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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 (The University of Texas at San Antonio: No City, No State)

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)

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)

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)

Through engaging case studies, attendees will gain an understanding of what is in our indoor air, including emissions from emerging sources and their health impacts, as well as mitigation strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Identify the potential unintended consequences of emerging technologies on indoor air quality; 2. Understand what is in our air, including emissions from emerging sources and their health impacts; and 3. Provide engaging case study examples and strategies for how to successfully deploy safer solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Holley Henderson (Chemical Insights Research Institute: Marietta, GA), Melanie Share (Chemical Insights Research Institute: Marietta, GA)

Explore the role of scientific vocabulary in an NGSS classroom and take away innovative strategies for incorporating vocabulary instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will: 1. learn how to make scientific vocabulary meaningful to students; 2. engage in learning innovative strategies for developing vocabulary usage and knowledge; and 3. learn how to use instruction to drive the learning of vocabulary.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Watrous (Dag Hammarskjold Middle School: No City, No State)

The session will describe the need and deliberate actions taken within the Scientific Research Saturdays program to involve under-resourced students to develop STEM projects and participate in the regional science and engineering fair.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Under-resourced students are disadvantaged by not having mentors to assist them in developing research that will benefit them in competing in national and international science fairs, winning scholarships to universities and programs, and strengthening their confidence and passion for STEM fields; 2. Mentoring is an effective strategy to support under-resourced high school students. However, access to mentors, particularly where geographic and time barriers are concerned, and reduced cost must be considered; and 3. The onus to establish equity in education continues to be on educators.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Todd (Miami-Dade Virtual School: Miami, FL)

Participants will learn about how some districts around the country are using an asset approach to post-COVID learning and will collaboratively share ideas with others.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Some districts around the country are focusing on an acceleration rather than a remediation post-COVID approach to learning; 2. An asset approach to learning and learners supports social and emotional well-being; and 3. The NSELA Learning Center provides resources for continued learning about asset versus deficit approaches to learning.

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

Discover a high school ecology PBL unit that uses adapted primary literature to engage students in science inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Meaningful integration of science and social studies; 2. New approaches to adapted primary literature; and 3. A simplified model for PBL instruction and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Tyler St. Clair (Longwood University: Farmville, VA), Kristen Conklin (Francis Lewis High School: Queens, NY)

Citizen Chats allow students to find a voice on topics ranging from social justice issues to scientific experiments, and let the data collected guide their decisions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. be able to support their students in the incorporation of 21st-century skills to design and execute student-driven research in class; 2. be able to design and implement grading strategies to appropriately gauge student learning for a wide variety of topics; and 3. feel comfortable incorporating student-based research into their everyday curriculum for deepening student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Lahr (Greene Central High School: Snow Hill, NC), Jose Garcia (Greene Central High School: Snow Hill, NC)

NCF-Envirothon is an environmental and natural resources problem-solving competition for high school students that engages students with classroom-based study and hands-on outdoor experiential education.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The NCF-Envirothon is an environmental and natural resource conservation problem-solving, team-building, and leadership experience that inspires high school students across the U.S., Canada, and China to integrate science learning with real-world applications; 2. The NCF-Envirothon incorporates STEM principles, in-class curriculum, and hands-on outdoor field experiences to foster student learning about natural resource management and environmental science career possibilities in the areas of Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Wildlife, and Current Environmental Issues; and 3. Through a comprehensive course of study aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and the AP Environmental Science curriculum, the NCF-Envirothon challenges students to develop their critical-thinking skills to create inventive solutions to the complex local and global environmental issues facing our world today. The NCF-Envirothon empowers students with knowledge and skills to change the world!

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Edwards (National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD): Washington, DC)

Let's explore student and teacher outcomes from inquiry-based laboratory instruction of scientific literacy and writing in a private high school setting.

TAKEAWAYS:
Effectiveness of: 1. professional development on teacher efficacy for writing instruction in science; 2. inquiry-based laboratory instruction on student writing performance in science; and 3. inquiry-based laboratory instruction on student perceptions of writing ability and scientific literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Ross Lyons (Ensworth High School Campus: Nashville, TN)

Engage yourself and your students in experimental research and engineering opportunities to develop real-world and effective communication skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to engage yourself and your students as scientists; 2. Writing assessment guides and taking advantage of what students learn in language arts classes; and 3. Communication—as a teacher scientist and to help guide your students to communicate as student scientists.

SPEAKERS:
John Taylor (Marvin Ridge High School: No City, No State)

Did you realize that elders used inquiry, a multidisciplinary project-based approach, hands-on learning, and innovation? Incorporating these ideas will improve your classroom for ALL students.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. All teachers can adapt their teaching methods to match those of our elders and, in fact, NSTA's Sensemaking program provides a strong foundation for this method of instruction; 2. The sequence and methods that were used by our elders ensured that all students were active learners; and 3. The elders not only had students build a foundation of knowledge, but also accomplished this by using inquiry, exploring phenomena, implementing a hands-on approach, and concluding with an innovative extension.

SPEAKERS:
Joel Truesdell (Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Campus: Keaau, HI)

EdReports is expanding into high school materials reviews. Learn about the high school tool development, share your experience, and hear about opportunities to become a reviewer.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Build an understanding of the challenges educators face in finding quality materials and how EdReports aims to address those challenges; 2. Learn about the expansion into high school science and develop an understanding of the tool development process, characteristics of alignment to the NGSS and usability, and discuss smart adoption processes; and 3. Hear about opportunities to engage as an EdReports reviewer in upcoming reviews, which includes NGSS training, an extended learning community, and a paid stipend.

SPEAKERS:
Sam Shaw (EdReports.org)

Join us as we share our journey of collaborating with science leaders to recognize and design quality professional learning to advance 3-D science teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. An understanding of the science leader’s role in putting the pieces of the NRC Framework together for a coherent science program; 2. Ways to strategically plan and prioritize professional learning based on system and individual teacher needs; and 3. Ways to approach addressing what teachers need to know and be able to do if students are to achieve our vision for science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Tonya Woolfolk (Houston County Schools: Perry, GA), Patricia Morgan (Georgia State University: Atlanta, GA), Casey Bethel (Douglas County School System: Douglasville, GA)

Learn how to develop a program where special education students work side-by-side with traditional students as they investigate real-word scientific phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how the Special Olympics Unified Sports idea can be extended into the content-area classroom to provide equity and access to ALL students. Hear from students, both traditional and special needs, about how participating in this Science Education Partnership has affected their lives; 2. Get tips for whom to partner with inside and outside of your school and how to raise support and interest for your program; and 3. Learn how to access detailed lesson plans and curated resources for both biology- and physical science–based courses.

SPEAKERS:
Dani Stroud (CERRA: No City, No State), Holly Sullivan (Richland School District Two: Columbia, SC)

Have you attended too many PD trainings that never made a difference in your classroom instruction? Let's explore ways to change that.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Setting and growing toward personal goals that align with campus and district priorities is one strategy we'll explore; 2. Designing content-specific learning for yourself as the classroom teacher creates opportunities for you to share with your students what you are learning, and that next question you are researching; and 3. We'll share available resources and practices that guide embedded science teacher learning. (Please bring yours.)

SPEAKERS:
Joey Belgard (Rockwall ISD: Rockwall, TX)

We will share how we implemented current educational research to create a learning environment that supports learners of all abilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. understand the educational research supporting a shift away from traditional grading; 2. describe which attributes of a learning progression model address each of several major classroom issues, including equity, differentiation, peer interactions, and growth mindset; and 3. describe methods of implementing the research in the classroom.

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

Leave with the knowledge and strategies needed to focus three-dimensional science lessons through the lens of the crosscutting concepts in the physical and virtual classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
At the end of this session, teachers will be able to: 1. develop a deeper understanding of the crosscutting concepts in science lessons; 2. brainstorm ways in which we can incorporate and assess the crosscutting concepts in 3-D science lessons; and 3. learn strategies that will engage all students in utilizing the crosscutting concepts to make deeper connections in science.

SPEAKERS:
Marissa Murdock (Dekalb County School District: No City, No State)

Explore modern dilemmas in genetics and biotechnology in a new way! Learn to incorporate bioethics into your curriculum using mock senate hearings and debates.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn about an interdisciplinary approach to teaching bioethics with an interactive curriculum that challenges students to confront their personal biases while formulating and defending a data-based argument; 2. Learn how to frame an argument using the four bioethical principles and apply this technique to three modern issues in bioethics; and 3. Receive three case studies and mock senate hearing debate guidelines for use in your life science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Ader (Mount Saint Joseph High School: Baltimore, MD), Rebecca Obniski (Mount Saint Joseph High School: Baltimore, MD)

An English teacher and a science teacher team up to present four methods of teaching prairie ecology and citizen science concepts using project-based assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Cross-curricular teaching is an investment that yields higher student engagement and learning; 2. Three-dimensional science teaching is further enhanced by crossing curricular boundaries, resulting in greater efficiency in meeting standards for both curricular areas; and 3. Student-designed projects can improve scientific literacy while allowing for student choice and creativity.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Leising (Omaha Public Schools: Omaha, NE), Tess Sykes (Papillion La Vista Community Schools: Papillion, NE)

Teach students to build relatively simple, visual computer models to study system interactions associated with climate change. Software is free and web based.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. See how to build several relatively simple visual simulation models, in stages, dealing with systemic interactions involving population/global temperature, population/global potable water, etc.; 2. Learn how to incorporate nonlinear influences in a systems model; and 3. See a live demo detailing how to build a basic population model in the free web-based software.

SPEAKERS:
Diana Fisher (CCModelingSystems.com: No City, No State)

This session will describe a proposed high school STEM course open to all students. This course utilizes problem-based learning based on local businesses.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. The proposed course, STEM in the 901, will teach students the scientific method, the engineering design process, and content knowledge across STEM disciplines through researching and solving problems faced by local businesses; 2. The use of problem-based learning (PBL) centered around local businesses allows for the integration of culturally relevant pedagogy and encourages engagement by all students; and 3. One of the proposed PBL units, including lesson plans and suggested assessments, will be made available to participants.

SPEAKERS:
Shelby Montague (St. George's Independent School: Collierville, TN)

Do you impact your school and community with STEM? If you teach K–12, come learn how to apply to win up to $10K through these Shell-sponsored teacher awards programs.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to apply for two Shell-sponsored teacher awards programs; 2. Begin your application or nomination of a Shell-sponsored program and receive a prize; and 3. Collaborate with past winners and judges to learn how to strengthen your application.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Join us as we walk through scenarios from science classrooms and provide UDL solutions and resources to ensure learning for all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will; 1. recognize common barriers to learning in the science classroom; 2. understand how the UDL framework addresses instructional barriers to promote high-level learning for diverse learners; and 3. identify at least two resources to support engagement, interaction, and scientific understanding among all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Shalece Kohnke (Auburn University), Michelle Patterson (University of Central Florida: Orlando, FL)

This session will explore the genetic basis behind hybrid flower production on the video game Animal Crossing New Horizons and how you can use this popular game to gain student interest in genetics.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Many traits are influenced by multiple genes; 2. The video game Animal Crossing New Horizons uses Mendelian genetics to determine the offspring of a flower; and 3. Student interest can be enhanced when you use popular video games as a frame of reference for activities, and their virtual experiences can be used in sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Do you need new lessons, activities, and ideas for your high school classroom? Please join members of the NSTA High School Committee and other high school professional educators in an hour of learning, networking, and gathering great ideas and activities. Enter to win door prizes!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn engaging activities that are used in high school classrooms; 2. Network with other high school educators; and 3. Win door prizes!

SPEAKERS:
Brenda Walsh (Eden Prairie High School: Eden Prairie, MN)