Calling all yoga enthusiasts. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, schedule time to join Jasmine for a gentle warm-up; traditional vinyāsa-style yoga (balance poses, core, strength building); deep stretching for hips and hamstrings; and, of course, meditation for relaxation and de-stressing. Beginner friendly!

Please note that this is limited to the first 30 people. Interested? Please come to the Conferences Services Desk to sign up before 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 30.

Join us to learn how to translate academic research into curricula and how to utilize a research-based curriculum on disasters and inequality in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about: 1. summer opportunities for teachers at Columbia University's Climate School; 2. the process of collaborating with researchers to translate novel scientific research into K–12 lesson plans; and 3. a curriculum on disasters and inequality, and how it can be used in K–12 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Tina Ahmadi (PhD Student: Indianapolis, IN)

Learn how to create opportunities for students to succeed at their own level as they develop proficiency in both SEPs and DCIs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how: 1. creating leveled practice can benefit all students; 2. to create practice at multiple levels for all learners; and 3. to create interventions for students who are struggling and extensions for students who have already demonstrated mastery for a topic or skill.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren LaSota (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL), Kellie Dean (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

Feeling challenged to teach the practices? Learn to take any traditional science lab and upgrade it to teach NGSS Practices!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. There is no need to "reinvent the wheel" with all new labs when you can upgrade your existing ones to be NGSS practice focused!; 2. Scientific inquiry as the basis of classroom lab experiences is more effective than typical cookie cutter–style labs; and 3. Creating personal connections to science content can dramatically increase engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Vanessa Ueltzen (Walther Christian Academy: Melrose Park, IL)

Attendees will see how we selected and scaled our standards for SBG and how we assess students. We will also share teacher calibration strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn: 1. how to determine the skills they want to assess in their course; 2. how to develop success criteria; and 3. how to score student samples with the same expectations as other members in their course.

SPEAKERS:
Brett Erdmann (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL), Karen O'Connor (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

Experience two novel instructional routines supporting the integration of NGSS Crosscutting Concepts and learn how these routines can be used to foster belonging in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn the steps for how to facilitate two instructional routines to support student thinking and discourse; 2. learn how the use of CCCs during these routines can support students making sense of phenomena; and 3. come away with a deeper understanding of how to use the CCCs to foster belonging in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Andrea Sau (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY)

Learn about web-based applications to use in your classroom for formative assessments. This will be an interactive session, so bring your device!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. engage in collegial conversations about the pros and cons of a variety of formative assessments; 2. discuss the value of formative assessment in guiding instruction; and 3. compare and analyze several digital tools for formative assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Bundren (Spain Park High School: Birmingham, AL), Pamela Hamilton (Spain Park High School: Birmingham, AL)

Learn how to use a laboratory simulation and data analysis activity to teach students about using data to address real-world public health problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how CDC epidemiologists and other experts like laboratory scientists and biostatisticians use data to make evidence-based decisions and recommendations; 2. Get ideas on how to use public health examples to illustrate key STEM concepts and skills; and 3. Take CDC Science Ambassador educational activities back to your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Cordeira (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Atlanta, GA), Molly McKenna (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Atlanta, GA), Juliana Azeredo (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Atlanta, GA)

Daily Do sensemaking lessons are designed to engage students in authentic, relevant science learning. Join us to explore how these phenomenon-driven lessons motivate students to engage in science and engineering practices to make sense of science ideas (disciplinary core ideas) they need to explain how or why the phenomenon occurs. Gain experience with the critical attributes of sensemaking exemplified in Daily Do lessons you can use to shift your own lessons. Learn strategies to implement sensemaking lessons in both face-to-face and virtual settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore how phenomenon-driven lessons motivate students to engage in science and engineering practices to make sense of science ideas; 2. Understand the critical attributes of sensemaking; and 3. Discuss strategies for implementing Daily Do lessons in face-to-face and virtual settings.

SPEAKERS:
Patrice Scinta (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Science continues to be a challenge to teach and learn in some schools, especially with students of color. This session will focus on how to truly engage students in a science classroom that is student centered and teacher facilitated. Students should be partners in their education as well as participants.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn: 1. to engage students of color in the science classroom; 2. research-based strategies to create a culture of engagement in the science classroom; and 3. how to collaborate with their colleagues to develop a culture of engagement throughout the department.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Buxton (Meridian Public School District: Meridian, MS), Tiffany Jones-Fisher (Meridian High School: Meridian, MS)

Come participate in activities showing how all students’ understanding of science becomes deeper and broader when given the chance to interact with a professional scientist mentor.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how the PlantingScience mentoring program works, and how they can participate; 2. understand the impact that exposure to real scientists can have on students' interest in and perception of science as a practice and a profession; and 3. learn mentoring strategies and understand how PS mentors are coached to respond to students in ways that promote inclusive conversations and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Hartley (The Botanical Society of America: Saint Louis, MO)

Join this workshop to learn about the chemical properties of copper using appropriate technology in this hands-on activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn to research and design an inquiry experiment; 2. use technology to gather and analyze data from the inquiry; and 3. visualize what occurs on the submicroscopic level by employing particulate drawings.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Dodd (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Pennsboro, WV)

Join NSELA members for a generative conversation about the recent "Taking Stock of NGSS Implementation Summit" and share ideas for supporting science learning and leadership.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Reflect on key takeaways from the "Taking Stock of NGSS Implementation"; 2. Discuss the implications for science leadership; and 3. Network with national science leaders.

SPEAKERS:
Andy Weatherhead (National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA): Downingtown, PA), Linda Cook (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)

Computer-based simulations can make learning chemistry fun in classrooms that may not have funding for expensive labs, but which ones should you choose?

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn about computer-based simulations and characteristics that students enjoy most; 2. explore ways to adapt the research study presented to their own classrooms; and 3. explore virtual learning games as an opportunity for students to engage with chemistry information in order to demonstrate their ability to use, think about, interpret, and communicate their understanding of chemistry.

SPEAKERS:
Nastassia Jones (Southern University and A&M College: Baton Rouge, LA), Sunitha Shyamala (Tara High School: Baton Rouge, LA)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

How do crosscutting concepts link the ideas and practices of science across different domains and over time? We’ll show you practical examples to see how crosscutting concepts provide a foundation for student sensemaking of phenomena and problems. Leave with classroom resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Defining the seven crosscutting concepts; 2. Learning strategies to incorporate crosscutting concepts into science lessons; and 3. Understanding how crosscutting concepts support student sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Explore how to elicit and leverage students’ connections to the phenomena-based storylines in your science curriculum using strategies designed to deepen conceptual understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Eliciting and leveraging student ideas, when done strategically, can not only promote equity and relevance, but also support deep science learning; 2. 2. How to use a particular routine to elicit students’ ideas and experiences at the beginning of a unit and how to leverage these ideas at strategic points along the storyline; and 3. Teachers can effectively use phenomena-based storylines from a research-based national curriculum by incorporating their students' funds of knowledge into those storylines.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Abbott (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Kyla Cook (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Maria José Pastor (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

Guests are getting sick at a dinner party. White powder is collected at a crime scene. Use pH and conductivity sensors to identify the powder. Bring your own device with our Graphical Analysis app installed or use our devices. 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:
Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: PhD Science

Explore a fourth-grade module to uncover how hands-on investigations allow students to develop an understanding of science concepts that apply far beyond the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. PhD Science introduces students to new concepts through engaging activities that allow them to first observe and wonder and then to investigate and deeply understand phenomena; 2. Hands-on experiences enable students to engage in science activities that align with common science and engineering practices; and 3. Planning and carrying out investigations allows students to gather personally meaningful evidence to support their scientific explanations.

SPEAKERS:
Victoria Soileau (Great Minds: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Estes Industries

Ready to take STEM learning to new heights? Join Estes and build a FREE rocket and learn model rocketry basics!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Model rocketry provides a relevant, hands-on, and engaging vehicle to hold students accountable for their knowledge in the classroom; 2. Participants will learn model rocketry basics and how to successfully set up a launch site; and 3. Estes Education provides interdisciplinary STEM resources and tools to educators that give them the skills and confidence necessary to elevate learning.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Bayeur (Estes Industries: , United States)

Sponsoring Company: Beyond Labz

Built on a platform developed over 20 years, Beyond Labz creates an open-ended environment providing students the opportunity to experiment, practice, fail, discover, and learn.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Beyond Labz simplifies and reduces the cost and expertise needed to provide crucial laboratory experiences and practice for Secondary and Higher Ed students; 2. Attendees will learn how the labs are used for pre- and post-lab experiences, credit recovery and lab make-up, student engagement in class, and meeting NGSS standards; and 3. Basic onboarding and startup instructions will be provided for drop-in solutions, and instructions for using some of the more sophisticated features will also be described.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Woodfield (Brigham Young University: Provo, UT)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Use electrophoresis to determine which pair of cows will have the best return on investment in this hands-on ag/life science lab.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to do electrophoresis in the MiniOne Electrophoresis System; 2. Discover how to do hands-on labs with students in middle and high school life science and ag classes; and 3. Explore how agriculture, biology, and business are intertwined in the modern farming industry.

SPEAKERS:
Callen Hyland (Embi Tec: San Diego, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Students use a model to explore the cause-and-effect relationship between inappropriate use of antibiotics and the phenomenon of the evolution of antibiotic resistance. As they use the model, students use mathematical representations to support their analysis of patterns and trends in the results and to develop explanations for how and why the population of bacteria is changing.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Model the effect of antibiotics on a population of bacteria with a range of antibiotic resistance; 2. Compare the effects of appropriate and inappropriate use of antibiotics on a population of bacteria; and 3. Explain how a population of highly resistant bacteria can evolve.

SPEAKERS:
Cindy Lilly (Ocean Bay Middle School: Myrtle Beach, SC)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

As one of the science practices, asking questions and defining problems provides students with an authentic and meaningful entry point into science and engineering. From IQWST—the origin of the Driving Question Board—participants will experience a puzzling chemistry phenomenon and learn how to elicit, organize, and revisit students' questions to build a Driving Question Board.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Effective questioning strategies to engage students and increase the depth of student thinking, also helping to make student thinking visible; 2. Questioning strategies for teachers to help students clarify and articulate their understanding of essential science phenomena and concepts; and 3. How to give students an opportunity to use their own ideas and ways of communicating and sensemaking through the development of a Driving Question Board .

SPEAKERS:
Jen Gutierrez (IntegratedSTEMk12, LLC: Chandler, AZ)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Join us for coffee, breakfast, and a take-home classroom activity. In this Power of Yeast activity, participants will set up and observe fermentation processes in varied environments to help provide an initial understanding of a modern biochemical model of cellular life. Participants will receive ready-to-go lesson activities for Elementary, Middle Grades, and High School classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. receive ready-to-go lesson activities for Elementary, Middle Grades, and High School classes; 2. enjoy coffee and baked goods in a relaxed presentation environment; and 3. examine ways to show students that science is both dynamic and relevant to their lives.

SPEAKERS:
Chuck Kremer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek Inc.

Forensic science combines science disciplines to determine “whodunnit.” In this workshop, learn how to merge hands-on biotechnology experiments with literacy exercises to create an immersive lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. participate in hands-on biotechnology experimentation; 2. discuss the implications of genetic fingerprinting of forensic samples; and 3. learn strategies for connecting the lessons learned to the Common Core Literacy Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Danielle Snowflack (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Maria Dayton (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: DoD STEM

Build STEM culture through community engagement! Develop interest and awareness, leading to increased demand for STEM programming and STEM career pathway courses.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn strategies for hosting community engagement events, including family STEM nights; 2. Explore the role of partnerships in supporting engagement events; and 3. Walk away with resources to support establishing and hosting community engagement events.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Blank (Watertown City School District: Watertown, NY), Tiara Davis (Teacher: Charlotte, NC), Heather Overkamp (Portsmouth Public Schools: Portsmouth, VA), Patty Brunet (Cypress High School: Cypress, CA)

Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to see and do at an NSTA conference on science education? Join us for an interactive exploration through the conference app and NSTA’s social media. By the end of the session, you will know just how to get the most from your conference experience in addition to building new networks with your science colleagues.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Start your day with the DE team and a hands-on immersion into the wonderful world of Phenomena! Please note that attendees must preregister for this workshop here.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn and experience how to incorporate everyday phenomena into meaningful science lessons; 2. experience how to utilize hands-on activities to introduce phenomena ; and 3. explore scientific concepts using phenomena from across all grade levels K–12.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Fountain (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD), Justin Karkow (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Systems Object Framework is an assessment tool that captures both levels of system structure and students’ growing conceptualization of that system structure.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will interact with Systems Object Framework and learn how: 1. to use it as an assessment tool evaluating student conceptualization of system structure; 2. to use it as a curriculum design tool; and 3. NGSS standards are being promoted through the use of SOF.

SPEAKERS:
Narmin Ghalichi (Bowling Green State University: Bowling Green, OH)

Join us as we explore how NOAA Teacher at Sea can bring stimulating ocean science content to the classroom through a wide range of technology and media applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA Teacher at Sea provides numerous cutting-edge strategies to make ocean science accessible to students such as Google Cardboard and various VR applications to utilizing NOAA Teacher at Sea’s rich ocean science resources.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

The first technology revolution may have passed you by but rest assured, the second one is going to rock your world!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Relevance/difference of 1st and 2nd technology revolutions; 2. Understanding real-world examples for quantum information science; and 3. Importance of teaching QIS in the K–12 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler (University of Texas Arlington: No City, No State), Janie Head (Lamar CISD: Rosenberg, TX), Emma Smith (Ridgeline High School: Millville, UT)

What kinds of talk, tasks, and tools do students need in order to fully engage in meaningful forms of science learning? Join us as we share a statewide virtual book study that allowed AMBITIOUS Iowa science teachers to connect, collaborate, and refine their practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. focus on teaching practices relating to planning for engagement with big science ideas, eliciting students’ ideas, and supporting ongoing changes in student thinking; 2. learn how to set up opportunities for collaboration both online and with a local coach and peers; and 3. learn about the application of the learning related to a classroom action research option.

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Askeland-Nagle (Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency: Bettendorf, IA), Beverly Berns (Keystone Area Education Agency: Elkader, IA), Hope Garton Brown (Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency: Pocahontas, IA), Christopher Soldat (Grant Wood Area Education Agency: Cedar Rapids, IA)

Engage your students in real-world science about climate change, geology, and Earth’s history through free resources offered by the International Ocean Discovery Program.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to access the 100+ free classroom resources developed by the International Ocean Discovery Program; 2. Collaborate with other teachers to plan lessons that engage students in real-world science and engineering practices; and 3. Improve students’ science literacy through the opportunity to provide students with an authentic interaction with diverse STEM leaders.

SPEAKERS:
Maya Pincus (Bushwick Leaders' High School for Academic Excellence: Brooklyn, NY)

See how a high school science department unpacked the science and engineering practices to create and implement a flexible, competency-based assessment system across all courses.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Competency-based grading in a science classroom; 2. Assessing Science and Engineering Practices; and 3. Practical tips for assessment and rubric design and implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Alyssa Wallace (Del Lago Academy: Escondido, CA), Trish Stepanek (Del Lago Academy: Escondido, CA), Maria Vidaca (Del Lago Academy: Escondido, CA)

Join us and take part in experiences that include literacy integrations; scientific discourse; and claims, evidence, and reasoning in a 5Es (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. participate in experiences that include argumentation through claims, evidence, and reasoning; 2. have an opportunity to view a variety of literacy strategies embedded in a 5E lesson; and 3. be able to view and participate in literacy strategies that promote scientific discourse.

SPEAKERS:
Takisha Gastile (University of Houston-Clear Lake: Houston, TX), Nedaro Bellamy (Houston ISD: Houston, TX)

Equip your students to be energy-literate adults and decision-makers with unbiased energy knowledge through the free Switch Classroom curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Switch Classroom provides unbiased information about energy resources and issues pertaining to energy in an engaging online platform. Through the teacher-created curriculum, students develop the knowledge and skills to explain concepts, analyze and create visual representations, and propose solutions to complex energy decisions in a nonpartisan and objective manner; 2. Teachers will learn how to set up a class in Switch Classroom and create a customized energy lesson plan that includes video, formative assessments, critical thinking, writing, and analysis. The Switch Classroom (classroom.switchon.org) curriculum contains six comprehensive units detailing renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, energy production foundations, energy poverty, and energy decisions; and 3. The Switch Energy Alliance website (switchon.org) is home to a library of over 300 energy videos, as well as full-length documentaries on energy and energy poverty.

SPEAKERS:
Lynn Kistler (Upper St. Clair High School: Pittsburgh, PA)

Training hard, lifting weights, and eating right are not the only elements of athletics success. See how Olympic data can fuel STEM discoveries.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Data analysis that leads to speed and acceleration graphs; 2. Applying technology to images for modeling functions; and 3. Learn to code a calculator to make data analysis more efficient.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Posnanski (Comsewogue High School: Port Jefferson Station, NY)

As agricultural runoff infringes on aquatic ecosystems, learn how to introduce your students to the microcosms of freshwater communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. be introduced to an original phenomenon-based 5E lesson that uses current STEM research to help students explore the impact of human activity on relationships in an ecosystem; 2. learn how to use live cultures of phyto- and zooplankton to help students figure out an ecosystem’s stability and change; and 3. learn how a hands-on investigation implements NGSS science and engineering practices and tenets of the nature of science.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Hofeld (Harrah High School: Harrah, OK), Robert Bowser (Oklahoma State University: Stillwater, OK), Julie Angle (Oklahoma State University: Stillwater, OK)

We will present the efforts of 11 secondary schools and partners at Stanford University to create authentic Drosophila-based research experiences, and how you can too!

TAKEAWAYS:
Through Stan-X, middle school and high school students learn science through authentic, open-ended, publishable research; 2. Coordination between schools, both public and private, across the world can enhance scientific learning and research opportunities for your students, while also building a supportive network for teachers interested in providing these opportunities to students; and 3. Instructing teachers in the "process" to develop student-based classroom research is the crucial step in providing meaningful experiences in research-based classes.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Lantz (The Lawrenceville School: Lawrenceville, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts are applied to the DCIs of Heredity and Ecosystems in two hands-on activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to: 1. incorporate phenomena into life science lessons; 2. construct models and explanation for inheritance using Wisconsin Fast Plants®; and 3. use a cell phone spectrometer to gather data.

SPEAKERS:
Crystal Risko (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

It is a challenge to work with at-risk youth. Our discussion will center on successful strategies for motivating, assessing, and nurturing the science mind of students.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Strategies for motivating at-risk youth in the science classroom; 2. Examples of adaptations of assignments for at-risk youth; and 3. Aligning building relationships with building a growth mindset with at-risk youth.

SPEAKERS:
Nadene Klein (Daniel C. Oakes High School: Castle Rock, CO)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Join the program authors to experience a deep dive into HQIM with Amplify Science and see why their research-based novel approaches can lead to deeper learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. It is complex work to create developmentally appropriate learning sequences that meet the NGSS’ expectations for phenomena-based storylines that address all three dimensions; 2. HQIM allow teachers to focus on implementation and adaptation rather than on designing sequences and materials; and 3. Independent efficacy studies have shown the effectiveness of using Amplify Sciences’ unique multimodal approach for science teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Abbott (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Daniel Alcazar-Roman (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

Get active and participate in hands-on experiments. Explore limb position and grip strength, balance, and EKG/EMG experiments designed to encourage students to think about the physiology of various human organ systems. Walk away with valuable information, including sample labs and teaching tips.

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 experience with innovative products that increase student engagement, promote creativity and collaboration, and develop problem-solving skills.

SPEAKERS:
Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: PhD Science

Explore the five social-emotional competencies as defined by CASEL. Research instructional routines that foster these competencies and learn how to incorporate these routines in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. PhD Science was designed with the research-based understanding that social, emotional, and academic learning are interconnected multi-directionally; 2. Students’ social and emotional well-being is intimately connected to their academic success; and 3. Engaging with science content in a safe, supportive classroom helps students feel competent, significant, and successful.

SPEAKERS:
Margaret Goodner (Great Minds: Washington, DC), Victoria Soileau (Great Minds: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Green Ninja

This session will share a framework for how to create compelling learning experiences where students use science and engineering concepts to solve local environmental problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. be able to create a storyline and lesson sequence outline that focuses on a local environmental issue of interest; 2. be able to bundle different science TEKS using a storyline; and 3. develop experience using localized phenomena to create student-oriented instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Eugene Cordero (Green Ninja: Mountain View, CA)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Let innovative technology and simplified prep take the mess and stress out of bacterial transformation with the Let it Glow™ Bacterial Transformation MiniLab.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about a faster, simpler, and more reliable way to teach bacterial transformation; 2. See how teachers can use a PCR System and Fluorescence Reader to perform and analyze bacterial transformation; and 3. Explore how new technology makes traditionally complicated labs more teacher- and student-friendly.

SPEAKERS:
Callen Hyland (Embi Tec: San Diego, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

What does pH actually measure? In this investigation, you will measure pH indirectly using indicators and absorption using the Lab-Master. Using their data, participants generate a graph of absorbance versus pH. This graph can be used to determine the pH of solutions, within the measured pH range.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Prepare serial dilutions of 1M acid and base and calculate H+ and OH- ion concentrations; 2. Measure the RGB absorbance of solutions with different pH values; and 3. Create a graph of absorbance versus pH.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Koker (Lab-Aids, Inc.: Ronkonkoma, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Leaning

Explore the role literacy plays in the elementary classroom. Participate in an Activate Learning PRIME lesson that demonstrates how modeling scaffolds the student discussion to support literacy strategies in the context of science. This includes the incorporation of academic language in written responses and oral discourse in conjunction with investigations using an interactive word wall. Reading and differentiation strategies highlighted.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Receive strategies on how to get students to use modeling to strengthen since literacy in science; 2. Learn how literacy and science can be connected through modeling; and 3. Discover effective strategies on creating and maintaining interactive word walls.

SPEAKERS:
Ellen Mintz (Activate Learning: Greenwich, SC)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

This workshop explores the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the CoV-2 virus. Participants use physical models—enhanced by Augmented Reality—to explore these topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The nucleotide sequence of the CoV-2 RNA genome was the first step in vaccine development; 2. Prior research focused on the spike protein of CoV-1 set the stage for rapid progress on vaccine development; and 3. Pseudouridine was the key to an effective mRNA vaccine.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Sponsoring Company: The Climate Initiative

Come walk through exciting free climate change learning modules. Engage your students in hands-on activities and get them starting conversations in their communties.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Walk through the six-lesson module and learn how to use it with your online or in-person classroom; 2. Participate in a communication activity and learn how to conduct community converations that empower student voice and make them change agents in their local landscape; and 3. Learn how to incorporate Climate Change from the three lenses (Economic, Ecological, and Sociocultural) to encourage students to understand the issues from a local to global scale.

SPEAKERS:
Leia Lowery (The Climate Initiative: Cape Porpoise, ME)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Ken Miller will describe ways in which a curriculum built around the COVID-19 virus can help students to explore some of the most basic processes in biology. The emergence, spread, diversification, and resilience of this virus will be used to demonstrate important principles in evolution, genetics, molecular biology, immunology, and cell biology.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Participants will examine specific curriculum plans using the COVID-19 virus to illustrate basic principles of cell biology, including biological membrane structure, mRNA function, transcription, translation, replication, and immune response; 2. The emergence of COVID-19 variants will be explored as a case study in natural selection, evolution, and phylogenetic analysis; and 3. The public reaction to pandemic public health countermeasures and vaccination will be examined as a case study in scientific literacy and science denial. Participants will discuss ways to use their classrooms to promote student understand of the science behind these public health measures.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek Inc.

Respiratory viruses like Influenza or COVID can lead to worldwide pandemics. We’ll discuss how diseases spread and perform experiments to explore how disease testing works.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. participate in hands-on biotechnology experimentation; 2. explore medical testing for common diseases, including how they work and what they mean; and 3. discuss the epidemiological triad, a framework for understanding the relationship between host, pathogen, and environment.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Maria Dayton (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: DoD STEM

Engage the power of visible thinking to heighten learning through scientific inquiry and authentic questioning while fostering connections with and between students in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. understand and explain visible thinking; 2. describe multiple benefits of applying visible thinking in the classroom; and 3. learn strategies to apply visible thinking in inquiry-based science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Blank (Watertown City School District: Watertown, NY), Patty Brunet (Cypress High School: Cypress, CA), Tiara Davis (Teacher: Charlotte, NC), Heather Overkamp (Portsmouth Public Schools: Portsmouth, VA)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Learn from a panel of educators from across the U.S. as they share their impactful stories of bringing science to life in today’s classrooms with Discovery Education. Please note that attendees must preregister for this workshop here.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn strategies and activities that engage students in classrooms across the country; 2. See science come to life with innovative classroom practices; and 3. Leave with a toolkit of resources to bring those ideas to your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kristy Vincent (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD), Justin Karkow (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Explore the use of zebrafish in a diverse, inquiry-based classroom to spark ALL students’ curiosity and scientific engagement with real-life science experiences through multiple-learning modalities.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Build knowledge about the use of zebrafish in biomedical research; 2. Learn how zebrafish and low-budget pet store supplies can be used to engage diverse learners in multimodal (visual, kinesthetic) real-life science learning experiences; and 3. Engage in activities to learn how zebrafish can be used to provide three-dimensional learning experiences for ALL learners by providing opportunities to engage in practices used by scientists, exploring crosscutting concepts and disciplinary code ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Vinita Hajeri (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX), Pam Kirkland (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)

When teaching about complex social justice science issues, how do teachers decide what to include while learning about new content and contexts?

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Strategies for deciding what content is “worthwhile” when teaching about complex phenomena; 2. Strategies for deciding how much context is appropriate to include when dealing with social justice issues in science class; and 3. Suggestions for leveraging professional learning communities as sites where we can learn about unfamiliar contexts and contents in order to connect our subject to our communities.

SPEAKERS:
Daniel Morales-Doyle (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Alejandra Frausto Aceves (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Adilene Aguilera (George Washington High School: Chicago, IL), Mindy Chappell (North-Grand High School: Chicago, IL), Tiffany Childress Price (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Tomasz Rajski (Hubbard High School: Chicago, IL)

Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope are free lessons designed to build student confidence to analyze and interpret data and answer questions about real-world phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Develop an understanding of an instructional model designed to incrementally provide students with opportunities to develop data analysis and interpretation skills using citizen and community science data sets; 2. Develop awareness and fluency in using an online graphing and mapping tool to analyze large data sets; and 3. Consider the benefits and barriers in using large data sets and digital tools in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Sean O'Connor (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

RESET provides online PD and opportunities for summer research at Army labs for STEM educators in middle and high school around the nation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. become familiar with the goals and objectives for AEOP RESET; 2. learn about examples of previous summer research by former AEOP RESET participants; and 3. learn about the requirements and process for applying to become an AEOP RESET participant.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Meadows (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Leslie Suters (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

The presentation provides findings and teaching strategies used in secondary science to foster students understating of controversial topics related to race and human diversity.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to facilitate classroom discourse to guide students to support their claims with evidence and facts; 2. Have specific actions steps to make science lessons more culturally relevant to students; and 3. Understand how to present controversial topics in the science classroom while maintaining a safe learning space for all students.

SPEAKERS:
Uchenna Emenaha (University of Houston: Houston, TX)

Walk through an example of how to incrementally build skill in argumentation from evidence as part of a freely available curriculum unit on Evolution. Learn more at Teach.Genetics.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about a successful classroom-tested approach to building skill in argumentation through a series of lessons interwoven in a high school evolution unit; 2. Consider ways to apply an incremental approach to argumentation in any unit; and 3. Learn where to access free multimedia and paper-based genetics, evolution, and argumentation materials.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Malone (The University of Utah: Salt Lake City, UT)

Engage in three-dimensional learning with hands-on activities to explore human population, biodiversity, climate change, land and natural resource use, and paths to sustainability.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn ways to incorporate 3-D learning strategies into hands-on activities around the NGSS topic of Human Sustainability; 2. come away with ideas and lessons to supplement their coursework in High School Biology and Environmental Science (General and AP) with experiential activities for in-person and virtual classrooms; and 3. be able to identify how the presented hands-on activities meet the NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices; and how the activities can be used to reach all kinds of learners, for an inclusive classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Abby Watkins (Population Connection: Washington, DC), Pam Wasserman (Population Connection: Washington, DC)

A multidisciplinary open-ended investigation that incorporates absolute and relative dating, anomalies, historical context, volcanoes, solar proton events, energy cycles, Earth systems, terrestrial events, and supernovas.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students will have a better understanding of the process of constructing knowledge; 2. Students will have to analyze and defend their results; and 3. Sometimes there is no answer key, only possible solutions from constructing and analyzing data from several sources that cross traditional disciplines.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Young (NASA/NSO/UoL Program Manager: Laughlin, NV)

Join individuals responsible for the coordination and supervision of science education and teachers from around the country to share ideas and solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Networking with individuals in similar positions from around the country; 2. Sharing ideas around concerns facing science educators; and 3. Great ideas or solutions that others are implementing that you can too.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Bremen, GA)

We will share how we use learning targets based on the NGSS science practices to develop assessments that are accessible to learners of all abilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. understand how to develop assessments that are accessible to all learners; 2. distinguish between formative and summative assessments and see examples of effective ways to apply each; and 3. understand how to use assessments to fine-tune teaching practice.

SPEAKERS:
David Frangiosa (Pascack Valley Regional High School District: Montvale, NJ), Elise Naramore (Pascack Hills High School: Montvale, NJ)

You made the learning three dimensional in your classroom; now it's time to do the same for your grading.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Ways to help students focus on learning more than gradesl 2, Systems of efficient grading that make meaningful feedback possible; and 3. Tips to have students participate in telling their learning story.

SPEAKERS:
Johanna Brown (Washington State OSPI)

Architects of STEAM Ecosystems immerse cross sectors to develop a conduit for ALL students to be successful. STEAM Ecosystems embed authentic research experiences for teachers and students that bridge the cultural and opportunity gaps. Learn how to develop research education blueprints that incorporate cultural responsive externships outside the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to develop research education blueprints that incorporate cultural responsive externships outside the classroom; 2. Help students gain access to pathways for rewarding and productive STEM careers; and 3. Navigate through securing strategic STEM partnerships for a successful STEM Ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:
Doug Baltz (Seaholm High School: Birmingham, MI)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Let’s explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM, and let's move beyond differentiation and scaffolding. Pick up other proven intervention techniques to help students. Learn how to modify our traditional outreach to connect with students so that they gain greater understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM; 2. Compare differentiation and scaffolding strategies, and learn successful adaptations of each strategy; and 3. Explore effective intervention strategies that are built into the STEMscopes curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Dentler (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Amber Gunner (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a model lesson from OpenSciEd for Middle School and see how the new Carolina Certified Edition makes these high-quality instructional materials even better! Leave with classroom resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Experience the pedagogy of OpenSciEd through a model lesson; 2. Learn ways to encourage equitable classroom discourse; and 3. Create a Driving Question Board to explore real-world phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Let me introduce you to hands-on lab-producing graphs that are critical to understanding properties for engineering bridges and more. We'll focus on making, interpreting, and teaching the graphs in a classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Cheap and effective beam and bridges labs; 2. Graph analysis and real-world applications; and 3. Iterative engineering design to improve results.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler (Global Impact STEM Academy: Springfield, OH), Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

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 Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

CRISPR/Cas gene editing has revolutionized molecular biology. Now your students can use this method to knock out a gene.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how you can perform an authentic CRISPR/Cas gene knockout in your classroom; 2. Use optional PCR and gel electrophoresis to further verify phenotypic results; and 3. Try free CRISPR/Cas resources for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Bryan (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

With the amount of time for science instruction constantly under scrutiny, developing experiences that are engaging and develop understanding is critical. Learn how to leverage game-based learning to introduce, review, and deepen student content understanding. Through student-driven learning, Legends of Learning helps educators ensure not a moment of time is lost.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understanding of how game-based learning (GBL) can enhance a 5Es lesson; 2. Understanding of unique ways to integrate GBL into instructional practices; and 3. Understanding how GBL allows for easier differentiation and builds an inclusive classroom learning environment.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Gerlach (Legends of Learning: Laurel, MD), Sean Reidy (Legends of Learning: Laurel, MD)

Sponsoring Company: Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge/ Shell Awards

Come start your winning application for one of three Shell-sponsored programs. We'll walk through the application step by step and you'll be able to begin your application or nomination form live.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn about the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge competition and the two Shell-sponsored teacher awards; 2. learn how to nominate and apply for the programs that are sponsored by Shell; and 3. be able to collaborate with previous winners and judges on key elements to include in a strong application.

SPEAKERS:
Martha McLeod (Aransas County ISD: Rockport, TX), Ritu Gandhi (Morales Elementary School: Houston, TX), Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH), Melissa Collins (John P. Freeman Optional School: Memphis, TN)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Join us for a fun, minimal-prep lab testing for macromolecules in various unusual samples using the new fluorescence reader from MiniOne Systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about the new Fluorescence Reader from MiniOne Systems; 2. See how you can bring basic macromolecule labs and interesting extensions to students without the tedious prep work; and 3. Explore unusual samples to determine if they contain starch, glucose, protein, lipids, and/or DNA.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins (Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Students investigate the use of reactions with three metals for reducing copper waste and reclaiming copper from a used copper etching solution. Students use data from their investigation and text sources to develop an evidence-based argument for which metal is the best choice for recovering copper from the waste solution.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Develop an evidence-based argument for which metal is best for removing copper from liquid wastes; 2. Chemicals such as copper and its compounds react in characteristic ways to form new substances with different properties; and 3. Decisions involving resource use should be made with an understanding of the trade-offs involved.

SPEAKERS:
Cindy Lilly (Ocean Bay Middle School: Myrtle Beach, SC)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Join us for an engaging session that introduces the interactive digital edition (IDE) of OpenSciEd. Come explore the teacher’s side and experience the student side of the new IDE. The session will begin with an overview of the teacher's edition and its structure: Plan, Teach, Assign, and Assess. While engaged in an OpenSciEd lesson, teachers will learn the different features that students have available to use in their interactive student edition.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. This interactive digital product can enhance learning but does not replace student interaction with hands-on activities; 2. Effective use of an online student notebook; and 3. Teacher will receive a 60-day trial of the Interactive Digital edition of OpenSciEd.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Marmolejo (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Explore the forces that determine protein shape by actively modeling protein structure! Then explore a particular class of proteins and enzymes by playing with models.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Protein shape is determined by interactions between amino acids that are specifically ordered in the primary structure of proteins; 2. Protein shape is critical for proper functioning of the protein; and 3. Enzymes are a type of protein that interact with their substrates in specific ways.

SPEAKERS:
Keri Shingleton (Holland Hall: Tulsa, OK)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Join the Savvas team for a hands-on workshop on a three-dimensional classroom experience based on the new Texas Standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Incorporate science and engineering practices into your lessons; 2. Build dynamic science lessons aligned to the TEKS; and 3. Transform the new TEKS into student-centered performance expectations.

SPEAKERS:
Chuck Kremer (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ), Manuel Romo (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Summit K12

Engaging evidence-based best practices that accelerate learning through an innovative fifth-grade STAAR Review Process that optimizes by class or through Individualized Learning Plans. Come learn how this process ensures growth at  the Masters, Meets, and Approaches levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teachers can meaningfully connect Benchmark Results to a customized STAAR Review Plan; 2. Students will be able to accelerate their learning through a customized learning path and plan; and 3. Students are guaranteed to excel in Science.

SPEAKERS:
Edna Carter (Summit K12 Holdings, Inc.: Austin, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek Inc.

Explore the relationship between genotype and phenotype using your sense of taste and biotechnology! Examine variations in your bitter taste receptor with PCR and electrophoresis.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. explore the link between genotype and phenotype using PCR and a PTC tasting assay; 2. analyze Mendelian traits using data collected in class; and 3. participate in hands-on biotechnology experimentation.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Danielle Snowflack (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Maria Dayton (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

We will be building and testing paper airplanes to review concepts in physics. This is a hands-on, multi-day, and lab-based alternative to classic review methods.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will: 1. leave with a copy of the project; 2. review concepts and main ideas in physics using the plane you build; and 3. hopefully have fun!

SPEAKERS:
Jason Kane (MacArthur Senior High School: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: DoD STEM

Hear about how DoD STEM partners with nonprofits, academia, industry, and government to work in schools and produce college- and career-ready graduates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn: 1. about the mission and vision of DoD STEM; 2. how DoD STEM programs connect schools, students, and teachers with STEM professionals and opportunities; and 3. how they can engage with DoD STEM to support and/or enrich local programming.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Leikin (National Math + Science Initiative: Dallas, TX), Rebecca Stanley (DoD STEM/RTI International: Durham, NC), Jennifer Preston (DoD STEM/RTI International: Research Triangle Park, NC), Laura Larkin (Einstein Fellow, DoD STEM: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

Join us for lunch and explore DE’s Texas Two-Year Science Package, which is fully aligned to the TEKS and includes ready-to-use activities and intuitive lessons from Mystery Science. Please note that attendees must preregister for this workshop here.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. dive into DE’s Two-Year Science Package that was designed to bridge the gap and prepare science teachers and students for 2024; 2. understand how DE brings science to life inside the classroom with hands-on activities connected to real-world phenomena; and 3. explore new easy-to-use lessons available through our partnership with Mystery Science.

SPEAKERS:
Brittany Lewis (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD), Raquel Gruver (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD), Justin Karkow (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Are you looking for an engaging and innovative way to get your students to understand not only the meaning of a word, but how it fits into the bigger picture? Put on your thinking cap and join us as we use vocabulary to take students on a learning adventure! Experience ways to zoom in and zoom out of science content using a variety of differentiated strategies and structures. Take these ideas straight back to your classroom for immediate use. Great for intervention!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM; 2. Learn effective ways to dissect vocabulary from science standards for intervention; and 3. Explore effective intervention strategies for including literacy into the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Amber Gunner (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Lisa Dentler (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Apply creative problem-solving skills and engineering practices to chemistry and physical science challenges. Experience how Carolina makes it easy to incorporate STEM into your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. engage in two different STEM challenges; 2. apply chemistry and physics DCIs; and 3. model the engineering design process.

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau (Retired Educator: National City, MI)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

Use Vernier pH and carbon dioxide sensors to learn about the differences between baking soda and baking powder while applying chemistry content skills all while using chemicals used for food preparation. 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:
Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

The new Bandit™ STEM Electrophoresis Kit brings affordable hands-on biotech and integrative STEM investigations to middle and high school classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Assemble and use a simple electrophoresis system; 2. Explore a high-quality curriculum that uses electrophoresis techniques; and 3. Affordable electrophoresis for all levels.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Bryan (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: eCYBERMISSION

A chance to hear from expert teachers about participation and engagement in STEM competitions.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to get all of your students excited about STEM; 2. Hearing directly from teachers experienced in STEM competitions; and 3. Information about how to engage student in authentic STEM projects.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Hartman (BrainPOP: Pittsburgh, PA), Laura Wilbanks (Southcrest Christian School: Lubbock, TX), Milene De Farias (Southcrest Christian School: Lubbock, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Zahourek Systems, Inc.

Build replicas of human anatomy using clay and a specially designed skeletal model in a classroom setting. Learn how to implement a unique curriculum system that helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy. This workshop will emphasize directional terms, planes, cavities, and landmarks on the skeletal model and then build several skeletal muscles. Emphasis will be placed on building the rotator cuff showing origin and insertion, movement, as well as a discussion of exercises to strengthen these muscles.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. learn how to implement a unique curriculum system that helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy; 2. acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores; and 3. have fun!

SPEAKERS:
Chuck Roney (ANATOMY IN CLAY Learning Systems: Loveland, CO)

The Call to Action for Science Education—issued this summer by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics and funded by the Carnegie Corporation—provides an argument for the importance of science education; identifies major challenges for implementing coherent science education K–16; discusses how science relates to the other STEM disciplines; highlights science education programs and instructional practices that have shown to be most effective; and provides clear recommendations on how teachers, communities, and local, state, and federal stakeholders can work together to improve science education and broaden opportunity in the discipline.

At this featured session science education leaders will discuss the report and outline ways you can join this nationwide effort to change the trajectory of science and STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Schweingruber (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Washington, DC), Erika Shugart (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Jim Short (Carnegie Corporation of New York: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Use electrophoresis to determine the genotypes of a family with a history of sickle cell disease, and hear about progress in treating this disease.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about sickle cell disease, from its inheritance and symptoms as well as new progress treating the disease; 2. See how to do electrophoresis on the MiniOne Electrophoresis System; and 3. Explore a new genetics lab that is ideal for students in a biomedical pathway.

SPEAKERS:
Callen Hyland (Embi Tec: San Diego, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

This hands-on workshop challenges participants to make a vehicle to move a toy or other small object using motors, wheels, wires, and other equipment. This activity is one of 10 engineering design challenges in the Electric Motors Catalyst, a STEM curriculum for grades K–5 that comes complete with equipment, lesson plans, assessments, embedded support for ELA, and is NGSS focused. The program is distributed exclusively by Lab-Aids. Lesson samples and literature will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teach students to create their own inventions; and 2. Learn STEM through problem-based design challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Brocchini (Tinkering Labs: Ronkonkoma, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Experience a novel approach to Earth science. This new pedagogy uses a “systems” approach for plate tectonics, astronomy, natural resources, geology, and paleoclimatology. There will be several take-home activities and ideas to implement or augment your existing Earth science curricula. This curriculum is put together by AGI (American Geoscience Institute) out of Washington, D.C.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Receive materials they can use in their classrooms; 2. Learn more about the “systems” approach to Earth science; and 3. Receive a poster for your classroom reflecting the systems approach.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Curts (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Teachers investigate models, text, and data that can engage students in making sense of the structure and function of these molecular marvels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. identify how the structure of enzymes influences their function; 2. explain how substances can alter the performance of enzymes and how that can impact human health; and 3. summarize how understanding enzyme structure and function can lead to medical and scientific advances.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Parfitt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

We will examine how new techniques that have dramatically altered the landscape of human biology work, suggest ways to incorporate them into the curriculum, and explore the promise and peril that awaits the brave new world of human genetic modification.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. be introduced to high-interest case studies/phenomena to engage their students in biology; 2. examine ways to show students that biology is both dynamic and relevant to their lives; and 3. explore the specifics of how these powerful genetic engineering techniques work and discuss ways to incorporate them into the curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek Inc.

Explore the science of food coloring! In this hands-on workshop, we’ll use electrophoresis and chromatography to separate mixtures of molecules based on their physical properties.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. perform hands-on biotechnology experiments; 2. explore the physical properties of molecules using chromatography and electrophoresis; and 3. learn about the history of food science.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Danielle Snowflack (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Maria Dayton (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE

Learn how BIOZONE’S superb interactive texts and BIOZONE toolkit support teachers to deliver flexible and engaging NGSS and AP programs.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover how BIOZONE’s interactive worktexts and BIOZONE toolkit empower teachers to deliver engaging, effective programs within a differentiated classroom; 2. Discover how the BIOZONE toolkit augments the worktext and supports teachers in delivering a flexible and engaging program; and 3. Learn about BIOZONE’S two NGSS series (Standard NGSS Series and Integrated NGSS Series) and our new Advanced Placement titles for AP Biology and AP Environmental Science.

SPEAKERS:
Pam Temons (BIOZONE International Ltd.: Hamilton, New Zealand)

Sponsoring Company: National Science Foundation, Presidential Awards

Join NSF as we share professional development opportunities for teachers within the federal government and hear from Presidential Awardees about their experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Federal professional development opportunities that you may not have been aware of before; 2. The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) application process and benefits received; and 3. The paths of accomplished teachers and Presidential Awardees as they continue to grow their career.

SPEAKERS:
James Colby (National Science Foundation: Alexandria, VA)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education

To celebrate 20 years of supporting teachers and engaging students, the Discovery Education team invites you to join us as we dig deep into our platform and unveil seven things that you didn’t know about your FAVORITE science learning platform, and one thing you probably did! Please note that attendees must preregister for this workshop here.

SPEAKERS:
Justin Karkow (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

The WINS Program facilitators and participants provide insight on how working through scientific processes impact participants’ approach to addressing real-life challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The importance of incorporating culturally relevant concepts like sustainability and environmental justice as they relate to issues within participant communities; 2. Frequently incorporating the steps of the scientific method and engineering design process in classroom activities provides participants with strategies for addressing challenges outside the classroom; and 3. Useful strategies for transitioning a hands-on program to a virtual platform, and taking advantage of free experiences within the community.

SPEAKERS:
Vanessa Vasquez (Esperanza Academy: Philadelphia, PA), Bintou Baradgi (The Preparatory Charter School: Philadelphia, PA), Kimberly Godfrey (The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: Philadelphia, PA)

Global collaborative initiatives can provide students with a shared experience to enhance academic achievement for all learners regardless of their socioeconomic, ethnic, or linguistic backgrounds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engaging students from underrepresented populations in a global virtual exchange can; 1. enhance their feelings of belonging within the classroom environment; 2. assist students in developing a globally competent mindset; and 3. lead to increased confidence in one's ability to participate in more rigorous coursework at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

SPEAKERS:
Robbie Higdon (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA), Seth Shantz (Harrisonburg High School: Harrisonburg, VA), Andrew Jackson (Harrisonburg High School: Harrisonburg, VA)

This session will focus on how to teach wave-particle duality (WPD) from a historical to present-day perspective. Engage students experimentally and relate the results to quantum information science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Recognition of the historical relevance and sequence of events that currently support WPD; 2. The double slit experiment can be done with electrons and photons; and 3. Experimental results show how a wave interference pattern can also be produced by a probability distribution of photons and electrons.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler (University of Texas Arlington: No City, No State), Jan Mader (Retired Physics and Chemistry Teacher: Great Falls, MT)

Participants will experiment, design, and inquiry with free software and custom tools for teaching and learning STEM in high school.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to capture real data with sensors and microcontrollers; 2. How to process data to find mathematical patterns and physical laws; and 3. How to encourage students to design and inquiry effectively.

SPEAKERS:
Arturo Miguel de Priego (STEM and EECS Academy: Chincha, Ica, Peru)

Join members of the NSTA High School Committee for a Framework discussion and learn how to implement best practices at the high school level.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. High school science framework discussion; 2. Implementation strategies of the framework; and 3. *Networking with other high school teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Brenda Walsh (Eden Prairie High School: Eden Prairie, MN), Ruth Hutson (Blue Valley High/Middle School: Randolph, KS)

Compare surface temperature data collected by students between urban and rural areas. Get involved and continue over the summer in a Google classroom. Resources will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The importance of collecting surface temperature data to study “heat islands” within communities and ways to interpret the data; 2. Analysis of ground-truthing data and NASA satellite data; and 3. Instructional materials from GLOBE and NASA to teach the science content (heat islands) and protocols aligned to NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Desiray Wilson (Science Systems and Applications, Inc.: Hampton, VA), Janet Struble (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), Kevin Czajkowski (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), Jessica Taylor (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)

Struggling to get your students to interact with the content? Want your students to do some critical thinking and defend their  thoughts? Come learn some instructional strategies that can be modified easily for any science content.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn instructional strategies that: 1. engage all types of students; 2. are modified easily for any science content; and 3. can be used for a quick and easy formative assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Clara Gravett (Camdenton High School: Camdenton, MO)

Learn how to engage your students with the rich phenomena that stars and exoplanets can provide through the use of an open-source, NGSS-driven unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. deepen their understanding of how to use phenomena-driven 3-D instruction to attend to student interest and relevance; 2. develop a clear vision for how to use argumentation to teach ESS concepts; and 3. learn how to access, use, and adapt a free high school Earth and space science unit.

SPEAKERS:
Charles Link (DeWitt Clinton High School: Bronx, NY), John Salazar (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY)

This shark-themed lesson for secondary school science is used to promote inquiry and scientific literacy in the classroom through hands-on experiments, simulations, and data collection.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Applying real science techniques to activities in the informal or formal classroom setting; 2. Promoting scientific literacy through inquiry-based activities, reflective thinking, and connections to diverse shark scientists; and 3. Bridging science with other subjects such as history and math in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Savanna Finley (Science Teacher: Sarasota, FL)

Bee-coming a data scientist—discover how honeybee researchers find pathogens that contribute to colony loss.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand the essential role of honeybees in agriculture; 2. Discover example phenomena to engage students as a data scientist and exploration into the universal language of DNA sequences; and 3. A simple and free computer-based activity that can be performed anywhere with a computer and internet (classroom, home, or public library).

SPEAKERS:
Zack Bateson (National Agricultural Genotyping Center: Fargo, ND), Jane Hunt (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

This workshop will focus on how collaboration between educators can provide an educational experience to all learners in a district that highlights STEM education from Kindergarten to High School. The presenters will introduce many activities and lessons for teachers and administrators to bring back to their schools and classrooms focusing on agricultural education, engineering activities, and STEM experiments. The workshop will be broken into three segments highlighting hydroponics, community gardens, robotics, computer science, and science experiments/demonstrations.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Our Science/STEM Instructor will present various STEM Night lessons and activities that are taught to high school students who participate in Family/Science Nights in the district throughout the year. These activities focus on NGSS standards that students learn throughout the year; 2. Our Agriculture Educator will present how to start and maintain a hydroponics lab and a community garden in the district for all levels of instruction; and 3. Our Engineering instructor will present a curriculum and activities in Robotics and Computer Science Applications that will build your students' knowledge and demonstrate how these students teach younger students in the district in STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Usery (Cabot High School: Cabot, AR), Nicole Gatewood (Cabot High School: Cabot, AR)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see examples of the EXCITING and NEW ASPECTS to the most popular digital science curriculum during this showcase. Discover program enhancements, Google integration, streaming, coding, and much more.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Dentler (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Dr. Kenneth Heydrick (: Houston, TX), Amber Gunner (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Tammy Motley (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Through frog dissection, we will demonstrate how to integrate the three dimensions of learning while highlighting adaptations and the relationship between structure and function.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to: 1. dissect a frog; 2. implement dissections in 3-D classrooms; and 3. incorporate the crosscutting concept of structure and function into dissection lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau (Retired Educator: National City, MI)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Software & Technology

Stop counting bubbles. It has never been easier to visulize photosynthesis in the classroom. Use the latest technology to measure photosynthesis and the variables that affect it. Bring your own device with our free Graphical Analysis 4 app and Spectral Analysis 4 app installed or use our devices. 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 Science Education: Beaverton, OR), Nüsret Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: Imagine Learning/Twig

Learn how to engage students in scientific literacy using Movie Magic. Gravity and force will be explored through a hands-on modeling of a hoverboard.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The powerful three-dimensional approach of lesson design; 2. Using high engagement, real-world topics to develop scientific literacy; and 3. Resources to investigate magnetic repulsion, then model magnetic fields and their interactions in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Mueller (Imagine Learning | Twig Education: Santa Cruz, CA), Tess Burns (Twig Education: Santa Cruz, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Education First and Cornell Tech

In this fast-paced, interactive workshop, we’ll give you a few tools to help you bring computing into your classroom without any code.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore ways to integrate computational thinking in the science classroom; 2. Discover ways personal data is collected and used on the internet; and 3. Learn about fun tools for bringing AI and computer vision into the curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Diane Levitt (Cornell Tech: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Edulastic

NGSS lessons by students, for students—how cool is that?! Hear the STEAM Team’s story, discover their suite of activities, and get free classroom tools!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn: 1. about what inspired a group of high school students to create engaging and fun STEAM lessons for middle school students; 2. how to access student-created digital learning lessons to help teach science to their own students; and 3. how to locate NGSS-focused assessments and create their own assessments in Edulastic, and assign them to their students.

SPEAKERS:
Ileana Betancourt (GoGuardian + Pear Deck + Edulastic: El Segundo, CA)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

In this hands-on lab, you'll use scientific reasoning and experimental design to determine the source of a real-life foodborne outbreak with gel electrophoresis.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about a real-world Shigella outbreak and how food safety experts determine the source of outbreaks; 2. Become a foodborne illness investigator to solve which food made partygoers sick; and 3. See how fast, engaging electrophoresis labs can excite students about careers in food safety.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins (Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

How can scientists tell what Earth’s climate was like thousands of years before human measurements? This activity simulates the use of fossil ocean foraminifera, tiny organisms whose growth patterns are different in warm or cold water. Your students will analyze and graph samples of replicas of these organisms and use this information to determine relative warm and cold periods in the past 200,000 years.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use a simulated sediment core to count and analyze foraminifera in layers of sediment; 2. Determine relative warm and cold periods in the past 200,000 years; and 3. Earth’s climate has varied considerably in the past.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Koker (Lab-Aids, Inc.: Ronkonkoma, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Develop a sport for the Moon; create a light and sound show to entertain your friends; design and build an improved safety device for a car. Project-based learning motivates students and challenges them to apply their physics knowledge, as well as reflect the three dimensions of the NGSS. Active Physics has been incredibly successful in schools. Join the fun and find out how to make your curriculum even better.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to customize the program for students who want or need more depth, concepts, or explorations; 2. Discover how your students can use their new physics knowledge to creatively solve their Chapter Challenges; and 3. Learn about the encapsulated 7E instructional model.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Curts (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Examine David Goodsell’s landscapes that illustrate the molecular world in a whole new way. One landscape, Tour of a Human Cell, contains numerous biological concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Cells are complicated and packed full of proteins; 2. A Tour of a Human Cell illustrates Your Flu Shot in Action; and 3. Come for the art and leave with the science.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

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.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students succeed when they feel connected to content, but even the best curricula are written for a generic school context; 2. Small lesson adjustments that introduce local, real-world phenomena can make a generic lesson more meaningful for students; and 3. All science teachers and instructional coaches can learn a few simple, practical strategies for adapting their curricula to highlight local phenomena and voices.

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

Sponsoring Company: Digitalis Education Solutions, Inc.

Use Digitalis' Nightshade NG planetarium software to target NGSS and/or TEKS at multiple age levels in various scientific disciplines.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. gain ideas about how Nightshade NG planetarium software can be used to target NGSS and/or TEKS at multiple grade levels; 2. experience how Nightshade NG planetarium software can be used to target NGSS and/or TEKS in various disciplines such as astronomy, Earth science, engineering, ecology, biology, physics, and more; and 3. learn how astronomy can be used as an anchor for interdisciplinary units.

SPEAKERS:
Karrie Berglund (Digitalis Education Solutions, Inc.: Bremerton, WA), Beau Hartweg (Tyler Junior College: Tyler, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek Inc.

Creating colorful transformed bacteria is an unforgettable way to teach the central dogma of molecular biology. Learn how to use transformed bacteria to create bio-art!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Attendees will learn about bacterial transformation, a genetic engineering technique; 2. Through transformation, attendees will explore the relationship between genotype and phenotype; and 3. Attendees will participate in hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) experiments.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Danielle Snowflack (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Maria Dayton (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Mystery Science, Discovery Education

Early elementary years set the stage for a lifelong love of science. Explore how engaging and easy-to-use instructional materials from Mystery Science provide that foundation! Please note that attendees must preregister for this workshop here.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will: 1. spend time unpacking some of the opportunities and challenges that elementary-grade teachers have regarding science instruction; 2. see how Mystery Science provides elementary-grade teachers with the tools they need to successfully incorporate science instruction into their schedule on a regular basis; and 3. see how the Mystery Science curriculum has both a low floor and a high ceiling, allowing all teachers and students to find access and challenge.

SPEAKERS:
Phillip Keck (Mystery Science, Inc.: San Francisco, CA)

Interested NMLSTA members and invited guests may attend. Please visit https://www.nmlsta.org for more information.

Sponsoring Company: Shell Oil Company

Let’s first explore the global significance of a patent-free, low-cost “people’s vaccine.” How can this low-cost coronavirus vaccine be used as an effective weapon against COVID by reaching the unvaccinated in poorer countries? How can we address both vaccine equity and the rising antiscience movement that threatens global health security? Next we’ll explore how we can empower teachers to have a more active role in addressing emerging diseases, future pandemics, and similar emergent scenarios while inspiring generations and supporting the well-being of our students and future societies.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Hotez (Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, TX), Faiyaz Bhojani (Shell USA, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Join the #NGSSchat live at #NSTA22 Houston. Meet and speak with Ted Willard, Tricia Shelton, and more as they discuss the Next Generation Science Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Calling all exercise enthusiasts. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, schedule time to join Solomon for timed functional body weight and calisthenic exercises in a HIIT format. We may include resistance bands of varying difficulties. There will be 10 stations and 2 rounds per station, followed by core conditioning and finally a cool down.

Please note that this is limited to the first 30 people. Interested? Please come to the Conferences Services Desk to sign up before 5:30 PM on Thursday, March 31.

Explore strategies to modify Illinois storylines that increase equity in the classroom. Hear testimonies from biology and special education teachers who have implemented storylines to increase student success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to: 1. recognize barriers to students' success and implement strategies via storylines to remove those barriers and promote equity in the classroom; 2. modify storyline activities as we discuss and work through the modification process with biology and special education instructors to explore best practices; and 3. identify how storylines develop academic identity for students in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Pavic (Glenbrook South High School: Glenview, IL), Madeline Thomas (Glenbrook South High School: Glenview, IL)

Use STEM web-based analysis software and real data to determine the rate of a supernova remnant expansion and its uniformity.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Astronomical observations with the same parameters separated by time can be used to study the dynamics of a supernova remnant; 2. Expansion velocity of a supernova remnant can be used to determine its age and perhaps connect it to historical observations of such; and 3. Js9 web-based software provides students with real opportunities to do astronomical research.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Perry (Lewiston High School: Lewiston, ME)

Free materials that lead students through a molecular cause and effect exploration of disorder-causing alleles. Students will pick up foundational genetics concepts along the way.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to access and implement a free unit on genetics that illuminates the mechanisms through which differences in DNA lead to different phenotypes; 2. How to integrate an in-depth investigation of a specific disorder-causing allele with foundational genetics content; and 3. There is variation at the DNA, protein, cell, and tissue levels among alleles of the same disorder.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Malone (The University of Utah: Salt Lake City, UT)

This program aims to dramatically increase the exposure to and consumption of locally produced honey by developing a network of apiaries and supporting curriculum for preK–12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about: 1. how educational apiaries can be used in an education setting; 2. the benefits of implementing curriculum related to honey production; and 3. strategies to engage migrant students in STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

Explore a variety of inquiry-based activities to engage students with real-world scientific data, thus improving data literacy through strategies that support science practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. recognize the need to utilize data with science learners; 2. explore data instructional strategies to integrate into classroom instruction; and 3. identify sources of authentic data.

SPEAKERS:
Tina Hovance (Katy ISD: Katy, TX), Cathy Harter (Katy ISD: Katy, TX)

Learn how to access and explore NOAA’s data-rich resources, lesson plans, and visualization tools to build data literacy and proficiency in scientific data analysis.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. What types of data are available from NOAA; 2. How to find and use NOAA data in your classroom; and 3. How students can be involved in data collection.

SPEAKERS:
Bekkah Lampe (NOAA Office of Education: Silver Spring, MD), Kayla Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD)

Authors of this report from the Board on Science Education of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will give an overview of the report’s key issues, conclusions, and recommendations.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Science and Engineering education needs to be prioritized through fifth grade; 2. State policymakers should ensure these subjects are taught comprehensively, frequently, and consistently; and 3. Ways to support learning and engagement with science and engineering.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Schweingruber (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

Food and agriculture are universally relevant. This session will focus on using agricultural phenomena to increase the relevancy and authenticity of content in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn: 1. how to connect with each student's agricultural identity to enhance the relevancy and authenticity of science lessons; 2. how agricultural phenomena can drive student sensemaking and problem-solving; and 3. about free resources and professional immersive learning experiences available from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture to support three-dimensional teaching, learning, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Beierle (American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: Washington, DC), Christine Girtain (Toms River High School South: Toms River, NJ)

This Extravaganza is not to be missed! Join elementary groups of professionals for an exceptional opportunity. Gather resources for use in your classroom immediately. Engaging hands-on activities, strategies to excite and encourage your students, a preview of the best trade books available, information about award opportunities, contacts with elementary science organizations, sharing with colleagues, and much more will be available to participants.

Walk away with a head full of ideas and arms filled with materials.

Organizations participating in the Elementary Extravaganza include:

• NSTA Committee on Preschool– Elementary Science Teaching
• Science & Children authors and reviewers
• Society of Elementary Presidential Awardees

NSTA is grateful to Linda Froschauer, 2006–2007 NSTA President, for organizing this event.

SPEAKERS:
Elaine Sevin (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA), Brittnie Hecht (Park City Library: Park City, UT), Scott Bartholomew (Brigham Young University: Provo, UT), Katie Morrison (University Child Development School: Seattle, WA), Stephanie Wendt (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA), Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY), Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA), Katrina Kmak (Park City Library: Park City, UT), Carla Neely (Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program: No City, No State), Stephanie Long (Turnbow Elementary School: Springdale, AR), Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA), Alissa Lange (East Tennessee State University: Johnson City, TN), Christine Moskalik (NSTA: No City, No State), Tiffany Pace (Cross Lanes Elementary School: Charleston, WV), Perihan Fidan (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Julia Crane (Springdale Public Schools: Springdale, AR), Cathy Barthelemy (STEMexperts: Keller, TX), Katie Stevenson (South Redford School District: Redford, MI), Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO), Marlee Tierce (Retired Educator: Vonore, TN), Gretchen Brinza (Louisville Middle School: Louisville, CO), Amy McGreal (James Ward Elementary School: Chicago, IL), Wendi Laurence (Education Specialist: Park City, UT), Lisa Felske Deslaurier (EduSmart, Inc.: Austin, TX), Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR), Julie Travaglini (Allegheny Land Trust: Sewickley, PA), Karen Matsler (University of Texas Arlington: No City, No State), Megan McCall (Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies: No City, No State), Elizabeth Barrett-Zahn (National Science Teaching Association)

Integrated science? Teach NGSS-focused geology, ecology, biology, engineering, and physical science through real-world problems. Access rubrics, guides, lesson plans, timelines, and other ideas.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Using a thematic approach to integrated science truly integrates the disciplines rather than the traditional one quarter of each discipline; 2. Integrated science can be highly engaging by giving students real-world applications of the content; and 3. Even though NGSS does not have a set of "integrated science" standards, aligning this kind of course to NGSS is still possible.

SPEAKERS:
Vanessa Ueltzen (Walther Christian Academy: Melrose Park, IL)

Students sometimes struggle to connect real-life motion with various representations such as graphs, data sets, and motion maps. This activity uses cups and your school football field to bring motion maps to life.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Teachers will get a copy of an activity they can use to get their students out of the classroom and actively engaged; 2. The copy includes sample lab results and a sample video that they can use to help them prepare for the lab; and 3. The goal of the session to present a physical version of a motion map that students can watch back to help understand motion.

SPEAKERS:
Maximilian Von Schlehenried (Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas: Dallas, TX)

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:
1. Connecting the human impact of single-use plastics and their effect on aquatic ecosystems; 2. Exposing students to basic coding and engineering design in an NGSS-focused content classroom; and 3. Developing a project that enhances STEM skills in students such as collaboration, curiosity, and creative problem-solving.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Kohout (Independent Contractor: Ellicott City, MD), Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA)

Overview of thermoset versus thermoplastic polymers and hands-on activities to be done in the classroom, including predictive design, calculations, and environmental impact discussion.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Different ways of categorizing polymers; 2. Difficulties with recycling certain polymer materials; and 3. Design and environmental challenges for students.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler (Global Impact STEM Academy: Springfield, OH), Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

Use radio astronomy to offer students a hands-on way to enhance their learning of the EM spectrum, Doppler Effect/Red Shift, Kepler’s 3rd law, circular motion, or astronomy. Lessons provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students can get to do real astronomy with a telescope they build; 2. Radio astronomy can be done during class time as radio wave detection is not affected by daylight and enhances student engagement in existing physics lessons; and 3. Students will learn about the unique nature of galactic rotational behavior as compared to circular motion and planetary motion under Kepler’s Laws.

SPEAKERS:
John Clark (Volusia Online Learning: Port Orange, FL)