The 5E is effective for learning most concepts, but not for processes. Other models may need to be included within the 5E.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Clearly understand the various instructional models and the best practice for their uses; 2. The learning objective must be clearly identified as a concept of a process to correctly identify the best practice and instructional model; and 3. Use other best practices such as moving instruction from the known to the unknown or concrete to pictorial to abstract or limiting objectives within a 5E.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra West (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

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: 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)

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)

Learn how to develop holistic and equitable coding programs through positive social-emotional development, the inclusion of diverse role model representation, and connecting coding to activism!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. better understand the computer science landscape and how holistic programming can be a tool for addressing the gender gap in tech; 2. learn how to incorporate the three essential components every equitable coding program should have: a. holistic program activities that teach coding and social-emotional development, b. a culture of bravery where students join a supportive community of peers and role models from diverse career pathways, and c. connections to activism by using coding for positive impact; and 3. learn best practices for student recruitment and engagement of historically underrepresented groups in tech.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Ong (Girls Who Code: New York, NY)

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)

This session focuses on the core messages of the book Crosscutting Concepts: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning, published by NSTA Press in 2021.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The power of crosscutting concepts is most fully realized when they are used in conjunction with science and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas; 2. Crosscutting concepts serve as lenses on phenomena, supporting all students in question-asking and sensemaking; and 3. Teacher leadership is critical to realizing the power of crosscutting concepts in practice.

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Nordine (The University of Iowa: Iowa City, IA), Okhee Lee (New York University: New York, NY)

Connect your school with local colleges and STEM employers using relevant, standards-based, hands-on activities that spark interest in science and STEM careers. Sample activity included.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to identify and reach out to potential community and industry partners; 2. How to build a program or event that meets the needs of all stakeholders; and 3. How to develop authentic learning experiences to impact student perspectives of locally available STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Bethany Kenyon (BioNetwork: Greenville, NC)

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)

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: 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: 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: 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: 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)

Come find out how to involve your students in learning how AI and ML can be taught to your students, how it can be used to promote equity in the classroom, and how it can make YOUR teaching job easier! If you can, bring a data set and computer.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. AI and ML can help equitize the science classroom by allowing students to participate in learning; 2. AI and ML can be taught to students in the classroom and is an excellent 21st-century skill for all students; and 3. AI and ML hold the possibility to make the science teacher's job easier.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Amerman (University of Georgia: Athens, GA), Anna Herdliska (Gwinnett County Public Schools: Suwanee, GA)

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: Anatomage

We will discuss the applications as well as the core scientific principals behind one of the most popular and fascinating tools in the medical field. What is light and how is it used inside of an MRI? What is precession and how do we use this to create an image? How are gradients used to localize a signal? We will discuss each of these questions and hopefully create a meaningful understanding for such a fascinating tool.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. What a digital image is composed of; 2. How light works and is used to create images; and 3. What an MRI is actually showing you.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Perry (Anatomage, Inc: San Jose, CA)

Learn how to join NASA’s first online community of practice for STEM educators (CONNECTS) and gain access to NASA content, resources, educator community, exclusive events, and NASA experts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. receive a foam rocket activity they can implement in their classrooms using simple materials; 2. learn about the vast resources offered by NASA’s new online community of practice for STEM educators, CONNECTS; and 3. learn how they can join CONNECTS.

SPEAKERS:
Cindy Hasselbring (NASA Headquarters: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Using the MiniOne System, develop an understanding of forensic science and gel electrophoresis while investigating the mystery of who killed Dr. Ward.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to use the MiniOne Electrophoresis System in biology and forensics classes; 2. Become a forensic scientist to solve the mystery of who killed a prominent doctor; and 3. See how engaging and reliable hands-on labs excite students for careers in forensics.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Mirakovits (Kalamazoo Valley Community College: Kalamazoo, MI)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

You will learn how to build and code a four-chambered heart (no coding experience required) while learning about how the heart works. This is a great project for middle and high school science and STEM students!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. You can do STEM with your science students and science with your STEM students!; 2. Apply knowledge of science to inform an engineering design (artificial heart); and 3. Combining science, coding, and engineering design helps students get to higher-order thinking skills.

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

Sponsoring Company: Milestone C

Teaching students that part of success is failing and learning from those failures is paramount to their education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Practices around rewarding failure in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Dave Conelias (Milestone C LLC: Shelton, CT)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Use simple tools to explore SARS-CoV-2 testing and get hands-on experience with the principles of qPCR diagnostics.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Students act as healthcare providers at an airport screening facility and test fictional patients for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus; 2. Explore COVID qPCR testing using low-cost tools; and 3. Investigate the principles of qPCR in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Bryan (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Teachers explore strategies that make student thinking visible while engaging all students with models to investigate the elegance of the Central Dogma of biology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. identify how modeling can be used to reveal student understanding of DNA and RNA structure and function; 2. investigate their own ideas and anticipate student ideas in using models; and 3. explain how models for replication, transcription, and translation can provide spiraling instruction throughout a semester in order to enhance student success with complex ideas.

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

Sponsoring Company: Milestone C

Come learn how to expose your students to a wide variety of Tech/STEM by establishing a foundation of skills inside a classroom. Make students developers instead of consumers of Tech/STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Core skills all students should be learning and how to bring these into your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Dave Conelias (Milestone C LLC: Shelton, CT)

See the resulting activities and Universal Design pedagogies when STEM educators and doctoral students in Occupational Therapy combine forces.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Universal design can also be applied to inquiry-based learning; 2. Many STEM careers are task-based and anyone can learn the task given the proper learning environment; and 3. The STEM pipeline currently “leaks” those with disadvantages, especially the learning impaired.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Behrle (BioNetwork: Greenville, NC)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

PCR and gel electrophoresis are the heart of any molecular biology lab. Bring both to your classroom and have students discover their own PTC genotype.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Use affordable hands-on tools to bring PCR and gel electrophoresis to any biology classroom; 2. Students test their own DNA to see their PTC tasting genotype; and 3. Correlate genotype to phenotype in your classroom using your students' DNA.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Bryan (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

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

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. have networking opportunities with other middle level science educators; 2. discover resources to help them in all aspects of their teaching; and 3. engage in a variety of new activities to use with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lou Lipscomb (National Middle Level Science Teachers Association: Naperville, IL), Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY), Wendy Abshire (American Meteorological Society: Washington, DC), Alison Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0), Bruce Boehne (Zion Lutheran School: Dallas, TX), Marissa Nalley (The Algae Foundation: Midland, TX), Abigail Stimach (American Meteorological Society: Washington, DC), Kylie Wynaker (The Algae Foundation: Midland, TX), Amanda Clapp (The Catamount School: Sylva, NC), Covey Denton (Greenfield School: No City, No State), Katy Garvey (The Source for Learning, Inc.: Reston, VA), Edralin Pagarigan (Golden Ring Middle School: Rosedale, MD), Emily Ong (Girls Who Code: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: STEMI

Join us for a breakdown of Artificial Intelligence. We'll discuss how industry is using and developing this new technology, share an experience with AI, and explore how to bring this cutting-edge subject to your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Best practices of inviting industry into your classroom via an innovative and plug-and-play STEM program. Learn how your school can become the School of the Future.

SPEAKERS:
Dave Conelias (Milestone C LLC: Shelton, CT), Marin Trošelj (STEMI d.o.o.: , Croatia)

Undergraduate citizen science research from Peru’s Sucasari Region is brought to Iowa. Examples and connections for reference and future connections will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Cultures have more similarities than differences; 2. Understanding phenomena is trans-continental; and 3. Science involves questioning and researching.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Bechtel (Wartburg College: Waverly, IA), Chloe Zierke (Wartburg College: Waverly, IA), Michaela Dehli (Wartburg College: Waverly, IA)

Toshiba America Foundation wants to work together with teachers who are looking for a better way of doing the right thing.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Toshiba America Foundation objectives; 2. How to request a Toshiba America Foundation grant; and 3. Learn from fellow Toshiba America Foundation grant teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA), John Anderson (Toshiba America Foundation: Irvine, CA)

This session features current science practitioners who share some common challenges faced by urban science educators as well as successful solutions from their school districts. The challenges and solutions discussed are applicable to all school settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Receive resources and strategies to promote successful science education; 2. Discuss fresh progressively thinking approaches of current science practitioners who are in the classroom and at the district level; and 3. Engage with presenters on culturally responsive tips that support and strengthen urban science education.

SPEAKERS:
Charles Hayes (Highland Oaks Elementary School: Memphis, TN), LeeAnne Jimenez (Wilson Teaching and Learning Academy: Tulsa, OK), Michelle Ellis (Hunter Huss High School: Gastonia, NC), Brad Rhew (Guilford County Schools: No City, No State), Florentia Spires (Prince George's County Public Schools: Upper Marlboro, MD)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Educators use models to engage students in making sense of patterns in molecular structures and functions that have led to advances in biotechnology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will: 1. describe the structures of DNA/RNA and enzymes that researchers capitalize on to create biotechnology applications; 2. identify how models, conceptual and physical, can be used by students to reveal their ideas and understandings; and 3. identify formative assessment opportunities in the modeling process.

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

This session will introduce the general parts and software associated with 3D printers and 3D printing, and lessons to integrate 3D printing into the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. gain a basic understanding of the hardware and software involved with 3D printing; 2. develop strategies for integrating 3D printing into their classrooms, through multiple disciplines and be provided example lessons; and 3. construct a 3D model using TinkerCAD that they can then bring back to their classroom to print.

SPEAKERS:
Kristine Wilbrecht (Swope Middle School: Reno, NV)

STEM classrooms can be exclusive if teachers do not identify the lack of prior learning opportunities and misconceptions early in the year. Come learn how one teacher uses coding to bridge the gap in her STEM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. STEM inclusion activities; 2. Coding in the classroom; and 3. STEM project ideas.

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