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)

Explore the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) a freshwater fish at the forefront of biomedical research and easily maintained in a classroom aquarium, to spark ALL students’ curiosity and scientific engagement with real-life science experiences through multiple-learning modalities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learning how zebrafish and low-budget pet store supplies can be used to engage diverse learners in multimodal (visual, kinesthetic) real-life science learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Vinita Hajeri (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)

ddddddddddddd

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM isn't an add on at the EC level. It is a natural way of discovering the world around. It is also a path to equity when it is embedded in literary and real-world experience.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH), Juliana Texley (Lesley University: Cambridge, MA)

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: No City, No State)

In this session we will engage participants in thinking about how they can create stronger connections to current climate change research through placed-based learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendee's will be able to share the benefits of place-based teaching and learning with peers and colleagues, and serve as an advocate for field experiences within the school community.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Shoer (Senior Program Manager, Education & Engagement), Elisabeth Colby (Director of Visitor Experience and Engagement Programs: Boston, MA), Holly Rosa (Boston Public Schools: Boston, MA)

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)

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)

Get hands-on with sensor technology to uncover meteorological phenomena and discover how these tools can help make connections to weather and climate literacy for students in upper elementary-high school classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
There are affordable sensor technologies available to help turn students of all ages into data-collecting scientists and meteorologists.

SPEAKERS:
Harris Muhlstein (University of North Carolina Wilmington: Wilmington, NC)

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)

Want to make phenomena come alive for your students? Well use live animals for your phenomena! In this session, Samuel Pruitt will show how to use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) teaching strategy and an array of live reptiles as phenomena to teach biology and environmental science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) and live animals in biology and environmental science phenomena can provide critical to learning and can be motivational to students. This session will blend the CER teaching strategy with the interest that comes from using live reptiles in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Samuel Pruitt (Biology/Environmental Science Teacher: , GA)

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 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 (5th Grade Science: , TN)

Research suggests that a more diverse geoscience workforce that reflects our nation's demographics can better equip us to effectively meet our country’s future energy needs. Such a workforce can be cultivated by implementing key strategies for recruiting and educating future diverse STEM leaders.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will discuss successful strategies to foster increased engagement of underrepresented groups in geoscience and related careers.

SPEAKERS:
Ashanti Johnson (STEM Human Resource Development: , OK)

This session will focus on sharing instructional modules that have been developed to facilitate relationships between herbaria and high school students to highlight the importance of plants and preserving botanical specimens.

TAKEAWAYS:
Many times, plants are overlooked and considered less significant than animals. This is known as Plant Awareness Disparity. Participants in this session will learn about free instructional modules that will help high school students connect with plants through exploring their own botanical history

SPEAKERS:
Rachel May (Graduate Student), Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

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)

Students will gain a deeper knowledge about sustainable energy generation / conservation and architectural ecology through hands-on, collaborative labs, which use on-campus student-built green roof models, a green roof section on our middle school, and ground-level on-campus solar panels.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn how to identify a key sustainable energy or ecological practice that fits your school culture. We'll show you how to design labs and select equipment that will engage the students in learning about sustainability. You'll identify learning objectives and assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ward (Science Teacher: Wallingford, PA)

Simple, easy, and inexpensive methods for starting an indoor school garden, even with limited space or no windows

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will give teachers pratical ideas about how to grow plants in a classroom setting

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY)

Equity-mindedness and meaningful inclusion is achieved with identification and belonging in the biology curriculum. This NSF-funded research project uses the lived experiences and narratives of Black heritage and Gullah-Geechee African Americans to facilitate the learning of biology concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the connection between identification and belonging and equitable classroom practices and science content. The research literature is used to describe how the emergent themes from the free curriculum resources shared brings equity into the biology lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Quinlan (Howard University)

Want to teach climate literacy but don’t know where to start? NOAA offers lesson plans, videos, data, webinars, and more to inform and inspire students.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to improve climate literacy and discuss climate and climate change in your classroom with free resources from NOAA.

SPEAKERS:
Frank Niepold (NOAA Climate Program Office: Silver Spring, MD)

In the session, I will present information about how to make your own videos using PowerPoint, Canvas Studio, or EdPuzzle. In addition, I will discuss how you can use either embedded quiz questions or open-note quizzes in class to assess students' completion of the outside of class learning prior to participating in the in-class extension activities. I will show some of the videos that I have made and share how making this shift has improved my students' scores on the End of Course tests and AP Biology exam. I will also share an open-source paper from Harvard that shows how active learning improves student performance even though students express a preference for passive learning (lecture).

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to make their own videos or use existing videos to present the basic content to their students, leaving class time for the hands-on and group activities that achieve deeper understanding of the content.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Dyer (Science Teacher: Canton, GA)

Put 3D Science Learning in context by utilizing the resources from the International Wolf Center. Invite students into the mysterious world of the charismatic wolf and wolf packs using research-based info, activities, and live wolf cams while addressing NextGen SEPs, CCCs, and LS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Put life science standards in the context of an apex predator: the wolf. Get curriculum maps with resources from the International Wolf Center to immerse students in pup development, predator/prey relationships, pack communications, hierarchy and territory, and wolf behavior, biology, and ecology.

SPEAKERS:
KIMBERLY LOOMIS (Kennesaw State University: Kennesaw, GA)

COVID, Monkeypox, and influenza didn’t appear out of nowhere. They were spawned by dynamic ecological and coevolutionary relationships between hosts and pathogens. These diseases demonstrate the value of evolutionary and ecological concepts in medical practice, public health, and students’ lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Viruses, especially those that have alternate animal hosts, evolve in complex and unpredictable ways, interacting with all members of their infectious ecosystem in ways that constantly challenge medicine and public health.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Levine (Science Writer and Producer: Concord, MA)

Educators are tasked with preparing students to engage in a world with an increasingly changing climate. Join us to see how climate science is connected to multiple K-12 content areas and view OER planning guides that support content teachers to anchor learning around climate literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away planning tools and resources for connecting climate science to non-science K-12 content areas and receive guidance for working with non-science peers to anchor instruction around the idea that humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts.

SPEAKERS:
Lori Henrickson (Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Olympia, WA)

Incorporate coral reefs into your existing curriculum – biology, chemistry, climate studies, art, and more – using lesson plans, demos, activities, and multimedia from NOAA.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn what corals are, why they are important, and how to fit coral reefs ecosystems into your curriculum using free NOAA resources.

SPEAKERS:
Kayla Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD), Denise Harrington (NOAA TASAA Fellow: Garibaldi, OR), Bekkah Lampe (NOAA Office of Education: Silver Spring, MD)

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)

This program aims to dramatically increase the exposure to and consumption of locally produced honey by developing a network of apiaries and supporting curriculum for preK–12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about: 1. how educational apiaries can be used in an education setting; 2. the benefits of implementing curriculum related to honey production; and 3. strategies to engage migrant students in STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

PFAS are a harmful class of widely used chemicals that can be found in everything from drinking water and crops to cosmetics and food packaging. Secondary science teachers from North Carolina used design-based thinking to develop standards-aligned activities featuring the cutting-edge research taking place to understand exposure to PFAS and to describe the biological processes behind health outcomes, such as autoimmune disease or cancer. This session will showcase how teachers adapted published scientific data for use with diverse learners to address life science standards while conveying important environmental health concepts and promoting biomedical research careers. Teachers also will receive an array of curated media resources to help them incorporate this nationally relevant topic into their instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Humans are exposed to PFAS before birth, and exposure continues throughout life due to the prevalence of these chemicals in our environment. Attendees will learn about the biomedical research taking place to understand the biology underpinning health effects and receive standards-aligned activities.

SPEAKERS:
Andromeda Crowell (Orange High School: Hillsborough, NC), Clare Matusevich (Chapel Hill High School: Chapel Hill, NC)

Do you struggle with integrating your local habitat with science and literacy? Engaging K-3 students in content-integrated outdoor learning can be difficult for a variety of reasons. However, engaging students in environmental education outdoors is vital for developing scientific literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using appropriate children’s literature, lessons were developed that emphasize the role of streams, water, and the local watershed allowing teachers to focus specifically on aspects of the stream that are relevant to the standards in their grade level. These will be shared with participants.

SPEAKERS:
Ann Catherine Cox (Carrollton Elementary School: Carrollton, GA), Brent Gilles (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA), Stacey Britton (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA)

Our session introduces an open-source data visualization tool, Map Spot, which creates spaces for participants to draw together personal and public accounts to illustrate claims about the places they live. Research shows that visualization tools can help youth understand the effects of disasters, the value of resilience, and how infrastructural improvements can support or even alleviate existing community resilience strategies. Besides Map Spot, we will demonstrate YARDs, a 14-session curriculum for middle school youth to advocate for building community resilience. Youth advocacy is an effective intervention for improving individual and group-level psychosocial outcomes and also built environment and community change. Our presentation will show how these two tools can help youth reflect on the effects of disasters in their communities, imagine what resilience to these disasters might mean, and advocate for infrastructural projects that will benefit themselves and the region.

TAKEAWAYS:
Besides Map Spot and YARDs, participants will learn how advocacy work can increase self and collective efficacy and connect youth to a broader network of local allies. In addition to the potential for infrastructural change, these social and individual psychosocial changes can enhance resilience.

SPEAKERS:
Mohsin Yousufi (PhD Student: Atlanta, GA), Allen Hyde (Assistant Professor)

Deepen engagement for all students by showing them the power of science to impact their worlds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical strategies for empowering students to apply their learning to have a positive impact on their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Ben Talsma (Van Andel Education Institute: Grand Rapids, MI)

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)

In this multidisciplinary 5E lesson plan, students will dive deep into many aspects of aquatic pollution through a wide variety of lab experiences and project based learning activities. This 5E unit plan is aligned to AP Environmental Science and NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
A full 5E multidisciplinary lesson plan about aquatic pollution that can be incorporated in full or in parts within the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Feifei Liu (Ph.D. candidate: Atlanta, GA), Laura Rogers (Teacher)

This presentation will use children's literature to identify topics related to sustainability and human impact on the environment along with how to use creative, hands-on activities to apply the concepts and inspire young, planet-conscious citizen scientists.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learning about sustainability and environmental issues shouldn't be boring or negative. Explore quality children's literature that focuses on these topics in age-appropriate ways as well as engaging activities designed to help make real-world connections.

SPEAKERS:
Kerry Teeple (University of Findlay College of Education: Findlay, OH)

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)

Elementary teachers—This session has it bagged up. Let's read some awesome books and pair those books with opportunities to connect with students’ families and share an appreciation of our natural world. The session shares a collection of environmentally-themed children’s books and activities and in

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the value of using the Outstanding Science Trade Books to review, explore and create engaging, standards-based, hands-on activities to develop an appreciation of the natural world.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Parks (Stetson University: Deland, FL)

We will discuss engineering design within the context of the NGSS. Focusing on the decline of pollinators, participants will develop prototypes of native bees and dry pollination techniques to demonstrate how to develop engineering lessons using problem-based phenomena and engineering design.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will have the opportunity to experience an engineering design lesson aligned to NGSS, develop and test prototypes of native bees, and engage in meaningful discussions of engineering design within the context of 3-dimensional science and engineering teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Rita Hagevik (The University of North Carolina at Pembroke: LAURINBURG, NC), Kathy Trundle (Utah STate University: No City, No State), Laura Wheeler (Assistant Professor: , UT)

Learn how to select phenomena that matter to students and leverage students' questions to create a student-driven storyline. Participants will learn the design principles for adapting existing curriculum that honor students’ identities, voices, and ideas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn two key aspects of designing equitable learning experiences for NGSS instruction: 1) making phenomena matter by considering community issues and student identities; 2) leveraging students’ diverse ideas and questions to drive instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Nelly Tsai (University of California, Irvine: No City, No State)

Water is constantly in the news. Between hurricanes, flooding, drought issues and water wars, everyone knows how important water is to our well being. With that being said, do students really understand its importance, it's behavior, the difference between cohesion, adhesion and surface tension?

TAKEAWAYS:
Activities in this session come from the Project WET Curriculum. These will feature hands on activities with copies of lessons distributed.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Henman (Brenau University: Gainesville, GA)

Geoscience Teaching Outdoors in NC cultivates an active and equitable geo-STEM learning ecosystem. Gain activities and discuss best practices for phenomenon-based learning about earth systems using technology and citizen science to support a diverse future workforce and STEM-literate public.

TAKEAWAYS:
Supporting a geo-STEM learning ecosystem of teachers, informal science centers and geoscience researchers can lead to integration of field experiences focused on locally relevant climate change impacts and solutions into instruction, sparking diverse students’ interest in geoscience careers.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Yelton (UNC Institute for the Environment: Chapel Hill, NC)

The session will cover 3 different types of gardens spaces. The session covers how to evaluate and set up different garden spaces. The session will cover what standards the spaces will cover and how to receive funding for the spaces.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away how to plan and incorporate a garden space of some sort for their school while supporting NGSS standards.

SPEAKERS:
RaeAnn Wood (8th Grade Science Teacher/Lab Science: Little Rock, AR), Jackie Scott (Mann Magnet Middle School: Little Rock, AR)

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)

Participants will use Antarctic fossil images and descriptions to deduce how the the Antarctic environment changed over time. They will then look at Cretaceous-era fossils from Central Texas to infer how the geography differed from today. Fossil images and 5E Lesson plan will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how to use fossils as evidence for climate change in a student-centered inquiry lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Gail Dickinson (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

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)

In this presentation you'll learn one way to meet the challenge of providing meaningful, growth-focused feedback on student lab work, while also conserving teacher time and energy. It can be used for courses from AP to on-level courses, and may streamline department-level alignment as well.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will come away with reusable tools for implementing the method I have developed, as well as rationale, examples, and ideas for applying this approach to any set of instructional standards.

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

The Citizen Science model provides students with opportunities to engage in authentic, purposeful, and relevant educational activities in support of local, state, and national scientific research and monitoring projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be introduced to a variety of Life Science and Ecology-based Citizen Science ideas ranging from simple to highly complex activities: activities that teachers can do on their own with students or in collaboration with local, state, or federal wildlife or conservation organizations.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Hodgdon (Richmond Hill Middle School: Richmond Hill, GA)

Current trends highlighting plants using 3D Learning that support sensemaking in the K-6 classroom will be presented. Participants will be provided hands-on, real-world lessons that engage students with a deeper and more meaningful experience that center around the Next Generation Science Standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will develop a more meaningful understanding of sensemaking by using plant investigations to increase student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lynn Hess (Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School: Sanford, FL)

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)

The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) conducts graduate field biology training. Their teaching model is a daily cycle of data collection, analysis, and reporting. The benefits for students 15-18 of a strong commitment to field science include better understanding of scientific arguments, increased confidence in research, communication, and team-building, and a sense of ownership. For high school classes, I stretched the timeline of each research cycle from one day to three weeks. Classes were divided into three-student teams with rotating roles (writing, editing, and presenting). Teams developed hypotheses, carried out field investigations, analyzed data, and shared their results on the final day of each cycle. These activities occupy about 40% of available class time. This adaptation of professional education to high school biology has had the effect of giving students a distinct advantage in experience and confidence as they have moved on to later research opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
A strong commitment to a field centered program is a leap, but the diversity of choices for possible research projects can integrate with many curriculum goals and contributes profoundly to students’ excitement, engagement, and analytical skills.

SPEAKERS:
Barry McPhail (Bayside Academy for Advanced World Studies: Mobile, AL)

This presentation centers the NGSS dimensions of science, crosscutting concepts, and engineering practices in real-life applications that yield tangible results to get students excited about STEAM by engaging with a school garden. Current teachers will share their successes and pitfalls.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session is aimed at helping teachers see that school gardening provides a plethora of STEAM-based learning experiences from current teacher perspectives.

SPEAKERS:
Tain Curtis (Teacher: , UT)

This session will highlight a project that engages elementary and middle school-aged girls in citizen science focused activities. Come and learn how we developed equity and advocacy minded adolescents through place-based community activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to establish a collaborative program with community and business partners and engage in equity-supported STEM/STEAM Citizen Science focused activities.

SPEAKERS:
Kyana Young (Assistant Professor: Winston Salem, NC), Denise Johnson (Associate Professor: Winston Salem, NC)

Students are taught various scientific concepts that can be applied to a plethora of global phenomena. It is important to connect these concepts to local environments. Learn about a CER investigation that engaged students with thinking about mosquitos and global warming in their neighborhood.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of this session, attendees will have an example of a CER investigation that ties big picture concepts and phenomena to a student's local environment. This investigation can be seen as a framework and modified to fit different phenomena while still allowing students to think critically.

SPEAKERS:
Alexander Eden (Florida International University: Miami, FL)

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)

We have worked with more than 40 current and future K-8 teachers across our state as part of a PD and curriculum project. We used a place-based approach to explore marine science, climate change, and the NGSS. We will share our PD model and strategies for successful implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will present an overview of our PD model, which provides a series of workshops on climate change, marine science, and the NGSS K-8. Attendees will have access to our growing database of NGSS-aligned grade-level specific science lessons exploring marine science and climate change.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Madden (The College of New Jersey: Ewing, NJ)

The All-Atlantic Blue Schools Network is a network of schools in 15 countries lining the Atlantic Ocean Basin. The goal is to connect schools internationally around ocean literacy and conservation. Learn more about current and future activities, and how your school can be involved.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will be introduced to the All-Atlantic Blue Schools Network, examine examples of successful work, and learn how to become involved.

SPEAKERS:
Meghan Marrero (Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry Campus: No City, No State)

Experience a lesson where students take on roles of stakeholders while engaging in guided research, discussion, and designing solutions to address algal blooms in Florida. Plans, protocols, and templates for student work and collaboration will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn a strategy for guiding students to research and generate solutions an environmental issue that impacts various stakeholders in different ways. I want attendees to see the need to teach skills related to research, discussion, and consensus building.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Kuninsky (Science Teacher/Instructional Coach: Lawrenceville, GA)

Learn how we engage students in STEAM learning through a garden club, school garden, and pollinator conservation project. We will share helpful tips on university-school partnerships like the one we established to create an outdoor learning space and school garden.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to get students outside in an engaging effective learning environment and what to do with them when you are out there. Student experiences like “I like garden club because everybody is kind and open to help and teach you things like which plant is what and how to pick certain foods.”

SPEAKERS:
Rita Hagevik (The University of North Carolina at Pembroke: LAURINBURG, NC), Michelle Parslow (Student)

Learn how we use the 3-H Learning Cycle and our school garden to teach integrated STEAM lessons in our early childhood classrooms. This approach incorporates hearts-on, hands-on, and minds-on learning to address children’s social and emotional needs. We will share STEAM lessons and tips.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the 3-H Social and Emotional Learning Cycle, our favorite integrated STEAM garden-based lessons, and tips for effective and safe outdoor learning with young children (K-2). How to encourage students and families to get outside and make community connections in outdoor spaces.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Trundle (Utah STate University: No City, No State), Shannon Rhodes (Teacher: Logan, UT)

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)

Research shows that writing enhances learning outcomes. In place of long research papers, low stakes writing was incorporated in an online geoscience course. This presentation will demonstrate various strategies to incorporate low stakes writing in an online course to facilitate learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Low stakes writing assignments (worth a small percent of the final grade) are a great way to increase student engagement with the material, apply topics to a student's local area, increase critical thinking and improve scientific writing skills.

SPEAKERS:
Christa Haney (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS)

Nothing is better than learning new strategies that you can take back to your classroom/school that enhance literacy and engage English language learners in science. This session will introduce you to four or more new strategies that promote speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Educators will

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will acquire four or more essential teaching strategies for ELL's that they can use in their classroom to enhance literacy and engage learners.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Rowland (ESOL Department Chair/ ESOL Teacher)

Exploring Monarch Butterflies in Science and Art

TAKEAWAYS:
This quick session will introduce insects to a class designed for both Science and Art.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY)

This USDA funded project aims to develop diverse rangeland grazing systems to optimize ruminant production, reduce environmental impacts, enhance biodiversity, and improve overall health. Schools and communities partner through gardening programs to develop scientific ways of thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about a sustainable agricultural research program that utilizes garden-based and social and emotional learning through the 3-H learning model. We build science capital through an integrated STEAM curriculum, children’s literature, outreach booths, citizen science, and videos.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Trundle (Utah STate University: No City, No State), Rita Hagevik (The University of North Carolina at Pembroke: LAURINBURG, NC)

Our problem based learning project ‘Impacts to biodiversity on campus,’ merges scientific inquiry and hands-on, authentic experiences. We share our unit sequence, materials and methods, and finished products as well as the intangible benefits such as class camaraderie and appreciation for science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the unit sequence, materials and methods, and finished products of our problem based ecology unit, as well as intangibles such as class camaraderie, enthusiasm and appreciation for the challenges of science.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Jenkins (Rabun Gap Nacoochee School: Rabun Gap, GA)

Join us on an exploration to see how teachers used citizen science web camera projects and ArcGIS Storymaps to engage their students in the question: How is Earth’s water like a community well? Lesson materials, resources, and assessments will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to engage their students in citizen science research and explore access to Earth’s water resources through ArGIS Storymaps.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Scott (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA), Kelly Moore (Berrien High School: Nashville, GA), Miranda Simmons (Mary Persons High School: Forsyth, GA), Natalie Sumner (Secondary Science Teacher: Forsyth, GA), Lacey Huffling (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA)

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)

In this session we will share our model for sustainable and inclusive K-5 STEM teacher leadership, drawn from experiences working with teams of teachers and administrators. This work is part of an NSF-funded capacity-building initiative in preparation for a larger project which seeks to develop a robust cadre of Master Teacher Fellows. Our model for STEM teacher leadership is unique in that (1) it is focused on STEM learning at the K-5 level; (2) it centers equity and inclusivity in STEM teaching, and (3) it takes place within the context of a state that recently adopted K-12 climate change standards. We will first share the model and how it came to be. Then, we will provide examples of ways in which STEM teacher leaders can lead innovation within and across many contexts including schools, communities, professional organizations, and through social media.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will share a model for sustainable and inclusive K-5 STEM teacher leadership and examples of ways to leverage the assets of these leaders to bring about innovation in schools, communities, and society at large.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Taylor (Assistant Professor of Special Education), Helen Corveleyn (Hopewell Elementary School: Hopewell, NJ), Melissa Zrada (The College of New Jersey: Ewing, NJ), Lauren Madden (The College of New Jersey: Ewing, NJ)

In this session we will explore the way that open source tools and techniques can be used to bring citizen science to life in your classroom. This will be a whirlwind session where examples from the tools will be shared as will results of these tools from classroom implementation and how these data

TAKEAWAYS:
A set of tools that will expand the participants knowledge base for implementing citizen science in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Jabot (SUNY Fredonia: Fredonia, NY)

Hear experiences of implementing a Project Based Learning approach, based upon the Sprocket AP Environmental Science Curriculum, to increase engagement for diverse learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to modify the Sprocket PBL curriculum to create culturally responsive teaching and learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Pavic (Glenbrook South High School: Glenview, IL)

Want to make phenomena come alive for your students? Well use live animals for your phenomena! In this session, Samuel Pruitt will show how to use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) teaching strategy and an array of live reptiles as phenomena to teach biology and environmental science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) and live animals in biology and environmental science phenomena can provide critical to learning and can be motivational to students. This session will blend the CER teaching strategy with the interest that comes from using live reptiles in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Samuel Pruitt (Biology/Environmental Science Teacher: , GA)

How do we prepare our youth of today to become tomorrow’s future leaders and decision makers? In this presentation, we will explore a Marine Science course designed to instruct students through experiential learning in our changing world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore a Marine Science course designed to instruct students through experiential learning in our changing world.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Dushay (High School Science Teacher)

Explore free hands-on, inquiry-based learning activities using real national and local data and models to explore how to clean, conserve, and manage local fresh water resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will: 1. explore geographic, social, political, and environmental concepts and problems related to their watersheds; 2. use maps, models, and simulations of their environment to learn the factors involved in interacting with and protecting water in their surroundings; and 3. investigate a

SPEAKERS:
Carolyn Staudt (The Concord Consortium: Concord, MA)

Learn how teachers empower students in leading year-long science investigations to address community environmental challenges using computational thinking (CT). We’ll give an iWonder overview, dive deep into the iWonder questioning process, and highlight CT integration and student action projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will learn how our teachers have used computational thinking to empower students in developing and refining observation based questions into a year-long science investigation that addresses environmental challenges in their community.

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

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)

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)

First Green is a free, innovative, environmental and STEM education outreach program using golf courses as environmental learning labs. Golf Course staff host grades 4-12 students who engage in site-based, hands-on learning activities related to golf course agronomy, technology, and ecology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how First Green activities increase student engagement and learning and receive information regarding contacts and scheduling a First Green field trip from Leann Cooper, Senior Manager, Chapter Services, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Hodgdon (Richmond Hill Middle School: Richmond Hill, GA), Leann Cooper (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America: Lawrence, KS)

This session will prepare educators to facilitate the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides, a set of eight free digital guides inspired by the UN SDGs. The guides support a student-led experience where youth become action researchers in their local communities. Through a process where young people explore global issues in their local spaces, youth discover their own knowledge and feelings, investigate to understand more about an issue, and take self-determined actions. The presentation will model opportunities for transdisciplinary research, with an emphasis on student choice. Following their own curiosity, young people can explore and connect to their own communities using scientific investigations by collecting and analyzing data from their local environment. The session will culminate with ways to support youth action-taking. Presenters will discuss how to help young people to channel their passions and interests into actionable plans to make their communities better.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students can be engaged and included through an approach that centers their own identity and expertise and uses STEM investigations to solve sustainability problems relevant to their local and global communities.

SPEAKERS:
Carol O'Donnell (Smithsonian Science Education Center: Washington, DC)

Join us as we explore how NOAA Teacher at Sea can bring stimulating ocean science content to the classroom through a wide range of technology and media applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA Teacher at Sea provides numerous cutting-edge strategies to make ocean science accessible to students such as Google Cardboard and various VR applications to utilizing NOAA Teacher at Sea’s rich ocean science resources.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

Engineering instruction can empower students to address complex societal issues. See students investigate how nutrient pollution impacts ecosystems and their communities, and apply earth and life science concepts to develop and optimize a plan to reduce excess nutrients in a local watershed.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how expanding engineering instruction beyond building simple prototypes can increase students’ interest and stretch their ideas about the role of engineering in society.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Gifford (Monomoy Regional Middle School: Chatham, MA), Shawn Stevens (GBH Education: Brighton, MA)

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)

Practical solutions to socio-scientific issues often require the synthesis of scientific, social, economic, and political dimensions. Learn how to support student sensemaking about these issues by linking the science practice of argumentation to the social studies practice of democratic deliberation

TAKEAWAYS:
Since communities use scientific evidence as well as socio-political considerations to make decisions about socioscientific issues, lessons need to support students in analyzing scientific data about an issue and then integrating this analysis with sociopolitical perspectives to deliberate solutions

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Forsythe (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)