2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

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56 results
Save up to 50 sessions in your agenda.

Getting Your Feet Wet: High School Field Trip Activities for Geoscience Integration

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B316



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Getting Your Feet Wet: High School Field Trip Activities for Geoscience

STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

This session will describe an NSF grant in progress to increase high school awareness of geoscience through field trips and activities. This grant was written by geoscience and education faculty. We will share some activities along with what we learned from the pre- and post- assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will participate in hands-on activities that have been prepared by geoscience faculty at Missouri S&T. The teacher ed. faculty at Missouri S&T will share ideas on how to implement and assess these. Student learning is enhanced when students are engaged in hands-on, field based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Meek (Professor: Rolla, MO), Michelle Schwartze (Missouri S&T: Rolla, MO)

Equity and Belonging in Marine Sciences and Education

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

Who belongs in marine sciences? Why does it matter? Join the NMEA Equity & Belonging committee for an interactive session which aims to advance dialogue on social equity & justice in these spaces. This session is for educators who are passionate about integrating marine concepts in their practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
The personal and professional narratives shared by the presenters will highlight tools and strategies to shift the power dynamics in your science classroom. A curated collection of resources to support more just and equitable science teaching practices will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Rae Quadara (The University of Southern Mississippi Marine Education Center: No City, No State), Janice Williams (Pinnacle Education Services /NMEA /COLC: North York, ON)

Promoting Argument Driven Explanation in Earth & Environmental Science

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A314


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Construct deeper student understanding of Earth science topics. We will engage in argument-driven scaffolds for Earth and environmental science topics to critically evaluate connections between evidence and alternative scientific explanations using model-evidence link (MEL) diagrams.

TAKEAWAYS:
An introduction to instructional scaffolds designed to assist learners as they evaluate the plausibility of evidence connected to models and the research base that supports using these scaffolds & access to instructional materials.

SPEAKERS:
Lorraine Ramirez Villarin (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA), Donna Governor (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA)

Explore Ocean Science and NGSS with NMEA and UN Ocean Decade resources.

Thursday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Did you know the ocean is a major influence on weather and climate? Apply Ocean Literacy - an understanding of the ocean’s influence on you and your influence on the ocean - in your learning environment! Explore the Ocean Literacy Framework, including alignment of ocean science concepts with NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
You can't be science literate without being ocean literate. While terrestrial examples dominate NGSS, Ocean Literacy is essential to understanding many DCIs, but the connection may not be obvious. Other DCIs do not mention the ocean but cannot be fully understood without the ocean component.

SPEAKERS:
David Christopher (Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service: Lewes, DE)

Place-based Environmental Science for Community Awareness

Thursday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C211


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

We will present activities developed for high-need urban schools (elementary and middle school focus) that lead to weather, ecology, life cycles, and water quality classroom discussions and ask attendees to challenge us to match activities to their needs.

TAKEAWAYS:
No matter what a school’s environment, urban or rural, students can be engaged in Earth systems study to prepare them to be stewards of the Earth.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Feit (Research Scientist - Project Manager: Boston, MA), Peter Garik (Boston University: Boston, MA)

Engaging Environmental Activities Developed and Tested by Teachers

Thursday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A401


STRAND: Avoiding Teacher Burnout

Show Details

Engaging environmental activities for students will develop awareness and action while providing teachers with a sense of purpose to combat burnout. These activities were developed and tested by teachers during multiple workshops that were conducted at the University of Georgia Marine Institute.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will come away with 20+ environmental activities that can be adapted for almost all life and environmental science for grades 3-12

SPEAKERS:
Shaina Otterpohl (St. Jude Catholic School: Chattanooga, TN)

Investigate Stellar Evolution from Formation to Destruction Using NASA Image Sets

Thursday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Redwood



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Cosmic Connections Jamboard
https://www.soinc.org/
Modeling Stellar Evolution
Modeling Stellar Evolution.pdf
QR Codes for Universe of Learning, Chandra, National Science Olympiad and JS9
The National Science Olympiad 2023 Informational Brochure
Universe of Learning

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Use NASA’s Universe of Learning (UoL) multiwavelength image sets of star formation regions, protostars, red giants, white dwarfs, planetary nebulas, neutron stars, pulsars, supernovas, and black holes to investigate stellar evolution, as physical properties and brightness of stars change over time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Stars form in giant molecular clouds of gas and dust in star formation regions, and depending on their initial mass, usually follow a sequence that ends in their destruction in catastrophic collapses and explosions. Plotting their changing physical properties on the H-R diagram shows the process.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Young (NASA/NSO/UoL Program Manager: Laughlin, NV)

Bring the Ocean into Your Classroom with National Marine Sanctuaries

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B312


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Learn about free STEM educational resources including virtual reality, themed resource collections and lesson plans to increase ocean and climate literacy with your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries offers lessons, videos and activities that can be used in K-12 classrooms to teach students about the ocean and Great Lakes with engaging real life examples of our nation's underwater parks.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Hajduk (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: Monterey, CA)

SCST 2: Online Instructional Delivery within College Science Classrooms

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C205


Show Details

test SCST 2.1 Comparing learning outcomes across different course delivery methods: face-to-face, online and video conferencing Do students learn better in a face-to-face, online or video conference course? The COVID-19 pandemic provided opportunity to help answer this question by allowing comparison of student learning outcomes in a human anatomy course taught using each of these modalities over the course of the pandemic. SCST 2.2 Digital Media Assignments in Online Geoscience Classrooms: Engaging Students and Building Community Digital media assignments allow students to share knowledge in nontraditional ways. This presentation showcases online geoscience courses that use media assignments, includes discussion of advantages and challenges and components required for creation of multimedia assignments for online class. SCST 2.3 Quality Matters: Our Experiences in Building Online College Courses to be Quality Matters-certified Quality Matters (QM) is an organization that ensures quality control in online instruction. Two professors will discuss the process for QM certification in their online courses. This presentation will discuss experiences and lessons learned to better assist others in the QM review process.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Clary (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS), Thayne Sweeten (Utah State University: , UT), Athena Nagel (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS)

Hands-on Solar System Modeling you will Remember using Fractions, Proportions, & Decimals

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A411


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

This presentation highlights 10 unique and unusual science-based examples of solar system modeling that use simple materials and all activities stress the use of decimals, fractions, and proportions in a scalable, adaptable, and fun exploration of the planets, distance, time, density, and scale.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will view the solar system in new ways through hands-on activities addressing geologic age, light distance, object ratios, density, gravity, and travel time.

SPEAKERS:
Martin Horejsi (University of Montana: Missoula, MT)

Breaking down the silos - an interdisciplinary approach to deepen students’ learning

Thursday, March 23 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B405



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mMsszKzWI1GX2lGBb2IapvUDVm2ee70O?usp=share_link

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Real-world problems often cannot be satisfactorily addressed by individual disciplines (or subjects). Enrich students’ learning by engaging them in a summative task requiring integration of concepts and skills from various subjects, through a close collaboration with one or more subject teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will use a modified Understanding by Design (UbD) template to develop an interdisciplinary learning experience that provides opportunities for students to integrate knowledge from various subjects (or disciplines) to create new understandings.

SPEAKERS:
May Jean Cheah (STEM Educator)

Dark Matter and the Third Form of Circular Motion

Thursday, March 23 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B316


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Learn how to add the third form of circular motion, galactic rotation, to your lessons on circular and planetary motion and let your students find out how dark matter was discovered from a simple physics principle. Lesson and slides provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students will learn that galactic rotational motion follows different rules than either circular motion or Kepler’s planetary motion laws. That discrepancy will lead students to their own discovery of dark matter.

SPEAKERS:
John Clark (Volusia Online Learning: Port Orange, FL)

3D Science with Language Integration (GSTA)

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B308


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Join this session for information about content-language integration and discuss the design of a multimodal task that emphasizes 3D Science learning through the interpretive and expressive modes of communication. Then, take an in-depth look at examples that you can integrate into your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about lesson activities that provide students with the opportunity to make progress towards both the Science Ga Standards of Excellence and WIDA English Language Development Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Canepa-Redondo (Science/ESOL Program Specialist)

Spending a Semester in Space

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C204


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Learn how to create and present a cross curricular, cross grade level immersion experience for all ages. Briefly discussing the research that highlights the learning benefits of themeatic units, we will follow a school as they spent a "Semester in Space" that culminated in a 10 minute ISS contact.

TAKEAWAYS:
School-wide units create a culture of learning that spans all disciplines and grade levels as students are able to experience content from variousviewpoints. Learn how to implement a an overarcing theme in any school.

SPEAKERS:
Christiana Deeter (Canterbury School: Fort Myers, FL)

SCST 3: Optimizing Instruction & Assessment in College Science Sciences

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C205


Show Details

test SCST 3.1 Political Ideology in Geosciences: Strategies for Teaching n Divisive Times In an age of polarizing political ideologies, teaching geoscience is increasingly difficult. This presentation will demonstrate various strategies to teach about "controversial" topics which could provoke dissention, opposition and conflict in an online Environmental Science course. SCST 3.2 College Science Teaching in the “New Normal”: Students’ Attitudes and Preferences to Optimize Science Learning After 2+ years of the COVID-19 pandemic, college science classrooms—and students’ knowledge base and attitude—evolved to a “new normal.” Content analysis of end-of-semester survey data reveal what continues to work in upper-level college science classrooms, and techniques now rendered ineffective. SCST 3.3 All of the Above: Strategies for writing better multiple-choice questions that assess higher order thinking. We present and discuss several strategies for developing well written multiple-choice questions that can assess higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

SPEAKERS:
Christa Haney (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS), Renee Clary (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS), Donald French (Oklahoma State University: Stillwater, OK), Tarren Shaw (The University of Oklahoma: Norman, OK)

Why are there ocean fossils in the Smoky Mountains: Strategies to customize open-source science lessons for local contexts

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B304



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Fossil Unit Lesson Materials

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

An 11 year old recently found a trilobite in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Let's explore this phenomenon and how customizing existing high-quality, open-source lessons for local stories create a cohesive storyline for elementary students.

TAKEAWAYS:
1) How to customize existing high-quality, open-source lessons that pair with local phenomena; 2) What fossil evidence scientists use to support claims about past environments; and 3) Where to find open-source storylines for the elementary classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Cox (Knox County Schools: Knoxville, TN)

Federal STEM Education Resources - Where can I find them?

Friday, March 24 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A412



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Federal STEM Education Resources 8.5x11 FINAL 03.15.23.pdf
NASA Connects Flyer 9.14.22.pdf
NASA Connects Flyer 9.14.22.pdf
NSTA Federal STEM Presentation 03.24.23.pdf
NSTA Federal STEM Presentation 03.24.23.pdf

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Have you ever wondered where to find Federal STEM education resources that can provide authentic learning experiences for your students? Come join many federal agencies including NASA, NOAA, Dept. of Defense, EPA, Smithsonian, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to learn more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn what K-12 STEM learning resources are offered by federal agencies. In addition, teachers will engage in two-way conversations with federal representatives about the STEM resources, programs, and opportunities that are available.

SPEAKERS:
Bekkah Lampe (NOAA Office of Education: Silver Spring, MD), Carrie Olsen (NASA Headquarters: No City, No State), Carol ODonnell (Smithsonian Institution: Washington, DC), Melissa Anley-Mills (U.S. EPA: Washington, DC), Jorge Valdes (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA), Cindy Hasselbring (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: Greenbelt, MD), Reginald Duncan (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA)

Hands-on Investigations to Highlight Soil Science for a Sustainable World

Friday, March 24 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B405


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Participants will engage with activities about soils provided on the 2022 Geologic Map Day poster, including resources and hands-on investigations that highlight connections between soils and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to demonstrate the importance of soils for the health of our planet.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explorations of the vital role that soils play in many phenomena across the sciences can engage learners with a variety of NGSS Performance Expectations in ways that are hands-on and are also relevant to global sustainability.

SPEAKERS:
Sequoyah McGee (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA), Lauren Brase (American Geosciences Institute: , IL), Ed Robeck (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA), Lindsay Mossa (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, MD)

Teaching Science with Big Ideas

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C208


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

We will share our experiences of teaching science with big ideas to guide students’ learning. We will introduce some tips and strategies for teachers on writing big ideas from the standards, making them visible in the classroom, and centering student activities around the big idea.

TAKEAWAYS:
Big ideas enable a cognitive framework for teachers to direct classroom activities and assist learners in seeing the connections between various scientific concepts. Teachers can create big ideas for their science curriculum and use them to guide students’ science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Hill (Teacher: Tuscaloosa, AL), Taylor Lamon (Saban Center Education Specialist), Jale Ercan Dursun (The University of Alabama: Tuscaloosa, AL)

Kicking off the Year with OpenSciEd High School Chemistry

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Kicking off the Year with OpenSciEd High School Chemistry.pdf

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

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)

How Would You Like an Opportunity for Your Students to Talk With an Astronaut?

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B312


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

ARISS allows your students to talk with an astronaut on the International Space Station! ARISS involves NASA and other space agencies to provide this amazing experience for schools worldwide! An ARISS contact tends to unite and excite a school community while focusing on STEM at your school.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will find out about all the experiences and resources provided at no cost to schools and teachers selected for an ARISS contact including a STEM enrichment kit and special workshop opportunity.

SPEAKERS:
Martha Muir (Retired teacher: Alpharetta, GA)

SPARK® Ramps Up Middle School Energy Education: A Model School-Community Plan

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C212


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

SPARK®, developed by energy and educational specialists, shares expertise with teachers to enhance energy concepts, applications, and career options. The curriculum (60+ 5E lessons) uses active student engagement in sciences and math. Explore how this workable plan can be applied in your area!

TAKEAWAYS:
SPARK® uses “actions” in NGSS-based standards to make concepts cognitively “visible.” In multidisciplinary science/math, flexible entry points engage diverse students in simple to complex energy investigations using creative problem solving, data collection/analysis, and evidence-based conclusions.

SPEAKERS:
Gail Marshall (self-employed consultant), Margaret Reenstra (Economic Development Coordinator: Palmetto, GA), Judy Cox (N/A: No City, No State)

How much is a million? Conceptualizing processes that shape the Earth

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A303


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Students challenged by the concept of time? Hard time understanding the processes that have shaped the Earths’ surface? Explore using science-based trade books to support young students’ conceptualization of time and their ability to communicate around earth’s changing features.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will explore how they can address NGSS & Common Core ELA standards by using science-based trade books and modeling to support young students in conceptualizing and communicating how changes in the Earth’s surface occur over time.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rearden (The University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Knoxville, TN), Amy Broemmel (The University of Rhode Island: Kingston, RI)

Saving the Night with Citizen Science

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B306


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Provide students with the power of citizen science as they make scientific observations and analyze data to increase awareness worldwide about the impact of light pollution using NSF’s NOIRLab’s Globe at Night program. Students engage with authentic data to propose local solutions to light pollution

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the impacts of light pollution and walk away with resources and strategies to implement this citizen science campaign in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Sparks (NSF's NOIRLab), Justine Schaen (NSF's NOIRLab: Tucson, AZ)

Facilitating Emancipatory and Justice-Centered Environmental and Climate Learning with Elementary Students

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A402


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

We’ll explore key stances, strategies, and resources for supporting elementary students to learn about and take collective action in response to authentic socio-ecological challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Young learners are capable of consequential and justice-centered learning about social, political, environmental, and climate issues. Concerns about “developmental appropriateness” can perpetuate dominant forms of science and invisibilize marginalized students’ lived experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Rae Han (EarthGen: No City, No State), Pranjali Upadhyay (Educational Service District 112: Vancouver, WA)

More than just earthquake locations! Modern applications of seismology and geodesy to a wide range of Earth and environmental phenomena

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B302


STRAND: Professional Learning

Show Details

Learn how GPS, seismometers, Lidar, magnetotelluric, and other geophysical instruments help to measure the changes in our environment such as groundwater fluctuations and drought, climate change, volcanic deformation, river evolution, sea level changes, vegetation height, and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be able to: Describe some of the applications of seismology and geodesy to a wide range of Earth and environmental phenomena

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Bravo (IRIS | Earthscope Consortium: Vancouver, WA)

No Child Left Inside: Get Ready for Two Amazing Eclipses!

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A316


STRAND: STEAM or STEM

Show Details

Two solar eclipses will cross the U.S.--a 2023 annular and the big 2024 total--with the entire country seeing at least a partial eclipse in both instances. It is important that we aspire to the goal of No Child Left Inside, as the U.S. will not experience another total solar eclipse until 2045!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to integrate "eclipse science" into your existing curricula to prepare you and your students to observe, record and analyze data from the 2023 Annular and 2024 Total U.S. Solar Eclipses (including a STEM demo on how to construct devices and methods to safely view the Sun).

SPEAKERS:
Charles Fulco (NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors: Brooklyn, NY)

Using NASA Assets and Activities in the Classroom

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Grand Ballroom B


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

NASA Science provides an abundance of resources for learners and educators. The most common question I receive is, "where do I start?" In this session, I will share resources and lessons learned from my 7 years as part of the Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative, a NASA Science Activation partner.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with digital resources and personal connections in order to bring NASA Science to their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Cass (Physics and Astronomy Instructor: Sylva, NC)

The Story of Our Stuff- A Creative Project in Environmental Science

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
APES Rubric
This rubric is aligned with the APES Science Practices
Final Instructions
You could use this document alone for the instructions. I roll them out one step at a time, about a week apart, so I've included the separate documents to save some steps.
Grading Rubric
This is one version of the grading rubric I have used. You could really grade in any way that fits into your curriculum and learning goals.
Instructions Part 2
Instructions for the 2nd set of research- the fate of the object.
Instructions Step 3
Researching and fictionalizing the lives of at least 3 people who have worked with your object in some way.
The Story of Our Stuff- A Creative Project in Environmental Science.pdf
These slides contain links to the instruction documents and grading rubric that I use for this project, as well as my presentation materials about how and why I do this project. Please join me at the conference on Saturday morning!

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

In The Story of Our Stuff, students choose an everyday object, trace its history backwards to its roots in natural resources, and its future all the way to the point when it returns to the earth. They represent the story in a creative way.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students make connections about mining and agriculture, consumerism and the value of everyday objects, transportation, energy, and the value of workers and artists.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Miller (Visitation School: Mendota Heights, MN)

Arctic to Antarctic and everything in between

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A407


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Using the marine science resources created by teachers for teachers on Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) EARTH website. Teachers learn how to navigate the lesson plans available on the website, how to become an EARTH teacher and how to “adopt a float” to collect data from the ocean.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain authentic marine science data and lesson plans to use in your classroom!

SPEAKERS:
Megan McCall (Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies: No City, No State)

Let the Students be the Drivers

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A403


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Ownership of learning increases student engagement. Driving question boards allow students to choose the direction of their learning and encourage teacher flexibility when providing diverse paths for student exploration and sense making of an anchoring phenomenon.

TAKEAWAYS:
View examples of student generated questions used to explore and explain anchoring phenomena in an 8th grade curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Rossier Carlin (F.A. Day Middle School: Newtonville, MA)

Data Literacy: Using US Geological Survey Datasets in the Classroom

Saturday, March 25 • 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Spend invaluable time with current Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, Candyce Curry, exploring FREE RESOURCES from the U.S. Geological Survey website. This workshop will give teachers insight on finding & using, with minimal preparation, datasets from multiple sources within the website.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be presented with methods & strategies to use readily available data from the US Geological Survey to incorporate & improve their data literacy practices. This is an introduction to content specific data, resources, and suggested methods to modify/accommodate for differentiation.

SPEAKERS:
Candyce Curry (US Geological Survey)

Cultivating knowledge through community gardening

Saturday, March 25 • 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B409


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

A master gardener and science educator will share their strategies for fostering young learners’ understanding of plant and animal interdependence through community gardening.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about strategies for engaging students in gardening, such as “Pest or Guest?” for promoting insect/plant interdependence, and steps to take for establishing a successful gardening program.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Cummings (Penn State: University Park, PA), Kristin Rearden (The University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Knoxville, TN)

Seeds in Space – The Next Generation of Moon Trees!

Saturday, March 25 • 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A316


STRAND: STEAM or STEM

Show Details

Learn about the next generation of Moon Trees! In honor of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 14 and the original Moon Trees, NASA’s Artemis I rocket contains a new set of seeds. Explore free Moon Trees classroom content tied to STEM and citizen science and receive materials related to Moon Trees.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Artemis Moon Trees provide a unique opportunity to engage students in STEM education that ties together space, Earth, and conservation science. Attendees will learn how to use Moon Trees Education materials and get involved in Moon Trees citizen science opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Nissa McKinney (FIND Outdoors/Forest Service Cooperator: No City, No State), Rachel Bayer (Environmental Education Specialist), Jessica Nickelsen (Forest Service/ Natural Inquirer)

iButton Heat and Humidity Research at Ransom Everglades Middle School

Saturday, March 25 • 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B302


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Students at Ransom Everglades Middle School in Coconut Grove, Florida conducted research using iButton Thermochrons. Students used the iButtons to record heat and humidity data around campus. They then analyzed the data to determine why certain areas were warmer than others.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how this project allowed students to collect data, analyze that data, and ultimately present their research as citizen scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Robin Escobedo (Ransom Everglades School: Coconut Grove, FL)

Beyond Paper and Pencil Tests: Alternative, Engaging Assessment for Learners in the Earth Science Classroom

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A408


Show Details

When we broaden our idea of assessment beyond traditional paper and pencil tests, we give our students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in both creative ways and real world applications of Earth Science concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Assessment can take a number of different forms that are more relevant than traditional paper and pencil tests. These assessments are particularly valuable for Earth Science Students who struggle with traditional assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Vanessa Ueltzen (Walther Christian Academy: Melrose Park, IL)

World’s 1st Indoor Skydiving Robotics Program for Girls and Gender Expansive Youth

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B302


STRAND: STEAM or STEM

Show Details

Our students built the world’s 1st UBTECH indoor skydiving robot. After successfully testing the prototypes, we created a competition for students to participate in a friendly match. We are now on a mission to inspire more girls and girls and gender-expansive youth in STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
To develop the next generation of students as world-changing innovators, engineers, and scientists, we must include diverse voices and perspectives, which include girls and genders expansive youth.

SPEAKERS:
Kenny Bae (Wolcott College Prep: No City, No State)

Creative writing exercises in the science curriculum: reaching students with different learning styles and increasing concept retention

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C213



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
All talks for NSTA March 25.pdf

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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)

Are the tides getting too high? Using science + statistics for informed decision making

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A403


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Earth science and statistics come alive in a STEM integrated activity focusing on the coastal flooding problems on Tybee Island, Georgia. Come experience how students apply their knowledge to tidal data sets from Fort Pulaski to help a community with its flood mitigation decisions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how the STEM-integrated activity ‘Coastal Flooding of Highway 80’ can be implemented as a way of incorporating tides, climate change and statistics into their lessons. They will also learn how it was developed and how tidal data can be accessed for creating similar activities.

SPEAKERS:
Jayma Koval (CEISMC/ Georgia Institute of Technology: Atlanta, GA)

Discover NSTA’s Elementary Instructional Materials!

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B402


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

This session will introduce NSTA's phenomenon-driven, three-dimensional instructional materials designed for elementary classrooms. These lessons and units provide opportunities for all students to engage in science learning meaningful to them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Phenomenon-driven, three-dimensional lessons and units provide students opportunities to actively try to figure out how the world works or design solutions to problems (sensemaking).

SPEAKERS:
Patrice Scinta (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Connecting science classrooms with the community

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B305


STRAND: STEAM or STEM

Show Details

Teachers will learn about the iWonder process and online tools that help connect students to the community (locally and globally) through place-based, scientific, research projects they create!

TAKEAWAYS:
Students' imagination will be sparked, and science connections with the world outside the classroom will be ignited with iWonder!

SPEAKERS:
Ian Collins (Maine Math and Science Alliance), Rebecca Clark Uchenna (Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance: Augusta, ME), Megan McCall (Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies: No City, No State)

There's More to the Moon than just Phases: 5 fun hands-on activities that teach lunar geology, features, and scale

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A303


STRAND: STEAM or STEM

Show Details

With the Artemis rockets to the moon, we hope to be walking on the lunar surface by 2024. So let's teach more about the moon than just the phases. Here are 5 scalable hands-on activities that explore the lunar features and surface including craters, earth-moon dynamic, moon dust, gravity, and more

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience Hands-on Moon activities from the craters to the mountains, from ⅙ the gravity to the single side we see and to what to look for with binoculars alone.

SPEAKERS:
Martin Horejsi (University of Montana: Missoula, MT)

Blueshift Redshift wave game

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A314



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Red shift Blue shift NSTA 2023.pptx
These are the slides that were used in the workshop.

STRAND: Sensemaking

Show Details

Have you ever thought how do I teach the concept of Redshift and Blueshift of what's going on in the galaxy in an engaging way? Come see a classic game of red light green light used to help students make sense of how these two concepts are both related and help explain the Big Bang Theory.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have a ready to use game for their classroom that will get students up and moving on a concept that can be difficult for students to visualize.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Mulligan (Bridgeport Public School: Bridgeport, NE)

STEM + MEDIA SPECIALIST = A WINNING COMBINATION

Saturday, March 25 • 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C208


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Need more support for STEM investigations and projects? Review a 3 year grant-funded STEM training to improve media specialists’ understanding of STEM as “thinking and doing.” Examine sample hands-on investigations, tools, and websites to help media specialists’ support of STEM at all grade levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Media specialists have access to many different resources but may lack accurate understanding of STEM and the guidance students need for resources to promote STEM. This session will illustrate an effective all grades/subjects in-service program which could be adapted for use in a school or system.

SPEAKERS:
Gail Marshall (self-employed consultant), Melissa Johnston (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA), Judy Cox (N/A: No City, No State)

Science Media for Young Learners

Saturday, March 25 • 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A408



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Science Media for Young Learners Resource List

STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Purposeful use of quality media and text is especially important for young learners, a group often overlooked in the development of science media. Media can connect science content to students’ lives and make the material more accessible to more students.

TAKEAWAYS:
You’ll leave the session with a list of resources and ideas for actively engaging your students with media during science instruction and tips for supporting your students in engaging in science practices.

SPEAKERS:
Shawn Stevens (GBH Education: Brighton, MA)

Using Forces to Connect Energy and Matter in OpenSciEd Chemistry

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
M-E-F model.pdf
Using Forces to Connect Energy and Matter in OpenSciEd Chemistry.pdf

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

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)

ADVizE: Building STEM Pre-Service Teachers' Data Literacy Skills and Pedagogy with My NASA Data

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A407



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
https://tinyurl.com/advize-nsta
To access the resources from the session, please complete this quick form and provide your email address so we can send you the slide deck directly.

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Discover how an interdisciplinary team helped pre-service STEM teachers develop their confidence and competence in working with data and teaching data literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain an understanding of our four-session approach to integrating data literacy, real world data, and subject matter experts into a semester-long pre-service course to build confidence and competence in working and teaching with data.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, LLC), Melissa Zrada (The College of New Jersey: Ewing, NJ), Michael Jabot (SUNY Fredonia: Fredonia, NY)

Incorporating Earth and Space Science (ESS) into a High School Physics Course

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Grand Ballroom A



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Wysession_NSTA_Atlanta Teaching Earth Space Science in a Physics Course

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Dr. Michael Wysession, NGSS co-author and geophysics professor, demonstrates how including Earth and space science (ESS) storylines in a high school physics course helps build student understanding of both the ESS content and the fundamental physics topics.

TAKEAWAYS:
For many fundamental physics topics (motion, forces, energy, heat flow, waves, radioactivity, etc.), incorporating ESS topics, and even using ESS-related phenomena and storylines, is a great way to engage students and help them better understand the physics fundamentals.

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

How to use NOAA data: A guide for educators

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Redwood



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
How to use NOAA data A guide for educators

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Learn how to access and explore NOAA’s data-rich resources, lesson plans, and visualization tools to build data literacy and proficiency in scientific data analysis.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to find and use NOAA data in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Denise Harrington (NOAA TASAA Fellow: Garibaldi, OR)

#JustOneThing – What can an ES/MS/HS student do to make the world a better place using science?

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B211



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Resources shared in this presentation Google Drive

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Students can have a positive impact on environmental challenges when they take action. Walk away with resources and a structure to help your students act.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students can take action to make a big difference in their school or local community to benefit the environment.

SPEAKERS:
Janel McPhillips (Calvert County Public Schools: Prince Frederick, MD)

Explaining phenomena from a Matter, Energy, and Forces perspective in OpenSciEd Physics

Saturday, March 25 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Cottonwood A


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Matter, forces, and energy are three powerful lenses to make sense of phenomena. We will use examples from the forthcoming free and open-source OpenSciEd High School physics course, which also incorporates earth and space science, to show how we can scaffold the development of student thinking using these lenses across the year. Participants will receive an overview of the course and the matter-energy-forces (M-E-F) conceptual framework. Participants will also explore examples of phenomena that students will explain through these different lenses. Examples will include (1) deep mantle convection, (2) vehicle collisions, (3) meteors, (4) microwaves, and ionizing radiation.

TAKEAWAYS:
A framework for reasoning about changes in the matter, energy and forces in a system helps students develop the mechanisms underlying explanations of diverse phenomena including deep mantle convection, vehicle collisions, meteors, microwaves and ionizing radiation.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Buck Bracey (Senior Science Educator and Director of Design for Justice: Colorado Springs, CO), Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Evanston, IL), Kate Henson (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO)

Climate Tipping Points: What are they? Why are they important? How can we teach about them?

Saturday, March 25 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Redwood



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Wysession_NSTA_Atlanta Climate Tipping Points
This presentation explores the science behind recent climate modeling that demonstrates that the current global warming may potentially trigger a cascade of global and regional climate tipping points, with severe impacts on human activities.

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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)

Hands-on Investigations to Highlight Earth Science for a Sustainable World

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A402


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

At all levels, connecting Earth Science to the UN Sustainable Development Goals enhances its relevance. Participants will engage with hands-on activities from the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and its partners as part of the Earth Science Week theme, “Earth Science for a Sustainable World.”

TAKEAWAYS:
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an important worldwide focus and are the basis for the movement known as education for sustainable development (ESD). Science educators at all levels can support ESD and add relevance to instruction by connecting their STEM instruction to the SDGs.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsay Mossa (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, MD), Lauren Brase (American Geosciences Institute: , IL), Ed Robeck (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA), Sequoyah McGee (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA)

Integrating AR and VR Into Your Daily Science Lessons

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B306


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Bring science lessons to life with the integration of augmented reality (AR) & virtual reality (VR). This session explores the use of AR & VR tools such as zSpace, Merge Edu & Oculus Quest to transform science assignments and classroom projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with ideas and strategies that they can immediately implement in science classroom lessons. Attendees will leave with practical examples of AR & VR tools and resources they can begin using with their students in integrated, earth & space, physical, and life science classes.

SPEAKERS:
Tommy Clay (Atlanta Public Schools: Atlanta, GA)

“In-Flight Education Downlinks: Maximizing Impact”

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B304


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Are you looking for ways to attract a diverse group of students to STEM and provide authentic learning experiences? In-Flight Education Downlinks engage students with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Join us and learn ways to write a competitive downlink proposal that stands out.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will understand the proposal requirements for an In-Flight Education Downlink, use key metrics to draft an Impact Statement, and leave with insights on planning an event that incorporates a broader audience and leaves a lasting impact on the local community.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Whitfield (Education Coordinator)

Smashing Classrooms Walls Through Virtual Events

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C207


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

As educators, we strive to bring meaningful and relevant learning experiences to our students each day, to connect the dots between what we're teaching and how it applies to the real world. We need to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers, and there are no better role models than those who are on the frontlines of researching, documenting, protecting, and exploring our planet. Every scientist and explorer remembers when it happened, when their passion for their chosen pursuit was ignited. It may have been meeting someone, seeing a documentary, reading a book, or an inspirational educator. You can spark these 'aha' moments for your students by bringing the world into your classrooms through virtual connections with leading scientists and explorers around the world, and it's easier than you think! Join educator and National Geographic Explorer Joe Grabowski and dive into exciting resources, along with tips and tricks for engaging students before and after.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover the benefits of bringing exciting scientists, explorers, and conservationists live into your classroom, while exploring how easy it is to do with exciting resources like Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, Explorer Classroom, Google, and more!

SPEAKERS:
Joe Grabowski (Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants: Elora, ON)

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