Join us at the Georgia World Congress Center for an opening reception to mark the start of NSTA Atlanta23! We’ll keep it casual—meet new colleagues and greet returning friends while enjoying beverages and small bites and a photo opportunity with keynote speaker—NASA Astronaut, Dr. Megan McArthur. The event is complimentary and open to all registered conference attendees. Immediately following the reception, McArthur will share her thrilling experiences while working on the International Space Station in an inspirational fireside chat facilitated by NASA’s K-12 Education Advisor Cindy Hasselbring.

Calling all yoga enthusiasts. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, schedule time to join Jasmine for a gentle warm-up; traditional vinyāsa-style yoga (balance poses, core, strength building); deep stretching for hips and hamstrings; and, of course, meditation for relaxation and de-stressing. Beginner friendly!

Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to see and do at an NSTA conference on science education? Join us for an interactive exploration through the conference app and NSTA’s social media. By the end of the session, you will know just how to get the most from your conference experience in addition to bu

Join us for our inaugural Teacher Voices Keynote Panel, moderated by Dr. Stephen Pruitt, President of the Southeast Regional Education Board (SREB). Panel members—three inspiring, passionate educators from various parts of the country—will share engaging and inclusive strategies for humanizing science education, drawing on their own teaching experiences to fuel the discussion.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Aragaki, Autumn Rivera (Glenwood Springs Middle School: Glenwood Springs, CO), William Stockton (Arlee High School: Missoula, MT)

As part of the SCAFFOLD project, district science coordinators develop and implement strategic plans. In this session, coordinators will share their experience with this process and faculty will share ideas for supporting the development of your own strategic plan.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about strategic planning and gain support for developing their own plan.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Julie Luft (University of Georgia: Athens, GA)

In this session we will look at how engaging students in the practice of Developing and Using Models over the course of a unit can be used for different purposes. Participants will experience building a consensus model and reflect on how building a class consensus model is an important step in ensuring that all members of the learning community can contribute to the knowledge building and that ALL students have access to the ideas the class agrees moves the understanding forward. We will also highlight how models are a powerful way to uncover new questions students may have, requiring students to dig for a deeper understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Developing and using scientific models allows all students to be integral members of the knowledge-building community.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Hereau (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

We will share how we implemented current educational research to create a learning environment that supports learners of all abilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand the educational research supporting a shift away from traditional grading and describe methods of implementation that address issues of equity, differentiation, peer interactions, and more.

SPEAKERS:
David Frangiosa (Pascack Valley Regional High School District: Montvale, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Experience Simulation Curriculum’s award-winning Starry Night Curriculum featuring classroom-ready, standards-based, interactive lesson plans. Covers grades K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 with engaging simulations, jaw-dropping interactions, activities and comprehensive teacher support resources!

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Let’s explore several intervention strategies to help struggling students in STEM. Let's move beyond differentiation and scaffolding. Come learn other proven intervention techniques to help students. Let’s modify our traditional outreach to connect with students so that they gain greater understandi

SPEAKERS:
Stacey O'Connor (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

High quality instructional materials are essential for equitable access to science, but materials are only the start of the instructional journey! Examine the importance of YOUR role as a teacher in leveraging NGSS-designed curriculum to inspire your students to figure out phenomena.

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

Discover BIOZONE WORLD - a new platform bringing all our digital resources together for easy access and delivery. Incorporating BIOZONE’s eBooks with our rich collection of presentation slides, 3D models & curated videos, it provides powerful options for delivering your high school science programs.

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Start your day with the Discovery Education team as they take you on a high energy and hands-on immersion into the wonderful world of Phenomena!

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

What's so phenomenal about phenomena? Join the Savvas science team for an engaging, hands-on workshop as we explore the purpose of phenomena, the power of using it to drive your instruction, and the way it will support your students as they bring their own life experiences into your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jessi Davis (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: LaMotte Company

Water is the single most valuable resource essential for life on Earth, yet is subject to increasing scarcity, pollutants, and overuse. The Tapwater Tour curriculum make the real-world connection between the phenomena explored in the lesson and actual hands-on laboratory activities.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Evans (Kent County High School: Worton, MD)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Asking questions and defining problems provides students with an authentic and meaningful entry point into science and engineering. Experience a puzzling chemistry phenomenon and learn how to elicit, organize, and revisit students’ questions so that students feel ownership over their own learning.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Marmolejo (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT)

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

The persistence of laboratory incidents injurious to high school students demonstrates the need for work towards implementing strong safety cultures in our school science labs. Please join us to learn about simple things you can do to make the laboratory a safer environment for your students.

Sponsoring Company: Great Minds

In this workshop, participants are introduced to a 5th grade module on Earth Systems to uncover a new process for developing models in science and see how the communication of ideas through models and sketches increases opportunities for student engagement.

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Join us as we use Simulation Curriculum’s Layered Earth to investigate Geology including Plate Tectonics and Meteorology including Weather & Climate using our amazing interactive Earth simulator to engage and excite students!

Sponsoring Company: Bozemanscience.com, Inc

Paul Andersen will demonstrate how to use targeted mini-lessons to explicitly teach the concepts (CCCs) and practices (SEPs) of the NGSS. You will learn the main elements of an effective science mini-lesson and be provided examples of mini-lessons to deliver to your students. For grades K-12.

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Engage in strategies to help your English Learners (EL) population make sense of science concepts and apply their science knowledge to real-world applications. We will explore a variety of strategies for differentiating instruction so that ELs can build their ability to communicate science concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Stacey O'Connor (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Suzan Morris (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

How can a phenomena-based NGSS curriculum promote sensemaking in science and also support language development? See how embedded supports in well-designed instructional materials, along with teachers’ best practices, can create a successful science learning environment for Multilingual Learners.

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Scientific literacy is vital to economic and public health and security. How can we respond to forces that undermine public understanding and trust in science. We will then explore online resources and individualized teaching strategies that can overcome these challenges in our classrooms.

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

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Explore the teacher’s side and experience the student side of our IDE. While engaged in an OSE lesson we'll explore the Teacher Edition’s and its structure while also experiencing the different features that students have available to use in their interactive student edition.

SPEAKERS:
Jen Gutierrez (IntegratedSTEMk12, LLC: Chandler, AZ)

Sponsoring Company: Estes Industries

Empower your students to become confident problem solvers by providing hands-on STEM experiences that improve their resilience and motivation through trial and error. Build a free rocket with us and walk away with great strategies to use in your classroom!

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Bayeur (Estes Industries: , United States)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Built exclusively for Florida, learn about the Discovery Education K-8 Florida Science Program delivers active science lessons designed based on the Statewide Science Assessments. Pre-registration is required and a light lunch is served first come first serve. Pre-register at bit.ly/de-at-nsta-2023

This session is intended for secondary science teachers with multilingual learners (MLLs). MLLs bring important science ideas that contribute to learning. This session will emphasize meaningful language instruction for all students and provide ideas for how to support emergent multilingual students.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will engage with meaningful examples of teaching techniques to support higher-level thinking for all students, especially multilingual learners. These examples can be implemented in any secondary science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Monica Davies Davies (AVID curriculum Developer: , WA), Angela DiLoreto (Bellevue School District: Bellevue, WA)

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)

Does your PLC need some TLC? Come learn new strategies and approaches to enhance your professional learning community (PLC). In this workshop, participants will reflect on their previous PLC experiences, learn about the components of a community of practice (CoP), and walk away with specific strategies to revitalize and bring meaning back to their PLCs. “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly,” (Wenger-Trayner, E. & Wenger-Trayner, B., 2015). Workshop participants will explore how to make their PLC not just another group planning session, but rather a dynamic community where members work towards specific goals for themselves and their students by incorporating elements of a CoP. By the end of this session, participants will have specific strategies they can take home and implement immediately with their PLCs.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this workshop, participants will reflect on their previous PLC experiences, learn about the components of a Community of Practice (CoP), and walk away with specific strategies to revitalize and bring meaning back to their PLCs.

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

Calling all diverse and experienced educators that impact students and their community. Learn how to win up to $10K with Shell sponsored teacher awards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Collaborate with past winners and judges to learn how to start your winning application for the Shell Teaching Awards. We'll walk through the application step by step and you'll be able to begin your application or nomination form live.

SPEAKERS:
Martha McLeod (Aransas County ISD: Rockport, TX), Amanda Upton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

We have developed a flexible, equitable assessment strategy that can be applied to all levels, grades and courses, that keeps students engaged and accountable. Even better, it can be scaled: used by an individual or by an entire district. We call this the Learning Progression Model.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand how learning progressions are used to assess student learning, provide descriptive feedback, set goals, evaluate teaching, and report out achievement.

SPEAKERS:
Elise Naramore (Pascack Hills High School: Montvale, NJ)

How can we provide access to learning to ensure students can succeed in today’s learning experience? We will look at the practice of scaffolding instruction in science and use classroom examples that can be transferred into your classroom. Q&A to follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
The practical use of instructional scaffolds and the supporting strategies to increase access to student learning in science.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Longenberger (Washington County Public Schools: Hagerstown, MD)

Make manageable, meaningful changes in the classroom with free tools to help you communicate the nature and process of science, while integrating NGSS SEPs. Explore strategies for modifying your current instruction, such as the Science Flowchart interactive journaling tool. Bring a laptop/tablet!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will reflect on and refine their own models of the nature and process of science and gain experience with using materials, tools, and interactives from the Understanding Science project to support their classroom teaching on this topic.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Barent (Lincoln Public Schools: No City, No State), Anastasia Thanukos (University of California Museum of Paleontology: Berkeley, CA)

You’ve heard it said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Well, 3-D teaching and learning are “The Big Stuff” in science education. Join us for a 100% hands-on session of data collection, data analysis, and data discussion.

TAKEAWAYS:
The attendees will do a data collection activity on the cooling rates of water vs. isopropyl alcohol. The biggest takeaway will be an understanding of the importance of the structural properties of water--namely its polarity--and will apply this understanding to how water allows for life to exist.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Lukens (Retired Science Teacher: Sioux Falls, SD)

COESEE - Join us to learn more about assessment of elementary science learning using elementary learning stories.

TAKEAWAYS:
Creating student learning stories can help support assessment in elementary classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Ewing (The Charles A. Dana Center: No City, No State)

Sponsoring Company: Great Minds

In this workshop, participant explore parts of a 4th grade module on Energy to see how hands-on experiences and other modes of discovery enable students to build knowledge and gather personally meaningful evidence to support their scientific explanations.

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

N/A

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

Sponsoring Company: The National WWII Museum

When students investigations began with a real story from history, with true situations and high stakes, science learning can be everything we want it to be. Learn about using our free activities to teach science the NGSS way, and integrating science. literacy, and social studies.

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

The NGSS calls for a shift from knowing to doing. This includes analyzing real-world data and using that analysis to create models. Join us as we talk about tangible classroom strategies that meaningfully improve students' skills with data and receive the award-winning game, CHARTY PARTY!

SPEAKERS:
Julianna Jimenez (Stile Education: Los Angeles, CA), Hailey Vogel (Head of Teaching and Learning: Los Angeles, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Phenomenon Science Education

We will explore what phenomena are through hands-on activities specific to your grade band. We will look at examples and non examples of phenomena and use criteria to figure out the differences.

SPEAKERS:
Joshua Smith (Phenomenon Science Education: Amherst, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Engage in a PRIME lesson to see modeling scaffolds that support student discussions and literacy strategies in the context of science. Experience incorporating academic language in written responses and oral discourse in conjunction with investigations using an interactive word wall.

Sponsoring Company: TCI

Join TCI in this interactive session to learn how to integrate language skills while guiding students in developing their science knowledge.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Thomas (TCI: Mountain View, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Learn how Discovery Education supports Texas educators with a Texas 2-Year Science Package that is fully aligned to TEKS and includes Mystery Science. Pre-registration is required and a light lunch is served first come first serve. Pre-register at bit.ly/de-at-nsta-2023

Stories from Chemical Insights Research Institute’s “research to impact” process will be shared from their work on a variety of emerging technologies and topics such as 3D printing emissions, an economical approach to improving indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discuss how “research to impact” is or might be used in their schools and collaborate to create their own research to impact story they can share to engage students in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Cristi Bell-Huff (Research Manager), Holley Henderson (Chemical Insights Research Institute: Marietta, GA)

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)

A school's MTSS focus is often on math and literacy skills and scores, leaving some science teachers to wonder, "How does my science classroom fit in MTSS?". In this session, we will explore ways to identify students that need Tier 2 science supports and provide them with the assistance they need.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science teachers can utilize formative assessments, unit planning, and creative engagement strategies to provide their science students with Tier 2 support, (regardless if the school building provides an intervention period) resulting in improved student outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Moss (Northwest Area Education Agency: Sioux City, IA)

Learn from our experience as a math and a science teacher collaborating together to give our students an interdisciplinary learning opportunity so that you can start your own plan. We will share the logistics from this authentic inquiry-based project and you’ll hear testimonials from our students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be provided with one way to overcome logistical challenges inherent with interdisciplinary collaboration at the secondary level, including differing rosters & schedules. Furthermore, attendees will have the opportunity to start their own plan for their own interdisciplinary project.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Schneiderwind (Daniel C Oakes high school: Castle Rock, CO), Nadene Klein (Daniel C. Oakes High School: Castle Rock, CO)

Come experience how leveraging complex culturally relevant societal challenges as phenomena in 3D teaching and learning supports student motivation and engagement. Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model develops student agency within and beyond the classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages complex societal issues as anchoring phenomena/problems, culminating tasks, and performance assessments in 3D units of instruction to motivate students and develop agency in addressing these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Engage your Forensics students with a few of my favorite labs, investigations, and activities! You will leave this session with ready-to-implement resources that you can use right when you get back to your classroom. (DOOR PRIZES)

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to engage their Forensics students with some of my favorite labs, activities, and classroom investigations.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Niblett (Teacher)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Discover hands-on activities using temperature probes and other Vernier sensors that will excite your students. See how age-appropriate, sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote scientific inquiry, build STEM literacy, and boost test scores.

SPEAKERS:
David Carter (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Looking for an engaging and innovative way to get your students to understand the meaning of a word? Experience ways to zoom in and zoom out of science content using a variety of differentiated strategies. Take these ideas straight back to your classroom for immediate use or for interventions.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Arnette (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Why is science discourse important? How does it impact improving equity in a science classroom? How do teachers implement this strategy? Learn the answers to these and other questions as you explore engaging (STCMS) lessons from the Smithsonian. Leave with resource materials.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Professor Michael Wysession will use a modern revision of an ancient concept (the Japanese “Ikigai”) to help teachers take a deep look at their teaching careers and (potentially) rediscover the balance of rewards (personal, societal, financial) of the teaching profession.

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

Sponsoring Company: Legends of Learning

Have fun building a catapult to launch cows and learning about trajectories. After this presentation, you’ll walk away with techniques to bring an engaging gaming experience to your classroom, which your students will explore science and engineer practices through.

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Using the storyline approach, a logical sequence of lessons motivated by students’ questions arising from their interactions with phenomena, we’ll navigate through the OSE model using the five routines to help students achieve the objectives and actively work through the sense-making process.

SPEAKERS:
Jen Gutierrez (IntegratedSTEMk12, LLC: Chandler, AZ)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Looking to level up your teaching and learning toolkits? Don't miss this highly-rated session! Join Discovery Education as we unveil seven things that you didn’t know about your FAVORITE science learning platform, and one thing you probably did! Pre-register at bit.ly/de-nsta-2023

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

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

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

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)

You just graded a quiz or test and you need to analyze and share that information with stakeholders. Come learn how you can use mail merge to narrow the gap by providing personalized feedback with students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the features available with mail merge and obtain a template excel file for data analysis to be used for a mail merge in their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Tiffany Shoham Jones (Science Instructor: Conyers, GA)

The path to science leadership is not always a clear and direct route. Join us as we share our path to science leadership and the numerous options for supporting teachers and leaders in promoting high-quality science instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. An understanding of the science leader’s role in putting the pieces of the NRC Framework together for a coherent science program; 2. Ways to strategically plan and prioritize professional learning based on system and individual teacher needs; and 3. Developing a strategic and personal plan to adv

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Morgan (Georgia State University: Atlanta, GA), Tonya Woolfolk (Houston County Schools: Perry, GA)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

If you're using STEMscopes (or wanna-be), this session is for you. Come see the most popular digital curriculum during this session. Discover assessment packages, streaming videos with activities, coding with app building, hands-on engineering projects, STEM teacher certification, and much more.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Spaeny (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Suzan Morris (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Susan Arnette (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

How do crosscutting concepts link the ideas and practices of science across different domains and over time? We will show you practical examples to see how crosscutting concepts provide a foundation for student sensemaking of phenomena and problems. Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Come hear how you can easily and effectively incorporate nature of science in your lessons through numerous strategies and examples.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Join Discovery Education, Mystery Science, and Pivot to unlock student-centered, inquiry-based learning opportunities that transform your ordinary science lesson to a phenomenal experience for students in a fun escape activity! Spots are first come first serve; pre-register at https://bit.ly/de-at-nsta-2023

Sponsoring Company: Kognity

Come experience the best of pedagogy and technology for your high school science classroom! Our digital-first platform is designed for real-world application, elevating students’ natural curiosity about the world around them through the investigation of real-world phenomena.

Sponsoring Company: Propello

In this workshop, Propello's team of NGSS curriculum experts will provide an overview of the cross-cutting concepts, how they help students make sense of science phenomenon, and share tips and techniques for embedding cross-cutting practice into all of your science lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Justice Ejike (Educator), Lisa Thayne (Lead Program Manager, Science: Murfreesboro, TN), Julie Waid (Propello: Austin, TX)

Sponsoring Company: ExploreLearning

This interactive session will explore a digital interface that develops models to capture students' thinking when designing and testing solutions to real-world problems. We will immerse ourselves in solving a puzzling STEM Case to develop a model and use it to optimize a solution.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Chiota (Learning Designer), Jared Jackson (Director of Production: Decatur, GA)

Sponsoring Company: Werkz Publishing Inc.

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Gullotti (US Lead Sales Team & Trainer), David Gentry (Stem Teacher: , NC), Amanda Hightower (4th grade Math and Science: , NC)

Join us for a sneak peek of WILD HOPE, a new series of short films from Tangled Bank Studios highlighting the intrepid changemakers who are working to restore and protect our planet. Each half-hour episode inspires audiences with stories of bold interventions, unexpected alliances, and nature’s resilience. Dinner and drinks and discussion will be provided. The screening is free but please REGISTER to attend. Link to Registration page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hhmi-night-at-the-movies-nsta-2023-tickets-514907130087

SPEAKERS:
LaShawn Duckett (Director of Meetings: Arlington, VA)

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)

There is a big push for SEL in the classroom for the benefit of students...but how can this be leveraged for teachers? I'll share several SEL strategies for the science teacher to implement for themselves to prevent burnout.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will have a variety of SEL strategies that they can choose from and use immediately in their daily routines to help themselves avoid teacher burnout.

SPEAKERS:
Nadene Klein (Daniel C. Oakes High School: Castle Rock, CO)

Experience how the new BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model creates learning experiences that motivate students with significant, real world phenomena and problems! Learn how AIL anchors cycles of inquiry and sensemaking, culminating in student explanations/design solutions!

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages authentic phenomena/problems to anchor cycles of inquiry and sensemaking. This approach provides instructional coherence from students’ perspective, equitable access, and motivation for ALL learners.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Let your students take the lead in classroom CSI. Learn the teacher foundation and guideline to help your students use their creativity to create a real-sized crime scene. Then they will apply forensic techniques learned throughout the year to solve the case.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create an environment for student-created faux crime scenes and then student driven investigations to solve the crime. This end of the year activity incorporates multiple forensic content applied to support conclusions that solve the case.

SPEAKERS:
Tobie Hendricks (Walton HS: Marietta, GA)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Experience Simulation Curriculum's newest addition - Interactive Anatomy & Physiology - for grades 9-12. See the jaw-dropping interactive anatomy simulator with its 40+ lesson plans, simulations and images along with complete teacher resources.

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

BIOZONE's innovative interactive worktext approach is a departure from traditional textbook learning, providing flexible, engaging, student-centred resources. Teacher Toolkit helps teachers plan, deliver and assess NGSS and AP programs. Attendees receive a FREE print copy and a 1-year eBook license

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Take on the role of a consultant for NASA to design a system to model a rocket launcher. This challenge will highlight tools to support Gender Equity, Economically Disadvantaged Youth, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, and Advanced and Gifted Learners.

SPEAKERS:
Jessi Davis (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

N/A

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Spaeny (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Ashley Mathis (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Susan Codere (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University, Retired), Cory Miller (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Joseph Krajcik (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education - Pivot Interactives

As teachers, if we limit science practices to ‘lab days’ are we missing opportunities? Find new ways to effortlessly integrate the science practices, like asking questions, using models to generate data, carrying out investigations, and analyzing data, into all parts of the instructional cycle.

Jumpstart your career search at the NSTA Job Fair! NSTA is excited to host this inaugural event, featuring dozens of school districts, private academies, universities, and informal science institutions looking for qualified, dedicated educators to join their teams. Come explore options, gather information, and interact with representatives about current and future employment opportunities. Free to all who have registered for NSTA Atlanta23.

SPEAKERS:
LaShawn Duckett (Director of Meetings: Arlington, VA)

Do your secondary learners crave new online experiences? Join these three secondary educators in sharing three digital tools for engaging students in science learning aimed at physical science and biology classrooms. Digital learning that's engaging, immersive AND relevant? Is it possible? Imagine your learners exploring virtual field trips about local research, places, and communities! Learn how you can use Infiniscope's Tour It to create customized immersive field trips with 360 degree spaces and media hotspots using just your computer and a smartphone. DIY Digital Lessons: Create Custom Online Lessons for Your Learners Create interactive digital lessons that students can explore anytime. From single lessons to multi-unit courses, you can build a library of digital content that can be used at scale, increasing accessibility. Embed assessments, collect data and guide your learners with customized real-time feedback. Engaging Online Science Students in Lab Experiences I will share my experiences transitioning from 18 years in the physical classroom to teaching science 100% online in 2022. I will describe how I invited students to collect data, sent lab materials home, conducted lab demos over zoom, engaged in videoconferences, and had students do "kitchen" labs.

SPEAKERS:
Melanie Narish (Senior Learning Designer: Mesa, AZ), Sina Kirk (ASU: Tempe, AZ), Jessica Swann (Arizona State University: Tempe, AZ)

Join these middle school educators as they share strategies to support students in modeling their ideas in the classroom.

Model Your Anchor Phenomenon Early and Often: A Strategy for Sensemaking
1. Have students make an initial model based on prior knowledge and assumptions about the natural world. *Predict. Wonder. Be wrong!* 2. Dedicate time for students to continually revise their models as they acquire more evidence and content understanding. 3. Watch the lightbulb turn on!

Read Alouds: Developing Literacy and Thinking Skills in Science
Read-alouds are a valuable strategy for introducing nonfiction text, articles, and current events to students that can also promote deeper understanding, higher-level thinking, and increased engagement. Learn how to prepare and implement read-alouds in your science class.

Flippity: A go to versatile tool to increase engagement
Flippity can "easily turn Google™ spreadsheets into flashcards and other cool stuff." This session will highlight three go to interactives to increase student engagement with one another and with content. Consider bringing a device to practice creating one or two of these cool things. Hacking the Secret Garden with 3D eLearning Experiences Elementary preservice teachers and students hack the science of school gardens and digitally present details of garden-based phenomena that meets NGSS 3D learning.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Wise (American Community School of Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Jeff Thomas (University of Southern Indiana: Evansville, IN)

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)

Big Lessons from a Little Worm focuses on how to introduce the model organism, c.elegans into the classroom. Using c.elegans in the classroom has the potential to introduce inquiry-based labs, student-led research and much more. This presentation will highlight a chemosensation lab.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to run a chemotaxis assay, learn about GPCR signaling, and neurobiology and will learn how to introduce this lab into the classroom. Participants will learn the basics in working and maintaining worm stocks in their lab

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Monahan (North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: Durham, NC)

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

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

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

In 2020, educators transitioned to remote and blended learning, changing their instructional strategies overnight. In this session we will use our new toolkit and the SAMR model to revive and reinvent STEM lesson plans for our modern classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with research-backed strategies to revive their old lesson plans, access to lesson plans ready to use in the classroom on Monday morning, and a new perspective for how to use technology to strengthen instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Candice Chambers (North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: Durham, NC), Morgan Pittman (North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: Durham, NC)

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

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

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

Sponsoring Company: School Specialty - FOSS

Students need to experience and make sense of relevant science phenomena that connect to and define standards—a challenging task for teachers. Learn strategies for providing direct experience with phenomena, guiding students to constructing explanations, and developing models with the FOSS program.

SPEAKERS:
FOSS Project Staff (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Brian Campbell (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

The number 1 sensor in most science departments is the temperature probe. Probes make it easier for students to quickly and reliably collect data so they can spend more time making sense of it. Come to this session and meet, "The Lord of the Probes"!

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Elementary students deserve science! Experience a research-based approach to teaching science that leverages the mutually supportive aspects of science and literacy, and explore how this approach can help you increase instructional time for science while also meeting ELA goals.

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Help students develop a better understanding of mole ratios, stoichiometry, and limiting reactants through this hands-on activity using household chemicals and a Wireless Pressure Sensor.

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

We will explore the ways in which a curriculum built around the Covid-19 virus can help students to explore some of the most basic processes in biology. The emergence and spread of this virus will be used to demonstrate important principles in evolution, genetics, molecular and cell biology.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller (Brown University: Providence, RI)

Sponsoring Company: Kendall Hunt

Anchored Science by Mi-STAR is a middle school science curriculum motivated by a vision for the future in which science including engineering practices is taught and learned as an integrated body of knowledge that is applied to address societal issues. Attend this session to learn more.

SPEAKERS:
Teresa Rockwood (Science Curriculum Specialist: , TX)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Looking for ways to increase student ideas in the development of investigative phenomena? We will work in collaborative teams to develop a driving question board. Let’s discuss the types of phenomena and how they can be used effectively in the STEM classroom. Bring relevancy to students’ lives!

SPEAKERS:
Suzan Morris (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Take your instruction to Mach 10 with student-centered, inquiry-based learning opportunities from Discovery Education and Mystery Science that will activate background knowledge in the first 30 seconds of your lesson. Seats first come first serve; pre-register at bit.ly/de-nsta-2023!

Students may lose confidence in science skills when inconsistencies are not addressed. Our project shows that students can feel success by understanding measurement error, identifying ways to reduce measurement error, and analyzing the impact of those modifications.

TAKEAWAYS:
This project will demonstrate educationally and statistically significant impact of a piloted, experiment-based measurement error lesson. Attendees will take home tips for addressing inconsistent data to foster student success.

SPEAKERS:
Alexandria Martin (Student: , SC), Tiannah Green (Student: Warrenville, SC), Hannah Smith (Student: Warrenville, SC), Darneisha Hughes (Student: Warrenville, SC), Destiny Ramos (Student: Warrenville, SC), Janiya Dunbar (Student: Warrenville, SC), Alexis Wren (Student: Warrenville, SC), Samantha Brosnahan (Aiken County Career Cente: Langley, SC), Vivian Swearingen (Student: Warrenville, SC), Sophia Taylor-Davis (Student: Warrenville, SC), Aubria Johnson (Student: Warrenville, SC), Jose Rodriguez (Student: Warrenville, SC), Atticus Lull (Student: Warrenville, SC), Savannah Manning (Student: Warrenville, SC), Chassity Williams (Student: Warrenville, SC), Kayleigh Thigpen (Student: Warrenville, SC), Katherine Roberts (Student: Warrenville, SC), Christie Palladino (Teacher: Warrenville, SC)

Students in K-12 science classrooms don’t think about diagrams the same way adults do, and can be easily “overloaded.” Research in cognition gives us tools to make science diagrams that more effectively support learning. Surprise: often, students learn more without features like arrows and colors!

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective diagrams direct student attention to the most important information and relationships while minimizing cognitive load. Strategies for doing so include tree structures, explicit cues for implicit information, replacing realistic photos with illustrations, and use of the proximity principle.

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Rabi Whitaker (Academy for Young Writers: Brooklyn, NY)

The Science Teacher Residency (STaR) Program was launched in 2018 in response to the need to expand access to high quality professional development for science teachers in Arizona. It is designed for third through eighth grade teachers from Title 1 designated schools, and provides instructional tools and resources to participants for free. The program is designed around its Theory of Change, which involves four facets: pedagogical approaches, content learning, access to expertise, and materials and resources. The program is externally evaluated by the Lawrence Hall of Science. Data on content knowledge level, fascination level, interest level, and intention to pursue science will be featured on the poster. Our target audience is for professional development providers.

TAKEAWAYS:
STaR expands access to high-quality teaching practice in science education for Arizona teachers. PD facilitators can obtain new ideas for research-based implementation of pedagogy, content learning, access to expertise, and materials and resources.

SPEAKERS:
Brenna Chambers (Manager of Professional Learning), Judith Lozoya (Professional Development Facilitator: Phoenix, AZ), Jennifer Petersen (Professional Development Facilitator: Phoenix, AZ)

For 90% of Earth history, there was no fire. Fire made humanity and civilization. Now fire so endangers us that we must repower without flame. Energy system transitions make history. What can we learn from past transitions? What does the future hold? Can we reframe how we talk about climate change?

TAKEAWAYS:
In climate change education efforts, we should talk more about fire as it’s both the root cause of modern climate change and was effectively nonexistent for the first 90% of Earth history. This reframing helps people see the issue in a new light, and has the potential to engage broader audiences.

Have you wondered how to teach the Nature of Science in an engaging way? Do you know that there are free accessible websites to help. Come see how a few simple activities that allow students to access the other dimension of the NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Come away with free resources of Nature of Science activities. In addition learn the backed research principles that make this dimension of NGSS vital for scientific literacy.

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

NSTA provides a wide array of professional learning services for teachers, science specialists, and administrators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to bring NSTA professional learning services to your school, district, or organization (face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid).

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Queer people have been and are still marginalized in science and the world. Come learn simple tricks and strategies to affirm and represent LGBTQIA+ students in your classes. Teachers and teacher leaders of all grade ranges are welcome, but especially middle and high school educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to affirm and represent queer identities so students feel safe, supported, and inspired to engage in science. Attendees will learn simple yet impactful methods to create classrooms that acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of their students.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Kubiak (The Bronx High School of Science: Bronx, NY)

The Light Up! Lab will have participants building their own series and parallel circuits with low-cost items, including aluminum foil, paper clips, 9-volt battery, and Christmas lights. In the Transfor-Mation of Energy Lab Stations, participants will be provided with ways for students to investigate the transfer of energy through conduction, convection, and radiation. Using metal ball bearings, paper, and aluminum foil, they will create shock waves in the Shock ‘Em Lab. The relationship between magnetism and the movement of electrical charge will be explored through the experience with the Tinsel demo, and the Magic Soda Can demo. Soda cans, and balloons will help explain the abstract idea of the movement of an electrical charge and the build of of static electicity will make an electric field that will make a piece of tinsil float above a pie tin. We will also have on hand a Van de Graaf generator to explore electric fields and fun, engaging ways invite student interest.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will teach you have to do fun and engaging labs and demonstrations on a shoestring budget. All lab and demonstration ideas will cover topics and themes in both NGSS and GSE Physical Science under the theme of electric currents and electric fields.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Rowe (Teacher: Summerville, GA), Christopher Tallent (Chattooga High School: Summerville, GA)

Teaching literacies in your secondary classroom is not typically on top of your to-do list, but they are equally important, so we will share how we build various literacies into our lab reports. Strategies will be backed by cognitive and science education research and rubrics will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to develop, implement, and evaluate a lab report utilizing various literacies and a deeper understanding of the Nature of Science.

SPEAKERS:
Althea Roy (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Tiffany Jones (South Cobb High School: Austell, GA)

This session highlights the importance of argumentation surrounding explaining meaningful phenomena and their centrality to a 3-D learning approach. The session will equip teachers to implement such learning experiences in their classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
The importance of argumentation around meaningful phenomena and how to implement learning experiences that engage students in argumentation around phenomena in the service of sense-making and learning DCIs, SEPs, and CCs.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Hutner (The University of Alabama: Austin, TX)

Learn about 10 Disciplinary Literacy Essentials from science leaders in Michigan. We will share successes and challenges of working with the disciplinary literacy essentials in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
NGSS-aligned science learning can leverage the disciplinary literacy essentials.

SPEAKERS:
Wendi Vogel (Kent Intermediate School District: Grand Rapids, MI), Mary Starr (Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network)

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Sponsoring Company: School Specialty - FOSS

The convergence of language, literacy, and science lands squarely in the science and engineering practices. Engage in a hands-on learning experience and discussion as we explore strategies and tools that support student engagement in the practices and focus on literacy and language development.

SPEAKERS:
Diana Velez (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), FOSS Project Staff (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Propello

Learn how to seamlessly embed scaffolds and supports to assist special populations (English learners, Special Education, Gifted/Talented) in NGSS phenomenon-based science lessons. Walk away with support ideas you can use in your classroom right away.

SPEAKERS:
Justice Ejike (Educator), Lisa Thayne (Lead Program Manager, Science: Murfreesboro, TN), Julie Waid (Propello: Austin, TX)

Sponsoring Company: American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

To effectively collaborate, problem-solve and be active in their own thinking/learning, students need to develop an understanding of themselves, their environment, and their impact on the future. Join us for a hands-on learning experience connecting food, agriculture, and science.

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Have you wanted to implement a Project-Based Learning unit in your classroom? Multiple Literacies in Project-Based Learning (ML-PBL) provides interdisciplinary science units for Grades K-5. Experience hands-on lessons that are enjoyable and intellectually satisfying for the teacher and students.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Spaeny (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Susan Codere (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University, Retired), Joseph Krajcik (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Cory Miller (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Join us as we explore how Discovery Education supports Science Georgia Standards of Excellence and educators using phenomena to drive instruction is to help students engage. Pre-registration is required and a light lunch is served first come first serve. Pre-register at bit.ly/de-at-nsta-2023

Join NSTA staff to learn about how Toshiba America Foundation wants to work together with teachers who are looking for a better way of doing the right thing through engagement in STEM action projects.

Money for Your STEM Ideas
Toshiba America Foundation wants to work together with teachers who are looking for a better way of doing the right thing through engagement in STEM action projects.

SPEAKERS:
Acacia McKenna (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

This is session #4 in the PL Committee CCCs Pathway and is designed to support K-12. The crosscutting concepts provide a consistent language for student communication. When teachers’ assessment prompts are designed with the crosscutting concepts, the focus of student thinking can be directed to different aspects of the phenomenon or, the system being investigated. Patterns may be used as evidence to support explanations or arguments for the causes of a phenomenon. Participants will explore the progression of Crosscutting Concepts throughout a student’s K-12 career. They will consider phenomenon and discuss several appropriate prompts that bring different CCCs to the forefront (patterns, scale, systems). Participants will engage with the process of developing assessment prompts which use the Crosscutting Concepts to initiate student sensemaking responses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participant will leave with resources that guide their development and use of Crosscutting Concepts to focus student sensemaking on assessments. These can be integrated with assessments prompts which are aligned to Science and Engineering Practices and Disciplinary Core Ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Leah Litz (Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium: No City, No State), Christopher Soldat (Grant Wood Area Education Agency: Cedar Rapids, IA)

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

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

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

Join the News Literacy Project and science literacy subject matter expert Melanie Trecek-King as we cast light where the “sun don’t shine”! In this session, educators will become learners as they debunk the social media trend of perineum sunning using Trecek-King’s FLOATER toolkit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Subject matter expert Melanie Trecek-King will team up with NLP staff to facilitate a session exploring the FLOATER toolkit using the Checkology® lesson “Evaluating Science-Based Claims.” Attendees will then be challenged to debunk a trendy health claim—that perineum sunning increases energy levels.

SPEAKERS:
Melanie Trecek-King (Massasoit Community College)

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Kipp (Texas A&M)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

A decomposing corpse is found in a field. Four possible missing persons fit the description. But who is it? Using clues near the scene will help determine identity. Forensic anthropologist Diane France helped to develop this free middle school and high school forensic science lesson.

Sponsoring Company: School Specialty - FOSS

Investigate phenomena and experience how students collect data, engage in sensemaking discussions, and construct explanations in FOSS lessons. Experience strategies that build student agency and promote scientific thinking and discussion by using science notebooks.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Campbell (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), FOSS Project Staff (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Looking for ways to get your middle schoolers excited about science? We can help. Explore ways that Vernier technology can engage students in hands-on STEM learning and help them learn about important scientific concepts, including temperature, light, friction, and grip strength.

SPEAKERS:
David Carter (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sponsoring Company: Bozemanscience.com, Inc

Paul Andersen will model best practices of science instruction including: modeling instruction, argument-driven inquiry, phenomenon-based instruction, and the SEPs contained in the NGSS. Special consideration will be given to the CCCs as a thematic and practical lens to drive scientific inquiry.

Sponsoring Company: hand2mind

Looking for a flexible, hands-on, standards-aligned program that engages students in scientific learning? Come experience phenomena-based learning with Investigating Everyday Phenomena! Explicit, ready-to-implement lessons easily fit into your classroom routine, and kits include hands-on materials.

Sponsoring Company: Propello

Teachers will learn practical ways to take baby steps or giant leaps towards a student-centered, inquiry-style classroom while guiding effective, engaging learning.

SPEAKERS:
Justice Ejike (Educator), Lisa Thayne (Lead Program Manager, Science: Murfreesboro, TN), Julie Waid (Propello: Austin, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education - Pivot Interactives

Teachers know that students are engaged by active learning, but creating active learning environments and opportunities take time, expertise, equipment, and supplies. Let’s explore interesting ways to engage students with MORE active learning and “doing science” throughout the learning cycle!

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

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

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

Global Education prepares students for our changing, challenging, and increasingly-interconnected world. This session provides an overview of Global Ed, then explores how STEM teachers can incorporate Global Ed into their practice by thoughtfully leveraging educational technology.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a foundational understanding of global education, ideas for how global ed can be integrated into their already existing lessons, knowledge of edtech tools that are ready to support global ed in their classrooms, and access to resources to learn more.

SPEAKERS:
Greg Schwanbeck (Westwood High School / Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Bring the analysis and fiber to life through a classroom court case. As students learn the forensic significance of hair and fiber evidence, they must defend their conclusions with evidence through court

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will provide materials and guidelines for bringing forensic analysis of hair and fiber to a classroom court case. Students apply their microscopic analysis to either prosecuting or defending their client. Students love it.

SPEAKERS:
Tobie Hendricks (Walton HS: Marietta, GA)

The sand session returns! Sand is ubiquitous, unique, and addresses physical science, earth/environmental science, art, history . . . and more! Free sand/resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sand contains clues to weathering/erosion, transportation, and more! Free classroom samples and online resources make classroom sand activities fun and easy with identified NGSS PEs, DCIs, CCCs, and SEPS. ABC charts organize students’ incoming knowledge and documents progression in learning.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Clary (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS)

Sponsoring Company: School Specialty - FOSS

Join us for a hands-on experience and discussion as we consider the assets of our diverse students and how to leverage their funds of knowledge in science and engineering. Receive a toolbox of strategies the FOSS Project developed for educators to support universal access.

SPEAKERS:
Diana Velez (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), FOSS Project Staff (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Attendees will explore disease modeling through the use of ZOMBIES!

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

This session will focus on the developmental (not academic) gaps that the past few years of learning are likely to have caused and provide multiple strategies to address those inequities. Like Maslow's model shows, we must address the deficiencies before we can expect growth.

SPEAKERS:
Ramy Mahmoud (Savvas Learning Co.: Paramus, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: The National WWII Museum

When you use real problems and stories from history to begin investigations, STEM naturally happens. Starting with problem-solving your students will naturally engage in the science and engineering practices while learning about history, and practicing disciplinary literacy

Sponsoring Company: Studies Weekly

Learn how to use phenomenon and inquiry to promote equitable talk and provide accessible entry points for all students during science class by using lesson design techniques such as concept building, student-driven inquiry, neutral prompting, localized vocabulary introduction, and processing time.

SPEAKERS:
Clayton Chamberlain (Studies Weekly: Orem, UT)

Sponsoring Company: Stile Education

Teaching has always been challenging, and a pandemic has only exacerbated the struggles of educators and widened pre-existing gaps. Join us for our session to discuss how teachers can leverage cross-curricular strategies to increase participation, engagement, and outcomes in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Julianna Jimenez (Stile Education: Los Angeles, CA), Hailey Vogel (Head of Teaching and Learning: Los Angeles, CA)

Sponsoring Company: TCI

In this hands-on session, we’ll conduct a Bring Science Alive! investigation that gets students engaged in explaining phenomena and solving problems like real-world scientists and engineers.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Thomas (TCI: Mountain View, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Discovery Education, Inc.

Join Discovery Education, Mystery Science, and Pivot to unlock student-centered, inquiry-based learning opportunities that transform your ordinary science lesson to a phenomenal experience for students in a fun escape activity! Spots are first come first serve; pre-register at https://bit.ly/de-at-nsta-2023

Gradebooks can be a powerful tool for communicating student learning with students & families. Using open-source lessons, I will share a gradebook build design I have used to offer a fairer, comprehensive record of student learning with three-dimensional standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gradebooks are not a "necessary evil" for 3D learning. You will see a model gradebook and complete an example analysis of student work and practice with a gradesheet.

SPEAKERS:
Kerri Wingert (Good Question Research: Boulder, CO)

Marginalized groups have been historically overlooked in the typical classroom. Normalizing the classroom includes a shift in educator mindset, language, and behavior. What does this look like in a science classroom, often led by non-marginalized teachers?

TAKEAWAYS:
Culturally responsive tools to implement in your classroom right away

SPEAKERS:
Bridget Sparks (Princeton City Schools: No City, No State), Rashanna Freeman (Princeton High School: Cincinnati, OH), Melinda Cottrell (Princeton High School: Cincinnati, 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)

This session will go over formative assessment techniques that will improve student participation and reflection. A year long study performed on this homework technique indicated 99% student homework completion and an over 80% reattempt rate on assignments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with the knowledge of how to create formative assessments to increase participation and reflection in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
James Evans (Professor of Chemistry)

An online network learning environment (ONLE) is one built and run by instructors and educators to create a network for students and their PLE's (personal learning environments). ONLE strategies allow for collaboration and enhanced learning communities. Strategies such as creating a participatory web environment, widget and social-network linkages, and use of IvfoViz will be explored. This style of learning supports both constructivist and connectivist learning theories. Explore a model lesson using these strategies. Be ready to walk away with ways to include these strategies in your own lessons whether you have in-person or online students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to infuse ONLE strategies in your lessons which support various learning needs and enhance collaboration. These strategies support in-class and online learners. Discover how they can support your students.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Williams-Clermont (Science Teacher), Nikki Gutierrez (Science Teacher: No City, No State)

As we support students to make connections between science and their lives, we help make the science more clearly relevant and authentic to them. Increasing the relevance of science for students can also mean that there is an increase of experiences, concerns, and perspectives that get shared in the classroom. For many of us, these types of discussions in our classrooms may be new leaving us feeling unprepared to handle them. In this session, we will be sharing strategies for managing potentially difficult conversations in the classroom. We have consulted with educators outside of science – such as social studies educators – who have experience with managing difficult conversations and asked them about strategies they use when a topic might elicit conflicting views. We will also draw on relevant literature. To best consume this variety of strategies, we will have participants jigsaw the strategies and share out overviews and examples of how and when the strategies could be supportive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a set of strategies they can implement to manage difficult discussions. These strategies have largely been gathered from educators outside of science but are used in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Ewing (The Charles A. Dana Center: No City, No State)

The intent of the National Quantum Initiative is to increase awareness of quantum in grades K-12. The Quantum for All project has focused on the challenges of this initiative by working with high school STEM teachers and students. We will discuss the challenges, successes, and resources available

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about QISE national standards and resources available for their classroom

SPEAKERS:
Karen Matsler (University of Texas Arlington: No City, No State)

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)

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: No City, No State)

STEM careers are for ALL students! Learn how to bridge the gap between STEM careers and classroom spaces by exploring proven strategies for hosting STEM professionals in your high school classrooms! Walk away with a complete engagement guide written for high school teachers, by high school teachers!

TAKEAWAYS:
Through the lens of equity and inclusion, participants will explore tips for sustained classroom-based STEM career exposure success (both in-person & virtual), including: selecting and preparing speakers, planning an engaging classroom visit, and maintaining relationships with STEM professionals.

SPEAKERS:
Tehmina Khan (Science Department Chair: Stratford, CT), Michelle Pearson (Adams 12 Five Star Schools), Kristen Record (Bunnell High School - National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY): No City, No State)

In this session, the teachers will start out by receiving a detailed explanation of what makes an effective infographic for the classroom. We will then work through several examples of high-quality infographics and how they can be used in the classroom. When the session is over the teacher should leave with multiple lesson ideas and a better understanding of infographics in the classroom and how their addition to the classroom can increase student understanding and engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
The teacher will leave with a better understanding of infographics and how to use them as a tool within the classroom curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Rob Lamb (Pattonville High School: Maryland Heights, MO)

Find out how to modify your current instruction to better communicate the true nature and process of science using tools from the Understanding Science website. Help students recognize science as a dynamic, exciting, creative, and intensely human endeavor!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use two resources from the Understanding Science project: an interactive journaling tool to document the process of science and stories that make the nature and process of science explicit, both of which address NGSS SEPs and reflect NSTA’s 2020 position statement.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Barent (Lincoln Public Schools: No City, No State), Anastasia Thanukos (University of California Museum of Paleontology: Berkeley, CA)

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

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

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

Through the reflective process students have the opportunity to grow as learners. Using this contemplative tool, students develop a deeper understanding of their own learning process and how to grow as a result of the reflection.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will receive a tool to support student growth as learners and contemplate applicability to their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Bonebrake (The Summit Preparatory School: Springfield, MO)

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Ager (Chemistry Teacher)

Sponsoring Company: National Science Foundation

Join the National Science Foundation as we share professional development opportunities for teachers within the federal government and hear from Presidential Awardees about their experiences and benefits received from the PAEMST program.

SPEAKERS:
Gianluca Grignoli (NSF Event Lead: Philadelphia, PA)

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)

Starting with a 3D learning target will ensure you build a lesson that includes a strong connection between Disciplinary Core Ideas, Science and Engineering Practices, and Cross-Cutting Concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will create 3D learning targets and outline lessons that guide students through sense making instruction as they explore scientific content.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Suarez (Northwest ISD: Fort Worth, TX), Courtney Toht (Northwest ISD: Fort Worth, TX)

Do you want your students to see themselves as scientists? Learn about an innovative approach to promoting equity in your classroom by having students research scientists and researchers in your field to discover unsung heroes in science!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn how one science teacher modified a national project and competition to reach students in her marine science classes and help build a set of women and people of color who have contributed to our understanding of the world around us.

SPEAKERS:
Tami Lunsford (Newark Charter School: Newark, DE)

Promoting scientific literacy is a critical 21st century skill for all students to obtain, but it can be challenging to incorporate this into your classroom due to time constraints and content coverage concerns. We use a variety of readily available, free resources to help students develop the skills associated with the NGSS Science Practices 1, 4, 5, 6, & 7. In this session, we will model this process by having educators complete one of the data activities together and discuss possible ways to scaffold and differentiate for students. We will also provide student examples of work from our classrooms in order to show educators what to expect and how we implement them.. Educators will leave with copies of several activities that are ready to implement in their classrooms, including tips for differentiation, student self-assessment and extension activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science requires data analysis skills and critical thinking skills. These skills are part of the Next Gen Science Standards (NGSS) as well as state science standards. How do we promote these skills in our students? How do we teach these skills? We will share our strategies!

SPEAKERS:
Emily Boatwright (Wren High School: Piedmont, SC), Mary Dillingham (Wren High School: Piedmont, SC)

Help bridge representation gaps by giving students the opportunity to see themselves and their cultures reflected in STEM. We'll share standards-aligned stories from history to incorporate into your lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a better sense of why inclusive representation matters; 2. consider how STEM is a human achievement, built by people of all backgrounds; 3. learn about historic figures that are not taught in traditional settings to get started in creating a more inclusive, diverse STEM picture

SPEAKERS:
Katie Busch (The University of Alabama at Birmingham: Birimingham, AL)

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)

Three High School Committee members will share effective strategies to establish a sensemaking culture on the high school classroom based on the Framework for K-12 Science education and the vision of NGSS. Attendees will engage in reflection and discussion focused on applying these strategies to their context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies to begin to lay a foundation for a sensemaking culture in your High School classes!

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Bahr (Harvard Public Schools: Harvard, NE), Wendy Binder (Program Director, STEM Professional Learning: Arlington, VA)

Join High School educators to learn about student collaboration, using website interactives, and engaging students with authentic data.

How science really works: Enhancing instruction with the Science Flowchart interactive
Find out how to modify your current instruction to better communicate the dynamic process of science using an interactive tool from the Understanding Science website. Help students recognize science as a dynamic, exciting, creative, and intensely human endeavor!

Saving the Night with Citizen Science
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 solutions to light pollution.

We are All in this Together - Collaboration is Key
In this session, we will focus on the importance of student collaboration and how to incorporate student collaboration through sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Barent (Lincoln Public Schools: No City, No State), Anastasia Thanukos (University of California Museum of Paleontology: Berkeley, CA), Robert Sparks (NSF's NOIRLab), Justine Schaen (NSF's NOIRLab: Tucson, AZ), Elissa Blount (Vidalia High School: Vidalia, GA)

The topic of mRNA vaccines can introduce or reinforce ideas about central dogma (DNA->RNA->proteins) while challenging students to explore various vaccine misconceptions. Activities include an exploration of vaccine-preventable diseases and a timeline-building activity for mRNA vaccine development.

TAKEAWAYS:
mRNA vaccines, like other vaccines, help your immune system to fight infections in order to prevent severe illness. mRNA vaccines are unique in utilizing your cell’s own machinery to evoke a targeted immune response.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanne Chowning (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: No City, No State), Hanako Osuga (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center), Regina Wu (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Seattle, WA)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Come learn how to use effective literacy strategies so that students can better understand science content. Student understanding and critical-thinking skills will improve with these techniques. Join our constructivist approach that promotes literacy in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Suzan Morris (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Come learn about co.lab, an interdisciplinary course designed by Leyden teachers that includes Biology, Global Studies, English, Health/PE and Digital Literacy. Discover how we use our 4 period block of time in a traditional school day to reimagine how students learn and teachers collaborate.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away from this session feeling inspired to collaborate within and outside of their departments, with ideas and strategies on how to do so. They'll learn the power of exhibiting student work, and hear new ideas on how to do so on a grander scale.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Litzhoff (Leyden High School District 212: Franklin Park, IL)

A former national science fair judge provides insights on how good titles can improve the odds of winning at science fairs. The poster will describe what the parts of a "good" title are and how teachers can help your students create one.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn the components of how to create a good project title (from a research project on science fairs) and how to help their students develop a good title for their own project that is structurally similar to those used by scientists to describe their own research at conferences.

SPEAKERS:
G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)

Our High School Committee Poster will highlight the ways HS educators are creating a classroom culture grounded in Sensemaking for grades 9-12.

TAKEAWAYS:
What you can do tomorrow to flip your classroom so the HS student is the knower.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Bahr (Harvard Public Schools: Harvard, NE)

"Believe you can and you're halfway there!" There's a lot of buzz about self-efficacy, but what does it mean for a science educator? Come discuss how practices that focus on self-efficacy for both students and teachers can impact academic achievement, goal-setting, and resilience in your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Those that visit this poster will engage in conversation about what current research says about self-efficacy and K-12 science classrooms and will come away with resources to focus classroom practices on raising the self-efficacy of their students for performing scientific practices.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Rushing (PhD Candidate: , VA)

Empower students to playfully explore science through food and cooking. Explore the theoretical underpinnings that support sensemaking in the classroom and practical avenues for facilitating equitable and accessible learning through food and cooking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to authentically leverage food and cooking to make science concepts concrete in the secondary classroom which platforms individual student voices, experiences, and ideas.

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