2022 Chicago National Conference - Sessions

Lunch: Elements of Curriculum-Based Professional Learning

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)

Homes for the Hurricane Homeless: The Integration of STEM, Place-Based Learning, and Designing Thinking in the Elementary Classroom

Hurricanes, flash floods, and wildfires. Climate change brings more extreme weather, and the results can be catastrophic to our communities. As the weather becomes more severe, there is an increased need for shelters that can be easily transported and assembled to provide relief shelter for families who have been displaced from their homes. In this session, attendees will engage in an authentic STEM inquiry implemented in third and fourth-grade classrooms. The inquiry was designed so that students would be able to explore homelessness caused by natural disasters and design a tiny house prototype for a family in need. Participants will learn about planning and implementing a place-based and integrated STEM inquiry during this session. A major focus will be on planning and sensemaking as students learn through authentic opportunities and real-world mathematics and science. The presenter will share experiences using the Design Thinking Framework and place-based methodology as a guide for implementing and designing integrated STEM inquiries. In addition, the presenter will give specific strategies for developing problem statements to engage students in empathetic responses within STEM inquiries. The presenter will also share specific strategies for developing empathy during STEM inquiries for elementary-aged students. Participants will have the opportunity to experience key parts of the inquiry and view student examples.

Takeaways: 1. Engage participants in NGSS-based engineering design challenge where participants are required to design a solution for homelessness caused by natural disasters (hurricane, floods, wildfire); 2. Learn the role of empathy in authentic STEM inquiries by using Design Thinking principles; and 3. Outline possible place-based strategies for implementing STEM inquiries in upper elementary classrooms that engage all learners in STEM.

Speakers

Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA)

Unpacking the Crosscutting Concepts with a Brand New NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimensions

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)

Increasing Scientific Literacy: Strategies, Free Activities, and Resources That Work!

Participants will learn strategies and receive numerous resources that increase students’ scientific literacy. The hands-on approach has participants engaged in the activities, games, and more.

Takeaways: Attendees will: 1. learn new strategies for incorporating scientific literacy into their lessons; and 2. receive numerous activities, templates, games, and other resources to help with doing this. These resources can be used “as is” or modified to allow for differentiation based on the needs of the learners. Strategies and resources will include ones effective with ELL and EC students.

Speakers

Iris Mudd (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools: Winston Salem, NC)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - An Effective Approach to Ensuring an Inclusive Science Classroom

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)

Strategies to Elevate Students Scientific Literacy with Real-World Data

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)

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

Shine a Light on Photosynthesis Using BioInteractive Resources

Illuminate photosynthesis for your students using free, classroom-ready resources! During this workshop, we’ll build, revise, and disrupt models to help students understand photosynthesis. Model the use of BioInteractive resources using a scaffolded approach to develop and strengthen data literacy skills in students. Provide hands-on opportunities to explore Biointeractive resources that make strong connections to science practices. Inspire participants’ use of these resources in their own classrooms in multiple content areas. Model best practice pedagogical strategies to develop data literacy skills.

Takeaways: Model the use of BioInteractive resources using a scaffolded approach to develop and strengthen data literacy skills in students.

Speakers

Mark Eberhard (St. Clair High School: Saint Clair, MI), Ann Brokaw (Rocky River High School: Rocky River, OH)

Quick and Easy Photosynthesis Experiments

Clear up misconceptions about respiration only occurring in the dark, or that only green light is used
for photosynthesis! In this workshop, you'll learn how to use common plant leaves to illustrate how plants
convert light energy into chemical energy and carry out investigations using real-time carbon exchange data.  Attend for a chance to win equipment for your school!

Takeaways: Enhance student understandings of photosynthesis and cellular respiration by observing carbon exchange in real time!

Speakers

Barbara Pugliese (PASCO Scientific: Roseville, CA)

Phenomenal Classroom Critters

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)

How to Seriously Succeed Through Play: The Research Behind Game-Based 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)

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

Changing Climate and Food Production - How can we sequester carbon and feed our growing population?

How can a change in human action impact carbon sequestration, biodiversity and soil health? In this hands-on investigation teachers will look for patterns in ecosystem diversity to determine cause and effect relationships for the services provided for by those ecosystems. We will capture mesofauna and calculate its species richness and relative abundance using Simpson’s Index of Diversity. Then, we will investigate soil structure to compare the species diversity to soil health. Is there a connection? How can improved soil health help to mitigate climate change? This investigation will spotlight how human impact has altered natural ecosystem services and discuss how this change has reduced carbon sequestration. How can we use symbiotic relationships and biogeochemical cycles to reverse this trend? Teachers will: - Investigate soil ecosystems - Calculate Simpson’s Index of Diversity - Determine cause and effect relationships between human impact and ecosystem services - Use foldscopes to identify organisms and collect data - Talk to industry experts in food production to connect science and technology to their classrooms. Free professional development and curriculum available from Nourishthefuture.org.

Takeaways: Investigate patterns in biodiversity, soil health, and carbon sequestration to determine human impact on ecosystem services and changing climate.

Speakers

Heather Bryan (Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

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

Ecological Justice: Why Education Is Our Best Defense

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)

Engineering Severe Weather Solutions

Human activities have caused changes in global temperature and weather patterns. This generation of students will need to understand climate science in order to adapt to this changing environment. In this session, participants will explore a project in which students incorporate engineering and basic coding - no experience necessary. We will use micro:bit technology to connect basic coding commands to collect authentic data using embedded sensors. Participants will use this collected data to modify design solutions based on human vulnerabilities to severe weather. Participants will find ways to expose their students to the engineering capabilities needed to solve problems. This project allows students to compare design solutions to identify which is best for the problem at hand and experience the interactive process of evaluating solutions. This project allows for the authentic integration of technology, mathematics, crosscutting concepts, science practices, and easy implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.

Takeaways: Use technology to expose students to coding and engineering design solutions for severe weather.

Speakers

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

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

Hands-on with Climate Science!

Students may commonly hear the terms carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, global warming, and climate change. It is important to understand climate science and climate change, and how energy use and consumer choices impact our environment, economics, and standard of living. Session participants will learn hands-on activities to use with their students to develop a better understanding of climate science. They will first explore NEED’s Greenhouse in a Beaker to observe how greenhouse gases, like CO2, act in our atmosphere through the use of common lab equipment. Can I Really Fry and Egg on the Sidewalk uses an infrared thermometer to showcase how radiant energy is absorbed by various surfaces at different rates and be able to see how different surfaces and the spaces surrounding them can have elevated temperatures, leading to a heat island effect. Road Trip involves calculating the carbon impact of transportation choices to learn about their carbon footprint.

Speakers

Cori Nelson (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA), Sharon Bird (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA)

How Did the Elk Cross the Road?

By the end of this session, participants will be able to: - Explain the impact of roads on wildlife - Analyze data to design wildlife-friendly crossing structures - Use hands-on tools to teach STEM concepts The majority of this session will focus on real world data analysis and problem solving. Working in small groups, participants will propose solutions to a number of related scenarios. First, they’ll analyze data to determine if highways pose a significant threat to wildlife. Relevant vocabulary will be introduced – including fragmentation, migratory barriers, porosity and passage rates – as we explore the need for ways to move animals across highways without impacting humans. Once a need is determined, they’ll continue their exploration by looking at potential crossing structure solutions. They’ll identify structure location and wildlife-friendly designs to ensure the highest use. They’ll be asked to either create a model or blueprint of their design. Finally, participants will discuss ways to determine the crossing structure effectiveness. This will include a cost/benefit analysis. Additional resources to expand learning will be shared, including links, books, videos, contacts and professional development.

Takeaways: Science and Engineering Practices are used by wildlife biologists to help manage wildlife populations and those same skills can be developed in students.

Speakers

Eric Proctor (Arizona Game and Fish Department: Phoenix, AZ)

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

Broaden Science Participation: Unpack “Analyze & Interpret” to Teach Data As an Equalizer

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)

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

Zombie Apocalypse!

Attendees will explore disease modeling through the use of real (virtual) ZOMBIES!

Takeaways: 1. This session will explore disease-spread modeling using fictional zombies; 2. Attendees will also see how using Hollywood themes combined with actual STEM careers can be a fun way to engage students in learning science and STEM; and 3. Attendees will find out about free science and STEM lessons from Texas Instruments.

Speakers

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

It’s Phenomenal! Using Real-World Connections to Support Three Dimensional Learning

What's so phenomenal about phenomena? Join the Savvas science team for an engaging, hands-on workshop as we explore the purpose of phenomena, the power of using it to drive your instruction, and the way it will support your students as they bring their own life experiences into your classroom. Attendees will leave with purposeful strategies they can replicate in their classrooms immediately.

Takeaways: Experience 3 different phenomena-based teaching strategies that can be used in your own classroom.

Speakers

Jessi Davis (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Rethinking the Climate Change Paradigm to Engage and Inspire the Next Generation

Teaching climate change as a symptom of planetary health using the overshoot model gives students a deeper understanding of environmental science and inspires hope and meaningful action.

Takeaways: A more comprehensive systemic approach to our global environmental emergencies that concentrates on the interconnected causes instead of a narrow climate change focus gives students a broader and deeper understanding of our current environmental challenges and sets them up for successfully solving them.

Speakers

Terry Spahr (Earth Overshoot: Ardmore, PA)

Matter and Energy Learning Progressions in OpenSciEd High School Chemistry

The forthcoming OpenSciEd High School chemistry course combines physical science and Earth and space science NGSS performance expectations as a way to engage students in developing understandings around energy and matter. Learn about the focus of the five units that make up this course and their associated performance expectation bundles to see how the three dimensions are used as a way to authentically engage students in making sense of both physical science and earth and space science related phenomena and design solutions. In the session, we will highlight how anchoring phenomena of the first unit, typically associated with earth and space science, helps students make sense of the particulate nature of matter, energy transfers in earth systems, feedback loops, and human interactions with their environment. An in-depth examination of the performance expectation bundles for the following four units will help illustrate the learning progressions students will follow to develop progressively more complex models of the particle nature of matter, its properties, and its interactions using the lenses of all crosscutting concepts, in particular, patterns, energy and matter, structure and function, and stability and change.

Takeaways: Incorporation of earth and space science NGSS performance expectations within a chemistry curriculum supports student engagement in and sensemaking of chemistry concepts around properties and interactions of matter and energy.

Speakers

Nicole Vick (Northwestern University: No City, No State), Dan Voss (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Tara McGill (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

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

Half-Earth Project Inclusive Mapping Design Challenge and Hummingbird Guided Inquiry

The Half-Earth Project team-based Mapping Design Challenge engages students in authentic teamwork to use digital mapping to design their own biodiversity conservation choices.

Takeaways: Digital mapping motivated by exploring charismatic species draws diverse students into the multidisciplinary science of conservation decision-making where species, human impacts, and stakeholders have to be considered.

Speakers

Dennis Liu (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation: Durham, NC)

Hexagonal Thinking in the Science Classroom

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)

Making A Career In Science Education In 2022

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)

Intergrated Project and Inquiry Based High School Science Curriculum

Explore curriculum of a 10th grade integrated chemistry and biology course that was designed to incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards while placing importance on the Science and Engineering Practices. The course follows the narrative: “Living systems obey the laws of physics and chemistry. Transformations in matter occur in predictable ways and are a function of molecular shape and molecular collisions. Chemical properties are the result of the arrangement of elements and the forces between them. Reception, sequestration, and transfer of chemical elements allow living systems to leverage chemical transformations to survive, grow, and reproduce. Reproduction allows for the transmission of these traits from one generation to the next. Pressures from the environment favors some traits over others which in turn produces new species over time and is responsible for the diversity of all life.” Students were introduced to content via phenomenon and then engaged with the DCIs, Cross-cutting concepts, and SEPs while working towards a culminating project. For example, students learned various topics of chemistry including stoichiometry and gas laws to design and build a functional Class B fire extinguisher. Following this unit, students applied their understanding of cellular respiration, photosynthesis and the carbon cycle to calculate the amount of carbon sequestered on a section of campus trees.

Takeaways: Participants will learn how to use phenomena and a 3D design approach to create project -based, integrated Curriculum that assesses SEPS equally with content. Participants will learn how to use student-centered pedagogical practices, hands-on exploration, and more authentic assessment practices. Participants will be familiar with how Integrating biology, chemistry and environmental standards in order to explore an authentic, real-world problem or challenge increases student engagement and performance.

Speakers

Elizabeth Helfant (Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School: Saint Louis, MO)

GMOs what do you know breakout

Participants will organize in groups and receive clues and puzzles to learn about genetic modification then be tasked to “break out” unlocking BreakoutEDU boxes. Puzzles include myths and facts; GMO or not?; Misleading label; and general terms related to genetics, and recombinant DNA. This activity could be used as review of genetics concepts or as a way to engage learners in research about genetically modified organisms. Free curriculum is available from grownextgen.org.

Takeaways: Dispelling many of the myths about genetically engineered crops. An engaging way to involve every student in the process of problem-solving. Introduction to more resources about the connection between agriculture and science concepts.

Speakers

Jane Hunt (Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

The NSTA Atlas of the Three Dimensions

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)

Using Climate Science Storylines to Anchor a High School Chemistry Class

Come explore creative storylines for integrating up-to-date, research-driven climate science into high school Chemistry courses.

Takeaways: 1. Climate-related storylines provide powerful frameworks for students to learn fundamental chemistry core ideas and reinforce understandings of crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices; 2. The wealth of Earth-orbiting NASA satellite data now available in real time provides us with an unprecedented understanding of the science of climate change and also provides many opportunities for student experiential learning; and The latest advances in climate modeling can allow all students to both see the inequitable impacts that humans are currently having on Earth systems and build a sense of hope in how future changes in human practices can reverse current impact trends.

Speakers

Michael Wysession (Washington University in St. Louis: Saint Louis, MO)

Urgent Lessons: Measuring the Effects of Climate Change

Learn how to introduce new scientific concepts to your students through the lens of climate change. We will discuss experiments that let students study climate change in the classroom using data-collection technology, such as an investigation into the effect of carbon dioxide on ocean and freshwater pH. All activities are available as a free download for attendees.

Takeaways: 1. Gain experience with hands-on technology that encourages students to explore and test different solutions and make connections to the real world; 2. Get access to free resources to keep students engaged while learning key scientific concepts either remotely or in the lab; and 3. Gain hands-on experiences with innovative products that increase student engagement, promote creativity and collaboration, and develop problem-solving skills.

Speakers

Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Software & Technology: Beaverton, OR), Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Software & Technology: Beaverton, OR)

Teaching Grey Water Reuse and Water Recycling

Water: It’s constantly in use all around us, but did you know that you can recycle water just like paper or plastic? Droughts and water scarcity are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon, and it is estimated that nearly 6 billion people will suffer from clean water scarcity by 2050. Yet, every year, Americans throw 11 trillion gallons of reusable water, also known as grey water, down the drain. In this series of lessons, students will learn about where their water comes from, the human water cycle, the three types of water and the connection between droughts and climate change. These lessons will also tie into the broader themes of sustainability and climate science and incorporate hands-on STEM activities and career connections. The lessons are primarily for elementary students but can be adapted for older audiences. They will be free for all teachers to use in their classrooms and are developed by Shreya Ramachandran, founder of The Grey Water Project in concert with educators. Join us for the presentation to learn more about grey water, why teaching about grey water and water conservation is important and how you can bring this to your classroom!

Takeaways: Session participants will learn about grey water reuse and water recycling and how they can be effective drought solutions.

Speakers

Shreya Ramachandran (Stanford University: Stanford, CA)

Chickenology: Food Delivery Challenge

Participants will use sensemaking and the engineering design process to solve a real world food production problem in a small scale format. This lesson introduces the Food Delivery Challenge, in which participants must design a gravity feeder to carry food (chicken feed) to twelve hungry chickens for over 24 hours. To accomplish the task students must design and build a model of an efficient gravity feeder using the materials available to them. The scenario presented to the class: One of the feeders in your uncle’s barn has broken down, and a new one will not arrive until next month. You must create a gravity feeder to satisfy 12 chickens for 24 hours consistently to ensure the health of your flock. Participants will research, design, build and test their design before presenting to the group for feedback, Participants will then use the feedback to redesign for an improved feeder.

Takeaways: 1. Use the engineering design process to collaborate, design and build a gravitational feeder system that will feed 10 pounds of feed over a 24 hour period. 2. Present your design plan, and final product to the class for feedback. 3. Provide feedback to the design team for design improvement.

Speakers

Leah LaCrosse (McCormick Junior High School: Huron, OH), Heather Bryan (Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

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

Environmental Justice Coalition: Including and Empowering Students in Civic Action

This session will provide educators with a clear understanding of environmental justice and give them tools to integrate this topic into science classrooms and student-led initiatives. We will focus on the case study of the Sonoma County Environmental Justice Coalition. During the 2021-2022 school year, middle and high school teams from across Sonoma County were invited to sign up for a year-long learning and leadership development program hosted by the Sonoma County Office of Education. Student teams received training and mentorship around environmental justice throughout the year and created and implemented local action plans to address an environmental justice issue. Students had the opportunity to receive input and mentorship from professionals and share their actions and future plans with local leaders and industries at a culminating showcase. Participants will hear a brief overview of the structure of the coalition and will view testimonials from student members. Participants will receive tools to integrate environmental justice into their classrooms and resources to help student teams develop and implement environmental justice action plans. Finally, participants will work collaboratively to design next steps for scaling environmental justice in their classroom and beyond by using their local resources and networks.

Takeaways: Explore how to integrate environmental justice and civic engagement in science classrooms and programs.

Speakers

Ryan Kurada (Sonoma County Office of Education: Santa Rosa, CA), Anna Babarinde (Sonoma County Office of Education: Santa Rosa, CA)

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

Installation Science Exhibits as Assessment Options

To help develop more scientifically curious and literate students, we use scientific literature or documentaries to engage students in developing the NGSS science practices. Students find an interesting topic, generate a question, collect and analyze data and then develop a Science Installation that communicates their learning to the greater community. Our most recent class project had students study how to grow food in a simulated Mars environment with the conditions controlled by student programmed raspberry pis. High school students organized 6th graders to do hands on data collection. They created a 10x12 foot exhibit that looked like a Martian landscape and highlighted the equipment they used with the plants still growing. The display included QR codes to communicate data and research using student-created videos, infographics, and data tables. Other installations include a monochromatic yellow room where everything looks grey and allowed observers to learn about the properties of light and the ways light energy is used in photosynthesis, the way it can be used to promote electrons, and the way it produces color. Other exhibits include sound waves and a history or music and musical instruments, the chemistry of color, and an environmental study of our use of carbon.

Takeaways: Participants will learn how to guide students in the reading of scientific literature or the watching of documentaries in order to generate an authentic question and project. (How can we develop the capacity to farm on Mars? How does yellow monochromatic light produce the absence of color (an episode of Abstract, What can we learn about pollen structure from 3D printed files from Bayer’s agricultural division?) Participants will review a process to take the question and generate an authentic study that transcends a single class, grade, or discipline. (Students in 11th grade worked with students in 6th grade to test growing plants under controlled conditions that simulated Mars. Students in art and physics classes explored the properties of light and created a light-based art exhibit with science lessons on QR codes) Participants will explore a template for guiding students through the creation of an installation/exhibit that creatively shows the question, their experiment, their analysis, and potential solutions or conclusions in a creative and community-informing way. The exhibit is similar to an art installation with QR codes and experiment/study artifacts presented in a museum like scenario.

Speakers

Elizabeth Helfant (Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School: Saint Louis, MO)

Let's Get Middle School Students Interested in Climate Change!

What causes seasons on Earth? How is permafrost affected by climate change? What can we learn from ice cores about climate? These questions are answered through a series of NGSS aligned, hands-on activities. Students design an experiment to test the effect of Earth’s tilt on seasons, explore the effect of climate change on structures built on permafrost, and more! The eesmarts climate change curriculum is composed of adapted lessons surrounding natural cycles that occur on Earth and in our solar system, including the carbon cycle and sunspot activity, how these cycles affect populations, and how humans may affect natural cycles. Activities examine evidence from the past through proxies such as tree rings, cherry tree blossoms, and ice core data. Additional topics include climate and ecosystems, the impact of invasive species, and how to minimize the effect of human activity. The lessons are part of the eesmarts K-12 curriculum, an energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy learning initiative funded by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund. They are written in the 5-E Instructional Model and include presentation Google Slides and handouts. Select digital resources will be provided to participants. The complete eesmarts program is free and available to all Connecticut educators.

Takeaways: Participants will explore activities involving natural cycles including the sun cycle, the carbon cycle, and seasons, as well as a variety of proxies and what they can tell us about Earth’s climate past and present.

Speakers

Kathleen Brooks (Capitol Region Education Council: Hartford, CT), Karin Jakubowski (University of New Haven: West Haven, CT)

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. The global real-world issue of human-generated trash polluting local bodies of water is the main focus of this hands-on session. Using our partnership with the Howard County Conservancy, our students learn about their local watersheds and contribute to a Watershed Report Card. Students see how trash that is often found on our local schoolyards can affect our watershed, and they design a working model for trash removal in a local tributary. Basic coding will be used to design programs that will control sensors and motors through a microcontroller, thus removing the trash from the water source. The model will utilize solar and water power to move the trash into a separate receptacle. Various sensors will also be used to monitor water levels and determine the outcome of the program. This session will allow participants to find ways to increase the environmental stewardship of their students while incorporating engineering design into the science classroom. This project allows authentic integration of technology, mathematics, crosscutting concepts, science practices, and easy implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.

Takeaways: Design 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:
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Data, Tables, Graphs, Oh My! Strategies to Get All Students Doing & Speaking Science

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)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Creating Effective Storylines: How to Help Students Make Connections Between Concepts

Come see how to create storylines that scaffold students' thinking and help them make connections between science concepts.

Takeaways: * Engage in phenomena from different content areas that can be used at different grade-levels. * Learn strategies to scaffold students' thinking. * Develop strategies to help students generate questions

Speakers

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

Teaching with Co-Lob-Orate

Looking for ways to connect your classroom, regardless of whether students are in school or at home? Co-lab-orate is an innovative digital lab notebook that allows educators to easily create, assign, and grade lab reports, while helping students communicate with their classmates and teachers. Co-lab-orate can be used to complete hands-on activities done individually or in a group setting, when working at school or remotely. Join Fisher Science Education and Aldon as we conduct an experiment while showcasing Co-lab-Orate’s game changing and cost-effective teaching platform!

Takeaways: Attendees will perform a lab experiment and record the results on their own device experiencing the full power of Co-Lab-Orate.

Speakers

Kymberly Hall , Alex Molinich (Aldon Corporation: Avon, NY)

Rethinking the Climate Change Paradigm to Engage and Inspire the Next Generation

Teaching climate change as a symptom of planetary health using the overshoot model gives students a deeper understanding of environmental science and inspires hope and meaningful action.

Takeaways: A more comprehensive systemic approach to our global environmental emergencies that concentrates on the interconnected causes instead of a narrow climate change focus gives students a broader and deeper understanding of our current environmental challenges and sets them up for successfully solving them.

Speakers

Terry Spahr (Earth Overshoot: Ardmore, PA)

Arctic Engagement - Interdisciplinary Opportunities and Strategies from Polar Educators International

The Arctic keeps the entire world climate in balance and is a crucial, relevant, and engaging area of study for students. PolarTREC teachers will relate their experiences working with polar research scientists in Greenland to action projects for students in grades 6-12. The session will include interdisciplinary lessons and classroom strategies designed to connect polar science with Arctic geography and ecosystems and also economic and cultural systems . Moreover, the presenters are on the Council of Polar Educators International and will introduce participants to that organization and its strategies for building greater inclusion of Indigenous Arctic peoples in the global conversation about climate change and its repercussions..

Takeaways: Practical multicurricular resources and activities ready for immediate implementation into curriculum and classroom

Speakers

Anne Farley Schoeffler (Seton Catholic School: Hudson, OH)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Data and Storylines: The key to helping all students become STEM literate

News bulletins on social media and news sites contain topics that students need to understand now so that they can make informed decisions for their world today and tomorrow. STEM literacy is crucial to learners struggling to understand the multitude of information bombarding them through television, social media and the internet. Students in K-12 must become STEM literate so that they can identify, understand and solve problems in the world around them. STEM Literacy promotes innovative thinking and creativity as well as collaboration, problem solving, and most importantly, critical thinking. Today’s challenges need answers from our students but first they need to understand issues including climate change, space travel, robotics. By using real-world applications of scientific data and storylines, students become critical consumers, problem-solvers, and change-makers. Students who are STEM literate will be able to think critically and act responsibly about issues that impact them. In this session, lessons and strategies will be shared with teachers to inspire and to support their students as they develop STEM literacy skills. These lessons will encourage students to explore, explain and develop solutions to real phenomena and solve real problems.

Takeaways: Three Takeaways: 1) Teachers will become familiar with technology, literacy and adaptive learning for middle school and high school students. 2) Teachers will be introduced to the free materials available that align with NGSS standards. 3) Teachers will be given ideas on how to incorporate these lessons in class

Speakers

Diane Ripollone (Cardinal Gibbons High School: Raleigh, NC), Kathy Biernat (Educational Consultant: Franklin, WI)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Strategies to Improve Communications in Inclusive Classrooms

Improve inclusive classroom dynamics between teachers, families, and students by reflecting on disability model perspectives, identifying barriers to collaboration, and determining effective avenues of communication.

Takeaways: The triangle of inclusion presents pathways that can be used by administrators and teachers to recognize and overcome barriers faced within the inclusive classroom and includes strategies such as early open communications, student advocacy, professional learning opportunities, and mentorships.

Speakers

Nicole Wack (East Penn School District: Emmaus, PA)

Digital Choose-Your-Own Science Adventure

Participants experience three different digital design challenges using branching scenarios that provide student choice and data sets involving wind energy, electromagnetism, and the greenhouse effect.

Takeaways: Participants will engage in three digital design challenges to test the efficiency of wind turbine blades, the strength of electromagnets, and the greenhouse effect on different land surfaces (polar region, water, and desert).

Speakers

Rebecca Tonkinson (Capitol Region Education Council: Hartford, CT), Sharyon Holness (Capitol Region Education Council: Hartford, CT), Kathleen Brooks (Capitol Region Education Council: Hartford, CT)

Teaching Critical-Thinking Skills to Reluctant Teenagers

Learn how to overcome the apathy of teenagers, understand their motivations for not asking questions, and get them to be curious again!

Takeaways: Attendees will take away multiple strategies to implement in their classroom to spark the curiosity of teens they teach.

Speakers

Jamye Carr (Cedar Ridge High School: Hillsborough, NC)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Next Level Learning: Using Interactive STEM Cases to Power Up Thinking!

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)

Teaching Conservation Genetics with the Duke Lemur Center

Bring your students on an expedition to Madagascar! Analyze morphological data and run electrophoresis gels to determine whether researchers have rediscovered a species of lemur once thought to be extinct. Your students will analyze actual field data, construct phylogenetic trees from DNA sequence data, and compare generalist and specialist species facing ecological change. This collaboration with the Duke Lemur Center was designed with the goal of bringing molecular techniques to Ecology and Evolution units and is based directly on their published and unpublished data. As either a quick, single-period gel electrophoresis lab or a weeklong mini-unit, this lab offers flexibility, engagement, and high-quality curriculum.

Takeaways: Bring molecular approaches to ecology and evolution units by exploring authentic data from researchers at the Duke Lemur Center

Speakers

Bruce Bryan (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Meet Me in the Middle, Lite: A Share-a-Thon

Engage in a variety of activities, collect information and resources, and network with middle level leaders. Discover new ideas and materials that you can use next week.

Takeaways: The participants will network with other middle level science educators and leaders to discover and engage in activities that will expand their knowledge and be usable in all aspects of their work.

Speakers

Mary Lou Lipscomb (National Middle Level Science Teachers Association: Naperville, IL), Alison Betz Seymour (Science Educator and Communicator: Scottsdale, AZ), Carey Dieleman (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Loris Chen (Science Education Consultant: Fair Lawn, NJ), Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Suzanne Cunningham (Purdue University: West Lafayette, IN), Katy Garvey (The Source for Learning, Inc.: Reston, VA), Nicole Green (Animalearn: Jenkintown, PA), Joseph Michaelis (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Kim Nagle (Brooks Middle School: Bolingbrook, IL), Cori Nelson (Winfield School District 34: Winfield, IL), Anne Farley Schoeffler (Seton Catholic School: Hudson, OH), Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR), Alison Betz Seymour (Science Educator and Communicator: Scottsdale, AZ), Corydon Strawser (Lake Nona Middle School: Orlando, FL), Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA), Barbara Phillips-Bredlow (Northeast Nodaway School District: Ravenwood, MO), Dawn Konieczny (Brooks Middle School: Bolingbrook, IL), Erin Towns (Edward Little High School: Auburn, ME)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Preparing Teachers to Address Challenging Scientific and Environmental Topics through Research, Dialogue, and Experiential Learning

Ongoing findings from NSF Project: #1950232. Graduate students at an HBCU complete a 14-month accelerated pathway that leads to both a masters degree in biology and teacher certification while being supported with a $20,000.00 scholarship. Project offers unique professional development opportunities and academic interventions that aim to enhance teacher conceptual understanding and efficacy to teach challenging and controversial scientific and environmental topics such as climate change and evolution. Paper presentation will first focus on comparing teacher profiles of the project participants versus the average state graduate of traditional teacher preparation programs. Initially, project data on beginning teacher demographics and diversity will be compared to state and national averages. Here we will show project utility in recruiting diverse candidates into high school science teaching positions. Next, the session will present findings on GPA, and discipline specific content hours at the graduate and undergraduate level along with performance on licensure exams to compare aptitude in biological concepts in project participants vs other beginning teachers. This will demonstrate project impact on recruiting, training and producing science educators with strong content backgrounds. Prior research has shown that in general students that had high school teachers that were had strong content knowledge and high levels of efficacy positively impacted future STEM career and academic success (Adelman, 1999). Lastly, paper presentation will share results on a pre/post assessment of educator efficacy of teaching perceived controversial scientific topics such as evolution, climate change and vaccines. Project participants were pretested upon starting their academic program and post-tested upon completion. These results are compared to a control group of recent graduates from a secondary science traditional teacher preparation program. Findings show impact of program participation on growth of efficacy to teach controversial topics and project utility compared to traditional teacher preparation.

Takeaways: Session participants will: 1. Develop an understanding on how to recruit diverse individuals into the profession of secondary science teaching 2. Understand the complexity of the STEM pipeline in regards to K-16 teaching and eventual student career and academic pursuits 3. Appreciate the need for scholarships, incentives, pay and ongoing professional for secondary science educators 4. Understand how content knowledge, academic preparation and experiences associated with research and professional development impact teacher effectiveness and student achievement 5. Realize the importance of teacher efficacy and the need for training at both the in-service and pre-service levels to foster its growth.

Speakers

Timothy Goodale (Elizabeth City State University: Elizabeth City, NC)

Using GeoSpatial Data to Teach Climate Justice

Let's discuss the expansion and availability of geospatial data (arcGIS, EJScreen, CalAdapt) to examine environmental justice issues in their own community and create climate resilience action plans for an authentic audience (city council, school district, state lawmakers).

Takeaways: Attendees will explore strategies for using geospatial data to examine, interpret, and act on place-based environmental justice issues in their communities.

Speakers

Nancy Metzger-Carter (Sonoma Academy: Santa Rosa, CA)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Providing actionable feedback to build students’ self-reflection skills

How many teacher comments on student work are left unread? Or, even if they are read, how useful are they to the student? Can the student positively internalize the feedback and use it to improve their work? Chances are the answer is no! But it doesn’t have to be this way! During this session, participants will learn more effective strategies for giving actionable feedback and methods to help their students utilize feedback to improve their work. First we’ll learn how to ask questions in student feedback and how differently questions are internalized by the student. For example, consider the difference between, “I don’t understand what you mean here,” and “Can you explain in more detail what you meant in this statement?” Then we’ll discover how to make sure teachers' feedback is read and used by students to improve their work. By making self reflection a formalized step in the learning process, teachers provide students opportunities to practice this important skill! Participants will receive a worksheet with feedback tips and tricks.

Takeaways: Several methods that can be applied immediately in the classroom, providing feedback encouraging students to be self reflective of their own work.

Speakers

Regina Borriello (Clifton High School: Edison, NJ)

Presenter Materials for this Session:
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Integrating CS into Science Storylines

Science teachers at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago Public Schools have worked with Northwestern University’s CT-STEM department to develop computational thinking in science units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The goal is for students to understand and apply computational thinking practices in their science classrooms to help make sense of phenomena or problems, analyze data, use models and develop explanations. Units, built by teachers, are designed to cover core science concepts in physics, chemistry, and biology. This program allows teachers to work with CT-STEM members to develop new simulations or other CT activities that work best in the unit. This was developed based on teacher need, when simulations didn’t exist to address the big ideas. Integration of NetLogo models, SageModeler, NetTango, and other data analysis activities are used to help students make real world connections. These tools allow students to learn and apply basic computer science ideas and skills as well as the 3-D of NGSS. Developed unit topics include: stoichiometry, climate change, gas laws, and energy. These units are available for public use and can be easily modified on the CT-STEM platform for teachers to use.

Takeaways: Overview of how teachers integrated Computational Thinking into science units and how to access units for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science

Speakers

Carole Namowicz (Lindblom Math and Science Academy: Chicago, IL), Lauren Levites (Lindblom Math and Science Academy: Chicago, IL)

Kiss the Ground: Why is a Covered Planet a Healthy Planet?

In this session participants are introduced to the lesson Why is a covered planet a healthy planet? In this lesson, students use a digital tool to analyze large data sets available from NASA Earth Observations to identify spatial and temporal patterns that can help support (or refute) the claim that tilling the land in spring (Northern Hemisphere) causes an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere and the growing crops causes the amount to decrease in summer. This lesson is based on ideas presented in the film Kiss the Ground.

Takeaways: Why is a Covered Planet a Healthy Planet? provides students with an opportunity to analyze large data sets in order to support or refute a claim about the effect tilling the land in the spring has on carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

Speakers

Pa