Teachers will learn strategies to integrate picture books and STEM activities to support ELA standards, inspire student creativity and nurture a growth mind-set.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave this session with resources and activities to implement in their classrooms. This will include a resource library of books and activities that support ELA and STEM standards.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Eanes (John Sevier Elementary School: No City, No State), Alyson Colclough (Foothills Elementary: No City, No State), Bob Kirkland (Sam Houston Elementary School: Maryville, TN)

"Bal Barot, Chemistry Professor, at Lake Michigan College for the last three decades, had turned into an author. He has published 150 fiction and a few non-fiction books on Amazon Kindle. He will present a poster about how he and other authors have used chemistry in their fiction novels."

TAKEAWAYS:
To understand chemistry in fiction novels including evidence collection and testing; objectively think about evidence presentation and how this evidence could affect the outcome of a trial and have greater awareness of the serious responsibilities that when a chemist serves as a consultant.

SPEAKERS:
Bal Barot (Lake Michigan College: Benton Harbor, MI)

This session presents a science and literacy instruction intervention aimed at helping improve student achievement on high-stakes standardized tests. This study found statistically significant results with medium to large effect sizes at multiple campuses. Findings contribute to research and practice by demonstrating how to make science education accessible to all students, including minorities, economically disadvantaged, English learners, and At-Risk students. It also advances knowledge about effective science and literacy instruction interventions. Participants in this session will learn how to strategically target academic vocabulary, visually display connections between inquiry activities and vocabulary, explore opportunities for students to experience vocabulary in context, actively process word meanings, and practice using vocabulary to speak and write sentences. Easily replicable classroom strategies and examples that may be used to facilitate implementation will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will strategically target academic vocabulary, visually display connections between inquiry activities and vocabulary, and explore opportunities for students to experience vocabulary in context, actively process word meanings, and practice using vocabulary to speak and write sentences.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Jackson (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

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)

In this poster session, we will explore a hands-on, youth-centric citizen science program that teaches elementary students to “think like a scientist” by embodying the Scientific Method in a unique five-step program. Utilizing aspirational diverse characters and storylines from the award-winning “The Paper Girls Show” and standards-aligned, inquiry-based activities we will enhance the fun in science education. Participants will learn how to use the citizen science platform Marine Debris Tracker, and see how all of their students can become scientists and make changes in their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to 1. harness the power of stories to inspire their learners to think like scientists; 2. integrate inquiry-based learning into their classrooms; 3. empower their students to act like scientists and take action in their local communities through citizen science.

SPEAKERS:
Lena Deskins (Sandy Ridge Visual and Performing Arts Elementary School: Durham, NC), Rachael Polmanteer (Center for Inquiry Based Learning: Durham, NC)

Various children's books will be presented that can be used to introduce and discuss important science topics in the middle school science classroom. Examples of how I use these books in my classroom and what topics they cover will also be discussed. Books such as "Sparrow Girl" and "Ada Twist Scientist" will also be presented as a way to bring diversity of science thinkers into classrooms and demonstrate that science is inclusive of all race, genders, and cultures. Other books to be presented include "There is a Hair in My Dirt" and "Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water?"

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be provided with examples of how children's literature can be brought into the science classroom to not only engage our students, but teach them important science concepts in the area of Ecology and scientific thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Krista Hachadoorian (H.B. Thompson Middle School: Syosset, NY)

ML-PBL teachers find ways to further integrate literacy and science throughout their day. ML-PBL's free OER project-based curriculum resources support students in applying their figuring out and critical thinking processes to all subject areas. Check it out!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be exposed to free resources and ideas for selecting resources for literacy lessons that allow students to continue to fine tune and extend the ideas they are developing in science class. Handouts with links to additional resources will be available.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Codere (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University, Retired)

Creating primary and intermediate STEM-focused classrooms can be challenging. This session will highlight strategies and examples to incorporate both STEM and science activities into their classrooms. Resources that use trade books to teach Science/STEM concepts will be modeled and discussed

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in example activities that make connections between quality children’s literature that support STEM topics, STEM investigations, and reading strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA)