Identify common fossils of the Middle Devonian in a hands-on investigation. Work with Petoskey stones and other fossils to make inferences about the past and learn how to teach this with elementary students. Curriculum handouts and fossil kits will be provided to the first 30 participants.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use the fossil curriculum with intermediate elementary students. Teachers will get to explore Devonian fossils of the Traverse Group and learn how to analyze data to make inferences about past environments. Teachers will receive materials to use with intermediate elementary students.

SPEAKERS:
Kayce Wills (Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School: Leonardtown, MD), Laura Schneider (St. Mary's College of Maryland: Saint Mary's City, MD)

Worms excite everyone! They are cheap, easy to get, and can be the phenomenon to drive learning on a host of topics. Come play with worms and see how they can stimulate learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience a series of activities that will help them use earthworms as phenomena in elementary science. For each activity, we will discuss how to move from the specifics of worms into sensemaking around more general concepts that the activities illustrate.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (Author/ Staff Development: Atlanta, GA)

Explore a seabird study and the effects of climate change. We will share our curriculum highlighting authentic data analysis, techniques used in the field, and seabird biology and the Arctic ecosystem. Come try out a fish foraging simulation, bird banding, data analysis, and the research tools!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about an integrated curriculum centering on a 48-year Arctic study and explore seabird biology and the impacts of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem. Attendees will try out a fish foraging simulation (very fun!), bird banding, data analysis, and research tools.

SPEAKERS:
Alyssa Barr (Science Teacher: Seattle, WA), Katie Morrison (University Child Development School: Seattle, WA)

Botany principals presented in unusual, indigenous myths of photosynthesis, mycorrhizal fungi, pollination, decomposers, seed diversity, forest ecology, etc. Discover elements of what makes story an effective educational tool and generate successful interdisciplinary experiences supporting science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover the essential elements of story and understand what makes story such an effective educational tool. Learn from indigenous myths to build the meaning of botanical/scientific concepts in the context of narrative, imagery, characterization and sensory elements.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Strauss (Author/ Storyteller: , OR)

Engage in a variety of activities, collect information and resources, and network with high school-level leaders. Discover new ideas and materials that you can use next week.

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will network with other high school-level science educators and leaders to discover and engage in activities that will expand their knowledge and be usable in all aspects of their work.

Learn how to teach your students about water using hands-on investigations. Activities include manipulating a drop of water to examine its characteristics, increasing science literacy using primary source analysis, and concentrating pond water for viewing organisms with a microscope.

TAKEAWAYS:
This workshop provides teachers with hands on ideas exploring properties of water. They learn a simple method for concentrating pond water to make finding organisms with a microscope much easier. Chemistry of water will be presented to strengthen your foundation of understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Beth Burch (Biology Professor and Lab Manager: Lake Wales, FL), Laurie Boulden (Warner University: Lake Wales, FL)

NGSS fossil exploration that will teach intermediate elementary educators how to equitably use fossils of the Chesapeake Group to look for patterns and analyze and interpret historical science data to understand past environments. The first 30 participants will receive free classroom fossil kits.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore fossil samples from the Chesapeake in a hands-on investigation to understand past life and past environment in this region. Teachers will receive materials to use with intermediate elementary students.

SPEAKERS:
Kayce Wills (Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School: Leonardtown, MD), Laura Schneider (St. Mary's College of Maryland: Saint Mary's City, MD)

A skyrocketing global population is making us rethink how we feed people. Traditional protein sources are unequally distributed and can have devastating effects. We will be investigating how insects could help us feed the world in a more equitable and sustainable way. Bring your appetite!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how traditional ways of farming protein (poultry and cattle) negatively affect the ecological communities and explore how insects could help rectify this problem.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Ologbosele (Teacher), Curtis Martin (Teacher)