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)

Are your students’ explanations of science sometimes jaw-dropping, leaving you scratching your head as to where that “knowledge” came from? While we can’t eliminate kids’ misconceptions, we can work with those ideas to help them understand the correct science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn how to work with misconceptions that students hold in order to incorporate those into useful assessments. Use students’ sensemaking to discover ways to get at those ideas, and share your students’ misconceptions, hear others as well, and build research-based assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

In this presentation we’ll discuss how to bring makerspaces, STEAM, and genius hour to life in the classroom. An experienced STEAM educator will share her joyful journey creating and implementing a middle school STEAM class rooted in research on making, equity, and the genius hour practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to bring joy into teaching and learning through making, STEAM, and genius hour. Attendees will walk away with tools, tips, and tricks to support their own vision of joy in teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Olivia Bello (75 Morton: New York, NY)

Engage in activities that show how to connect your current science lessons to cutting edge engineering research and inspire students to pursue careers in STEM. Receive access to K-5 NGSS aligned resources that immerse students in scenario based tasks using data from current STEM research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to enhance student engagement, and promote STEM college and career pathways by connecting classroom learning to current engineering research at URI and UCONN. Leave with access to video and instructional resources aligned to NGSS and connected to the research.

SPEAKERS:
John Koziatek (University of Rhode Island: No City, No State), Christopher Cochran (GEMS-Net, University of Rhode Island: No City, No State), Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi (University of Rhode Island: Kingston, RI), Zachary Orefice (GEMS-Net, University of Rhode Island: Narragansett, RI)

Middle School NGSS-aligned curriculum, instruction, and assessment resources created by the SIPS Project provide a scalable and coherent approach to improve three-dimensional science learning for all students, including unpacking the science content, instruction, and assessing student progress.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators’ ability to use three-dimensional instruction and assessment resources to provide inclusive, equitable instruction, promote sensemaking, assess learning, and make instructional decisions will be enhanced. Benefits of a coherent system to improve student outcomes will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Rhonda True (Nebraska Department of Education: Lincoln, NE), Mary Nyaema (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Bill Herrera (edCount, LLC: No City, No State), Charlene Turner (Senior Associate: Laramie, WY)

Classroom physical activity has been linked to improved academic performance, attention, concentration, and on-task behavior for students. This interactive session will provide strategies and activities for integrating physical activity into the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the association between movement integration and learning, as presenters share current research and examples of movement activities designed to increase understanding, engagement, and performance.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanne Lindt (Professor: Wichita Falls, TX), Stacia Miller (Professor- Kinesiology: Wichita Falls, TX)

Paramount tasks can develop learners’ scientific literacy and critical consciousness by problematizing real world situations. We will engage participants in explorations to demonstrate how community-centered phenomena and children’s literature can be catalysts for developing paramount tasks (EC-5).

TAKEAWAYS:
Paramount tasks foster opportunities to develop rigorous problems that intricately connect learners, their communities, and their cultures with key content and skills. This approach reflects the hallmark of the NGSS and positions learners and their communities at the forefront of learning.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Buchheister (Associate Professor: Lincoln, NE)

A unique and open-ended STEM investigation that incorporates absolute and relative dating techniques, anomalies, historical context, volcanoes, solar proton events, energy cycles, Earth systems, terrestrial events, and supernovas by analyzing 430 years of Earth history from 1562 to 1992.

TAKEAWAYS:
In constructing knowledge, there is no definitive answer, only plausible conclusions based on constructing, analyzing, and comparing data and research from multiple disciplines. This investigation provides a better understanding of the scientific process of developing models and defending results.

SPEAKERS:
Donna Young (NASA/NSO/UoL Program Manager: Laughlin, NV)

Research suggests that most teachers will leave the profession within 5-years. This presentation will share tips to help science teachers stay enjoying teaching! This session could prove helpful to any new or preservice teacher, teacher mentor, or anyone who wants a new perspective.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with tangible practices to implement in their lives as a teacher! I will offer tips that worked for me, discussing topics like the school social environment, the lingo of education, using district resources, combating burn out (preemptively and practically), and more!

SPEAKERS:
Marissa Christie (Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology: Conyers, GA)

In this session, we will share how to use NGSS performance expectations to design classroom assessments. Sample assessments will be provided that require students to incorporate models and use evidence to support their responses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will examine sample assessments for three-dimensional questioning and be given a chance to enhance a question on a topic relevant to their teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Kopacz , Nicole McRee (KCSD#96)

These two sessions will focus on leadership. These sessions will include a discussion of the structures that need to happen to support these shifts in science instruction. How do you get teachers on board to engage in this work? For example, what are examples of the stories you need to tell to support teacher interest and buy in. What are examples of sustainable structures at a system level to support this work? What are examples of observation and instructional tools to support this work? In session 1, we will draw on case studies to engage how storytelling can be used to support onboarding teachers and to strengthen a science infrastructure. In session 2, we will share observation and instructional tools for leaders to support this work. In session 1, participants will gain strategies and insights utilized to enhance science instruction within a school system. In session 2, we will use classroom videos and other examples to illustrate how to do this work in schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain strategies and insights utilized to enhance science instruction within a school system.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine McNeill (Boston College: Chestnut Hill, MA), Stefanie Marshall (Assistant Professor: East Lansing, MI)

During this talk Jason will explain what Science Ninjas is, why CLEAPSS and King’s College, London (University of London) decided to undertake this research and what it’s taught he, and his colleagues, about supporting elementary and middle school teachers to plan effective active learning lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
This presentation provides educational professionals and coaches with insights into the effective practices and ways of working that we have developed to support elementary and middle school science leaders to promote hands-on learning across their schools.

SPEAKERS:
Jason Harding (Teacher Educator)

Participants will learn how school districts were able to increase elementary science access by establishing a District Science team grounded in distributed leadership and using the principles and tools of Improvement Science. Panelists' insights and a toolkit of resources will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how several districts developed a distributed leadership team focused on increasing access to elementary science education. They will hear from panelists and explore the tools and processes these teams used as part of their science leadership teams.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy Wright (Hayward Unified School District: Hayward, CA), Dawn O'Connor (CSU East Bay: Danville, CA)

Multilingual students' science knowledge isn’t always visible to educators. Our innovative research uncovers that knowledge regardless of students’ English language skills. You’ll learn about our research and how to build multilingual multimodal assessments for your own instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn about multilingual and multimodal formative assessment strategies and how to implement them in your science instruction. You will have access to a formative assessment activity template and a rubric for reviewing multilingual and multimodal formative assessment activities.

SPEAKERS:
Keira Ballantyne (VP Programs & Development), Brittany York (Senior Research Assistant: Washington, DC, DC)

Educators and researchers from the inquiryHub partnership between DPS and CU Boulder share their experiences as they co-designed (and co-redesigned) the iHub Biology curriculum, professional learning to accompany it, and other classroom tools to support its use.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers partnering with researchers can yield engaging curriculum materials that support more equitable teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Douglas Watkins (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO)

We asked the question, how can a picture walk of trees in forested environments spark student thinking about energy needs of trees? This presentation reports on the findings with undergraduates and shares insights on how the picture walk can be used with middle, secondary, and undergraduate students

TAKEAWAYS:
How to use an everyday phenomena of trees in forested environments to spark students in sensemaking about from where trees access their energy and what they do with that energy; foundational ideas for understanding photosynthesis and respiration.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Sharp (Missouri University of Science and Technology: Rolla, MO), Rebecca Krall (University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY)

These two sessions will focus on leadership. These sessions will include a discussion of the structures that need to happen to support these shifts in science instruction. How do you get teachers on board to engage in this work? For example, what are examples of the stories you need to tell to support teacher interest and buy in. What are examples of sustainable structures at a system level to support this work? What are examples of observation and instructional tools to support this work? In session 1, we will draw on case studies to engage how storytelling can be used to support onboarding teachers and to strengthen a science infrastructure. In session 2, we will share observation and instructional tools for leaders to support this work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use classroom videos and other examples to illustrate how to do this work in schools.

SPEAKERS:
Stefanie Marshall (Assistant Professor: East Lansing, MI), Katherine McNeill (Boston College: Chestnut Hill, MA)

Come and explore ways to integrate materials science across your science curriculum with the University of Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Take sample science kits and access to plans and resources to support students exploration of the materials that improve our lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create sample kits to take to your classrooms, access virtual resources and talk with MRSEC staff about the awesomeness of materials science!

SPEAKERS:
Shelly Grandell (Assistant Director of Education and Outreach: Madison, WI)

We share the newest results of a study on effective multiple-choice questions in STEM education. We examined Science educators’ revisions to help reduce problems such as gender/racial/ethnic bias, and difficulty that are often present in test questions, while including common misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Evaluate assessment questions that you use to assess students’ sensemaking of elements outlined in the NGSS DCIs. Are the questions free of bias, not too difficult, or indicative of overall student performance? Do they include common misconceptions that students hold? Learn what works, and what does

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

Participants in this session will leave with a STEM inquiry-based project and educational materials designed to captivate students while emphasizing 21st-century scientific applications and UN sustainable goals. Additionally, a list of potential RET opportunities for educators will be provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sharing how the RET experience has led to the production of a project that integrates nitrogen cycle pollution into a nitrogen circular economy, where the project's primary focus was on critical topics such as energy, climate, and food security; important topics to empower high school students.

SPEAKERS:
Milene De Farias (Southcrest Christian School: Lubbock, TX)

Many graduate programs include a requirement to write an article for publication. This roundtable will offer Q+A for graduate students with two professors who specialize in helping their students get published.

TAKEAWAYS:
Instructions and tips for graduate students hoping to publish in NSTA journals.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Colby Tofel-Grehl (Utah State University: Logan, UT), Peter Lindeman (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Grade 5 NGSS-aligned curriculum, instruction, and assessment resources created by the SIPS Project provide a scalable and coherent approach to improve three-dimensional science learning for all students including unpacking the science content, teaching and learning, and assessing student progress.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators’ ability to use three-dimensional instruction and assessment resources to provide inclusive, equitable instruction, promote sensemaking, assess learning, and make instructional decisions, will be enhanced. Benefits of a coherent system to improve student outcomes will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Rhonda True (Nebraska Department of Education: Lincoln, NE), Mary Nyaema (University of Illinois Chicago: Chicago, IL), Bill Herrera (edCount, LLC: No City, No State), Charlene Turner (Senior Associate: Laramie, WY)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Decode the language of proteins! Unveil the mystery of amino acids and protein folding with confidence through hands-on modeling.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: No City, No State)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Have you wanted to implement a Project-Based Learning unit in your classroom? Equity through Science Education (ESE) provides interdisciplinary science units for Grades 6-8. Experience hands-on lessons that deepen sensemaking for ALL students.

SPEAKERS:
Pam Richards (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Utilize argument-driven scaffolds for Earth and environmental science topics to critically evaluate connections between evidence and alternative scientific explanations with model-evidence link (MEL) diagrams to construct deeper student understanding of socio-scientific issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
An introduction to MEL instructional scaffolds designed to assist learners as they construct arguments to evaluate the plausibility of evidence connected to models and the research base that supports using these scaffolds. Participants receive access to all instructional materials and guides.

SPEAKERS:
Lorraine Ramirez Villarin (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA), Missy Holzer (Chatham High School: Chatham, LA), Donna Governor (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA)

Gain strategies and tools for enhancing opportunities for computational thinking in your current high school life or physical science curriculum. Bring current lessons and leave with concrete ideas for helping students engage authentically in the SEP of Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will take home strategies and tools based on the Computational Thinking for Science Framework that they can use to enhance opportunities for CT-S in any high school science curriculum. They will receive immediate feedback on lesson modifications they can implement in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Maia Binding (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Timothy Hurt (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Ari Krakowski (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Wendy Jackson (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

Little is known about how the framing of phenomena impacts students’ interest and sense of relevance. We share findings from a study where we asked students to rate how relevant and interesting they found four phenomena either described using an engineering, a local, a neutral, or a justice framing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Framing a phenomenon as an engineering design problem, a social or environmental justice issue, a local event, or a neutral problem influences students' perception of interest and relevance, which can influence how they engage as learners.

SPEAKERS:
Diego Rojas-Perilla (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Zoe Buck Bracey (Senior Science Educator and Director of Design for Justice: Colorado Springs, CO), Jamie Noll (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

Bring your laptop or tablet for a guided tour of the public database (NCBI) and an activity on how simple bioinformatics tools can help identify threats to our food supply.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn basic terms and tools (DNA barcodes, bioinformatics) used for DNA sequence analysis. A simple activity demonstrates how bioinformatics tools are used to solve problems in the real world.

SPEAKERS:
Jane Hunt (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH), Zack Bateson (National Agricultural Genotyping Center: Fargo, ND)

Research Experiences for STEM Educators & Teachers (RESET) is dedicated to improving STEM education across the nation. This presentation is for middle/high school educators who want to experience real-world research & learn about how to translate their experience effectively into the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
The audience will leave with information about AEOP programs and how to become involved with the AEOP RESET program.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Leslie Suters (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN), Jennifer Meadows (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Do you want all your students to feel like they belong and to see themselves in your classroom? Learn how to use the NSF-funded DoS classroom observation and feedback system, which incorporates student voice, reflection, and equitable access to build productive science classroom communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn strategies to promote belonging for all students in your MS science classroom, through applying the evidence-based DoS observation framework to real classroom scenarios and having small group conversations about your peers’ experiences building inclusive and reflective classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Victoria Oliveira (Researcher: Belmont, MA), Virginia Andrews (Research Project Manager: Belmont, MA)

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)

Sponsoring Company: 3D Molecular Designs

Empower all your students to unlock the secrets of enzyme specificity through biotech engineering design challenges, using dynamic physical models and student-created models.

SPEAKERS:
Mark Arnholt (3D Molecular Designs: No City, No State)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify Science

How do we know if the science instructional materials we’re using will lead to student learning gains? Explore the teacher moves and student investigations in the approach developed by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science that are proven effective to lead to positive impact on science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Suzanna Loper (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Daniel Alcazar-Roman (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Leslie Stenger (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

As science educators and PhD students, the facilitators will present a research project they are working on to uncover values embedded in state standards documents.

TAKEAWAYS:
Audience members will learn about this research project, participate in a discussion of values embedded in NGSS-based standards, and learn how to use a web app to conduct similar research.

SPEAKERS:
Juanita Martin (Life Science Educator/ Educational Psychology Doctoral Student: , NY), Jesse Mechanick (CUNY Graduate Center: No City, No State)

Luquillo LTER Data Jam provides students access to long-term ecological data found in their own backyard in Puerto Rico. Our research focus is students’ awareness of NGSS practices used: develop a research question, analyze data in CODAP (a free statistical tool), and develop a scientific argument.

TAKEAWAYS:
Luquillo LTER Data Jam students can articulate differences in practices involved in Data Jam compared to their other science lessons. Students' final projects demonstrate engagement in the practices of asking questions and developing a scientific argument, despite not being conscious of doing so.

SPEAKERS:
Isabel Delgado (Science Teacher Educator), Noelia Báez Rodríguez (Education Coordinator), G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)

Almost 50% of new teachers leave the profession after 5 years in spite of having developed effective teaching skills. Come collaborate around strategies for retaining novice teachers that you can begin to implement immediately in your school or district.

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies to support and retain novice teachers and build the capacity of mentors.

SPEAKERS:
Juliana Coleman (Southern Regional Education Board)

Engage in activities that show how to connect your current science lessons to cutting-edge engineering research and inspire students to pursue careers in STEM. Receive access to grades 6-8 NGSS-aligned resources that immerse students in scenario-based tasks using data from current STEM research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to enhance student engagement, and promote STEM college and career pathways by connecting classroom learning to current engineering research at URI and UCONN. Leave with access to video and instructional resources aligned to NGSS and connected to the research.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Emery (GEMS-Net, University of Rhode Island: No City, No State), Christopher Cochran (GEMS-Net, University of Rhode Island: No City, No State), John Koziatek (University of Rhode Island: No City, No State), Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi (University of Rhode Island: Kingston, RI), Caroline Stabile (GEMS-Net, University of Rhode Island: No City, No State)

Past and present members of the Early Childhood Education Committee will share their journey of how they became elementary science teachers. The discussion includes the importance of science equity from the beginning of a child's education, and how panel members 'grew' science in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
The panel would like to promote and support early education and elementary teachers to teach science as an interdisciplinary discipline. Sharing our "journey" is a way of dispelling the myth that great science teachers haven't had the same struggles as novice teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Jenn Brown-Whale (Howard County Public School System: Ellicott City, MD), Mary Lynn Hess (Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School: Sanford, FL), Annette Venegas (Kent School District: Kent, WA)

Interactive modeling aids in addressing alternate conceptions for major science concepts and develops students’ science identity. This session will share the research results from a middle school Earth Science classroom and explore methods to incorporate modeling for increased Earth Science literacy

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with ideas to incorporate Iterative modeling in Earth Science classrooms, addressing alternate conceptions to increase Earth Science literacy and using modeling for formative and summative assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Miller (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation: Durham, NC), Missie Olson (Becker High School: Becker, MN)

How do scientists identify harmful algal blooms and other aquatic microbes? Bring your laptop or tablet for an introductory lesson and discussion on DNA analysis using free web-based tools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn basic terms and tools (DNA barcodes, BLAST) used for sequence analysis. The activity explores the public database (NCBI) used by educators and scientists around the world.

SPEAKERS:
Jane Hunt (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: Columbus, OH), Zack Bateson (National Agricultural Genotyping Center: Fargo, ND)

This poster will share how science museums and informal spaces can address epistemic injustice by considering the narratives these spaces create about science, and how this can disenfranchise (or engage) groups who are often already marginalized from knowledge production.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about epistemic injustice, or the exclusion and marginalization of groups from knowledge production, and the ways in which we highlight contributions to science. We’ll share examples from a qualitative research project of a science history museum.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Hanuscin (Western Washington University: Bellingham, WA), Ariela Ikezawa (Pre-Service Teacher)

Using a nation-wide college student dataset, this study examines the gender disparities in academic self-concept for undergraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors and investigates college experiences affecting academic self-concept in this population.

TAKEAWAYS:
Findings show that overall college satisfaction is the strongest positive predictor of academic self-concept for STEM college students, and that institutions and their members should strive to facilitate satisfactory and educationally meaningful college experiences for these students.

SPEAKERS:
Cameron Conn (Assistant Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine: Memphis, TN)

This session will take a deeper look at experiential physics courses. We’ll evaluate the impacts of peer questioning in terms of supporting deep content learning, providing differentiated instruction for advanced students, and affecting attitudes of science as measured by CLASS survey.

TAKEAWAYS:
Session participants will explore the impacts of peer questioning as a learning strategy in high school science courses and take away concrete strategies for implementing peer questioning in their own science courses.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Sarbanes (Green Street Academy)

Student engagement has been linked to increased persistence in STEM. In this poster presentation, I will share the results of my research on the effects of integrating course-based research experiences into high school biological science courses on student engagement in STEM.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway from this session is that integrating course-based research experiences into the curriculum is important in STEM courses, as it can lead to increased student engagement, which is associated with persistence in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Shawndra Fordham (University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus: Aurora, CO)

This scholarship of teaching and learning study parallels Aranda et al. (2021) by having students author two Scientist Spotlights assignments in a community college biology course and assessing the impact of the intervention on the students’ stereotypes of scientists and relatability to science.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway is to understand if authoring Scientist Spotlight assignments influences student relatability to scientists and/or shifts stereotypes of scientists from negative stereotypes to positive stereotypes, and nonstereotypical descriptions in a community college intro biology course.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Tarus (Minnesota West Community & Technical College: Worthington, MN)

How can community partnerships inspire youth to explore locally relevant environmental issues? Learn how to activate untapped resources within your STEM ecosystem and build community partnerships to provide real-world connections to student investigations and exposure to STEM careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to build a network of community partnerships that can support efforts to increase youth interest in STEM careers. This poster describes a toolkit that you can use to develop a STEM partnership program to bring together students and STEM professionals from your community.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Rummel (UCAR Center for Science Education: Boulder, CO)

View the results of a case study highlighting engineering, problem-solving, creativity, and SEL in a first-grade classroom. Presentation includes research, data, pictures, assessments, and student artifacts. Learn why research supports immersing young learners in science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will see a summary of research, data sets, and student work from a recent onsite first-grade case study in engineering. Experience and evidence support the research that schools need to include science and engineering in the early learning curricular lineup.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Nolan-Beasley (Elementary STEM Teacher, Consultant and Science Teacher Trainer: Walla Walla, WA)

Denver science instructional leaders use research evidence to design a curriculum audit tool to support meeting their district's equity goals.

TAKEAWAYS:
Research on equitable instructional practices can be used to design tools to support moving toward system-wide goals for equity in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Johnston (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO), Keyerria Howard (Middle. School Curriculum Specialist: Denver, CO)

This action research investigates the impact of job-embedded professional learning (focused on using science and literacy strategies in the science classroom) on the performance and achievement of students, and the effectiveness of the science teacher.

TAKEAWAYS:
The key takeaways will include a suite of strategies and interventions that can be implemented district-wide or at the classroom level. These strategies focus on the intersection of science and literacy, and how they interplay in the science classroom and curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Marissa Murdock (Dekalb County School District: No City, No State)

Sponsoring Company: STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning

Have you wanted to implement a Project-Based Learning unit in your classroom? Multiple Literacies in Project-Based Learning (ML-PBL) provides interdisciplinary science units for Grades K-5. Experience hands-on lessons that are enjoyable and intellectually satisfying for the teacher and students.

SPEAKERS:
Pam Richards (Accelerate Learning, Inc.: Houston, TX)

Educators and researchers from the inquiryHub partnership between DPS and CU Boulder share their experiences as they co-designed (and co-redesigned) the iHub Chemistry curriculum, professional learning to accompany it, and other classroom tools to support its use.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers partnering with researchers can yield engaging curriculum materials that support more equitable teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Douglas Watkins (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO)

Is crash-testing biased against women? Join science education professor Griff Jones and IIHS Vehicle Research Center staff to learn about the latest research regarding equity issues and crash-testing, and participate in a live Q&A with crash test dummy research experts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn why ensuring equity in crash-testing research is more complex than simply putting a female dummy in the driver’s seat and how IIHS’s “Deep Dive with Dummies” free video series can be used to teach grade 5-12 students about the nature of science.

SPEAKERS:
Joe Young (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute: Arlington, VA), Griff Jones (University of Florida: No City, No State)

A high school senior, her teacher, and her mother will discuss the execution and benefits of a third-year chemistry class that was driven by a local disaster.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain perspective on using real-life occurrences to help drive student engagement, scientific inquiry, and course content.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Miller (Educator: Columbiana, OH), Karagin Miller (Student), Veronica Kotel (Crestview High School: Columbiana, OH)

We share the newest results of a study on effective multiple-choice questions in STEM education. We examined science educators’ revisions to help reduce problems such as gender/racial/ethnic bias and difficulty that are often present in test questions, while including common misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Evaluate assessment questions that you use to assess students’ sensemaking of elements outlined in the NGSS DCIs. Are the questions free of bias, not too difficult, or indicative of overall student performance? Do they include common misconceptions that students hold? Learn what works, and what doesn’t.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

How do we purposefully increase student interest and connection with computer science and the online world? This session will share the personal experience and curriculum developed following a biology teacher's foray into a computer science-centric research experience for teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
From research, to writing curriculum, to implementation, this session will share the reflections and curriculum developed from participating in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Teachers. Attendees will receive access to the curriculum and ideas for finding similar experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Gewinner (Computer Science Teacher), Tara Bonebrake (The Summit Preparatory School: Springfield, MO)

The Exploratorium, located in San Francisco, CA, is a hands-on science museum. If you can't visit the museum in person, join us at NSTA Denver to explore a few of our hundreds of online hands-on science activities, known as Science Snacks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will discover a wealth of online resources available through the Exploratorium Teacher Institute.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Muller (Exploratorium: San Francsicso, CA)

Come and explore ways to integrate materials science across your science curriculum with the University of Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Take sample science kits and access to plans and resources to support students exploration of the materials that improve our lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Create sample kits to take to your classrooms, access virtual resources and talk with MRSEC staff about the awesomeness of materials science!

The presentation will review the findings and implications of a qualitative dissertation research study of elementary teachers who developed and implemented a standards-based science curriculum and how that experience plays out in teachers' classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
How does building and district leadership help or hinder the science curriculum implementation process?

SPEAKERS:
David Jacob (Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES: Yorktown Hghts, NY)

Biophilia a term coined by Edward O. Wilson stating humans innately want to interact and be surrounded by living things. Biophilia is positively correlated to productivity, happiness, and longevity. We examined the effects of biophilia on secondary science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students completed an online dissection and a natural dissection with two specimens: an earthworm and an Egyptian star cluster flower. When students were involved in the natural dissection (Biophilia lesson) they had higher student motivation compared to performing an online dissection.

SPEAKERS:
Keli Potter (Preservice: No City, No State), Annie Dietz (Wartburg College: Waverly, IA)

Cutting-edge research happening on the CSU campus not only gets out into the world, but the students are the ones to bring it to life for themselves as they become researchers using the inquiry-based STEM kit lending library.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers and scientific researchers will come away from this session with ideas on how to develop hands-on, inquiry-based activities based on cutting-edge research that allow students to become research scientists for a day or two in a classroom setting.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Butler (Assistant Director, Natural Sciences Education & Outreach Center: Fort Collins, CO)

Cognitive science research provides substantial evidence for flexible and often counterintuitive cognitive strategies, including spacing, interleaving, and retrieval practice that boost student learning. Teachers will learn how to implement these techniques within their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to apply multiple practical, flexible, and research-based cognitive strategies, including retrieving information from memory, distributing practice across time, scaffolding, and mixing together different examples within their own classrooms to improve student learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Tullis (The University of Arizona: Tucson, AZ)

Interested in having a whole ecosystem within the walls of your classroom? How about growing food in a one-gallon recycled pickle jar? During this session we will learn how to use Aquaponics as a teaching tool in your pk-12 classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the immense benefits of having an aquaponic system in their classrooms. Specifically, research explaining how to grow pineapples in one-gallon systems.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Heithoff (Wartburg NSTA Vice President: No City, No State)

Come participate in a discussion about teaching for data literacy to better understand strategies and goals to help students learn with and about data. Join a growing community of science educators and researchers seeking to prepare students for citizenship in an increasingly data-rich world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain an up-to-date understanding of how to help students learn with and about data in the science classroom, while providing feedback on the development of a national, research-based learning progression framework for data literacy teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Miller (Research Associate)

ML-PBL teachers find ways to further integrate literacy and science throughout their day. ML-PBL's free OER project-based curriculum resources support students in applying their figuring out and critical thinking processes to all subject areas. Check it out!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be exposed to free resources and ideas for selecting resources for literacy lessons that allow students to continue to fine-tune and extend the ideas they are developing in science class. Handouts, links to resources and research findings, and examples of texts will be available.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Codere (CREATE for STEM Institute, Michigan State University, Retired)

Providing hands-on laboratory activities to reinforce concepts and enhance learning are essential in engaging high school students in the STEM classroom, especially in high-needs schools. This work used Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to develop a lab protocol and lesson plans conducive for high school students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how C. elegans can be an accessible model system to engage high school students in the STEM classroom. Key modifications for using C. elegans will be presented and discussed (that allow for adoption in high-needs classrooms with limited resources).

SPEAKERS:
Scott Gehler (Associate Professor of Biology: No City, No State)

This presentation discusses a framework that supports a universal design approach and highlights indigenous ways of thinking to mitigate environmental impacts. Based on the successful outcomes of a recent study, this presentation demonstrates how the framework may be put into practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be able to learn about the potential of a teaching framework, specifically in assisting pre-service teachers. By embracing cultural traditions while working together with progressive pedagogy, the intent is to develop relevancy, engagement, and motivation in mathematics.

SPEAKERS:
Stacy Potes (Assistant Professor: Honolulu, HI)

Higher Education faculty were engaged in an ELit professional learning community focused on capacity building and ELit integration into the teacher education classroom. In this session, we will share the qualitative data (course artifacts, participant reflections) and details on the HEEL curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will share ideas for integration of environmental literacy in teacher education curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Chelsea McClure (Towson University & Morgan State University: No City, No State)

This poster will share connections between cybersecurity research and student leadership and was developed from an NSF Research Experience for Teachers. The premise empowers student leadership by cultivating cybersecurity awareness and digital citizenship for ethical engagement in the digital era.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will share and provide resources from a curriculum developed during an NSF summer Research Experience for Teachers. A QR code linking to the curriculum website will provide lesson ideas and support for potential implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Gewinner (Computer Science Teacher), Tara Bonebrake (The Summit Preparatory School: Springfield, MO)

An overview of STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences in New Mexico via a qualitative study of high school counselors & STEM organization personnel voices. Data & results highlight opportunities for student, educator, administrator, & community growth in terms of methodology & policy.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM PBL education helps students to develop skills in STEM & STEM-adjacent topics, engage in their communities, & broaden their career trajectories. It is appropriate & recommended for underrepresented minority students, classrooms, & educational campuses.

SPEAKERS:
Kim Scheerer (NM MESA)

Cutting-edge research happening on the Colorado State University-Fort Collins campus not only gets out into the world, but students are the ones bringing it to life for themselves as they become researchers using the inquiry-based STEM kit lending library.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers and scientific researchers will come away from this session with ideas on how to develop hands-on, inquiry-based activities highlighting cutting-edge research that allows students to become research scientists for a day or two in a classroom setting.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Warnock (Director, Natural Sciences Education & Outreach Center: Fort Collins, CO)

Engage with a strategic tool used to identify specific and systemic barriers that hinder students' with IEPs access to grade level science instruction in order to intentionally design high quality, standards-based science and engineering learning experiences and environment for ALL students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Research on equitable systems and instructional practices used to design tools to support moving toward system-wide goals for equity in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Eva Bridgeforth (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO), Tammy Law (Yuma Middle School: Yuma, CO), Elizabeth Johnston (Denver Public Schools: Denver, CO)

A former national science fair judge provides insights on how good titles can improve the odds of winning at science fairs based on a research project conducted on a national science fair. The poster will describe what the parts of a "good" title are & how teachers can help your students create one.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn the components of a good project title (from a research project on science fairs) and how to help their students develop a good title for their own project.

SPEAKERS:
G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)

To understand chemistry in crime fiction novels with examples of authors who had applied chemistry will be shown. How I use them in my fiction books will be presented.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn about connection of chemistry and crime in literature. Examples of chemicals used to commit crimes will be presented.

SPEAKERS:
Bal Barot (Lake Michigan College: Benton Harbor, MI)

Artificial Intelligence chatbots have upended teaching and learning. Negative aspects of their use have been raised, but there are positive ones too. Research into the performance of students and ChatGPT in a chemistry class will be shared and future directions discussed for student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Chatbots are here to stay. Teachers and students need to know how to use them to support learning.

SPEAKERS:
Ted Clark (The Ohio State University: Columbus, OH)

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)

We will share the latest findings from a multi-year study to identify the most promising features of undergraduate teacher preparation programs that contribute to improved training of preservice science teachers, and experiences that optimize overall STEM knowledge and students’ misconceptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the latest on what factors impact preservice teachers’ interest in teaching, the status of teacher education programs, and what are the strong and weak STEM content knowledge areas of preservice science teachers, including prevalence of learning about students’ misconceptions.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Sadler (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Cynthia Crockett (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

Immersing educators in a locally relevant context is a powerful way to foster professional learning, modify curriculum, and boost student engagement. This session will present successful examples of immersive professional learning that have impacted hundreds of educators across the country.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the benefits of immersive professional learning and how it can bring the sensemaking process to life. We will provide example phenomena that fully engage the three dimensions of the NGSS approach and are explored in daily practice by researchers and scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Beierle (Vivayic, Inc.: No City, No State)

Research has demonstrated that various case-based learning approaches support various depths of learning. Using a single case study on Huntington’s Disease, participants will observe how case implementation in either a case-based method or a case lecture supports learning depth.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn implementation of two types of case-based learning (CBL): a case-based method and a case-based lecture. Participants will learn the structure of each type of CBL, and how a subtle difference in CBL can support depth of learning while comparing the two types of CBL in biology.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Krall (University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY), Katherine Sharp (Missouri University of Science and Technology: Rolla, MO)

Science instruction creates rich opportunities to integrate other content areas— particularly ELA or math. Explore a process for designing integration opportunities that allow both domains to support each other. Bring a science lesson plan or use a shared example to try the process together.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will try out a process built upon foundational practices identified in science education and integration research to analyze a science lesson plan for moments of student sensemaking and opportunities for content integration.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Amy Belcastro (Science Educator/Grad Student)

This study aims to provide opportunities to collaborate with rural science teachers in a mutually beneficial partnership in order to build agency in rural teachers, students, and preservice teachers in rural classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will collaborate with presenters in order for all to better understand the challenges and opportunities for providing high-quality, engaging science instruction to students in rural areas.

SPEAKERS:
Gwinn North (Tarleton State University: No City, No State)

Education research emphasizes the importance of representation; however, this session takes a broader perspective. Join us as we share insights from PEBC’s inaugural BEST Conference, an effort to expand beyond young learners and explore belonging that centers educators and professionals.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the session, participants will have a greater understanding of the purpose behind PEBC's BEST Conference, and pragmatic strategies to employ with the BIPOC educators and professionals that they support.

SPEAKERS:
Jailyn Jenkins (Manager of Resident Development, Innovation, Coaching: , CO)