2021 Los Angeles Area Conference

December 9-11, 2021

Grade Level


Topics

















Strands







Session Type





Pathway/Course

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
11 results
Save up to 50 sessions in your agenda.

NSTA Press Session: Inspiring Curiosity and Writing with the Next Time You See Series, K–5

Thursday, December 9 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 402A


Show Details

Learn how the Next Time You See books can connect students with nature and inspire them to write their own books about natural objects and phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore research about the positive effects of time in nature on children and adults; 2. Learn how literacy and science can be connected through writing activities; and 3. Receive classroom-ready resources (videos and graphic organizers) to guide your students through a Mentor Text Study.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Stilwell (BIOZONE Corp.: Parker, CO)

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

Thursday, December 9 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 404


Show Details

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)

NSTA Press Session: Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons: Using Picture Book to Inspire STEM Learning, K–5

Thursday, December 9 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 408B


Show Details

Learn how to integrate STEM and literacy through the use of high-quality STEM-related picture books.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Strategies for integrating STEM and literacy in K–5; 2. Suggested picture books that integrate STEM and literacy; and 3. A STEM lesson you can use right away.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Stilwell (BIOZONE Corp.: Parker, CO)

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

Friday, December 10 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 505



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Session Resource Document Form
Form to access the Resource Document and slide deck from the session.

Show Details

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)

Getting Students to Read in Science

Friday, December 10 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 502B


STRAND: Literacy/Science Connections in the Classroom

Show Details

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)

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

Saturday, December 11 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 505


Show Details

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 (WestEd: Alameda, CA), Zachary Cue (UCLA STEM+C3 and Science Project)

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

Saturday, December 11 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 511



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Modeling NSTA LA 2021.pdf

Show Details

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)

Language Proficiency and Rigorous Science Instruction—What’s the Connection?

Saturday, December 11 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 408B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
California Association of Science Educators (CASE)
Sci-Lingual Education
Language and Literacy Resources: developing language in the context of science.
Science Centered Language Development
Science Practices and ELD Standards K-5
Slides for CASE Session Language Proficiency and Science

Show Details

What can we learn from examining the CA ELPAC science-related test items? Join us for a hands-on exploration into how three-dimensional NGSS teaching and learning can increase students’ English language proficiency.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Language proficiency is not a prerequisite for content instruction but an outcome of effective content instruction. Science learning and language development are mutually supportive; 2. As Emerging Multilingual Learners engage in science practices, they use disciplinary language and language functions (describe, sequence, evaluate, synthesize, etc.) to make sense of phenomena and to communicate their ideas; and 3. The functional use of language in social contexts improves language learners' communication abilities. Using language for meaningful purposes in an engaging science context improves students' ability to communicate in all areas and increases their language proficiency levels as measured by the ELPAC.

SPEAKERS:
Claudio Vargas (Sci-Lingual Education: Oakland, CA), Peter A'Hearn (California Association of Science Educators: Folsom, CA), Diana Velez (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Inclusive Science Assessments: Supporting and Designing Equitable Formative Assessments to Build on Learners’ Interests and Knowledge

Saturday, December 11 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 408B


STRAND: Developing More Inclusive Classrooms

Show Details

Learn how to integrate the cultural resources your students bring to class with your science teaching and learning. Come explore equity-based cultural formative assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Resources for instructional leaders and educators to support and create meaningful connections between classroom science concepts and the application of those ideas in everyday situations; 2. Discussion of the implementation of these tools and resources in dynamic school environments; and 3. The strategies presented in this workshop can be used with any curricula, at any grade level, and in all subjects of science and engineering.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (University of Washington)

Creating and Maintaining an Equitable Science Classroom

Saturday, December 11 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 408B


STRAND: Developing More Inclusive Classrooms

Show Details

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)

Mathematics and Computational Thinking Using Authentic Data and Practices

Saturday, December 11 • 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Los Angeles Convention Center - 502B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA LA 2021 Mathematical and Computational Thinking.pdf

Show Details

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)

Back to Top