2021 Portland Area Conference

October 28-30, 2021

All sessions added to My Agenda prior to this notice have been exported to the mobile app and will be visible in your account when the app launches. Any sessions added now, will also have to be added in the app.
Grade Level


Topics

















Strands







Session Type




Pathway/Course

FILTERS APPLIED:6 - 8, Developing More Inclusive Classrooms, Environmental Science

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
15 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)

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)

How to Reframe Eco-anxiety as a Way to Connect and Move Forward in Science Learning About Climate Change

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

Oregon Convention Center - E141



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Eco-Anxiety Resource Doc.pdf

STRAND: Integrating Multiple Learning Experiences and Connecting to Move Forward

Show Details

Attending to eco-anxiety means collectively reimagining new ways to live in harmony with Earth and one another, which requires the expertise of BIPOC communities. Centering communities impacted by climate change is key to helping students imagine and build healthy futures.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teachers will engage in critical reflection about romantic, capitalistic, and fatalistic approaches to climate change instruction that can often induce eco-anxiety; 2. Tools and methods for eco-anxiety that are grounded in decolonization and the expertise of BIPOC communities will be provided; and 3. Participants will learn exciting and innovative ways to engage students in thinking and discussing climate change that promote socio-ecological thriving and productive hope.

SPEAKERS:
Anastasia Sanchez (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Christina Guevara (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Kaleb Germinaro (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

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)

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)

Keynote Presentation: Curiosity, Creativity, and Courage: Exploring at the Confluence of Science, Art, and Justice

Thursday, October 28 • 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - Oregon Ballroom 201/202


Show Details

Sponsoring Company: National Geographic Learning | Cengage

We all live within the land, the ocean, the rains, the winds. Changes in these due to our climate crisis are everywhere and impact us all. These changes are often slow and subtle, punctuated by intense activity: storms, landslides, fires. If we only notice these catastrophes, then we are missing a critical part of the story. Erin will share two passions of hers. One is the value of spending more time observing and being curious about the slow and subtle changes happening in our own communities, because slow and subtle changes matter. The other is to expand who is doing the observing, because who does the science defines how the science gets done, who benefits from the science, and, ultimately, what science matters.

NSTA wishes to thank National Geographic Learning | Cengage for sponsoring this speaker.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Pettit (Oregon State University: Corvallis, OR)

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)

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)

Voices of Hope: Climate Science Unit

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

Oregon Convention Center - A107-109


Show Details

Climate Science can be a difficult topic, however focusing on hope and action allows students to see they can make a difference. Come see how!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Gain strategies to support all students, but especially English Learners (using OCDE, Orange County Department of Education, Project GLAD® strategies); 2. Learn the content and the relevant issues that are impacting climate change; and 3. How to focus on the importance of maintaining hope. We do this by showing students how their actions will make a difference.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Lindholm (North Central Educational Service District: Wenatchee, WA)

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)

What Is Making My Neighorhood SO HOT!

Saturday, October 30 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - D139/140


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

Show Details

Find out why by studying the phenomenon of the urban heat islands using the GLOBE Urban Protocol Bundle and My NASA Data. Training and ongoing support offered virtually.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Science content on heat islands, cloud formation, Earth’s energy budget, and NASA satellites collecting this data; 2. Face-to-Face interactions in collecting data (clouds, air, and surface temperature) using the GLOBE Observer App; and 3. Instructional materials from GLOBE and NASA to teach the science content and protocols aligned to NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Czajkowski (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH)

Featured Presentation: Teaching Environmental Justice Theory and Applications in STEM

Saturday, October 30 • 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Oregon Convention Center - Oregon Ballroom 201/202


Show Details

This presentation will focus on how social, political, and biophysical factors structure access to water, using the concept of environmental justice to draw attention to issues of fairness and equality in the ways different social groups gain access to natural resources. It is essential for anyone working in the environmental sciences to acknowledge the human communities that impact and are impacted by those systems. The history of spatial segregation in the U.S. has had real consequences for how water is distributed, diverted, stored, and managed across urban and rural landscapes. This has resulted in uneven access to clean, reliable water and differential access to water-related decision-making. In this talk, Melissa will introduce a theoretical framework based on current research in environmental justice that considers distributive, procedural, and recognition justice. Looking at case studies in the Pacific Northwest, she will demonstrate how water managers and researchers can use this framework to ask questions that will illuminate opportunities to support diversity, equity, and inclusion approaches in their work.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Haeffner (Portland State University: Portland, OR)

Back to Top