This session introduces a way to create learning experiences that will give students opportunities to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking as they use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to ensure students have access to science by designing investigations that promote and support the use of literacy skills; 2. How literacy can be used in the service of sensemaking; and 3. How to embed formative assessment of science practices and literacy skills into an investigation in a meaningful and informative way.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Hutner (The University of Alabama: Austin, TX)

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, LLC: No City, No State)

In this session, attendees will learn how to get students to write a scientific argument using a CER tool. They will also learn about a self-evaluation tool students can use to critique their writing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn: 1. how to use a CER writing tool to make sure students are writing high-level scientific arguments; 2. the importance of the self-evaluation tool when writing CERs; and 3. how to use student interactive notebooks as a tool if students are reaching the learning goal.

SPEAKERS:
Nikki Luckin (Fairmont Elementary School: Sanger, CA)

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)

Make student thinking come to life with notebooks! Increase the rigor of student work—learn new strategies for organizing content and how to use templates for any science class. Take home current NGSS classroom examples to get you started.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The how and why of science notebooks; 2. Engaging ALL students in science; and 3. Templates scaffold student learning for success.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Weibert (Fresno County Office of Education: Fresno, CA)

Solar system objects are grouped by characteristics. We model how scientists classify solar system objects. What’s a planet, dwarf planet, etc.? Is Pluto a planet?

TAKEAWAYS:
1. We, including scientists, group objects to help us understand and describe the world around us; 2. The way we, including scientists, group things may depend on the manner in which we are studying them, i.e., there may be more than one “correct” answer; and 3. Objects in the Solar System (planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, moons) can be grouped by their properties: rocky surfaces, gaseous atmospheres, orbit around the Sun or a planet, where they are in the Solar System, etc.

SPEAKERS:
Larry Lebofsky (Senior Education Specialist: Tucson, AZ)

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 (Whittier Elementary: Kansas City, KS)

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)

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 (Educator and Learning Scientist: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

To address the impacts of the pandemic on K–12 education, Congress has made emergency funds available through the American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. In this session for educators and science leaders at the district and school levels, we will discuss how these federal funds can be leveraged to support science education, students, and
teachers, and review the products and services NSTA has available to address learning loss.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Information on federal funding for pandemic relief for K–12 education; 2. How this federal funding can be used for science education; and 3. NSTA products and services that address learning loss.

SPEAKERS:
Erika Shugart (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Throw away your worksheets and turn your classroom into a collaborative, engaging “escape” room.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover how to turn existing lessons into engaging escape rooms; 2. Receive dozens of hands-on puzzle ideas; and 3. Hear how to have your students create a standards-based escape room.

SPEAKERS:
Carissa Brazeal (Without Walls EDU: No City, No State)

Learn about the EdReports’ educator-led review process in science and how you can utilize our resources both in an instructional materials adoption and to grow your own understanding of high-quality instructional materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Build an understanding of the challenges educators face in finding quality materials and how EdReports aims to address those challenges; 2. Learn about EdReports' science review tools for grades K–5 and 6–8, characteristics of alignment to the NGSS and usability, and discuss smart adoption processes; and 3. Hear about opportunities to engage as an EdReports reviewer in upcoming reviews, which includes NGSS training, an extended learning community, and a paid stipend.

SPEAKERS:
Lacey Wieser (EdReports.org: Phoenix, AZ)

Attendees will actively engage with innovative, technology-rich tools while learning strategies to teach data collection and analysis, engineering design processes, coding, and robotics. Discover engaging ways to apply coding to make devices “work,” adding rigor and complexity as learners gain skills and understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to: 1. design accessible, equitable hands-on learning experiences, in which ALL students actively participate and engage with innovative technology tools, helping students learn essential science concepts, engineering processes, and learn how to collaborate with peers to increase understanding; 2. teach authentic data collection and analysis, so that students can learn how to explore and test variables and measure and analyze their effects; and 3. use programmable technology tools and devices as effective teaching tools, helping students learn how to input code to achieve a desirable outcome, and how to analyze, diagnose, and correct the code when the device doesn’t perform as intended.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Knoell (Educational and Technology Consultant: Prairie Village, KS)

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)

Make the conceptual leap from 2D to 3D and make teaching topography, topographic maps, and topographic profiles a concrete, engaging hands-on learning experience.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Modeling is a key process within the NGSS, participants will walk away with multiple engaging hands-on activities that will allow their students to model and visualize 2D topographic maps and profiles as 3D representations; 2. Using topography that is unique to the community (Mt. Saint Helens for example), participants will be able to understand the environmental and topographic impacts of geological processes; and 3. Making the abstract concrete using simple and inexpensive materials makes the learning accessible and impactful to more diverse learners.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Jones (University of Hawaii-West Oahu: Kaploei, HI)

Join us as we explore how NSTA’s three-dimensional resources can be utilized to enhance your teaching. Walk away with effective strategies for science teaching and learning and hear from educators as they provide tips for using these resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Hear from classroom teachers about how they are using NSTA Press publications; and 2. Leave with top-notch teaching tips and innovative lesson plan ideas that promote imaginative learning and student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Wendy Binder (Program Director, STEM Professional Learning: Arlington, VA)

Participants will learn about how some districts around the country are using an asset approach to post-COVID learning and will collaboratively share ideas with others.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Some districts around the country are focusing on an acceleration rather than a remediation post-COVID approach to learning; 2. An asset approach to learning and learners supports social and emotional well-being; and 3. The NSELA Learning Center provides resources for continued learning about asset versus deficit approaches to learning.

SPEAKERS:
Larry Plank (Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa, FL)

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)

Find yourself teaching science with little or no “formal” science training? Have no fear—let’s uncover the unknown science within you!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Science is not a mystical/elite field; 2. Educators know more science than they are aware of; and 3. Both educators and students can be more comfortable with "science" topics when presented in everyday terms.

SPEAKERS:
Carl Carranza (Cabrillo Marine Aquarium: San Pedro, CA)

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)

Multiple lessons were learned with remote instruction that can be transitioned into the face-to-face classroom and that support blended science instruction. Examples, tools, and strategies provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discuss the lessons learned during remote instruction that have the staying power and should be part of blended instruction; 2. Identify positive instructional strategies that maximize technology and digital tools and determine the best way to transition those tools into the blended classroom; and 3. Engage in example activities where connections between digital tools and strategies for use in student engagement are made.

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

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)

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)

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 (Program Director, STEM Professional Learning: Arlington, VA)

Problem solving? Creativity? Collaboration? Design Challenge? Join in a mini design challenge and develop your own challenge tailored for your class before you leave.

TAKEAWAYS:
Design sprints: 1. support innovation by solving a problem in a quick and creative manner; 2. engage students in 21st-century skills; and 3. incorporate many of the Next Generation Science Standards Science and Engineering Practices.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Martinez (Curriculum/Professional Development: Escondido, CA)

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)

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 (Educator and Learning Scientist: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

The NWWII Museum has developed a science curriculum for students in grades 5–8 that uses stories from WWII and connected investigations to bring science to life for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Get access to the free Real World Science curriculum; 2. Practice one or more of the activities; and 3. Find out about teacher workshops, student webinars, and other resources from The National WWII Museum.

SPEAKERS:
Rob Wallace (NSTA: Kenner, LA)

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)

Come experience quality engineering lessons inspired by externships with engineers that require students to acquire and use elements of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) from physical, life, or Earth and space sciences together with elements of DCIs from engineering design to solve problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Experience how to create an authentic need to integrate science and engineering ideas to solve an authentic problem, making the interdependence of science and engineering explicit; 2. Explore examples of engineering lessons that provide access for all students that are grounded in sensemaking; and 3. Discuss what it means to be career ready and the skills that are inherent in three-dimensional learning as espoused by NGSS and the K–12 Framework for Science Education.

SPEAKERS:
Wendy Binder (Program Director, STEM Professional Learning: Arlington, VA)

Students bring amazing intellectual resources to make sense of natural phenomena. Come learn how to notice and leverage these resources in your teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Identify equity dimensions of sensemaking through the science and engineering practices; 2. Learn to see different ways students contribute to making sense of phenomena—and connect to science; and 3. Better appreciate that navigating multiple ways of knowing is the basic human condition, not the exception.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (Educator and Learning Scientist: Seattle, WA), Tana Luther (Louisiana Dept. of Education: Baton Rouge, LA)

Using protocols will scaffold students’ learning as they apply science and engineering practices to science lessons. Come see how this approach can change your science instruction!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teachers will receive a grade-band appropriate set of protocols ready to use in the classroom (printable copies, teaching slides, and digital versions compatible with Google Classroom will all be provided); 2. Experience a model lesson using the Science and Engineering Protocols; and 3. Receive training on how to use the Science and Engineering Protocols to engage students in doing science, not just learning about science.

SPEAKERS:
Lynn Gutzwiller (Murray City School District: West Jordan, UT), Rachael Coleman (Jordan School District: West Jordan, UT)

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)

Join us as we explore how NOAA Teacher at Sea can bring stimulating ocean science content to the classroom through a wide range of technology and media applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA Teacher at Sea provides numerous cutting-edge strategies to make ocean science accessible to students such as Google Cardboard and various VR applications to utilizing NOAA Teacher at Sea’s rich ocean science resources.

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

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

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: Portland, OR), Julianna Jimenez (Stile Education: Los Angeles, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

Excite your students with hands-on science, whether you’re in the classroom or teaching remotely through collaborative data collection and real-time analysis. Seeing data collected right before their eyes using the Vernier Graphical Analysis™ Pro app gives students the ability to connect abstract concepts to real-world applications. Learn how to use our app to energize your classroom through data sharing, interactive sample experiments with synced data, custom videos, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Educators can create experiments and share the data with students in real time; 2. Seeing data collected right before their eyes gives students the ability to connect abstract concepts to real-world applications; and 3. Graphical Analysis Pro helps students experience three-dimensional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Tallarovic (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Elaine Nam (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) is a way for students to explain observed phenomena in a scientific way. This structured approach allows students to use observations and data from an investigation. Students use critical reasoning to connect the claim, evidence, and reasoning together. CER is an acclaimed and highly successful instructional strategy that is changing how students understand concepts and write explanations for phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand the benefits of using the CER Framework; 2. Construct and critique a scientific explanation; and 3. Develop appropriate scaffolds for scientific explanation skills.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Shield (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

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)

In this interactive session, explore ways that you can support your students in engaging in shifts in your instruction and increase their socio-emotional skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Build a deeper understanding of two instructional shifts needed to achieve three-dimensional instruction; 2. Consider and identify what students need to know and understand to be able to participate in these shifts; and 3. Identify potential ways to support students to participate in three-dimensional learning.

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

Participants will learn about the successful and varied informal and formal science partnerships developed by members of the NSELA leadership community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Successful partnerships between formal and informal science institutions increase student and community engagement in STEM education; 2. Success stories include STEM ecosystems; and 3. The NSELA Learning Center provides resources and support for ongoing learning about formal and informal science partnerships.

SPEAKERS:
Larry Plank (Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa, FL)

Elementary teachers can become comfortable teaching science without "adding to their plate." Our strategies have led to a natural approach to cross-curricular instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn: 1. an approach to decrease the load or stress for elementary teachers to help them feel more comfortable implementing inquiry; 2. how literacy is foundational to a robust cross-curricular science inquiry approach; and 3. an approach to help students "think like a scientist."

SPEAKERS:
Douglas Hunnings (Elkhart Community Schools: Elkhart, IN), John Taylor (Marvin Ridge High School: No City, No State)

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, LLC: No City, No State)

Use each stage of the Engineering Design Process to complete a team challenge of building and launching a satellite while making connections to NASA missions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn about and use the engineering design process to build and perform a drop test of a satellite using NASA’s BEST activities; 2. learn how to integrate the process skills of measuring, calculating, designing, and evaluating while teaching the engineering design process; and 3. make real-life connections to how NASA engineers use the engineering design process and work as teams to accomplish their mission goals.

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

Middle schoolers haven’t grown up yet so trot out the toys and the science parodies…the best way to their brains!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Reading is great but singing about a concept will cement vocabulary better than anything else; 2. Kids needs to be engaged with the material and nothing does that like PLAYING with something and raising their own questions; and 3. Science classes that are fun as well as challenging will be the ones that educate.

SPEAKERS:
Jen Taylor (Lakeview Academy: Saratoga Springs, UT)

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 (Whittier Elementary: Kansas City, KS)

This presentation explores how race, culture, and language intersect to create the condition of contemporary learning. For years, research on the language of classrooms explored how the way we say things impacts students’ sense of belonging. Despite this research, Science and Technology Education have failed to adequately explore how issues of race, language, and culture shape the outcomes of teaching and learning in science. Through a sequence of research, this presentation explores the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of this dilemma. From a theoretical perspective, the talk will explore the Language-Identity dilemma. As students learn, the way academic language is taught to them can present a cognitive and cultural conflict. From a cognitive perspective, if science is taught without respect to the implications of how language is learned, students can be misunderstood and misunderstand the teacher’s complex discourse. From a cultural conflict perspective, students may feel they are cultural outsiders when the language of the classroom positions them as outsiders. The presentation provides an overview of a series of qualitative and quantitative experiments that document the realities of this complex interaction.

SPEAKERS:
Bryan Brown (Stanford University: Stanford, CA)

Sponsoring Company: AEOP

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 (Retired: Arlington, VA)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Research has shown that the actual doing of science or engineering will pique students’ curiosity, capture their interest, and motivate their continued study. Combining this information with simple shifts in instructional sequencing can help students construct scientific meaning. Are you ready to open your eyes to a whole new world of scientific inquiry!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore the research-based 5E instructional model with adaptations for acceleration and intervention; 2. Learn several techniques to embed hands-on learning experiences in various classroom environments; and 3. Learn how to make simple shifts in your instructional plan and sequence to foster better student understanding of concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Stephanie Shield (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

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)

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: Austin, TX)

In this session, we present the importance of cultural responsiveness in the science classroom and introduce GBH’s Framework for Diversity and Equity in K–12 Science Educational Media to make science instruction more inclusive.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to assess educational media for science against a framework for diversity and equity; 2. Real-world examples of how science media was improved for DEI after assessment using the Framework; and 3. Practical tips educators can use to assess the science media they use in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Gonzalez (GBH Education: Brighton, MA)

This project-based STEM experience encourages your students to design and create cities of the future. Give your students a real-world experience of doing what an engineer does while working with real engineers.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover how this career-related project-based experience can illustrate the application of STEM; 2. Help students understand the engineering design process and project management; and 3. Give students a real-world experience of doing what an engineer does.

SPEAKERS:
John Hutchens (Ruth Patrick Science Education Center: Aiken, SC)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

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)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Co.

Ready to break out of your everyday routine and foster cross-curricular collaborative conversations? Experience the power of using Escape Room techniques and draw on individual strengths to work through engaging puzzles and challenges while actively navigating science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Provide teachers with lesson plan ideas; 2. Show that escape rooms provide motivation and give students a reason to try and understand and connect with the material; and 3. Show that escape rooms are immersive experiences that encourage teamwork in solving puzzles and finding clues to complete an objective.

SPEAKERS:
Julia Cook (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ), David Chinh (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Let’s explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM, and let's move beyond differentiation and scaffolding. Come learn other proven intervention techniques to help students. Learn how to modify our traditional outreach to connect with students so that they gain greater understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM; 2. Compare differentiation and scaffolding strategies, and learn successful adaptations of each strategy; and 3. Explore effective intervention strategies that are built into the STEMscopes curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Stephanie Shield (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

The Dust Bowl and oil spills and disasters. What do they have in common? Engage in hands-on activities that investigate the interaction of Earth’s four spheres.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Scientists from various disciplines work together to solve problems; 2. Earth’s atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere are constantly interacting with one another; and 3. Human interaction with Earth’s systems may be detrimental with long-term effects.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Martinez (Curriculum/Professional Development: Escondido, CA)

We’ll unpack examples of young people learning across different settings, showing how formal and informal educators can collaborate to support science engagement and community involvement.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Young people bring their learning across settings, making connections between the practices and activities they do in informal and formal spaces; 2. When educators partner and coordinate experiences across settings, they can better support young peoples’ learning pathways, identity development, and promote community involvement; and 3. This session will offer examples of how young people have brought their learning and made connections across settings, which will highlight opportunities for educators to design better partnerships in the future to support young people in the future.

SPEAKERS:
Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

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)

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)

Learn how the structure of your inquiry activities can produce roadblocks for emergent bilinguals, and how shifts based on student strengths increase engagement and success.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Good science modeling uses words and picture to make meaning. Working through multiple representations of phenomena shares similarities to translanguaging among bilinguals, resulting in a resource as opposed to a deficit approach to learning; 2. Student collaborations centered around representations, as opposed to language, are more inclusive and improve understanding for all students; and 3. Generative frameworks through chunking steps and heuristics allow for organization of understanding and context transfer.

SPEAKERS:
Christopher Moore (University of Nebraska Omaha: Omaha, NE)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Come learn several strategies to help students organize their learning. Transform the old composition notebooks into a useful and engaging tool that incorporates technology and multimedia. Interactive student notebooks use various modalities, left/right-side format, and offer students an electronic portfolio of learning. Join us!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn several strategies to help students organize their learning; 2. Learn how to adapt old student notebooks into digital interactive portfolios with Slides, Jamboard, Flipgrid, Padlet, and Screencasify; and 3. Learn how to structure notebooks for left-side "Output" and right-side "Input."

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Stephanie Shield (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

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)

Students love sketchnoting in science! Come learn how visual notetaking leads to deep processing and retention of content. Editable templates will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. What are sketchnotes; 2. How to use sketchnotes in science; and 3. How to greatly increase student processing.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Weibert (Fresno County Office of Education: Fresno, CA)