Knowles Engineering teachers co-developed and piloted a scaffolded framework for integrating social justice into engineering design that we are excited to share with the NSTA community. Come ready to explore how to empower your science students through intentional engineering curriculum design!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will interact with examples of empowered engineering curriculum, as well as apply the framework to their own classroom. Teachers will leave with concrete ideas for how to incorporate more social justice work into their own engineering curriculum in manageable and expanding ways.

SPEAKERS:
Katey Shirey (edukatey: Washington, DC), Emily Berman (Global STEM Challenges Program)

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)

Experience two novel instructional routines supporting the integration of NGSS Crosscutting Concepts; learn how these routines can be used to foster belonging in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of how to use the CCCs to foster belonging in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Andrea Sau (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY)

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)

This session will introduce participants to a NSTA lesson designed to introduce high school students to cutting edge research on Artificial Intelligence. The lesson is designed around the critical aspects of sensemaking: students experience a phenomenon, engage in science and engineering practices and share ideas and to build and/or apply disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts needed to explain how or why the phenomenon occurs. Sensemaking is in the vision of A Framework for K-12 Science Education - “the doing of science and engineering is highlighted as a strategy that can capture students’ interest in science and motivate their continued study.” (A Framework for K-12 Science Education, pp 42-43). NSTA lessons and units provide opportunities for all students to engage in science learning that is meaningful to them

TAKEAWAYS:
The JHU Wavelength lesson introduced in the session provides opportunities for high school students to learn about cutting edge science research, figure out science ideas related to artificial intellligence, and consider how it could benefit their community.

SPEAKERS:
Rama Chellappa (Bloomberg Distinguished Professor: Baltimore, MD), Patrice Scinta (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Rama Chellappa (Johns Hopkins University: Baltimore, MD)

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can career and technical education support science learning? How can science support career and technical education? Student understanding of how science is integral to success in their chosen career pathway is critical in many CTE programs, but oftentimes these connections are overlooked.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will reflect on strategies for how to engage students in using scientific and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts in career and technical education courses. And participants will discuss how to engage students in developing college, career, and life skills in science courses.

SPEAKERS:
Bridina Lemmer (Illinois Science Teaching Association: Jacksonville, IL), Chris Embry Mohr (Olympia High School: Stanford, IL)

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)

As education professionals seek to engage with Tribal entities to support Youth, they need resources to help ensure that they are stepping respectfully and intentionally. Learn about an Un-guidebook, supported by 100kin10, to help non-Native education professionals engage with Tribal entities.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, STEM educators will know more about building relationship with indigenous communities, and how both formal/OST, educators can use the Un-guide to create the first steps of a relationship with Tribal entities in their community and better support Tribal learners, especially youth.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc: No City, No State), Melinda Higgins (U.S. Dept. of Energy - Fossil Energy & Carbon Management: Washington, DC)

The WISE (Women in the STEM Economy) Women NOLA Mentorship program is a robust STEM mentorship program designed to expose, engage, and inspire young women to enter STEM careers

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to develop, engage, and implement a STEM focused mentorship for high school aged young women through an education-business partnership.

SPEAKERS:
Daphine Barnes (GNO, Inc.: New Orleans, LA)

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 100% of the top ten fastest growing occupations between 2020-30 are STEAM-related professions! NOW is the time to leverage our students' learning tools to help them maximize their scientific literacy! Let's use what matters to them to inspire them!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn tangible strategies to utilize in their classrooms TOMORROW in order to appeal to their STEAM learners and inspire them to engage in STEAM content in meaningful, creative, and solution-oriented ways!

SPEAKERS:
Shaneka Bullins (Founder and Owner: , CA)

Learn about free NSTA resources that support integrating learning in Life Science, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence. Experience programming your own Artificial Intelligence device on your laptop. Discover the free professional learning resources available to support the lesson materials

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn code to program a simple dialogue with an AI Device. Discover how NSTAs free lessons authentically integrate Life Science, Computer Science, and AI. Learn about free professional learning that supports the lesson materials.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

What was once considered an insurmountable hurdle is becoming more real by the day. Strides are being made in the treatment and cure of both breast cancer and Type 1 diabetes. Join us and learn how to help your students better understand these diseases.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using real case studies, attendees will follow the journeys of a breast cancer survivor and a teenage Type I Diabetic, from diagnosis through treatment.

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

Students and presenters will share how they are making a positive impact in their community through interdisciplinary research and design thinking. During this interactive session you will learn how to teach students interdisciplinary research, interview skills and host a community showcase.

TAKEAWAYS:
It is hard for students to learn about complex problem such as climate change, water security through STEM fields only. By combining STEM research with other disciplines, students learning is deepened and it gives teachers a chance to collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines as well.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Birdsong (Monta Vista High School: Cupertino, CA), Kavita Gupta (Monta Vista High School: Cupertino, CA)

What does engagement look like in a physics classroom? Movement, noise, and fun! Learn about how you can include all students in your physics classroom. Take home a sample lesson plan on 1-D kinematics and learn more about project-based learning, cross-curricular lessons, and real-world designing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Make physics accessible to all learners by encouraging curiosity, creativity, and promoting equity, inclusion, and engagement through an exploratory instructional strategy.

SPEAKERS:
Tita Anderson Lovell (Paul Duke STEM High School: Norcross, GA)

Elders begin with storytelling that builds foundational knowledge, which leads to a familiar phenomena. This is followed by ongoing formative assessment that evaluates the progress during inquiry process. This, along with removing barriers to learning, results in an enjoyable, healing classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Construction of a rigorous, inquiry-driven, student-centered, culture-based classroom is demonstrated. With removal of the 10 most common barriers to learning, success is possible for all students. With the addition of humor and celebration, you will have a healing classroom that can change lives.

SPEAKERS:
Joel Truesdell (Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Campus: Keaau, HI)

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

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

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

How can you use science inquiry for engineering design? What makes a lesson "engineering design"? Learn three go-to teacher strategies for integrating engineering into science lessons for all grades. Leave with free resources, templates, and terrific ideas for confidently integrating the "E."

TAKEAWAYS:
You'll learn how to integrate the E without wasting precious science time by making three strategic moves: set up enticing phenomenon-driven challenges, grow student engineering identity through creative problem definition, and scaffold engineering tasks that require science investigations.

SPEAKERS:
Katey Shirey (edukatey: Washington, DC)

Are you looking to integrate discovery engineering design principles and historical case studies into your biology class? Attend this session to explore serendipitous, real-world stories that have influenced engineering discoveries and learn how to incorporate these ideas in your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants attending this session will explore historical case studies describing discovery engineering stories and learn how to integrate case studies as interactive, data driven activities for students to learn biology and create innovative designs to address specific challenges in biology.

SPEAKERS:
M. Gail Jones (North Carolina State University: Raleigh, NC), Rebecca Hite (Texas Tech University: Lubbock, TX), Gina Childers (Texas Tech University: Lubbock, TX)

In this session, the presenters will share specific strategies and an intentional design for preparing elementary STEM teachers to create inclusive and equitable STEM classroms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about specific strategies to create inclusive STEM classrooms. Elementary STEM educators will model ways in which they have revised curriculum and integrated specific STEM pedagogy that is inclusive, culturally sustaining, and rooted in social justice.

SPEAKERS:
Bonnie Maur (Sacred Heart University: Fairfield, CT)

Learn how the NASA TechRise Student Challenge helps students build and fly their own experiment ideas in suborbital vehicles (balloons and rockets), as well as how it helps inspire students across the nation to engage in STEM, research, and technology projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
TechRise's unique approach to STEM enables students and educators of all experience levels to learn tangible engineering skills including coding and working with electronics. The challenge aims to engage student teams across the U.S. in the technology experiment design and flight test process.

SPEAKERS:
Deanne Bell (Future Engineers: Burbank, CA), Lucas Moxey (NASA Outreach: Edwards, CA)

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)

Looking for ways to personalize learning and implement the 5E's (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), come learn how to use Choice & Voice, Varied Strategies, & Flexible Pacing to promote Mastery of Standards

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to see student exemplars of Choice & Voice, and PBL. They will see how ISTE, NSQ standards, 5 E's of Science come together to promote student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Gaganjot Singh (Fulton Virtual)

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)

Come learn from the National Free Flight Society (NFFS) and Science Olympiad about how easy it is for to use free flight model aircraft in your classroom to help students master the three dimensions of the NGSS related to Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the art of the possible when it comes to using flight as topic to engage students in their study of forces, free body diagrams, and Newton's Laws.

SPEAKERS:
John Loehr (Science Olympiad: Oakbrook Terrace, IL)

Department of Energy national labs provide opportunities for researchers to be involved in developing authentic STEM learning experiences for students. Join this hands-on session to see how Berkeley Lab energy technologies research is reflected in projects on sustainability and alternative energy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about NGSS-aligned curriculum resources that reflect authentic STEM research at Berkeley Lab, and directly experience hands-on sustainability/alternative energy projects.

SPEAKERS:
Faith Dukes (Director, K-12 STEM Education Programs: Berkeley, CA), Alisa Bettale (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA)

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

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

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

Participants will explore how any level of inquiry can transform STEM lessons. Preservice and in-service teachers will engage in guided, structured and open inquiry formats that can be effectively utilized with various student populations. Activities and discussions allow participants to analyze how

TAKEAWAYS:
How to incorporate structured, guided and open inquiry in any STEM subject

SPEAKERS:
Selene Verhofstad (Dobie High School: Houston, TX), Faryal Shaukat (Dobie High School: Houston, TX)

Want your students to use more data in the classroom, but fed up with hacking a path through the spreadsheet jungle? Packed with classroom examples, tips, and easy-to-use tools, this show-and-tell panel will give you a roadmap to the best data analysis software available for science education today.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand the landscape of existing data analysis tools for science classrooms, along with their key characteristics, ideal use cases, and tips to get the most out of each tool.

SPEAKERS:
Harshil Parikh (Tuva Labs Inc.: New York, NY), Chad Dorsey (The Concord Consortium: Concord, MA), Aaron Reedy (DataClassroom: Charlottesville, VA), Zarek Drozda (Data Science 4 Everyone: No City, No State)

We present results of a national survey (of 6,044 beginning college students at 59 institutions) that assesses the influence of in-school computer science experiences on students’ career intentions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn what works--and what does not work--in boosting students' computer science-related career interests.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Susan Sunbury (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory: Cambridge, MA), Gerhard Sonnert (Harvard College Observatory: Cambridge, MA)

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

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

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

Let's discuss food safety, nutrition, and activities to bring real-world knowledge into the classroom. Activities will be demonstrated and a curriculum will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students will: 1. be introduced to the fundamentals of microbiology while, at the same time, identifying important public health information through literature and hands-on learning activities; 2. learn about the label, and that nutrition not only aids in general well-being.

SPEAKERS:
Tiska Rodgers (Clarkton High School: Clarkton, MO), Leanne Thele (Perryville High School: , MO)

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)

Set up a simple lab experiment and watch a cool demo for ways to talk about resources and the environment, using copper as a specific example.

TAKEAWAYS:
Great lab that can be used for many levels of understanding - geology, environmental science, chemistry – with a focus on environmental impact of resource acquisition. Resources to highlight for students the depth and complexity of these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler (Global Impact STEM Academy: Springfield, OH), Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Washington Court House, OH)

Hands-on lab producing graphs critical to understanding properties for engineering bridges and more. With focus on making, interpreting, and teaching the graphs in a classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cheap and effective beams & bridges labs with graph analysis, iterative design, and real-world applications.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Spohler (Global Impact STEM Academy: Springfield, OH)

Department of Energy national labs provide opportunities for students to interact with STEM professionals and learn STEM skills through research-based curricula. Berkeley Lab has developed a data science curriculum in which students apply data analysis and coding skills on datasets from researchers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate data science and coding into their STEM classes through an open source, research-based curriculum developed at Berkeley Lab.

SPEAKERS:
Faith Dukes (Director, K-12 STEM Education Programs: Berkeley, CA), Alisa Bettale (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Berkeley, CA)

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)

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)

Is a field trip enough? Connect your science students to STEM career opportunities found within their own community by helping those businesses solve challenges they already face! Participants will gain insight on planning STEM project-based learning units for science courses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Those attending this session will come away with unique ideas about how to connect their students to the STEM community in which they live through problem-based learning units that bring the content to life for the learner and give back to local businesses through student-led problem solving.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Rushing (PhD Candidate: , VA)

Come and join us in this session where we will put Color in the center of the scene and sequence traditional chemistry topics threaded together.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be able to carry home an alternative Chemistry teaching method. We will uncover together a sequence of topics through an innovative perspective that uses other fields like art to get into deep chemistry concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Paula Daurat (St. Andrew's Scots School: Olivos, 0)

Authentic Research Experiences (AREs) allows 6th-12th grade students to contribute to real-world, ongoing, science research. Implementing AREs in classrooms improves students’ science identity and interest STEM classes and careers while meeting NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Authentic Research Experiences (AREs) allow students to collaborate as scientists in research. Students develop a deeper understanding of science content, experimental design, and implementation. The practice of being a scientist expands student’s STEM identities and interest in STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Kass (ARE Coordinator: St Louis, MO)

Presentation of research findings from rural chemistry teachers in Georgia and ways to implement inquiry-based laboratory instruction in the classroom. Additionally, Georgia Department of Education will present new resources available for teachers aligned to NGSS and GSE.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with a better picture of the views of chemistry teachers in rural schools regarding inquiry-based laboratory instruction. GaDOE is giving attendees access to digital resources to help combat many of the feelings of isolation or confusion with the depth of standards.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Crandall (Science Program Manager: No City, No State), Robert Bice (Berry College: Mount Berry, GA)

Architects of Global STEM Ecosystems immerse cross sectors to develop a conduit for ALL students to be successful. Global STEM Ecosystems embed authentic research experiences, utilize a TOP STEM collaboration hub, and help students/teachers bridge the cultural and opportunity gaps.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how to develop research education blueprints that incorporate cultural responsive externships outside the classroom; 2. Help students gain access to a global "collaboration hub" and pathways for rewarding/productive STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Doug Baltz (Seaholm High School: Birmingham, MI)

Have you heard of FIRST, NMSI, the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, MATHCOUNTS or SeaPerch? With opportunities across the country, DoD STEM supports these and many other programs for students and educators. Attendees will learn about these programs and resources to improve STEM learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will come away from this session with classroom resources for STEM lessons, curriculum and hands-on projects. Attendees will also learn about local and national programs supporting STEM initiatives including after-school programs, mentorships & fellowships.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Childress (Teacher)

Replace demoralizing competition with creativity, laughter, and inspiration by giving students open-ended projects. This talk will feature 3 creative circuits projects—LED greeting cards, Arduino-based holiday lights shows, and LCD quotes displays.

TAKEAWAYS:
Open-ended projects are engaging, technically rigorous, and boost student confidence. Teachers will walk away with 3 concrete project ideas ready for implementation, as well as the inspiration to design more.

SPEAKERS:
Marieke Thomas (The Bronx High School of Science: Bronx, NY)

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

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

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

Apply science in a real-world activity and combine science skills needed by CSIs in this activity. Students take on the role of a CSI, become part of the story , walk around and engage with classmates, faculty and staff while competing to see who can solve the mystery.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will analyze blood stain patterns in order to determine the mechanism by which the patterns are created. identify the red blood cell antigens and antibodies in human blood types and will demonstrate proper evidence collection techniques at a crime scene.

SPEAKERS:
Lori Barber (Teacher: Quinlan, TX)

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)

Through this workshop, participants will learn from classroom teachers and university professors on ways to incorporate your local habitat and utilize community partners to provide students with exposure to diverse job opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will share activities that demonstrate different jobs related to environmental science while addressing the need for STEM learning. Hands-on activities will be explored and connected to specific careers that can be discussed and applied with students in classrooms regardless of stream access.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Hawig (Carrollton City Schools: Carrollton, GA), Stacey Britton (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA), Brent Gilles (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA)

Students embark on an odyssey to discover how Art can be the motivation and hub to learn sciences and a journey discover themselves. An acrylic interactive light sculpture combines coding, proximity sensors, laser cutting, refraction of light and soldering to create a large sale art installation. Since our school mascot is the lion, students built columns of laser cut acrylic and LEDS that form the constellation LEO. They soldered customized circuit boards that controlled how the LEDs turned on and off when triggered by human presence. Different emotions were plotted on a 2D graph based on light intensity and blink frequency to help them express aspects of being human in an LED pattern. One student eloquently describes how her light pattern matches what she feels when experiencing an anxiety attack. Their creation forced students to explore different disciplines beyond their comfort zone and spur discussions in the student population about how they felt during pandemic learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students wear labels and often avoid other disciplines of learning, yet the 4th Industrial Revolution will present challenges and opportunities that require a diversity of experiences and skills. LEO demonstrates how all the interconnected letters of STEAM work together. foggs.ca/wp/?page_id=2303

SPEAKERS:
Ian Fogarty (Riverview High School: Riverview, NB)

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)

A free online resource titled “Science as a Human Endeavor” provides an avenue to address diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn practical ways to use this resource in your 7th–12th grade classroom to highlight diversity in STEM and to invite all students to participate in science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to highlight diversity and foster inclusion in their classes by leveraging NGSS’s Connections to Nature of Science concept “Science is a Human Endeavor.” Participants will be introduced to a free online resource and receive guidance and examples for use in their teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Ben Koo (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

As we discuss drones as an instructional tool for K-12 STEM education, this session will introduce an example of drones presented as part of an engineering design-based project to teach climate change to secondary Earth Science students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover ways to engage STEM learners with hands-on, drone-based teaching for their own educational applications.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Ziegler (Vanderbilt University: Nashville, TN)

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)

The Algae Academy’s FREE STEM kit and curriculum includes teacher resources, all necessary lab supplies, and live algae that will have your students asking big questions as they realize the real potential of algae.

TAKEAWAYS:
Introducing hands-on curriculum about all things algae—from the basic living requirements to how algae will help solve pressing global issues!

SPEAKERS:
Marissa Nalley (The Algae Foundation: Midland, TX)

Does your course homepage encourage the type of learning experience you wish to provide learners? Our mission was to create an intuitive and student-centered homepage. We will show you the evolution of our own homepage and invite you to consider how you can achieve similar outcomes on your homepage.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will consider our example of a universal and intuitive LMS homepage with insights into how to implement these features into their own educational settings.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Siverd (Virtual Learning Specialist: , PA)

This session discusses the benefits of integrating a historical approach to learning scientific principles by eliciting empathy through historical and cultural perspectives, while designing history lessons around scientific milestones furthers integration of science into the general curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Taking a historical role-playing approach to the sciences can enhance the understanding and excitement of scientific discovery, as well as provide an avenue to place students into a mindset that sets the science in historical and cultural perspective.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Wong (Mercy Academy: Louisville, KY)

This session will review research into creativity in science lessons identifying the key enablers and blockers. It will also look at resources and strategies that teachers can use to move towards a more creative science experience for learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the key characteristics of a creative science learning experiences revealed by research and identify some strategies to support these experiences in classrooms from K-12. They will also explore some exemplar resources designed to support more creative approaches.

SPEAKERS:
Stuart Bevins (Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, United Kingdom), Gareth Price (Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, United Kingdom)

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

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

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

Research Experiences for STEM Educators & Teachers (RESET) is dedicated to improving STEM education across the nation. This presentation is for middle/high school educators who want to experience real-world research & learn about how to translate that into effective curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
There are two main outcomes of this presentation. First, the audience will leave with information about AEOP programs, specifically RESET, and second, the audience will receive information about how to become involved with the AEOP RESET program.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Jennifer Meadows (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Christine Girtain (Toms River High School South: Toms River, NJ)

When students use a scanning electron microscope, they are engaged in STEM and empowered to explore the microscopic world around them.

TAKEAWAYS:
High school students can be trained to use a scanning electron microscope as a part of a science course - and it's possible to have one at your school! Using the scanning electron microscope engages students in exciting new ways as they explore and analyze the world around them.

SPEAKERS:
Gena Dalan (W. F. West High School: Chehalis, WA), Krista Wilks (W. F. West High School: Chehalis, WA)

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)

A team of middle/high school STEM teachers with university teacher educators lead a discussion about what we’ve learned from planning, implementing, and evaluating social-justice-oriented STEM lessons in school districts with varying support for integrating social justice into the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants receive lesson samples that (i) define a target concept aligned with curriculum, learning targets, and social justice issue; (ii) identifies the STEM-knowledge informing the issue, (iii) articulates discourse boundaries, and (iv) anticipates varying student perspectives on the issue.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Barrett (Marietta High School: Marietta, GA), Marshai Waiters (Marietta Middle School: Marietta, GA), Mike Dias (Kennesaw State University: Kennesaw, GA)

In the 21st century, data is king. It is collected from users of all devices, and is processed and analyzed in fields like healthcare, finance, marketing, architecture, linguistics etc etc. We are developing an interdisciplinary course to be taught by 3 departments (Math/Statistics, Social Sciences, Computer Science) that would instruct students in discerning high quality data, conducting exploratory analyses in R, building models in R to explore relationships between two or more variables, presenting output graphically and numerically, interpreting the output, and presenting all results on a Shiny page. In the presentation, we will illustrate the logic of the course, discuss learning activities and the flow of the course, including a demonstration of a sample final project. We will then demonstrate our experience with deeply interdisciplinary approach to learning, teaching, and curriculum building.

TAKEAWAYS:
Data Science is an increasingly important skill to learn for students in high school to promote empirical thinking. The interdisciplinary approach to the course will ensure that data analysis is covered comprehensively: from discerning high quality data to presenting lucid takeaways.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Cook (Faculty: Wellesley, MA), Cloricia Townsend (Head of the Engineering and Computer Science Department: Wellesley, MA), Alla Baranovsky (AP Statistics/Math Teacher: Westborough, MA)

Agile is becoming increasingly dominant as a project-management methodology. We will share our experience with applying Agile principles in a high school setting, using a physics and engineering electricity/circuits project as an example.

TAKEAWAYS:
Exposing students to Agile can not only prepare them for internships and careers, but also help them develop better time management, self-assessment, and work evaluation skills. Learn how we adapted Agile for a high school science class, as well as general advice for applying Agile in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick McClanahan (Teacher: Suwanee, GA)

STEMCon was built on the foundation that ALL students should have access to the opportunities that STEM careers and fields can hold for them. Our mission is simple: get our students and community excited about STEM. We believe when that happens, students will see all the doors that can be opened for them in STEM fields. Our goals are twofold: 1. Get more students excited about STEM and exposed to STEM opportunities. 2. Continue to recognize students for the excellent work they are doing in STEM fields. STEMCon is the opportunity for the students, to show off their STEM skills and passions! It's also the opportunity to see STEM demonstrations, hear from various groups and speakers, enter competitions and win prizes! Students can compete in many STEM competitions including: STEM Inquiry Presentations, Quiz Bowl, and many more. During this session, teachers will understand how they can plan and implement a STEMCon event in their District. Tools, presentations, project guidelines, & more!

TAKEAWAYS:
How to create a District-wide STEMCon event that showcases students innovative STEM projects, promotes inquiry based learning, increases student engagement, and more! Educators will be able to see the planning timeline, how to network with community members, and increase student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Horten (Desert Edge High School: Goodyear, AZ), Haley Walker (Agua Fria Union High School District: Avondale, AZ)

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)

This session will share research collected through a study on Georgia FIRST Robotics. We will examine the benefits of FIRST Robotics for SWD, factors that create barriers to SWD involvement, strategies to mitigate these barriers, and will facilitate a hands-on activity illustrating FIRST involvement

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the benefits of STEM extracurricular programs, using FIRST Robotics as an example, and accommodation strategies for students with disabilities through a presentation and hands-on robotics activity and how educators can improve inclusion in these programs.

SPEAKERS:
Kania Greer (Georgia Southern University: Statesboro, GA), Karin Fisher (Associate Professor: STATESBORO, GA), Andre Grossberg (GeorgiaFIRST Robotics CTSO President: , GA)

The Four Corners Science & Computing Club presents workshop based curricula for schools serving primarily Native American students. Raspberry Pi 400 computers and environmental data sensors are used to introduce students to Scientific Computing. Access to online curricula and resources provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate low-cost, easy to build, data collection software and hardware into a STEM curriculum in order to engage students in scientific computing through hands-on problem-based education. Access to online curriculum and links to resources provided.

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Meilander (PhD student: FLAGSTAFF, AZ)

Gene expression is a key topic in the AP Biology curriculum that can be difficult for students to investigate and explore. In this lesson, students are introduced to RNA sequencing and are able to analyze NASA data to create hypotheses of how space impacts biological functions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be guided through the process of analyzing RNA sequencing data using the GeneLab platform so they can use this tool to teach gene expression in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Bliss (Teacher)

The session will include various research and strategies used to improve science and literacy achievement of English Language Learners. Teachers and school leaders in STEM will be equipped to engage with their students through culturally relevant pedagogy as well as universal design learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy to help EBs in science

SPEAKERS:
Faryal Shaukat (Dobie High School: Houston, TX), Selene Verhofstad (Dobie High School: Houston, TX)

Goal: address the disconnect between science, design, and technology at the high school level. Objectives: 1. integrate art/design into STEM education (STEAM), 2. foster plant science knowledge, 3. apply augmented and virtual reality (AVR) technologies, and 4. inspire interest in and provide skills for future STEAM careers. Collaborative teams of self-identified science, technophile, and art students receive training in 3D modeling. With support from scientists, the students create models of research plants, practice science communication skills during public/scientific events, and make connections to real-life situations using AVR devices. We use a mixed-methods assessment approach. Results from the first year of this project indicate that students are more aware of the role of art/design in science and vice versa. Students acknowledge the benefits of productive failure when facing challenges creating 3D models and are more interested in STEAM career paths.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn 3D modeling skills to increase student interest in STEAM subjects and careers through creative learning. Instructors help students create 3D AVR models, integrate art/design with plant science content, and gain collaboration and communication skills using education technologies.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Arango-Caro (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Saint Louis, MO)

Ever had a project fail? Too difficult or easy? Students make great products but without actually learning or using the content? We will share our journey of learning to plan better projects through a way of thinking anchored in real-world engineering ideology: thinking in Solution/Problem Space.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to consider how the criteria and constraints you set for a project will affect the Solution Space your students must navigate. This will help you avoid trivial or unaligned solutions, as well as more easily create projects with rich potential for students to create imaginative solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick McClanahan (Teacher: Suwanee, GA)

The Bengal Biodiesel program was launched six years ago with a goal to help students fuel their futures by gaining professional experience while still in high school. In this elective Chemistry course, students work together to transform waste vegetable oil into a sustainable diesel substitute: 100% biodiesel. Students experience an industry-standard lab environment as they rotate through and assume the responsibilities of our five departments; Production, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Research and Development, and Communications. This session will provide teachers an overview of the Bengal Biodiesel program, including history, key partnerships, and student impact stories (15 minutes). Teachers will also learn practical strategies for implementing student-centered experiential learning opportunities in their own courses (30 minutes). Attendees will engage in an activity and discussion throughout the session (15 minutes).

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insight and inspiration for developing an immersive, student centered experience. Presenters will share direct student impacts of the Bengal Biodiesel program, as well as the challenges, highlights, and key partnerships that have made the program successful.

SPEAKERS:
Casey Giust (Science Teacher: Blythewood, SC), Will Epps (Science Teacher: Blythewood High School, SC)

We will present the efforts of fifteen secondary schools and partners at Stanford University to create authentic fruit fly-based research experiences for students, and how you can too!

TAKEAWAYS:
Through Stan-X, students learn science through authentic, open-ended, publishable research. Coordination within a network of schools across the world can enhance scientific learning and research opportunities for students, while also providing support for teachers leading research courses.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Lantz (The Lawrenceville School: Lawrenceville, NJ)

Creating connected learning pathways for youth starts with connecting and supporting their educators. Learn about essential elements of building learning ecosystems and stories of the collaborative work that is coming out of Learning Ecosystems Northeast's Connected Learning Ecosystems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about essential elements of building supportive learning ecosystems. Local educator leaders will share stories of some of the collaborative and complementary work that is coming out of Learning Ecosystems Northeast's Connected Learning Ecosystems.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Spooner (Van Buren District Secondary School), Diana Allen (Sanford Junior High School: Sanford, ME), Molly Auclair (Gulf of Maine Research Institute: Portland, ME)

Learn how all students benefit from inventing using U.S. Patent and Trademark Office free resources. Walk away with a classroom invention challenge focused on real-world problem-solving addressing science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts. Resources will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how invention education engages students in real-world problem solving and is a transdisciplinary approach to learning. They will gain an understanding that STEM does not exist in isolation and that collaboration and critical thinking become essential along with content.

SPEAKERS:
Reginald Duncan (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA), Jorge Valdes (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA), Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc: No City, No State)