Your STEM journey begins here. Incorporate STEM and PBL into the K–5 curriculum. Receive ideas for program development, grants and funding, as well as  inexpensive or free field trips.

TAKEAWAYS:
Incorporating STEM curriculum and PBLs into the K–5 grade–level curriculum requirements. Finding and scheduling in-house free and inexpensive field trips, guest speakers, and virtual experiences for all students at your school. Funding and grant writing information and sources to fund your STEM program.

SPEAKERS:
Johanna Disney (McKendree Elementary School: Lawrenceville, GA), Julie Wilkerson (McKendree Elementary School: Lawrenceville, GA)

Hear about various NSTA competitions and how they can bring STEM and the NGSS into the classroom, as well as give students and teachers a chance to earn recognition and prizes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about NSTA competitions Learn about how you can use competitions as a resource to implement NGSS and STEM into your curriculum Learn how you and your students can win prizes and recognition

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Hartman (BrainPOP: Pittsburgh, PA), Alexis Mundis (Army Educational Outreach Program: Arlington, VA), Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Develop critical thinking and research skills in your science students via debate. Bring the ideas you study into the real world. Hear how I researched and planned a debate to give my students a chance to investigate how communities evaluate environmental concerns.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to structure a science debate in the classroom How to select an appropriate topic How to help students find relevant information for the debate

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY)

Attention will be paid to contemporary perspectives on how to integrate three-dimensional science learning, language learning, and computational thinking with all students, including English language learners. In addition, student artifacts illustrating such integration will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
1) Contemporary perspectives on how to integrate science, language and computational thinking 2) Curriculum materials and classroom instruction to promote such integration 3) Analysis of student artifacts illustrating such integration

SPEAKERS:
Okhee Lee (New York University: New York, NY)

The elementary classroom provides an ideal place for teachers to integrate two of the areas that have many commonalities—science and literacy skills. Identify and integrate fairy tales and fables into STEM teaching lessons. Example lessons and suggested children’s books for use will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will 1). identify and integrate fairy tales and fables into STEM teaching lessons; 2). participate in activities that model the integration of children’s stories and science content; 3). discuss strategies for integrating both science and reading skills.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA)

Attention will be paid to contemporary perspectives on how to integrate three-dimensional science learning, language learning, and computational thinking with all students, including English language learners. In addition, student artifacts illustrating such integration will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
1) Contemporary perspectives on how to integrate science, language and computational thinking 2) Curriculum materials and classroom instruction to promote such integration 3) Analysis of student artifacts illustrating such integration

SPEAKERS:
Okhee Lee (New York University: New York, NY)

Author Emily Morgan will share ideas for adding “green breaks” to the school day that provide an opportunity for students (and teachers) to get away from their screens and reset and refresh their minds.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Research on the importance of green time 2. Ideas for simple "green breaks" 3. Projects the integrate more extensive green time

SPEAKERS:
Emily Morgan (Picture-Perfect Science: West Chester, OH)

Learn how to use purposefully designed, engaging questions to elicit and address students’ commonly held ideas about core concepts and practices related to engineering and technology.

TAKEAWAYS:
1) Learn how formative assessment probes reveal students' ideas about engineering and technology, including common misconceptions and stereotypes about engineers. 2) Learn how to embed the engineering and technology probes into instruction. 3) Learn how the engineering and technology probes support disciplinary core ideas and practices.

SPEAKERS:
Page Keeley (NSTA Past President: No City, No State), Cary Sneider (Portland State University: Portland, OR), Mihir Ravel (Visiting Scholar: Portland, OR)

What if students habitually explored the key questions posed by scientists, engineers, and designers in anything they do? Innovators’ Compass is a 5-question tool, in all-free online and offline formats, to make that possible—developed by an MIT and IDEO alumna who’s now an Olin College educator. A quick introduction will include short videos of the Compass used in STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about a visual tool, in all-free on-and-offline formats, with 5 questions distilled from many practices in science, engineering, design, and beyond. See students and educators applying these for STEM, interdisciplinary, and SEL problems and projects. Use these 5 questions with peers on a pressing problem: how to advance hands-on STEM in (semi) virtual times.

SPEAKERS:
Valeria Rodriguez (STEM Educator & Instructional Technologist: Miami, FL), Ela Ben-Ur (Innovators' Compass: Cambridge, MA)

Discover STEAM-y starters in books we know, love, and have on our shelves. Titles, activities, and resources will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn why picture books are great starters for STEAM exploration. Discover favorite books and challenges. Explore how to add STEAM into already utilized texts in your curriculum and classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Burton (Trinity School: Atlanta, GA)