2023 Atlanta National Conference

March 22-25, 2023

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FILTERS APPLIED:Sensemaking, Environmental Science

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
193 results
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Getting Your Feet Wet: High School Field Trip Activities for Geoscience Integration

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B316



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Getting Your Feet Wet: High School Field Trip Activities for Geoscience

STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

This session will describe an NSF grant in progress to increase high school awareness of geoscience through field trips and activities. This grant was written by geoscience and education faculty. We will share some activities along with what we learned from the pre- and post- assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will participate in hands-on activities that have been prepared by geoscience faculty at Missouri S&T. The teacher ed. faculty at Missouri S&T will share ideas on how to implement and assess these. Student learning is enhanced when students are engaged in hands-on, field based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Meek (Professor: Rolla, MO), Michelle Schwartze (Missouri S&T: Rolla, MO)

Using Zebrafish as the hook for increasing students’ scientific curiosity and advancement - special focus on English Learners.

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B314



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Video links Zebrafish.doc.pdf
ZSI Flyer-23.pdf

STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Explore the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) a freshwater fish at the forefront of biomedical research and easily maintained in a classroom aquarium, to spark ALL students’ curiosity and scientific engagement with real-life science experiences through multiple-learning modalities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learning how zebrafish and low-budget pet store supplies can be used to engage diverse learners in multimodal (visual, kinesthetic) real-life science learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Vinita Hajeri (The University of Texas at Dallas: Richardson, TX)

Water, Wind, Weather, and Wonder

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C203


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

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TAKEAWAYS:
STEM isn't an add on at the EC level. It is a natural way of discovering the world around. It is also a path to equity when it is embedded in literary and real-world experience.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Ruud (Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH), Juliana Texley (Lesley University: Cambridge, MA)

Equity and Belonging in Marine Sciences and Education

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

Who belongs in marine sciences? Why does it matter? Join the NMEA Equity & Belonging committee for an interactive session which aims to advance dialogue on social equity & justice in these spaces. This session is for educators who are passionate about integrating marine concepts in their practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
The personal and professional narratives shared by the presenters will highlight tools and strategies to shift the power dynamics in your science classroom. A curated collection of resources to support more just and equitable science teaching practices will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Rae Quadara (The University of Southern Mississippi Marine Education Center: No City, No State), Janice Williams (Pinnacle Education Services /NMEA /COLC: North York, ON)

Place-based Learning: Climate Change & Harbor Island Hopping

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B404



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

STRAND: Student Learning and Inclusion

Show Details

In this session we will engage participants in thinking about how they can create stronger connections to current climate change research through placed-based learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendee's will be able to share the benefits of place-based teaching and learning with peers and colleagues, and serve as an advocate for field experiences within the school community.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Shoer (Senior Program Manager, Education & Engagement), Elisabeth Colby (Director of Visitor Experience and Engagement Programs: Boston, MA), Holly Rosa (Boston Public Schools: Boston, MA)

Promoting Argument Driven Explanation in Earth & Environmental Science

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A314


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Construct deeper student understanding of Earth science topics. We will engage in argument-driven scaffolds for Earth and environmental science topics to critically evaluate connections between evidence and alternative scientific explanations using model-evidence link (MEL) diagrams.

TAKEAWAYS:
An introduction to instructional scaffolds designed to assist learners as they evaluate the plausibility of evidence connected to models and the research base that supports using these scaffolds & access to instructional materials.

SPEAKERS:
Lorraine Ramirez Villarin (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA), Donna Governor (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA)

Rural Route Science

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B312



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Auto Exhaust Lab.docx
Heat Transfer Lab with Popcorn
Mining Lab 1.pdf
Mining Lab 1.pdf
Mining Lab 2.pdf
Model of an Atom Lab.docx
Period Trends Project.docx
Reaction Rate Lab.pptx
Rural Route Science- NSTA 2023.pptx
Soil Perc Lab 1.pdf
Soil Perc Lab 2.pdf
Timeline Project.docx
Waves Station Lab Answer Sheet.docx
Waves Stations.doc

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Come learn some fun hands on activities that you can use in your classroom and/or lab that don't cost an arm and a leg! We will focus on activities for Chemistry, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, and Physical Science. Everything from student made projects to instructor demos!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees with leave with Low Cost Hands-On Activities.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Knowles (Teacher), Rachel Kakesh (Bowdon High School: Bowdon, GA)

Great Lakes Learning: The Best Great Lakes Science Activities Ever

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A412


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Designed by award-winning science educator, author, and Michigan Teacher of the Year Gary Abud, Jr. in partnership with PBS, this session will focus on instructional strategies, high impact core teaching practices, and amazing learning resources about the Great Lakes from Detroit Public Television's award-winning show Great Lakes Now. In this session, you'll learn how to help your students explore the Great Lakes like never before and engage in productive discussions, engineering challenges, and intriguing investigations that they'll never forget. From fatbergs to watersheds to invasive species, biodiversity, climate change, and much more, you'll see how the Great Lakes makes for a GREAT way to teach myriad science concepts and engage students in the science and engineering practices of the NGSS no matter where they are learning, because the blended learning activities can go with you anywhere!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to explore the Great Lakes with your students while incorporating multimedia, cognitive science, and student discourse.

SPEAKERS:
SANDRA SVOBODA (Program Director, Great Lakes Now: , MI), Gary Abud Jr (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH)

Using an affordable handheld sensor technology to uncover the science behind the storm

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C207


STRAND: Technology and Media

Show Details

Get hands-on with sensor technology to uncover meteorological phenomena and discover how these tools can help make connections to weather and climate literacy for students in upper elementary-high school classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
There are affordable sensor technologies available to help turn students of all ages into data-collecting scientists and meteorologists.

SPEAKERS:
Harris Muhlstein (University of North Carolina Wilmington: Wilmington, NC)

The Tapwater Tour - Tapping into the Phenomena of Drinking Water

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A313


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: LaMotte Company

Water is the single most valuable resource essential for life on Earth, yet is subject to increasing scarcity, pollutants, and overuse. The Tapwater Tour curriculum make the real-world connection between the phenomena explored in the lesson and actual hands-on laboratory activities.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Evans (Kent County High School: Worton, MD)

Advancing Science Instruction by Using Models to Understand Phenomena

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B218


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Great Minds

In this workshop, participants are introduced to a 5th grade module on Earth Systems to uncover a new process for developing models in science and see how the communication of ideas through models and sketches increases opportunities for student engagement.

Biology: Quick and Easy Photosynthesis Experiments

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B213


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Learn how collecting carbon exchange data from plant leaves can help you correct students’ most common misconceptions about respiration and photosynthesis.

Explore Ocean Science and NGSS with NMEA and UN Ocean Decade resources.

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B303


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Did you know the ocean is a major influence on weather and climate? Apply Ocean Literacy - an understanding of the ocean’s influence on you and your influence on the ocean - in your learning environment! Explore the Ocean Literacy Framework, including alignment of ocean science concepts with NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
You can't be science literate without being ocean literate. While terrestrial examples dominate NGSS, Ocean Literacy is essential to understanding many DCIs, but the connection may not be obvious. Other DCIs do not mention the ocean but cannot be fully understood without the ocean component.

SPEAKERS:
David Christopher (Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service: Lewes, DE)

Wonderfully Weird and Wild Phenomena - Using CER and Live Animals to Achieve 3-D Learning in Biology

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - Dogwood A


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Want to make phenomena come alive for your students? Well use live animals for your phenomena! In this session, Samuel Pruitt will show how to use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) teaching strategy and an array of live reptiles as phenomena to teach biology and environmental science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) and live animals in biology and environmental science phenomena can provide critical to learning and can be motivational to students. This session will blend the CER teaching strategy with the interest that comes from using live reptiles in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Samuel Pruitt (Biology/Environmental Science Teacher: , GA)

Place-based Environmental Science for Community Awareness

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C211


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

We will present activities developed for high-need urban schools (elementary and middle school focus) that lead to weather, ecology, life cycles, and water quality classroom discussions and ask attendees to challenge us to match activities to their needs.

TAKEAWAYS:
No matter what a school’s environment, urban or rural, students can be engaged in Earth systems study to prepare them to be stewards of the Earth.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Feit (Research Scientist - Project Manager: Boston, MA), Peter Garik (Boston University: Boston, MA)

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)

Strategies for Increasing Diversity, Equity, Justice and Inclusion in the Next Generation Geoscience Workforce

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B302


STRAND: Equity and Justice

Show Details

Research suggests that a more diverse geoscience workforce that reflects our nation's demographics can better equip us to effectively meet our country’s future energy needs. Such a workforce can be cultivated by implementing key strategies for recruiting and educating future diverse STEM leaders.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will discuss successful strategies to foster increased engagement of underrepresented groups in geoscience and related careers.

SPEAKERS:
Ashanti Johnson (STEM Human Resource Development: , OK)

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)

Why am I having difficulty breathing?

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

Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center - International Ballroom C



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Air Quality Presentation 2023 final.pptx
Here is our presentation. Have fun implementing GLOBE and NASA activities!

STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Let’s look at air quality at your location with data gathered by Purple Air sensors. Contribute to the study of aerosols in the US. Bring computer/electronic device.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to access air quality data from citizen scientist sensors and satellite data and analyze air quality in your local area.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Czajkowski (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), Jessica Taylor (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA), Sara Mierzwiak (The University of Toledo: Toledo, OH), Janet Struble (: Toledo, OH)

Modeling Ocean Acidification: A Hands-On Approach

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B213


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Modeling Ocean Acidification: A Hands-On Approach

Developing Communities Through Personal Botanical Histories

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C202


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

This session will focus on sharing instructional modules that have been developed to facilitate relationships between herbaria and high school students to highlight the importance of plants and preserving botanical specimens.

TAKEAWAYS:
Many times, plants are overlooked and considered less significant than animals. This is known as Plant Awareness Disparity. Participants in this session will learn about free instructional modules that will help high school students connect with plants through exploring their own botanical history

SPEAKERS:
Rachel May (Graduate Student), Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Bring the Ocean into Your Classroom with National Marine Sanctuaries

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B312


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Learn about free STEM educational resources including virtual reality, themed resource collections and lesson plans to increase ocean and climate literacy with your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries offers lessons, videos and activities that can be used in K-12 classrooms to teach students about the ocean and Great Lakes with engaging real life examples of our nation's underwater parks.

SPEAKERS:
Tracy Hajduk (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: Monterey, CA)

Green Roof Solar Panel Sustainable Energy Generation and Conservation Curriculum at the Middle School Level

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A401


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Students will gain a deeper knowledge about sustainable energy generation / conservation and architectural ecology through hands-on, collaborative labs, which use on-campus student-built green roof models, a green roof section on our middle school, and ground-level on-campus solar panels.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn how to identify a key sustainable energy or ecological practice that fits your school culture. We'll show you how to design labs and select equipment that will engage the students in learning about sustainability. You'll identify learning objectives and assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ward (Science Teacher: Wallingford, PA)

Affordable Indoor School Gardening

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

Georgia World Congress Center - C211


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

Simple, easy, and inexpensive methods for starting an indoor school garden, even with limited space or no windows

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will give teachers pratical ideas about how to grow plants in a classroom setting

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY)

Achieving Equity-Mindedness and Meaningful Inclusion in Biology Lessons

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A404



(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: Equity and Justice

Show Details

Equity-mindedness and meaningful inclusion is achieved with identification and belonging in the biology curriculum. This NSF-funded research project uses the lived experiences and narratives of Black heritage and Gullah-Geechee African Americans to facilitate the learning of biology concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the connection between identification and belonging and equitable classroom practices and science content. The research literature is used to describe how the emergent themes from the free curriculum resources shared brings equity into the biology lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Quinlan (Howard University)

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)

Climate in your classroom, climate in your world: Use free NOAA resources and data to teach this integrated topic

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B404


STRAND: Curriculum and Assessment

Show Details

Want to teach climate literacy but don’t know where to start? NOAA offers lesson plans, videos, data, webinars, and more to inform and inspire students.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to improve climate literacy and discuss climate and climate change in your classroom with free resources from NOAA.

SPEAKERS:
Frank Niepold (NOAA Climate Program Office: Silver Spring, MD)

Anchoring student learning in locally relevant problems and solutions: An example storyline from the Climate Education Pathways project

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B304


STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

Experience an anchoring phenomenon lesson designed to engage students in a local climate impact. Reflect on how local community problems can be leveraged to engage students in understanding large-scale, shared global issues, like climate change, to increase relevance and agency for youth.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anchoring student learning in local phenomena and problems can tap into students’ interest and perceived relevance of science learning to their life and community. A storyline based on local problems also position students to for meaningful activities for future learning and taking action now.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Audrey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Enya Granados (Life Science Teacher: , GA)

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)

Nourish the Future: Exploring Solutions in Food Production

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

Georgia World Congress Center - A312


STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: Nourish the Future

Become a leader in exploring solutions with students on issues affecting sustainability, climate, environment, and food production. Test solutions to real-world problems facing food production today with 4 inquiry-based lessons in biotechnology, water/soil quality, renewable fuels and biodiversity.

How to Flip Your Classroom

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B311



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Active Learning vs Passive Learning Study.pdf
How to Flip Your Classroom - Copy.pptx

STRAND: Teaching Strategies and Classroom Practice

Show Details

In the session, I will present information about how to make your own videos using PowerPoint, Canvas Studio, or EdPuzzle. In addition, I will discuss how you can use either embedded quiz questions or open-note quizzes in class to assess students' completion of the outside of class learning prior to participating in the in-class extension activities. I will show some of the videos that I have made and share how making this shift has improved my students' scores on the End of Course tests and AP Biology exam. I will also share an open-source paper from Harvard that shows how active learning improves student performance even though students express a preference for passive learning (lecture).

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to make their own videos or use existing videos to present the basic content to their students, leaving class time for the hands-on and group activities that achieve deeper understanding of the content.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Dyer (Science Teacher: Canton, GA)

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)

COVID, Monkeypox, and Other New and Emerging Infectious Diseases: The Ecology and Evolution of Host-Pathogen Relationships

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

Georgia World Congress Center - B313a


STRAND: No Strand

Show Details

COVID, Monkeypox, and influenza didn’t appear out of nowhere. They were spawned by dynamic ecological and coevolutionary relationships between hosts and pathogens. These diseases demonstrate the value of evolutionary and ecological concepts in medical practice, public health, and students’ lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Viruses, especially those that have alternate animal hosts, evolve in complex and unpredictable ways, interacting with all members of their infectious ecosystem in ways that constantly challenge medicine and public health.

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