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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find out how to use explore-before-explain learning to flip the traditional teaching script and promote long-lasting understanding in physical science.

TAKEAWAYS:
How you do it—ready-to-teach lessons that use an explore-before-explain sequence to provide an experience that meet the Next Generation Science Standards and make interdisciplinary connections to the Common Core State Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

How can we use gravity to get electricity? This session showcases a physics/physical science unit based around the phenomenon of the Gravity Light - a small generator that uses falling weights to power an LED lamp. Students develop models and carry out investigations in electricity and magnetism.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave the session with lessons and resources to support them in teaching a three-dimensional, phenomenon-based unit where students perform hands-on investigations and develop models to understand the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

SPEAKERS:
Alan Cummings (Physics Teacher: No City, No State), Justin Harvey (Brookwood High School: Snellville, GA)

Examine how climate understandings are developed over the three courses in the OpenSciEd high school program. Discussions will revolve around incorporation of Earth and space science throughout the program and look closely at human impacts on various scales of Earth systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will see how climate understandings are built coherently across the OpenSciEd high school program while addressing social justice and equity. Various disciplinary lenses are leveraged across courses to explore how humans influence and are influenced by climate.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO), Nicole Vick (Northwestern University)

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)

Bridging the Gap between the School and the Community through STEM is a very promising strategy designed by the project investigator to increase active parent involvement in the education of their high school teen particularly to the students of chemistry 1 honors through take home STEM projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to pick up strategies to improve student learning through STEM and increase parent involvement in the education of their teens

SPEAKERS:
Maria Maderal (Chemistry Teacher)

Feeling timid about embracing the challenge of engaging students in fun and creative engineering design challenges? The presenter will share a method for structuring, scaffolding, and assessing student growth and learning during NGSS aligned engineering design challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engaging students in the engineering design process fosters life long skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Assessment of engineering design should focus on these skills rather than the overall success or failure of a student designed project.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Stasi (Retired Secondary Science Educator: , IL)

Explore STEAM with concrete, metal, polymers, and clay. Apply math & design concepts to many real-world examples. Supplies are cheap and students love destructive testing!

TAKEAWAYS:
Affordable labs exploring these properties of material categories and ways to adapt these labs for specific classroom needs while referencing real-world applications and iterative design.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

STEP UP is a national community of teachers, researchers, and professional societies. We design high school physics lessons to empower teachers, create cultural change, and inspire young women to pursue physics in college. Come learn about the free lessons, materials and supports for your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Research shows classroom teachers play a pivotal role in their students’ physics identity development. Learn about actions you can take every day to support cultural change in your classroom and the field of physics. We will share our resources to support you with these student-centered lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Murawski (Royal Oak High School (retired))

What is the purpose of technology? In this session we want to help you improve the time, effectiveness, and proficiency of curriculum planning, lesson delivery, and student engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
With these applications, tools, and helpful examples, we will show you how to speed up the process of curriculum planning, lesson delivery, and student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Felicia Poole (Wilkinson County School District: Irwinton, GA), Chivas Spivey (Educational Consultant: MACON, GA)

Describing, producing, and brainstorming the creative concept of Explainer Sheets as a way to engage all students and assess their understanding of the science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Bring the freedom of creativity into the everyday science lesson!

SPEAKERS:
Matt Brady (Atkins High School: Winston-Salem, NC)

This session will give a brief overview of how to use block-based coding, programmable robots, and data analysis to teach students concepts of physics/physical science in a fun and engaging way. We will also discuss how to adjust the level of the activities to meet the needs of different grades.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement block coding, robotics, and data analysis into their physics/physical science labs in order to reinforce students' understanding of motion, forces, momentum, and other mechanics concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Alan Cummings (Physics Teacher: No City, No State)

Get ready for the NGSS with ways to sequence instruction that promote long-lasting understanding for your students by using a simple yet powerful sensemaking approach: Explore-Before-Explain.

TAKEAWAYS:
Develop knowledge of important planning considerations covers becoming an “explore-before-explain” teacher and designing lessons that use the assets all students bring to learning science through inquiry-based approaches.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

Come discover how free, NSF-funded simulations and curricula from The Concord Consortium can add all three dimensions of the NGSS to your physics, physical science and chemistry teaching, with a special emphasis on the Science Practices. Bring a device and take away free resources!

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies in the use of simulations for 3D NGSS-aligned teaching

SPEAKERS:
Chad Dorsey (The Concord Consortium: Concord, MA)