NSTA Engage: Spring21 - Sessions

Phenomena to Scenario: Intentionally Moving from Inquiry to STEM Application

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 (Rocks to Rainbows, LLC: Gilbert, AZ), Michael Comer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

ASTC-Sponsored Session: Science Inquiry During Remote Learning

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)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Dumpster Dive with STEM

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)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Phenomena to Scenario: Intentionally Moving from Inquiry to STEM Application

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 (Rocks to Rainbows, LLC: Gilbert, AZ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Level Up Students' Analysis Skills with NASA Earth Science Data

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/ Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI): Hampton, VA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Dumpster Dive with STEM

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)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Level Up Students' Analysis Skills with NASA Earth Science Data

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/ Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI): Hampton, VA), Elizabeth Joyner (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Data, Graphs, Tables, Oh My! Strategies to Integrate Data Literacy and Pedagogy into Existing Science Curricula

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, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)

Engaging Nature Through Multiple Lenses

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)

ASTC-Sponsored Session: Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in STEM

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)