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:6 - 8, Professional Learning, Life Science

 

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

Folding and Molding: Hands-on Protein Structure

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Journey through protein folding and its implications for human disease in this hands-on engaging investigation of the Amino Acid Starter Kit. Empower your students to make connections between amino acid sequences, final protein shapes and the effect a "simple" mutation can have on a human life.

SPEAKERS:
Dan Williams (Teacher: Shelter Island, NY)

Scales of Change: How Climate Change Impacts Every Unit in Biology

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How can we integrate climate change into different biology units? We'll use data-rich HHMI BioInteractive resources to demonstrate how to incorporate this topic across scales.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Eberhard (St. Clair High School: Saint Clair, MI), Samantha Johnson (Arroyo High School: San Lorenzo, CA)

Is This Going To Be Graded? Formative Assessment and Feedback Practices that Matter

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B207


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP Science

How to make the learning process as important as the product? Create a visible learning process and practice strategies to remove the fear of failure. Participants will be exposed to different levels of instructional feedback, standard-based grading, assessment, and feedback tools.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Jones (Illinois State University: Normal, IL)

Left at the Scene of the Crime: High School Forensics

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

There’s a break-in at the lab. Your students become forensic scientists as they walk into a crime scene. Analyze samples for blood and then catch the criminal with DNA fingerprinting. This exciting workshop will include ways to incorporate biotechnology and gel electrophoresis into your classroom.

AUTOPSY: Forensic Dissection Featuring Carolina’s Perfect Solution® Pigs

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B208


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Ready for a dissection that is cutting edge? With this “real” classroom autopsy, revitalize your mammalian structure and function lesson to 3-dimensional instruction while addressing important standards. Participants dissect a Carolina’s Perfect Solution® pig by modeling the protocols of a professio

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau (Retired Educator: National City, MI)

Genes in Space: A free experimental design competition

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Engage students in authentic research through Genes in Space: the experimental design competition that launches experiments to the International Space Station. Learn about free educational resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, explainer videos, and biotechnology equipment loans.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Climate, COVID, Conspiracy, and Classrooms: Supporting scientific literacy by fighting science denialism

Thursday, March 23 • 11:40 AM - 12:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B216


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Savvas Learning Company

Scientific literacy is vital to economic and public health and security. How can we respond to forces that undermine public understanding and trust in science. We will then explore online resources and individualized teaching strategies that can overcome these challenges in our classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Levine (Science Writer and Producer: Concord, MA)

Dynamic Demonstrations from Flinn Scientific

Thursday, March 23 • 11:40 AM - 12:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Seeing is believing! Flinn Scientific presents a variety of easy to perform and exciting chemistry and physical science demonstrations. Come see Flinn’s new demonstrations and some of your old favorites—all guaranteed to make your science classroom come alive. Handouts provided for all.

Living Drugs: Fighting Cancer with CRISPR-engineered CAR-T Cells.

Thursday, March 23 • 11:40 AM - 12:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Learn how physical models can be used to introduce your students to the field of cancer immunotherapy and CRISPR-engineered T-cells.

Engaging Environmental Activities Developed and Tested by Teachers

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A401


STRAND: Avoiding Teacher Burnout

Show Details

Engaging environmental activities for students will develop awareness and action while providing teachers with a sense of purpose to combat burnout. These activities were developed and tested by teachers during multiple workshops that were conducted at the University of Georgia Marine Institute.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will come away with 20+ environmental activities that can be adapted for almost all life and environmental science for grades 3-12

SPEAKERS:
Shaina Otterpohl (St. Jude Catholic School: Chattanooga, TN)

Career awareness through innovative webbased curricula

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B306


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

In this unique curriculum, called BioScann, students become science experts, interpreting data to address a real-world challenge from their expert perspective. Students share their expertise in teams where communication and collaboration are essential to finding a final class solution to the problem. By showcasing a broad array of careers that require a range of training and education, we expose students to science careers that are in high demand; a major point being that STEM is for everyone! BioScann modules are web-based and free. The workshop will showcase a 3-day module designed for grades 7-9, but additional modules that focus on plastic pollution and antibiotic resistance are under development. And are expected to be released in 2023. Evaluations of the original BioScann module indicate that students show dramatic and sustained increases in life sciences interest and career awareness and demonstrate an increased ability to read graphs and interpret complex data.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in web-based curriculum that introduces students to a wide range of science careers. You will first experience the curriculum from the student perspective but will also be coached to deliver this free curriculum in your classroom. This curriculum is compatible with google classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Maggie Keeler (Senior Curriculum Specialist), Michelle Mischke (VP of Biotechnology Education Programs: CAmbridge, MA)

Know Soil, Know Life: Curricular Connections to this Vital Resource

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A301


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Soils are vital to sustaining life. What makes this natural resource so special? Join us for an active session that digs into numerous soil science concepts and vetted teaching resources connected to the geosciences, biology, chemistry, and physics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Soils are the foundation upon which life exists on Earth. The life that teems below ground supports the life above ground. Understanding the ecosystem services provided by soils requires cross-disciplinary thinking and reveals how vital soils are to our existence.

SPEAKERS:
Margaret Holzer (Retired: Chatham, LA)

Incorporate Science Practices Using BioInteractive to Enhance Data Literacy Skills

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Develop data-literate students! We'll use BioInteractive resources to model instructional strategies that incorporate the science practices and improve scientific thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Orr , Ann Brokaw (Rocky River High School: Rocky River, OH)

Examining Enzymes: Interactive, Inquiry-Based Activities

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B211


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Wondering how to teach your students about enzymes? Leave the liver behind and bring complex concepts to life with hands-on experiments. Vernier biology expert Colleen McDaniel will walk you through an inquiry-based experiment that explores the different variables that affect catalase.

SPEAKERS:
Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Epigenetics: Tweaking Your Genetic Destiny

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

This session will introduce teachers to physical models of DNA base-pairs that highlight the epigenetic modification of DNA and its impact on gene expression.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Introducing Your Students to Gene Editing with CRISPR

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

The gene-editing tool CRISPR is one of the most exciting biotechnology breakthroughs of the past decade. In fact, this technique won the Nobel Prize in 2020! In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore CRISPR biology using fast, easy experiments that model the development of a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

Hands-on genetics labs for middle school learners and general bio

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

A purrfect introduction to genetics! Track inheritance in a family of cats using Punnett squares. Then, use gel electrophoresis to examine the gene that controls that trait. Students connect Mendelian genetics with our modern understanding of genes! No stains or extra visualization equipment needed.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA), Katy Martin (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life by Kendall Hunt

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Kendall Hunt

BSCS Biology: Understanding for Life is designed for the NGSS. The inquiry-based program leverages the new BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model as well as literacy and sensemaking strategies to support all learners. Join us to explore the program’s benefits and key features.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

What ARE you inhaling?: Using Sensors to Explore Air Quality and Vaping

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A303


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Explore how to use the air sensors to demonstrate the dangers of vaping to students. Participants will see how to measure air quality around the mist expelled out of vapers in a closed system testing system, made from simple materials, in which non-nicotine vape juice is expelled.

TAKEAWAYS:
Air quality, measured in several areas such as particulate matter and AQI, can be used to show that the ingredients in vaping reduce air quality for not only the vaper, but people around them. Students will also learn how to read and analyze graphical data.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Behrle (BioNetwork: Greenville, NC)

Wake: Tales from the Aqualab - Game-Based Science Learning Under the Sea

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A314


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Play a new free online science game - Wake: Tales from the Aqualab. Take on ocean-based ecosystem missions, and engage in experimentation, modeling, and argumentation around middle school life sciences content. Use a submarine to explore a kelp forest! Travel to the arctic to find a missing whale!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn ways to implement Wake in your classroom - including associated curriculum and supplemental materials. The full game can cover 10+ classes, with over 35 jobs of increasing complexity, and a fun story. Learn about our research on game-based supports for student learning of science practices.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Scianna (University of Wisconsin Madison)

Developing Data Literacy Skills With HHMI BioInteractive Data Points

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Join us as we model how to engage students in data analysis using BioInteractive Data Points, a free collection of authentic scientific graphs and figures.

SPEAKERS:
Amit Morris (Science Teacher: , ON), Brian Mason (Teacher: , AK)

Chromosomes in Action: Revisualizing Meiosis

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Explore how physical models foster an understanding of the importance of meiosis to the diversity seen among living things.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Transform Your Class into a Neuroscience Laboratory

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Neuroscience is one of science’s fastest growing fields. Students learn about the field by exploring Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s, two neurodegenerative disorders. We will analyze the Huntingtin genes using PCR and electrophoresis and explore the biology behind Alzheimer’s disease with an ELISA.

P51™ Glow Labs: Study DNA structure and enzyme activity using fluorescence

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Discover a new way to study DNA and enzymes! Use fluorescence to see changes to DNA structure and enzyme activity with your own eyes. Explore how temperature, pH, and genetic sequence affect DNA base pairing. Then, see inhibitors, concentration, temperature, and pH affect enzymatic reaction rates.

SPEAKERS:
Ally Huang (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

The Unlimited Cut: Dissecting 3D Animal Models to Improve Life Science Education Outcomes

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A304


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Visible Body

Lab time and access to specimens can be limited, expensive, or sometimes completely out of reach. Visible Body's 3D content and Courseware platform provide a digital alternative to wet labs and 2D textbook images and diagrams, allowing students to "cut" as many times as they need.

Incorporating students' Lived Experience may equitably improve grasp of Life Sciences

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A309


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Students' lived experience of brain disorders can strengthen lessons for Middle and High School science standards on structure/function. Validation of students as personal or cultural lived experience experts sets a foundation for their future learning, that is critical to achieve classroom equity.

SPEAKERS:
Rebekah Corlew (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD), Carlo Quintanilla (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD), Diana Andriola (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD)

Howling at the Standards!

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C208



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Howling at the Standards.pptx
NGSS and IWC Resources.pdf

Show Details

Put 3D Science Learning in context by utilizing the resources from the International Wolf Center. Invite students into the mysterious world of the charismatic wolf and wolf packs using research-based info, activities, and live wolf cams while addressing NextGen SEPs, CCCs, and LS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Put life science standards in the context of an apex predator: the wolf. Get curriculum maps with resources from the International Wolf Center to immerse students in pup development, predator/prey relationships, pack communications, hierarchy and territory, and wolf behavior, biology, and ecology.

SPEAKERS:
KIMBERLY LOOMIS (Kennesaw State University: Kennesaw, GA)

Coral reef ecosystems and us: Explore free NOAA resources about these fragile, but threatened, wonders

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A407



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Slides for Coral Reef Ecosystems and Us Free NOAA Resources

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Incorporate coral reefs into your existing curriculum – biology, chemistry, climate studies, art, and more – using lesson plans, demos, activities, and multimedia from NOAA.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn what corals are, why they are important, and how to fit coral reefs ecosystems into your curriculum using free NOAA resources.

SPEAKERS:
Kayla Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD), Denise Harrington (NOAA TASAA Fellow: Garibaldi, OR), Bekkah Lampe (NOAA Office of Education: Silver Spring, MD)

The Mystery of the Missing Tusks: Explaining Elephant Evolution Using HHMI Biolnteractive Resources

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How do selective pressures shape elephant populations? We'll explore HHMI BioInteractive activities that have students analyze data and construct explanations about this phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Marisa Alvarado (Grossmont High School), Dionne Reid (Teacher - Science: Pembroke Pines, FL)

What Evidence Do You Have To Support Your Claim?

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B207


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP Science

Discover new ways to use Claim-Evidence-Reasoning to enhance your students' science knowledge, communication, and writing skills in the middle school science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Rillieux (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

Let’s Get Physical: Human Physiology Experiments

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B211


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Keep your students engaged by giving them opportunities to move and interact in class. Explore limb position and grip strength, balance, and EKG and EMG experiments designed to encourage students to think about the physiology of various human organ systems. Come ready to participate!

SPEAKERS:
Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

DNA With A Twist – Use Of Multiple Models In The Classroom

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Examine how modeling deepens student engagement. Explore carefully designed models to discover basic features of DNA structure and function using an atomically accurate model. Model nucleotides, DNA and RNA polymers, genetic sequences, genetic engineering, and an endless number of possibilities.

SPEAKERS:
Keri Shingleton (Biology Teacher: Tulsa, OK)

Teaching the Polymerase Chain Reaction in One Lab Period

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Want to learn more about technologies used in today’s laboratories? If so, join this hands-on workshop! You’ll explore two biotechnology techniques, PCR and electrophoresis.. These experiments will help your students understand how techniques like genetic engineering work in a real-world context.

Crosscutting Concepts: Using a Familiar Perspective to Understand Your World

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B209


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

How do crosscutting concepts link the ideas and practices of science across different domains and over time? We will show you practical examples to see how crosscutting concepts provide a foundation for student sensemaking of phenomena and problems. Leave with classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Phenomenal Classroom Critters

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B208


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Add excitement to your class with live organisms! Discover fun, simple hands-on ways to explore evolution, adaptation, and behavior in your classroom with a variety of insects and arthropods. Learn about care and handling, as well as easy ways to integrate Organisms and Environments standards. Addit

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon (Chemistry Teacher: Boone, NC)

BioBits®: A hands-on lab to teach the central dogma

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Add a hands-on lab to your study of the central dogma! With the cell-free BioBits® system, students can watch as polymerases transcribe RNA and ribosomes translate it to make protein, all using fluorescent indicators. Now you can experiment directly with transcription and translation!

SPEAKERS:
Ally Huang (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

3D Science with Language Integration (GSTA)

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B308


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Join this session for information about content-language integration and discuss the design of a multimodal task that emphasizes 3D Science learning through the interpretive and expressive modes of communication. Then, take an in-depth look at examples that you can integrate into your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about lesson activities that provide students with the opportunity to make progress towards both the Science Ga Standards of Excellence and WIDA English Language Development Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Canepa-Redondo (Science/ESOL Program Specialist)

Using Science Practices To Connect Evolution and Inheritance With HHMI BioInteractive's Rock Pocket Mouse Resources

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Join us as we explore how to use HHMI BioInteractive's rock pocket mouse resources to connect evolution and inheritance, and strengthen students' data literacy skills.

SPEAKERS:
James Clark (Director: Pleasanton, CA), Jennifer Barnes (Gwinnett Online Campus: Lawrenceville, GA)

The Plight of the Bumble Bee: Genetic Biodiversity of Bees

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Bio-rad Laboratories

Taxonomy in action: use visual cues and biotechnology techniques to sort bumblebees into separate species. Experience how PCR, sequencing, and bioinformatics help scientists distinguish bee species.

Avogadro’s Law and Order: Investigating a Rocket Launch Failure

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B211


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

While building bottle rockets, students are instructed not to use more than 10 pumps on a bicycle pump. When a bottle bursts and injures students, it's up to you to investigate. Use Avogadro’s law and a Go Direct® Gas Pressure Sensor to solve the mystery in this hands-on experiment.

SPEAKERS:
NĂĽs Hisim (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Unwinding the Complexities of the Central Dogma

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Explore how physical models foster an understanding of how the structure of DNA and RNA determine the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life.

SPEAKERS:
Dan Williams (Teacher: Shelter Island, NY)

Anatomy & Physiology

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - A309


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Experience Simulation Curriculum's newest addition - Interactive Anatomy & Physiology - for grades 9-12. See the jaw-dropping interactive anatomy simulator with its 40+ lesson plans, simulations and images along with complete teacher resources.

Exploring the Genetics of Taste: SNP Analysis of the PTC Gene Using PCR

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore the relationship between genotype and phenotype using Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Some think PTC tastes bitter, while others find it tasteless. The ability to taste PTC is linked to variations in a taste receptor gene. In this workshop, you will use PCR to distinguish between PTC alleles.

Bandit™: Accessible gel electrophoresis for the biology classroom!

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Meet Bandit™, the electrophoresis system that brings accessibility to a new level. Build an affordable, durable, and reusable electrophoresis system. Then, make connections between molecular and Mendelian genetics with electrophoresis labs that run in 20 minutes and don’t require staining.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Speed Sharing: Middle School STEM

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B407



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
AMS Education
American Meteorological Society Education Program
NYSCI-Teacher-Guide-The-Pack.pdf
Our Online Plants
Website that has data from our online garden, the data the students have collected, links to photographs, a slide show presentation describing the garden. and the awards that it has won.

Show Details

Join middle school educators sharing experiences of growing experimental gardens, and teaching weather.

Creating & Maintaining an Experimental Hydroponic Online Garden
Create a long-term experiment, where students must act daily with nature to help collect, analyze and publish data online. Students sustain and maintain and experimental garden where variables such as light, water and plant nutrients can be manipulated to optimize growing conditions.

Who needs to know about weather?
Weather Lessons Use it to make sense of the maps and numbers of weather from television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. Relate them to local weather. The WeatherCycler Lesson puts weather systems into motion so that you can see why the forecast is what it is. Make your own weather forecasts with it. My NASA Dat

How an Open World Game Supports Students Computational Thinking in Science
What is computational thinking (CT) and why should students practice CT? Learn about what CT is, why to integrate CT skills into science class, and how the Pack, an open-world digital game, can provide diverse entry points for students to explore problem-solving and algorithms.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Kelly (Brandywine Springs School), Diane Ripollone (Cardinal Gibbons High School: No City, No State), Laycca Umer (NYSCI: Corona, NY)

Using A Sickle Cell Phenomenon To Explore Genetics

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Why do some people with the sickle cell genotype not show symptoms? Using HHMI BioInteractive resources, we'll engage with science practices to unpack this phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Michele Koehler (Riverside Brookfield District 208: Riverside, IL)

Do real hands-on CRISPR gene editing!

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Bio-rad Laboratories

Experience CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing experiments designed for your students' learning! In this hands-on workshop edit a chromosomal gene, complete with essential experimental controls, using the same cut-and-repair technology used in medicinal and agricultural applications.

Teaching mRNA Vaccines -- and the future of therapeutic RNAs

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

This session will introduce a mRNA vaccine design activity in which students explore the uridine-to-pseudouridine modification as well as codon optimization.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Discovering Lemur Diversity: Teaching conservation genetics through an authentic case study

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Bring molecular techniques to Ecology and Evolution units. Join an expedition to Madagascar to decide if an extinct lemur species has been rediscovered! Test DNA with gel electrophoresis, build phylogenetic trees, and analyze authentic field data from the Duke Lemur Center.

SPEAKERS:
Ally Huang (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA), ALEXANDRA Dainis (Owner/Producer: LOS ANGELES, CA)

Incorporating students' Lived Experience may equitably improve grasp of Life Sciences

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A309


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Students' lived experience of brain disorders can strengthen lessons for Middle and High School science standards on structure/function. Validation of students as personal or cultural lived experience experts sets a foundation for their future learning, that is critical to achieve classroom equity.

SPEAKERS:
Rebekah Corlew (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD), Carlo Quintanilla (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD), Diana Andriola (NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Bethesda, MD)

Unique Microscope Tips and techniques to help with current curriculum

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A313


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Accu-Scope

ACCU-SCOPE would like to offer a professional class instructing teachers the best techniques for acquiring images on items that are part of their curriculum. These classes will discuss mitosis slides, contrast methods for seeing live water organisms, polarizers, phase contrast, photosynthesis, etc.

Limitations of the CHLT-6 as an Assessment in a STEM Laboratory Experience

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Although cancer biology is an important topic with the study life science, the definition of cancer literacy has been ill defined. This project demonstrates limitations of using one measure of cancer literacy, the Cancer Health Literacy Test-6, within the scope of a cancer biology outreach program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cancer literacy has been broadly defined and assessed. Assessment of cancer biology knowledge may be best suited by the use of instructor-prepared, lesson-specific assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Heath (Student: Warrenville, SC), Kamani Barnes (Student: Warrenville, SC), Alexandria Martin (Student: , SC), Christie Palladino (Teacher: Warrenville, SC)

"When the Blood Drops Everything Stops" - Incorporating Measurement Error as an Opportunity for Success in an Experiment-Based Lesson

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Students may lose confidence in science skills when inconsistencies are not addressed. Our project shows that students can feel success by understanding measurement error, identifying ways to reduce measurement error, and analyzing the impact of those modifications.

TAKEAWAYS:
This project will demonstrate educationally and statistically significant impact of a piloted, experiment-based measurement error lesson. Attendees will take home tips for addressing inconsistent data to foster student success.

SPEAKERS:
Alexandria Martin (Student: , SC), Tiannah Green (Student: Warrenville, SC), Hannah Smith (Student: Warrenville, SC), Darneisha Hughes (Student: Warrenville, SC), Destiny Ramos (Student: Warrenville, SC), Janiya Dunbar (Student: Warrenville, SC), Alexis Wren (Student: Warrenville, SC), Samantha Brosnahan (Aiken County Career Cente: Langley, SC), Vivian Swearingen (Student: Warrenville, SC), Sophia Taylor-Davis (Student: Warrenville, SC), Aubria Johnson (Student: Warrenville, SC), Jose Rodriguez (Student: Warrenville, SC), Atticus Lull (Student: Warrenville, SC), Savannah Manning (Student: Warrenville, SC), Chassity Williams (Student: Warrenville, SC), Kayleigh Thigpen (Student: Warrenville, SC), Katherine Roberts (Student: Warrenville, SC), Christie Palladino (Teacher: Warrenville, SC)

Step-by-Step Skills

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA Poster Presentation C Beck March 2023
Documents that appeared on the poster at conference

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Step-by-Step Skills explains how to break down a scientific skill into a series of steps. Presenters will provide examples from their own classroom as well as a framework for how to utilize the technique across multiple grade levels and science disciplines.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to break down a scientific skill into a series of steps and why it is helpful for all learners, but especially those within a neurodiverse classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Beck (Randolph School: Huntsville, AL)

Make it open: How to break out of the classroom and transform schools into community partnerships?

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B315


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

This presentation provides an overview of the open schooling approach and the Make It Open project. By introducing resources co-created with educators and tested with students, we aim to present practice concepts such as maker, and inquiry-based learning, to help teachers implement this in classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be introduced to the Make It Open project based on the open schooling approach. They will get an overview of the tools and learning scenarios curricula developed by this project and reflect on how they can implement them in their classrooms based on their community.

SPEAKERS:
Tamar Fuhrmann (TC Columbia University: No City, No State)

Teaching Evolution: Free resources and Lessons

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B308



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSTA TIES 2023
Resources from the TIES presentation showcasing free tieseducation.org materials for teachers.

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES) provides teachers with free and downloadable resources for an entire unit of instruction, including a variety of assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
The TIES website contains a variety of teaching materials including presentations, online resources, online games, video questions, data analysis, puzzles, and formal assessments. The formal assessments include student response sheets and rubrics to support teaching evolution.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Clapp (The Catamount School: Sylva, NC), Alison Seymour (Science Teacher: Winchester, 0)

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)

Modeling Coral Bleaching: Using HHMI BioInteractive Resources to Make Student Thinking Visible

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How does temperature affect coral ecosystems? We’ll use resources and model instructional strategies that incorporate phenomena, questioning, and modeling to make student thinking visible.

SPEAKERS:
Elise Cooksley (Professional Development Provider-Teacher: North Bend, WA), Ann Brokaw (Rocky River High School: Rocky River, OH)

Modeling Gene Editing Mechanisms and Controls

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Bio-rad Laboratories

Genetic engineering in medicine and agriculture can be achieved with various techniques, all of which require secondary experimental confirmations. In this workshop learn how to use models to teach CRISPR gene editing, experimental controls, and various techniques for validating observed results.

Get a Move On: Modeling Molecular Transport Across Cell Membranes

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Engage in an exploration of the unique chemical and physical properties of water and the phospholipid bilayer that separates cells from their surrounding environment.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Bring molecular genetics to your biology classroom with PTC tasting

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

PTC tasting is a classic way to link genotype and phenotype. Use PCR and gel electrophoresis to determine if students have taster or non-taster alleles for bitter perception. Learn about our all-new curriculum and see how easy it can be to bring molecular genetics to your class!

SPEAKERS:
Ezequiel Alvarez-Saavedra (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA), ALEXANDRA Dainis (Owner/Producer: LOS ANGELES, CA), ALEXANDRA Dainis (Owner/Producer: LOS ANGELES, CA)

Let Non-Animal Dissection Methods Fall into your Lab

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A309


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Animalearn

Want to help your students explore anatomy without dissecting animals? Tune in and learn about the latest advancements in life science, from AR/VR dissection technology to hands-on non-animal resources that will both amaze and engage your students.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Green (Animalearn: Jenkintown, PA)

Connected Content: Making Food, Agriculture, and Science Relevant for Students

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

To effectively collaborate, problem-solve and be active in their own thinking/learning, students need to develop an understanding of themselves, their environment, and their impact on the future. Join us for a hands-on learning experience connecting food, agriculture, and science.

School Garden Spaces: How Native Plants Gardens, Fruit/Vegetable Gardens, and Hydroponic Gardens Can Be Incorporated at Your School

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B301



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
School Garden Presentation
Presentation will be used during session. Should make a copy for you when you click on it. You'll see links to all of the materials in the notes.

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

The session will cover 3 different types of gardens spaces. The session covers how to evaluate and set up different garden spaces. The session will cover what standards the spaces will cover and how to receive funding for the spaces.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away how to plan and incorporate a garden space of some sort for their school while supporting NGSS standards.

SPEAKERS:
RaeAnn Wood (8th Grade Science Teacher/Lab Science: Little Rock, AR), Jackie Scott (Mann Magnet Middle School: Little Rock, AR)

Developing Explanations of Natural Selection Using the VIDA Tool

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Join us as we use HHMI BioInteractive resources, including the VIDA Tool, to scaffold student understanding as they construct robust explanations about natural selection.

SPEAKERS:
Valerie May (Woodstock Academy: Woodstock, CT), Robin Bulleri (Science Teacher: Carrboro, NC)

Using Maggots, Flies, and Flesh to Solve a Mystery!

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B217


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

A decomposing corpse is found in a field. Four possible missing persons fit the description. But who is it? Using clues near the scene will help determine identity. Forensic anthropologist Diane France helped to develop this free middle school and high school forensic science lesson.

Science behind Opioid Dependence

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Bio-rad Laboratories

Two out of three drug overdoses are due to opioids. Understanding the environmental & genetic links to drug dependency can reduce risk when opioids are prescribed to high-risk patients. Discover how math, genetics, & personalized medicine can determine the likelihood of addiction.

Assessing Multi-Dimensional Science Skills in Middle School

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B202


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP Science

Learn how the new BrainPOP Science makes it easy to assess your middle school students’ multi-dimensional science skills.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Bakken (Director of Assessment Design)

Introducing Mighty Models: Exploring the Molecular Basis of Heavy Metal Poisoning

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B201


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Come experience our new collection of protein models enhanced by molecular stories, digital resources and augmented reality technology. Bigger, better,…and more robust.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI), Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Sickle Cell Genetics: Using gel electrophoresis to investigate inheritance

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B204


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Sickle cell disease is an excellent model to discuss topics ranging from protein structure and function to inheritance and genetic diseases. Add an engaging hands-on activity that only takes one class period! This lab helps a fictional family obtain a molecular diagnosis using gel electrophoresis.

SPEAKERS:
Ezequiel Alvarez-Saavedra (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA), ALEXANDRA Dainis (Owner/Producer: LOS ANGELES, CA)

Enhancing the Learning Experience Through the Citizen Science Model

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B314


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

The Citizen Science model provides students with opportunities to engage in authentic, purposeful, and relevant educational activities in support of local, state, and national scientific research and monitoring projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be introduced to a variety of Life Science and Ecology-based Citizen Science ideas ranging from simple to highly complex activities: activities that teachers can do on their own with students or in collaboration with local, state, or federal wildlife or conservation organizations.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Hodgdon (Richmond Hill Middle School: Richmond Hill, GA)

Leapin' Lizards: Using Storyboarding to Introduce Natural Selection

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B203


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

During this session, we'll model how to employ storyboards to enhance student understanding of evolution by natural selection using HHMI BioInteractive's lizard phylogeny resources.

SPEAKERS:
Tanea Hibler (Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School: No City, No State), Christina Moran-Johnson (Teacher)

Track the Mysterious Spread of a Novel Disease Using Electrophoresis

Friday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Bio-rad Laboratories

Put your epidemiologist hat on and determine the transmission mode of a new virus using molecular data, patient histories, and clues hidden in a restaurant.