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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 (Warrensville Heights Middle School: Cleveland, OH), 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)

By using math, building models, analyzing earthquake data, and participating in scientific discourse, your students can discover and measure Earth's outer core!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Demonstrate that Earth cannot be a homogeneous mass and must have a layered interior; 2. Explain how seismic waves provide evidence for Earth’s internal structure and composition; and 3. Explain the usefulness of models in the process of science, as tools to generate predictions that can be compared to observations of the Earth system.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Hubenthal (IRIS | Earthscope Consortium: Washington, DC), John Taber (IRIS | Earthscope Consortium: Chevy Chase, MD)

We will provide concrete, scaffolded methods for teaching students to effectively and thoroughly understand text, evaluate data, and model design presented in scientific journal articles.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how to instruct students to find journal articles connected to the AP curriculum; 2. participate in the Journal Article Evaluation process as a student; and 3. learn how to facilitate the scaffolded Journal Article Evaluation process in their own classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Palffy (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL), Karen O'Connor (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

During this session, we will discuss instructional tools and resources to leverage students' cultural capital in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Explore the tenets of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; 2. Understand how all learning is cultural, especially science, and access to science helps students become change agents; and 3. Explore the components and values of an inclusive science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Morgan (Georgia State University: Atlanta, GA)

Argument-Driven Inquiry is an instructional model that gives students an opportunity to learn how to use DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena, and it creates a learning environment where students are able to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to: 1. use this instructional model, or way of teaching, to give students an opportunity to learn how to use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to make sense of natural phenomena; 2. give students an opportunity to use their own ideas and ways of communicating to talk, read, and write in the service of sensemaking; and 3. give students more opportunities to decide what counts as valid and acceptable and develop new criteria for what counts evidence in science.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Explore assessment technologies that identify, formatively assess, and provide differentiated feedback on student behaviors and interactions during science collaboration activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to: 1. describe and identify collaboration in science; 2. observe a variety of diverse student behaviors and interactions and determine the degree to which collaboration in science is occurring; and 3. use an assessment technology to enhance collaboration during science teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Nonye Alozie (SRI International: Menlo Park, CA), Ron Fried (SRI International: Menlo Park, CA), Mindy Hsiao (SRI International: Menlo Park, CA)

Come learn how to teach in three dimensions and advance students’ scientific literacy by strategically applying the use of CERs and CEJs in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to: 1. identify the CER and CEJ approach for building scientific literacyl; 2. identify opportunities for using CERs and CEJs to facilitate student discourse and discussion; and 3. apply what they have learned to their own classroom.

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

Look for patterns in biodiversity and habitat structure as you investigate mesofauna to determine cause and effect relationships and understand how ecosystem services affect patterns of diversity.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Investigate patterns in mesofauna diversity, soil health, and carbon sequestration; 2. Calculate species richness, relative abundance, and soil structure to determine the diversity in a soil ecosystem; and 3. Identify human impact on ecosystem services that affect patterns of biological diversity.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Bryan (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

Participants will explore the biology, chemistry, and physics of carbon dioxide’s role in climate and climate change.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. explore the biological pathways, stoichiometric reactions, thermodynamics, and environmental implications of hydrocarbon-sourced CO2 gas; 2. learn how to explain the role of carbon dioxide in climate change to high schoolers through hands-on activities; and 3. learn how to bring relevance and critical thinking to their science classes.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole DiLuglio (Houston ISD: Houston, TX), Marlo Diosomito (Houston ISD: Houston, TX), Cedric Williams (Houston ISD: Houston, TX)

Arts integration for the science classroom! Utilize this session's takeaways to incorporate diverse learning practices that don't sacrifice content time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Provide attendees with: 1. diverse teaching methods with a curated selection of arts-integration practices; 2. make-and-take product(s) to use as exemplars; and 3. digital access to content (rubrics, examples, etc.) that would help these practices be implemented in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Murphy (Farmington High School: Farmington, AR), Hailey Robinson (Farmington High School: Farmington, AR)

Experience how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model creates learning experiences that motivate students to engage with significant, real-world phenomena and problems!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Develop an understanding of the Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model, the research that underpins the approach, and how it integrates elements of the 5E, NextGen Storylines, and other instructional models; 2. Consider the role of instructional coherence and real-world phenomena or design problems as an anchor for multiple cycles of inquiry in effective teaching and learning; and 3. Consider the role of an anchoring phenomenon and culminating task in providing equitable access and motivation for all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Lindsey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Explore what it means to be scientifically literate and how to develop students who can participate in discussions about scientific issues that affect society.

TAKEAWAYS:
The goals of this session are for participants to gain an understanding of what scientific literacy is, how it can be supported in classrooms, and how the application of science principles and processes will enable students to join society’s science conversations.

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

Explore a variety of careers in the energy sector and discover what soft skills and personality traits will help your students in the workforce.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn activities to help students identify the soft skills and personality traits that will make them stand out in workplace environments; 2. Help students in understanding just how many different career opportunities and paths exist in the world around them. The list is much broader than doctor, lawyer, teacher, or firefighter and the energy industry includes much more diversity in job types than just engineer, technician, and electrician; and 3. Be able to describe the traits and skills that are essential to being a good worker and team player, no matter what industry or job the student may enter.

SPEAKERS:
Sue Parrent (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA)

Use SageModeler to model real data on how hippos affect their environment in Tanzania and predict how invasive hippos might impact the environment in Colombia!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. discuss how to use hippos, and particularly Pablo Escobar’s hippos in Colombia (an introduced species), as an anchoring phenomenon to teach ecology; 2. examine data from a study of how hippos affect the ecology of aquatic ecosystems in central Tanzania and use those data to investigate key ecological concepts like nutrient cycling and eutrophication and 3. learn to use the free online program SageModeler to model the interactions described in the study above and predict how Pablo Escobar’s hippos may affect the Colombian ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Schmidt (The Bronx High School of Science: Bronx, NY)

This session will focus on building teacher capacity and understanding of the newly adopted Science TEKS to be implemented during the 2024–2025 school year. Participants will explore science engineering practices, recurring concepts, and content standards, and investigate the implications for science instructional practices in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Increased understanding of the SEPs and recurring themes in newly adopted science TEKS; 2. Increased understanding of the content standards that are part of the new science standards; and 3. Understanding the relationship between the new science standards and the K–12 Science Framework.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Birchfield (Weiss High School: Pflugerville, TX), Anna Wydeven (Leander ISD: Leander, TX), Kenric Davies (Liberty High School: Frisco, TX), Shawna Wiebusch (Bastrop ISD: Bastrop, TX), Jennifer Meyer (Summitk12)

Learn how to engage students in making sense of local climate justice phenomena and take action in response in partnership with impacted communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Ability to articulate the climate science standards within your own teaching context; 2. Examination of strategies to engage in climate justice instruction; and 3. Definition of your own action plan for designing science learning around climate justice phenomena for your own context.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (Educator and Learning Scientist: Seattle, WA)

Experience how the discussion diamond protocol can help support students’ argumentation skills and Claim Evidence Reasoning writing through peer discourse.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Student discourse can be used to support the development of students’ argumentation skills; 2. The discussion diamond protocol provides students with a structure to build scientific arguments based on evidence and reasoning in collaboration with their peers; and 3. The discussion diamond protocol is a versatile tool that can be adapted for students at different skill levels and in various subjects.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Ciccarello (Beverly Hills High School: Beverly Hills, CA)