2021 Los Angeles Area Conference - Sessions

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)

Connecting NGSS to Student Interests and the Science That Surrounds Us in Real Life

Learn how to create engaging lessons, connecting to student interests and to the science and natural phenomena that surround us. Pick up strategies to engage K–6 students in explorations, helping them recognize and understand real-world science while creating a lifelong love of science. Handouts!

Takeaways: Attendees will learn: 1. innovative strategies to help children identify, explore, and understand a variety of interesting, real-life science that surrounds them in their everyday world; 2. how to design lessons that emphasize exploration, and give students the opportunity to test variables and analyze their effects; and 3. effective questioning strategies to engage students and increase the depth of student thinking, also helping to make student thinking visible; and to help teachers use effective questioning strategies to help students clarify and articulate their understanding of essential science phenomena and concepts.

Speakers

Donna Knoell (Educational and Technology Consultant: Overland Park, KS)

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)

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)

NSELA-Sponsored Session: How as Science Leaders Are We Supporting an Asset View of Science Learners?

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)

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)

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)

NSELA-Sponsored Session: Highlighting Stories of Successful (Formal and Informal Science) Partnerships from National Science Leaders

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)

3-2-1 Lift-Off! NASA’s Beginning Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Curriculum

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)

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

From the Sea to Your Seat—No Beach Needed!

No-mess dissections! Shark feedings! Find out how Cabrillo Marine Aquarium can bring these and more to your class through our online programming!

Takeaways: 1. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium can be a valuable resource to educators beyond our immediate area; 2. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium provides a wide array of freely available online content for educators; and 3. Online materials can enhance classroom learning.

Speakers

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

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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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:
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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)

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)