STEAM-integrated activities are for all learners, including those in an early childhood setting. Participate in a series of play-based STEAM activities that promote three-dimensional learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Early childhood students will engage in scientific investigation and inquiry through student-centered activities that promote curiosity, creativity, and innovation; 2. Kindergarten Readiness Math skills are developed through STEAM-integrated investigations highlighting number sense, measurement, and data; and 3. Activities will develop executive functioning skills through play and open exploration.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Herlehy (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: Aurora, IL), Cassandra Armstrong (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: Aurora, IL)

Learn how to engage preK–2 students in light and shadow concepts as they engineer light sources, materials, and screens to produce a desired effect.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Identify meaningful contexts for exploring light and shadow phenomena that already exist in the young child's world; 2. Engage in strategies that enable young learners to explore how properties of materials interact with light, and then use their understanding of light and properties of materials to engineer effects on a screen to communicate with peers; and 3. Recognize multiple paths to conceptual understanding contingent on each child's unique backgrounds and experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Beth Dykstra VanMeeteren (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

Let’s make a foldable solar system scroll. Come learn how to apply ratios to create a scale model of the planets based on your height.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. With a properly scaled solar system scroll, participants will identify inner and outer planets and readily SEE why they are named as such; 2. Understanding the concept of rations and fractions, part-to-whole, participants will leave being able to create a proportional solar system in their classroom, on a football field, or across their state; and 3. This activity can be used at any grade level.

SPEAKERS:
Barbie Buckner (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: Greenbelt, MD)

Need a simple and creative way to engage students? Create a green screen area in your classroom. This workshop will demonstrate a simple way to make creative videos with a green screen.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to use a chroma key with different apps and programs; 2. Simple video editing techniques; and 3. Using different objects for green screen props.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Crane (Randolph Academy: No City, No State)

This session presents interactive “Cricket Challenges” to engage students in nature-based activities designed to encourage curiosity and to make cross-curricular STEM connections to literature.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Innovative ways to engage readers to use fiction as a springboard to explore their natural world and make text-to-real-world connections; 2. Handouts including instructions for activities such as “An Outdoor Challenge for Every Season," ”Creating a Nature Wonder Hour,” “Nature Scavenger Hunts,” “Creating a Nature Journal from the Point of View of the Main Character in the Book You’re Studying,” and “Bloom Bingo”; and 3. Writing prompts educators can use to encourage students to analyze and explore their natural world.

SPEAKERS:
Jo Watson Hackl (Author: Asheville, NC)

Learn to teach observation investigations with young learners that integrate geology, art, and math. Participants will receive hands-on materials and lessons to use with students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to; 1. do three-dimensional investigations with young learners; 2. integrate teaching of art and math concepts with geology; and 3. teach young students to observe and collect geological data.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Schneider (St. Mary's College of Maryland: Saint Mary's City, MD)

This workshop explores the connection between the NGSS, STEM identity, and project-based learning (PBL) through a series of culturally responsive activities for virtual learning environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. critically consider their own STEM identity and the STEM identities of their students to inform PBL in online and in-class learning environments; 2. respond to students’ needs and interests to plan PBL that develops their STEM identities; and 3. learn instructional strategies that engage students in PBL and the Scientific and Engineering Practices within the Next Generation Science Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Alicia Lane (University of the District of Columbia: Washington, DC)

Increase student engagement in analysis and evaluation of real data. Engage students of different ability levels in mathematical models with measurements not previously accessible in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Combine graphing calculators with handheld sensors to maximize class time; 2. Use real data to develop mathematical models; and 3. Learn how to test your hypothesis by doing an experiment and analyze your results.

SPEAKERS:
Karlheinz Haas (Science/Math Instructor, Retired: Tequesta, FL)

This workshop introduces strategies and digital tools to help students develop high-quality STEM presentations and posters in online and in-class learning environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. embody the role of a student conducting a scientific/engineering investigation leading to a STEM presentation; 2. be able to create a digital STEM visual using presentation applications; and 3. learn instructional strategies that engage students in developing high-quality presentations and Scientific and Engineering Practices within the Next Generation Science Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Alicia Lane (University of the District of Columbia: Washington, DC)

Have you been asking whether you should trust loud claims of advertising? How could false positives in medical testing affect you? Or do you simply want to know what a penny is made of?

TAKEAWAYS:
1/ Explore cross-disciplinary aspects by linking the science content to the mathematical models; 2. Understand the importance of simple sampling for product quality control; and 3.Explore the use of technology for simulations to evaluate statistical claims.

SPEAKERS:
Karlheinz Haas (Science/Math Instructor, Retired: Tequesta, FL)

Explore family engagement events that provide fun, hands-on experiences and an opportunity to teach parents strategies to support their children's academic vocabulary at home.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Engage in both virtual and in-person family engagement events that expand classroom learning that families with members of all ages can participate in; 2. Learn strategies to support linguistically diverse students in the STEMSS (STEM + Social Studies with an emphasis on real-world, cross-curricular learning) classroom; and 3. Develop a plan to integrate these strategies into your family engagement events to help parents learn how to support academic vocabulary at home and to bridge the home-school connections to increase opportunities for language learners.

SPEAKERS:
Margarita Jimenez-Silva (University of California, Davis: Davis, CA), Karen Guerrero (Arizona State University: Tempe, AZ)