Are you looking for connections between science and literacy? Join this session to discuss the design of a science and literacy task to leverage reading and writing in context. Then take an in-depth look into examples that can be put into action in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about designing lessons or tasks that assist students in utilizing reading and writing skills while engaging in 3-dimesional science. This session will, also, provide some sample lessons that can be used in K-5 classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Canepa-Redondo (Science/ESOL Program Specialist), Renee Shirley-Stevens (Science Program Specialist)

What will be describe in this session is are community science events that can be organized with themes that use natural phenomena or NGSS standards, practices, and outcomes that a school would like to promote.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to update these events to go beyond the traditional Family Science Events that are superficial. One main takeaway are example indepth activities and resources that can be used for use with families and students

SPEAKERS:
Annabelle Fortine (Central Michigan University: Eagle, MI), Lavender Bertsch (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Hannah Smock (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Morgan Glann (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Nicole Merner (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Makayla Spencer (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Emma Harma (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Jim McDonald (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI)

Come learn three discussion routines that can transform your science lessons: “I Notice, I Wonder, I Predict”, “Data Discussions”, and “Let’s Make Sense of It All”. Together we’ll explore key features of each talk, participate in enactments, and brainstorm ways to have more talk time in our lessons

TAKEAWAYS:
For young students, talking is learning as students learn as they talk through their own ideas and listen to the ideas of others. This session highlights three whole class science discussion routines that can transform elementary science lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Forsythe (Texas State University: San Marcos, TX)

This is the first session in the PL Committee CCCs Pathway and is designed to support K-12. This session is an opportunity for members of the Professional Learning Committee to recruit and connect with fellow NSTA members. Attendees will be introduced to topics included in the pathway, highlighting how CCCs are used as tools in service of DCIs and SEPs, student sensemaking, and assessment of CCCs to guide further instruction. Using the Framework progression documents and STEM Teaching Tool #41, attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow participants to uncover vertical progressions of CCCs and leave with tools to use in the classroom to elicit student sensemaking. The PL Committee will utilize research from Jeffery Nordine and Okhee Lee’s book, Crosscutting Concepts: Strengthening Science and Engineering Learning, to ignite the call to action for realizing the power of CCCs.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session is a call to action for realizing the power of CCCs. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with members of NSTA’s PL Committee, gain an overview of the connected sessions included in the pathway, and leave with an invitation to further understandings of sensemaking and CCCs.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Bremen, GA), Kimberley Astle (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Olympia, WA), Rebecca Garelli (Arizona Science Teachers Association), Holly Baldwin (Instructional Support Specialist), Christopher Soldat (Grant Wood Area Education Agency: Cedar Rapids, IA), Leah Litz (Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium: No City, No State)

Looking for more in your partnerships with edtech providers? Join InnerOrbit and Wicomico Science Leaders as we unpack our partnership providing sensemaking supports for science educators. We aim to provide the inspiration and structures to shape the landscape of edtech and district partnerships.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this session with a replicable structure of partnership between a Technology Provider and District to move the needle on Sensemaking in High School. Additionally, lessons learned will be shared to give attendees a strong foundation to build upon in their future partnerships.

SPEAKERS:
Hemalatha Bhaskaran (Wicomico County Public Schools: Salisbury, MD)

Students do best with applied hands-on experiential learning. The ‘After Dark’ theme of this workshop is intended to provide tangible resources for educators to take abstract concepts from their curriculum and make them accessible to students with glow in the dark, phosphorescent activities to take.

TAKEAWAYS:
Data collection and interpretation is an essential skill that hits-home the concepts students find in their textbooks. ‘After-Dark’ makes a miniature lab-course out of many of the bio/chem/phys/eng principles in ways which are memorable/relatable taking advantage of STEM tools for data collection.

SPEAKERS:
Will Collins (BioInnovation Dir: Halifax, NS, NB)

In this session we will look at how engaging students in the practice of Developing and Using Models over the course of a unit can be used for different purposes. Participants will experience building a consensus model and reflect on how building a class consensus model is an important step in ensuring that all members of the learning community can contribute to the knowledge building and that ALL students have access to the ideas the class agrees moves the understanding forward. We will also highlight how models are a powerful way to uncover new questions students may have, requiring students to dig for a deeper understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Developing and using scientific models allows all students to be integral members of the knowledge-building community.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Hereau (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

This capacity building session will explore how to make meaningful phenomena for students; review a set of phenomena descriptions generated by others and say which ones might be compelling to students and why; and explore a framework with examples for different classes of phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn, through an existing OER professional learning module, how to identify meaningful and relevant phenomena that attend to students interest and community priorities.

SPEAKERS:
William Penuel (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO)

The Framework and NGSS called for phenomena-based 3D learning experiences for all students. Unpack WHY this is important and HOW to make it a reality in your classroom. Take away phenomena and storylines to try in your classroom and strategies for making every student look forward to your class

TAKEAWAYS:
The shift to phenomena-based 3D learning brings the student to the center of the learning and uses their life experiences and approaches to sensemaking to drive the learning.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney (OpenSciEd: San Carlos, CA)

The Stackable, Instructionally-embedded, Portable Science (SIPS) Assessments project is applying current research, theory, and best practice to establish replicable and scalable processes and resources to drive shifts to science instructional practice and assessment as envisioned by the Framework.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators’ ability to design and implement high quality 3-dimensional science instruction, evaluate student learning, and make appropriate instructional decisions will be modeled. Beneficial tools and resources will be shared to ensure a coherent system of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Charlene Turner (Senior Associate: Laramie, WY), Mary Nyaema (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Rhonda True (Nebraska Department of Education: Lincoln, NE), Bill Herrera (edCount, LLC: No City, No State)

The design of scaffolds can support or take away opportunities for student sensemaking. We will identify scaffolds already built into high quality curriculum, like OpenSciEd, and analyze teacher designed scaffolds to determine if they support or undermine sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Before high quality curriculum, teachers had to aggressively scaffold materials. Teachers will see how the materials support sensemaking without major redesign. They will consider how additional scaffolds may support or undermine student sensemaking elevating the deep expertise of teachers

SPEAKERS:
Hillary Paul Metcalf (Boston College: Stanford, CA), Nicole Ruttan (Boston College: Chestnut Hill, MA), Ji-Sun Ham (School Support Specialist: Chestnut Hill, MA)

Come learn how to carefully unpack elements of the Crosscutting Concepts to support the development and implementation of curriculum, instruction, and assessment using this brand-new version of the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimensions. The “purple book” is now better than ever.

TAKEAWAYS:
A deeper understanding of the Crosscutting Concepts and how a well-designed reference guide can make it easier to unpack the three dimensions for work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Willard (Discovery Education: Silver Spring, MD)

Grading that supports student sensemaking doesn't have to keep you at school all night. Learn approaches to grading that prioritize 3D sensemaking and utilize technology, collaboration, and existing resources so you have can your evenings back.

TAKEAWAYS:
The process of giving feedback and assigning grades is easier when there are strong materials and assessments to build from and technology can help make it faster without decreasing effectiveness for students.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Delaney (OpenSciEd: San Carlos, CA)

Experience two novel instructional routines supporting the integration of NGSS Crosscutting Concepts; learn how these routines can be used to foster belonging in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of how to use the CCCs to foster belonging in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Andrea Sau (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY)

Washington County Public Schools, MD had adopted the definition of Acceleration as intentionally providing access to grade/course-level learning so students who have unfinished learning succeed in today’s learning experience. Underpinning this definition we have leaned on the work of John Hattie to identify 4 high-impact areas(relationships, scaffolds, clarity, feedback) of teaching and learning to frame our focus away from traditional remediation. This session will look at the practice of scaffolding instruction in the science classroom. Attendees will participate in collaborative discussions and experience the use of authentic classroom examples. These experiences will promote their own thinking of how our practical strategies can be transferred into their classrooms. Due to the organizational leadership role of the presenters, audience members will be able to have questions ranging from classroom implementation to curriculum integration discussed.

TAKEAWAYS:
The practical use of instructional scaffolds and the supporting strategies to increase access to student learning in science.

SPEAKERS:
Tara Ellis (Washington County Public Schools: Hagerstown, MD)

In this interactive session, we share important lessons learned through our work with states, educators, and developers to support equitable systems of science assessment. These lessons can help us develop better 3D assessment tasks, processes, and systems that lead to better outcomes for learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Three dimensional assessment design is tricky - come join us to discuss how we can take a systems approach and develop better 3D assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Katie Van Horne (Concolor Research: Orlando, FL)

How can we provide access to learning to ensure students can succeed in today’s learning experience? We will look at the practice of scaffolding instruction in science and use classroom examples that can be transferred into your classroom. Q&A to follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
The practical use of instructional scaffolds and the supporting strategies to increase access to student learning in science.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Longenberger (Washington County Public Schools: Hagerstown, MD)

Starting with eliciting students' initial ideas, experience a responsive teaching sense-making structure to take students through a process of developing conceptual understanding of core disciplinary ideas in science using NSTA's highly Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Formative Assessment Probes

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to transition from diagnostic probes to formative assessment and responsive teaching by taking students through a sense-making structure to change or further develop their initial ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Page Keeley (NSTA Past President: No City, No State)

Creating primary and intermediate STEM-focused classrooms can be challenging. This session will highlight strategies and examples to incorporate STEM and science activities into their classrooms. Resources that use trade books to teach Science/STEM concepts will be modeled and discussed.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in example activities that make connections between quality children’s literature that support STEM topics, STEM investigations, and reading strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Shippensburg, PA)

As long as there have been CER templates, there have been students who struggle. What’s the difference between evidence and reasoning, or an explanation and an argument, exactly? Our Mi-STAR CER lesson and templates help answer these questions and they are open to all - join us to learn more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with clear and concise definitions of reasoning, explanations, and argumentation, along with a lesson plan, activities, and templates to help students define and construct all three in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Tubman (Michigan Technological University: Houghton, MI), Chris Geerer (Mi-STAR: , MI)

Addressing the needs of all the different learners in science can be challenging. Join us as we take a deep dive into research-based strategies and practices so that all students can succeed in science class no matter their learning need.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away a better understanding of addressing learner variability as it applies to science and Identify at least two strategies to promote student engagement, representation, or communication for planning future science lessons or adapting current lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Shirley-Stevens (Science Program Specialist), Judith Beccaro (Georgia Department of Education: Atlanta, GA)

Join us to learn how to introduce the practices of modeling and scientific argumentation at the beginning of the school year by using phenomenon-based instruction. We will share how our Biology PLC helped students to define a model for life that could be used to determine if a virus is living .

TAKEAWAYS:
Phenomena can serve as a way to introduce and build skills in the science practices. Students will develop a model based on one organism and use that model to construct an argument about whether a virus is living.

SPEAKERS:
Crystal McDowell (Greenbrier High School: Evans, GA)

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)

Participants will engage in several activities that explore how a teacher explicitly prepares for collaborative conversations within a lesson. Participants will delve into strategies such as targeted questioning, talk moves, and instructional routines that promote science discourse within the class

TAKEAWAYS:
Develop understanding of the role a teacher takes in preparing for collaborative conversations that produce effective science discourse.

SPEAKERS:
Armetta Wright (Great Minds: No City, No State), Vicki Saxton (Implementation Support Specialist: CHICAGO, IL)

It is a challenge to help students not only figure out science ideas, but how to work together and support each other. This panel of classroom teachers will explore how co-constructed community agreements, returned to throughout the year, can help students participate in a scientific community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will understand how community agreements are used in OpenSciEd and other high school classrooms to support collective and equitable sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Patton (Denver Public Schools), Joe Kremer (Denver Public Schools: No City, No State), Samantha Pinter (Norwalk Public Schools: Norwalk, CT)

Three-dimensional science instruction puts students at the center of the learning. In this session, we will share how educators statewide engaged in a three-part book study featuring Helping Students Make Sense of the World Using Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices. The three courses are organized around the Investigating, Sensemaking, and Critiquing Practices. Educators explore and demonstrate through a Plan-Do-Study-Act how the Science and Engineering Practices are interwoven in their instruction, focusing on small shifts at a time. Opportunities for collaboration and reflection with other science educators help further individual implementation. We will share strategies, examples, and teacher experiences for engaging and supporting students in sensemaking discussions, developing, using and revising models, and making claims and explanations. In shifting to 3D learning, quick strategies will be shared that build toward more complex classroom shifts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will access teacher professional learning resources including implementing a Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle, embedding instructional coaching, and providing a collaborative space to share classroom practice.

SPEAKERS:
Hope Garton Brown (Prairie Lakes Area Education Agency: Pocahontas, IA), Christopher Soldat (Grant Wood Area Education Agency: Cedar Rapids, IA), Beverly Berns (Keystone Area Education Agency: Elkader, IA)

Learn how to engage your students with the rich phenomena around the mismatch between our human body physiology and our modern environment, using a free, EQuIP-reviewed unit designed for HS NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will develop a vision for how to use engineering practices to teach genetics and epigenetics while creating a more engaging and inclusive classroom environment for all learners

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Andrea Sau (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY)

Presenters will share two units in which science is integrated with ELA, math, and social studies. This session will share the process of unit creation and how incorporation with other content areas strengthens science instruction. Two units will be shared-one for kindergarten and one for 3rd grade.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate multiple content standards to strength science instruction as well as leave with two examples of fully integrated elementary units. In addition to the sharing of the units, presenters will share the creation process so participants can engage in this work.

SPEAKERS:
Chelsie Byram (Central Rivers Area Education Agency: Cedar Falls, IA), Mandie Sanderman (Central Rivers Area Education Agency: Cedar Falls, IA)

Sensemaking with the three dimensions is the focal construct we want to measure in science assessments - not the phenomenon or problem or the three-dimensions. Join us for a deep dive into centering sensemaking in 3D assessment design.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with examples of 3D sensemaking in assessment tasks and activities for building better assessments that elicit sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Cooper (Contextus), Katie Van Horne (Concolor Research: Orlando, FL)

Have you wondered how to develop capacity and support teachers around the shifts in the Framework and the NGSS? This session will dive into how one teacher discovered the NGSS, moved from novice to apologist and works with teachers to continue to realize the vision of the Framework for Science Ed.

TAKEAWAYS:
This will largely focus on how to support teachers from a leadership perspective to help students engage in all three dimensions of the NGSS. How can we talk with and work with teachers to help them make shifts while developing the needed capacity and not devalue their expertise.

SPEAKERS:
Spencer Martin (Kansas City Kansas Public Schools: Kansas City, KS)

What is the big deal with a phenomenon—and how is it structured for science learning? A phenomenon drives three-dimensional science instruction. Join this session to discuss the importance of phenomena as well as what it is and what it isn’t. Resources will be shared!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the importance phenomena plays in 3D Science instruction , instructional strategies to use when sensemaking. and how to assess student learning using phenomenon-based assessment tasks.

SPEAKERS:
Judith Beccaro (Georgia Department of Education: Atlanta, GA)

This session will describe the Science Curriculum Adaptation Project for Special Educators, in which science specialists and special educators adapted an NGSS badge unit for students with moderate to severe disabilities. We outline the program structure and share examples of adaptations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about the structure of a program designed to support special education teachers in using the high quality “Garbage” unit with their students, discuss the UDL framework as a part of this work, and see examples of adaptations that can be used with students with moderate to severe disabilities.

SPEAKERS:
DESE Science (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Malden, MA)

The NSTA Sensemaking Tool (adapted from the research-based NGSS Lesson Screener) is designed to help educators be critical consumers of curricular materials as well as create and/or revise science lessons to reflect the instructional shifts required by new standards (sensemaking). Join us to gain experience using the tool and facilitating criteria-based consensus conversations with colleagues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Recognize the critical aspects of sensemaking in a science lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Mathews (NSTA: McLean, VA), Kate Soriano (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

COESEE - Join us to explore the selection and implementation of phenomenon for elementary students as you review materials or build phenomenon into your own materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Phenomenon can be used in multiple ways to support interesting and just learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Shelly LeDoux (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Molly Ewing (The Charles A. Dana Center: No City, No State), Carla Zembal-Saul (Penn State: University Park, PA), Mary Starr (Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network)

Join the GaDOE science team to get updates on resources, professional learning, virtual communities, and other information related to the science teaching community. See what has just been released and how you can use it in your classroom tomorrow!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will receive updates from the Georgia Department of Education science team. Many new resources and professional learning opportunities are now available. Check out the phenomenon-based resources, including instructional deliverables, assessment tasks, literacy plans, and more.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Canepa-Redondo (Science/ESOL Program Specialist), Judith Beccaro (Georgia Department of Education: Atlanta, GA), Renee Shirley-Stevens (Science Program Specialist), Keith Crandall (Science Program Manager: No City, No State)

Real-world problems often cannot be satisfactorily addressed by individual disciplines (or subjects). Enrich students’ learning by engaging them in a summative task requiring integration of concepts and skills from various subjects, through a close collaboration with one or more subject teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will use a modified Understanding by Design (UbD) template to develop an interdisciplinary learning experience that provides opportunities for students to integrate knowledge from various subjects (or disciplines) to create new understandings.

SPEAKERS:
May Jean Cheah (STEM Educator)

Many states are adopting policy that promotes the use of high-quality standards-aligned curriculum for all grade levels. However, educators may question the accessibility of these units for all students. In the Science Curriculum Adaptation Project for Special Educators (SCAPE) program, science specialists from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education worked with special educators to adapt the NYU SAIL “Garbage” unit for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Science specialists provided learning activities around the structures and routines in the unit and guided teachers through key lessons. Teachers then identified barriers and used Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to adapt the unit for their students to access ideas and SEPs in the unit. Each teacher participant left with an adapted unit to pilot with students. In this presentation we will outline the program and share examples of adaptations made for students with disabilities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session attendees will learn about a MA program designed to support special education teachers in using the high quality “Garbage” unit with their students. Attendees will also see examples of UDL-based adaptations that can be used with science students with moderate to severe disabilities.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Palo (Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Boston, MA), DESE Science (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Malden, MA)

This session helps participants use the tools and reports available from EdReports to select high-quality instructional materials for their classroom or school. Participants will learn how the tools evaluate for NGSS-aligned instruction and have the chance to practice evaluating sample materials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with tools to help them evaluate instructional materials for NGSS-aligned instruction based on making sense of phenomena and integrating the three dimensions.

SPEAKERS:
Shannon Wachowski (EdReports.org: Fort Collins, CO), John-Carlos Marino (Science Lead)

Can science and art be held to the same rigor in a classroom? Of course! In this session we’ll share student-centered approaches to teaching science and the arts through integration as part of larger PBLs. Examples of classroom practices are targeted to K-8 educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain ideas and strategies to put into practice in their classes. These strategies will allow them to help students construct and demonstrate their learning using art as well as use science knowledge to help solve problems through the creation of art.

SPEAKERS:
Daria Collins (Visual Arts teacher), Kaleena Jedinak (Tybee Island Maritime Academy: Tybee Island, GA)

What does engagement look like in a physics classroom? Movement, noise, and fun! Learn about how you can include all students in your physics classroom. Take home a sample lesson plan on 1-D kinematics and learn more about project-based learning, cross-curricular lessons, and real-world designing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Make physics accessible to all learners by encouraging curiosity, creativity, and promoting equity, inclusion, and engagement through an exploratory instructional strategy.

SPEAKERS:
Tita Anderson Lovell (Paul Duke STEM High School: Norcross, GA)

Engineers around the world use system models as a go-to tool to solve problems, and your students can too. Create system models related to real-world problems and learn pedagogy for supporting students to develop and share system models. Leave with an engineer-approved 5E lesson to use tomorrow!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will understand the origin and use of system modeling as an engineering tool and be able to use student talk, whiteboarding, and system schema to implement system modeling in their classrooms. Teachers receive Mi-STAR’s OER lesson plan to introduce system models to their students.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Tubman (Michigan Technological University: Houghton, MI), Chris Geerer (Mi-STAR: , MI)

Educators are tasked with preparing students to engage in a world with an increasingly changing climate. Join us to see how climate science is connected to multiple K-12 content areas and view OER planning guides that support content teachers to anchor learning around climate literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away planning tools and resources for connecting climate science to non-science K-12 content areas and receive guidance for working with non-science peers to anchor instruction around the idea that humans can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts.

SPEAKERS:
Lori Henrickson (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: No City, No State)

Participants will explore an engineering design challenge that engages upper elementary students in the creation of tiny homes as a solution to homelessness after a local natural disaster. Explore Design Thinking principles and how empathy plays a role in authentic and inclusive STEM inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in NGSS-based engineering design challenge where you design a solution for homelessness caused by natural disasters and learn the role of empathy in STEM inquiries by using Design Thinking principles and place-based strategies that engage all learners in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA)

How do students' learning experiences change when we expand what constitutes science and engineering and begin to see science as part of social justice teaching? The Brilliance and Strength report pushes us to include these two ideas in the form of science activities, teacher planning and implementation, and materials development. Join us as we explore these ideas as they are applied to elementary science. We will provide some examples of what we think these goals mean for teaching and learning, discuss them, and then co-design others as a way to dive more deeply into justice-centered learning. Brilliance and Strengths Report: Equity foci 3 and 4 and Recommendations 6 and 8

TAKEAWAYS:
Science learning is part of social justice teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Carla Zembal-Saul (Penn State: University Park, PA), Heidi Carlone (Vanderbilt University Peabody College: Nashville, TN)

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)

Looking to help your students reflect both as an individual and as a learning community as they make sense of the world around them? In this session, participants will explore tools and techniques that provide opportunities for students to develop their social and emotional skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore all of the tools and techniques that are provided in OpenSciEd units that allow students to improve their social-emotional learning skills as they reflect on community agreements, class discussions, and working as a team.

SPEAKERS:
Thomas Clayton (K-5 STEAM Specialist: Berkeley Heights, NJ)

This session will provide resources for real life research and curriculum building opportunities in STEM. Come experience the passion of a veteran science educator who is continually finding new ways to enhance her own learning and wants to share her success with you!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with resources and ideas on how to synergize their own professional practices by participating in hands on research and learning opportunities that will provide them the tools to successfully introduce real- life STEM concepts into their own teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Camie Walker (Weber School District, Ogden, Utah: No City, No State)

This session is designed to support instructional leaders and teachers in considering what the key shifts called for in the NGSS and Framework look like in classrooms. Our team developed an observation tool through our work observing and coaching 76 schools adopting OpenSciEd. The observation tool identifies what to look for in classrooms around rigor, teacher’s responses to student ideas, students’ responses to each other’s ideas, vocabulary, key instructional moves, and student sensemaking. Attendees will unpack the tool and then use it with classroom videos to understand the focal areas. Next, we will examine examples of how schools have used the tool, including classroom observations, to guide PLC discussions, and to facilitate individual teacher reflections. Finally, participants will have an opportunity to plan how they might adapt and use the tool in their own contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will take away an observation tool that is designed to focus observers on the actions of teachers and students that indicate rigorous student sensemaking. Attendees will practice using the tool and consider how to use the tool in their context.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Affolter (OpenSciEd: No City, No State), Benjamin Lowell (New York University: New York, NY), Hillary Paul Metcalf (Boston College: Stanford, CA)