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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

The model of the atom has transitioned from the Bohr Atom to the Quantum Mechanical Model utilizing energy transitions and standing waves.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Spectral emission or absorption lines are the result of quantum jumps; 2. Quantized energy transitions are discrete; and 3. Quantized energy orbitals are produced by standing waves.

SPEAKERS:
Jan Mader (Retired Physics and Chemistry Teacher: Great Falls, MT), Emma Smith (Ridgeline High School: Millville, UT)

Practice activities with simple materials exploring the EM Spectrum and explanatory models that illustrate real-world space science applications. Learn about the AAA program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to: 1. employ Claim Evidence and Reasoning and a gallery walk of student work to review discuss models; 2. use collaborative learning to investigate filters and wavelengths; and 3. apply for the NASA teacher professional development program, Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Harman (SETI Institute: Mountain View, CA), Coral Clark (SETI Institute: Mountain View, CA), Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

Oceanography is an appealing application to engage all students in the high school physical science, physics, and chemistry classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to leverage students' interest in oceans to engage all students in physical science inquiry; 2. Resources for training teachers to promote oceanography instruction at all levels; and 3. Example activities that incorporate oceans into the physical sciences.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Schulz (Manheim Township School District: Lancaster, PA)

Experiment with and decode computational models of core physics topics. Learn how to support physics instruction through the use of computational thinking and coding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. explore the “use-decode-modify” progression for using computational models in physics classrooms; 2. learn (and experience!) some of the benefits of using computational models for supporting physics instruction; and 3. learn about a set of freely accessible curricular units, supported by NSF funding, centered on the use of computational models in high school science.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Mateas (Education Development Center, Inc.: Waltham, MA), Kristen Bjork (Education Development Center, Inc.: Waltham, MA)

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)

Use STEM web-based analysis software and basic physics gravitation and centripetal acceleration equations to determine if a stellar core is a white dwarf or neutron star.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Light curves generated from image analysis software can be used to determine the period of rotation of some white dwarfs and pulsars; 2. Newton’s Universal Law of gravitation and centripetal acceleration calculations can be used as evidence for determining the type of star; and 3. Js9 web-based software provides students with real opportunities to do astronomical research.

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

Participants will engage with the NGSS SEPs while utilizing Sphero Bolts and common materials to engineer a better solution to protecting a passenger in a collision!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Innovative ways to assess NGSS Performance Expectation HS-PS2-3; and 2. Integrating Project-based Learning and the Science and Engineering Practices from the NGSS into a physics classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Lukas Rieke (Houston Christian High School: Houston, TX)

Explore STEAM with concrete, metal, polymers, and clay. Apply math and design concepts to many real-world examples. Supplies are cheap and students love destructive testing!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Basic properties of materials science categories: metals, ceramics, polymers, composites; 2. Affordable labs exploring these properties and ways to adapt these labs for specific classroom needs; and 3. Real-world applications for these materials and lab concepts, focusing on the iterative design process.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

Meteorology is an appealing application that can be used to engage all students in the high school physical science, physics, and chemistry classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to leverage students' interest in weather to engage all students in physical science inquiry; 2. Resources for training teachers to promote meteorology instruction at all levels; and 3. Example activities that incorporate weather into the physical sciences.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Schulz (Manheim Township School District: Lancaster, PA)

Motion diagrams are a great tool for teaching about velocity and acceleration without using maps. Join other teachers in using a hands-on manipulative to teach this useful subject.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Velocity and acceleration can be taught qualitatively instead of quantitatively; 2. Using manipulatives reaches all different kinds of learners—verbal, visual, and kinesthetic; and 3. Giving students different ways to learn the same topic helps to reach more students.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Pierce (Oakville High School: Saint Louis, MO)

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)