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)

Participants will begin in the role of a student as the instructor models how picture books are often used ineffectively in the sequence of a 5Es lesson. This will be followed by a presentation of when and how different types of picture books are most effectively integrated into an NGSS-aligned lesson plan. Participants will play a game to apply what they have just learned by identifying where within a lesson specific picture book examples (both fiction and nonfiction) would be most effectively integrated. Next, participants will be introduced to picture book questioning “cheat sheets” for each of the seven crosscutting concepts. These sheets are filled with question examples and stems for each of the CCC. The instructor will model how to use these “cheat sheets” to prepare for and conduct a read aloud that emphasizes a specific CCC. Then, participants will be invited to choose a picture book from one of over 100 3-5 NGSS-aligned books found throughout the room in seven CCC “stations” and to use the “cheat sheet” to prepare for their own read aloud. Participants will then “Pair and Share” a portion of their read alouds. Finally, the instructor will briefly discuss how to use CCC graphic organizers (a link to organizers will be shared) to encourage students to independently identify CCCs in picture books. The session will wrap up with a final Q&A. Note: Specific examples of picture books that promote diversity will be discussed as well as the importance of representation in children’s literature. Methodologies demonstrated are based on research by Dr. Yen Verhoeven of Qi Learning (used with permission) and the text “Sharing Books Talking Science” by Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through instructor modeling and active participation, participants will learn when they should (and shouldn't!) include picture books in their 3-5NGSS lesson plans well as how to use picture books to explore each of the seven crosscutting concepts with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Starr (STEM Specialist: Clinton, IA)

Get your students talking in ways that increase student understanding and literacy in science! Come learn about why academic dialogue is so important. Explore current and effective strategies to encourage and improve academic dialogue in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand why academic dialogue is important to scientific literacy and explore ways to encourage and improve academic dialogue in the science classroom through the use of current and effective strategies resulting in higher student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Erica Baker (Kentucky Department of Education: Frankfort, KY)

In this session, attendees will extend their understanding of learning design for the NGSS specifically focused on developing scientific literacy in the elementary grades. Participants will learn about selecting instructional phenomena and/or problems that can effectively anchor student learning experiences and create authentic needs for students to engage deeply with other content areas to make sense of phenomena and design solutions to problems, thus supporting meaningful integration of science with other STEM and content areas. Attendees will explore ways to design for elementary learning that meets at the intersection of three-dimensional standards, phenomena/problem driven learning, sensemaking, and integration. Participants will also be connected to a variety of Open Education Resources (OERs) and other freely available resources that support integrated elementary learning design.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how anchoring learning in phenomena and problems and leveraging integrated content as sensemaking resources for students supports scientific literacy development in grades K-5.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberley Astle (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Olympia, WA)

Participants will begin in the role of a student as the instructor models how picture books are often used ineffectively in the sequence of a 5Es lesson. This will be followed by a presentation of when and how different types of picture books are most effectively integrated into an NGSS-aligned lesson plan. Participants will play a game to apply what they have just learned by identifying where within a lesson specific picture book examples (both fiction and nonfiction) would be most effectively integrated. Next, participants will be introduced to picture book questioning “cheat sheets” for each of the seven crosscutting concepts. These sheets are filled with question examples and stems for each of the CCC. The instructor will model how to use these “cheat sheets” to prepare for and conduct a read aloud that emphasizes a specific CCC. Then, participants will be invited to choose a picture book from one of over 100 K-2 NGSS-aligned books found throughout the room in seven CCC “stations” and to use the “cheat sheet” to prepare for their own read aloud. Participants will then “Pair and Share” a portion of their read alouds. Finally, the instructor will briefly discuss how to use CCC graphic organizers (a link to organizers will be shared) to encourage students to independently identify CCCs in picture books. The session will wrap up with a final Q&A. Note: Specific examples of picture books that promote diversity will be discussed as well as the importance of representation in children’s literature. Methodologies demonstrated are based on research by Dr. Yen Verhoeven of Qi Learning (used with permission) and the text “Sharing Books Talking Science” by Valerie Bang-Jensen and Mark Lubkowitz.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through instructor modeling and active participation, participants will learn when they should (and shouldn't!) include picture books in their NGSS lesson plans well as how to use picture books to explore each of the seven crosscutting concepts with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Starr (STEM Specialist: Clinton, IA)

Participants will begin by playing a game in which they discover the research regarding the impact of effective science instruction in elementary school on students’ future STEM career choices. Research on the importance of diversity and representation in children’s literature will also be included. Next, participants will be introduced to a picture book questioning “cheat sheet” for the science and engineering practices. This sheet is filled with question examples and stems for each of the S&EPs. The instructor will model how to use this “cheat sheet” to prepare for and conduct a read aloud that emphasizes specific S&EPs. Then, participants will be invited to choose a picture book from one of over 100 K-5 NGSS STEM Career focused picture books found throughout the room in six grade level “stations” that have been aligned to NGSS performance expectations. Participants will be asked to use the “cheat sheet” to prepare for their own read aloud. Participants will then “Pair and Share” a portion of their read alouds. Finally, the instructor will briefly discuss how to use S&EP graphic organizers (a link to organizers will be shared) to encourage students to independently identify S&EPs in picture books. The session will wrap up with a final Q&A.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through instructor modeling and active participation, participants will learn how to develop read aloud questions that effectively highlight the science and engineering practices in texts that feature STEM Careers.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Starr (STEM Specialist: Clinton, IA)

It is important to share your instructional needs in science specifically so that the media specialist can support identifying and evaluating three-dimensional text resources with you. In this session we will share ways that you can help your media specialist support your need for science instructional resources to make your instruction more effective for all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science learning should lead literacy, this can happen (in part) through read alouds which should focus on 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Starr (Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network), Katherine Pfeiffer (Discovery Middle School: Orlando, FL)