Sponsoring Company: The Walking Classroom

The Walking Classroom is a research-proven program of audio podcasts that students listen to while they walk. Our STEM program includes 60 science podcasts, including a science career series and supplemental resources. Elementary students learn better, retain information longer, and want to learn more about topics after listening and walking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn about the research-proven benefits of listening to podcasts while walking as experienced by students; 2. find out more about the podcast content provided by The Walking Classroom, which includes Earth science, physical science, life science, and a careers in science series; and 3. get an overview of the additional resources provided that supplement each podcast and include video clips, downloadable worksheets, suggested hands-on activities, virtual field trips, and more!

SPEAKERS:
Debra Ives (The Walking Classroom: Chapel Hill, NC)

Discover free age-appropriate "Cooped Up Kids" activities that connect kids to the outdoors and exciting science content whether in school, remote, or blended.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover free hands-on lessons that are tied to the NGSS and Common Core Standards and discuss how to implement them whether learners are at home or in school; 2. Describe the socio-emotional benefits of place-based outdoor experiences for diverse K–8 students; and 3. Learn how to access a variety of free educational interactives, online multimedia resources, and citizen science projects scaffolded by lessons that are perfect for K–8 settings.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Fee (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ithaca, NY)

Engage in this interactive session to find out how the idea of anchoring to a phenomena to begin a STEM unit lays out a plan for helping students to see how science impacts their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand why the scenario helps students connect the phenomena to their own community/ global issues; 2. Show how to move from the unit phenomena introduction to the crafting the storyline for the student learning; and 3. Teachers will have a chance to practice developing their own scenario based on a given phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Jo Anne Vasquez (NSTA President 96-97: , AZ), Michael Comer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Experience a contact tracing activity and explore how a storyline unit supports SEL during the pandemic while emphasizing health equity. Print http://bit.ly/MSContactTracing ahead of time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how discussions of a pandemic can be attentive to students’ social-emotional needs; 2. consider how COVID-19-focused learning can and should provoke students' thinking about how their actions affect others and can help end pandemics; and 3. experience a contact-tracing activity that supports students’ thinking about issues of trust in public health.

SPEAKERS:
Dan Voss (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Dawn Novak (Science Educator: Grayslake, IL)

Sponsoring Company: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

In this workshop, participants will discuss how sustainability can be an integrative thread throughout STEM topics, such as climate change and environmental science. Participants will identify strategies for integrating sustainability into their existing curricula and will define sustainability in terms of systems thinking and future orientation. This workshop will be led by faculty and staff from the University of Wisconsin-Steven Point’s Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability Program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. discuss how sustainability can be an integrative thread throughout STEM topics; 2. be able to identify strategies for integrating sustainability into their existing curricula; and 3. be able to define sustainability in terms of systems thinking and future orientation (e.g., beyond reduce, reuse, recycle).

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Potter-Nelson (University of Maine at Farmington: Farmington, ME), Erin Redman (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Stevens Point, WI), Rachael Rost (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Stevens Point, WI)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Learn how to create a project-based camp or classroom lesson that enable students to apply concepts, such as photosynthesis and the water cycle, to design a smart irrigation system. Inspired by real-world events, students are motivated to apply problem-solving skills and learn some basic programming to come up with innovative solutions to using water more efficiently.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Developing models to better understand a process; 2. Constructing explanations and designing solutions; and 3. Introducing students to coding to solve a science problem with an engineering solution.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

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:

EarthKAM: Have Your Students Take Photos from ISS
Presenter: David Curry

The Post-COVID Dissection Lab
Presenters: Nicole Green and Bailee Henderson

Teaching Physics on the Cheap
Presenter: Shannon Hudson

Shape of Life: Virtually Teaching The Greatest Story Ever Told—Evolution of the Animal Kingdom on Planet Earth
Presenter: Denise Ryan

NMLSTA Award Opportunities
Presenter: Alison Betz Seymour

Parent/Family Involvement in Science: Why It's Important and How to Make It Work
Presenter: Jessica VanValkenburg

Teaching the Engineering Design Process Through Urban Gardening
Presenters: Elizabeth Weissman and Rebecca Somogyi

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:
Denise Ryan (Shape of Life: Capitola, CA), David Curry (Newtown Middle School: Newtown, PA), Nicole Green (Animalearn: Jenkintown, PA), Bailee Henderson (Animalearn: , United States), Shannon Hudson (Crawfordsville Middle School: Crawfordsville, IN), Alison Betz Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0), Jessica VanValkenburgh (Columbus State University: Columbus, GA), Elizabeth Weissman (The Ramaz School: New York, NY)

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:
Daniel Bergman (Wichita State University: Wichita, KS)

Explore using the SEPs to make remote STE instruction inquiry based. Participate in a remote hands-on investigation. Receive a toolkit of resources, strategies, and instructional tools.

Materials needed:

• Markers or crayons
• Large sheet of heavy weight paper (11x17 or 8.5 x14)
• 4–6 ice cubes all about the same size
• 4 paper cups big enough to hold 2 ice cubes
• Cooler or access to freezer to keep ice frozen
• Aluminum tray
• Black or white tray (take-out container will work)

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Leave with a toolkit of distance-learning practices and investigations to enhance students’ use of the SEPs; 2. Learn about distance-learning tools that support the engagement of all students in STE; and 3. Develop new ideas for performance-based assessments using distance-learning strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Rosemary Rak (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Angela Damery (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Sandra Ryack-Bell (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Margaret Brumsted (Education Specialist: Riverside, RI)

Connect the human impact of trash pollution to engineering design. Get your students thinking critically and creatively as they collaborate in real-world problem solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Connecting the human impact of single-use plastics and their effect on aquatic ecosystems; 2. Exposing students to basic coding and engineering design in an NGSS-focused content classroom; and 3. Developing a project that enhances STEM skills in students such as collaboration, curiosity, and creative problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD), Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA)

Learn about Argument-Driven Inquiry and how it can help students learn how to use DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to use this instructional model, or way of teaching, to give students an opportunity to learn how to use the core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices of science to make sense of natural phenomena; 2. How to give students an opportunity to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking; and 3. Ways to support students as they learn to use the core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices of science to make sense of natural phenomena.

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

Engage in this interactive session to find out how the idea of anchoring to a phenomena to begin a STEM unit lays out a plan for helping students to see how science impacts their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand why the scenario helps students connect the phenomena to their own community/ global issues; 2. Show how to move from the unit phenomena introduction to the crafting the storyline for the student learning; and 3. Teachers will have a chance to practice developing their own scenario based on a given phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Comer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ), Jo Anne Vasquez (NSTA President 96-97: , AZ)

My NASA Data will model interactive resources for students learning in-person and via virtual environments that feature short activities, lessons, and access to NASA data.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. walk away with access to NASA resources for their Earth science classrooms that can be linked directly to their learning management systems; 2. learn of interactive strategies for using these resources with students in a variety of learning environments; and 3. learn of an Earth science data visualization tool that enables students/educators to access and visualize NASA data for a particular region or time period.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Joyner (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA), Angela Rizzi (NASA Langley Research Center/ADNET: No City, No State)

Explore how to use argumentation and explanations supported with the CER framework and the KLEWS chart to engage in the science and engineering practices in the science classroom—both virtually and in person. These ideas will support students to actively participate in inquiry-based, phenomenon-centered activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students need a scaffolding of supports to fully participate and grow in their ability to use the SEPs; 2. Teachers can use many different supports, in different ways for varied learners, to help all students be successful in science. ALL students can be successful!; and 3. These supports can be tailored to all topics in science.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Discover lesson plans and teaching resources to better integrate science and engineering practices in our food system.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Engage in the practice of phenomena-based learning through the phenomena of photoperiodism; 2. Improve critical thinking while investigating food production systems; and 3. Integrate STEM concepts through design thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Gardner (Utah State University: Logan, UT), Tessa Matuszak (National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization: Palm Coast, FL)

Sponsoring Company: American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History teaching cases are curriculum materials designed to facilitate student exploration of sets of data they did not collect themselves. Participants will use videos, essays, and analysis tools to investigate how blue whales, the largest animal to ever live, survive by eating some of the smallest.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about: 1. how blue whales have evolved into the largest animal to have lived on Earth; 2. the AMNH teaching case model designed to contextualize large sets of data for students; and 3. opportunities to explore AMNH teaching cases with other teachers.

SPEAKERS:
David Randle (American Museum of Natural History: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

The 16 units in Discovery Education’s brand-new Science Techbook for middle school are driven by engaging anchor phenomena that prompt students to ask driving questions. Students engage in storylines using the science and engineering practices to collect evidence that answers their questions, learning both core ideas and crosscutting concepts along the way.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Curriculum units should begin with an anchor phenomena that stimulates student questions; 2. A unit should be designed to allow students to collect evidence from investigative phenomena that they can use to answer their questions; and 3. Students should make sense of phenomena by engaging in practices that lead them to develop disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Hailey Adams Mangum (Discovery Education: Chicago, IL), Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

In this session you will learn how to use a simulation of an aquatic ecosystem to help students see the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. The simulation makes it possible to model environments that would otherwise be very difficult to monitor and experiment with. Plus, the fish animations are really cool!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Using simulations with students can help them better visualize the mechanisms behind phenomena; 2. Simulations are a great complement to hands-on learning and work best when hands on isn't possible/practical; and 3. Effects of changes to certain variables in aquatic ecosystems can have negative effects on the organisms that live there.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

Sponsoring Company: PAEMST

Come learn about the highest recognition for STEM educators in the United States. We will discuss eligibility criteria, nomination, application, and review process for the awards. Awardees receive a certificate; a $10,000 award; a trip to Washington, DC, for a recognition event; and access to over 5,100 award-winning teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How you can win $10,000; 2. How you can apply for this prestigious award from the U.S. Government; and 3. The benefits of applying for this award.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Mayes (National Science Foundation: Alexandria, VA)

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Learn about three-dimensional formative assessment design and insights for student learning with the new BrainPOP Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. In this session, we will share how BrainPOP Science uses 3-D formative assessments strategically embedded in lessons to gather actionable data on student progress; and 2. Additionally, session participants will work through classroom scenarios to identify the best implementations of BrainPOP Science, focusing on the checks-for-understanding (formative assessments) and the resulting dashboards and reports.

SPEAKERS:
Laurel Ozersky (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

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 Schoeffler (Seton Catholic School: Hudson, OH), Melissa Sleeper (Storm Grove Middle School: Vero Beach, FL)

Help students create compelling stories about climate change and environmental justice. Classroom-ready resources will help students communicate scientific information with narrative structure across various media.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. In an analytical discipline like science, there is still a case to be made for storytelling; 2. The And-But-Therefore narrative structure technique to summarize scientific information or craft original science communication; and 3. Science storytelling can enhance student projects by improving conceptual understanding and allowing choice and voice to engage students as activists for environmental justice.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Tate (Whitehall Middle School: Whitehall, MI), Cristina Veresan (The Nueva School: Hillsborough, CA)

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Learn how to facilitate student exploration of phenomena through simulations and virtual worlds that support three-dimensional learning with the new BrainPOP Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. As the students interact with the Sims and virtual worlds, they develop disciplinary knowledge, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices in authentic and engaging ways; 2. Sims and virtual worlds provide rich student-generated artifacts and process data that can be used for effective teaching, learning, and formative assessment (e.g., the number of trials performed, evidence collected in support of scientific argumentation); and 3. Sims and virtual worlds foster student collaboration and discussion when focused around well-crafted driving questions that are correctly answered in multiple ways, creating a robust learning experience that reaches beyond the screen.

SPEAKERS:
Brendon Trombley (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Discovery Education’s brand-new Science Techbook for middle school provides multiple opportunities to assess students’ proficiency with all three dimensions. This session highlights the opportunities for formative assessments throughout the unit as students engage in practices, as well as a summative unit project and a set of performance-based assessments (PBAs) targeting every performance expectation.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students' engagement in science and engineering practices provides an opportunity for formative assessments; 2. Assessments should be tied to phenomena; and 3. Assessments should be three-dimensional.

SPEAKERS:
Nikki Brassell Snyder (Montgomery County Public Schools: Christiansburg, VA), Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Join us as we walk you through the brand-new BrainPOP Science, the next step in teaching science with BrainPOP. Our new product is designed to drive student mastery and inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers with turnkey investigations and embedded interactive tools to prepare students for assessment success.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Leave with tangible strategies that you can use to connect kids to real-world science in remote, hybrid, and in-person learning environments; 2. Discuss and reflect on facilitating the connection between trusting science and doing real-world science; and 3. Leave with a menu of turnkey activities that you can use to propel how you approach phenomena-driven virtual lab instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Kari Stubbs (BrainPOP: New York, NY), Mike Jones (Illinois State University: Normal, IL)

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:

Telling Data Stories
Presenter: Loris Jean Chen

AMS Project Atmosphere: Jet Streams
Presenter: David Curry

3 Cs of Bridging the Gap to Science Literacy
Presenters: Jennifer Ledbetter and Lisa Reis

Stack the Deck
Presenter: Liz Martinez

Greetings from Mars!
Presenter: Melissa Sleeper

Science Simulations and Digital Notebooks
Presenter: Stacy Thibodeaux

NGSS-Focused STEM Projects
Presenter: Vanessa Ueltzen

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:
Loris Chen (Science Education Consultant: Fair Lawn, NJ), David Curry (Newtown Middle School: Newtown, PA), Jennifer Ledbetter (University School: Johnson City, TN), Lisa Reis (University School: Johnson City, TN), Liz Martinez (Curriculum/Professional Development: Escondido, CA), Melissa Sleeper (Storm Grove Middle School: Vero Beach, FL), Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA), Vanessa Ueltzen (Walther Christian Academy: Melrose Park, IL)

Explore benchmark assessments and scoring guides you can use to assess students’ three-dimensional learning related to middle school performance expectations.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. True 3-D assessments incorporate the SEP, CCC, and DCI for a PE in such a way as to elicit student responses demonstrating knowledge of all dimensions; 2. Phenomena and scenarios provide context for assessments that help elicit 3-D responses from students; and 3. Attention to potential equity, access, and bias supports the design of assessments that better elicit demonstration of knowledge and understanding from all students.

SPEAKERS:
Maia Binding (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific, Inc.

This workshop will focus on how to provide all students opportunities to use the science practices to understand things of interest to them and to construct knowledge. Ideas for simple hands-on activites, how to use digital media, and how to build straightforward simulations with free spreadsheet programs will be presented.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to: 1. do NGSS-aligned science; 2. promote scientific thinking skills in students; and 3. use hands-on activities, digital media, and spreadsheet programs to make science accessible to all students and to construct knowledge.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Marvel (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL)

Sponsoring Company: Animalearn

Discover how you can make your dissection lab dynamic and innovative after COVID-19! Learn about new life science resources, including mixed reality (AR/VR) education technology; and explorative, hands-on teaching tools that will amaze and engage your students. Participants will be entered to WIN FREE PRIZES like dissection resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Life science resources; 2. Education technology; and 3. Hybrid classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Green (Animalearn: Jenkintown, PA)

Sponsoring Company: Shell Science Lab

Come start your winning application for one of three Shell-sponsored programs. We'll walk through the application step by step and you'll be able to begin your application or nomination form live.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn: 1. tips to complete a successful application; 2. who's eligible to apply; and 3. how to nominate a deserving teacher.

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

Sponsoring Company: FDA/ Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Join us in exploring FDA's free curriculum designed for middle level and high school students. The Science and Our Food Supply series provides hands-on lessons in food safety, nutrition, and agricultural biotechnology…and provides a bridge for students to experience science in the real world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. explore the variety of lessons found in the FDA curriculum; 2. understand how this curriculum can be integrated into a variety of science classes; and 3. be exposed to how this curriculum can be adapted to both hands-on and distance learning.

SPEAKERS:
Elena Stowell (Kentwood High School: Kent, WA), Laurie A Hayes (Retired Biomedicine Teacher: , CA)

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)

Discover lesson plans and teaching resources to better integrate science and engineering practices in our food system.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Engage in the practice of phenomena-based learning through the phenomena of photoperiodism; 2. Improve critical thinking while investigating food production systems; and 3. Integrate STEM concepts through design thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Tessa Matuszak (National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization: Palm Coast, FL), Andrea Gardner (Utah State University: Logan, UT)

Connect the human impact of trash pollution to engineering design. Get your students thinking critically and creatively as they collaborate in real-world problem solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Connecting the human impact of single-use plastics and their effect on aquatic ecosystems; 2. Exposing students to basic coding and engineering design in an NGSS-focused content classroom; and 3. Developing a project that enhances STEM skills in students such as collaboration, curiosity, and creative problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA), Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)

Help students create compelling stories about climate change and environmental justice. Classroom-ready resources will help students communicate scientific information with narrative structure across various media.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. In an analytical discipline like science, there is still a case to be made for storytelling; 2. The And-But-Therefore narrative structure technique to summarize scientific information or craft original science communication; and 3. Science storytelling can enhance student projects by improving conceptual understanding and allowing choice and voice to engage students as activists for environmental justice.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Tate (Whitehall Middle School: Whitehall, MI), Cristina Veresan (The Nueva School: Hillsborough, CA)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Whether breaking bonds, dissolving NaCl, or exploring states of matter, your students will be captivated by 3D Molecular Designs’ magnetic Water Kit©. The versatile kit will engage students in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, Earth science, or physical science and its usefulness spans from middle and high school to college.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teach bonds and bond strength with models; 2. Teach solutions and states of matter with models; and 3. Teach polarity with models.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Lane (Mahtomedi High School: Saint Paul, MN)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Have you missed dissections? Sign up and receive a Carolina’s Perfect Solution® cow eye dissection kit, including PPE! We’ll dissect during this hands-on workshop and construct a Scienstructable 3D Eye Dissection Model®. Have your colored pencils and glue sticks ready! See how dissection and NGSS converge; you won’t believe your eyes! Limited quantity available—sign up now! Open to continental U.S. residents only.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Eye dissection techniques; 2. How dissections correlate to NGSS standards; and 3. Dissection safety.

SPEAKERS:
Candace Berkeley (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

A decomposing corpse is found in a field. Four possible missing persons fit the description. But who is it? Using clues near the scene will help determine identity. Forensic anthropologist Diane France helped to develop this free middle school and high school forensic science lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Forensic science is a great career field that combines science with criminal justice; 2. Natural processes of decomposition of flesh can be clues to determining cause of death; and 3. Storytelling is a great way to engage students in science.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Lukens (Retired Science Teacher: Sioux Falls, SD)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

In this hands-on interactive workshop, participants will learn how to utilize physical phospholipid and transport protein models to explore the structure of the cell membrane, the role of transport proteins in moving ions and small molecules across membranes, and how defects in transport proteins can cause diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teach membrane transport with models; 2. Teach the role of transport proteins with models; and 3. Teach how defects in transport can cause diseases.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Chou (Longmont High School: Longmont, CO)

Sponsoring Company: FDA/ Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Join us in exploring FDA's free curriculum designed for middle level and high school students. The Science and Our Food Supply series provides hands-on lessons in food safety, nutrition, and agricultural biotechnology…and provides a bridge for students to experience science in the real world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. explore the variety of lessons found in the FDA curriculum; 2. understand how this curriculum can be integrated into a variety of science classes; and 3. be exposed to how this curriculum can be adapted to both hands-on and distance learning.

SPEAKERS:
Elena Stowell (Kentwood High School: Kent, WA), Laurie A Hayes (Retired Biomedicine Teacher: , CA)

My NASA Data will model interactive resources for students learning in-person and via virtual environments that feature short activities, lessons, and access to NASA data.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. walk away with access to NASA resources for their Earth science classrooms that can be linked directly to their learning management systems; 2. learn of interactive strategies for using these resources with students in a variety of learning environments; and 3. learn of an Earth science data visualization tool that enables students/educators to access and visualize NASA data for a particular region or time period.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Rizzi (NASA Langley Research Center/ADNET: No City, No State), Elizabeth Joyner (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)

Engage in a lesson from NOAA’s Data in the Classroom to explore some effective engagement and assessment tools and technologies for the post-COVID classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Keep experimenting with EdTech inside and outside of your classrooms; 2. Utilize EdTech for assessment and engagement of all learners in the classroom; and 3. Access scientific data from NOAA to help students evaluate claims, construct arguments, and better understand the world around them.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Dean (Jewish Community High School of the Bay: San Francisco, CA)

Explore how to engage students in the science of climate change using the question., “How will we produce food in a changing climate?”

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Resources for students to understand that food is grown in climate-specific areas of the world; 2. Critical thinking regarding the environmental footprint of food production; and 3. Context for the carbon cycle.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Gardner (Utah State University: Logan, UT)

Integrate gender diversity into your teaching for accurate, inclusive, NGSS-focused, and future-ready biology lessons! Participants will explore our free framework, example lessons, and resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Biology teaching presents many opportunities to teach about gender, sex, and sexuality; 2. We can support our LGBTQ+ students and all students by discussing gender-diversity in an evidence-based, ongoing, and positive way; and 3. Gender-inclusive teaching creates opportunities to engage in the NGSS science and engineering practices.

SPEAKERS:
Sam Long (St. Vrain Valley Schools: Longmont, CO), Lewis Steller (Academy for Precision Learning: Seattle, WA), River Suh (Leadership High School: San Francisco, CA)

Join presenters from the University of Maryland in exploring the natural history, ecology, and behavior of the seven species of periodical cicadas indigenous to North America.

TAKEAWAYS:
(1) Explore the natural history, ecology, and behavior of the seven species of periodical cicadas indigenous to North America. (2) Learn about how cicadas are unique in the insect world. (3) Learn when cicadas will appear and how they will impact humans, pets, wildlife, and plants in our region.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Michael Raupp (University of Maryland: College Park, MD)

Collaborate and share tools that can be used either in person or in a distance-learning environment. Discover how you can use these tools in the science classroom, especially with STEM projects and competitions.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Collaborate and share tools that can be used either in person or in a distance-learning environment; 2. Discover how you can use these tools in the science classroom, especially with STEM projects and competitions; and 3. Engage with educators that are interested in improving science literacy with K-12 students via interactive engagement strategies for students.

SPEAKERS:
Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

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)

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 (Rocky Mountain High School: No City, No State)

Do you impact your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, come learn how to apply to win one of eight Shell-supported awards.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to apply for a Shell-sponsored award; 2. begin your application or nomination of a Shell-sponsored program and receive a prize; and 3. collaborate with past winners and judges to learn how to strengthen your application.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Richard Embrick (Wright Junior High: No City, No State)

We will share the strategies and activities that made our first virtual STEM institute an engaging and educational experience for diverse upper elementary and middle level youth.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. identify best practices for engaging youth in informal STEM experiences, including an end-of-summer celebration; 2. learn how we delivered programming in STEM with multiple grade-level bands; and 3. gain a list of valuable resources we used to teach scientific concepts, including how we created and distributed kits.

SPEAKERS:
Demetrice Smith-Mutegi (Old Dominion University: Norfolk, VA)

Leverage how people learn to integrate key data skills with your science content through tips and strategies to engage with real-world data, science, and literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain: 1. a framework for thinking about how people learn with data and what the steps are along the progression from being a novice to expert user of data in STEM; 2. strategies and resources to use in our existing science teaching to better set students up for success in the future as they build their mastery of data skills to become more data and science literate, without adding more stress on a crowded curriculum; and 3. a suite of tips and tricks to integrate into your current science curriculum that enhance how students work with data to learn the content, ask questions and explore the data, analyze and interpret the data, and critically evaluate evidence and claims.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, LLC: No City, No State)

Bring science processes and SEL alive using wonder and the natural world. Free online resources help in-person or virtual teachers access nature with students.

Note: If you are able to watch this short video "Pocket Worlds" BEFORE the session, it will be beneficial to you. 

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how to access and use a suite of free web-based resources designed to promote discovery learning in nature; 2. experience the lesson individually and discuss it with colleagues to make meaning and increase relevance for both teachers and their students; and 3. share and discuss applications for using these tools for discovery learning in their own setting.

SPEAKERS:
John DiDiego (Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont: Townsend, TN)

Do you care about inspiring girls to pursue STEM careers? Then join us to learn about the IF/THEN Collection designed to help ensure equitable gender representation in STEM! The IF/THEN Collection is the world’s largest FREE library of images, videos, and other content portraying women in STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn about the background and purpose of the IF/THEN Collection; 2. learn how to use the IF/THEN Collection to support STEM learning programs; and 3. get hands-on experience utilizing assets from the IF/THEN Collection.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Hay (National Girls Collaborative Project: Seattle, WA)

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 (UNC-Chapel Hill Emerita: No City, No State), 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)