NSTA Engage: Spring21 - Sessions

Examining Nature of Science and Standards in a Post-COVID World

Using COVID data and multimedia sources, teachers can elevate students’ understandings of science as a human endeavor, and explore diverse contributions and other nature of science themes.

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. acquire multiple classroom resources for COVID data, updates, and multimedia; 2. examine connections among pandemic examples and grade level nature of science (NOS) themes in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); and 3. explore opportunities to enhance science lessons with key NGSS NOS themes such as science as a human endeavor, diverse contributions and cultures, using a variety of methods, and knowledge open to revision in light of new evidence.

Speakers

Danny Bergman (Wichita State University: Wichita, KS)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

NMLSTA-Sponsored Session: Meet Me in the Middle Virtual Share-a-Thon, Session 2

Join us for a variety of short, modified Pecha Kucha–style presentations, after which the presenters will be available for questions and further discussion.

The presentations included in this session are:

Innovation in Biology
Presenter: Jessica Kohout

Eureka! Bioprospecting for Medicine
Presenter: Liz Martinez

FIRST at Home
Presenter: Libby Simpson

Opportunities and Resources for All Middle Level Educators!
Presenters: Anne Schoeffler and Edralin Pagarigan

Inspiring the Future of Aerospace
Presenter: Melissa Sleeper

Ten STE(A)M Skills for Everyone
Presenters: Lydia Kidane

Moderator: Mary Lou Lipscomb

Note: This session involves Breakout Rooms. In order to participate, you must have the latest version of Zoom downloaded to your computer. Before accessing our Zoom platform, please visit Zoom.us/download, click on Download, and then click on Execute file to initialize.

Takeaways: 1. Discover a variety lessons, units, professional development opportunities, and resources for hybrid or virtual instruction; 2. Learn ways to engage middle level students in exciting inquiry learning; and 3. Become aware of ways to involve parents and/or community in science.

Speakers

Edralin Pagarigan (Golden Ring Middle School: Rosedale, MD), Lydia Kidane (Sustainable Forestry Initiative: Washington, DC), Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD), Liz Martinez (Curriculum/Professional Development: Escondido, CA), Libby Simpson (FIRST®: Manchester, NH), Anne Farley Schoeffler (Seton Catholic School: Hudson, OH), Melissa Sleeper (Storm Grove Middle School: Vero Beach, FL)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Teaching Evolution in the Virtual World

We are teaching students in class, at home, and in quarantine. TIES offers FREE evolution units packed with activities. Check them out at www.tieseducation.org.

Takeaways: 1. You can teach evolution virtually, but effectively; 2. There are free online activities that can replace our more traditional active learning lessons; and 3. This session can give your students high-quality evolution instruction all in one free, downloadable unit with student response sheets, rubrics, answer keys, and assessments.

Speakers

Bertha Vazquez (G. W. Carver Middle School: Miami, FL)

Combating Ableism in the Biology Classroom by Teaching Disability as a Natural Form of Human Variation to Promote an Inclusive Classroom and School Environment

Unsure how to address disability in biology? Learn models of disability, identify ableism, and learn how to accept disability as a natural form of variation.

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. be able to identify and remedy common examples of ableism, while learning about the beliefs and practices of the ability-inclusive mindset to promote an inclusive classroom and school environment; 2. be provided a set of slides that teach how disability is a natural form of human variation, the other above concepts in the context of a biology lesson on the natural sources of variation (meiosis, mutation, sexual reproduction); and 3. learn about the positives and negatives of the social, medical, inspirational, and social justice models of disability.

Speakers

John Gensic (Penn High School: Mishawaka, IN), Katy Fattaleh (The Nora Project: Highland Park, IL), Lainey Bristow (Penn High School: Mishawaka, IN)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

NARST-Sponsored Session: Impact of Earth Science Integration on Student Learning in a High School Chemistry Course

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in sample activities that integrate chemistry, Earth science, and science practices and to review example student work.

Takeaways: Participants will learn: 1. about integrated chemistry and Earth science activities; and 2. how to support student engagement in creating models of scientific phenomena.

Speakers

Jonathon Grooms (The George Washington University Graduate School of Education: Washington, DC), Kevin Fleming (Cardozo Education Campus: No City, No State), Bess Caplan (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD), Alan Berkowitz (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Millbrook, NY), Vonceil Anderson (Baltimore City Public Schools: Baltimore, MD)

High School NSTA Lessons Plans: Science Instruction for ALL, Part 1

Join us to experience a high school NSTA lesson plan containing the assets that contemporary research shows are needed to support ALL students, particularly those from underserved communities and those traditionally marginalized in science classrooms. Reflect on the teacher guidance provided that empowers students, targets current standards, and creates a classroom community of learners.

Takeaways: 1. Gain strategies designed to shift instruction to create engagement and scientific literacy for ALL students that leverage the assets students bring to the table; 2. Explore a high-quality NSTA lesson plan; and 3. Understand what sensemaking is and how to create opportunities for sensemaking .

Speakers

Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

High School NSTA Lessons Plans: Science Instruction for ALL, Part 2

Join us to experience a high school NSTA lesson plan containing the assets that contemporary research shows are needed to support ALL students, particularly those from underserved communities and those traditionally marginalized in science classrooms. Reflect on the teacher guidance provided that empowers students, targets current standards, and creates a classroom community of learners.

Takeaways: 1. Gain strategies designed to shift instruction to create engagement and scientific literacy for ALL students that leverage the assets students bring to the table; 2. Explore a high-quality NSTA lesson plan; and 3. Understand what sensemaking is and how to create opportunities for sensemaking .

Speakers

Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Do You Need a New Science Lab? Come Learn How to Apply to Win for Your School!

Are you located in the U.S. near a Shell asset? Attend this session for the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge to learn how to apply for this amazing opportunity. Pick up tips for completing a winning application and begin your journey in applying to win an updated science classroom. This program will award 33 prize packages valued up to $15,000 for high school and $10,000 for elementary and middle school!

Takeaways: 1. Learn how you can apply to win the Shell Science Lab Challenge; 2. Learn the tips to completing a winning application; and 3. Have an opportunity to actually begin to complete the application and have your questions answered.

Speakers

Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH), Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Come Join the Tour of NSTA’s New Professional Learning Products and Services!

The NSTA Professional Learning team has been inspired by educators across the globe who have been providing distance and hybrid learning. Come learn about the NSTA Daily Dos, DailyDo playlists, Transforming Science Learning and Teacher Tip Tuesday webinar
series, and other new NSTA products and services!

Takeaways: 1. Explore new NSTA products and services designed to shift instruction to create engagement and scientific/STEM literacy for ALL students that leverage the assets students bring to the table; and 2. Hear from teachers the ways NSTA products and services have helped them create a classroom culture that supports student sensemaking based in the science and engineering practices that grow life and workforce skills.

Speakers

Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Building the Foundations for an Equitable and Inclusive STEM Program

This session will provide a framework for how to develop a STEM program. The presentation will include an example of a STEM strategic plan that promotes equity and inclusion.

Takeaways: Session participants will learn: 1. a process for developing STEM curricula and programming; 2. how to begin to address equity issues; and 3. methods for including student voice and agency into a STEM program.

Speakers

Carol Larson (Indiana Connections Academy: Indianapolis, IN), Naomi Nelson (Christel House Academy: Indianapolis, IN)

A Differentiated Approach to Supporting Adult Learners

Join us to learn more about our journey to support teachers' social and emotional well-being by designing differentiated learning experiences as we implemented three-dimensional science.

Takeaways: 1. Methods to design effective differentiated learning for science educators; 2. Ways to support adult learners via differentiation; and 3. Ways to strengthen the implementation of 3-D science teaching, learning, and assessment across districts.

Speakers

Tonya Woolfolk (Houston County Schools: Perry, GA), Denise Richardson (Rockdale County Public Schools: Conyers, GA)

Helping Students Become Explorers Through Modeling, Mapping, and Service Learning

Engage students in building scientific models, mapping, and service learning to explore climate change phenomena while inspiring them to take action.

Takeaways: 1. Discover how to integrate, develop, and use scientific modeling to promote 3-D learning as the means to explore the phenomena of climate change as identified in the ESS NGSS; 2. Explore how to integrate maps to promote 3-D learning of climate change and environmental justice phenomena; and 3. Take a step further in 3-D teaching by offering students opportunities to propose a solution to address a local problem in connection to core ideas learned in class.

Speakers

Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber (Northridge High School: Greeley, CO)

NSTA-WIDA Session: Creating Equitable Science Instruction for Multilingual Learners

This session will utilize the design principles for engaging multilingual learners in 3-D science to create engaging and equitable learning experiences for ALL students, but especially MLLs.

Takeaways: 1. Examine a set of principles co-developed by NSTA and WIDA and discuss how these "show up" in classroom; 2. Explore ways to help a linguistically diverse group of students engage together in sensemaking discourse; 3. Explore the role of modeling as a sensemaking support in linguistically diverse classrooms; 4. Learn about WIDA’s four Language Practices to authentically engage ALL students in using language for sensemaking; and 5. Learn how the Teacher Discourse Moves and Student Discourse Moves facilitate the exploration and transformation of science understanding.

Speakers

David Crowther (University of Nevada, Reno: Reno, NV), Rita MacDonald (Wisconsin Center for Education Research: Madison, WI)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Please login with your NSTA account to view the materials)

Urban Science Educator Discussion and Panel

Educators share challenges and strategies to enhance STEM learning in the urban environment. A variety of real-world issues and their successful solutions will be shared.

Takeaways: 1. Engage with educators who have led their school systems to meet various challenges; 2. Learn from successful programs; and 3. Discuss relevant issues related to urban science educators.

Speakers

Michelle Ellis (Hunter Huss High School: Gastonia, NC), Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Pat Shane (Professor & NSTA President 2009-2010: Chapel Hill, NC), Brad Rhew (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: Winston Salem, NC), Rabiah Harris (Jefferson Middle School Academy: Washington, DC), Mary Beth Berrien (Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School: Greenfield, MA), Charles Hayes (Highland Oaks Elementary School: Memphis, TN)