Learn a design process for creating three-dimensional assessment tasks that support student learning. We will introduce participants to each phase of the process: unpacking dimensions, developing integrated dimension maps, articulating learning performances, identifying phenomena, and designing tasks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the steps of a systematic process for designing three-dimensional tasks that align with NGSS performance expectations, take into consideration students’ diverse backgrounds, and can be used in classrooms to provide information to teachers and students to improve learning.

SPEAKERS:
Joseph Krajcik (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University: East Lansing, MI), Christopher Harris (WestEd)

Discover how simple adjustments in activity order can supercharge your students' knowledge construction and seamlessly integrate the NGSS into your teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro, Instructional Sequence Matters will empower you with both the rationale and tangible, real-world examples to revamp your hands-on teaching methods.

SPEAKERS:
Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

Join us in mastering the art of the “explore-before-explain” instructional sequence, and witness the transformation in your classroom as you nurture an environment where every student’s voice resonates.

TAKEAWAYS:
An overview of essential planning considerations covers becoming an “explore-before-explain” teacher and designing lessons that use the assets all students bring to learning science.

SPEAKERS:
James Concannon (William Woods University: Fulton, MO), Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

Using a probe from the popular “Uncovering Student Misconceptions” series, the co-author will share student responses to address this key concept for teaching climate change.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understanding student misconceptions in this foundational component of climate change is critical prior to teaching the subject. Discover how engaging, open-ended probes provide insight into student ideas and misconceptions, while learning ways to support them in understanding the concepts accurately.

SPEAKERS:
Brett Thomsen (Science Department Head: Chimacum, WA), Laura Tucker (Consultant: Port Townsend, WA)

Get ready for three-dimensional teaching with ways to sequence instruction that promote long-lasting understanding for your students by using a simple yet powerful sensemaking approach: Explore-Before-Explain.

TAKEAWAYS:
An overview of essential planning considerations covers becoming an “explore-before-explain” teacher and designing lessons that use the assets all students bring to learning science.

SPEAKERS:
Tim Blesse (Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Denver, CO), Patrick Brown (Fort Zumwalt School District R-II: O'Fallon, MO)

We will introduce our recently published NSTA book containing a collection of units and resources to help teachers engage students in three-dimensional learning through model-based inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about four biology model-based inquiry units for rigorous and equitable instruction. Developed with secondary science teachers, the session guides three-dimensional learning, anchoring phenomena, modeling, and scientific explanations.

SPEAKERS:
Todd Campbell (University of Connecticut: Storrs Mansfield, CT), Ron Gray (Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff, AZ)

The Atlas is a collection of 62 maps of the practices, core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and performance expectations in NGSS and other Framework-based standards. The maps show how goals in science are meant to build upon each other and relate to each other over a student’s K-12 education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to read the maps and use other tools in the Atlas to understand and interpret standards and plan instructional sequences as part of their work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

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

This new version of the Quick-Reference Guide (aka The Purple Book) is a must-have reference tool for working with NGSS and other Framework-based, 3D standards. This session will review the features of the book and show how to use the tools and resources in it to unpack the crosscutting concepts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to unpack the three dimensions using the tools and resources in the Quick-Reference Guide and will gain insights into the meaning of the crosscutting concepts.

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

The best teaching relies on the best evidence: how students think about core ideas in science and understanding where their ideas come from. Learn how this leads to responsive instruction that builds a bridge from where students are to where they need to be.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to effectively use formative assessment probes from the NSTA Uncovering Student Ideas series for responsive assessment and instruction.

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

We will introduce our forthcoming NSTA book containing a collection of units and resources to help teachers engage students in three-dimensional learning through model-based inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about four chemistry model-based inquiry units for rigorous and equitable instruction. Developed with secondary science teachers, the session guides three-dimensional learning, anchoring phenomena, modeling, and scientific explanations.

SPEAKERS:
Ron Gray (Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff, AZ), Todd Campbell (University of Connecticut: Storrs Mansfield, CT)

Understanding students' ideas is critical to responsive teaching and learning. This session will focus on how students use scientific practices and crosscutting concepts with NSTA's Uncovering Student Ideas in Science formative assessment probes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how the scientific practices help students make sense of the DCI elicited by a formative assessment probe and the crosscutting concepts used as thinking tools.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Harding (Teacher Educator), Page Keeley (NSTA Past President: No City, No State)

The last total solar eclipse in the continental US for 21 years occurs in April. NSTA has assembled an abundance of resources for you to make the most of this teachable moment – from 3D learning materials, to safe viewing strategies, to ways to make it a school-wide experience.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with links to 3D teaching strategies for students to understand the science behind eclipses, plus safe viewing strategies and ways to make the event a school-wide experience.

SPEAKERS:
Dennis Schatz (Institute for Learning Innovation: Beaverton, OR)

Addressing climate change can be challenging. Students are given tools for evaluating information then provided a series of myths about climate change. Using reputable data, they dispel the myths with accurate information and use multiple explanations to understand common misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students are provided with a checklist to determine if information is accurate on a fictional web page. Through small group discussions, students share their perceptions of accurate data and what it means, then challenged to decide if this information is valid in helping to understand global warming

SPEAKERS:
Brett Thomsen (Science Department Head: Chimacum, WA), Laura Tucker (Consultant: Port Townsend, WA)

What does research tell us about children's ideas and why they matter? We will explore how young children's ideas can be the starting point for designing instruction that builds a bridge between the ideas young children bring to their learning and the science ideas they are learning

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use the NSTA K-2 formative assessment probes to uncover young learners' ideas that mirror research on common misconceptions and use their ideas to design instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Harding (Teacher Educator), Page Keeley (NSTA Past President: No City, No State)