Design a robotic insect to meet the requirements of a given environment and adapt the designs to changes in or new information about the environment.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. NASA engineers use biomimicry to design robots for other planets; 2. NASA STEM educator guides provide detailed information to implement STEM in the classroom; and 3. Practice designing a Robotic Insect.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Kohler (NASA Glenn Research Center: Cleveland, OH)

Bring the excitement of literacy and STEM to children as you discover how to incorporate STEM Imagination Guides in your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. discover this new resource and the potential for community partnerships by utilizing the STEM Imagination Guides; 2. walk away with book suggestions, guided questions, and expanded learning resources to support literacy development, enhance relationships, and make connections with local libraries; and 3. discuss the importance of incorporating nature and STEM into their early childhood classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Roberts (University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Lincoln, NE), Jackie Steffen (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Cedar County: Hartington, NE)

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)

Become a Tinkering Teacher by participating in a hands-on STEM lesson derived from a classic fairytale. Learn how to detect STEM opportunities within your favorite pieces of children's literature to create rigorous novel engineering lessons of your very own.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. participate in a model STEM lesson derived from a problem found within children's literature. This model experience enables attendees to learn how to see science in every piece of material they choose to use in their classroom. Science is indeed everywhere and awaiting us to make the connections; 2. learn how to utilize and develop lessons using the 5E instructional model; 3. take away methods for preparing 5E lessons from their favorite children's literature; 4. utilize tips shared in the training session to identify science phenomena or concepts embedded in the literature; 5. recognize the significance of inquiry and facilitating collaborative discussion to further depth of knowledge; and 6. recognize the added benefit of journaling: differentiating instruction and strengthening 21st-century writing and communication skills.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Oden (Southern Arkansas University: Magnolia, AR), Angela Stanford (Southern Arkansas University: Magnolia, AR)

Learn about the creative way one school district is getting more diverse students involved in STEM and explore classroom facilitation strategies that engage all learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn strategies to eliminate barriers and allow all students to feel included; 2. Identify discussion supports to foster effective collaboration and communication; and 3. Explore the benefits of engaging with community partners to provide new STEM opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Lorri Coates (Museum of Science, Boston: Boston, MA), Sarah Slater (Marquardt School District 15: Glendale Heights, IL)

Participants will explore forces with common objects in a carefully designed sequence using conversation to uncover conceptual understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to: 1. sequence instruction to explore forces; 2. use conversations to make thinking visible and drive instruction; and 3. make diverse classrooms equitable and inclusive.

SPEAKERS:
Deanna Buckley (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

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)

During this session, school leaders will explore an NGSS Implementation Toolkit that leverages classroom observations to support strategic alignment of resources for elementary science education.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Gain a deeper understanding of student sensemaking and discourse in an NGSS-focused elementary classroom; 2. Explore an elementary classroom observation tool that builds instructional leadership in support of science learning; and 3. Examine structures and supports needed to build capacity at the school or district level to implement NGSS in elementary school classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Dawn O'Connor (CSU East Bay: Danville, CA), Nancy Wright (Hayward Unified School District: Hayward, CA)

Learn how successful users integrate NSTA resources together to promote STEM and literacy through the use of high-quality STEM-related picture books.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Hear success stories and learn strategies for integrating STEM and literacy in K–5 with NSTA resources such as Picture-Perfect, Uncovering Student Ideas, NSTA Kids books, and more;l 2. Explore suggested picture books that integrate STEM and literacy; and 3. Walk away with a STEM lesson you can use right away.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Lewis (Blue Springs School District: Blue Springs, MO), Ryan Bohannan (Cordill-Mason Elementary School: Blue Springs, MO), Aubrey Tsevis (Lucy Franklin Elementary School: Blue Springs, MO)

Hear about various NSTA competitions and how they can bring STEM and the NGSS into the classroom, as well as give students and teachers a chance to earn recognition and prizes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn: 1. about NSTA competitions; 2. how NSTA competitions help integrate STEM and NGSS in the classroom; and 3. how students and teachers can win recognition and prizes.

SPEAKERS:
Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Matthew Hartman (BrainPOP: Pittsburgh, PA)

The Texas A&M Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) organization invites you to join a mock Zoom a WISE Woman session with scientists and engineers!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Connecting real-world female scientists and engineers with K–12 classrooms; 2. Understanding the importance of connecting diverse role models in order to broaden participation in STEM; and 3. Experiencing the ease and benefits of collaborating with a virtual outreach program.

SPEAKERS:
Iliana De La Cruz (Texas A&M University: College Station, TX), Sarah Poor (Texas A&M University: Columbia, MO)

Participants will analyze student learning using a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework and identify instructional strategies that support student writing to serve as evidence of learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning and student writing; and 2. Analyzing student responses.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth King (Aurora University: Aurora, IL), Tina King (St. Charles CUSD 303: Saint Charles, IL)

Student-centered science instruction can embrace the diversity of students with special needs. Create engaging instructional opportunities with accommodations and learn strategies for special education achievement.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to embrace the needs of students with special needs and use the 3D5E DO-KNOW-THINK Learning Sequence that allows teachers to create STEAM-centered lessons for engagement, active learning, and interdisciplinary instruction; 2. Understand the specific needs and accommodations necessary for students with special needs and walk away with a matrix of learning strategies that can be used to modify and differentiate your instruction for all students; and 3. Create a co-teaching model with action planning steps, questions to think about, and collaboration strategies between special education, general education, and parent communication.

SPEAKERS:
Leena McLean (STEM4Real), Marie Gorman (STEM 4 Real: San Francisco, CA)

This session will share a sample elementary unit that demonstrates the integration of science and social studies, along with ELA and math standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. experience sections of a sample integrated unit written with third-grade standards for science, social studies, math, and ELA; 2. recognize the importance and value of the appropriate integration of the various content areas; and 3. have an exemplar unit to use as a model for creating integrated units for their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Mandie Sanderman (Central Rivers Area Education Agency: Cedar Falls, IA), Chelsie Byram (Central Rivers Area Education Agency: Cedar Falls, IA)

This interactive session offers focused strategies for leveraging nonfiction books to integrate Common Core standards with content-rich science instruction. Handouts include bibliography of recommended resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover classroom-ready tools for using nonfiction books to accomplish dual goals of reading comprehension and science learning for all students, regardless of background; 2. Explore ways to inspire budding scientists by leveraging nonfiction books that appeal to children’s love of stories, learning styles, and innate curiosity on a range of subjects; and 3. Obtain bibliography of recent high-quality nonfiction trade books with associated classroom-ready curricula that address specific Common Core standards.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Shreeve (Science Writer: Mill Valley, CA), Sierra Satterstrom (Teacher: San Marcos, CA)

Experience the PETE Method and learn how to implement it. The approach develops communication abilities, critical thinking, and content construction with discrepant events.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. experience the PETE Method and Discrepant Events from a learner’s perspective; 2. be able to find effective, NGSS-focused discrepant events for use with the PETE Method and implement the approach in their classrooms; and 3. learn how to use polling software for formative evaluation.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Rillero (Arizona State University West Campus: Glendale, AZ)

We use data to do science; data literacy is its own set of skills. Young learners benefit when we integrate data, literacy, and science together.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Identify how data literacy is a critical aspect of literacy and science literacy in the 21st century; 2. Explore strategies and resources to use to authentically integrate data into K–5 science instruction; and 3. Develop a plan for next steps to elevate data as an aspect of meaningful connections between literacy and science.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, LLC)

Light reflects, refracts, and can be used for communications, but do we really understand some of the weird things it does? Come “see the light”!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Light can bend as it travels through objects; 2. Light has properties of particles, like grains of sand; and 3. Light has properties of waves.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler (University of Texas Arlington: No City, No State), Cathy Barthelemy (STEMexperts: Keller, TX)

Makerspace is an engaging teaching pedagogy where students participate in sensemaking to solve real-world problems through innovation, creativity, and collaboration.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Makerspaces are versatile and encourage student engagement; 2. Makerspaces teach students crucial 21st-century life skills; and 3. Hands-on exploratory learning leads to increased retention and understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Graf (Student: Shippensburg, PA)

Learn from successful users how NSTA Kids books can be integrated into your classroom to spark student notebooking and mentor text writing activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how literacy and science can be connected through writing activities with NSTA Kids books Notable Notebooks, Exemplary Evidence, and The Next Time You See series; 2. The NSTA Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms resource address the essential component of 3-D student-centered classrooms. While there are a variety of notebook models in use, a flexible, hybrid approach is best to meet the needs of elementary students; and 3. In this session, you will receive free classroom-ready resources (videos and graphic organizers) to guide your students through a Mentor Text Study.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Kirk (William Yates Elementary 2022 Partner School: Blue Springs, MO), Christine Lewis (Blue Springs School District: Blue Springs, MO), Ryan Bohannan (Cordill-Mason Elementary School: Blue Springs, MO), Aubrey Tsevis (Lucy Franklin Elementary School: Blue Springs, MO)