Cox

Integrating STEM design challenges into Science and STEM classrooms for students in grades 4-8 offers valuable opportunities to emphasize and practice the Engineering Design Process, while fostering the development of essential soft skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain strategies for incorporating real-world problem-solving into their classrooms, along with differentiation techniques. Educators will complete a Make and Take project that can be adapted for their own classrooms, so they leave with a practical resource ready for implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Swanson, Kristin Slota

Discover how PBS LearningMedia, a free and trusted resource for PreK-12 classrooms, utilizes media-rich resources from PBS shows like NOVA, NATURE, Weathered, and PBS Eons to spark students' curiosity, facilitate student sense-making, and support 3D learning frameworks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies for seamlessly incorporating multimedia content from PBS LearningMedia into curriculum and learn new methods to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving as students learn about and discuss challenges posed by environmental issues and the potential solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Merek Chang, Lori Brittain

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Get to know our most popular physics sensors! From exploring Ohm’s law in simple circuits to studying Newton’s third law with force sensors and a rubber band, Vernier data-analysis technology makes it easy to integrate hands-on, 3D learning into your physics and physical science curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

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, ELISA, and AI 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:
Brian Ell, Maria Dayton

This session will provide strategies and resources to support Pennsylvania science teachers, administrators, and curriculum supervisors transitioning to the PA STEELS standards. Many of the resources provided are also applicable to NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with knowledge of a website with a variety of resources for implementing 3-dimensional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Wack

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

What if you could easily tailor your science curriculum to reflect the world your students live in? In this interactive workshop, educators will discover how to use Stile’s Prepare Mode to seamlessly integrate local phenomena into their science lessons. We’ll explore how making local connections boosts engagement and learning outcomes, and you’ll collaborate with fellow teachers to build a custom lesson featuring New York- and New Jersey-specific science phenomena in real time. Whether it’s a case study on Hurricane Sandy, an analysis of water levels in the Manasquan Reservoir, or an exploration of genetically diverse cockroaches in Manhattan, you’ll leave with a personalized lesson ready to spark dynamic, student-led discussions in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Julianna Jimenez

Invention Education supercharges STEM for all K-12 students! Learn how invention meets the needs of all learners and become an inventor yourself! Through one of our invention activities you will transform ordinary items into extraordinary inventions, igniting creativity and problem-solving skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience the power of creative problem solving through an innovation activity to help educators prepare students to become inventors. Learn how invention becomes a vehicle for connecting your students with their community. The session will connect educators with free resources too!

SPEAKERS:
Denise Henggeler, Christine Lawlor-King

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Ever wonder how your cells are like a tiny city? Or what a sheep would want in their hotel room? Come experience science standards in a way that will make science the highlight of your students' day. Reignite your passion for teaching with engaging, hands-on science lessons and LEGO® bricks.

SPEAKERS:
Jenny Nash

Physical computing allows students to design and create interactive objects that encourage inquiry investigations and emphasize computational thinking skills. Participants will engage in activities designed for middle school students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Microcontrollers are small computers that can come with several integrated sensors making them useful for bothc investigations and engineering projects. Participants will learn about and experience hands-on various microcontrollers & their use in inquiry investigation tasks & student sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Susan German, Michael Bowen

Join us for an interactive workshop on promoting resilience in students through STEM education. Discover strategies such as hands-on problem-solving projects, fostering a growth mindset, and embracing failure as a learning opportunity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage students in hands-on STEM projects that encourage them to persist through challenges and setbacks, developing resilience when faced with complex tasks.

SPEAKERS:
Stephen Bowen, Ashish Gilbert Bowen

Join NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary & BSB Committees as they explore how these award-winning books support STEM learning. Educators will engage in interactive activities, leaving with a head full of ideas on how these books enhance science & engineering practices (SEPs) in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants can view and discuss the 2025 Best STEM Book winners and ways to incorporate them into their classrooms to teach the SEPs.

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance, Emily Brady, Melissa Parks, Mary Lynn Hess, Jennifer Williams, Anne Lowry

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Tired of textbook diagrams showing DNA to RNA to protein? Bring the central dogma to life with a hands-on experiment to visualize transcription and translation using fluorescence. Explore gene expression in real-time using low-cost tools made for the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin

This session will present the findings of a NARST committee on the potential and issues of AI in facilitating meaningful and equitable science learning in classrooms. We will engage teachers in discussions of the practice of AI-based science education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insights into the potential and challenges of AI in creating equitable science education, explore a framework for addressing these concerns, and receive recommendations for using AI to foster inclusive and meaningful science learning for diverse student populations.

SPEAKERS:
Juan-Carlos Aguilar, Xiaoming Zhai

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Walk away with powerful insights from real classroom on how to better engage students in science with hands-on playful learning. A panel of educators will share how they use hands-on, inquiry-based methods and tools to spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and improve long-term learning outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Joshua Johnson, JoEllen Schuleman, Paula Don, Theresa Goltermann, Jenny Nash

Participants will learn data analysis/collecting techniques to help students young and old learn the relationships between types of data and effective analysis of those types.

TAKEAWAYS:
Concrete hands on examples linking types of data being collected with types of graphical representations to use. These were developed in response to research which demonstrated that students do not have a conceptual foundation to make decisions about which type of graph to use.

SPEAKERS:
Susan German, Michael Bowen

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Learn about our 3 most popular chemistry sensors that support hands-on, phenomenon-based learning with real-time data. You'll learn how to investigate acid-base reactions, gas laws, and reaction rates with easy-to-use probeware and data-analysis apps that work together to promote 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Martin

Inspire your students to think like scientists and engineers with this hands-on STEM approach. Test variables, make predictions, and design the perfect plane—a new twist on straw rockets! Engage in reverse engineering to analyze existing designs. Get resources to elevate your STEM lessons today!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn hands-on strategies to help students develop measurement, data collection, and analysis skills they can apply in engineering design lessons. You will learn methods to differentiate this in any K-12 setting and leave with free resources to implement this in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Stormer, Christina Davis

Science education has a key role to play in supporting a just transition to the climate crisis. Participants will learn about 20 priority areas associated with climate and environmental justice—and explore educational approaches, resources, and groups related to these areas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Working towards climate justice involves a multifaceted set of issues and priorities. Teachers will identify which priority areas relate to their goals and context and learn about related resources. A climate justice framework will help teachers learn about different dimensions of climate justice.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell, Kelsie Fowler, Deb Morrison, Nancy Price

With a declining workforce population, NSF & others have PreK12 opportunities to promote STEM identity and potential future careers in a growing national STEM workforce. Tap into large-scale grants that bring authentic pK12 STEM experiences to a learning setting near you through NSF Broader Impacts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants explore the "Ah Ha" insights that a "retired" 35-year STEM teacher learned in an encore career as a Broader Impacts professional at an R1 research institution. Get an inside scoop on taking PreK-12 students on paid authentic STEM journeys! The ultimate STEM opportunity playbook!

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Remington

Engage in cancer focused classroom-ready interactive lessons, discuss the myths of cancer and explore the technology advances in cancer research to share with students. View more free lessons www.decodingcancer.org

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain an understanding of cancer innovations and STEM careers within cancer health advocacy to share with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Casandra Gabriele

Complete a distracted driving hands-on activity and discover award-winning videos and more inquiry-based activities from IIHS’s Crash Science in the Classroom program that illustrate the vital connections between biology, physics, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and teen driver safety.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will measure their reaction time and complete a distracted driving simulation using a series of 4 activities simulating the 4 major types of driving distractions. Participants will also learn how to access detailed lesson plans, teacher tips videos, student lab sheets and answer keys.

SPEAKERS:
Pini Kalnite, Joe Young, Griff Jones

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Hair, fingerprints, and DNA evidence are left behind at the scene of a murder. Can you use them to find Dr. Ward's killer? Your students will love being the crime scene investigators while learning how to use electrophoresis to perform DNA analysis in a single classroom period. Come learn how!

SPEAKERS:
Priya Mangano, Lindsay Hamilton

This presentation highlights how the DoD STEM Ambassador program serves as a model for fostering collaboration between industry, non-profit, academia, and government to empower educators and amplify the impact of STEM education and opportunities for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how unique approaches to educator programs and professional development can meaningfully advance STEM outreach and access for students.

SPEAKERS:
Kia Thomas, Darci Kimball, Topaz Navarro, Eric Moore

How do we help youth navigate the complexities of climate change and its impacts in their own communities? Engage in hands-on activities from Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides on climate action and resilience to facilitate discovery, understanding, and action for a sustainable future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides are essential resources that combine climate science comprehension with a deep understanding of the ways communities relate to the changing climate and the collective and individual actions students can take to create a positive climate future.

SPEAKERS:
Khadijah Thibodeaux, Heidi Gibson

Explore community science with eels! This workshop engages teachers in hands-on mapping activities, eel life cycles, and migration research. Learn about fisheries conservation, data literacy, fieldwork, and access online interdisciplinary K-12 unit plans. Free estuary resources provided!

TAKEAWAYS:
Studying eels allows teachers to address science standards using data collected by students and community scientists. Educators gain practical resources to enhance classroom and field experiences with this oddly engaging animal. Eel conservation makes learning science fun and impactful!

SPEAKERS:
Roy Arezzo

Today, teachers face challenges around engagement, widening achievement gaps, and the need to prepare students for an ever evolving future. Game-Based Learning (GBL) paired with multimodal instruction provides an innovative solution, fostering engagement, deeper understanding, and long-term success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how teachers are able to provide a captivating experience for students to acquire knowledge, develop essential skills, and apply their understanding in meaningful contexts through this pairing of methodologies.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Gerlach

Join us as we share how OpenSciEd transformed classrooms in Roselle Public Schools, NJ, with seven elementary teachers (from five schools) leading the pilot. Through real teacher experiences, learn how this NGSS-aligned curriculum fosters student-led inquiry, collaboration, and critical thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will hear firsthand from practitioners about how OpenSciEd fosters student autonomy and deep thinking, helping educators create equitable, student-centered classrooms that inspire curiosity and meet NGSS goals.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Cunningham, Phaldynia Satchell

Speaker will model and actively engage attendees with strategies and explorations, where children investigate, explore and manipulate materials and technology-rich tools, to see the effects of their actions, creating sense-making and increasing sustained curiosity and engagement. 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

Organic Chemistry is a highly relevant topic which can be made accessible for students at all levels. In this workshop, participants will learn how to create a dynamic elective course that will help students experience relevant content, and also try out some of the experiments used in the course.

TAKEAWAYS:
Organic Chemistry courses can offer highly relevant science content, and with the right approach can be made into an engaging, memorable, and accessible experience for students with diverse backgrounds.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Alvarez, Derrick Wood

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How can CRISPR re-shape the future for people with genetic diseases? Using virtual and hands-on models, we'll explore how CRISPR allows for a variety of genetic medicine.Teachers will use Biointeractive resources to help students manipulate and analyze CRISPR impact on genetic disorders.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Short, Brenda Royal

This workshop will discuss the value of a HFE course to K-12 education and how to adapt HFE to technology education and vocational high school curriculum environments. Workshop activities will reinforce hands-on analysis, decision making and redesign methods, with a Q&A discussion to follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
Consider Human Factors Engineering as a means of adding valuable practical hands-on, project-based, user-centered design, and transferable skill experiences with authentic real-world application.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Tenenbaum

Sponsoring Company: Texas A&M University / NASA Texas Space Grant Consortium

Astronaut and Professor Greg Chamitoff will share some of his personal journey in Space while explaining a new STEM program called Space Teams Academy that immerses student teams in virtual collaboration, design, and execution of their own space mission.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Chamitoff

Sponsoring Company: hand2mind

Bring your literacy block to life with STEM Bins®! During this session, you will learn how to use STEM Bins as an engaging hook for storytelling and creative writing. Participants will explore how to integrate read alouds with STEM and incorporate engineering with STEM Bins into literacy centers.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Brown

Teaching approaches that incorporate different perspectives are often discussed in classrooms and school districts, but why is it important to understand their benefits for all students? Immerse yourself in a Papakū Makawalu science lesson and be open to potential discomfort, confusion, and new learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Expand your awareness of the knowledge that students bring into the classroom by engaging in a science setting that values multiple ways of knowing and learning. Identify and discuss opportunities to implement teaching methods that reflect a variety of perspectives in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Toni Marie Kaui, Whitney Aragaki

Students’ notebooks should be more than just piles of papers! In this session we’ll discuss the multiple ways available to organize students’ science notebooks, ultimately making it students' go-to tool for sensemaking, evolving their use from more than just papers, into their daily essential tool.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with specific strategies and ideas to help students manage and use their science notebooks as resources for sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Tonya Brainsky

This session will unveil NSTA's new position statement on science teacher pay and will discuss the public policy issues it raises for state, local, and federal government policymakers.

TAKEAWAYS:
NSTA speaks to the issue of how our nation's schools should pay science teachers in a competitive economic environment.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Wyckoff, Dr. Alicia Conerly, James Brown

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

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Use forensic genealogy to identify two boys separated from their parents and reunite the family. In this hands-on electrophoresis experiment, students will analyze dye samples that represent mitochondrial and chromosomal DNA. Through data analysis, students explore inheritance and DNA polymorphisms.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell, Maria Dayton

Win up to $20,000! Are you making a difference in your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, come join us to begin your application for one of three programs sponsored by Shell USA, Inc. We’ll guide you through the application process step by step, starting your application live!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn key tips regarding how to complete a strong application for the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton

Learn about this unit of instruction that uses a GIS data explorer tool made possible by the USDA Forest Service to explore connections between forests and watersheds. You’ll have an opportunity to try out the activities (bring your computer!) and receive copies of three NGSS aligned lesson plans.

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:
Ana Leirner, Kate Nagle

In urban low-resourced districts, there's often a focus on literacy and math, what happens to science? Every student, regardless of race, gender, or zip code, deserves high-quality science learning. We will explore the role in elevating science instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with actionable steps to make science instruction a priority in their districts, ensuring every student has the opportunity to think, explore, and engage with the world scientifically.

SPEAKERS:
Tyrone McNichols, J Carrie Launius

Transform your STEM programs through powerful community partnerships. Learn proven strategies to identify and engage partners from businesses to universities. Get practical tools for establishing sustainable collaborations that support project-based learning and create authentic career connections.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how to transform your STEM program through strategic partnerships. Learn to identify potential collaborators, define partnership roles, and develop a mindset that opens doors to enriched learning experiences. Walk away with practical tools to build/sustain meaningful community connections.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Nilvo, Lisa Blank, Heather Overkamp

Sponsoring Company: UL Research Institutes

In this session, we will practice the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) by engaging in lab footage from UL Research Institutes and then reflect upon how this technique can be applied in our classrooms to support student-centered, phenomenon-driven learning.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Gilbert, Jessica Sparacino

Join us for an immersive workshop from Georgia Tech, exploring the intersection of technology and ASL, such as apps ranging from interactive lessons to AI feedback. Try real-time hand detection, engage in discussions on ASL education, and discover how cutting-edge tech is shaping ASL learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how AI-powered and technological tools enhance accessibility and transform ASL education. Attendees will then engage in discussions on effective methods for teaching and learning ASL, and explore how tech is reshaping language acquisition.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Vega, Andre Grossberg

Sponsoring Company: Adventerra Games North America LLC

Many young people are overwhelmed by the climate crisis, so let's give them the skills & confidence to protect the planet! Adventerra's eco games engage students, achieve curricular goals, and teach STEM skills. We'll play some games & discuss how to respond when climate emotions show up in class.

SPEAKERS:
Carolyn McGrath, Sue Mundell, Bryan Mundell, Ruthie Mundell

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek