2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

All sessions added to My Agenda prior to this notice have been exported to the mobile app and will be visible in your account when the app launches. Any sessions added now, will also have to be added in the app.
Grade Level


Topics























Strands














Session Type














Pathway/Course

FILTERS APPLIED:Hands-On Workshop, Curriculum and Assessment, Physical Science

 

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

Using Science Investigation to Motivate Students to Read, Write, and Engage in Discourse

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B406a/b


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Engaging in scientific investigations can motivate students to read, write and participate in productive discourse. This session provides educators with lessons and resources to support teaching three-dimensional hands-on scientific investigation that motivates student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants leave the session with insights into how to use engaging hands-on investigations to motivate students to read, write, and engage in discourse. They will receive a complete set of lesson plans for their NGSS state grade-level standards.

SPEAKERS:
Candace Penrod (Salt Lake City School District: Salt Lake City, UT), Brett Moulding (Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning: Ogden, UT)

Connecting Math and Science through Technology: Data Analysis Made Easy

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B311


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Increase student engagement in analysis and evaluation of real data. Engage students of different ability levels in mathematical models with measurements not previously accessible in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use real data to develop mathematical models and learn how to test your hypothesis by performing an experiment and analyze your results, combining graphing calculators with handheld sensors to maximize class time.

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

N-gineer your GSS

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A401


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

"PV=NRT" is nearly 200 years old! However, the ideal gas law has remained a relevant tool that's helped us progress from Sterling Engines to Solar Panel Cars. How? Engineering. Come be a student in an engineering project based physics/ physical science class.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will have hands-on opportunity to experience engineered based lesson (mini unit). Teachers will come away with an example scope and sequence, example projects with directions, materials guidelines, and rubrics.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Clarke (Park Day School: Oakland, CA)

Why Does the Train Move Back and Forth?: Exploring Force at a Distance to Explain a Phenomenon

Thursday, March 23 • 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - C202



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
The train phenomenon
Why does the train move back and forth?
Train Phenomenon Slide Deck

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Engage in the science practices of investigating, modeling, and arguing from evidence to make sense of why a toy train moves forward and backward without physical contact. Participants will explore gravity, static electricity, and magnetism to determine which most likely causes it to move.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants explore forces at a distance and make sense of how they might cause the phenomenon to occur by developing a model via a three-step sequence. Teachers examine sample student work to uncover ideas and determine that some ideas may make sense despite being inaccurate for the situation.

SPEAKERS:
Christi Pace (Augusta University: Augusta, GA), Jaclyn Murray (Mercer University: Macon, GA)

Using GRC to Engage Students in Science Investigation

Thursday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B409


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Teachers learn how to use the Gather, Reason, and Communicate Reasoning (GRC) instructional sequence and Vernier tools to engage students in science investigations aligned to the NGSS and Georgia Science Standards. Participants learn how to use a set of lessons aligned with their standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators learn how to engage students in GRC investigations and where to find hundreds of GRC lessons. Teachers will learn to use Vernier probes to gather accurate data through scientific investigation.

SPEAKERS:
David Powell (Norman High School: Norman, OK), Brett Moulding (Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning: Ogden, UT)

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)

A Unique and Challenging Ice Core Investigation that Integrates the Three Dimensions of NGSS & STEM

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C208



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Cosmic Connections Card Set & URLs.pdf
Decoding Starlight Using Science & Art.pdf
https://jamboard.google.com/d/18ewAG4ZuTPKh57J37gc67ubhkpNRgi9UY9IGpTvMvOI/viewer?f=0
Ice Core Records PDFs and Downloads for Worksheets and Instructions
Ice Core Records.pdf
Ice Core Student Handout.pdf
Stellar Cycles Card Set & URLs.pdf
Stellar Evolution Card Set & URLs.pdf

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

A multidisciplinary and open-ended investigation that incorporates absolute and relative dating techniques, anomalies, historical context, volcanoes, solar proton events, energy cycles, Earth systems, terrestrial events, and supernovas by analyzing 430 years of Earth history from 1562 to 1992.

TAKEAWAYS:
In constructing knowledge, there is no definitive answer, only plausible conclusions based on constructing, analyzing, and comparing data and research from multiple disciplines. This investigation provides a better understanding of the scientific process of developing models and defending results.

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

Quarks and the Nuclear Synthesis Modeling of Protons, Neutrons and the Hydrogen-2 Isotope Using String and Solid Sphere Models

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Cottonwood A


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Each Attendee will be given assorted materials to create the up and down quarks and the strong nuclear force to construct protons, neutrons, and the hydrogen-2 Isotope models using both the String Theory and Solid Sphere Models. Hand-outs and examples will be given. Attendees will take their models.

TAKEAWAYS:
This hands-on classroom quark modeling activity was designed for students to use both the String Theory and the Solid Sphere Models for the nuclear synthesis of protons, neutrons, and the hydrogen-2 isotope. As a class, students will create their own criteria for model comparison and probability.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Schiltz (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Naperville, IL)

Investigating Light & Shadow With PK-2 Students

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C210


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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)

Navigating Nature of Science

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C201


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Attendees will participate in a guided walk through the process of developing inquiries to ensure students reach mastery of critical content. This will include analyzing standard(s), participating in hands on inquiry, and using a template to create inquiries for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand how to plan opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding of critical content using methods that allow educators to easily monitor student progress toward mastery.

SPEAKERS:
Ryan Carlson (Orange County Public Schools: Orlando, FL), Desiree Siegel (Program Specialist Elementary Science: Orlando, FL), Matthew Timm (Orange County Public Schools: Orlando, FL), Kimberly Seaver (Orange County Public Schools: Orlando, FL)

Alka-Seltzer: How many ways can we use it in the chemistry classroom? But mostly chemical kinetics.

Thursday, March 23 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom B


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Alka-Seltzer is a great tool to bring phenomenon focused teaching into the chemistry classroom. It has many applications from simple chemical and physical changes to designing your own reaction rate experiment. Participants will pop the lid off of a film canister. Come join the jump scare.

TAKEAWAYS:
Alka- seltzer is a versatile resource that can be used in a variety of safe and inexpensive activities that allow students to design and carry out their own investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Alecia Hagberg (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA), Sarah Holcomb (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA)

Sensemaking in the High School Physics Classroom

Thursday, March 23 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Cottonwood A



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Sensemaking in the High School Physics Classroom.pdf

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Looking to increase engagement and leverage student curiosity? Sensemaking frames the inquiry process from the student’s point of view and puts them in charge of their own learning. Find out how this process can increase your teaching effectiveness and fundamentally change how your students learn.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with an understanding of sensemaking as a practice, its place in the 3 dimensions of Next Gen Science Standards, and insights gained from experiencing hands-on, minds-on sensemaking of phenomena from the student point of view.

SPEAKERS:
Mariel Kolker (Morristown High School: Morristown, NJ)

Free lesson plans in chemistry for grades K-5 from the American Chemical Society’s online resource inquiryinaction.org

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A411


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Teachers participate in hands-on lessons for Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade from the free online resource inquiryinaction.org. Teachers investigate the questions: What makes it rain, are M&Ms or Skittles better dissolvers, and does baking soda or baking powder bubble the most with vinegar.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will practice using grade-appropriate explanations of atoms and molecules to help students better understand the causes of the phenomena they observe.

SPEAKERS:
James Kessler (American Chemical Society: Washington, DC)

Science + Engineering + Math = Parachute STEM Activity

Friday, March 24 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A411


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

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)

Doing Science and Learning Language Together; Supporting Teacher Facilitation of Integrated Curriculum with a Focus on Multilingual Learners

Friday, March 24 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A405



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Doing Science and Language_NSTA23.pdf
Doing Science and Language_NSTA23.pptx

STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

We will explore the what, why, and how of integrated science and language teaching. We will describe, illustrate, and model research-based strategies, tools, and resources teachers can use to support inquiry, sense-making, and language development with their young multilingual learners (MLs)

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with some research-based strategies, tools, and resources to support planning and facilitation of language-enriched and inclusive science experiences that leverage science as a context for language and for building skills across the developmental domains with a focus on MLs

SPEAKERS:
Mandell Academy (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Rachel Shurick (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Becky Fahey (Connecticut Science Center: Hartford, CT), Cindy Hoisington (Education Development Center, Inc.: Holbrook, MA)

Doing it all – inquiry, engagement, process, content, standards

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A407


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Teachers can engage their students, teach content areas and process skills, and address standards using a specific inquiry-based format. The format incorporates a two-setup discrepant event, one forming an expectation and the other resulting in unexpected outcome and thus a problem to be solved.

TAKEAWAYS:
A specific inquiry-based format allows teachers to engage students, teach content areas and science process skills, and address standards. This discrepant-event method is easy for teachers and students to learn and gives students skills needed to feel comfortable and competent when doing science.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Jean Lynch (North Central College: Naperville, IL), John Zenchak (North Central College: Naperville, IL)

When the Wheels Are Turning, the Students Are Learning!

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Juniper


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

If you’re new to coding, then come get up to speed! By combining coding and hands-on activities, you can learn how to "program" a robotic vehicle to perform different challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
By bringing coding and hands-on science learning together, Participants will earn creative ways to use the engineering design process to teach science and use a Rover to explore the relationship between speed, distance, and time.

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

Using the NGSS to Explore Space: Engaging Students in Evidence-based Arguments about Exoplanets

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B304



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
2023 NSTA Presentation Booklet_ Using the NGSS to Explore Space.pdf
This is the booklet from the presentation
2023 NSTA Presentation Slides_ Using the NGSS to Explore Space.pdf
This is the slide deck from the presentation.

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Teachers may have a range of comfort with various disciplinary core ideas in ESS1. To engage students in figuring out these abstract ideas we have developed a unit to support 3D teaching and learning related to stars and exoplanets. This unit has been field-tested across NYC high schools and evidence has shown that the modeling activities, data analysis and simulations utilized in a unit can empower students to feel like space scientists and argue from evidence about which exoplanet is most likely to be habitable. Using a phenomena-driven 3D unit for providing access to students who may have been previously disengaged in STEM is essential for equity. Participants will have an opportunity to immerse in an activity from this high quality unit with an NGSS badge after EQuIP review, explore how the unit addresses some of the 3D learning goals for space science (HS-ESS1), and discuss how to make this content personally relevant to students in diverse settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to access, use, and adapt a free HS Earth & Space Science unit - currently the only HS ESS unit with an official NGSS badge - to attend to student interest and relevance, and to support argumentation.

SPEAKERS:
Charles Link (DeWitt Clinton High School: Bronx, NY)

STEM Learning and Identity Through Informal Science Workshops

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A405


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

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)

Whack-A-Pack: How many ways can we use them in a chemistry classroom? But mostly stoichiometry

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Whack-A-Pack is a great tool to bring phenomenon-focused teaching into the chemistry classroom. It has many applications from simple chemical vs physical changes all the way to designing your own stoichiometry investigation. Also, come join the BCA Table Train, if you haven't already.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use Whack-A-Pack as an instructional tool and as a safe way to let students design and carry out an investigation. Attendees will also brush up or learn about using BCA tables in stoichiometric calculations.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Holcomb (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA), Alecia Hagberg (Harrison High School: Kennesaw, GA)

STEM Lessons from the International Space Station: Moment of Inertia

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Cottonwood A



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Moment of Inertia
Educator Notes Learning Objectives • Describe the relationship between mass distribution and ease of rotation for a cylinder, hollow hoop, and sphere. • Calculate moment of inertia and identify the relationship between the calculation and ease of rotation. • Use the moment of inertia equations to determine how each variable effects the ease of rotation for a hollow hoop, solid cylinder, and sphere.
STEMonstrations
STEMonstrations are STEM demonstrations on the space station.
STEMonstrations: Moment of Inertia
In this episode, watch NASA astronauts as they discuss moment of inertia and how mass distribution affects a rotating object. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur demonstrates the effect of altering her moment of inertia while spinning in the microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station.

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 Moment of Inertia STEMonstration where participants watch the Moment of Inertia STEMonstration video and participate in the Moment of Inertia Classroom Connection lab investigation. Participants alter chip cans using household materials to explore how mass distribution affects ease of rotation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will become familiar with STEMonstrations and be able to integrate these videos and corresponding Classroom Connection lesson plans 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)

Claim, Evidence and Reasoning in the Science Classroom

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Juniper



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
CER PowerPoint McDonald and Johnson NSTA Hands on Activity.pptx

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Participants will build a balloon powered car; How does mass affect acceleration? OR build a 1st class lever, 2nd class lever, 3rd class; Which lever does not make doing work easier? OR Build a circuit; Which solution conducts electricity? Then do experiment and create a CER poster.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the CER process.

SPEAKERS:
Aliyah Johnson (Alpharetta High School: Alpharetta, GA), Stephanie McDonald (Teacher: , GA)

Exploring the Unseen - SEPs in Action

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A411


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

How do scientists study dark matter in a world where we only see matter? How do they study neutrinos, a subatomic particle with almost no mass, no charge, that travels near the speed of light and is constantly shifting? At the Sanford Underground Research Facility, scientists are doing just that!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with ideas for classroom strategies that support introducing difficult and abstract topics. Leveraging the SEPs, teachers can help students use what they can see to figure out things they cannot.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Armstrong (Sanford Underground Research Facility: Lead, SD)

Design, make and test your own electric racing car

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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)

Teaching about balanced and unbalanced forces using engineering and Humpty Dumpty

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A411


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

In this session, participants will work on hands-on activities and test a prototype to learn about forces using the engineering design model and translanguaging for elementary grades.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to teach about forces for elementary grade level using an engineering activity and translanguaging (English/Spanish).

SPEAKERS:
Brianna Ricker (Student: No City, No State), Max Vazquez Dominguez (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA)

NASA STEM Computational Thinking: Propulsion with the SLS Rocket

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C213


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

NASA’s Artemis program will return humans to the moon. Practice computational thinking while including elements of a real NASA mission. Use the engineering design process to design, build, and test a foam rocket to understand the relationship between a rocket’s process to ability and its trajectory

TAKEAWAYS:
NASA STEM educational resources incorporate classroom strategies for implementing Engineering Design Challenges. Gain an understanding of how to integrate computational thinking into a standards aligned lesson.

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

Free middle school lesson plan investigating ocean acidification from the American Chemical Society’s online resource middleschoolchemistry.com

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C212


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Explore how excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes water more acidic through hands-on activities from the free 5E lesson plans in middleschoolchemistry.com.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers practice using grade-appropriate explanations of the interactions of atoms and molecules to help students better understand the causes of the phenomena they observe and its connection to the problem of ocean acidification.

SPEAKERS:
James Kessler (American Chemical Society: Washington, DC)

Once Upon a Physical Science Book--Real Science, Real Literacy Instruction

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

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 specific, hands-on lesson, for kicking off a unit on wave motion. 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. And they will see how this system works by participating in a lesson on wave motion.

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

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)

NGSS-Aligned Formative Elementary Assessments

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

BYO Device to this hands-on workshop for the Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) project. Explore free, high-quality, multidimensional tasks, consider how to use them for formative assessment in your elementary classrooms, and view online resources in a virtual learning

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to access and use two related, freely available online resources that support elementary teachers’ use of NGSS-aligned assessment and instruction: A site with tasks aligned with the performance expectations for Grades 3-5 and a virtual learning community for science teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanne Di Domenico (The University of Chicago: Chicago, IL), Brian Gane (University of Kansas: No City, No State), Carla Strickland (UChicago STEM Education: No City, No State)

Saving Skee-Ball: Applying Engineering & Science with a Fun Storyline

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B407



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Saving Skee Ball QR code __ NSTA23 presenter materials.pdf
Link provides access to presentation slides and copy of facilitator's guide.

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Come have a BALL and put your own SPIN on how the game of Skee-ball is built and played so you and your students can save Skee-ball, too! This session provides an engaging, hands-on activity that explores physics and engineering through a “cardboard arcade” activity coupled with a fun storyline.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will identify relevant physics concepts related to building and playing a cardboard Skee-ball game through this FUN engineering project that is easily-adaptable for students across grade levels and settings.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Moskalik (NSTA)

Inquiry Puzzles! A Practical Approach to Introduce Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI)

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B316


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Are you unsure how or where to begin with Argument-Driven Inquiry? Are you feeling overwhelmed or confused with the ADI approach? If so, this session is for you! This is an immersive workshop that provides a practical approach using puzzles to introduce ADI to your students. Join the fun!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers learn a practical way to introduce Argument-Driven Inquiry in classrooms without losing the integrity of the ADI framework and feel confident with the ADI process.

SPEAKERS:
Marwa Crisp (Teacher)

Let's Have Fun and Conduct Inquiry in Physical Science Across the Grade Bands!

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A311


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

One of the goals of NGSS is that topics should not be taught in a striated series of unrelated levels, but rather learning should be articulated vertically through the grade bands. In this workshop, we are going to address three different examples from the Physical Science topics: Sound (from Waves), Kinetic and Potential Energy (from Energy), and Particles of Matter (from Matter). Participants will engage in several activities for each topic to demonstrat how inquiry activities can be differentiated in the grade band levels for the developmental level of the students and their content knowledge and understanding. Participants will gain an understanding of vertical topic development, i.e. bridging what comes before and/or after their own grade band. The activities have also been selected for the high level of engagement and enjoyment they bring to the participants.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Elementary students are naturally curious and we can capitalize on their curiosity with engaging science activities; 2. Using the NGSS 3-D approach leads to effective science teaching and learning; and 3. The goal of science teaching is to help students become scientifically literate.

SPEAKERS:
Wayne Snyder (Cal Poly Pomona: Pomona, CA), Karen Ostlund (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Engineering in Pre-K and K: Making Mechanisms and Structures

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A408


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Learn to make cardboard mechanisms and structures, create a mechanism that looks like a letter, and mount it to make a structure. Students in pre-K classrooms in Brooklyn, NY have learned to identify mechanisms and structures by engaging in these activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Mechanisms and structures are all around us! Mechanisms have independent moving parts, while structures do not. Increasing the number of fasteners can turn a mechanism into a structure while removing fasteners can turn it back into a mechanism.

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)

Helping Elementary Students Understand What Scientists Do

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B210


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Come see how you can help your elementary students not only understand the science content but how the people behind the science do their work! This session will be hands-on and provide strategies, examples, and historical short stories to help students understand how science works.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with resources and examples to teach nature of science (what science is and how science works) they can use right away with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

Tricks of the Trade for Enhancing Open Source Materials

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B315


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Participants will engage in a series of strategies that have been used with the OpenSciEd curriculum to enhance student engagement. Come see how to diversify the implementation of open source materials with teacher-tested techniques that promote equity in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will see the power in utilizing a diverse array of strategies designed to actively engage students while still teaching a curriculum as intended.

SPEAKERS:
Cathi Cox-Boniol (Louisiana Tech University: Ruston, LA)

Teaching About Kinematics

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Teachers will participate in activities and be given lesson plans from the Teaching About Kinematics manual they will receive free after the workshop.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understanding motion and being able to teach the following concepts: Velocity is not the same concept as speed; Two objects at the same position can have different velocities; Velocity and acceleration are not the same thing.

SPEAKERS:
Ann Robinson (University of West Georgia: Carrollton, GA)

Who Loves Soda Science? I do, I do, I do-oo!

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom B


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Participants will experience an engaging lesson that addresses abstract chemistry concepts of gas laws and stoichiometry through the lens of NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. This workshop immerses participants in the collaborative nature of science as they observe differences in carbonated soft drinks and make connections to chemistry concepts and mathematical principles. Participants will be able to work collaboratively as they walk through the lesson and will be given time to reflect on how to implement the lesson for themselves. Adaptations of the lesson for elementary, middle, and high school teachers will be provided to teachers as resources at the end of the session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to connect abstract chemistry concepts of stoichiometry and gas laws to everyday life. Teachers will be able to implement this phenomenon-based lesson in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Meredith Schwendemann (Clemson University), Ashley Hunter (Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant: Clemson, SC)

Phone Physics: 3D Rotational Motion

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom C


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

The gyroscope sensors in smartphones provide an unprecedented measurement capability which enables students to precisely investigate 3D rotational motion. This workshop will introduce teachers to labs which connect foundational physics to real-world applications such as VR and fitness tracking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will conduct multiple hands-on investigations using the gyroscope sensor in smartphones to explore rotational motion. They will directly experience the amazing capabilities of the sensors and will go away prepared to implement the investigations in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David Rakestraw (Senior Science Advisor: Livermore, CA), Michael Tobler (Moreau Catholic High School: Hayward, CA), Helene McLaughlin (JHU Applied Physics Lab: No City, No State)

Engaging Activities to Increase Retention in Science

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A313


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Engaging strategies to increase student retention in science will be shared during this session. Strategies shared are focused on excitement and relevancy to entice learner curiosity as well as focus. The session will review musical, inquiry, kinesthetic, literacy, and game-based strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will include engaging and helpful strategies to reach different learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Lewis (Katy ISD: Katy, TX), Molly Niedens (Tays Junior High School: Katy, TX)

The Fast and the Curious: A Math and Science Integrated Inquiry into Force and Motion

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A402


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Introduction: How long does it take you to react when you notice a change in your environment? If you are riding a bike or driving a car, how long would it take for you to apply the brakes? Do you think this time is the same for everyone? Part 1: Desmos Activity: The Tortoise and the Hare: In this interactive mission, participants use the story of the Tortoise and the Hare to develop a motion graph. Once the motion graph is created, participants will analyze the graph to determine where the motion was the greatest, where it stopped, and where it decreased. Part 2: The Fast and the Curious Mission: If you were a timer at a track meet, how would the times you record on your stopwatch compare to the actual times of the runners? Participants watch a clip of a race and they have to use their stopwatch/phone to time the race. They are comparing their reaction time with the actual time using a linear relationship.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will collect data of speed and reaction time, then present their data by creating and graphing an algebraic equation that compares the actual amount of time with the average time that you recorded.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Neumann (Teacher), Kyan Butler (Spring ISD: Houston, TX)

How Am I Going To Have My Students Discover This Concept? Creating Hands-On Chemistry Investigations for Student Discovery

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A304


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

The purpose of this workshop is for the teacher to ask themselves, “How Am I Going To Have My Students Discover This Concept,” rather than lecturing. Examples of converting lectures into hands-on and open-ended investigations will be given. Demos are essential to show concepts and will be discussed

TAKEAWAYS:
Students have had been told and are expected to memorize the mass of an electron is ≈ 1/2000 of a proton. Developing a hands-on student discovery investigation for this concept and other concepts is a far superior learning method than lecturing and memorizing. .

SPEAKERS:
Gary Schiltz (Retired Chemistry Teacher: Naperville, IL)

High Flyin' Fun: Using Hot Air Balloons to Teach Gas Laws

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Flying High with PBL-A STEM Hot Air Balloon Lesson.pptx

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Join us for a high flyin’ hot air balloon adventure! Learn how you can use hot air balloons to teach properties of gases/gas laws through this project-based lesson- balloon creation and launch included! Easily adapted for most grade levels, it is a fun, versatile addition to your toolbox.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session attendees will learn how to use hot air balloons to teach gas laws through this hands-on, project-based lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Donaldson (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX), Kate York (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)

Phone Physics: E&M Sampler

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom C


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

The magnetometer sensors in smartphones provide students with the ability to precisely investigate the 3D properties of magnetic fields. Workshop participants will conduct investigations which include characterizing Earth’s magnetic field and demonstrating magnetic information storage and readout.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will conduct multiple hands-on investigations using the magnetometer sensor in smartphones to explore magnetic fields. They will directly experience the amazing capabilities of the 3-axis magnetometer sensor and will go away prepared to implement the investigations in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David Rakestraw (Senior Science Advisor: Livermore, CA), Michael Tobler (Moreau Catholic High School: Hayward, CA), Helene McLaughlin (JHU Applied Physics Lab: No City, No State)

Sing Your Way Into Their Hearts (and Brains!)

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C210


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Singing science parodies together will create fun and relaxed shared experiences that will strengthen teacher/student bonds and facilitate future learning. Plus they will learn science concepts without even knowing it!

TAKEAWAYS:
Song can teach as well as create a safe and enjoyable environment for students.

SPEAKERS:
Jen Taylor (Lakeview Academy: Saratoga Springs, UT)

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)

Gravity Cars: A Potential and Kinetic Energy Unit

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A315


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Engage as a learner in a unit about energy conversions. This unit incorporates project-based learning, the engineering and design process, and 5Es learning cycle.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use an engineering and design project as the phenomenon. Participants will learn how to build a 3D unit with conceptual flow. Participants will learn how to incorporate inquiry labs within a unit.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Bogart (Stonecreek Junior High: No City, No State)

Back to Top