Discover how to implement three-dimensional learning into any science curriculum, all while engaging learners to become phenomenal!

TAKEAWAYS:
How to use SEPs to drive student instruction and molecular-level modeling of processes using data to support claim.

SPEAKERS:
Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA)

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 (eesmarts), Karin Jakubowski (eesmarts: No City, No State)

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, LLC: No City, No State)

This session will start with an overview of the challenges involved in teaching the theory of evolution, including common student misconceptions. Participants will then spend 30 minutes playing the Evolution Game, developed by the speaker, in which players evolve and sketch the changes to their species. The game is really fun and involves, student inquiry, collaboration, problem solving, and touches on the engineering of species that is inherent in evolution. The session will end with a discussion of concepts learned, a copy of an assessment sheet will be shared, and all participants will leave with an electronic copy of the game.

TAKEAWAYS:
Demystifying how good, bad, and benign mutations can make a species survive, evolve, or become extinct through an interactive, fun board game.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Faulkner (East Granby Middle School: East Granby, CT)

Students utilize different components (enzymes, yeast, feed stocks, and water) to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide through the process of fermentation. Students will develop a model of fermentation and explain how ethanol is made to answer the focus question "How can fermentation produce a renewable fuel source?" Students will develop experimental models to generate data in order to construct explanations about the relationships between the components of the fermentation process and to predict how those relationships can be manipulated to produce carbon dioxide. Students will design solutions to make the fermentation process as efficient as possible and generate the maximum amount of ethanol in a small bag environment Attendees will participate in hands-on activities centered around biofuel. Participants are going to prepare and compare different amounts of fermentation occurring in four different mixtures which will allow observations of production rates. A second activity focuses on a way to make a qualitative or quantitative explanation regarding the relationship between feed stock and glucose availability for ethanol production. Participants will deconstruct a model of starch to examine enzyme and starch reactions to determine how starches change into smaller molecules. Three additional hands-on activities that can be included in your classroom curriculum will be discussed.

TAKEAWAYS:
Nourish the Future is a national education initiative developed by science teachers for science teachers to connect students to modern agriculture and provide sound science based resources that meet teacher and student needs in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Tiska Rodgers (Hayti High School: Hayti, MO), Leanne Thele (Perryville High School: No City, No State)

Butterfly Gardening Using Native Plants workshop is a very exciting educational experience! This session will guide participants through exposure to native North American plants that are host plants for butterfly caterpillars as well as nectar plants to attract adults. We will participate in an assortment of hands-on activities which include creating a "Life Cycle Plate" and singing the "Metamorphosis Song". A main focus of this session is to provide participants with strategies to enable them to create and sustain their own schoolyard habitat. A roadmap to success will be shared, along with a question and answer session for potential challenges! . Beyond the workshop, continued implementation support will be shared with a comprehensive digital data collection and email contact information provided to participants. They will also receive contact information for the North American Butterfly Association, and The Native Plant Society for their local area. Resources will be shared focusing on the importance of organic gardening in relationship to a successful butterfly garden. Finally, an assortment of grant opportunities will be shared in order to assist teachers in getting funding for their projects. Upon completion of this time together, butterfly enthusiasts will be dispatched throughout the country. Once implemented, students and parents will be captivated by the beauty of the garden, and will sustain life lessons on the vital connection we share with our environment.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participates will leave with the knowledge to go back to their schools/classroom equipped with the knowledge to set up an area to attract an assortment of native butterflies.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Sale (Lillie C. Evans K-8 Center: Miami, FL)

How and why has Earth’s climate changed over time? How do we collect data about Earth’s natural history? How do Earth’s orbital variations affect climate? What role does phytoplankton play in the Carbon Cycle? These are all questions that are answered by exploring a series of hands-on activities that are NGSS aligned. Activities include: eccentricity, obliquity, precession, carbon and plants, the effect of carbon dioxide on temperature, ocean acidification, and more. The climate change curriculum, from the eesmarts K-12 curriculum, an energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy learning initiative funded by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, is made up of adapted lessons surrounding natural cycles that occur on Earth and how humans may affect natural cycles. Activities examine evidence from the past through proxies such as forams and ice core data. Additional topics include sea-level rise and vulnerability, the impact of single use plastics, and how the effect of human activity can be minimized. The lessons are written in the 5-E Instructional Model (Engage - Explore - Explain - Elaborate - Evaluate) and include teacher-presentation Google Slides and student 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 that demonstrate how and why Earth’s climate has changed over time.

SPEAKERS:
Karin Jakubowski (eesmarts: No City, No State), Kathleen Brooks (eesmarts)

In this workshop, Field Museum educators and Chicago Public School teachers will share their experience using object-based learning in the classroom and how it sparks curiosity and language development in multilingual students. Field Museum educators will give an overview of the tenets of object-based inquiry and how it lends itself to giving equitable access to content for all students. Chicago Public School teachers will explain the practical application and benefits of using object-based learning in their multilingual classrooms and highlight how science ideas and language development occurs naturally through discussion, question-asking, and scientific drawing. During the hands-on workshop, participants will act as a learner in a guided object-based inquiry lesson that focuses on including everyday phenomena. Following the hands-on experience, they will have the opportunity to share how they would integrate object-based learning in their own curriculum. Participants will create their own collection of learning objects to use in their classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn how to merge science ideas with student ideas in their classroom using object-based phenomena to deepen students' questioning and observation skills. Educators will learn how to use object-based learning in their ELL or bilingual classrooms to promote language and content acquisition. Educators will learn how to use objects as hands-on learning tools to provide equitable learning opportunities for all.

SPEAKERS:
Mireya Becker (The Field Museum: Chicago, IL), Damaris Cami (Dual Language Teacher: Chicago, IL), Eleanor Sweeney (Educator: Chicago, IL), Andrea McGehee (Educator: Chicago, IL)