Developing students' "soft skills" has been a post-Covid school focus for us. This workshop will provide teachers will ready to use lessons that promote conversation and collaboration among even the quietest of students. These quick lessons of 1-3 periods can be modified to multiple NGSS content standards. In this workshop teachers will model a biotech debate, Instagram challenge, and a prehistoric Sweet 16 bracket. Most importantly- our students requested to do these lessons again! Check out our biotech debate directions: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GFM3Iy2-ITGp-H-H6Q0H93Fdvx7WK2xdAo07kb3QxVU/edit?usp=sharing Check out our biotech debate example: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bKjPCD0wkxyQGPlC6cJdokxU4OPy0xvE82K_lygpasg/edit?usp=sharing

TAKEAWAYS:
Bring home three creative lessons that will animate even your quietest students!

SPEAKERS:
Jacqueline Svetich (Science Teacher: Naperville, IL), Adrianne Toomey (Neuqua Valley High School: Naperville, IL)

Throughout teaching Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) and General Biology, students often face academic challenges surrounding these two foundational courses. One intended method to overcome these challenges is to implement a preliminary online course that students can complete before starting the academic year. Attendees will discuss how to design their own preliminary online course through an interactive workshop (in electronic and hard-copy formats) with group-based activities (e.g., discussions and demos) for any college-level biology course. We will also demonstrate various methods and assessments (e.g., recorded videos, quizzes, virtual escape rooms) best suited for students who choose to take the prep course through our findings at our current college. A sample of our current preliminary online courses can be found via this link: https://sites.google.com/springfieldcollege.edu/bioprepcoursessc/general-biology-online-course

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about our experience using a preliminary online course for undergraduates. Attendees will then learn how to design their own prep courses focusing on what students require in general biology and anatomy.

SPEAKERS:
Gemma Bartha (Instructor: Springfield, MA), Joseph Kele (Professor of Biology)

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)

This session begins with a video clip to engage. Participants are given a battery, lightbulb, and a wire made from aluminum foil and masking tape. They are directed to make the bulb light up (exploring). They will then be shown 5 resources and how they can be used to explain current electricity. Participants will be given materials to design and build a lighthouse with a working light and challenged to make the light turn on and off (expand). After the design challenge, they will be shown 3 ways to evaluate (formative and summative) student mastery of current electricity. After experiencing the learning cycle, we will look at examples of Next Generation standards and how to develop learning cycle plans as well as Florida science standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to turn science standards, both Next Generation and state adopted standards, into learning cycle lesson plans for elementary students.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Boulden (Warner University: Lake Wales, FL)