2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

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

Misconceptions in Biology Quantified

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B315


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Data from exams over the last several years has revealed what we maybe already knew. Students have misconceptions about Biology content. This session will illuminate what those misconceptions are and what data tells us about what the students really think.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway from this session will be how to meet student misconceptions head-on and help guide students away from their confusion and towards correct knowledge.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Neesemann (Bay Ridge Prep: Brooklyn, NY), Catherine Walsh (College Board: Alachua, FL)

From Research to Impact – Storytelling Science for a Safer World

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Application Notes Strategies to Protect Air Quality During Wildfires
Considerations for Do-It-Yourself Filtration
DIY Box Fan Air Cleaner Safety Tips
From Research to Impact Storytelling Science for a Safer World (slide deck)

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Stories from Chemical Insights Research Institute’s “research to impact” process will be shared from their work on a variety of emerging technologies and topics such as 3D printing emissions, an economical approach to improving indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discuss how “research to impact” is or might be used in their schools and collaborate to create their own research to impact story they can share to engage students in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Cristi Bell-Huff (Research Manager), Holley Henderson (Chemical Insights Research Institute: Marietta, GA)

Culturally-Responsive STEAM Education

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B314



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Culturally-Responsive STEAM Education - NSTA National Conference 2023

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 100% of the top ten fastest growing occupations between 2020-30 are STEAM-related professions! NOW is the time to leverage our students' learning tools to help them maximize their scientific literacy! Let's use what matters to them to inspire them!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn tangible strategies to utilize in their classrooms TOMORROW in order to appeal to their STEAM learners and inspire them to engage in STEAM content in meaningful, creative, and solution-oriented ways!

SPEAKERS:
Shaneka Bullins (Founder and Owner: , CA)

Youth Action Through Interdisciplinary Research

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B314



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Atlanta 2023 NSTA Final Slides.pdf
Session Powerpoint

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Students and presenters will share how they are making a positive impact in their community through interdisciplinary research and design thinking. During this interactive session you will learn how to teach students interdisciplinary research, interview skills and host a community showcase.

TAKEAWAYS:
It is hard for students to learn about complex problem such as climate change, water security through STEM fields only. By combining STEM research with other disciplines, students learning is deepened and it gives teachers a chance to collaborate with colleagues from other disciplines as well.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Birdsong (Monta Vista High School: Cupertino, CA), Kavita Gupta (Monta Vista High School: Cupertino, CA)

- Connecting Climate Change, Food Justice, and Youth Agency: A Recipe for Success

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom C


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Research in climate change education indicates that knowledge alone is a poor predictor of student action toward addressing climate issues. Learn about how one high school is supporting students to connect local issues, climate and food justice through community partnerships and civic action.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session you’ll learn about: A framework for education that integrates knowledge of place, interdependence, and student agency Current research in climate change education How food justice can be a powerful motivator that leads to student engagement and action

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Margon (Teacher: NY, NY), Jennifer Cirillo (Shelburne Farms: Shelburne, VT)

Author NSTA Press Session: Instructional Sequence Matters: Explore-Before-Explain, Grades 6-8

Friday, March 24 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Georgia World Congress Center - B309


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Find out how to use explore-before-explain learning to flip the traditional teaching script and promote long-lasting understanding in physical science.

TAKEAWAYS:
How you do it—ready-to-teach lessons that use an explore-before-explain sequence to provide an experience that meet the Next Generation Science Standards and make interdisciplinary connections to the Common Core State Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

Chemistry Creativity

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

This poster session will present research on how chemistry professors or science content experts view creativity in their subject matter and their subject matter teaching and connect these findings to practical applications in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
By studying and realizing how content experts view creativity and how they implement it into their classrooms and labs, this presentation will share how preservice methods instructors can better organize and provide experiences to explain how science content can be learned and taught.

SPEAKERS:
William Veal (College of Charleston: Charleston, SC)

Cognitively-Based Design Principles for more Effective Science Diagrams

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Students in K-12 science classrooms don’t think about diagrams the same way adults do, and can be easily “overloaded.” Research in cognition gives us tools to make science diagrams that more effectively support learning. Surprise: often, students learn more without features like arrows and colors!

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective diagrams direct student attention to the most important information and relationships while minimizing cognitive load. Strategies for doing so include tree structures, explicit cues for implicit information, replacing realistic photos with illustrations, and use of the proximity principle.

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Rabi Whitaker (Academy for Young Writers: Brooklyn, NY)

Digestion of Waste to Energy: School Design and Lab Study

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.)
EdmersonCandace_Anaerobic Digester Poster Presentation_NSTA Atlanta 2023.pdf
https://blog.uta.edu/yazdani/ret/
UTA Civil Engineering

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

An AD can decrease the amount of waste in landfills, and produce clean energy, the byproduct of digestate (liquid and solid) can be used as fertilizer, it prevents pollution of the atmosphere, and the processing time takes (20 to 30 days) less than composting.

TAKEAWAYS:
This research aimed to identify and create a way to repurpose and utilize organic waste material that usually ends up in landfills. By creating a closed system within the laboratory, we measured the gas production of carbon dioxide and methane gas, and which waste produces the most biogas.

SPEAKERS:
Candace Edmerson (Duncanville High School: Duncanville, TX)

The Relationship between High School STEM Courses and STEM Retention in College

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Using a sample of 755 STEM undergraduates from the National Longitudinal Study of Freshmen, we examined the relationship between students’ years of high school study in STEM courses and their retention in STEM college majors.

TAKEAWAYS:
Our findings suggest that STEM undergraduate students who took more Physics and Chemistry courses in their high school tended to be more likely to stay in STEM majors in their college years compared to their peers who did not or did so less.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Cho (Student), Young Kim (Professor: Azusa, CA)

STaR- Science Teacher Residency Professional Development Outcomes

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.)
ArizonaScienceCenter_NSTA-STaRProgram.pdf

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

The Science Teacher Residency (STaR) Program was launched in 2018 in response to the need to expand access to high quality professional development for science teachers in Arizona. It is designed for third through eighth grade teachers from Title 1 designated schools, and provides instructional tools and resources to participants for free. The program is designed around its Theory of Change, which involves four facets: pedagogical approaches, content learning, access to expertise, and materials and resources. The program is externally evaluated by the Lawrence Hall of Science. Data on content knowledge level, fascination level, interest level, and intention to pursue science will be featured on the poster. Our target audience is for professional development providers.

TAKEAWAYS:
STaR expands access to high-quality teaching practice in science education for Arizona teachers. PD facilitators can obtain new ideas for research-based implementation of pedagogy, content learning, access to expertise, and materials and resources.

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

Using Nature of Science in the Classroom

Friday, March 24 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Have you wondered how to teach the Nature of Science in an engaging way? Do you know that there are free accessible websites to help. Come see how a few simple activities that allow students to access the other dimension of the NGSS standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Come away with free resources of Nature of Science activities. In addition learn the backed research principles that make this dimension of NGSS vital for scientific literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Mulligan (Bridgeport Public School: Bridgeport, NE)

Exploring a Learning Sequence about Patterns in Species Diversity

Friday, March 24 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - B207


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Learning Sequences to drive phenomena through a unit is one way to help students understand the content. In this model activity from a new Lab-Aids program: Science and Global Issues: Biology, developed by SEPUP, you will use data to investigate how abiotic factors and species diversity are related.

The influence of in-school computer science experiences on students’ career intentions

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - C207


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

We present results of a national survey (of 6,044 beginning college students at 59 institutions) that assesses the influence of in-school computer science experiences on students’ career intentions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn what works--and what does not work--in boosting students' computer science-related career interests.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Susan Sunbury (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory: Cambridge, MA), Gerhard Sonnert (Harvard College Observatory: Cambridge, MA)

Effectively Use Phenomena that Highlights the Lived Experiences and Narratives of Black Heritage in Biology Lessons

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A410



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
NSF Final Outcomes Report: Using Lived Experiences & Narratives Black Heritage
The Clarity We Need For Belonging
The clarity we need for belonging
Video Clips on YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@visibilityinstem
Visibility In STEM

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

The lived experiences and narratives of Black heritage and African American Gullah-Geechee are used as engaging phenomena in inquiry lessons using the 5E model. The scientific practices are used to explore biology data cards created in a National Science Foundation funded project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engaging in inquiry and scientific practices using the cultural resources of Black heritage facilitate engagement in the NGSS three dimensions of STEM. Attendees receive free resources created from this project. Connections to Common Core and equitable classroom practices will be made.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Quinlan (Howard University)

Can kids learn environmental conservation while playing board games in the classroom? Learn how a Johns Hopkins University research project is seeking answers.

Friday, March 24 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Adventerra Games

Adventerra's unique board games nurture environmental literacy. While racing to win, students see how their actions affect the planet. Come play, and discuss how to use games to empower students and achieve curricular goals! Learn about a Johns Hopkins study on the effect of games on eco behavior.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Mundell (Marketing and sales: Laurel, MD), Bryan Mundell (Founder), Sue Mundell (Adventerra Games North America LLC: No City, No State)

Inquiry-Based Chemistry Instruction Research Findings & GaDOE's Rollout of Resources Aligned to NGSS & GSE

Saturday, March 25 • 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Presentation

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Presentation of research findings from rural chemistry teachers in Georgia and ways to implement inquiry-based laboratory instruction in the classroom. Additionally, Georgia Department of Education will present new resources available for teachers aligned to NGSS and GSE.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with a better picture of the views of chemistry teachers in rural schools regarding inquiry-based laboratory instruction. GaDOE is giving attendees access to digital resources to help combat many of the feelings of isolation or confusion with the depth of standards.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Crandall (Science Program Manager: No City, No State), Robert Bice (Berry College: Mount Berry, GA)

Data Literacy: Using US Geological Survey Datasets in the Classroom

Saturday, March 25 • 8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Spend invaluable time with current Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, Candyce Curry, exploring FREE RESOURCES from the U.S. Geological Survey website. This workshop will give teachers insight on finding & using, with minimal preparation, datasets from multiple sources within the website.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be presented with methods & strategies to use readily available data from the US Geological Survey to incorporate & improve their data literacy practices. This is an introduction to content specific data, resources, and suggested methods to modify/accommodate for differentiation.

SPEAKERS:
Candyce Curry (US Geological Survey)

What does ‘creativity’ look like in science lessons and how can I encourage it?

Saturday, March 25 • 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood B


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

This session will review research into creativity in science lessons identifying the key enablers and blockers. It will also look at resources and strategies that teachers can use to move towards a more creative science experience for learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the key characteristics of a creative science learning experiences revealed by research and identify some strategies to support these experiences in classrooms from K-12. They will also explore some exemplar resources designed to support more creative approaches.

SPEAKERS:
Stuart Bevins (Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, United Kingdom), Gareth Price (Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, United Kingdom)

Engaging Students with Better Science Practices in Science Fair Projects

Saturday, March 25 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

A former national science fair judge provides insights on how good titles can improve the odds of winning at science fairs. The poster will describe what the parts of a "good" title are and how teachers can help your students create one.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn the components of how to create a good project title (from a research project on science fairs) and how to help their students develop a good title for their own project that is structurally similar to those used by scientists to describe their own research at conferences.

SPEAKERS:
G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)

Storylines: A Classroom Research Project

Saturday, March 25 • 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.)
Storylines A Classroom Research Project Poster

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

The effects of a Storyline approach was used in a High School biology class. A storyline focusing on the concept of ecosystem homeostasis was presented to students and compared to a traditional teaching approach. Results indicated that student content knowledge and attitudes improved.

TAKEAWAYS:
Storylines are effective teaching tool to help student learn science content through the lens of Science & Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Shane Cullian (Whitewater High School: Whitewater, WI), John Graves (Montana State University: Bozeman, MT)

The science teacher’s self-efficacy toolkit

Saturday, March 25 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

"Believe you can and you're halfway there!" There's a lot of buzz about self-efficacy, but what does it mean for a science educator? Come discuss how practices that focus on self-efficacy for both students and teachers can impact academic achievement, goal-setting, and resilience in your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Those that visit this poster will engage in conversation about what current research says about self-efficacy and K-12 science classrooms and will come away with resources to focus classroom practices on raising the self-efficacy of their students for performing scientific practices.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Rushing (PhD Candidate: , VA)

That’s a wrap! Exploring the DNA Histone Model and Cancer

Saturday, March 25 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Georgia World Congress Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Free phenomenon based unit around chromatin remodeling! Organization of a meter of DNA into a 5-μm nucleus is an obstacle and a way that genes are regulated. Using free resources including a 3D cut-and-paste model, this unit explores how DNA is organized and how access to DNA is controlled.

TAKEAWAYS:
DNA is coiled around histones. Tightly coiled DNA is inaccessible to gene reading machinery. Methyl molecules bind to DNA and block access to genes. Acetyl molecules bind to histones and improve access to genes.

SPEAKERS:
April Thompson (Lakeview Academy: Saratoga Springs, UT)

Turning Fundamental Particle Science into Hands-on Learning for K-12 Students

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Juniper


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Explore the fundamental nature of particles with hands-on activities and real experiences based on the research of the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

TAKEAWAYS:
Investigating concepts from the micro and macro environments is better when students can investigate the content through hands-on activities and real-world experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Chad Ronish (Science Education Specialist: Lead, SD)

Increase STEM Instructional Capacity Across School and District Levels

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B214


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Learn from innovative schools and districts on how they strengthen STEM instructional capacity through systematic approaches to professional learning. Hear from colleagues on how they integrated STEM certification programs into initiatives to positively impact STEM instruction and student success.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Arnette (STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning: Houston, TX), Angela Campana (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Pole of Inaccessibility: Bringing Ocean Science to North America’s Great Interior

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B212


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Join us as we explore how NOAA Teacher at Sea can bring stimulating ocean science content to the classroom through a wide range of technology and media applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA Teacher at Sea provides numerous cutting-edge strategies to make ocean science accessible to students such as Google Cardboard and various VR applications to utilizing NOAA Teacher at Sea’s rich ocean science resources.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Cody (Edmunds Central School District: Roscoe, SD)

Turning What You Love to Teach into a Modeling-Based Unit

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom E


STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Modeling integrates scientific practices, cross cutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. In this workshop you will construct a model of a favorite anchoring phenomenon, and use the model to develop a 3D, modeling-based unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session attendees will learn how to engage their students in modeling, and use a systems-thinking framework to construct a modeling-based unit

SPEAKERS:
Steve Bennett (Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI)

Exciting Endophytes! A Plant Biotechnology Primer

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A309



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Endophyte photos
Endophytes collected at the conference.
Endophyte photos
Endophytes collected at the conference.
Endophyte photos
Picture of endophytes collected at the conference.
Endophyte pictures
Endophytes collected at the conference.
Exciting Endophytes
Endophyte Isolation Powerpoint

STRAND: Research to Practice

Show Details

Ever wondered what microorganisms might be hiding in a plant? Probably not! But we'll show you how to translate real high-level research into a highly engaging lab your students will remember and enjoy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a lab protocol to isolate plant endophytes with their students

SPEAKERS:
Sloan Almehmi (Student), Katie Busch (The University of Alabama at Birmingham: Birimingham, AL)

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