Teachers learn how to use the Gather, Reason, and Communicate Reasoning (GRC) instructional sequence and Vernier tools to engage students in science investigations aligned to the NGSS and Georgia Science Standards. Participants learn how to use a set of lessons aligned with their standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators learn how to engage students in GRC investigations and where to find hundreds of GRC lessons. Teachers will learn to use Vernier probes to gather accurate data through scientific investigation.

SPEAKERS:
David Powell (Norman High School: Norman, OK), Brett Moulding (Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning: Ogden, UT)

Join this workshop: “A Chemical Inquiry: Let’s Master Equilibrium!” and participate in a “hands on” activity to help students overcome common chemical equilibrium misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn to use Inquiry to overcome student misconceptions about chemical equilibrium.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Dodd (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Pennsboro, WV)

Each Attendee will be given assorted materials to create the up and down quarks and the strong nuclear force to construct protons, neutrons, and the hydrogen-2 Isotope models using both the String Theory and Solid Sphere Models. Hand-outs and examples will be given. Attendees will take their models.

TAKEAWAYS:
This hands-on classroom quark modeling activity was designed for students to use both the String Theory and the Solid Sphere Models for the nuclear synthesis of protons, neutrons, and the hydrogen-2 isotope. As a class, students will create their own criteria for model comparison and probability.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Schiltz (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Naperville, IL)

Come and take part in this workshop: “Copper: Two Inquiries to Begin and End the School Year" and learn about the chemical properties of copper using appropriate technology in a “hands on” activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take part in two Inquiry experiments, use technology to collect/analyze data, and visualize what occurs on the submicroscopic level by employing particulate drawings.

SPEAKERS:
Gregory Dodd (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Pennsboro, WV)

Alka-Seltzer is a great tool to bring phenomenon focused teaching into the chemistry classroom. It has many applications from simple chemical and physical changes to designing your own reaction rate experiment. Participants will pop the lid off of a film canister. Come join the jump scare.

TAKEAWAYS:
Alka- seltzer is a versatile resource that can be used in a variety of safe and inexpensive activities that allow students to design and carry out their own investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Alecia Hagberg (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA), Sarah Holcomb (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA)

Teachers participate in hands-on lessons for Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade from the free online resource inquiryinaction.org. Teachers investigate the questions: What makes it rain, are M&Ms or Skittles better dissolvers, and does baking soda or baking powder bubble the most with vinegar.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will practice using grade-appropriate explanations of atoms and molecules to help students better understand the causes of the phenomena they observe.

SPEAKERS:
James Kessler (American Chemical Society: Washington, DC)

Explore how to use food and cooking to invite students to connect science to their everyday lives and be curious. This session includes hands-on activities and discussions to emphasize how participants can incorporate resources into their own teaching to support their current curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with ready-to-use strategies and resources to incorporate food and cooking into the science classroom. These strategies and resources are differentiated so they can be used for different types of classrooms and availability to resources as well as teaching styles.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Strangfeld (Harvard University: Cambridge, MA)

Overview of thermoset vs thermoplastic polymers and hands-on activities to be done in the classroom, including predictive design, calculations, and environmental impact discussion.

TAKEAWAYS:
Ways to categorize, work with, and recycle polymers with design and engineering challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler (Global Impact STEM Academy: Springfield, OH), Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

Using technology you may already have in the classroom, attendees will use data to tie together the concepts of rate orders, rate laws, and rate law calculations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to tie kinetic rate law information with dynamic data to create a deeper understanding of the how and why of rate laws and rate law calculations.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Coker (Camden Fairview High School: Camden, AR)

Whack-A-Pack is a great tool to bring phenomenon-focused teaching into the chemistry classroom. It has many applications from simple chemical vs physical changes all the way to designing your own stoichiometry investigation. Also, come join the BCA Table Train, if you haven't already.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use Whack-A-Pack as an instructional tool and as a safe way to let students design and carry out an investigation. Attendees will also brush up or learn about using BCA tables in stoichiometric calculations.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Holcomb (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA), Alecia Hagberg (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA)

Join our team of detectives who are investigating a fictional crime scene! As a detective, you need to analyze each suspect’s alibi, collect evidence from the crime scene, and develop CER arguments to identify the innocent/ guilt parties. We conclude by discussing classroom strategies for praxis.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in CER argumentation through a crime scene investigation experience.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Kipp (Texas A&M)

Participants will build a balloon powered car; How does mass affect acceleration? OR build a 1st class lever, 2nd class lever, 3rd class; Which lever does not make doing work easier? OR Build a circuit; Which solution conducts electricity? Then do experiment and create a CER poster.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the CER process.

SPEAKERS:
Aliyah Johnson (Alpharetta High School: Alpharetta, GA), Stephanie McDonald (Teacher: , GA)

Certain science concepts are difficult for students. This session will use graphical models and real world data to visualize and solidify certain tough to teach, touch to comprehend topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Easy to use, fun to teach Chemistry concepts and how graphical models can help students to grasp the concepts.

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

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.

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

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will network with other middle-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.

Explore how excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes water more acidic through hands-on activities from the free 5E lesson plans in middleschoolchemistry.com.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers practice using grade-appropriate explanations of the interactions of atoms and molecules to help students better understand the causes of the phenomena they observe and its connection to the problem of ocean acidification.

SPEAKERS:
James Kessler (American Chemical Society: Washington, DC)

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)

Do have the forensic skills needed to solve the mystery? Join Dr. Yemothy for a mini-CSI hands-on workshop exploring basic forensics skills needed to solve the murder. Leave with a packet of classroom activities and murder mystery for your students to solve.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with the experience of practicing forensic skills that can be done in a classroom setting. Educators will be provided with a packet of forensic activities and a murder mystery to take back to their classroom for use with students.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Yemothy (K-8 STEM Educator & Trainer)

This session will pair seemingly odd ideas (roleplaying and buffers) together for a dynamic activity that increases student engagement. Roleplaying is an effective instructional strategy that supports ELL learners and those who need harder concepts broken down.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a differentiated approach to introducing buffers, one of the most challenging topics in AP Chemistry, in a creative and fun activity where ELL and students of all levels will learn about buffers.

SPEAKERS:
Permeil Dass (: Tyrone, GA)

Use chemical reactions to create colorful paintings in an activity designed around research-based STEAM practices that support identity and mindset in diverse learners. Leave with an understanding of the STEAM Practices framework, and an NGSS-aligned activity that can be modified for various ages.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn equity-focused strategies for integrating art and science in instruction, supporting STEAM-linked identities in learners, and fostering a STEAM mindset that emphasizes learners’ creative capacity to understand and transform the world around them.

SPEAKERS:
Perrin Teal Sullivan (University of Alaska Fairbanks: Fairbanks, AK), Laura Carsten Conner (University of Alaska Fairbanks: Fairbanks, AK)

With the catalog of known exoplanets growing, NASA scientists are searching these worlds for signatures of life as we do (and do not) know it. In this session, participants learn through hands-on activities about NASA astrobiology missions that attempt to answer the age-old question: are we alone?

TAKEAWAYS:
To offer participants resources and strategies for developing an astrobiology [life sciences] unit that integrates hands-on NASA education activities, cutting-edge scientific research, and differing worldviews [cosmologies] that combine science, culture, art and storytelling.

SPEAKERS:
Anne Weiss (Educator Professional Development Specialist)

Participants will experience an engaging lesson that addresses abstract chemistry concepts of gas laws and stoichiometry through the lens of NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. This workshop immerses participants in the collaborative nature of science as they observe differences in carbonated soft drinks and make connections to chemistry concepts and mathematical principles. Participants will be able to work collaboratively as they walk through the lesson and will be given time to reflect on how to implement the lesson for themselves. Adaptations of the lesson for elementary, middle, and high school teachers will be provided to teachers as resources at the end of the session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to connect abstract chemistry concepts of stoichiometry and gas laws to everyday life. Teachers will be able to implement this phenomenon-based lesson in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Meredith Schwendemann (Clemson University), Ashley Hunter (Clemson University: Clemson, SC)

Gain ideas for incorporating the science of e-cigarettes into STEM instruction through an examination of curriculum connections; receive a suite of data interpretation activities that showcase how toxicologists are studying the effects inhaled e-cigarette aerosols on health.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to describe the components of e-cigarette liquids and inhaled aerosols; identify curriculum connections; interpret published scientific data (e.g., graphs).

SPEAKERS:
Dana Haine (UNC Institute for the Environment: Chapel Hill, NC)

Using common lab equipment, everyday items, and technology we will introduce equilibrium and the stresses it encounters to students. Using collected data attendees will use technology to introduce and solidify the concept of equilibrium and the changes that it can undergo.

TAKEAWAYS:
Concrete and graphical understanding of what equilibrium "is" and what results occur when stresses are put on equilibrium.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Coker (Camden Fairview High School: Camden, AR)

The purpose of this workshop is for the teacher to ask themselves, “How Am I Going To Have My Students Discover This Concept,” rather than lecturing. Examples of converting lectures into hands-on and open-ended investigations will be given. Demos are essential to show concepts and will be discussed

TAKEAWAYS:
Students have had been told and are expected to memorize the mass of an electron is ≈ 1/2000 of a proton. Developing a hands-on student discovery investigation for this concept and other concepts is a far superior learning method than lecturing and memorizing. .

SPEAKERS:
Gary Schiltz (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Naperville, IL)

Join us for a high flyin’ hot air balloon adventure! Learn how you can use hot air balloons to teach properties of gases/gas laws through this project-based lesson- balloon creation and launch included! Easily adapted for most grade levels, it is a fun, versatile addition to your toolbox.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session attendees will learn how to use hot air balloons to teach gas laws through this hands-on, project-based lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Donaldson (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX), Kate York (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)