2023 Kansas City National Conference

October 25-28, 2023

All sessions added to My Agenda prior to this notice have been exported to the mobile app and will be visible in your account when the app launches. Any sessions added now, will also have to be added in the app.
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FILTERS APPLIED:Postsecondary, STEM Haven, Life Science

 

Rooms and times subject to change.
57 results
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NSTA First Timers Orientation Session

Thursday, October 26 • 7:15 AM - 7:45 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 C


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Welcome to NSTA’s national conference!! Where should you begin? Join us for an exploration of the conference app and NSTA’s social media. You will learn how to maneuver and conquer the conference and leave feeling energized.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get the most out of your conference experience in addition to becoming an engaged learner.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Mulkerrin (CEO: No City, No State)

Un-Cooking the Egg – Modeling Protein Structure and Denaturation

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

What happens when you cook an egg? Is it possible to un-cook it? Investigate the characteristics of amino acids, the levels (and rules!) of protein folding, and how denaturing a protein alters its function, in an engaging hands-on modeling investigation using the Amino Acid Starter Kit ©.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Next Generation Dissection: Form, Function, and Frogs!

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2505 B


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

With the transition to 3-dimensional learning and NGSS, is there still a place for dissections in the classroom? The answer is yes! As you dissect a frog, we will demonstrate how to integrate the 3 dimensions of learning while highlighting adaptations and the relationship between structure and function.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Kopkau

Left at the Scene of the Crime: High School Forensics

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

There’s a break-in at the lab. Your students become forensic scientists as they walk into a crime scene. Analyze samples for blood and then catch the criminal with DNA fingerprinting. This exciting workshop will include ways to incorporate biotechnology and gel electrophoresis into your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Tom Cynkar (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Genes in Space: A Free Experimental Design Competition

Thursday, October 26 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Engage students in authentic research through Genes in Space: the experimental design competition that launches experiments to the International Space Station. Learn about free educational resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, explainer videos, and biotechnology equipment loans.

SPEAKERS:
Marc Bliss (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Introducing Your Students to Gene Editing with CRISPR

Thursday, October 26 • 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

The gene-editing tool CRISPR is one of the most exciting biotechnology breakthroughs of the past decade. In fact, this technique won the Nobel Prize in 2020! In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore CRISPR biology using fast, easy experiments that model the development of a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Tom Cynkar (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

From Circuits to Molecules: Biotech Basics for Middle School and General Bio

Thursday, October 26 • 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Link physical science concepts like circuits and charged particles to the essential biotech method, gel electrophoresis. Build a reusable gel electrophoresis system with the Bandit STEM Electrophoresis Kit, and use it to separate colorful dyes. Also, add the A to STEAM with creative pipetting art!

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Hurry Up and Wait – Utilizing “Downtime” in Plasmid Ligation (and Other Biotechnology) Wet Labs

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Give your students a deeper understanding of what is happening inside those tiny tubes during PCR, endonuclease digest, and incubation wait times through hands-on modeling. This workshop will feature the use of the Biotechnology Kit © and focus on plasmid ligation.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Sweet Science: Exploring Complex Mixtures With Biotechnology

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


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Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore the science of candy colors! We will extract food dyes from candy and separate them using agarose gel electrophoresis and paper chromatography. By separating the different colors, students learn about complicated mixtures, charges on molecules, and how science relates to everyday life.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Tom Cynkar (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Cat Genetics: An Accessible Gel Electrophoresis Investigation for all Learners

Thursday, October 26 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

A purrfect introduction to genetics! Track inheritance in a family of cats using Punnett squares. Then, use gel electrophoresis to examine the gene that controls that trait. Students connect Mendelian genetics with our modern understanding of genes! No stains or extra visualization equipment needed.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Increasing Student Discourse through Hands-on Learning: The Human Body and Structure and Function

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2501 D


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Students use diagrams to create a three-dimensional clay model of some of the organs and structures in the human torso. The concepts of structure and function are introduced as students begin to think about how the organs can be grouped into body systems based on their function within the human body. Come experience this hands-on interactive session and take home your own Lab-Aids human torso model!

Helping students understand scale across the organism microverse

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 A


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Sponsoring Company: PASCO

Microscope Scale activities to build skills for better interpretation of what they view in the eyepiece. Techniques help teachers use any equipment to establish scale for further investigations across organism kingdoms.

Exploring STEAM With Transformation

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Creating colorful bacteria with transformation is a memorable way to teach the central dogma of molecular biology. Take it a step further and have your students create art with the colorful cells! In this workshop, we’ll share tips for transformation success and create bio-art with microbial paint!

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Tom Cynkar (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Glow Labs: Study DNA Structure and Enzyme Activity Using Fluorescence

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Discover a new way to study DNA and enzymes! Use fluorescence to see changes to DNA structure and enzyme activity with your own eyes. Explore how temperature, pH, and genetic sequence affect DNA base pairing. Then, see inhibitors, concentration, temperature, and pH affect enzymatic reaction rates.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Dynamic DNA: More Than Just A's, and T's, and C's, and G's

Thursday, October 26 • 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Examine how modeling deepens student engagement. Explore carefully designed models to discover basic features of DNA structure and function using an atomically accurate model. Model nucleotides, DNA and RNA polymers, genetic sequences, genetic engineering,...and epigenetics.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Featured Creatures

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2505 B


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Add excitement to your class with live organisms! We will explore how organisms find food and interact with other organisms in their environment. For younger students: How creatures find food, and for older students: Social behavior and interspecies interactions will be discussed.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon (Watauga High School: Boone, NC)

It’s All in the Genes—Exploring Mendelian and Non-Mendelian Inheritance Through Modeling

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Help direct student questions towards investigation and modeling several types of inheritance with the Chromosome Connection Kit©. Construct Punnett squares with gene sequences as alleles to connect the inheritance of traits to chromosomes at the molecular level.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

ELISA Essentials: Unlocking the Power of Immunoassays

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Discover the awesome potential of the ELISA! This highly-sensitive assay allows for detection of low levels of antigens in biological samples, making it perfect to identify pathogens, allergens, and more. We'll also practice pipetting to improve accuracy and precision, ensuring experimental success.

SPEAKERS:
Danielle Snowflack, PhD (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC), Tom Cynkar (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

A Hands-On Lab to Teach the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

Thursday, October 26 • 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Add a hands-on lab to your study of the central dogma! With the cell-free BioBits® system, students can watch as polymerases transcribe RNA and ribosomes translate it to make protein, all using fluorescent indicators. Now you can experiment directly with transcription and translation!

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Water, Water Everywhere, But How Did it Get in There? -- Modeling the Movement of Water and Ions Across Cell Membranes

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Participants will model the aspects of water and ion transport across cell membranes using the Phospholipid and Membrane Transport Kit © and our MIGHTY Model © Channel collection. 3-D models of Na+ and K+ channel proteins and aquaporin will help your students understand cellular transport.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Decipher a Chain of Infection

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Join us for this fun, interactive workshop in which you will apply a molecular diagnostic test, basic principles of virology, and clues hidden within a restaurant to track the chain of infection of a novel norovirus. The results may just make you want to wash your hands…

SPEAKERS:
Leigh Brown (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA), Tamica Stubbs (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA)

Modeling Ecosystem Regulation and Trophic Cascades with HHMI BioInteractive Resources

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 B


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Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Bring ecology to life for students as we explore free, hands-on resources from HHMI BioInteractive that model how keystone species regulate ecosystems through trophic cascades.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Peterson , Timothy Guilfoyle (Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology: Charlotte, NC)

Using Maggots, Flies, and Flesh to Solve a Mystery!

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: Tech Tools

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Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

A decomposing corpse is found in a field. Four possible missing persons fit the description. But who is it? Using clues near the scene will help determine identity. Forensic anthropologist Diane France helped to develop this free middle school and high school forensic science lesson.

Let’s Get Physical: Human Physiology Experiments

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 A


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Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Keep your students engaged by giving them opportunities to move and interact in class. Explore limb position and grip strength, balance, and EKG and EMG experiments designed to encourage students to think about the physiology of various human organ systems. Come ready to participate!

SPEAKERS:
Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Exploring Mendelian Inheritance With Dog Genetics

Friday, October 27 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Puppies are born to Molly the Labradoodle and students must use genetics to solve the paternity mystery. Use Punnett squares and DNA gel electrophoresis to track inheritance of the furnishings trait across the litter. Then decide who’s the daddy: Zeus the Poodle or Otto the Labradoodle?

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Hennessy-McDonald, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

The Unlimited Cut: Dissecting 3-D Animal Models to Improve Life Science Education Outcomes

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2210


STRAND: Tech Tools

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Sponsoring Company: Visible Body

Lab time and access to specimens can be limited, expensive, or sometimes entirely out of reach. Visible Body’s 3-D content and Courseware platform provide a digital alternative to wet labs and 2-D textbook images and diagrams, allowing students to “cut” as many times as they need.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Buchanan (Sales Director: , SC)

Four Ways to GMO Detection!

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Is your food genetically modified? Learn three different hands-on activities that explore this topic. First, simulated PCR analysis using pre-amplified DNA (no thermal cycler needed), then DNA extraction and PCR, and next, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Bonus activity: use ELISA to detect GMOs!

SPEAKERS:
Tamica Stubbs (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA), Leigh Brown (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA)

Engaging Students In Data Analysis With HHMI BioInteractive Resources

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 B


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Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Inquiring minds want to know! Join us as we explore how BioInteractive Phenomenal Images and Data Points spark student questions and help them develop explanations.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Fassler (Marshfield High School: Marshfield, WI), Christina Bowers (Meridian School: Round Rock, TX)

Zombie Apocalypse!

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 B


STRAND: Tech Tools

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Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments

Bring a friend with you to attend, "Zombie Apocalypse!" Just make sure you can run faster! Zombies provide an excellent way to get students interested in understanding how diseases move through a population. Great for middle and high school students.

Discovering Lemur Diversity: Teaching Conservation Genetics Through an Authentic Case Study

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Bring molecular techniques to Ecology and Evolution units. Join an expedition to Madagascar to decide if an extinct lemur species has been rediscovered! Test DNA with gel electrophoresis, build phylogenetic trees, and analyze authentic field data from the Duke Lemur Center.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Nishitani, PhD (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Introducing Mighty Models: From Water Channels to Action Potentials

Friday, October 27 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Experience our new collection of protein models enhanced by molecular stories, digital resources, and augmented reality technology. Bigger, better… and more robust.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Culturally Inclusive Teaching in the Garden

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Culturally relevant practices in the school garden.pdf

STRAND: Research to Practice

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Discussion of culture is often missing in garden-based education. To share and validate the interests of our culturally diverse students, we will delve deep into the significance of culture as it relates to food and gardens and also as it relates to the diverse populations with whom we work. Through student voices and examples we will share the principles of culturally responsive garden education that honors diversity and inclusion. Join us as we explore ways to celebrate and center culture through garden-based learning. School gardens have many benefits for students which include helping students make nutritious choices, encouraging students to be environmentally conscious, and providing experiential learning. Research shows that students who participate in garden-based science curriculum score significantly higher on science achievement tests than students in a traditional classroom-based control group. This garden-enhanced achievement benefits both boys and girls equally.

TAKEAWAYS:
By their nature, gardens embody diversity. Garden education is increasingly recognized as an interdisciplinary approach that integrates academic goals, health and wellness, place-based education, and community connections and relationships.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Noonan (Topeka Public Schools USD 501: Topeka, KS), Rhonda Gadino (Topeka Public Schools: No City, No State)

Student-Led School Gardens

Friday, October 27 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Student Led School Gardening.pdf

STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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School gardens are a fantastic way to transition from a more traditional classroom to an outdoor, experiential learning opportunity centered on student engagement and critical thinking. Students are able to physically connect with nutrition education, understand the process of growing healthy foods, and recognize environmental stewardship. A school garden can also be integrated into many subjects such as math, science, health, literacy and social studies. The school garden offers a place to enrich teaching efforts with powerful hands-on experiences that make learning come alive. Each school or youth garden is as unique as the school or community that plants it. Gardens may come in many configurations, ranging from a collection of container gardens or a grouping of raised beds to a half-acre of plowed land. Successful garden programs do have certain features in common, however, they are designed to meet local program needs, to be sustainable, and to use the physical site and resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
School gardens are a fantastic way to transition from a more traditional classroom to an outdoor, experiential learning opportunity centered on student engagement and critical thinking. A school garden can be integrated into many subjects such as math, science, health, literacy and social studies.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Noonan (Topeka Public Schools USD 501: Topeka, KS), Rhonda Gadino (Topeka Public Schools: No City, No State)

Exploring Biodiversity and Biogeography Using HHMI BioInteractive Resources

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 B


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Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Join us as we explore free, classroom-ready HHMI BioInteractive resources to model how the species-area relationship impacts biogeography and conservation of protected areas.

SPEAKERS:
Jeannie Long (Teacher), Chris Monsour (Tiffin Columbian High School: Tiffin, OH)

Science Behind Opioid Dependence

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Two out of three drug overdoses are due to opioids. Understanding the environmental & genetic links to drug dependency can reduce risk when opioids are prescribed to high-risk patients. Discover how math, genetics, & personalized medicine can determine the likelihood of addiction.

SPEAKERS:
Leigh Brown (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA), Tamica Stubbs (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA)

Bring Molecular Genetics to Your Biology Classroom with PTC Tasting

Friday, October 27 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

PTC tasting is a classic way to link genotype and phenotype. Use PCR and gel electrophoresis to determine if students have taster or non-taster alleles for bitter perception. Learn about our all-new curriculum and see how easy it can be to bring molecular genetics to your class!

Introduction to Wisconsin Fast Plants

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2505 B


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Experience the versatility of Wisconsin Fast Plants®. These quick-growing plants engage students and are ideal for all grade levels. Easily integrate Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Practices in life cycle, heredity & inheritance, variation & evolution, and environmental science.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon (Watauga High School: Boone, NC)

It’s Time To Talk About It -- Addressing the Opioid Epidemic with High School Students

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

According to the CDC, there were 110,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2022. 75,000 of those were due to fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous synthetic opioid. Join us as we model action potentials, how fentanyl disrupts synaptic signaling, and how Narcan can stop an overdose.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

A Dog's Life: Using Data To Explore Genomics With BioInteractive

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 B


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Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How can genetic studies in dogs inform human medicine? Using free HHMI BioInteractive resources, we'll explore how scientists identify genes that affect human traits.

SPEAKERS:
Sherry Annee (Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School: Indianapolis, IN), Catherina Sammons (Tates Creek High School: Lexington, KY)

Do Real Hands-On CRISPR Gene Editing!

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Experience CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing experiments designed for your students' learning! In this hands-on workshop, edit a chromosomal gene, complete with essential experimental controls, using the same cut-and-repair technology used in medicinal and agricultural applications.

SPEAKERS:
Tamica Stubbs (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA), Leigh Brown (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA)

Driving Questions Boards (DQB) With Lab-Aids and SEPUP

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2501 D


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Sponsoring Company: Lab-Aids

Use a DQB to make phenomena meaningfully connected to science content. Pro-tips and exemplary DQB walkthrough – an experienced trainer will guide development of a sample DQB using a model lesson from our middle school program that looks at the effects of an introduced species on an ecosystem.

Lessons in Climate Change: Understanding Ocean Acidification

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2503 A


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Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Engage your students in learning about the effects of climate change with this hands-on experiment. Using the latest Vernier data-collection technology, we'll define ocean acidification, determine how we can measure it, and discuss why it is bad for our marine ecosystems. Get ready to dive in!

SPEAKERS:
Colleen McDaniel (Vernier Science Education: Beaverton, OR)

Sickle Cell Genetics: Using Gel Electrophoresis to Investigate Inheritance

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Sickle cell disease is an excellent model to discuss topics ranging from protein structure and function to inheritance and genetic diseases. Add an engaging hands-on activity that only takes one class period! This lab helps a fictional family obtain a molecular diagnosis using gel electrophoresis.

SPEAKERS:
Marc Bliss (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

A Hands-on Approach to Effectively Teaching Health Science

Friday, October 27 • 2:40 PM - 3:40 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 A


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Anatomy in Clay

They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores. Come build the rotator cuff with us!

SPEAKERS:
Chuck Roney (ANATOMY IN CLAY Learning Systems: Loveland, CO), John-Paul Theriault (ANATOMY IN CLAY Learning Systems: Loveland, CO)

Investigate Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration with Algae Beads

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: Bio-Rad Laboratories

Students often struggle to tie cellular respiration and photosynthesis together. Come and experience how algae beads help students easily visualize both processes in one experimental system. They can then extend their learning by changing light intensity, light color, and temperature...."

SPEAKERS:
Leigh Brown (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA), Tamica Stubbs (Bio-Rad Laboratories: Hercules, CA)

Using Authentic Data to Explore Niche Partitioning on the Savanna

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 B


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Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

How do species coexist within an ecosystem? Come explore BioInteractive's niche partitioning resources that have students analyze data to understand ecological restoration efforts.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Fassler (Marshfield High School: Marshfield, WI)

The View From 1,000,000X: A Tour Of The Human Cell

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Tour a crowded, active plasma cell to see how proteins are made and exported for use by the body. Explore how physical models foster an understanding of how the structure of DNA and RNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life.

SPEAKERS:
Ruth Hutson (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Bring CRISPR/Cas To Your Class

Friday, October 27 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2504 B


STRAND: Research to Practice

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Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Come practice hands-on, authentic CRISPR/Cas learning activities. From using Cas9 to target DNA in a test tube, to knocking out a gene in bacteria, our labs will put real CRISPR/Cas in your students’ hands. Free educational resources like CRISPR/Cas paper models will also be demonstrated.

Food Totally Transfers! - using Transfer Tasks to help students apply knowledge through food and agriculture!

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2502 A


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

Learn how transfer tasks can be used as summative assessments to help students apply knowledge through authentic learning experiences through the context of food and agriculture. Open to all teachers K-12!

The Amazing Power of Nature!

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 3501 B



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
The Amazing Power of Nature! Slides

STRAND: Leadership and Advocacy

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Nature, we vacation near it, we immerse ourselves in it, we need it for survival. A student’s natural curiosity about nature and the world around them can drive science learning and outcomes. Investigating natural phenomena within your state and close to your school creates authentic and relevant opportunities for students to research their local ecosystems. Experiences with nature not only promotes learning, but can help close the achievement gap (Liberman, 1998. Closing the Achievement Gap.) Citing studies, we will discuss how spending time in nature is healthy for students, faculty, and staff. Nature can lower blood pressure, calm anxiety, and improve mood. Using Missouri Department of Conservation’s Discover Nature Schools Curriculum as an example, we will discuss how taking learning outside can meet NGSS Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics and the Earth and Human Activity Strands. We will discuss ways to find and/or create nature experience near you.

TAKEAWAYS:
Nature is everywhere, accessible to everyone; from studying a crack in the sidewalk, where ants and other insects travel, to studying ponds, prairies, and forests. I can find and create nature study opportunities at my school, whether it is urban, suburban, or rural.

SPEAKERS:
Kathi Moore (Conservation Educator: HANNIBAL, MO), Sherri Russell (State Wildlife Veterinarian: Jefferson City, MO)

Un-Cooking the Egg – Modeling Protein Structure and Denaturation

Saturday, October 28 • 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

Show Details

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

What happens when you cook an egg? Is it possible to un-cook it? Investigate the characteristics of amino acids, the levels (and rules!) of protein folding, and how denaturing a protein alters its function in an engaging hands-on modeling investigation using the Amino Acid Starter Kit ©.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Teaching Biological Macromolecular Structure and Chemical Bonds using Computer Models

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2214


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Protein visualization using computer modeling software is a powerful educational tool to illustrate and explore the connection between protein structure, function, chemistry, and biology. However, using these tools in the classroom requires prerequisite knowledge of macromolecules, small molecules, chemical bonds, and in some cases the use of the tools themselves. This workshop will demonstrate resources that can be used to illustrate chemical bonds, polypeptide structure, drug interactions and other resources to teach protein structure and function at the introductory biology level. The worksheets will introduce and explore real-world examples. Resources are adaptable and stem from more detailed teaching resources that direct students to explore the science of protein structure visualization, disease and treatments. The approaches use freely available materials and internet resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about approaches and resources for integrating 3-D protein visualization into introductory biology courses at multiple topics – including polypeptide structure, membrane orientation, and inhibitor binding. Teaching materials are available for multiple levels of integration.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Johnson (Bradley University: Peoria, IL)

The Science of Infectious Diseases

Saturday, October 28 • 10:40 AM - 11:40 AM

Kansas City Convention Center - 1501 C


STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

This session will preview a professional learning opportunity being developed by 3-D Molecular Designs focused on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.  This project is funded by an NIH SEPA award to 3-D Molecular Designs.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Herman (3D Molecular Designs: Milwaukee, WI)

Free K-12 Education Materials From NIH

Saturday, October 28 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: STEM Haven

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a clearinghouse of free STEM education resources covering a wide range of health and biomedical research topics for students in grades K through 12. On science.education.nih.gov, you’ll find links to great content from NIH, as well as materials developed through our education grants. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS, part of NIH) has created a section of its Biomedical Beat blog called the Educator’s Corner (biobeat.nigms.nih.gov/educators-corner) with a collection of carefully curated blog posts designed to align with existing NIGMS science education resources, such as its Pathways collection for middle and high school students. You’ll find tools and ideas to enhance lesson plans, building upon existing science education material that’s already available at no cost. We hope these websites will be useful tools to bring STEM materials into the classroom and to encourage students toward health science careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
The National Institutes of Health has a wide range of free curriculum resources for teachers in the health science space. Materials vary from online interactives, Kahoot! games, and blog posts, to free printed magazine copies with teacher guides. Find them all at science.education.nih.gov.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Crowley (NIGMS, National Institutes of Health: No City, No State)

Yeti or not: Do they exist?

Saturday, October 28 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Basic bioinformatics tools are becoming increasingly important in biological sciences. Students (and researchers) need to become more comfortable with the use and interpretation of the resulting data. This case study introduces students to basic bioinformatics tools such as BLAST and ClustalOmega to compare and identify 12S rRNA sequences obtained from putative Yeti artifacts. The research is based on work published by Bryan Sykes (Sykes et al., 2014) investigating such artifacts. The story that is provided introduces the bioinformatics tools in the context of a research expedition and the reader acting as the researcher of the data analysis and interpretation. Supplemental materials are provided for a background in DNA sequencing and a basic introduction to the BLAST algorithm using a word search approach. The four-part case study introduces students to the concept of BLAST searches looking at sequence alignments, performing alignments, and interpretation of the resulting data.

TAKEAWAYS:
The worksheets presented direct students through an introduction to DNA sequencing technology and the use of such technology to identify and understand environmental samples. The 4-part worksheets can be used in classroom or laboratory settings, and were generated for an introductory biology course.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Johnson (Bradley University: Peoria, IL)

Teaching Biological Macromolecule Structure and Function Using the “Box of Lessons” Resources

Saturday, October 28 • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - Exhibit Hall, Poster Session Aisle


STRAND: STEM Haven

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Visualization of biological macromolecules is a powerful educational tool to illustrate and explore the connection between structure and function. However, many educators are unfamiliar with the vast amounts of bioinformatics and 3-D structural data, and the rapidly evolving tools available for exploring them. Learning to use these data and tools, then developing suitable lessons focused on structure-function relationships, can be time-consuming and challenging. The “Box of Lessons” resources were designed to engage students and educators alike in the exploration of biological macromolecules integrating chemical and biological perspectives. Videos and learning materials lead users through the resources while ready-to-use worksheets provide opportunities to assess learning. The modular nature of the resources allows educators to use all or part of the resource to fit the need of their course while providing an avenue for adaptation of the resources to fit the desires of the educator.

TAKEAWAYS:
The materials accessible through the "Box of Lessons" provides educators with ready-made resources to be integrated into the classroom or laboratory. The resources are modular, allowing flexibility, and are editable, allowing customization of the materials -- both allow educators flexibility.

SPEAKERS:
Keith Johnson (Bradley University: Peoria, IL)

Enhancing Science Notebooks with Scientific Sketching and Nature Journaling

Saturday, October 28 • 1:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Kansas City Convention Center - 2214



(Only registered attendees may view session materials. Please login with your NSTA account to view.)
Enhancing Science Notebooks with Nature Journaling

STRAND: Students and Sensemaking

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Attendees will learn techniques and strategies for incorporating scientific sketching and nature journaling into students’ science notebook routines by engaging in the activities themselves. Materials and natural physical specimens will be provided for journaling and sketching activities. Student examples and free resources will be shared. This workshop is appropriate for all K-12 teachers and informal science educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be introduced to, and participate in, several nature journaling activities from the free John Muir Laws "How to Teach Nature Journaling" book, as well as receive some scientific sketching guidance from the California Academy of Sciences. Special attention to integrating math will be included.

SPEAKERS:
Dana Atwood-Blaine (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

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