Do you ever wish your lesson engaged everyone in the class? The readers, the mathematicians, the engineers and writers will all love these STEM and literacy lessons! In this session, you will learn how to mix and mingle - with read aloud books and STEM challenges, of course!

TAKEAWAYS:
When you leave this session, you will have a better idea of how incorporate literacy with STEM. I’ll be sharing STEM challenges that you can link to children’s books that you probably already have in your classroom! You’ll also learn some tips on how to create your own read aloud STEM challenges!

SPEAKERS:
Emily Gentile (STEM Teacher: Parker, CO)

This session disseminates learnings from an early-phase STEM project of the federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. A joint effort of the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) and Tracy Unified School District in California, the multi-year project centers on the development and implementation of integrated STEM curricular units to every student in each grade level, pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Developed by local teacher leaders, each 4- to 8-week unit centers on a design challenge, clusters the ETS and other NGSS standards related to that challenge, and requires students to develop a computational artifact as a part of demonstrating their learning. The project is enriched through the participation of community leaders who bring local industry experiences to students within each unit, and is supported through strategic work teams. Come see how this systemic reform is bringing equitable STEM experiences to all students PreK-12. Leave inspired with ide

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How one district approaches integrated STEM; 2. What an integrated STEM unit feels like; and 3. How one district supports and builds accountability for equitable STEM instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Reynolds (Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC): Boston, MA)

In this interactive workshop, you will use the NGSS K-2 Engineering Design Standards to integrate STEM into the storybook Mrs. Brown Went to Town and see how you can get your students excited about reading and science through engineering.

TAKEAWAYS:
Want to get your students excited about a story? Then have them be a part of the story and use their knowledge of materials and engineering to help Mrs. Brown! In this interactive session you will get to design and test your engineering project based on the storybook Mrs. Brown Went to Town.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Hill (Wicomico County Public Schools: Salisbury, MD), Anna Ball (Wicomico County Public Schools: Salisbury, MD)

This workshop will cover technology tools for teaching essential elementary science concepts and topics to students through virtual field trips. Generally, teachers use in-person field trips to expose students to otherwise inaccessible learning resources. In some cases, such field trips come with prepared teaching materials that can be used to connect the content to important science concepts. However, teachers also need to know about technologies they can use for field trips when it is not possible for students to travel to the site due to unexpected bad weather or pandemic, or long distances. During the workshop, teachers will receive resources for virtual field trips to enhance virtual science instruction and student learning. These resources have shown the potential to aid teachers in engaging students in virtual field trips.

TAKEAWAYS:
With appropriate educational technology integration and carefully planned lessons, teachers can seamlessly shift their classes to virtual field trip instruction during unexpected school disruptions without sacrificing student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
John Ojeogwu (Student: Charlottesville, VA)

Rocketry is a learning pathway - not an "event". Join Dr. Cassondra Zielinski as she takes you through the process of space-settlement design in a K-5 school. This session concentrates on designing a space settlement using paper and Lego through the SDG Sensor Kits. This is session 1 of 3.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session participants will understand how to combine NGSS, Mathematics, Art, and Technology by using a hands-on approach through space settlement design, creative lesson planning, and student interest. Participants will implement their own ideas into new lessons just like the K-5 students.

SPEAKERS:
Cassondra Zielinski (Mountain View Elementary School: Marietta, GA)

Engage in teacher play with us and ponder how light sources and open-ended materials entice children to grow executive function skills as they construct systems that produce unique images.  

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in teacher play as they handle light sources and open-ended materials and receive a handout to help them get started in preparing an environment for independent STEM experiences that can be offered daily in their PK-2 classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Beth Dykstra VanMeeteren (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

Teachers will begin the session by sharing their current understanding/practice of incorporating play in the classroom by using a “fishbowl” sharing strategy. Then they will learn the three types of play: free play, guided play, and games. They will run through a few scenarios and determine which type of play is occurring during that scenario. Teachers will then review questioning-types that could be used to help guide free play to move it toward guided play. Teachers will work in teams scripting a teacher's questions to match a given play scenario. After teachers have shared, they will have a chance to put their work in action by engaging in four guided play stations. The four stations will focus on measurement, parts of a bug, buoyancy, and engineering. Teachers will brainstorm guided questions as they play. They will have a chance to share out major takeaways using a modified four corners strategy. We will have a reflection whole group.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore strategies that enhance children's STEM learning during play in order to extend and support current play and science activities in the classroom.

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

Learn how to integrate the engineering design process and environmental education to engage students in this unit designed for upper elementary students! Participants will complete the Ocean Cleanup Challenge from the perspective of a student and learn about the Trashion Fashion Challenge.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will learn how to increase student awareness of ocean and land pollution through hands-on STEM challenges. They will also learn how to connect relevant, real world topics that matter to promote student voice.

SPEAKERS:
Meghan Marrero (Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry Campus: No City, No State), Johanna Vasquez (Trinity Elementary School: New Rochelle, NY), Terri Agravat (Trinity Elementary School: New Rochelle, NY)

Project-based learning, a strategy used in STEM education, improves student outcomes across racial and socioeconomic backgrounds and reading and language proficiency levels (LER, 2021).

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience project based learning while working to solve a real world problem.

SPEAKERS:
Falicia O'Mard (K-12 District STEM Coordinator: Suwanee, GA)

Discover how to build a STEM curriculum from the ground up, from ideation to final product. Design an alarm to protect your stuff, meet the STEM Quality Framework and 50+ free STEM units from Pre-K to High School, and explore amazing resources from the Dayton Regional STEM Center and DoDSTEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the process of designing a high-quality STEM curriculum including; standards alignment, evaluation and improvement of curriculum and implementation within the classroom, along with a library of free, currently available unit plans and resources.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Carey (Xenia Community Schools: Xenia, OH)

Learn about the new NASA Next Gen STEM activity Sparking Participation with Real-world Experiences (SPARX), launching in school year 23-24. Explore this exciting opportunity and experience hands-on lessons from the SPARX portfolio - Priority Packing for the Moon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with an understanding of what resources will be necessary on a mission to the Moon, a knowledge of NASA SPARX, and an activity to ignite students' interest in STEM through space exploration resources.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Sebastian (Education Coordinator), Martha Lopez (Education Coordinator: Houston, TX)

Empower our students to be solutionary thinkers with “think local, act global” as an important theme in student centered instruction. Create engaging 3D, phenomenon-based opportunities through a social justice lens and harness local and global community partnerships to deepen student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create a solutionary approach to lesson planning connecting local and global environmental issues in California and Africa, while enhancing SEL. Using the 3D5E DO-KNOW-THINK Learning Sequence, teachers create STEAM-centered lessons for engagement, interdisciplinary active learning, and empathy.

SPEAKERS:
Marie Gorman (STEM 4 Real: San Francisco, CA), Jacqueline Lafitte (Teacher: Hayward, CA), Leena Bakshi (STEM4Real: No City, No State)

This STEM activity includes reading a book and involves one-hour lessons over seven days. Student groups design, build, test, and analyze parachute models.

TAKEAWAYS:
Student groups learn that the engineering design process and the scientific method are circular processes as they design, build, test, and evaluate a parachute model then improve it.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Cunningham (Purdue University: West Lafayette, IN)

STEM is a way of thinking and engaging in STEM skill-building activities can help students become better STEM thinkers. Every student benefits from these opportunities, but access is not equitable. Experience STEM skill-building activities that can be done with students of any age in any classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of this session, participants will understand why it is important to provide opportunities for every student to develop STEM skills and simple ways to engage students in STEM thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Dodie Resendez (Region 4 Education Service Center: Houston, TX)

Learn how you can give students an opportunity to use science concepts and skills to figure out how or why a natural phenomenon happens. This instructional approach also gives students an opportunity to use disciplinary literacy practices (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) during science.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to give students an opportunity to use science concepts and skills to make sense of natural phenomena, an opportunity to talk, read, and write in the service of sense-making, and ways to support students as they engage in real-world science while using literacy-based materials.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Explore how engineering benefits English learners as you engage in lessons designed to foster engineering, science, and language learning for elementary students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engineering activities can offer multimodal experiences for English learners that encourage their participation and contributions to the engineering classroom community and engage them in purposeful uses of language.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Cunningham (Museum of Science, Boston: Boston, MA)

Although the S in STEM is science, this doesn’t mean science equals STEM. What makes a lesson STEM? Using two captivating hands-on activities, we compare STEM and science through the discussion of the value of student failure, why student choice is important, and how to integrate STEM into your scie

TAKEAWAYS:
A STEM lesson includes the possibility of failure, the opportunity for student choice, while also incorporating science standards. STEM uses processes within all the subjects included in the acronym to deepen student understanding of the content while creating skills for lifelong learning.

SPEAKERS:
Chauntèe Pitts (Professional Learning Specialist), Lauren Kelly (Crowley ISD: Fort Worth, TX)

Inclusive Community Science Workshops in schools, libraries, and communities fosters STEM learning, creativity, innovation, and identity through play, making, and positive social interactions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about instructional innovations, resources, and ideas for enhancing STEM learning and teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Jerry Valadez (Fresno State and SAM Academy CSW)

What does equity look like in Elementary Science & Engineering instruction? Through this interactive experience, participants will explore the meanings of equity & diversity and examine strategies instructional leaders can use to increase equity in the elementary science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learners will leave with a clear understanding of three-dimensional science instruction, causes of inequity in science education, and applicable strategies instructional leaders & teachers can use to increase equity in science education in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Felicia Pratt (Atlanta Public Schools: Atlanta, GA), Warren Edwards (Atlanta Public Schools: Atlanta, GA), Lindiwe Ngubeni (Atlanta Public Schools: Atlanta, GA)

Model Eliciting Activities provide no-cost PBL, content area integration and an increase in computational thinking for students. Experience open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that reveal students’ thinking while considering constraints & tradeoffs in realistic problems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about PBL, called Model Eliciting Activities, as they experience them firsthand, analyze the required parts & hear about the research and successes it can bring to a diverse classroom. Teachers can formulate how to write their own and see the many integration areas possible.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Reynolds (STEM coordinator: Tallahassee, FL), Carrie Meyers (Curriculum Coordinator: No City, No State)

After being inspired by the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, participants will design their own musical instruments using “trash.” We will then learn how to add conductive materials to our instruments creating our own Garbage Band complete with music videos.

TAKEAWAYS:
While constructing their own musical instruments from recycled materials participants will explore conductivity as they use a variety of materials to create circuits adding to their Garbage Band experience. They will then learn how to make music videos via a green screen and iMovie.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Eades-Gill (Midland Trail High School: Hico, WV), Tiffany Pace (Cross Lanes Elementary School: Charleston, WV)

Create an electric car and race it against other participants’ cars. These cars are made using cardboard strips, paper fasteners, wooden skewers, tape and plastic wheels, in addition to motors and AA batteries, whose total cost is about $1.50.

TAKEAWAYS:
A car consists of a base, wheels, a battery, a motor and a drive system. Only one drive wheel is needed to propel the car, and the simplest drive system has this wheel attached directly to the motor.

SPEAKERS:
Jazlyn Mena (Castle Bridge School: New York, NY), Jody Hilton (P.S. 44 Marcus Garvey Magnet School of Engineering and Design and The City College of New York), Lacey Samsoe (Teacher: Brooklyn, NY)

Ever run out of time to incorporate science into your elementary school day? The workshop model can help you conquer that problem. This tried-and-true, research-based instructional approach provides a framework for fitting an engaging, effective three-dimensional science lesson into a 30-minute bloc

TAKEAWAYS:
The workshop model isn’t just for math and literacy—elementary teachers can use this instructional approach to fit effective, engaging, hands-on science lessons into their daily instructional routine.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Bodner (Cobb County Schools & GSTA Board of Directors)

Engage in a variety of activities, collect information and resources, and network with high school-level leaders. Discover new ideas and materials that you can use next week.

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will network with other high school-level science educators and leaders to discover and engage in activities that will expand their knowledge and be usable in all aspects of their work.

Engage in a variety of activities, collect information and resources, and network with elementary-level leaders. Discover new ideas and materials that you can use next week.

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will network with other elementary-level educators of science and leaders to discover and engage in activities that will expand their knowledge and be usable in all aspects of their work.

How do our youngest students learn best? BY DOING! Come and experience some of our favorite lessons that are part of our fully integrated STEM units. From low-cost and low tech to high tech, experience how we teach STEM in our PK-3rd grade classrooms and leave with lessons you can teach next week!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience several of our favorite early childhood STEM lessons and leave with access to multiple fully integrated and standards aligned STEM units.

SPEAKERS:
Diane Trout (Academy Specialist: Athens, AL), Jennifer Kennedy (SPARK Academy at Cowart: Athens, AL)

Participants will engage in STEM activities & strategies that will help their students apply the practices of science and engineering which can lead to solutions to real-world problems:. Hydroponics/Food Insecurity and the basics of Engineering Design will be highlighted for elementary grades 3-5.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will take away engaging STEM activities and strategies to help their students apply the practices of science and engineering to real-world problems.

SPEAKERS:
Tina Harris (Bedford North Lawrence High School: Bedford, IN), Carolyn Mohr (University Center of Lake County: Grayslake, IL)

Meet the needs of every multilingual learner in your STEM classroom with Digital Learning Menus such as Tic-Tac-Toe, Bingo, and Restaurant style choice boards. Templates, examples, and design tips will be shared. Extend Three-Dimensional Learning with a language and literacy focus.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how digital language and literacy learning menus give multilingual learners voice and choice in a STEM classroom while focusing on Three-Dimensional Learning simultaneously.

SPEAKERS:
Maria Cieslak (Center for Applied Linguistics: Washington, DC)

A successful Family Science Night is a perfect coming together of informal science learning, community support, and schoolwide excitement. Come find out how to start or step up your STEAM family program. Target audience K-12

TAKEAWAYS:
Setup steps for a Family Science Night for elementary or middle school using activities with phenomena to engage students modified for elementary, middle school, home school, afterschool clubs and summer camps.

SPEAKERS:
Amber Hoke (Chattahoochee Elementary School: Cumming, GA), Denise Webb (Coal Mountain Elementary School: Cumming, GA)

Participants will engage in real-world engineering challenges. Lessons are designed to apply scientific knowledge through problem solving solutions using everyday materials. Lessons embed the NGSS Practices and Cross Cutting Concepts to help foster a deeper understanding of engineering and content.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engineering Design is not extra, it can be part of everyday, standards-based lessons that expose students to real world problems.

SPEAKERS:
Michele Wiehagen (Hillsborough County Public Schools: Tampa, FL)

Schoolyards offer endless opportunities to engage students in three-dimensional learning within environmental education contexts. The teachers leading this workshop have direct access to a stream that served as the focus of the activities being shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
The activities and information in this workshop have been tested and will allow hands-on engagement by the participants while they learn ways to involve their own community and develop meaningful partnerships.

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

Explore a socially engaged approach to engineering as you interact with lessons designed to help students consider how engineering connects to their lives and impacts stakeholders’ communities and cultures.

TAKEAWAYS:
Socially engaged engineering situates engineering in its larger societal context and helps students recognize how a range of stakeholders benefit or are harmed by engineering solutions. Through such work, students develop empathy and perspective-taking as well as more robust solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Cunningham (Museum of Science, Boston: Boston, MA)

This session explores the ideas behind why inquiry science is necessary when teaching young children and how it can be incorporated into already busy schedules. The session will focus on the study of how living things adapt during the winter season, regardless of geographic location.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through presentation, discussion, and activities, attendees will have the opportunity to experience and learn how to develop a hands on scientific curriculum, and then how this curriculum can be incorporated into a classroom with young children.

SPEAKERS:
Erica Green (Bellows Free Academy Fairfax: Fairfax, VT)

A team of Primary and Lower School educators will share strategies for effective implementation of STEAM through the Design Thinking Process with students in grades Pre-K - 6. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience hands-on activities and gain experience with various technologies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to effectively implement various STEAM strategies with elementary students through hands-on activities, technologies, and literature.

SPEAKERS:
Tammy Felton (Instructor tech specialist: , GA), Amy Walker (Media Specialist: College Park, GA), Summaya Knight (Educational Technology Specialist: College Park, GA), Natalie Rachel (Woodward Academy: College Park, GA)

In this 60-minute workshop, practitioners will share best practices for engaging children in STEM learning. Participants will learn how to plan activities that invite children to explore, investigate, problem-solve, experiment, design and discover ways to improve STEM literacy and language.

TAKEAWAYS:
Workshop participants will participate in hands-on modeling of multidisciplinary best practices for engaging children in daily STEM learning.

SPEAKERS:
Meghan Marrero (Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry Campus: No City, No State), Amanda Gunning (Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry Campus: Dobbs Ferry, NY), Teresa Quackenbush (Mercy College: Dobbs Ferry, NY)

Research of informal science education institutions (ISEIs) documents the expansive and multifaceted ways that such spaces work in tandem with formal learning to support science instruction and lifelong learning (Kisiel, 2013). From a sociocultural perspective, ISEIs can be leveraged to include communities and celebrate the individual’s whole self in sense-making (Dawson, 2014; Warren et al., 2001). This presentation seeks to address the gap in ISEI opportunities for marginalized communities by sharing The Whynauts, a free virtual resource available for both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Using the Paleontology episode, the presenters will introduce the standards-aligned, interactive video series and engage attendees in hands-on, station-based activities. Attendees will learn how to adapt the video, educator guide, and supplemental activities for classroom use. Collectively, we will identify cross-curricular connections and discuss how to scale and differentiate the content.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain access to The Whynauts and explore ways to adapt the interactive video series and accompanying educator guides for use in teaching a variety of standards-aligned science topics.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Ratanapraphart (STEM Content Manager: Dallas, TX)

Join STEM teachers from Cobb County Schools as we share hands on STEM learning opportunities for students in K-5. This session will be set up in a share-a-thon format. You'll be able to visit multiple teachers and collect STEM lessons, ideas, and strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to network with elementary educators who integrate STEM practices into daily classroom instruction. These design challenges have been engineered to demonstrate mastery of core ideas and practices.

SPEAKERS:
Sally Creel (Cobb County School District: Marietta, GA)

Have you met Orville? He would really like to meet you and your students through the use of NASA Aeronautics lessons and activities in your PK through third grade classrooms. Come and experience NASA lessons appropriate for early learners and leave with your very own flat Orville!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn and experience NASA Aeronautics lessons that are appropriate for early childhood learners and will leave with NASA materials.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Kennedy (SPARK Academy at Cowart: Athens, AL)

Strong winds generated by hurricanes and tornadoes can lift the roof off a house. Use a model for the engineering design process that integrates the NGSS three dimensions to design a better roof.

TAKEAWAYS:
The NGSS student performance expectation addressed in this workshop is: 3-EES3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Ostlund (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

In this 60-minute workshop, practitioners will share best practices for engaging children in STEM learning. Participants will learn how to plan activities that invite children to explore, investigate, problem-solve, experiment, design and discover ways to improve STEM literacy and language.

TAKEAWAYS:
Workshop participants will participate in hands-on modeling of multidisciplinary best practices for engaging children in daily STEM learning.

SPEAKERS:
Teresa Quackenbush (Mercy College: Dobbs Ferry, NY)

Looking for a way to bring meaning to data collection and analysis? Join members of the Air Camp USA Team to see how to engage students in this hands-on approach to help your students think like scientists and engineers. Make predictions, test variables, and design your perfect straw rocket!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn hands-on strategies to help students develop measurement, data collection, and analysis skills they can apply in engineering design lessons. You will learn methods to differentiate this in any K-12 setting and leave with resources for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Shannon Coblentz (Director of Operations: Dayton, OH), Christina Davis (Air Camp USA, Inc.: Dayton, OH)