2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

Grade Level


Topics























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Session Type














Pathway/Course

FILTERS APPLIED:6 - 8, Hands-On Workshop, Curriculum and Assessment, Earth

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
19 results
Save up to 50 sessions in your agenda.

Connecting Three-Dimensional Learning to Upcoming Out-of-this-World Phenomena

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B309



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Eclipse Session PPT
Eclipse tools from NSTA
NSTA Solar Eclipse Guide for Administrators
NSTA Solar Eclipse Guide for Educators
protective case for solar-viewing glasses
Solar Science Activities

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Get ready for the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses. See how learning activities about the Earth, Moon and Sun provide three-dimensional learning experiences that connect to these events that will be more spectacular than the 2017 eclipse.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have a better understanding of what is meant by three-dimensional learning, see how 3D learning can lead to knowing what causes lunar phases and eclipses, and be prepared to enjoy the solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024.

SPEAKERS:
Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR)

Wind Energy STEM Unit

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A301


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Design a multi day STEM project that incorporates wind energy. Participants would learn how to do a unit that incorporates a virtual lab as well as physically building wind turbine blades to generate energy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with a multi-day (3+week) ready to use engineering design process unit on wind energy.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Webster (Teacher: Michigantown, IN), Allison Clegg (7th Grade Science Teacher)

Weather & Climate: Use a FREE web based graphing tool to analyze and interpret local and national climate data for patterns or change.

Thursday, March 23 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A305



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
5 Climate weather graphing tool city data.pdf
6 Climate weather graphing tool Variable Descriptions.pdf
Article Climate Influencers
https://prod-wcg-001.amnh.org/index.php
https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/patterns
Locations available in the graphing tool
Planning a Climate Investigation Tool
Presentation
Weather and Climate Graphs used in the presentation

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Participants will investigate relationships between variables such as barometric pressure and precipitation, using data from a wide range of geographical stations in the United States. Selected stations represent sites with contrasting latitudes, altitudes, proximity to water bodies, and other elements, in order to best study the effect of these variables on weather and climate. The session will analyze data to look for patterns of change over time and to investigate regional patterns and region-specific effects of climate change. Data from Los Angeles & San Diego weather stations will also be included. The graphing tool is a freely accessible webpage that works on laptops, desktops, smartphones, and tablets. An internet connection at the session would additionally allow for participants to see a live demonstration as well as explore their own investigation questions. http://uanyc.science/pwc

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session attendees will learn to analyze and interpret weather and climate data using a custom designed graphing tool that simplifies visualizing and analyzing data on time scales of hours, days and weeks (weather) to decades and centuries (climate).

SPEAKERS:
Rachelle Travis (IS 281: Joseph B. Cavallaro (NYC Department of Education): Brooklyn, NY)

Engineering Severe Weather Solutions

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B314


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Harness the power of technology with student designed solutions for a changing climate.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use technology to expose students to coding and engineering design solutions for severe weather.

SPEAKERS:
Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA), Jessica Kohout (Educational Consultant: Ellicott City, MD)

Travelling back in time through Earth’s history with scientific ocean drilling

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Through hands on activities using real-world data, take students on a time-travelling adventure to discover the history of Earth – from natural hazards, including earthquakes and volcanoes, to the discovery of plate tectonics and feedbacks in the Earth’s systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
By looking into the past and present, we can begin to predict our future. The International Ocean Discovery Program creates educational resources that enable students to use real data collected by scientists investigating global concerns and explore parts of our world usually hidden to them.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Cooper (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Palisades, NY), Ed Robeck (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA), Lindsay Mossa (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, MD), Lauren Brase (American Geosciences Institute: , IL), Maya Pincus (Columbia University / U.S. Science Support Program: Palisades, NY), Sequoyah McGee (American Geosciences Institute: Alexandria, VA), Carol Cotterill (U.S. Science Support Program: Palisades, NY)

Dinosaur Tracks and Traces - Every Footprint Tells a Story

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B305



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Beneski Museum Track Guide with Video Links
How Are Tracks Formed - Amherst College Beneski Museum
Inventing Ichnology Handout
Making Sense of Dinosaur Tracks Article

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

The study of trace fossils is an exciting way to explore the past. Join the Wade Institute for Science Education and Amherst College’s Beneski Museum in an inquiry-based session to guide your students through the application of the SEPs in creating and interpreting their own dinosaur stories.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session participants will gain experience with using the phenomenon of dinosaur tracks and trace fossils as a powerful tool for student engagement, and leave the session with guidelines for creating track stories, and using those track stories to expand their student’s use of the SEPs.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Pagliaro (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA), Alfred Venne (Museum Educator: Amherst, MA), Kathryn Atkins (Wade Institute for Science Education: Quincy, MA)

Once Upon an Earth Science Book: Real Science, Real Literacy Instruction

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B309


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Join the author of the Once Upon A Science Book series to try out a hands-on lesson on ocean garbage patches and the Coriolis Effect. You'll also learn strategies that will help you build literacy while teaching any science topic.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be introduced to the literacy learning cycle format, in which hands-on work precedes meaningful reading and writing activities. You will see how this system works by participating in a lesson and come away with practical strategies for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen (Author/ Staff Development: Atlanta, GA)

NASA STEM: Climate Change and Ecosystems-How Hot is Too Hot?

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A302


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

As Earth’s climate warms, the heat and humidity are rising, with major consequences for ecosystems. NASA scientists are tracking heat stress that can warn us of harmful conditions. Explore interactive inquiry-based lessons and participate in a heat island experiment.

TAKEAWAYS:
NASA provides free earth science resources and engaging interactive climate change lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Kohler (NASA Glenn Research Center: Cleveland, OH)

Meet Me in the Middle Share-a-thon

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B206


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

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

TAKEAWAYS:
The participants will network with other middle-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.

STEM Lessons from the International Space Station: Engineering Design Process

Saturday, March 25 • 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C210


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

This session introduces participants to NASA resources including a closer look at STEMonstrations which are STEM demonstrations filmed in the microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station and taught by astronauts. Each of these videos includes a corresponding Classroom Connection lesson plan which is ready for educators to immediately implement in their classrooms. This session focuses on the Engineering Design Process STEMonstration where participants will watch the Engineering Design Process STEMonstration video and participate in the corresponding Classroom Connection activity. Other engineering design activities will be introduced and discussed as extensions to this introductory lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will become familiar with STEMonstrations and be able to integrate these videos and corresponding Classroom Connections into their classrooms. Participants will leave this session with hands-on, ready-to-go STEM lesson plans including student activities and worksheets.

SPEAKERS:
Michele Hooks (Education Project Manager), Lynn Dotson (NASA Office of STEM Engagement-GoH: Kennedy Space Center, FL)

Solar Eclipses 23/24: how to teach, how to observe safely, citizen science projects

Saturday, March 25 • 10:20 AM - 11:20 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A313


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Two upcoming eclipses cross the US: annular October 14 2023 and total April 8 2024. This workshop teaches the why, how and where of eclipses, demonstrates safe solar viewing techniques & citizen science projects. Weather permitting, we will view the Sun. Each teacher receives 25 eclipse glasses free

TAKEAWAYS:
The solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024 will cover much of the nation. Safe observing techniques are critical. Only during the relatively brief totality can you observe the amazing and ghostly corona, and only then can you look at the Sun without eye protection

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Reiff (Rice University: Houston, TX)

Authentic Earth Science Data Analysis for All

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B312


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

This interactive session will explore scaffolded, NGSS aligned, three-dimensional Earth science resources for all students including multilingual learners. The My NASA Data Literacy Cubes support data literacy using authentic data from scientific research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Implementation strategies for a flexible resource which can be used with multiple Earth System Science DCIs, support numerous science and engineering practices related to questions, evidence, models and data, and CCCs for patterns, scale, proportion and quantity, and stability and change.

SPEAKERS:
Desiray Wilson (Science Systems and Applications, Inc.: Hampton, VA), Natalie Macke (Pascack Hills High School: Montvale, NJ), Angela Rizzi (NASA Langley Research Center/ADNET: No City, No State)

People and the Planet: Sustainability Education for Multilingual Learners

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B212


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Engage multilingual learners with human ecology activities scaffolded for different levels of English proficiency. Participate in hands-on lessons (simulations and group problem solving) that promote 3D learning while building language skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies to adapt science activities for the middle school classroom to be more inclusive for English language learners. Shared activities explore “Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems” and “Natural Resources” (ESS3).

SPEAKERS:
Abby Watkins (Population Connection: Washington, DC)

Exploer Earth: Monitoring Microplastic Pollution from Space

Saturday, March 25 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C213



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
25a_Additional Resources_Explore Earth Microplastic Pollution.pdf
25a_Explore Earth_Microplastic Pollution.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Cue Card #1.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Cue Card #2.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Cue Card #3.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Cue Card #4.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Cue Card #5.pdf
Engineer a Satellite One-Pager.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Student Worksheet #1.pdf
Engineer a Satellite Student Worksheet #2.pdf
NASA Earth Information Center_Fact Sheet.pdf
NASA TEMPO Mission-Fact Sheet.pdf

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Projections are that by 2050, there may be more plastic in our oceans than fish, leading to calls for a worldwide treaty restricting plastics. In this session, participants will explore new remote-sensing capabilities for monitoring microplastics from space and relevant STE[A]M+G educator resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
To offer participants resources and strategies for developing a STE[A]M+G Earth science unit that integrates problem-based learning (PBL), hands-on NASA student design challenges and cross-curricular material.

SPEAKERS:
Anne Weiss (Educator Professional Development Specialist)

Explore Solar System & Beyond: NASA Astrobiology

Saturday, March 25 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C212



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
25b_Additional Resources_Explore SSB NASA Astrobiology.pdf
25b_Explore SSB_NASA Astrobiology.pdf

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

With the catalog of known exoplanets growing, NASA scientists are searching these worlds for signatures of life as we do (and do not) know it. In this session, participants learn through hands-on activities about NASA astrobiology missions that attempt to answer the age-old question: are we alone?

TAKEAWAYS:
To offer participants resources and strategies for developing an astrobiology [life sciences] unit that integrates hands-on NASA education activities, cutting-edge scientific research, and differing worldviews [cosmologies] that combine science, culture, art and storytelling.

SPEAKERS:
Anne Weiss (Educator Professional Development Specialist)

No More Quantum Intimidation: Let's Learn & Teach Quantum-Infused Middle School Science STEM Curriculum Unit

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B316


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Quantum education in middle school science education is a very novel initiative. Responding to the recent call of the National Quantum Initiative Act (2018) to accelerate quantum research and development, IQ-PARC aims to bridge the gap between developing quantum technologies and public interest and knowledge in quantum. Towards this end, IQ-PARC would like to introduce and apply a quantum-infused curriculum unit. Attendees will be encouraged to explore the concepts of quantum randomness and random number generator to create a particular artwork via quantum lab data collection. Also, they will be given a unit package including five distinct lesson plans and a pre-post assessment tool beginning with an archaeology challenge and ending with a quantum artwork activity. All materials were revised and updated by taking in-service middle school teachers' feedback and suggestions during and after the Teachers’ Quantum Workshop, organized by the IQ-PARC team in Summer 2022.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will explore that quantum is not an intimidating subject to learn and teach; it is possible to link existing and/or newly released middle school state standards with basic quantum concepts, and STEM-based activities make quantum integrable into middle school science education.

SPEAKERS:
Zeynep Akdemir (Purdue University: West Lafayette, IN)

Understanding Mineral Properties through Nanoscience

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A401


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Have you ever wonder why minerals come in so many different shapes and color? Using nanoscience concepts, come experience how a mineral's internal atomic arrangement contribute to its properties through a fun hands-on activity involving simple materials without an electron microscope!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teaching abstract concepts, such as matter at the atomic scale, can be difficult to get across to our students. Learn to use common household objects to help our students make sense of mineral properties using nanoscience ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cathy Xiong (Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Secondary School for Arts and Technology: Long Island City, NY), Yishan Lee (PS/MS 219: Flushing, NY)

Teaching Systems Science with NASA Sun-Earth Content

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A316


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Come join the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) in exploring how heliophysics, or 'Sun science,' can effectively serve as a model for teaching systems science to K12 students. This session includes hands-on learning activities, NASA printed materials, and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
The Sun gives us light, heat, food and more. It creates patterns on Earth and causes climate change. It is the source of space weather. Studies of the Sun offers a glimpse into the universe. The solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024 are opportunities to learn more about Sun-Earth systems science.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Milotte (Education Specialist), Carolyn Ng (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/ADNET Systems, Inc.)

YouthAstroNet: Promoting equitable STE(A)M learning using online telescopes

Saturday, March 25 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A403


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

The sky belongs to everyone - including middle-school age youth. Learn how to join the Youth Astronomy Network (YouthAstroNet) of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, where your students can tell their own star stories using images they capture from real robotic telescopes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn YouthAstroNet’s strategies for engaging students from culturally diverse backgrounds in accessible, relevant and meaningful exploration of their place in the cosmos and find out how they can join the YouthAstroNet online community, supported by the National Science Foundation

SPEAKERS:
Erika Wright (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Mary Dussault (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

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