Make manageable, meaningful changes in the classroom with free tools to help you communicate the nature and process of science, while integrating NGSS SEPs. Explore strategies for modifying your current instruction, such as the Science Flowchart interactive journaling tool. Bring a laptop/tablet!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will reflect on and refine their own models of the nature and process of science and gain experience with using materials, tools, and interactives from the Understanding Science project to support their classroom teaching on this topic.

SPEAKERS:
Betsy Barent (Lincoln Public Schools: No City, No State), Anastasia Thanukos (University of California Museum of Paleontology: Berkeley, CA)

You’ve heard it said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Well, 3-D teaching and learning are “The Big Stuff” in science education. Join us for a 100% hands-on session of data collection, data analysis, and data discussion.

TAKEAWAYS:
The attendees will do a data collection activity on the cooling rates of water vs. isopropyl alcohol. The biggest takeaway will be an understanding of the importance of the structural properties of water--namely its polarity--and will apply this understanding to how water allows for life to exist.

SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey Lukens (Retired Science Teacher: Sioux Falls, SD)

Come experience how leveraging complex culturally relevant societal challenges as phenomena in 3D teaching and learning supports student motivation and engagement. Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model develops student agency within and beyond the classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages complex societal issues as anchoring phenomena/problems, culminating tasks, and performance assessments in 3D units of instruction to motivate students and develop agency in addressing these issues.

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

Experience how the new BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model creates learning experiences that motivate students with significant, real world phenomena and problems! Learn how AIL anchors cycles of inquiry and sensemaking, culminating in student explanations/design solutions!

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages authentic phenomena/problems to anchor cycles of inquiry and sensemaking. This approach provides instructional coherence from students’ perspective, equitable access, and motivation for ALL learners.

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

Explore how to use food and cooking to invite students to connect science to their everyday lives and be curious. This session includes hands-on activities and discussions to emphasize how participants can incorporate resources into their own teaching to support their current curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with ready-to-use strategies and resources to incorporate food and cooking into the science classroom. These strategies and resources are differentiated so they can be used for different types of classrooms and availability to resources as well as teaching styles.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Strangfeld (Harvard University: Cambridge, MA)

This session highlights the importance of argumentation surrounding explaining meaningful phenomena and their centrality to a 3-D learning approach. The session will equip teachers to implement such learning experiences in their classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
The importance of argumentation around meaningful phenomena and how to implement learning experiences that engage students in argumentation around phenomena in the service of sense-making and learning DCIs, SEPs, and CCs.

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

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

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

Join the News Literacy Project and science literacy subject matter expert Melanie Trecek-King as we cast light where the “sun don’t shine”! In this session, educators will become learners as they debunk the social media trend of perineum sunning using Trecek-King’s FLOATER toolkit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Subject matter expert Melanie Trecek-King will team up with NLP staff to facilitate a session exploring the FLOATER toolkit using the Checkology® lesson “Evaluating Science-Based Claims.” Attendees will then be challenged to debunk a trendy health claim—that perineum sunning increases energy levels.

SPEAKERS:
Melanie Trecek-King (Thinking Is Power)

Join our team of detectives who are investigating a fictional crime scene! As a detective, you need to analyze each suspect’s alibi, collect evidence from the crime scene, and develop CER arguments to identify the innocent/ guilt parties. We conclude by discussing classroom strategies for praxis.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in CER argumentation through a crime scene investigation experience.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Kipp (Texas A&M)

The sand session returns! Sand is ubiquitous, unique, and addresses physical science, earth/environmental science, art, history . . . and more! Free sand/resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sand contains clues to weathering/erosion, transportation, and more! Free classroom samples and online resources make classroom sand activities fun and easy with identified NGSS PEs, DCIs, CCCs, and SEPS. ABC charts organize students’ incoming knowledge and documents progression in learning.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Clary (Mississippi State University: Mississippi State, MS)

The topic of mRNA vaccines can introduce or reinforce ideas about central dogma (DNA->RNA->proteins) while challenging students to explore various vaccine misconceptions. Activities include an exploration of vaccine-preventable diseases and a timeline-building activity for mRNA vaccine development.

TAKEAWAYS:
mRNA vaccines, like other vaccines, help your immune system to fight infections in order to prevent severe illness. mRNA vaccines are unique in utilizing your cell’s own machinery to evoke a targeted immune response.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanne Chowning (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: No City, No State), Hanako Osuga (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center), Regina Wu (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Seattle, WA)

Climate change is here. Come explore ways to teach about this that intersect with issues of justice and provide action for the future. This workshop will support educators in all grades and contexts, including those who can’t even say “climate change”!

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies for engaging in climate change and climate justice learning appropriate to grade band NGSS standards, climate and energy literacy standards, and for both school and community based learning contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Deb Morrison (University of Washington)

Participants will experience an engaging lesson that addresses abstract chemistry concepts of gas laws and stoichiometry through the lens of NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. This workshop immerses participants in the collaborative nature of science as they observe differences in carbonated soft drinks and make connections to chemistry concepts and mathematical principles. Participants will be able to work collaboratively as they walk through the lesson and will be given time to reflect on how to implement the lesson for themselves. Adaptations of the lesson for elementary, middle, and high school teachers will be provided to teachers as resources at the end of the session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to connect abstract chemistry concepts of stoichiometry and gas laws to everyday life. Teachers will be able to implement this phenomenon-based lesson in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Meredith Schwendemann (Clemson University), Ashley Hunter (Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant: Clemson, SC)

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)

In this session participants will explore STEMTeachingTools.org — a suite of accessible, resource-rich tools for guiding instruction, assessment, and curriculum in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM Teaching Tools is a freely-available collection of research-practice briefs that contain recommendations and strategies for implementing the vision of the Framework and NGSS. They can be used for educator professional learning, both individually and in professional learning communities.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (University of Washington), Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)