2021 Los Angeles Area Conference - Sessions

Designing a COVID Currculum: Lessons in Science (and Science Denial) from a Pandemic

We will explore a COVID-19–based curriculum that provides a direct and compelling way to focus student attention on the most basic processes in biology.

Takeaways: 1. Participants will examine specific curriculum plans using the COVID-19 virus to illustrate basic principles of cell biology, including biological membrane structure, mRNA function, transcription, translation, replication, and immune response; 2. The emergence of COVID-19 variants will be explored as a case study in natural selection, evolution, and phylogenetic analysis; and 3. The public reaction to pandemic pubic health countermeasures and vaccination will be examined as a case study in scientific literacy and science denial. Participants will discuss ways to use their classrooms to promote student understand of the science behind these public health measures.

Speakers

Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Inspiring Literacy and Science Interest with Data

We use data to do science; data literacy is its own set of skills. Young learners benefit when we integrate data, literacy, and science together.

Takeaways: 1. Identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of literacy and science literacy in the 21st century; 2. Explore strategies and resources to use to authentically integrate data into K–5 science instruction; and 3. Develop a plan for next steps to elevate data as an aspect of meaningful connections between literacy and science.

Speakers

Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Be a Part of Our Exciting Evolution Educator Network!

The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science is a network of more than 150 science teachers. We have presented over 225 teacher workshops in all 50 U.S. states.

Takeaways: 1. The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES): provides high school biology teachers with paid opportunities to present to middle and high school science teachers who need help teaching evolution in an engaging and effective manner; 2. has several FREE, complete evolution units for science teachers to use in their classrooms, including assessments, active learning lessons, online investigations, and bell-ringer activities, along with dozens of other free resources; and 3. invites educators, biologists, and science authors to give monthly webinars to an international audience of teachers, students, and science enthusiasts.

Speakers

Sephali Thakkar (Allen ISD: Allen, TX)

Taste Buds in Your Gut? Exploring Taste, Cell Communication, and Glucose Homeostasis

Experiment with the “sugar-blocking” tea Gymnema sylvestre and model cellular communication pathways in the tongue and the gut before evaluating possible mechanisms of action.

Takeaways: Participants will learn: 1. how to model the physiology of sweet taste perception; 2. how the systems that detect sugar can be disrupted; and 3. how to evaluate three proposed mechanisms of action.

Speakers

Joan Griswold (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Does Black English Stand Between Black Students and Success in Science?

Discussion centers on tools to properly analyze Black students’ scientific work to determine if the misconceptions and misunderstandings are a learning issue or language issue. This workshop focuses on the use of language to reduce the ethnic achievement gap in science.

Takeaways: 1. Analyzing students’ work from a linguistic lens; 2. Recognizing biases when it comes to student language; and 3. Pushing Black students academically forward without making them feel torn between two language worlds.

Speakers

Jonte' Lee (Calvin Coolidge Senior High School: Washington, DC)

Specialty Crops in the Classroom: Educating Youth Through Mobile Classroom Growing Systems

Join us as we explore how specialty crops can be a useful tool in the classroom by improving both instruction and student nutrition.

Takeaways: Teachers will learn: 1. about resources for teaching about botany, plant science, and soil science made available through the specialty crops block grant; 2. how to incorporate NGSS into Free Fruit and Vegetable education program requirements; and 3. how to incorporate NGSS into nutrition science across the curriculum.

Speakers

Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

NASA's Space Food and Nutrition

Explore caloric and nutritional values of NASA's space food. Discover a menu of inquiry activities/resources to integrate into the classroom to satisfy your STEM appetite.

Takeaways: 1. Explore NASA STEM activities that investigate space food and nutrition for astronauts living on the Space Station; 2. Construct sample space food menus to develop a better understanding of nutrition for human space exploration; and 3. Make connections between math, science, nutrition, and exercise while exploring the impact of living in space and in our gravity-filled environment here on Earth.

Speakers

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

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Evolution—How Strong Is the Evidence?

Despite its central role in the Biology curriculum, evolution remains a topic of contention. We will examine evolutionary science today and the evidence behind it.

Takeaways: 1. Participants will see examples of how the evolutionary narrative can be incorporated into topics as diverse as ecology, physiology, taxonomy, and cell biology; 2. The evidence usually marshaled in support of evolution is often confined to passive descriptions of the fossil record and well-worn examples of natural selection. We will examine ways that students can use the availability of genomic data to pinpoint the marks of evolutionary change in DNA sequences and patterns of gene organization; and 3. Finally, we will explore and discuss approaches to overcoming student and community resistance to the teaching of evolution by emphasizing the core biological events behind the process and the central role they play in the living world.

Speakers

Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

STEM Teaching Tools: Resources for Justice-Centered Science Instruction

Choose which of these free resources for equitable science instruction are most relevant to your work. Then read, discuss, and plan!

Takeaways: 1. Science learning is culturally rooted, and strong instruction should take an asset-based approach to young peoples’ ways of thinking and knowing; 2. Developing more inclusive classrooms is a constant process. There are always steps educators can take to support equity, no matter where they are in their journey; and 3. These resources offer tangible next steps educators can take toward equity in their classroom, from identifying meaningful anchor phenomena (stemteachingtools.org/brief/42) to teaching biology in more gender-inclusive ways (stemteachingtools.org/brief/76) to fostering more student talk (stemteachingtools.org/brief/35).

Speakers

Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Bridging the Gap: Using Teacher Leaders to Support Informal Educators

Want to create high-quality, NGSS-focused field trip experiences? Come learn how we brought together classroom teachers and informal educators to accomplish this goal with amazing outcomes!

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. learn the steps we took to create a collaborative environment for teacher leaders to support informal educators in learning more about NGSS and the EP&Cs; 2. learn the value of bringing the expertise of informal educators and the knowledge of formal educators together in order to create high-quality, NGSS-focused field trip experiences; and 3. be given access to the agendas, handouts, and templates we used in our training/planning sessions.

Speakers

Lesley Gates (Fresno County Office of Education: Fresno, CA)

Crash Science—When Physics Meets Biology

Use innovative video-assisted STEM activities, demonstrations, award-winning videos, and behind-the-crash-tests tours to teach the science of car crashes. Free lesson plans included. Visit  Classroom.IIHS.org  for more information.

Takeaways: Participant will learn: 1. how to access inquiry-based activities and video-supported experiences integrating STEM concepts with vehicle crashworthiness and crash avoidance technologies; 2. how scientists and engineers use technology (crash dummies, crash tests, crash avoidance testing) at a vehicle research center to measure and evaluate vehicle safety systems; and 3. how to incorporate technology-enhanced STEM design challenges (Project Pedestrian Sensors and Egg-Carrying Paper Car Crash) into their curriculum to promote student awareness and understanding of how engineering and technology are used to build safer vehicles.

Speakers

Griff Jones (Emeritus Professor, University of Florida: Gainesville, FL)

Phenomenon-Based, Literacy-Rich Learning Using Digitized Museum Objects

Engage with Research Quest, free, online, NGSS-focused, phenomenon-based investigations using authentic museum objects and research to build students' literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.

Takeaways: Teachers will: 1. experience an exemplar set of free resources that successfully integrate NGSS and ELA standards to provide students with meaningful, self-directed learning; 2. recognize that providing students with opportunities to research phenomenon-based problems professional scientists devote their careers to using the collections and data they build new knowledge from can empower students to better understand the enterprise of science, the natural world, and the natural history of our world—while building their literacy and critical-thinking skills; and 3. understand that creating opportunities to make critical thinking visible is an essential scaffold necessary to support student efficacy with problem finding and problem solving.

Speakers

Madlyn Larson (Natural History Museum of Utah: Salt Lake City, UT)

Supporting Three-Dimensional Learning Through Model-Based Inquiry Units and Resources

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

Takeaways: 1. How to utilize modeling across entire units of instruction; 2. Ways to anchor student learning in authentic phenomena; and 3. How to use public records to keep track of student ideas.

Speakers

Ron Gray (Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff, AZ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Using Phenomena to Promote Sensemaking and Deepen Coherence

Dissect the differences between flashy engagers and phenomena to identify essential components of effective phenomenon-based teaching. Critically consider phenomena with personal relevance for your students.

Takeaways: 1. Build a deeper understanding of the differences between “hooks” and phenomena, 2. Consider and identify the benefits of using contextual, locally inspired phenomena to support all students, and 3. Identify potential local phenomena for their own classrooms to support more inclusive learning

Speakers

Martha Inouye (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Build a Probe to Stimulate Muscle Movement

This workshop provides participants with materials to construct a probe that can safely stimulate muscle movements in the arms and hands to build understanding of the nervous system’s interactions with the muscular skeletal systems.

Takeaways: 1. How the nerves utilize electrochemical energy to create muscle movements; 2. How muscles when stimulated can move limbs; and 3. How to repurpose and utilize a TENS unit to demonstrate interactions of the neural and muscular skeletal systems.

Speakers

Mark Malone (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs: Colorado Springs, CO)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Partnering with NSTA to Reach Your Professional Learning Goals

Explore how to take advantage of NSTA’s vast resources and pathways, including both asynchronous and synchronous options, to create personalized professional learning.

Takeaways: 1. Discover the value of being a School or District NSTA Partner; 2. Explore how to maximize online professional learning for all teachers; and 3. Discover how to utilize NSTA's online learning resources to support in-person professional learning.

Speakers

Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Wendy Binder (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Discover NSTA’s New Professional Learning Units to Earn Continuing Education Credit

Explore NSTA’s NEWProfessional Learning Units. Discover these bite-sized asynchronous professional learning experiences that support student sensemaking to earn credit to submit to your school or district.

Takeaways: 1. Discover how NSTA can provide asynchronous and bite-sized continuing education credit options (2 hours per PLU); 2. Explore how each PLU contains reflections or tasks connected to the classroom that are submitted to NSTA for review or feedback; and 3. Explore how we can support professional learning for individuals or schools/districts including the flexible options available for Professional Learning Unit topics, and how these fit into our Professional Learning pathways.

Speakers

Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Tools for Justice-Centered Climate Change Teaching and Learning

Our students are already impacted by climate change. How can we teach about it in ways that help them all thrive on a damaged planet?

Takeaways: 1. Justice-centered climate science instruction is possible and needed throughout the grade span, and intersects with a variety of other ecological topics; 2. Our young people are already aware of and experiencing the effects of climate change, and educators are in a unique position to help them better understand and process this new reality; and 3. There are many resources already available to support educators in this work, even if it may sound daunting at first.

Speakers

Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Using Three-Dimensional Prompts to Drive Student Sensemaking

Learning science means engaging in DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. Come explore how to generate authentic prompts that integrate all three dimensions to drive student learning.

Takeaways: 1. Practice creating 3-D prompts that explicitly promote the three dimensions and drive more integrated student learning and assessment; 2. Learn how to adapt your own questions and prompts to better target specific dimensions; and 3. Consider how framing of activities, through questions and prompts, can support specific DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

Speakers

Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Martha Inouye (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Jessica Stephens (Rock Springs Junior High School: Rock Springs, WY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Lights-Camera-CRASH: Exploring Crash Science with Griff Jones and the IIHS’s Vehicle Research Center

Use award-winning videos, paper car crashes, egg drop cushions, and behind-the-crash-tests tours to teach motion and energy concepts. All resources are free at classroom.iihs.org.

Takeaways: Participants will learn how: 1. to access inquiry-based activities and video-supported experiences integrating STEM concepts with vehicle crashworthiness and crash avoidance technologies; 2. scientists and engineers use technology (crash dummies, crash tests, crash avoidance testing) at a vehicle research center to measure and evaluate vehicle safety systems; and 3. to incorporate culminating STEM design challenges (Project Pedestrian Sensors and Egg-Carrying Paper Car Crash) into their curriculum to promote student awareness and understanding of how engineering and technology are used to build safer vehicles. Examples of student assessments (formative and summative) are provided.

Speakers

Griff Jones (Emeritus Professor, University of Florida: Gainesville, FL)

Fueling Success with Students—Win Up to $10K for You and Up to $15K for Your Classroom

Do you impact your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, then come learn how to apply to win one of eight Shell-supported awards, and a teacher competition.

Takeaways: 1. Share your passion and practice by applying for one of eight awards, and a teacher competition; 2. Learn from past Shell awardees, finalists, and judging panel members’ important tips to apply for this award; and 3. Learn how to win a trip to the 2022 NSTA Houston National Conference, March 31–April 3, 2022.

Speakers

Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Zombie Apocalypse!

Attendees will explore disease modeling through the use of ZOMBIES!

Takeaways: 1. This session will explore disease-spread modeling using fictional zombies; 2. Attendees will also see how using Hollywood themes combined with actual STEM careers can be a fun way to engage students in learning science and STEM; and 3. Attendees will find out about free science and STEM lessons from Texas Instruments.

Speakers

Jeffrey Lukens (Retired Science Teacher: Sioux Falls, SD), Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

Transforming Science Classrooms by Redefining Learning Spaces with Stile

Redefine your science classroom with Stile technology. Experience how Stile empowers teachers to facilitate student-centered learning environments, all grounded in relevant, real-world science.

Takeaways: 1. Technology in science classrooms should redefine how we teach, not substitute it; 2. Current classrooms require multiple entry points for students to learn; and 3. Teachers can redefine how they plan for, facilitate, and analyze student thinking connected to the NGSS.

Speakers

Shawna Jensen (Stile Education: Los Angeles, CA), Julianna Jimenez (Stile Education: Los Angeles, CA)

Dynamic DNA: More Than Just As, Ts, Gs, and Cs

Join us as we use a variety of physical models of DNA student-centered activities to explore the structure and function of this amazing biomolecule.

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. practice their understanding of the structure of DNA while transferring their knowledge across different models of DNA; 2. consider how a model-based approach to investigating DNA deepens student understanding and inquiry; and 3. investigate the differences between RNA and DNA while examining models.

Speakers

Keri Shingleton (Holland Hall: Tulsa, OK)

What Do I Do with This? Making Sense of Your Assessment Data

We are awash in assessment data, but often it’s overwhelming to make sense of it. Join us to learn tips and strategies for wrangling data.

Takeaways: 1. Explore new ways to organize data collection and raw data to aid in exploring the data for stories after it is collected; 2. Acquire skills in tying questions, data types, and data visualizations to enhance your ability to make sense of the assessment data; and 3. Identify next steps to better utilize and leverage your assessment data to help you measure students’ success and know what steps to consider next.

Speakers

Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Getting Students to Read in Science

Reading should not be limited to English courses. Leave with strategies on how to motivate students to explore science through scientific novels. Review three years of qualitative data on how novels increased  literacy, scientific fluency, scientific connectivity, and college preparation in a marine biology course.

Takeaways: Teahers will: 1. learn how to use articles to make their content more applicable to the lives of the students; 2. receive strategies on how to get students to read more scientific articles; and 3. receive resources on selecting grade-appropriate scientific articles.

Speakers

Jonte' Lee (Calvin Coolidge Senior High School: Washington, DC)

Local Phenomenon-Based Projects

Come learn about using community-based phenomena as the basis for long-term STEM projects.

Takeaways: 1. How to intergrade local phenomena into STEM projects; 2. Using eCYBERMISSION in your middle school science classroom; and 3. How to better engage middle school students with local problems.

Speakers

Sue Whitsett (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Smashing Classrooms Walls Through Virtual Events

Take your students beyond your classroom walls through virtual speakers and field trips with those on the front lines of science, exploration, and conservation.

Takeaways: 1. Discover the benefits of bringing exciting scientists, explorers, and conservationists live into your classroom through virtual guest speakers and field trips; 2. Explore how easy it is to do with exciting resources like Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, Explorer Classroom, Google, and more; and 3. What to do before, during, and afterwards so your students get the most from these experiences.

Speakers

Joe Grabowski (Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants: Elora, ON)

NSTA Press Session: Argument-Driven Inquiry as a Way to Bring Three-Dimensional Instruction to Your Classroom

Argument-Driven Inquiry is an instructional model that gives students an opportunity to learn how to use DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena and creates a learning environment where students are able to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking.

Takeaways: 1. How to use this instructional model, or way of teaching, to give students an opportunity to learn how to use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to make sense of natural phenomena; 2. How to give students an opportunity to use their own ideas and ways of communicating to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking; and 3. How to give students more opportunities to decide what counts as valid and acceptable and develop new criteria for what counts evidence in science.

Speakers

Todd Hutner (The University of Alabama: Tuscaloosa, AL)

Using Maggots, Flies, and Flesh to Solve a Mystery!

Attendees will explore a virtual decomposing corpse along with other clues to solve a mystery.

Takeaways: 1. Data-assisted problem solving; 2. The science behind decomposition and variables that affect it; and 3. Storytelling is a powerful way to engage students into learning science concepts.

Speakers

Jeffrey Lukens (Retired Science Teacher: Sioux Falls, SD), Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

Engaging Students in Local Science with Hands-On Activities

First steps in engaging students in life that surrounds them by using hands-on activities and community support.

Takeaways: 1. How to make action steps to incorporate a local topic with hands-on labs into an NGSS-focused curriculum (examples used will be Beekeeping, Fish anatomy and physiology, and astronomy); 2. How to build relationships with informal educators and bring them into the classroom; and 3. How to incorporate local topics and and deepen ties with informal educators into school culture through the creation of extracurricular clubs and student-led learning activities.

Speakers

Nels Lund (Chelan High School: Chelan, WA)

Every Park in a Classroom: OutSCIder Classroom

Discover how to connect your classroom to America’s best idea, our National Parks System. Participants will get access to engaging NGSS-focused science videos and instructional resources to connect classrooms to our public lands.

Takeaways: 1. Integrate lesson plans with instructional materials that connect students to our national parks; 2. Develop a sense of environmental stewardship and conservation with students; and 3. Make concepts and current environmental impacts on the parks relevant to your students.

Speakers

Chris Anderson (Hamilton County ESC: Cincinnati, OH)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Taking Macromolecules to Micro!

Learn about a simple way to test for DNA, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, without large volumes of reagents, cleaning test tubes, or boiling reagents.

Takeaways: 1. Learn how you can teach about macromolecules without large volumes of reagents, cleaning test tubes, or boiling reagent; 2. See how the Winston Fluorescence Reader has made it easy to test for the presence of DNA and other macromolecules; and 3. Learn how to perform starch, glucose, and protein assays on an assay plate instead of in a test tube.

Speakers

Callen Hyland (Embi Tec: San Diego, CA)

Science—It's LIT!

Discover best practices for incorporating ELA and technology—they're easy to implement in your classroom! Grab your device and let's talk all things science…it's LIT fam!

Takeaways: 1. Examples of activities and assignments will be shared that can be incorporated in a variety of classroom science activities; 2. Attendees will create a foldable that can be used for a variety of topics and see how it was used in the classroom; and 3. Attendees will participate in a digital activity that can be manipulated to fit their content.

Speakers

Andrea Starks (Houston Middle School: Germantown, TN)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Nurture Through Nature: How Teachers Stumbled Their Way into Building the Most Innovative School Club in the Country

Want to get your students outside enjoying nature and taking an active interest in improving the world around us, but don’t know where to start and how to sustain it? Join in for strategies to encourage critical thinking about environmental issues, methods to help students gain awareness of everyday resources and uses, budgeting and funding procedures, and ways to meet multiple subject areas. Empower your students to become part of the solution!

Takeaways: 1. Critical thinking about environmental issues methods to help students gain awareness of everyday resources and uses; and 2. Ways to meet multiple subject areas.

Speakers

Dawn Chehab (Millennia Gardens Elementary School: Orlando, FL), John Martinez (Millennia Gardens Elementary School: Orlando, FL)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Leading Conversations Around Identity, Race, Belonging, and Bias in STEM Spaces

Join the UCLA Science Project as we explore structures and formats for science leaders looking to engage teachers around social justice in STEM classrooms.

Takeaways: 1. Co-construct a learning experience centered around inclusion and belonging within school site meetings; 2. Recognize how our identities and lived experiences impact our approaches to science education and leadership; and 3. Establish space and culture that sustains conversations around equity issues.

Speakers

Leticia Perez (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA), Zachary Cue (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA)

Making Student Thinking Visible: Developing and Using Models in Instruction and Assessment

We will explore how students can use modeling and linked practices to engage with phenomena. Participants will take home a goody bag and lesson plans.

Takeaways: 1. We will demonstrate how students can use modeling, argumentative writing, and data analysis to explain different scientific phenomena throughout Earth and space sciences, life science, and physical sciences; 2. Participants will have the opportunity to build and revise three different kinds of models during the session as learners, and then reflect on how to use the same strategies with their students; and 3. Everyone will engage with different modeling scaffolds that increase inclusion and link the practice of modeling to others such as arguing from evidence, analyzing and interpreting data, and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information.

Speakers

James Clark (Director: Pleasanton, CA), Samantha Johnson (Arroyo High School: San Lorenzo, CA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

You 👏🏻  Better 👏🏻  Work 👏🏻—From Modeling to SuperModeling

From concrete to abstract—encourage students to revise working models to become “supermodels.” Join us for a hands-on activity and leave with tools for your grade level.

Takeaways: 1. Gaining a better understanding of various types of models; 2. Using models to create an inclusive environment; and 3. Improving models as a means to authentically assess.

Speakers

Julia Cook (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ), Ruperto Gloria (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Crash Science Inquiry: Investigating Distracted Driving Dangers

Complete a distracted driving simulation and discover free award-winning videos, STEM activities, and real-world applications exploring science, engineering, and vehicle crashworthiness. Free lesson plans included.

Takeaways: Participants will: 1. complete a distracted driving simulation; 2. explore how scientific and engineering principles can be modeled in classrooms using crash test–related videos and activities; and 3. apply this crash science and vehicle safety knowledge and engage in safer behaviors when riding in or driving a vehicle.

Speakers

Griff Jones (Emeritus Professor, University of Florida: Gainesville, FL)

Building STEAM Through Community Collaborations—You're Not Alone!

Learn about a STEAM Ecosystem providing hands-on connections between NGSS and STEAM careers. The collaborative includes a large school district and nine community agencies.

Takeaways: Each attendee will be provided with Dramatic Results’ STEAM Ecosystem Mapping Tool to take back to their communities to: 1. identify potential collaborators in their community (“community” includes local, regional, national\, and even international) strengths and challenges posed with each potential collaborator; 2. establish shared goals for their STEAM Ecosystem; and 3. learn how to adapt their STEAM Ecosystem to include both in-person and virtual engagement and program delivery.

Speakers

Tori-Ann Hampton (Dramatic Results: Signal Hill, CA), Christine Pham (Dramatic Results: Signal Hill, CA)

Exploring the Properties of Water and Cell Membranes

Explore the properties of water and discover the structure and function of cell membranes with engaging models that allow students to drive their learning!

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. learn how modeling the properties of water allows students to predict the structure of cell membranes; 2. use models to explain the structure and function of cell membranes, including the transport of molecules across the membrane; and 3. experience how the use of these models allows student thinking to become visible.

Speakers

Mark Eberhard (St. Clair High School: Saint Clair, MI)

Infusing Your STEM Curriculum with Real-World Connections

Discover how students may use their mobile devices to document “science in action,” anytime, anywhere, in this unique intersection between socratic questioning and place-based learning.

Takeaways: How students may use their mobile devices: 1. to demonstrate their knowledge of scientific concepts in a real-world context; 2. connect this real-world context to crosscutting concepts; and 3. explore how this learning model may be used to support service learning in the science curriculum.

Speakers

Eric Walters (Marymount School of New York: New York, NY)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

NASA’s Scale of Discovery and the Solar System Scroll

Let’s make a pocket 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 (ESS1, ESS2); 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 takes unique NASA content, places it in context within the curriculum, and makes applications beyond the solar system that include scientific inquiry and scientific discovery while using mathematics to show proportions and relate to the overall structure of our solar system (ETS2).

Speakers

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

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Creating and Maintaining an Equitable Science Classroom

STEM classrooms should establish a welcoming environment in which all individuals can use their cultural knowledge and practices to make sense of the world.

Takeaways: 1. A shared understanding of equity and social justice in science classrooms and STEM communities; 2. Approaches to identify and honor student-lived experiences and cultures; and 3. Challenge conventional notions of what counts as science.

Speakers

Jon Kovach (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA)

Cells in Context

Let me introduce you to a free 3-D unit featuring progressive modeling supported by multimedia tools. It's a realistic and dynamic exploration of cells, cell systems, and disruption by pathogens. To learn more, please visit  https://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/.

Takeaways: 1. Where to access a new, free, NGSS-friendly unit on cell structure and function, cell systems, and pathogens; 2. How to integrate realistic multimedia and paper-based modeling exercises to depict the dynamic inner workings of cells and tissues; and 3. Experience with cell models that can be carried through to cell systems and infection by pathogens.

Speakers

Molly Malone (The University of Utah: Salt Lake City, UT)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Historical Accounting of Oppression in STEM Spaces

Empowering students to make science-based decisions requires acknowledgment and dialogue around the injustices marginalized communities have endured within scientific fields.

Takeaways: 1. Develop empathy through the exploration of historical events that have accumulated generational mistrust of STEM communities; 2. Create opportunities to acknowledge and validate personal experience even when it might contradict our personal experience or larger data sets; and 3. Explore the impact of the objectivity myth perpetuated within STEM educational spaces.

Speakers

Justin Betzelberger (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA), Zachary Cue (UCLA Science Project: Los Angeles, CA)

Mathematics and Computational Thinking Using Authentic Data and Practices

Start highlighting the practice of mathematics and computational thinking! We’ll utilize resources that allow students to engage in traditional and less traditional ways.

Takeaways: 1. Participants will engage as learners in different levels of mathematical representations, all of which emphasize how to make the practice more inclusive of all students; 2. Everyone will leave being able to demonstrate at least three different ways to mathematically represent authentic data; and 3. Participants will look critically at how to scaffold different graphical texts for student analysis.

Speakers

James Clark (Director: Pleasanton, CA), Samantha Johnson (Arroyo High School: San Lorenzo, CA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)