By Invitation Only

Shifting from traditional professional development to curriculum-based professional learning is a simple concept but complex to design and execute well. At its core, it means teachers experience the same kind of inquiry-based learning we expect them to provide their students. Learn more about a Carnegie Corporation of New York report, The Elements, which identifies a core set of research-based actions, approaches, and enabling conditions that effective schools and systems have put in place to reinforce and amplify the power of high-quality curriculum and skillful teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Examine beliefs and assumptions regarding the relationship between high-quality instructional materials, curriculum-based professional learning and student success 2. Gain understanding of the foundation for The Elements, a challenge paper from Carnegie Corporation of New York 3. Learn from science practitioners whose successful curriculum implementation efforts are grounded in the elements and essentials.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Short (Carnegie Corporation of New York: New York, NY)

Since its release, the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the NGSS has become an essential tool for many educators across the country. A new version titled the Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimension has been developed to not only support teachers in all states that have standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education. This new version of the Quick-Reference Guide still contains the most useful features of the original, including descriptions of the practices and the crosscutting concepts from the Framework of K-12 Science Education and K-12 progressions of the elements of all three dimensions. In addition, the new Quick-Reference Guide contains several new features that should make it even more helpful. For example, every element now has a unique code (based on the codes in the NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions) that makes it much easier to reference a particular element. In addition, there is an entire chapter devoted to the Performance Expectations. Finally, the guide also contains a number of tools for working with standards. This session will outline all of the features of the guide through the process of unpacking the crosscutting concepts to better understand how to make curriculum, instruction, and assessment more three-dimensional.

TAKEAWAYS:
A deeper understanding of the Crosscutting Concepts and how a well-designed reference guide can make it easier to unpack the three dimensions for work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines are a tool that can be used to design learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners (CAST, 2018). Instructional designers and teachers can use these principles to create learning environments that reduce barriers to access for all students, while keeping in mind the learning goals of the lesson. The three guiding principles of UDL are engagement, representation, and action and expression. In this session educators will be provided with examples of these principles in action in sample materials from OpenSciEd and classroom videos. In these examples, participating will identify how the materials have been purposefully designed with multiple avenues for engagement, representation, and action and expression. Additionally, they will identify the built-in supports for teachers to highlight student assets and to address potential barriers to learning for their local student population. Teachers will utilize a tool to help them analyze their own lessons to identify goals, potential barriers, and ways to use the UDL Principles to remove barriers and create flexible paths to learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will utilize a tool to help them analyze their own lessons to identify goals, potential barriers, and ways to use the UDL Principles to remove barriers and create flexible paths to learning.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney (OpenSciEd: San Francisco, CA)

Science literacy is essential to be informed and engaged citizens in the 21st century. Data are what we use to do science. Thus, reading and making sense of real-world data are fundamental skills to being scientifically literate and a fun way to engage learners with science. However, how do we incorporate data into K-8 science without feeling overburdened with yet another thing to teach? By integrating it into what we are already doing! Join us to explore the connections between data, science, and literacy. We will experience research-based strategies and freely available resources for integrating phenomenon-based and local data into our science instruction to promote science literacy. We will participate in activities ourselves and reflect on approaches for how to bring these into our classrooms. The goal is to increase our data toolkit of strategies and resources to increase science literacy and relevance for students. Participants will leave more empowered to integrate data into their science content in purposeful ways to better helps students do and communicate science. Working with and learning from data fosters critical thinking skills, lifelong interests in science, and facilitates learners’ literacy skills. Let’s set our students up for success now and in the future!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of science literacy in the 21st century and how to leverage existing strategies to authentically integrate data into K-8 science instruction to teach their science content and increase literacy simultaneously.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Add excitement to your class with live organisms! Discover simple hands-on ways to explore evolution, adaptation, and behavior with  insects and arthropods. Learn care, handling, and integration of organisms with NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will takeaway firsthand knowledge and skills to select, handle, and successfully keep insects and arthropods in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon (Watauga High School: Boone, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

Attendees will learn how employing game-based learning (GBL) engages and develops all learners. Understand how games empower students, develop critical thinking skills, provide instant feedback (and more) to develop content mastery as well as social-emotional learning. Game-Based Learning: encourages players to take risks without fear of failure, provides instant feedback that takes advantage of the richest teachable moments, creates individualized experiences through student agency, develops 21st century skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, allows students to experience that actions have ramifications, and invites all students to engage, providing expanded opportunities for equitable learning. Attendees will experience examples of each of these benefits, discuss how they could apply to their own classrooms, and will learn about the research that supports them. Attendees will collaborate with each other as they explore and discuss concepts during the session. They will also investigate how to apply game-based learning to creating experiences that address their own learning objectives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Apply game-based learning to make a difference to your students.

SPEAKERS:
Janet Pittock (director: , CA)

Trade books are often used to support science instruction, and are an effective way to connect ideas about how science works to classroom science experiences. In this workshop, we will share a rubric for evaluating trade books for science read-alouds and discuss how the tool can be used to inform instruction (e.g., developing discussion questions). The rubric focuses on four concepts related to humanizing science, and aligned with views of nature of science in the Next Generation Science Standards: Science is done by diverse people, Scientists interpret empirical evidence to support their claims, Scientists use a variety of methods, and Scientists are creative at all stages of their investigations. These four concepts support students’ understanding of how science works, laying the foundation for being an effective consumer of science. Additionally, these four concepts present a more accurate representation of scientists, in contrast with many long-standing stereotypes about scientists. Attendees will have the opportunity to use the rubric to analyze elementary-level science trade books and develop a plan for implementing the read-alouds in class. We will conclude by examining how teachers can layer selected trade books effectively into their existing science curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn why representing science as a human activity is important for students’ understanding of how science works, and will learn how to select and plan for read-alouds of books that humanize science into their existing science curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanne Brunner (University of Massachusetts Amherst: Amherst, MA), Kathleen Mahoney (Doctoral Student)

From A Silent Spring, The Limits to Growth and Population Bomb of the 1960s and 70s to today’s planetary boundary science, overshoot, and creating a safe and just space for humanity, some would say that “the science is in” and that it is pretty gloomy. Additionally, now in the frenetic information age, humans are overwhelmingly aware of the multitude of crises we face as a species. Our collective mental health is tanking. Knowing our predicament is one thing, but knowing what to do about it is another. Education may be one of our most powerful tools. However, delivery, content, and reach are impaired by multiple factors including politics, economics, religion, and the numerous influences affecting everyone’s social construction of knowledge. This presentation will share examples from the fields of environmental, conservation, and humane education and then focus on the potential promise of comprehensive education for ecological justice.

About the Speaker
Sarah M. Bexell is clinical associate professor with the Graduate School of Social Work and Director of Humane Education with the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, both at the University of Denver, Colorado. Sarah is also a faculty member teaching Animal Protection for the Institute for Humane Education at Antioch University New England and senior advisor to the Education Department of the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Pandas, China. She teaches and does research in the areas of ecological justice, humane education, and animal protection.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Bexell (University of Denver: Denver, CO)

We live in a data-driven world, and our students will be working in a data-driven workforce. Therefore, it is critical that our Pre-K-12 students learn foundational data literacy skills. However, currently these skills are too often only taught in upper-level classes. All students need these skills and all students, down to our little Pre-Kers, can work with and make sense of science data. Let’s make sure data is an equalizer, rather than another divider in our educational system and society! Join us as we explore what perception and learning science tell us about how our brains process data. We will experience research-based strategies and freely available resources to build science knowledge and self-efficacy through data. Finally, we will explore ways to adapt our existing curriculum activities and data visualizations to help our students more equitably access science. Through hands-on activities and group discussions, participants will leave more empowered to leverage data and data visualizations into their science content in purposeful ways for all learners. Working with and learning science from data fosters critical thinking skills, lifelong interests in science, and facilitates learners’ overall 21st century skills. Let’s set all of our students up for success!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of science literacy in the 21st century for all students and ways to adjust existing curriculum to leverage data as entry points into science inquiry, sensemaking, and knowledge for all learners to see themselves in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Hexagonal Thinking ensures the learning environment features a high degree of student engagement by providing a framework for academic discussion where all students participate. Participants will collaborate with colleagues to experience Hexagonal Thinking using science and math content vocabulary and visuals that will then be used to synthesize information into a piece of critical writing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a strategy for making thinking, learning and content connections visible in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Yates (Aledo ISD: Aledo, TX), Miranda Rosenhoover (Aledo ISD: Aledo, TX)

Confused about what to do post COVID? Thinking about switching careers? Learn about the experiences, challenges, and mistakes made by several esteemed science education leaders in this engaging and interactive panel discussion. This panel will feature current and former teachers, school leaders, district leaders, consultants, academics, national STEM education leaders.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the increasing number of opportunities available for educators both inside and outside of the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Lach (The University of Chicago: Highland Park, IL)

One of the key features of the NGSS and other standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education is the idea that a “a progression of knowledge occurs from grade band to grade band that gives students the opportunity to learn more complex material, leading to an overall understanding of science by the end of high school.” (NGSS Appendix A, p. 2) The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions has a set of 62 maps that illustrate the how the elements of the three dimensions build on each other and connect to one another. Each map focuses on a particular topic and shows the progression students are expected to make in that topic from one grade-span to the next. Arrows connecting individual elements on a map indicate that competency in one element is useful in learning to achieve the other element. Educators can use maps to deepen their understanding of the standards to plan or improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment. This session will provide participants guidance on how to read the maps in the Atlas and use this powerful tool to deepen their understanding of elements of the standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
A careful review of the connections between elements of the three dimensions can provide a clearer understanding of science standards and important guidance in planning instructional sequences to support three-dimensional teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Use innovative video-assisted STEM activities, demonstrations, award-winning videos, and behind-the-crash-tests tours to teach the science of car crashes. Visit classroom.iihs.org for more information.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn how to incorporate culminating STEM design challenges (Project Pedestrian Sensors and Egg-Carrying Paper Car Crash) into their curriculum to promote student awareness and understanding of how engineering and technology are used to build safer vehicles.

SPEAKERS:
Griff Jones (University of Florida: No City, No State), Pini Kalnite (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute: Arlington, VA)

We are naturally curious, prone to ask why? How? What? Unfortunately, somewhere along the way students lose the trust in their voices to ask questions of and from data. But data are what we use to do science and it permeates all aspects of society today. What should we do? Stop teaching the vocabulary of science and data first, and instead leverage classroom-ready strategies to empower students to lead with their innate curiosity to practice critical 21st century data literacy skills and master the science content. Join us to explore connections between our science content, inquiry-based activities, and data skills. We will experience research-based strategies and freely available resources for integrating phenomenon-based and local data into our science instruction to promote science literacy and student empowerment. We will participate in activities ourselves and reflect on approaches for how to bring these into our classrooms. Participants will leave more empowered to integrate data into their science content in purposeful ways to better help students do and communicate science. Working with and learning science from data fosters critical thinking skills, lifelong interests in science, and facilitates learners’ overall self-identity as a scientist. Let’s set all of our students up for success!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of science literacy in the 21st century, how students can do a lot more with data than we often think or presume from their science vocabulary alone, and how to leverage existing strategies to authentically integrate data into 6-12 science instruction to teach their science content and increase literacy simultaneously.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, Rutgers University: Princeton, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: ExploreLearning

STEM cases are an integral part of meaningful inclusive and authentic learning. They can range from community awareness to global crises. Students can instantly make socio-emotional connections to the cases as the phenomenon they are reviewing can be happening just beyond the walls of their classrooms. (And studies show that when students make emotional connections, they are able to redirect more content into long-term memory storage!) In addition, STEM cases can support all students by differentiating delivery and assessment, using technology (which has its own modifications and accommodations), and by also providing handbooks for educators and students to create additional in depth pedagogy and experiences. Because we focus on the process, educators can assess science and engineering skills over time as students complete more than a dozen standards-based studies. Session Outline: 1) Participants will learn more about the value of providing a career-readiness approach to STEM learning. 2) We'll review the research behind an effective program like Interactive STEM Cases. 3) Participants will see how we can see real-time data collection and see how this approach makes sense to pause if we need to support a challenging concept 4) Participants will have an opportunity to jump into an Interactive STEM Case to get excited about adding this resource to their students’ tool kit.

TAKEAWAYS:
The purpose of providing students with real-time scenarios to engage STEM enthusiasm.

SPEAKERS:
David Kanter (ExploreLearning: Charlottesville, VA)

Wander your way through 30 different STEM stations to learn about resources, lessons, and teaching strategies to incorporate more STEM into your school and classroom. This farmer's market–type event brings together educators, authors, researchers, and leaders in early childhood through fifth-grade STEM education. Leave with a mindful of great ideas and be inspired!

TAKEAWAYS:
Pick up great ideas and be inspired during this farmer's market–type event.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Bird (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA), Heather Pacheco-Guffrey (Bridgewater State University: Bridgewater, MA), Lauren Burrow (Stephen F. Austin State University: Nacogdoches, TX), Susan Erickson (Country School: Weston, MA), Sara Nelson (Iowa State University: Ames, IA), Constance Beecher (Iowa State University: Ames, IA), Elizabeth Dethloff (Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM: Katy, TX), Christine Preston (The University of Sydney: Sydney, Australia), Catherine Scott (Coastal Carolina University: Conway, SC), Kristin Cook (Bellarmine University: Louisville, KY), Richard Cox, Jr. (Winthrop University: Rock Hill, SC), Annette Venegas (Kent School District: Kent, WA), Juliette Guarino Berg (The Town School: New York, NY), Katie Morrison (University Child Development School: Seattle, WA), Wendi Laurence (Create-osity: Park City, UT), Katrina Kmak (Park City Library: Park City, UT), Brittnie Hecht (Park City Library: Park City, UT), Diana Lockwood (Author & Executive Director), Godwyn Morris (Dazzling Discoveries / Skill Mill NYC: New York, NY), Bridget Miller (University of South Carolina: Columbia, SC), Christie Martin (University of South Carolina: Columbia, SC), Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY), Cori Nelson (Winfield School District 34: Winfield, IL), Shelly Counsell (The University of Memphis: Memphis, TN), Belle Akers (Convent & Stuart Hall's Schools of the Sacred Heart: San Francisco, CA), Kathleen Tate (American Public University System: Charles Town, WV), Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR), Beth Pesnell (Kansas State University: Manhattan, KS), Bill Burton (The Lamplighter School: Dallas, TX), Barbara Bromley (Hazelwood Elementary School: Lynnwood, WA), Kim Stilwell (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Nancy McIntyre (Robotics Education & Competition Foundation: Greenville, TX), Shari Haug (Science Olympiad: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Jane Savatski (Janet Berry Elementary School: Appleton, WI), Katrina Pavlik (Deputy Executive Director: Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Mitchell Rosenberg (Kinderlab Robotics, Inc.: Waltham, MA), Tiffany Leones (Digital Promise: Washington, DC), Beth Dykstra VanMeeteren (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA), Danielle Scharen (North Carolina State University: Raleigh, NC), Frances Hamilton (The University of Alabama in Huntsville: Huntsville, AL), Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA), Anne Lowry (Aleph Academy: Reno, NV)

Resources and strategies to support P–12 and postsecondary students in STEM classrooms who have invisible illnesses/ health-impairment disabilities will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will get an overview of resources and strategies that address the need for safe and equitable learning environments for P–12 and postsecondary students with invisible disabilities/ health-impairment illnesses in STEM classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Grim-Hunter (Chicago State University: Chicago, IL)

This session will present attendees with an up-to-date literature review, as well as original research, regarding administrators knowledge and acceptance of evolution and evolution education law. After discussing the research, a virtual library of general resources will be shared with attendees that they bring back to their school and district administrators. Additionally, attendees will learn how to locate or create resources to add to this virtual library that are specific to their state standards, specific content areas, and local communities. The goal is that attendees will return to their schools and districts and be better able to participate directly or indirectly in Instructional Leadership Team roles in their communities in order to promote high quality science instruction for their students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about our current understanding of administrators' knowledge of evolution and evolution education law and walk away with a virtual toolbox of resources that can be shared with building and district level administrators to better support quality science instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Blake Touchet (National Center for Science Education: Oakland, CA)

Engage students, families, and the community in STEAM through Family STEAM Nights in order to equitably build understanding and interest in STEAM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to create, recruit, and implement a Family STEAM Night to engage students, families, and the community in STEAM.

SPEAKERS:
McKenna Serowka (Lake Zurich High School: Lake Zurich, IL)

Explore the many ways dinosaurs and paleontology can be integrated into STEM curricula to attract all learners. Resources and collaboration ideas will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with a plethora of hands-on ideas and resources (including children's literature) relating to dinosaurs, paleontology, and community resources to help inspire all learners in their contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Pangan (Butler University: Indianapolis, IN), Becky Wolfe (The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Indianapolis, IN)

Classroom gardens, whether indoors or out, provide a variety of ways to actively engage students in the scientific process and the NGSS. In this session, educators will learn about easy to grow seeds and plants for classroom experiments and how to maintain them in a classroom setting. They will sample ideas for investigations to address areas within the NGSS such as plant and seed needs, adaptations, structure and function, propagation and reproduction, human impacts on biodiversity, and the Science and Engineering Practices. This will include ideas for adding engineering and problem solving to plant-based investigations, like designing simple hydroponics systems to grow food indoors without soil or examining the challenges of growing in Martian soil. Finally, educators will learn about some of the investigations that Chicago Botanic Garden scientists are conducting with plants and plant-animal interactions, and how similar studies can be replicated in the classroom and schoolyard. Educators will participate in a planting activity and receive some seeds for their classroom in addition to a variety of curricular resources and ideas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to engage students in plant-based investigations in the classroom using easy to grow plants and seeds.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Ammann (Chicago Botanic Garden: Glencoe, IL)

Explore how to use phenomena to generate student questions that allow for further investigation to support student sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to effectively use phenomena to allow for authentic student questioning and how to use those questions to increase student engagement and sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Vick (Northwestern University: No City, No State)

Sponsoring Company: LaMotte Company

Help students discover the value of aquatic macroinvertebrates as living indicators of water quality. Determining the biotic index helps students connect the dots between water quality chemistry tests and what is actually living in that body of water. Creates opportunities for mapping skills, observation, reading, art, and math skills. Students can develop their own experiments. Observe aquatic macroinvertebrate specimens, conduct activities, learn classification skills and calculate a biotic index in this hands-on introduction to stream ecology. A totally flexible tool that can be adapted for varying time limits, number of students and grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Help students discover the value of aquatic macroinvertebrates as living indicators of water quality. A totally flexible tool that can be adapted for varying time limits, number of students and grade levels.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Muenz (Stroud Water Research Center: Avondale, PA)

Sponsoring Company: ExploreLearning

Everyday events make us wonder. Some events are easily explained, while others cannot. When these events are examined and tested through virtual simulations, they give students an opportunity to think. Why do some objects float and others sink? What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse and how often does that happen? Learn how to use virtual simulations to help students dig deeper and get inspired by science and STEM phenomenon! Through this highly interactive session, educators will be able to understand the added value of including simulations to their current lab practices. Although hands-on activities are always important, simulations allow for a deeper understanding of content for all students. When coupled with hands-on learning, students can create more moments to explore, discover and apply new concepts. Simulations are repeatable (to allow for trial and error) so students can practice skills again and again to make STEM concepts stick!

TAKEAWAYS:
Use of virtual simulations builds a deeper understanding of concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Jenna Mercury (ExploreLearning: Charlottesville, VA)

Come start your winning application for the Shell Science Teaching Award, or the Shell Urban Science Educators Development Award. We'll walk through the application step by step and you'll be able to begin your application or nomination form live.

TAKEAWAYS:
Collaborate with past winners and judges to learn how to start your winning application for the Shell Teaching Awards. We'll walk through the application step by step and you'll be able to begin your application or nomination form live.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Melissa Collins (John P. Freeman Optional School: Memphis, TN)

Academic discourse is a vital part of promoting student sensemaking. Learn how discourse can be used to promote equity and access in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use discussion strategies in the classroom to move student thinking forward, use talk as a formative assessment, and build a classroom culture that promotes student discussion.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Cheryl Knight (Orland Junior High School: Orland Park, IL)

Join us for a chance to learn more about  NSTA-administered competitions and awards from NSTA staff and past participants. NSTA-administered competitions include NSTA Teacher Awards, the Army Educational Outreach Program, Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge, and Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competitions. This engaging hour will include discussion and tips on how to engage K–12 students in project-based learning opportunities that are no cost to participate.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Engage with educators that have participated in NSTA-administered competitions and awards; 2. Learn more about opportunities to engage students in project-based learning; and 3. Share best practices and tips to foster inquiry-based learning and showcase ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Join the members of NSTA as they share how to create a classroom culture that supports equitable participation, and learn how to implement these best practices within your own classroom. A roundtable discussion will follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sharing of ideas on creating a classroom culture that supports equitable participation

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Holly Hereau (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Creating an equitable classroom requires the creation of a learning community that integrates supports for all students to succeed. Learn how to use common strategies with intentionality to build a classroom community that supports sensemaking. In this session participants will learn strategies that allow you to take your students to the next level as a community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how different strategies can be used to support ALL learners to create a community that learns together.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Elmore (Glenn Westlake Middle School: Lombard, IL), Randie Johnson (Glenn Westlake Middle School: Lombard, IL)

In this self-directed session, you will be able to: Interact with educators in face-to-face poster presentations; Watch short video submissions from educators around the world; and Participate in hands-on/minds-on, takeaway learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science education occurs everywhere on this planet. We can get ideas and best practices from collegues around the world.

SPEAKERS:
Alison Betz Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0)

Babyscientist organizes/operates STEM workshops/camps in underserved communities engaging students in hands-on scientific experiments. We’re in the business of creating dreamers, believers, and creating scientist!

TAKEAWAYS:
How our method of informal learning inspires and motivates children of color from underserved communities to pursue careers in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Kristy McDowell (Merrimack College: North Andover, MA)

Do you impact your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, come learn how to apply to win up to $15K through this teacher competition.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to apply for the Shell-sponsored teacher competition and two Shell-sponsored teacher awards.

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

Sponsoring Company: Inspirit

Recent times have called for changes in the ways students learn STEM and have exposed gaps in current virtual STEM instruction. In our session, K-12 educators will learn about and be empowered to incorporate powerful VR and 3D STEM tools into their learning systems. We will use Inspirit’s virtual labs and 3D learning content features to teach and practice this. Our content is designed to stimulate high knowledge gain, deep engagement, and critical thinking in learners through their active involvement in virtual gamified environments. We’ll also answer some fundamental questions about technology integration into the classroom: (1) What is XR? What devices do we need to improve student learning outcomes? (2) How can we align with existing agencies and beliefs to support more meaningful and long-term integration? (3) What does it take to bridge the best practices of academic research in gamifying STEM education with practical considerations for making this technology work in the real-world? Through this hands-on and discussion-rich experience, participants will gain tools to align new media technologies with diverse curriculum, standards, and desired outcomes and examine how to use virtual 3D STEM labs in meaningful ways in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to deepen the level of student engagement and critical thinking skills using affordable, accessible, interactive, gamified STEM experiences via 3D learning tools.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Taylor (Inspirit: Stanford, CA), Luke Nilles (Inspirit Learning, Inc.: Atlanta, GA), Gerry Marchand (Huntley High School: Huntley, IL)

In this session, the participants will explore some lessons developed by teachers in the National Space Biomedical Research Institute-Teacher Academy Project (NSBRI-TAP). These are interactive, physical and focus on spatial disorientation and the musculoskeletal system as affected by microgravity. The teachers will engage in the activities and collect sample data as they would with students and interpret the results. These are both educational and fun as we need to desperately restore enthusiasm for science studies. The presenter has anecdotal stories from many astronauts of their physiological reaction to microgravity conditions that he will share. Teachers will be provided lesson plans and worksheets for use with their students. Sample activities: Title: IN-FLIGHT EXERCISES Grade Level: 5-8 Content Area: Life Science and Health National Science Content Standards: Standard A. Science as Inquiry (Grades 5-8 & 9-12) • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry • Understandings about scientific inquiry Standard C. Life Science (Grades 5-8) • Structure and function in living systems • Regulation and behavior Standard F. Science in Personal and Social Perspectives (Grades 5-8 & 9-12) • Personal health Title: SHIFTY EYES Grade Level: 5-8 Content Area: Space/Life Science National Science Content Standards: Unifying Concepts and Processes (Grades 5-8) Models Standard C. Life Science (Grades 5-8) Structure and function in living systems Regulation and behavior Diversity and adaptations of organisms Dr. Wilson also participated in two experiments on NASA’s KC-135 (Vomit Comet): 1) testing a resistance exercise machine to fly in space designed at The Cleveland Clinic and 2) an experiment where the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) was subjected to microgravity while a control group of worms was grown by elementary students in Las Cruces, NM. He will explain and share the results of these experiments and of one flown by teachers from Miami-Dade School District in Florida involved in his Future Scientists Program.

TAKEAWAYS:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a research platform and is helping scientists develop countermeasures to the adverse effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body.

SPEAKERS:
Craig Wilson (Texas A&M University: College Station, TX)

A challenge that STEM education presents to educators is how to stay current in an ever-evolving field to accurately represent and engage their students with new topics, activities, and careers. Too often STEM teachers become locked-in on a set of topics, activities, and careers because of the resources and opportunities to which they have access. After-school programs, and their ability to foster partnerships within a school’s larger STEM ecosystem, are one mechanism to open up STEM programs within schools to new topics, activities, and careers while offering avenues for professional growth and learning for the classroom teacher. By introducing the Science Olympiad program and the strategies used by our school participants for over three decades to build partnerships, connect to their STEM ecosystem, and expand learning we intend to help attendees draw parallels to their STEM ecosystems and their after-school programs. Building off of this information, attendees will analyze and discuss ways their STEM ecosystem can contribute to their STEM program, develop approaches for asking ecosystem members for support, and recognize opportunities to grow their STEM program through after-school programs. The session will close with a discussion of attendees’ specific challenges and issues ensuring attendees leave with actionable solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
The big takeaway from this session will attendees examining their STEM ecosystem to identify potential partners who align with their programming and can support student learning.

SPEAKERS:
John Loehr (Science Olympiad: Oakbrook Terrace, IL)

Toshiba America Foundation wants to work together with teachers who are looking for a better way to engage the community in STEM. Participants will hear from educators that have won money for their school and communities to implement STEM action projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how they can receive cash awards and acknowledge for STEM action projects.

SPEAKERS:
John Anderson (Toshiba America Foundation: New York, NY)

Carnegie Corporation of New York released a challenge paper calling on the education field to transform teaching and learning through the elements and essentials of curriculum-based professional learning. Learn how schools and systems are helping teachers experience the instruction their students experience to help change instructional practices, leading to better student outcomes.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore the rationale for a challenge paper dedicated solely to the issue of curriculum-based professional learning; 2. Discover the 10 elements and three essentials of professional learning critical to effective implementation of high-quality science instructional materials; and 3. Consider implications of the roles and responsibilities for putting into action the elements of curriculum-based professional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Short (Carnegie Corporation of New York: New York, NY)

Go behind the scenes of a crash-test center and use award-winning videos, paper car crashes, and egg drop cushions to teach motion and energy. Everything free at classroom.iihs.org.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use inquiry-based, NGSS-focused activities and video-supported engineering design experiences integrating STEM concepts with vehicle crashworthiness and crash avoidance technologies to promote students' safer decision-making when riding in or driving a vehicle.

SPEAKERS:
Griff Jones (University of Florida: No City, No State), Pini Kalnite (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute: Arlington, VA)

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

Build a catapult to launch cows, learn about impacts on trajectories and walk away with knowledge of how to bring more of this engaging gaming experience to your classroom. Research has proven how we learn best through engagement and play. While launching cows can seemingly be all play, students doing this activity need to adjust their approach in order to hit a target or defined goals. This activity is based on one of the premise of engagement, which is a fundamental concept to game-based learning, From force and motion, to the water cycle, to the conservation of energy and more, help students gain science literacy, students can explore science and engineering practices, and more easily attain subject mastery through engaging approaches like game-based learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will receive first-hand experience of what collaboration and achievement can look like through our hands-on game-based learning platform. Come ready to collaborate, compete, learn some science and math, and have a whole lot of fun!

SPEAKERS:
Sean Reidy (Legends of Learning: Washington, DC)

Research scientist Africa Flores-Anderson uses data from satellites to map algae blooms in lakes and forest degradation in her home country of Guatemala. Join Flores-Anderson as she shares her personal journey from small-town girl to National Geographic Explorer, using satellite imagery to better understand our planet.

About the Speaker
Originally from Guatemala, Africa Flores-Anderson is a research scientist at the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). She is passionate about using data and satellite images for environmental conservation. As a National Geographic Explorer, she is working to forecast harmful algae blooms in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala using artificial intelligence. She also works to strengthen the capacity of countries in environmentally sensitive areas to use Earth observation data and geospatial technologies for managing natural resources and environmental risks. Flores’s research focuses on forest monitoring, water quality and ecological forecasting.

SPEAKERS:
Africa Flores-Anderson (National Geographic Learning | Cengage: Boston, MA)

Culturally relevant pedagogy embodies a professional, political, cultural, ethnical, and ideological disposition that supersedes mundane teaching acts; it is centered in fundamental beliefs about teaching, learning, students, their families, and their communities, and an unyielding commitment to see student success become less rhetoric and more of a reality. This session will aid in building awareness and sensitivity to the culture-based genius that students bring to the classroom using science inquiry strategies. Emphasis will be placed on a model for the inclusion of culturally relevant content that accommodates student backgrounds and methods of learning. In this session, we will exhibit how to identify the key characteristics of culturally responsive lessons. Attendees will acquire lesson design methods that employ cultural competence and effective communication. Attendees will use collaborate boards during the presentation to respond and interact. Activities to exhibit how students identify with what they know in the classroom will be utilized to help educators make connections and apply this information when planning lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Building awareness and sensitivity to the culture-based genius that students bring to the classroom using science inquiry strategies. Emphasis will be placed on a model for the inclusion of culturally relevant content that accommodates student backgrounds and methods of learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Haynes (Baker High School: Baker, LA), Jennifer Norwood (Instructional Support Specialist), Tara Hollins (Exceptional Student Services Educator: Zachary, LA)

Problem centered instruction is a great way to engage students, integrate content, inspire learning, and naturally incorporate all three dimensions of the NRC Framework. However, true problem centered instruction requires a major shift in both teaching and learning, requiring the one thing teachers don't have: time--the last thing teachers need is another pedagogical strategy that disrupts their entire routine. Teachers will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and discuss some barriers of problem centered teaching and learning, while also addressing the benefits for both teachers and students. Considering the benefits, there are some immediate changes that teachers can use to help shift to a problem centered environment. Recalling that problem centered learning should be complex, meaningful, and open-ended, the four strategies are: 1) Make the Content Relatable, 2) Structure: Less is More, 3) Be a Resource, Not an Answer Key, and 4) Use a Problem to Introduce a Topic. Teachers will then have an opportunity to put the strategies to immediate use by picking a lesson or topic and work with others to transform it into a three-dimensional, problem centered lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will explore four strategies that promote three-dimensional learning through the process of problem centered instruction that is complex, meaningful, and open-ended. They will discuss benefits and barriers to the problem centered approach from the perspective of both the instructor and the learner. Teachers will have an opportunity to brainstorm and work collaboratively on transforming a lesson or topic of their choice into a problem centered, reality based scenario that seamlessly integrates the Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cassandra Armstrong (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: Aurora, IL)

Students find science difficult or non-stimulating particularly when teachers do not consider cognitive, physiological, and socio-emotional disparities in students. Research has shown that engaging the appropriate parts of the brain helps students make a long-lasting, personalized connection to scientific concepts and practices. Studies show that discipline and learning problems in our classrooms may be associated with a lack of student engagement. Engaged students are less likely to be disruptive and are more likely to retain information longer. The focus of this presentation is to equip teachers with the pedagogical skills and strategies needed to drive student engagement and achievement by recognizing and addressing physiological, cognitive, and socio-emotional disparities in students based on an understanding of how a learner’s brain works. Participating teachers will explore the impact of emotions, storytelling, culturally relevant and hands-on learning on the forebrain and consequently on student engagement and comprehension. Teachers will learn to correctly harness the learning power of the forebrain, particularly, those of the hippocampus and amygdala, by appropriately employing suitable learning strategies. These will enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes and increase academic achievement in the sciences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn to correctly harness the learning power of the forebrain, particularly, those of the hippocampus and amygdala, by appropriately employing suitable learning strategies

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

Are you used to having your students keep a notebook, but aren’t sure how to transition it into a digital version? Have you ever wanted to try an Interactive Notebook but don’t know where to start? Are you having trouble keeping your students organized in the digital school world? Interactive Notebooks are a meaningful way to transfer a student’s learning, practice, and reflection into an engaging digital environment. Research has shown that benefits range from allowing students space to record and reflect on their experiences, guiding teacher instruction, and providing more opportunities for differentiation. As classes have shifted between in-person, hybrid, and completely online instruction, digital learning options are becoming an even more necessary part of our curriculum. During this workshop, you will learn about different types of digital notebooks, their uses/benefits, and how to find or create your own resources for student use. By converting an interactive notebook into a digital notebook, students can now access multi-media resources all in one place creating opportunities for greater flexibility and autonomy in learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create and manage digital notebooks resources from materials you already use.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Barnes-Johnson (Princeton High School: Princeton, NJ), Mridula Bajaj (Mount Laurel Schools: Mount Laurel, NJ), Shefali Mehta (Princeton High School: Princeton, NJ)

Enter a magical world with your students where everyone becomes enchanted with STEM. This budget-friendly lesson can engage and excite your students! Cross-curricular materials provided!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The cross-curricular unit uses common cost-effective materials, as well as STEM topics, to promote learning for all students in the classroom; 2. there are a variety of assessment tools for different student ability levels, including participation assessments, written assessments, and verbal assessments; and 3. this "station-based" lesson will keep students moving through the STEM topics, captivated by the activities, learning without knowing it is happening.

SPEAKERS:
Elesha Goodfriend (Walters State Community College: Morristown, TN), Kelly Moore-Roberts (Walters State Community College: Morristown, TN)

Our master teacher video case studies are used to facilitate discussion about the science practices of Asking Questions and Modeling with inservice and preservice teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Using classroom video as a focus of discussion can provide teachers with an avenue for substantive conversations about their teaching practice; 2. Our case studies present real classroom settings where the teachers are having their students work on the practice of questioning and/ or modeling; and 3. Participants will view the videos and reflect on how the teachers are facilitating the use of science practices in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David Henry (SUNY Buffalo State College: Buffalo, NY), Alayla Ende (University at Buffalo, SUNY: Buffalo, NY), Lisa Brosnick (SUNY Buffalo State College: Buffalo, NY), Alan Baczkiewicz (Sweet Home Middle School: Amherst, NY)

Unpacking the 3-D NGSS while at the same time making science instruction engaging to students is a challenge faced by science teachers across the nation. With skillful use of phenomena-based instruction, science teachers engage students by converting what the teacher planned to teach into what the students want to learn. Culturally relevant, intellectually accessible and thought-provoking phenomena enable students to make engaging connections between the required curricula content and real-life scenarios and applications. Rather than recalling discrete facts, students apply new information and use transferable problem-solving skills to explain a natural or man-made phenomenon. Phenomenon-based science encourages students to ask questions, discover connections, and design models to make sense of what they observe. This session provides participating teachers opportunities to experience lessons in the same manner as students will. They examine a phenomenon and then ask questions, collaborate with partners and design models, and discuss digital tools that can be used to engage students in phenomenon-based learning. Teachers learn how to use questioning techniques and academic dialogue to spike discontent in the students' understanding of the phenomena, thereby, driving students to use science practices to further explore their curiosities

TAKEAWAYS:
Help teachers to develop and deploy thought-provoking phenomena that will promote student engagement, comprehension, and achievement in the sciences by transforming what the teacher planned to teach into what the students are eager to learn.

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

Budburst is a national community science project that brings together researchers, educators, gardeners, and community scientists to make careful observations of the timing of plant life cycle events, or phenophases. Changes over time can be used to illustrate how plants and ecosystems are being affected by human impacts on the environment, especially climate change. By joining Budburst, students can connect to nature wherever they live while participating in an authentic scientific investigation with real-world impacts. In this session educators will learn how they can use Budburst to engage their students in collecting and using real scientific data to examine local plant phenomena and address the NGSS. They will learn about the resources freely available to educators on the Budburst website, including tools allowing them to (1) create their own virtual classroom and set up student accounts, (2) collect and submit data with students, and (3) access existing data to help students ask and analyze their own questions about plants, ecosystems, and climate change. Finally, participants will learn how other educators have implemented Budburst in their classrooms and explore how they can use this flexible platform to scaffold their students’ participation in different stages of the scientific process.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to engage students in local plant phenomena and real-world climate change science using Budburst resources.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Jones (Chicago Botanic Garden: Glencoe, IL), Rebecca Ammann (Chicago Botanic Garden: Glencoe, IL)

Nonfiction for children has changed over the years with a wide variety of types, formats, and writing styles with captivating photos, illustrations, and artwork that engages and informs students of all ages. This interactive session will allow participants to observe a large collection of nonfiction children’s books. These books cover a variety of biology topics, such as chemistry, cells, genetics, diversity of life, microbiology, evolution and ecology. They will also provide information on ecosystem organisms, chemical cycling, and soil background. Books that highlight the life and achievements of a variety of scientists will also be presented to participants. The session will explain how the children’s books are used in several introductory college biology courses to introduce/reinforce textbook content for public health, nursing, elementary education, and other non-science majors. This format can easily be transferred to grade 6-12 classrooms. In the elementary education courses, the books are used in the 5E model format. Students connect science standards, along with explore and expand activities, to the children’s books for a semester collection of elementary lessons. The book list can be used by elementary teachers for nonfiction literacy assignments, library resources, science club activities, and engaging content for science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
This interactive session will allow participants to observe a large collection of nonfiction children’s books. These books will cover a variety of biology topics, provide ecosystem background information, and highlight the life and achievements of a variety of scientists. The session will explain how the children’s books are used in several introductory college biology and K-12 curriculums.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Gobbett (University of Indianapolis: Indianapolis, IN), Alicia Cecil (University of Indianapolis: Indianapolis, IN)

The Carriel Garden is a space where students can explore and experiment in nature while learning about connections to society and citizenship. Starting from a school-wide lunch waste worm composting program, the Carriel Garden has flourished into problem-based learning experience for more than just science classes. This session focuses on the success and failures we have encountered along the way in creating a native pollinator patch, vegetable garden, and small school greenhouse at a junior high school in southern Illinois. The presenter, Mrs. Mellenthin, will share lessons she has experienced first hand with her 7th grade science students from learning the escape routines of monarch caterpillars, how to compost outside in Illinois winters, navigating the local farmers market to sell student grown plants, and techniques for running from gophers, deer, and other garden surprises. ;) Topics addressed in the session will include funding solutions, community connections, staff buy in, summer support, STEM connections, and many lessons learned. The session will end with an opportunity for participants to network with others, ask questions, and formulate solutions for their own school projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain practical examples of problem based learning in a school garden and gain ideas on how to set up or tackle issues in their own school garden spaces.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Mellenthin (Carriel Junior High School: O Fallon, IL)

Turn any multiple-choice review into an exciting escape! Learn to create digital and in-person escapes to help keep students interested, engaged, and motivated.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn tips for designing escape boxes, plus how to add riddles, puzzles, games, and small prizes. The digital escape uses Google Forms, and the physical escape uses lockable boxes with resettable combination locks. Links to a customizable digital and physical escape will be available to attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Beck (Davidson County High School: Lexington, NC)

Socioscientific issues are scientific topics that require students to engage in meaningful discussions (Zeidler & Nichols, 2009). Additionally, engaging students in socioscientific issues can promote equity, diversity, and help students question biases (Goldsmith et al., 2021). Importantly, these issues are often most likely to promote inclusivity if students have a connection with them. Considering we live in the Midwest, we often use socioscientific issues surrounding agricultural practices. We start with a phenomenon that introduces the example socioscientific issue by showing a video about tilling. We then ask, “Should farmers till the land?” To explore this question, we engage participants by jigsawing four different hands-on activities related to the soil. Participants will explore compact vs. loose soil, reducing water erosion, reducing erosion caused by wind and snow, and the effect of a heat lamp on the temperature of soil. Participants will use science and engineering practices such as planning and carrying out investigations and analyzing and interpreting data. We will debrief the activities and model how we help students make sense of the science ideas. We will finish the presentation by discussing how to find suitable socioscientific issues, include culturally responsive teaching practices, and provide some strategies for integrating with the NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about how to use socioscientific issues and culturally responsive practices to engage students with social issues that require scientific knowledge.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

The Illinois Science Assessment is written by Illinois science teachers for Illinois science students. Learn more about the format of this test and how you can model test clusters in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Illinois Science Teachers will gain insight into how to better prepare students for the ISA by learning how to create clusters for use in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Carol Baker (Lyons Elementary School District 103: Lyons, IL), Harvey Henson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Carbondale, IL), Angela Box (Southern Illinois University Carbondale: Carbondale, IL)