Come learn some fun hands on activities that you can use in your classroom and/or lab that don't cost an arm and a leg! We will focus on activities for Chemistry, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, and Physical Science. Everything from student made projects to instructor demos!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees with leave with Low Cost Hands-On Activities.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Knowles (Teacher), Rachel Kakesh (Bowdon High School: Bowdon, GA)

The various metals and alloys used in the minting of the US penny over the years provide for rich explorations. We will share activities that combine some very basic lab activities conducted by some of our Chemistry classes with detailed mathematical modeling done by the students in AP Statistics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will use real data to develop mathematical models and learn how to test your hypothesis by performing an experiment and analyzing the results, combining chemical analysis with statistical sampling for a cross-curricular approach;

SPEAKERS:
Karlheinz Haas (Science/Math Instructor, Retired: Tequesta, FL)

In this session we will showcase how to unpack the NGSS Science Standards to develop transparent rubrics. We will showcase how to use the rubric for backwards planning and what formative process to follow so students can set their own success criteria.

TAKEAWAYS:
Setting students to be successful in your Science Classes by Backward planning and setting success criteria.

SPEAKERS:
Rodrigo Diaz (Science Teacher: Managua, 0)

Reconsider how complex mathematical thinking should be employed to support all students in science. An open-source high school curriculum is used to illustrate how specific elements of SEP 4 and 5 are leveraged in the service of figuring out explanations of phenomena and designing solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leveraging data analysis and mathematical thinking in context to explain phenomena and design solutions, rather than front-loading skills, helps students engage with these practices as sensemaking tools, deepening student understanding of the science and fluency in employing math in novel ways.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Noll (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Nicole Vick (Northwestern University), Jim Ryan (OpenSciEd: New York, NY), Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

Elders begin with storytelling that builds foundational knowledge, which leads to a familiar phenomena. This is followed by ongoing formative assessment that evaluates the progress during inquiry process. This, along with removing barriers to learning, results in an enjoyable, healing classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Construction of a rigorous, inquiry-driven, student-centered, culture-based classroom is demonstrated. With removal of the 10 most common barriers to learning, success is possible for all students. With the addition of humor and celebration, you will have a healing classroom that can change lives.

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

Ungrading! Have you thought about the implications of you assigning grades to your students. What if instead you asked your students the grade themselves on their learning? This session will present the pros and pitfalls of what this looks like in the high school chemistry classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Once the stress and challenges of the teacher giving grades to the students is removed the students are allowed to focus on the learning. Imagine how your classroom will change for the better.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Fitzner (Chemistry Teacher: Beverly Hills, MI)

Cognitive science has identified flexible and often counterintuitive cognitive strategies that boost student learning. Teachers will learn how to implement these techniques within their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to apply multiple practical, flexible, and research-based cognitive strategies, including retrieving information from memory, distributing practice across time, scaffolding, and mixing together different examples, within their own classrooms to improve student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Tullis (The University of Arizona: Tucson, AZ)

Are you hybrid, 1:1 or want to be paperless? Then use a digital learning log! Our team has used these in digital classrooms for a year with great success! We’ll demonstrate content logs, and a SPED / EL support strategy log. BYOD as we will provide digital docs you can use now!

TAKEAWAYS:
BYOD Session! Not only will you take away ideas and templates to help you build your own digital interactive learning log, but you will hear ideas of how these can be easily integrated into your current classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Robin Tillotson (Gwinnett Online Campus: Lawrenceville, GA), Wanda Allen (Gwinnett Online Campus: Lawrenceville, GA), Erin Springthorpe (Gwinnett Online Campus: Lawrenceville, GA), Jennifer Barnes (Gwinnett Online Campus: Lawrenceville, GA)

OpenSciEd's first high school chemistry unit, Thermodynamics in Earth Systems, helps students figure out how polar ice melt and sea level rise can be slowed. Session presents the unit anchor, final model, and system of assessments in this first of five free, open-source, 3D units in the course.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd HS Chemistry has an NGSS-aligned first unit that scaffolds typical early-year topics such as measurement, experiment design, significant digits, and unit conversion while supporting 3D learning and HS PEs in a coherent, phenomenon-driven, justice-oriented storyline.

SPEAKERS:
Samantha Pinter (Norwalk Public Schools: Norwalk, CT), Dan Voss (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL)

Come learn from a fellow chemistry teacher how to incorporate history and culture using chapters from Napoleon's Buttons. We will focus on Birth Control Pill, Malaria Pill, and DDT by DuPont. Mini-lessons will be enacted and full lessons for chapters will be shared at the end of the semester.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the history, chemistry, and cultural implications of the Birth Control Pill, Malaria medicines, and DDT. Real-world applications will be addressed and lessons will be shared that have been tested in high school chemistry classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Benkoski (Greene County High School: Greensboro, GA), Lacey Huffling (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA)

Let's discuss food safety, nutrition, and activities to bring real-world knowledge into the classroom. Activities will be demonstrated and a curriculum will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students will: 1. be introduced to the fundamentals of microbiology while, at the same time, identifying important public health information through literature and hands-on learning activities; 2. learn about the label, and that nutrition not only aids in general well-being.

SPEAKERS:
Tiska Rodgers (Clarkton High School: Clarkton, MO), Leanne Thele (Perryville High School: No City, No State)

Set up a simple lab experiment and watch a cool demo for ways to talk about resources and the environment, using copper as a specific example.

TAKEAWAYS:
Great lab that can be used for many levels of understanding - geology, environmental science, chemistry – with a focus on environmental impact of resource acquisition. Resources to highlight for students the depth and complexity of these issues.

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

The Earth system can be used for phenomena-based instruction in any discipline. Learn how NASA visualization tools can be used to explore our Earth system and then put your creative hat on to work with colleagues and discover ways to engage learners with Earth system science in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Online data acquisition and visualization tools from NASA are explored. A work session is facilitated for teachers of biological and physical sciences to consider how Earth system datasets may be leveraged to support instruction of disciplinary core ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Desiray Wilson (Science Systems and Applications, Inc.: Hampton, VA), Natalie Macke (Pascack Hills High School: Montvale, NJ)

This session focuses on how to build student self-image as scientists, rather than learners of science, particularly in the wake of years of online or hybrid learning with limited lab experience. Both lessons learned from presenter experience and ideas to improve practice in participants’ classroo

TAKEAWAYS:
Student may see themselves as strong students, but not see themselves as scientists. More lab work alone is not enough to combat this. Students need multiple opportunities for investigative leadership and autonomy in decision-making. This session presents several ways of doing this effectively.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Dobrin (Science Teacher: Chattanooga, TN)

What does a grade mean in your class? Learn how to create a grading system that is accurate, bias resistant, motivational, and transparent.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Understand the frameworks for creating an equitable gradebook that is accurate, bias resistant, and motivational; 2. Create a transparent gradebook that shows feedback and progress on course standards; 3. Explore assessment literacy within unit assessments, lab assessments and reassessments.

SPEAKERS:
Katti Bachar (Libertyville High School: Libertyville, IL)

Come and join us in this session where we will put Color in the center of the scene and sequence traditional chemistry topics threaded together.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be able to carry home an alternative Chemistry teaching method. We will uncover together a sequence of topics through an innovative perspective that uses other fields like art to get into deep chemistry concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Paula Daurat (St. Andrew's Scots School: Olivos, 0)

A virtual reality chemistry activity was evaluated as a supplement to laboratory instruction for first-year college chemistry classes. Student self-evaluation of confidence in certain lab activities was surveyed prior to and post VR session.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Virtual reality offers an engaging and kinesthetic way to supplement lab-based instruction; 2. The virtual environment can evaluate student lab performance on a level that can't be duplicated in a laboratory setting; and 3. VR offers an effective source of remediation for students lagging in labo

SPEAKERS:
Donald Carpenetti (Craven Community College: New Bern, NC)

Presentation of research findings from rural chemistry teachers in Georgia and ways to implement inquiry-based laboratory instruction in the classroom. Additionally, Georgia Department of Education will present new resources available for teachers aligned to NGSS and GSE.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with a better picture of the views of chemistry teachers in rural schools regarding inquiry-based laboratory instruction. GaDOE is giving attendees access to digital resources to help combat many of the feelings of isolation or confusion with the depth of standards.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Crandall (Science Program Manager: No City, No State), Robert Bice (Berry College: Mount Berry, GA)

This talk presents low-cost, safe, and home-based chemistry lab activities that can be used for face-to-face or online chemistry labs. The activities use the iodine clock reaction and dropwise titration method to analyze the vitamin C content in juice samples.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use the iodine clock reaction and dropwise titrations to analyze vitamin C in juice samples.

SPEAKERS:
Sharron Jenkins (Georgia Gwinnett College: Lawrenceville, GA)

Come hear our ideas on how to use graphic novels in science courses by increasing the science content. We will present a learning unit we developed with The Leak. We will share student examples that model enhancing science content and learning activities to engage the development of water literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to enhance the science content of a graphic novel focused on community water quality issues. Real-world examples of local and national water quality issues will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Lacey Huffling (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA), Kelly Moore (Berrien High School: Nashville, GA), Heather Scott (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA)

Students in the first semester of the General Chemistry sequence participated in a peer-teaching exercise and were subsequently evaluated for information retention and test anxiety. Students participating in peer-teaching scored on average 20% higher on a final exam question.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students participating in peer-teaching scored on average 20% higher on a final exam question than those who participated in a non-peer-teaching review. This increased retention was shown to carry over into the subsequent semester in students participating in General Chemistry II.

SPEAKERS:
Donald Carpenetti (Craven Community College: New Bern, NC)

Social and Emotional Learning is most effective when intentionally interwoven into the fabric of a course. Students are increasingly successful in the science classroom when they feel a strong sense of belonging and have high hopes in their lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be shown multiple frameworks (i.e. Habits of Mind, Formative Five, CASEL) that can be implemented into everyday curriculum to support the development of success skills and well-being in students. A catalog of aligned activities as well as an implementation template will be provided.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Rose (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL), Molly Greenberg (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

This session will highlight some of the practices that can be used to encourage student engagement, authentic work, and efficacy in the virtual environment. Through years of experience in a traditional face-to-face environment, a blended/hybrid online environment, and a fully virtual environment, t

TAKEAWAYS:
A major takeaway of this session will be strategies and ideas that teachers can immediately implement in their classroom to engage their online learners and gauge their mastery of the classroom standards rather than students’ internet savvy.

SPEAKERS:
Bethany Lambert (Online Content Developer & Science Teacher: No City, No State)

Explanation & implementation of BCA (before-change-after) tables used in stoichiometry. And why you should try it in your Chemistry class.

TAKEAWAYS:
Research about BCA stoichiometry: what it is, how to use it, & teacher experiences implementing.

SPEAKERS:
Jordan Tidrick (Walton High School)

This presentation will showcase a one-trimester class for high school upperclassmen based on the book Napoleon’s Buttons by Jay Burreson and Penny Le Couteur. It will introduce a chemistry-based set of labs, explore literacy connections, and participants will partake in a version of a hands-on lab.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will get an overview of our class structure and activities and will participate in a hands-on lab that applies chemistry to history. In the session, we will emphasize cross-disciplinary connections in teaching chemistry, and teachers will have practical examples for their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Ager (Chemistry Teacher)

Creative writing assignments can better reach students with differing learning styles. The incorporation of creative writing exercises into introductory chemistry courses and their effects on student performance will be described.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Creative writing is an effective way to cement understanding of chemistry concepts; 2. Engaging in creative writing leads to better exam performance; and 3. Creative writing exercises increase critical-thinking skills.

SPEAKERS:
Donald Carpenetti (Craven Community College: New Bern, NC)

I will share some favorite chemistry introductory, conceptual, and review activities. Join me for instructions, how-tos, and tips/tricks for using these activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be provided with instructions to create activities, student handouts, teacher guidelines, and our tips & tricks for successful implementation in class.

SPEAKERS:
Jordan Tidrick (Walton High School)

Preview of how the OpenSciEd High School Chemistry course will guide students to use force thinking as a lens alongside energy and matter to help them develop and explain chemical phenomena including atomic structure, bonding, and exothermic and endothermic reactions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Forces are not only an important idea in physical science generally, but are necessary, in conjunction with matter and energy, to help students develop the mechanisms underlying diverse phenomena like lightning, creating water on another planet, and energy released in the combustion of fossil fuels

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Dan Voss (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Nicole Vick (Northwestern University)

Give students a hands-on exploration of heat transfer and insulation with this engineering & design project. Kids build an insulator around a soda can to keep hot water hot, while immersed in an ice water bath. While competing, they develop constructing skills, and analyze their process and data.

TAKEAWAYS:
Get all the files and resources to launch an engaging project applying the concepts of heat transfer (conduction, radiation and convection - things on every middle school science curriculum). You will be inspired!

SPEAKERS:
Jon Coole (Louisville Collegiate School: Louisville, KY)

The Bengal Biodiesel program was launched six years ago with a goal to help students fuel their futures by gaining professional experience while still in high school. In this elective Chemistry course, students work together to transform waste vegetable oil into a sustainable diesel substitute: 100% biodiesel. Students experience an industry-standard lab environment as they rotate through and assume the responsibilities of our five departments; Production, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Research and Development, and Communications. This session will provide teachers an overview of the Bengal Biodiesel program, including history, key partnerships, and student impact stories (15 minutes). Teachers will also learn practical strategies for implementing student-centered experiential learning opportunities in their own courses (30 minutes). Attendees will engage in an activity and discussion throughout the session (15 minutes).

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insight and inspiration for developing an immersive, student centered experience. Presenters will share direct student impacts of the Bengal Biodiesel program, as well as the challenges, highlights, and key partnerships that have made the program successful.

SPEAKERS:
Casey Giust (Science Teacher: Blythewood, SC), Will Epps (Science Teacher: Blythewood High School, SC)

Dr. Michael Wysession, NGSS co-author and geophysics professor, will explore ideas for storylines and curricular phenomena related to tipping points within Earth’s climate system, which are an important and exciting part of the most current research in climate science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Climate system tipping points are an engaging topic for helping students understand the NGSS crosscutting concept of Stability and Change, as well as address NGSS several performance expectations in Earth and space science.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession (Washington University in St. Louis: Saint Louis, MO)