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:Hands-On Workshop, Successful Collaborations Between Informal and Formal Educators, Environmental Science

 

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

Using Children's Literature to Build Science Literacy In Young Scientists

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

Oregon Convention Center - D136


Show Details

Do you want to learn how to integrate children’s literature into your elementary science block? This workshop will walk you through some children’s books that not only engage students and help build literacy skills but also provide a foundation for NGSS-focused STEM-related projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. gain an understanding of developing science literacy in their young students through literature; 2. walk away with resources (ideas and activities) to strengthen literacy and science skills; and 3. use children's literature as a way to enhance STEM learning in their classrooms through hands-on activities.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Pearcy (Jefferson Elementary School: Spokane, WA), Jayna Ashlock (Logan Elementary School: Spokane, WA), Kendra Robinson-Harding (Jefferson Elementary School: Spokane, WA)

Getting Students to Read in Science

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

Oregon Convention Center - D137/138



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Vocabulary Tiers

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:
Teachers will: 1. learn how to use articles to make their content more applicable to the lives of 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)

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)

Say What? Getting Students to Learn and Use Scientific Vocabulary Words

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

Oregon Convention Center - D139/140



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Science Terms
Vocabulary Tiers

Show Details

Emphasis will be placed on five-minute daily strategies that will get students to become fluent in scientific vocabulary.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Develop students’ critical-thinking skills through the use of scientific vocabulary words; 2. Provide teachers with five-minute daily strategies to strengthen students’ scientific vocabulary usage; and 3. Provide teachers with exercises that will help students recognize the difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words.

SPEAKERS:
Jonte' Lee (Whittier Elementary: Kansas City, KS)

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

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

Oregon Convention Center - A107-109


STRAND: Developing More Inclusive Classrooms

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. Emphasis will be placed 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. Push Black students academically forward without making them feel torn between two language worlds.

SPEAKERS:
Jonte' Lee (Whittier Elementary: Kansas City, KS)

Literacy Through Book Clubs in the Science Classroom

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

Oregon Convention Center - D136



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Book Club Presentation
Presentation for Book Clubs in the Secondary Science Classroom

STRAND: Literacy/Science Connections in the Classroom

Show Details

Learn how to break down standards, incorporate book clubs, and implement workshops to intentionally teach literacy skills that transfer to all aspects of life.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learners will: 1. learn how to intentionally break down the science standards to focus on the literacy skill to teach the science content; 2. practice breaking down their own science standards into literacy activities that can be run in a workshop classroom; and 3. learn how to use book clubs to support literacy through the workshop method within the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Katerina Flanders (Lambert High School: Suwanee, GA), Kelli Schuyler (Lambert High School: Suwanee, GA), Desmond Jackson (Lambert High School: Suwanee, GA)

3-D Science in a World of Eight Billion

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

Oregon Convention Center - D133/134


Show Details

Engage in three-dimensional learning with hands-on activities to explore human population, biodiversity, climate change, land and natural resource use, and paths to sustainability.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn ways to incorporate 3-D learning strategies into hands-on activities around the NGSS topic of Human Sustainability; 2. come away with ideas and lessons to supplement their coursework in High School Biology and Environmental Science (General and AP) with experiential activities for in-person and virtual classrooms; and 3. be able to identify how the presented hands-on activities meet the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science & Engineering Practices; and how the activities can be used to reach all kinds of learners, for an inclusive classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Brennan Brockbank (Portland Public Schools: Portland, CT)

Phenomenon-Based Instruction: Unpacking the 3-D NGSS

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

Oregon Convention Center - A107-109


Show Details

The focus of this presentation is to equip teachers with the pedagogical and technological skills needed to drive three- dimensional NGSS-focused instruction using phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Help teachers develop and use thought-provoking phenomena to enable students to make connections between the science concept and real-life situations; 2. This session provides participating teachers opportunities to experience lessons in the same manner as students; and 3. Help teachers to use digital platforms for academic dialogue that would spike discontent in the students' understanding of the phenomena, driving them to use science practices to explore their curiosities further.

SPEAKERS:
Chidi Duru (Prince George's County Public Schools: Upper Marlboro, MD)

How to Give Children More Opportunities to Use Science and Literacy to Make Sense of the World Around Them

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

Oregon Convention Center - A107-109


STRAND: Literacy/Science Connections in the Classroom

Show Details

This session introduces a way to create learning experiences that will give students opportunities to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking as they use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to ensure students have access to science by designing investigations that promote and support the use of literacy skills; 2. How literacy can be used to be used in the service of sensemaking; and 3. How to embed formative assessment of science practices and literacy skills into an investigation in a meaningful and informative way.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, 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)

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)

Famous Fossils of Washington and Oregon

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

Oregon Convention Center - D139/140



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
FF of WA & OR.pdf

Show Details

Join me as I share eight short stories about the most significant fossil discoveries in Washington and Oregon combined with a hands-on experience that connects to each story.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Use storytelling to engage students in the NGSS Earth Science Standards that include fossil evidence; 2. Utilize prehistoric animals as motivation to read and research about the place that you live; and 3. Make connections to the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon and the Burke Museum and Stonerose fossils in Washington.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Watrin (WSTA: Olympia, WA)

Using Objects and Pictures to Welcome All Students to Phenomena-Based Science Learning

Saturday, October 30 • 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.)
resources for visual and objects.docx

STRAND: Developing More Inclusive Classrooms

Show Details

Have you ever wondered how using a single picture or object can spark any student’s curiosity about science? Get the tools to help all your students embrace science with open arms and excitement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. learn how to use pictures to spark interest in science phenomena; 2. experience a Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) lesson incorporated with science; and 3. experience how using objects can spark students' interests and leads to students asking their own questions.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Pearcy (Jefferson Elementary School: Spokane, WA), Carrie Ryan Walls (Woodridge Elementary School: Spokane, WA), Emily O'Halloran (Linwood Elementary School: Spokane, WA)

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)

A STEM Ice Core Investigation That Integrates the Three Dimensions of NGSS

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

Oregon Convention Center - D136



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Ice Core Records NGSS.pdf
NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory
NASA's Universe of Learning STEM Literacy Program

Show Details

Let me introduce you to a multidisciplinary, open-ended investigation that incorporates absolute and relative dating, anomalies, historical context, volcanoes, solar proton events, energy cycles, Earth systems, terrestrial events, and supernovas.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students will have a better understanding of the process of constructing knowledge; 2. Students will have to analyze and defend their results; and 3. Sometimes there is no answer key, only possible solutions from constructing and analyzing data from several sources that cross traditional disciplines.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Young (NASA/NSO/UoL Program Manager: Laughlin, NV)

Back to Top