2021 Portland Area Conference

October 28-30, 2021

Grade Level


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Pathway/Course

FILTERS APPLIED:6 - 8, Presentation, Sharing Authentic Assessment Strategies, General Science

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
11 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)

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



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Equity in Science Teaching and Learning Our States Shared Process
Presentation slide deck with links to resources

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
Summary of presentation, lesson plans, template to get you started, other resources.
Perfect Food Feast Slide Presentation
Presentation summary, a few lessons, a template for your own project, 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)

Using Argument to Formatively Assess Student Understanding of Scientific Phenomena and Theory

Thursday, October 28 • 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Oregon Convention Center - E144



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Authentic Assessment Presentation NSTA.pptx

STRAND: Sharing Authentic Assessment Strategies

Show Details

Formative assessment through scientific discourse and argumentation regarding evidence for scientific phenomena or theory gives authentic insight into student understanding of difficult science concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. understand the importance of formative assessment in the learning process; 2. value argumentation as a form of formative assessment; and 3. identify that scientific discourse with peers is a valuable learning tool within a classroom that gives insight into student thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Mansell (Washington Fields Intermediate School: Washington, UT), Jessica Jones (Washington Fields Intermediate School: Washington, UT)

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)

Build a Better Zoo: Engineering Design Challenge

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

Oregon Convention Center - E147/148


Show Details

Students learn about behavioural adaptations of animals and work in teams to form evidence-based claims about improvements to the enclosures at our local zoo. Note:  We suggest participants bring either a smartphone or internet-enabled computer/tablet, although it is not required.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Encourage students to continue working on forming their own evidence-based arguments; 2. Empower students to become involved in community activism and use their voices to advocate for others; and 3. Integrate engineering, career exploration, collaboration, and effective communication into life science.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Woodward (Holy Trinity Catholic School: Beaverton, OR)

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)

Are These Materials Designed for NGSS? Understanding the EdReports Review Process (Grades K–8)

Saturday, October 30 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Oregon Convention Center - E146



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
EdReports K-8 Review Process and Reports

Show Details

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:
Sam Shaw (EdReports.org)

The Community Science and Engineering Walk: Seeing Science and Engineering All Around Us

Saturday, October 30 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Oregon Convention Center - E144


STRAND: Successful Collaborations Between Informal and Formal Educators

Show Details

Bakeries! Parks! Supermarkets! Science and engineering practices are everywhere. Come learn about a fun community walk activity that connects classrooms and communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn: 1. about the importance of exploring science and engineering practices outside the classroom; 2. how to develop students' observation and data collection skills using the Community Walk; and 3. how investigating the scientific and engineering resources of the community, and engaging families and communities in science learning, inform students' and teachers' visions for teaching and learning science .

SPEAKERS:
José Rios (University of Washington Tacoma: Tacoma, WA)

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