2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

Grade Level


Topics























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Pathway/Course

FILTERS APPLIED:PreK - 5, Hands-On Workshop, Leadership and Advocacy, Sensemaking

 

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

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)

Everything is Connected: Hands-on Ecology for Young Students

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A315


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Discover interdisciplinary games and simulations that help younger students explore connections between themselves and the environment, including natural resource use, pollution and climate. Presented activities build skills in scientific inquiry, data analysis and critical thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will increase their understanding of basic human ecological concepts and best practices for introducing these concepts in their interdisciplinary elementary classrooms using 3D science instruction for a variety of learning styles.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Travaglini (Allegheny Land Trust: Sewickley, PA)

Hooked on Earthworms: High-interest activities to drive sensemaking

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C210


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Worms excite everyone! They are cheap, easy to get, and can be the phenomenon to drive learning on a host of topics. Come play with worms and see how they can stimulate learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience a series of activities that will help them use earthworms as phenomena in elementary science. For each activity, we will discuss how to move from the specifics of worms into sensemaking around more general concepts that the activities illustrate.

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

So What You're Saying Is...

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C204


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Students are going to talk anyway. Learn to make talk productive with student-led talk circles. Use this powerful strategy tomorrow to build students’ scientific literacy!

TAKEAWAYS:
Talk Circles enable educators to uncover student ideas and misconceptions as well as reveal students’ understanding to pave the way for further investigation.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia McMahon (Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy: North Windham, CT), Sheri Geitner (Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy: North Windham, CT), Nicole Bay (Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy: North Windham, CT)

STEM Through Guided Play

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C204



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Early Science Provocations for Guided Play Material List.pdf
Guided Play Stations Observations.pdf

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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

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

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

5-6-7-8: How Dance Class Can Teach Us About Best Practices for Instruction

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C204


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Experience an inquiry-based dance class showcasing key pedagogical ideas that support all learners, creating equitable opportunities for engagement and access. Designed using a research-based model, and an inclusive framework, build instructional knowledge that transfers to the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience best practices for science instruction including elements like differentiation, student choice, the power of kinesthetic learning, and more, all wrapped up in a research-based instructional model using an inclusive framework approach.

SPEAKERS:
Isaac Stauffer (Great Minds: Washington, DC)

CSSS: Capturing the brilliance of children and strengths of teachers through elementary learning materials

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A402


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Participants will explore critical components of “designed for NGSS” elementary units: phenomenon, embedded ELA resources, equity, professional learning, and assessment. Participants receive one exemplar unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Place-based learning experiences that extend across a school year can have multiple benefits for elementary students. Designed-for NGSS units that elevate the brilliance of children must include new visions of phenomenon, embedded ELA resources, equity, professional learning, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Starr (Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network)

Facilitate the "What is Sensemaking" Discussion for your team!

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B402


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Do you or the educators you work with have questions about what science teaching and learning look like in classrooms implementing your state standards? Join us for a session where you will receive support to lead this module using classroom video of contemporary research-based teaching in action.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will build an understanding of sensemaking and receive a toolkit to lead this session with other educators.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Using Computational Thinking to Protect Whales

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A305


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Protecting Whales is one of two new freely available units in the Smithsonian Science for Computational Thinking series. Learn about integrating computational thinking into your elementary STEM classroom using both hands-on and high-tech resources by using this specific third grade unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to integrate computational thinking into the upper elementary STEM classroom using a problem-driven approach. Learn how to access everything needed to implement the 3rd grade Protecting Whales unit.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Rogers (Smithsonian Science Education Center: Washington, DC), Sarah Glassman (Smithsonian Science Education Center: Washington, DC)

Adapting phenomena in my 3-dimensional elementary science classroom to 5-dimensional learning

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C207



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Adapting phenomena in my 3D elementary science classroom to 5D learning

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Educators will experience how 3D learning in any curriculum can be made into 5D learning if they have the pedagogical framing that identifies both phenomena types and supports phenomena adaptation. Specifically, place, student interests, and identities provide motivation to engage in sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn to identify phenomena types, select related phenomena and use students' place, interests, and identities to promote equitable learning experiences. These pedagogical tools and framing will help educators turn 3D, NGSS-aligned phenomena-based units into 5D learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Leonard Kenyon (Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance: No City, No State)

How to focus on Science and Literacy Skills at the same time in Grades 3-5

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A412


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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

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

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

STEMifying with a chance of Failure?

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A402


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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

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

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

Demystifying the Practice of Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking (Elementary)

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B402



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Atlanta23 Demystifying the Practice of Using Mathematics and Computational Think

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Immerse yourself in a classroom-ready lesson that creates the need to engage in Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking to build science ideas needed to explain a phenomenon young students are curious about.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary students engage in Using Mathematics and Computational thinking everyday as they describe, make comparisons between, and test predictions about systems in the world.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

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)

Environmental Literacy In Teacher Education through University and Sea Grant Collaborations (ELITE Collaborations)

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A305


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore an Elementary Grades Environmental Literacy learning module on the Eastern Oyster using stereo microscopes, smartphone lenses, the camera+ app, and iNaturalist to examine internal and external structures and how they support the species' survival.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science teachers will experiment with technologies and pedagogies that foster student engagement in scientific inquiry grounded in localized phenomena and environmental literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Green (University of Maryland, College Park: College Park, MD), John Frederick (Maryland Sea Grant: College Park, MD), Angela Stoltz (Asst. Clinical Faculty)

Leveraging Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) for Problem Based Learning

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B305


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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

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

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

Incorporating CER Responses into Your Elementary Classroom

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A412



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Connect with Me!
Materials from this presentation will be uploaded via a Google folder within 24 hours of the presentation finishing.
Google Folder Link
Here are all the materials from my sessions! Feel free to make copies of any item for your own use.

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

At the elementary level, having students explain what they are observing and learning in science class can be challenging. Using a strategy such as a claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) to guide explicit instruction and student responses can immensely impact their understanding of the curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use silly commercials to engage your elementary science students into creating detailed written responses to what they are learning in class using the CER strategy. CER will help them unlock their thinking skills in a way that can then be easily transferred to classroom content.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Oberdorf (Big Spring School District: Newville, PA)

Students Have to Read About Something: Teaching Science and Literacy at the Same Time in Grades 3-5

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

This session introduces a way to create learning experiences that centers literacy as central to students' sensemaking as they use the DCIs, CCs, and SEPs to explain natural phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about an approach to teaching science and literacy at the same time, supporting students learning of key science concepts will further developing their reading, writing, speaking, and listening proficiency.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Hutner (The University of Alabama: Del Valle, TX)

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)

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