The Mississippi River drains two-thirds of the conterminous United States at a rate of 16,000 cubic meters of water per second per day, generates a half trillion dollars of economic revenue annually, and accounts for more than one million US jobs. In addition to the forces from the river, there are forces from the Gulf of Mexico itself that bring to the Gulf Coast unwelcome coastal surge, sea level rise, harmful algal blooms, and the costliest storms in the country. All the while, the region boasts some of the fastest growing cities in the country. These forces and stressors set up a challenge—how do we maintain the economy of the region, the safety of the people, and the rich, diverse cultures of the Gulf Coast communities over the long term? There is a role for science to improve prediction capabilities, a role for engineering to improve our built environment, and a role for social science to help interpret these inputs for better decision making. This talk will discuss efforts on going in these spaces to position the Gulf Coast for a sustainable and resilient future.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Alexander Augustine (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Washington, DC)

Join Michael as he addresses questions you may have on the science, spread, therapies, and prevention of COVID-19. At the beginning of this lightning chat, you can post your own question, which will be queued with unaddressed questions from his previous session entitled “The Science of COVID-19—From Virus Basics to Vaccinations” (Friday, 5:45–6:30 PM).

SPEAKERS:
Michael DiSpezio (Master Educator, Presenter, and Author: North Falmouth, MA)

Join us to hear about the work we have been doing to support science teachers in designing NGSS units that support literacy development as well as three-dimensional learning, and watch as we demonstrate how teachers can utilize rich science texts and online tools for annotation and collaborative meaning making.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Greenleaf (Strategic Literacy Initiative/WestEd: Oakland, CA), Heather Howlett (WestEd: San Francisco, CA)

During this lighning chat, we will discuss:

• How can education support our students to be ready for the jobs that come with climate action?
• Do your Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs focus on climate-related careers?
• What are some of the jobs that are being created to address climate change in your community? (Hint: Check out renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs to start.)
• What is your community or state doing to address climate change? Do you see a role for education to support these plans?

SPEAKERS:
Frank Niepold (NOAA Climate Program Office: Silver Spring, MD)

Join Dr. Mike Marvel to hear about new angles on traditional science topics that your students can use in their homes to keep their experimental design and scientific reasoning skills active. Mike will pass on several ideas that use inexpensive, common items to explore topics such as thermodynamics, intermolecular forces, and acid-base indicators. For example, students can compare the food dyes present in M&M’S™ and Skittles® using paper towel chromatography, and evaluate the thermal conductivity of materials with paper plates. You’ll see how you can use these activities at all levels, to probe concepts extensively or keep things light.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Marvel, Ph.D. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL)

Let FLINN Scientific take you on a tour of the multiple resources available for you to help make informed decisions surrounding the learning continuum of your students in science and STEM programs. James Palcik and Vikki Myers will help you evaluate what you can use to have the most authentic, engaging science program possible regardless of the learning environments. There are plenty of curated resources that exist that may be useful for you to use in helping your students achieve their goals in their forward trajectory through postsecondary and into careers in STEM.  Let us explore some practical web-based resources and activities together.

SPEAKERS:
James Palcik (Flinn Scientific Canada, Inc.: Hamilton, ON)

Don't let distance learning stop you from engaging your students with hands-on exploration, a crucial component of science education. In this discussion, we'll share how you can provide hands-on learning experience for your students during asynchronous learning in a virtual setting. Then, we'll open up the discussion for you to share what you've found about hands-on instruction in the age of distance learning. Some of the questions we'll answer include:

• How can I incorporate hands-on learning into virtual instruction?
• Is it possible to teach hands-on learning in an asynchronous learning environment?
• How does that work?

SPEAKERS:
Michele Cozza (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

This chat will provide an opportunity for educators to share their success and challenges around distance learning. They will be met with two facilitators who have experience regarding digital technology and supporting sensemaking in a remote setting. Educators will be given the opportunity to meet and network with others while having discourse around distance learning and five common missteps when using technology in the classroom.

Conversation Based Around 5 Traps Article:

• Even in virtual learning, making sense of phenomena should be the goal of science educators. What strategies are you using to avoid the content trap?
• Having the opportunity to share ideas and negotiate their thinking is an essential part of sensemaking. How are you avoiding the isolation trap with your students?
• A trusting environment and strong classroom community is necessary for students to collaboratively build their ideas. How are you avoiding the learning-is-serious trap?

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Holman (Boone County High School: Florence, KY), Brianna Reilly (Great Minds: Washington, DC)