In this session educators will be presented with the following equity frameworks: (1) Equity and NGSS, (2) Inclusive Ed Tech, (3) Culturally Responsive and Sustaining STEM, (4) Anti-Racist STEM, and (5) Environmental Justice. Educators will work in small groups to learn more about their equity framework of choice and summarize their learning for a larger group. Next, groups will unpack equity moves to identify how they support or hinder equity work through the lens of the framework they selected and identify next steps. By the end of the session, each group will share out actions they can take in their classroom to create a more equitable STEM classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with knowledge of equity frameworks and unique next steps that can be implemented into their classroom for a more equitable, inclusive, culturally responsive, and anti-racist classroom community.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Houston (STEM Ed Innovators: Saratoga, CA)

Science writing is an essential part of authentic science. However, both perception and reality suggest that science texts of various genres are difficult and challenging for many students. What can a teacher do to help students meet challenges so that they can realize the beauty and significance of pivotal works in the history of science, groundbreaking contemporary research, and the deep reflections found in scientific creative non-fiction? In this workshop we will try out techniques based on cooperative groups who create graphic narratives and lay summaries. An assortment of texts will be available to explore, like the concluding paragraph to Darwin’s Origin of Species and the story of Carbon by Primo Levi. Experience in the classroom will be shared where understanding of the texts is achieved by students, including reluctant readers and English language learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Great, significant, and sometimes difficult written works in science can become accessible to students through cooperative groups, graphic narratives, and lay summaries.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Frazier (retired)

The Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative is a STEM learning ecosystem in rural western North Carolina and has been a NASA Science Activation partner since 2016. We have over a decade of combined experience in assisting educators in utilizing NASA resources through a local lens in their classroom and out-of-school-time programs. As a rural region, we are familiar with the difficulty that comes with reaching disenfranchised learners that may struggle with broadband access. Participants will be introduced to a number of resources and hands-on activities they can utilize in low or no-bandwidth areas, as well as partners they can collaborate with in order to broaden and deepen their impact in their classroom and community. We will conduct a few example activities tailored for middle school educators, with suggestions to be scalable for learners in high school, post-secondary, and informal settings.

TAKEAWAYS:
After engaging in some hands-on activities, attendees will leave with access to a digital library of resources as well as personal connections to bring NASA Science into their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Randi Neff (STEM Program Coordinator: Sylva, NC), Matthew Cass (Physics and Astronomy Instructor: Sylva, NC)

Participants in this session will learn about NASA’s Heliophysics Big Year (Oct 23-Dec 24), including an annual eclipse, a total eclipse, and the culmination of the Parker Solar Probe Project. Learn the basic mechanics of how and why eclipses occur while engaging in low-cost and hands-on activities such as Sun Paper, UV Beads and Solar Radiation, and how to make a cereal box viewer. Attendees will enjoy engaging activities while learning about the next total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and completely blocks the face of the Sun. Those in the path of totality will experience a total eclipse and the sky will become very dark as if it were dawn or dusk. If the skies are clear, people can even see the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, with their own eyes. Learn about these solar eclipses as well as NASA’s Solar Eclipse Toolkit, including lesson plans, activities, safety guides, videos, and so much more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the upcoming solar eclipse, explore resources within NASA STEM’s Solar Eclipse Toolkit, learn how to view the eclipse safely with their students, and walk away with standards-aligned hands-on activities that can be shared with students in both formal and informal settings.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Sagirah Wheeler (NASA Education Specialist: No City, No State), Monica Uribe (NASA Education Specialist)

The Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry are important topics that should be explicitly taught to students, because research tells us that students do not implicitly pick up on the ideas of NOS through just engaging in science. They must engage in direct conversations and activities that address what Science is and how it operates. These conversations should be grounded in accessible phenomena and activities so every student has the opportunity to develop their understanding. The NOS is foundational to being able to engage effectively in science and understanding science at is most basic and conceptual level, as emphasized by the K-12 Framework and NGSS. This session will share some simple activities through rotation stations that can quickly be used throughout the course of a science class to help students discuss and engage in ideas about the Nature of Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. It is important to explicitly teach the nature of science to students; 2. The nature of science should be presented in an accessible way to all students; and 3. Attendees will walk away with activities they can use in their class immediately to teach the NOS.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

The EYE curriculum unit was co-created by middle school science teachers and architectural studies and science education faculty with the goal of improving students’ energy literacy and energy conservation practices. It consists of four modules that span six weeks of classroom instruction. The modules include investigations on energy and energy systems, natural and artificial lighting, building heating and cooling, and a capstone engineering project that guides students in designing a new classroom. The unit is place-based, using the local school building as a source of shared student experiences to connect to abstract energy concepts. Our workshop will overview the EYE unit structure and rationale and cover some of the key energy and architecture concepts embedded in the unit. We will provide hands-on experiences and a venue tour to model how building features can be leveraged to teach fundamental energy concepts in a real-world context for improved student engagement and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Our workshop venue will allow us to model how the EYE unit leverages tangible building features to enhance students’ understanding of abstract energy concepts. Attendees will receive a link to EYE’s classroom-ready materials, including engineering game cards, a budget spreadsheet, and slide decks.

SPEAKERS:
Meera Sood (Smithton Middle School: Columbia, MO), Suzy Otto (University of Missouri)

Digitized versions of Thomas Jefferson’s weather journal, Robert Hooke’s first drawings of cells, photographs from the Dust Bowl, and historic newspaper accounts of electric cars all provide opportunities to understand how scientists and engineers think, practice, and apply scientific principles in the real world; how scientific ideas evolve over time; and how science and engineering are related to society. The Library of Congress has millions of free primary sources online. This workshop will focus on how analyzing such sources can help K-12 teachers meet standards and teaching goals, particularly around the nature of science, practices of scientists, and how science, technology, and society interact. Library education experts will facilitate hands-on activities using primary sources and share ways teachers nationwide have used them. Participants will also leave with strategies for using primary sources to develop critical thinking skills and highlight interdisciplinary connections.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to access millions of free digitized primary sources and practice hands-on strategies for using them to promote critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of real-world scientific practices, the nature of science, and connections between science and society.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsey Beeghly (Einstein Fellow: Altamonte Springs, FL), Michael Apfeldorf (Library of Congress: Washington, DC)

As the Clean Air Partners’ Education Program Manager, I will introduce the Clean Air Partners organization, our On the Air © curriculum, and how to navigate and implement the curriculum in science classrooms. There are five modules: 1) Our Lungs, Our Air, Our Health; 2) What’s the Forecast; 3) Air Pollution in the Community; 4) Air and the Chesapeake Bay; and 5) Air and Climate Change. I will explain how modules and lessons are formatted for faster navigation and facilitation. I will also share how to access the lessons for free on our website. Teachers will engage in very brief activities from five selected lessons, one from each module. I will highlight best science teaching practices, such as CER, anchor charts, KWL charts, and other visual thinking routines embedded in lessons. Teachers will have paper copies of the student-facing documents for each lesson and will be encouraged to work together during the session to complete lesson activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to access and teach the free On the Air © curriculum resources to explore air pollution issues and solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Spike (Clean Air Partners)

Opportunities abound for young people to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in a range of settings outside of the classroom. They can engage with STEM in summer camps, after-school programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, and even trendy birthday parties. Numerous studies document the benefits of effective out-of-school STEM learning—e.g., increased interest in STEM, enriched knowledge of STEM ideas, enhanced confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. Given the benefits of out-of-school STEM learning and to increase access to high-quality STEM experiences for our middle schoolers, we developed an after-school program for them to enjoy STEM in engaging, authentic, and relevant ways. We will (1) share the framework/commitments that guided the design of our “Out-of-School and Into STEM” club, (2) model an abbreviated club session, and (3) provide resources for participants that may be helpful in designing their own out-of-school STEM experiences for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be provided with a framework and resources to guide the design of an out-of-school STEM Club and participate in a design-based club activity.

SPEAKERS:
Raven Brzeszkiewicz (Student: , IN), Jared Simoneaux (Science Teacher: , IN), Megan Johnson (Science Teacher), Lynn Bryan (Purdue University: West Lafayette, IN)

This will give information that will enable participants to replicate a STEM outreach event with various theme ideas. The activities are all low-cost and adaptable across student ages and generations of family members. The activities are meant to provide opportunities for students and families to experience success in a fun and enriching way while engaging with STEM concepts from the NRC K-12 Framework. We will also discuss how we used this event as a way for our preservice teachers to experience and practice implementing informal education strategies. This event was hosted at our local STEM Center, but we will also discuss ways that it can be implemented at school STEM nights, at community events, or even as neighborhood "pop-up" events to reach diverse learners in equitable ways.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM Outreach events can be a way to engage students and families in equitable STEM learning to encourage and support all learners. This will provide information on how to replicate a STEM outreach event we hosted at our local STEM Center along with ideas about implementing it in different formats.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Are you ready to start inventing with your students but don’t know how to start? Do you have students with innovative ideas who need help protecting those ideas? Intellectual property can be a complex and often confusing topic, but it's essential for students to understand how to protect their own ideas and creations. Many teachers recognize the need to help their students protect their ideas and inventions when they work on science and engineering projects, but may not have a background in IP or the resources to teach it effectively. This presentation will provide an overview of how to teach IP and invention education in science classrooms, with a focus on practical and hands-on activities that engage students. Participants will leave with resources and ideas for incorporating invention education and IP into their own classrooms.This presentation is suitable for science teachers of all levels, from elementary to high school. No prior knowledge of IP is necessary.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with resources and ideas for incorporating invention and intellectual property education into their classrooms. This presentation is suitable for science teachers of all levels, from elementary to high school. No prior knowledge of IP is necessary.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc), Kathleen Lanman (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Alexandria, VA)

Human activities have caused changes in global temperature and weather patterns. This generation of students will need to understand climate science in order to adapt to this changing environment. In this session, participants will explore a project in which students incorporate engineering and basic coding - no experience necessary. We will use micro:bit technology to connect basic coding commands to collect authentic data using embedded sensors. Participants will use this collected data to modify design solutions based on human vulnerabilities to severe weather. Participants will find ways to expose their students to the engineering capabilities needed to solve problems. This project allows students to compare design solutions to identify which is best for the problem at hand and to experience the interactive process of evaluating solutions. This project allows for the authentic integration of technology, mathematics, crosscutting concepts, science practices, and easy implementation

TAKEAWAYS:
Use technology to expose students to coding and engineering design solutions for severe weather.

SPEAKERS:
Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Youngsville, LA), Jessica Kohout (Educational Consultant: Ellicott City, MD)

In this session educators will be presented with several research-based STEM equity moves that can be used in their classroom. These equity moves fall under the following categories: (1) Equity and NGSS, (2) Inclusive Ed Tech, (3) Culturally Responsive and Sustaining STEM, (4) Anti-Racist STEM. Educators will select an equity move and engage in a Remix Protocol to modify the equity moves to fit their classroom and context, and may even modify an activity, lesson, and/or assessment for their own class. Educators will share their ideas and hear the amazing ideas that their peers developed. All the work will be shared in a Padlet that will be available after the workshop to keep the conversation going! The session is designed in a way that educators will engage in some of the equity moves with a learner lens as they are exploring the equity moves. We will unpack this additional layer when we reflect on the learning activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave this session with tangible ideas to increase STEM belonging in their classroom or district.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Houston (STEM Ed Innovators: Saratoga, CA)

eCYBERMISSION is a free online STEM competition for students in grades 6-9 that promotes teamwork, self-discovery, and real-life applications of STEM. The competition’s phenomenon-based learning approach encourages students to investigate challenges in their community while developing critical thinking and problem-solving. We’ll discuss how you can utilize the standards-aligned resources, grants and student awards worth thousands of dollars to engage students. We’ll also form teams to compete in our own mini-eCYBERMISSION competition. You’ll choose a community challenge, develop a plan to explore it and apply STEM concepts throughout the process. The winning team will even walk away with a special prize! This session is aimed at STEM educators who are looking for innovative ways to engage their students. Join us as we discover how eCYBERMISSION can enhance your students' learning experience! eCYBERMISSION is part of the Army Educational Outreach Program and administered by NSTA.

TAKEAWAYS:
eCYBERMISSION is a free, virtual STEM competition for grades 6-9 that is supported by a wealth of standards-aligned resources. Attendees will discover strategies to utilize student-chosen local phenomena as the basis for long-term projects while participating in a rewarding STEM competition.

SPEAKERS:
Carey Dieleman (National Science Teaching Association: No City, No State), Brian Kutsch (National Science Teaching Association, eCYBERMISSION)

Science does not exist in a vacuum. From environmental policy, to public health issues, to the regulation of food, drugs, and dangerous materials, addressing socio-scientific challenges requires an understanding of both scientific concepts and social contexts. Analyzing historical primary sources from the Library of Congress – including photographs, political cartoons, newspapers, maps and more – can provide students with an opportunity to reflect on this interplay between science and society and offer insights into how citizens and scientists have contributed to social change. The Library has millions of primary sources free online. In this workshop, Library education experts will facilitate hands-on activities using select primary sources and share ways that teachers have used them with students. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for engaging students in primary source analysis to build critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of socio-scientific issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to access millions of free digitized primary sources and practice hands-on strategies to help students gain critical thinking skills while they reflect on the connections between science, society, and social change through authentic historical examples.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsey Beeghly (Einstein Fellow: Altamonte Springs, FL), Michael Apfeldorf (Library of Congress: Washington, DC)

Content will be delivered through Google Slides: participants discuss what bias is and the different types of biases that can show up. Participants will be asked to share biases they may hold (inside or outside of the classroom). We will watch a short video clip, then participants will engage in an activity called "How diverse is your universe?" Several prompts will be read and participants will indicate which racial group the prompt identifies with. An example prompt: "the people I grew up with in my household were...," and participants will indicate which racial group the prompt identifies with. Next, as a group, we will come up with our own definition of bias, and come up with examples of the different types of biases and what they look like in the classroom. We will then look at strategies on how to keep these biases in check. Next, we will discuss how to apply anti-bias work in STEM classrooms. We will develop and share content-specific lessons that we can implement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anti-bias work in the classroom can be implemented in all curricular areas, especially in STEM/STEAM.

SPEAKERS:
Anissa Williams (Niper Middle School: Kirkwood, MO)

This session will engage attendees in answering the core question, "What is hydroponics?" After viewing phenomena-based video shorts and images of plants growing both in soil and hydroponically, attendees will work in small groups to model the phenomena, compare and contrast similarities and differences, and ultimately answer the questions: 1) What do plants need to grow? 2) How do plants grow through hydroponic farming? This workshop and corresponding lesson aligns with the NGS standards of MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-3, MS-LS1-8, MS-LS2-1, & MS-LS2-3.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between growing food through hydroponic farming versus growing food in the soil. They will be able to explain how plants grow through hydroponic farming.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Kim Kolasa (Assistant Vice-President, Partnership Development)

How do we know about mass-extinctions and meteor impacts? Using fossils to study past glacial periods? Shells, sand grains and even dust and volcanic ash from faraway lands fall slowly through the ocean and pile up on the seafloor, eventually becoming rocks. When we drill into the seafloor to collect layers of rocks (as cores), the deeper down we go, the further back in time we go. Scientists looking at these cores are effectively reading the pages in a book that reveals the Earth’s past, and sheds light on our future. This workshop will have teachers look at how using real scientific data collected onboard the JOIDES Resolution and other ships in the program, we can translate findings into data sets and activities to inspire students and help them see science in action. The focus will be on how data from oceanic drilling can be used to create activities using real-world phenomena that can connect to many scientific concepts, such as climate, natural hazards, and Earth’s systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
By looking into the past and present, we can begin to predict our future. The International Ocean Discovery Program creates educational resources that enable students to use real data collected by scientists investigating global concerns and explore parts of our world usually hidden to them.

SPEAKERS:
Maya Pincus (Columbia University / U.S. Science Support Program: Palisades, NY), Carol Cotterill (U.S. Science Support Program: Palisades, NY)

Find out how engaging students with compelling and complex socio-scientific problems necessitates student learning in many disciplines to design solutions. Gain strategies to support students in transdisciplinary learning and apply that learning to problem-solving with shared resources and examples.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to engage students in learning that centers on addressing pressing social challenges and be able to describe transdisciplinary approaches to education.

SPEAKERS:
Rob Wallace (: Kenner, LA)

Participants will be engaged in multiple strategies that include mandatory engagement and collaboration. Many of the activities also include movement. The strategies can be implemented the week they return in any classroom with any subject area. Activities range from a Tea Party (science/literacy) activity, card sorts, and data collecting.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a variety of strategies to engage students through collaboration and movement.

SPEAKERS:
Carol Moore (STEM West: CLAREMONT, NC)

During this workshop, the presenters will use improv techniques and connection Jenga to build identity, culture, and story for the classroom. Goals of this presentation are to: -empower individuals to feel they can speak up and contribute by sharing their own stories -engage attendees in an innovative, creative way by building inclusive, interactive bridges through play -ensure a safe environment where people feel comfortable in understanding that everyone has bias -assemble diverse teams who will collaborate to create action plans to share resources back in their districts and states

TAKEAWAYS:
Addressing bias, creating efficacy, and clarifying accessible, diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership are the primary goals of this workshop.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Day (Department of Energy: No City, No State), Amy Szczepanski (Einstein Fellow: New York, DC), Melissa Thompson (Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship: No City, No State), Michael Stewart (Stonewall Jackson High School: Manassas, VA), Kelsey Beeghly (Einstein Fellow: Altamonte Springs, FL), Jacquelyn Southerland (Accokeek Academy: Accokeek, MD)

While the concept of the interconnectedness of species seems fairly easy to understand the depth and complexity of these relationships is sometimes overlooked. Ecosystems are built with layers and layers of dynamic relationships and dependencies on top of one another and webbed among one another. In the following simulations, students will begin to visualize just how complex ecosystems are by simulating various scenarios using experiential learning. These simulations are fun and engaging - and also thought provoking and enlightening.  Most of all, students should come away from them with a deeper understanding of the relationships between living things both seen and unseen.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience the games as a student would and receive electronic versions of the game pieces for adaptation to your local environment and classroom.

SPEAKERS:
John Lawler (School Programs Instructor: St. Louis, MO), Matthew Magoc (Manager, School Programs and Partnership: No City, No State)

There is an explosion of data all around us to teach our science standards. But can we use them to help our students struggle less with data? Yes! Come unpack “Analyzing & Interpreting Data” in ways that invite all learners into the discussion. We will explore strategies for finding high-quality datasets and discuss different approaches to integrate real-time data into our teaching to better build data skills. We will discuss how to foster science learning for all students. These short practice sessions that are low-floor-high-ceiling have powerful returns-on-investment in terms of building students' confidence and competence with data skills. We will discuss what this could mean for our teaching. Participants will increase their toolkit of strategies to use data to enhance their current 6-12th grade instruction. Let’s leverage all this data around us to best prepare our learners for the 21st century of data!

TAKEAWAYS:
Identify ways to integrate low-floor-high-ceiling data activities using real-world data into existing curriculum to build data skills, engage learners, and teach your science.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson (Dataspire Education & Evaluation, LLC)

I'll share concepts and processes of learning from visual stories and walk teachers through my procedure of asking students to tell visual stories about their own observations, research, experiments, and other STEAM related experiences. Since communication of science concepts is vital, we'll start by doing it ourselves -- using prompts to draw and write, discussing the outcomes of three brief exercises, and anticipating how they could be used with students. My visual (of course!) presentation includes an entertaining and challenging assortment of visual story examples -- as well as an educator-created method for using storytelling on children with literacy issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Visual storytelling is an exciting, fun, and effective way to communicate. It can -- and should -- join writing and science notebooks in student output -- and may make scientists of them.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Romano Young (Science communicator: Bethel, CT)

In the presentation, I will be sharing STEM activities for grades 6-8. The activities shared will include STEM icebreakers, STEM projects for content units, and other fun and engaging STEM activities. Get ready to have a STEM-sational time as you will be creating projects to take back to your school. I will also provide links to activities/projects that participants can use that will not be demonstrated/experienced that will align the concept of cells to TEKS for grades 6-8.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience hands-on learning for grades 6-8. This experience will give attendees fun and engaging activities for students to learn about STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Rush (Lufkin Middle School: Lufkin, TX), Rebecca Walker (Tays Junior High School: Katy, TX)

STEM can be intimidating content for teachers to implement within their classrooms. Many teachers feel that they don’t have the time to do “extra” activities with state testing and making sure all standards are assessed. However, STEM can be a tool to engage students in the science standards and be a vehicle to help make sense out of the concepts they are learning. In this session, participants will explore projects in which students incorporate engineering and basic coding - no experience necessary. We will use micro:bit technology to connect basic coding commands to develop solutions for real-world environmental issues. All projects can be completed in 45 minutes or less; a perfect way to introduce or extend a lesson while exposing students to fundamental STEM skills. Projects include the following concepts: urban heat islands, energy efficiency, and biodiversity of an ecosystem.

TAKEAWAYS:
Expose your students to STEM skills through short, easy, and engaging STEM activities that can be completed in a single class period.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Posnanski (Comsewogue High School: Port Jefferson Station, NY), Jessica Kohout (Educational Consultant: Ellicott City, MD)

Explore tools you can use with students to help them visualize and create their science content. With Canva, Adobe Express, and Book Creator, you can allow students choice in the action and expression of their science content knowledge, supporting UDL in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Bring creativity into your 5'E classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Fielding (Prince William County Schools)

Virtual reality is an emerging technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we learn and teach. As a tool in education, VR can create immersive and interactive experiences that engage students in ways that traditional methods cannot. VR can be used to create virtual field trips, simulations, visualizations, and collaborative environments that allow students to explore, experiment, and learn in ways that were previously impossible. VR as an educational tool has the potential to improve student engagement, understanding, and retention. The immersive and interactive nature of VR can help students to better understand complex concepts and retain information more effectively. As the technology continues to evolve, it is likely that VR will become an increasingly important tool in education, providing new opportunities for learning and teaching. ClassVR (the platform we will use)can be used as an educational tool that not only engages the students but helps the educator teach!

TAKEAWAYS:
Virtual Reality as a teaching tool is a great way to engage and immerse your students and can help fill any gaps they may have from their personal experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Ashish Vadalia (Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation: No City, No State)

Looking for ways to integrate engineering in your science curriculum? Join us to become familiar with freely-available, high-quality instructional materials that create opportunities for students to apply science ideas to solve real-world problems, gain confidence and see themselves in STEM careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to engage students in learning that centers on addressing pressing social challenges and be able to describe transdisciplinary approaches to education.

SPEAKERS:
Rob Wallace (: Kenner, LA)

In the presentation, I will be sharing activities for a 6-8 aligned unit on convection currents, as they are related to the layers of the earth, plate tectonics and weather. The activities the participants will experience will include hands-on activities using innovation, creativity, and technology. I will also provide links to activities/projects that participants can use that will not be demonstrated/experienced that will align the concepts of Earth Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience hands-on learning for grades 6-8 about convection, and how it relates to the layers of the Earth, tectonic plates, and weather.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Rush (Lufkin Middle School: Lufkin, TX), Rebecca Walker (Tays Junior High School: Katy, TX)

Part 1: We'll demonstrate how to use the ChatGPT to create dynamic curriculum & lesson plans that encourage student curiosity and foster a love for scientific inquiry. We'll demonstrate how to use the AI to generate thought-provoking questions, design hands-on activities, and provide real-time feedback to enhance student learning. Part 2: Learn how ChatGPT can assist you in designing assessments that effectively measure student understanding and track progress toward learning objectives. We'll cover strategies for generating AI-powered quizzes, tests, and projects, as well as using ChatGPT to analyze student performance and provide personalized feedback. Part 3: Navigate the potential challenges and ethical considerations of using ChatGPT in the classroom. We'll discuss best practices for responsibly and transparently integrating ChatGPT into your teaching, while maintaining student privacy and addressing potential biases in the AI's output.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to effectively integrate ChatGPT into science education, enhancing lesson plans, curriculum, and assessments while addressing ethical considerations for responsible AI implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Ren Mendoza (University of Nebraska at Omaha: , NE), Noah Glaser (Assistant Professor: COLUMBIA, MO)

During the session, participants will have the opportunity to engage in mindfulness practices such as body scans, body tapping, centering, and meta-meditation, to experience the benefits of these practices firsthand. These practices will be embedded throughout the content as we explore the latest research on the benefits of mindfulness / bodyfulness, including studies on its impact on stress reduction, anxiety management, and improved cognitive performance. In the second half of the session, participants will have the chance to share their personal and classroom practices with fellow educators in small and large group discussions, gaining insights and inspiration for incorporating mindfulness into your teaching practice.Finally, participants will have the opportunity to practice leading a mindfulness activity, either one of the practices we covered or one of their own, with support from provided scripts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through hands-on exercises and group discussions, educators will gain insights and inspiration for bringing a more peaceful and centered approach to their work and personal life.

SPEAKERS:
Gina Tesoriero (Student / Educator / Researcher / Healer: Saratoga, CA)

Today's mission - should you choose to accept - will require teams of engineers to design and build a bridge that will hold at least 20 coins. During this lesson, engineers will be asking questions and defining problems to fully understand the mission, criteria, and constraints. Next, we will design our bridges and sell our design ideas to the team, selecting the optimal ideas to incorporate into the group design. Then, we will construct and test our bridges, identify failure points, and recommend improvements. Teachers will receive a copy of ready-made engineering design worksheet that can be utilized in their classrooms to facilitate incorporation of engineering design challenges (and can be modified to fit any K-12 classroom]. Following the design challenge, presenters will offer a range of applications for design challenges making this content relevant to all disciplines. Examples include protein folding, electromagnets, balancing forces, and Rube Goldberg Machines.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will take away materials for teaching the engineering design process that can be modified to fit ANY K-12 classroom, as well as a list of possible projects with connections to various DCI strands.

SPEAKERS:
Bailey Johnson (Hastings Public Schools: Hastings, NE), Kristen Benton (Kenesaw Public Schools: Kenesaw, NE)

The Artemis Generation is the next generation of explorers who will push the boundaries of human knowledge and endeavor. To empower this generation, we need to expose them to STEM role models who represent diverse backgrounds and experiences. This exposure can help to broaden students' perspectives and show them that STEM is a field for everyone. Additionally, culturally responsive teaching strategies can help to create an inclusive learning environment for all students. This session will explore the importance of empowering students through equity and inclusion with the help of NASA resources on STEM role models, the First Woman graphic novel, and a STEM identity development activity. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: • Identify the importance of equity and inclusion in STEM education • Develop strategies for identifying and promoting diverse STEM role models • Apply culturally responsive teaching strategies in their classrooms

TAKEAWAYS:
Diverse STEM role models and culturally responsive teaching help all students succeed in STEM. By exposing students to diverse role models in STEM and using culturally responsive teaching strategies, educators create inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive.

SPEAKERS:
Monica Uribe (NASA Education Specialist), Dr. Sagirah Wheeler (NASA Education Specialist: No City, No State)

A hot topic in energy management circles is microgrids. This activity introduces this concept and is designed to help students build simple DC circuits to “connect” and “light” their microgrid buildings. We’ll further discuss critical thinking activities and idea for classroom discussion to help students develop an understanding of their role in keeping our electric power system running smoothly, as well as how smart technologies in the home apply to a smart grid system.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn activities for students to be able to explain what a microgrid is and how to gather and analyze data to understand electricity use.

SPEAKERS:
Don Pruett, Jr. (Washington Science Teachers Association: Everett, WA)

Disentanglement puzzles, string figures, rope tricks, magic knots, and other curious objects offer interest for students. Such physical riddles yield engaging, entertaining, instructive, and enlightening opportunities for students. Topology applies to a range of sciences; students can investigate empirically and safely. Advanced math is not needed to search for solutions and to describe procedures/results through language and visualisation. There are occasions for communication, collaboration, and creative problem solving. There are cross-curricular connections abound from cultural anthropology to visual arts. Experience with these puzzles and problems helps develop spatial thinking and gives practice in pattern-finding, hypothesis-testing, and scientific inference. We will construct puzzles to take home, try solving such puzzles and problems, practice describing and systematising solutions, and present/discuss a number of activities for students. NGSS relevance will be discussed and references will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Topology offers rich, diverse, and perhaps surprising opportunities for science learning through practices, core ideas, and cross-cutting concepts. Applicable phenomena, relevant scientific approaches, and rewarding occasions for finding patterns and testing hypotheses emerge.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Frazier (retired)

Data collection and analysis is not only easier and more accessible than ever, it MUST be a part of any solid STEM/STEAM effort. In this session, we will be using state-of-the-art technology that is designed to facilitate effective data collection and analysis in any middle school or high school science classroom. In addition to simply collecting data in this session, we will be analyzing the data by developing mathematical models using the data, and then brainstorming ideas for how to integrate writing into the activities that are done in the lab. There will be a heavy emphasis on curriculum integration: Math, Science, and Writing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience the power of having students collect and analyze their own data, while learning strategies for the effective science-math integration and collaborative instruction.

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

Recent and ongoing research uses an Indigenous methodology to formalize the Cultural Connections Process Model (CCPM)--an approach for authentic co-production of educational resources by Indigenous communities and education/research organizations. This session will showcase the model as well as emergent research findings, and provide hands-on opportunities to explore the resources created when the model was developed and implemented in several Alaska Native communities. These place-based resources are built to target Next Generation Science Standards as well as focus on community priorities, and Indigenous education frameworks, Alaska Native languages, cultural values and cultural content standards. All the resources created using this model are freely and publicly available on project websites, and work is underway to create a long-term repository for these and future CCPM resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
The goal of this session is to share ongoing research formalizing the Cultural Connections Process Model and explore free videos, hands-on lessons, and more, created using the model. Attendees will develop an understanding of how to implement the model and access the free classroom resources.

SPEAKERS:
Lynda McGilvary (Geophysical Institute: Fairbanks, AK), Lori Schoening (Geophysical Institute: Fairbanks, AK)

Although most people do not know a programming language, nearly everyone can read and write. The exposition of plain English text forms a critical part of logically explaining a set of operations and instructions, which are foundational to computational thinking and coding. The learning of programming concepts, such as cause-and-effect, abstraction, logical reasoning, etc., will be explored through each example exercise during the session. We will write a number of games together, guided by artificial intelligence, where each can be completed in just 10 minutes or less! The platform will automatically convert the text into a playable game. Games are engaging learning tools and are perfect for teaching many subject areas. The session will be divided as follows: 1. How to describe a game in English via Setting and Plot. 2. Basic game construct. 3. Pong-like games. 4. Space Invaders. 5. Mario-like games. 6. More complex variables/attributes. 7. Debugging. 8. Sharing games. 9. How to use Online Tutorials.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to: clearly articulate programming concepts, think like a programmer, relate various aspects of each sentence to computational concepts and constructs, apply lessons to various subjects.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Hsiao (Virginia Tech: Blacksburg, VA)

Science teachers can use visual data strategies to help students come to understand what they are seeing, as well as pick out how those representations differ from reality. Strategies such as teacher modeling, questions, and small group work (McTigue & Coleman, 2013) help direct students’ attention to graphics and help them make sense of them. In this presentation, we will engage students in middle school space science lessons about eclipses, seasons, and moon phases (partially addressing MS-ESS1-1). We will use visual data throughout the 5E, along with teaching strategies, to show participants how we help our students move towards a more complete understanding of eclipses, seasons, and moon phases. We have found that by focusing on teaching students through and about visual data, they are better able to think critically about the content and the way the content is represented. We will discuss specific strategies on how to include visual data and how to help students make sense of that data.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have examples and strategies to engage students with visual data.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

In the presentation, I will be sharing activities for a 6-8 aligned unit on force and motion. The activities the participants will experience will include: a hands-on activity with technology to collect and analyze data that will aid in calculating speed and a hands-on activity using technology to graph motion in real time. I will also provide links to activities/projects that participants can use that will not be demonstrated/experienced that will align the concept of force and motion to TEKS for grades 6-8.

TAKEAWAYS:
Vertically aligned lessons for teaching force and motion that involves hands-on experiences which will engage your students. We will use hot wheels to collect data to calculate speed and create motion graphs using hands-on technology.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Walker (Tays Junior High School: Katy, TX), Amy Rush (Lufkin Middle School: Lufkin, TX)