2021 Portland Area Conference

October 28-30, 2021

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

Partnering with NSTA to Reach Your Professional Learning Goals

Thursday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Oregon Convention Center - A105


Show Details

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), Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

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

Thursday, October 28 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Oregon Convention Center - D139/140


STRAND: Literacy/Science Connections in the Classroom

Show Details

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 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)

NSTA Press Session: Argument-Driven Inquiry as a Way to Bring 3-D Instruction to Your Classroom

Thursday, October 28 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Oregon Convention Center - G131/132


Show Details

Argument-Driven Inquiry is an instructional model that gives students an opportunity to learn how to use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena. It 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:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Before an Earthquake: Education Resources That Support the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System

Thursday, October 28 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Oregon Convention Center - D137/138



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Participant resources and worksheet
Links to featured activities and how to get more information. ShakeAlert, earthquake science.
Participant resources and worksheet
Slide deck
Slide deck from presentation, including video clips. ShakeAlert, earthquake science.
Slides
Presentation slides. ShakeAlert, earthquake science.

Show Details

Explore free NGSS-focused activities from the USGS and partners on earthquakes, shake intensity, and how the ShakeAlert system works.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to: 1. find and use free activities and animations available at the ShakeAlert Education and Training Materials Website; 2. describe how P- and S-waves are critical to how the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system works and how ShakeAlert improves earthquake preparedness; and 3. use USGS ShakeMaps to describe the factors that affect the intensity of earthquake shaking (Magnitude versus Shake Intensity activity).

SPEAKERS:
Jenny Crayne (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI): Portland, OR)

Equity in Science Teaching and Learning: Our State’s Shared Process

Thursday, October 28 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - A107-109


Show Details

How can we elevate equity and justice in our work in science education, personally and in community? Learn about Oregon’s efforts in this critical process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn about the Oregon Equity in Science Teaching and Learning Symposium; 2. experience (briefly) several components of the symposium; and 3. contribute to our collective understanding of this critical work.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Mayo (Portland Public Schools: Portland, OR), Jamie Rumage (Oregon Dept. of Education: Salem, OR), Noelle Gorbett (Portland Public Schools)

NSTA Press Session: Ignite Your Professional Teaching Practice with NSTA’s Trilogy of Three-Dimensional Resources

Thursday, October 28 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E147/148


Show Details

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:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kim Stilwell (BIOZONE Corp.: Parker, CO)

Supporting Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) in the Science Classroom by Using POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) Strategies

Thursday, October 28 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - A106


Show Details

Participants will work in cooperative teams to explore how POGIL supports CRT to help close the achievement gap for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
I can: 1. describe how the three stages of learning in Zaretta Hammond’s book Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and the Brain (2015) relate to the learning cycle used in POGIL activities; 2. describe how team roles contribute to improved learning in small cooperative teams; and 3. share the three guided inquiry activities (Roles, CRT and POGIL, and a middle school science activity) with my peers and students.

SPEAKERS:
Mare Sullivan (Seattle Pacific University: Seattle, WA), Lori Stanton (Canyon Park Middle School: Bothell, WA)

PERFECT FOOD Integrated Science Unit

Thursday, October 28 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E141



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Perfect Food Feast Slide Presentation
Presentation summary, a few lessons, a template for your own project, resources
Perfect Food Feast Slide Presentation
Summary of presentation, lesson plans, template to get you started, other resources.
Photosynthesis - Respiration Cool Activity
An engaging and educational human model activity.

STRAND: Integrating Multiple Learning Experiences and Connecting to Move Forward

Show Details

PERFECT FOOD will instruct teachers how to bundle their diverse science standards and present them in an authentic, empowering, and engaging unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. be shown how the complex food system gives their individual students the power to positively impact the world; 2. participate in unit activities and actively brainstorm how they can integrate their required standards into an authentic Perfect Food unit; and 3. take home templates and activities to initiate the process of developing their own Perfect Food unit.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Jamsa (Silverton Middle School: Silverton, OR)

Every Park in a Classroom: OutSCIder Classroom

Thursday, October 28 • 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E144



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
OCS1_NSTA
Presentation that includes a YouTube clip and a link to a website we will be exploring.

STRAND: Successful Collaborations Between Informal and Formal Educators

Show Details

Discover how to connect your classroom to America’s best idea, our National Parks System. Participants will get access to engaging science videos that are NGSS-focused 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)

Smashing Classroom Walls Through Virtual Events

Friday, October 29 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Oregon Convention Center - E147/148


STRAND: Innovating the Future of Education: Technology and Science Education

Show Details

Take your students beyond your classroom walls through virtual speakers and field trips with those on the frontlines 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)

Creating Pinhole Cameras: An Interdisciplinary STEAM Unit Melding Old and New Technology

Friday, October 29 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Oregon Convention Center - D133/134



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA Presentation 2021.pdf
Pinhole Cameras Unit Plan

STRAND: Innovating the Future of Education: Technology and Science Education

Show Details

Students engaged in this project-based learning unit master a variety of STEAM skills and content by creating pinhole cameras and coding a virtual reality environment.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Participants will learn how to create an interdisciplinary STEAM unit using the design-engineering process to employ differentiation in both process and product. 2. Participants will learn how to incorporate a virtual reality product into a project-based learning unit. 3. Participants will learn how to incorporate a wide variety of topics and skills into a project-based learning unit that spans multiple disciplines and incorporates both old technology (pinhole cameras) and new technology (virtual reality) while meeting the performance standards laid out by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Olivera (Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School: New York, NY)

Ensuring Access and Equity Doesn’t Have to Be Rocket Science

Friday, October 29 • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Oregon Convention Center - B117/118/119


Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Co.

This workshop will include a design challenge that will highlight tools to support gender equity, economically disadvantaged youth, English learners, students with disabilities, and advanced and gifted learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The engineering and design process provides support for all groups of learners we find in our classrooms; 2. Teachers will leave with strategies they can immediately implement into their classrooms; and 3. This challenge will highlight tools to support gender equity, economically disadvantaged youth, English learners, students with disabilities, and advanced and gifted learners.

SPEAKERS:
Jessi Davis (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Connecting Three-Dimensional Learning to Upcoming Out-of-This-World Phenomena

Friday, October 29 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E142/143



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
PPT for 3D astronomy workshop for Portland and Houston conferences - 21Oct2021.pdf
Solar Science and Eclipses.pdf
WSGD snd SS flyer for Portland and Houston - 21Oct2021.docx

STRAND: Integrating Multiple Learning Experiences and Connecting to Move Forward

Show Details

Get ready for the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses. See how learning activities about Earth, the Moon, and Sun provide three-dimensional learning experiences to connect to these events that will be more spectacular than the 2017 eclipse.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. have a better understanding of what is meant by three-dimensional learning; 2. see how 3-D learning can lead to knowing what causes lunar phases and eclipses; and 3. be prepared to enjoy the solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024.

SPEAKERS:
Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR)

Twist and Shout: Unraveling Chromosomes with Hands-On Models

Friday, October 29 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - C124


Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Mitosis, meiosis, chromosome structure, and crossing over will be explored in this hands-on modeling event. Bring your student hat and be ready to engage.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Model chromosome structure and anatomy; 2. Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis; and 3. Model mechanisms that contribute to genetic variation.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Bowers (Meridian School: Round Rock, TX)

Science At Home: Bridging the Gap

Friday, October 29 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - D137/138


STRAND: Integrating Multiple Learning Experiences and Connecting to Move Forward

Show Details

Looking for ways to connect what students learn at school with their home learning environment? This session will provide participants with many overarching hands-on science lessons that integrate the science and engineering practices and can easily be completed at home or school. Materials are cheap and easily accessible for parents/teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Overarching science concepts at each grade band; 2. Connecting hands-on science activities to at-home learning; and 3. Creating an at-home lessons template.

SPEAKERS:
Curtis Varnell (Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative: Branch, AR)

Beyond Labz: Realistic Virtual Labs That Bridge the Gap Between Real Labs and Scientific Inquiry

Friday, October 29 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - B117/118/119


Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Beyond Labz

Built on a platform developed over 20 years, Beyond Labz creates an open-ended environment providing students the opportunity to experiment, practice, fail, discover, and learn.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Beyond Labz simplifies and reduces the cost and expertise needed to provide crucial laboratory experiences and practice for Secondary and Higher Ed students; 2. Attendees will learn how the labs are used for pre- and post-lab experiences, credit recovery and lab make-up, student engagement in class, and meeting NGSS standards; and 3. Basic onboarding and start-up instructions will be provided for drop-in solutions, and instructions for using some of the more sophisticated features will also be described.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Woodfield (Brigham Young University: Provo, UT)

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

Friday, October 29 • 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - A105


Show Details

Explore NSTA’s new Professional 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:
Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK)

Three Ways to Make Your STEM PBL a Main Course

Friday, October 29 • 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - B117/118/119


Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Pitsco Education

The framework of our STEM PBL units includes a meaningful STEM challenge, authentic inquiry, student choice, applied development, and public engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Elements of a STEM PBL unit; 2. Ways to incorporate hands-on STEM learning into an open-ended STEM PBL unit; and 3. Leave with the right tools and confidence to integrate a STEM PBL unit into your learning environment.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Underwood (Pitsco Education: Pittsburg, KS), Mohit Abraham (Pitsco Education: Pittsburg, KS)

Locating Earthquake Epicenters Online

Saturday, October 30 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E145


STRAND: Innovating the Future of Education: Technology and Science Education

Show Details

Explore the new IRIS web-based interactive earthquake lab! Have your students learn and practice earthquake location and analysis techniques with real seismic data! Bring a laptop/iPad!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Analyze and interpret data to help explain how patterns in seismic data allow earthquakes to be located; 2. Construct an explanation of how models of Earth structure are used in conjunction with recordings of seismic waves to calculate earthquake locations; and 3. Investigate how different methods can be applied to the same dataset to calculate earthquake locations using an online toolkit.

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Bravo (IRIS | Earthscope Consortium: Vancouver, WA)

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