The sky belongs to everyone - including middle-school age youth. Learn how to join the YouthAstroNet program of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, where students practice sense-making by telling their own star stories using images they capture from real robotic telescopes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn YouthAstroNet’s strategies for engaging students from culturally diverse backgrounds in exploring their place in the cosmos through sense-making of astronomical images and find out how to join the YouthAstroNet community, supported by the National Science Foundation.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Dussault (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA), Erika Wright (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Fitzwilliam, NH)

Use A-I to create a fictional planet in order for students to make connections between settling on a foreign planet and early American civilization of Jamestown. How will you choose where to settle? How will your colony be sustainable? How do you ethically interact with native species?

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees are going to learn how to utilize A-I by exploring settlement on a fictional planet mirroring Jamestown addressing sustainability, ethical interaction with natives, citizen science, robotics, and lessons for Earth's care.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wren (Riverfield Country Day School: Tulsa, OK), Lisa Robinson (4/5 Grade Educator: Bixby, OK)

The AREN Project provides NASA technology tools to educators, learners, and citizen scientists who want to collect local earth science data. Lesson plans and equipment are made available to investigate phenomena like the Urban Heat Island Effect, and how land use affects flooding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience various methods of using remote sensing and in-situ measurement with common scientific tools and NASA-developed educational platforms. Participants will be invited to join upcoming virtual professional learning opportunities that provide training and materials at no cost.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Ogiemwonyi (Wayne RESA: Sterling Heights, MI)

Immerse yourself in two intermediate grade units on Weathering & Erosion and Earth's Systems which integrate algorithmic thinking and student-generated models using block coding. Project {FUTURE} has co-designed CS-integrated curriculum units with teachers in CT and WI, available as OER.

TAKEAWAYS:
Our CS and Science integrated units are ready to use and benefit student learning in both areas. By building algorithms and programs, students model Earth System relationships in novel ways. Likewise, applying CS concepts in the context of science enhances meaning, rigor, and engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Renee Scianni (Milwaukee Public Schools: Milwaukee, WI), Christine Thorp (Teacher: Wallingford, CT), Darcy Ronan (Sacred Heart University: Fairfield, CT)

ARISS provides a once in a lifetime educational opportunity for youth by enabling them to conduct a 10-minute interview directly with astronauts on-board ISS. This presentation will provide hints for educators to develop an ARISS contact proposal that will positively impact their youth.

TAKEAWAYS:
This presentation will provide many hints and tips for educators on how to develop a winning ARISS contact proposal that will positively impact their youth through inspiring, engaging and educational STEM activities.

SPEAKERS:
Tanya Anderson (ARISS-Amateur Radio on the International Space Station: Lisle, IL)

The present-day Gulf of Mexico has long been known for its amazing diversity of sharks, rays, and skates. Join the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to learn a little known fact: Alabama leads the nation in extinct and extant shark species! Learn about and "dig" through coastal Alabama's geologic history!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about the paleontological history of northern Gulf of Mexico sharks, and why Alabama is a hot bed of past and present shark species, while giving attendees a chance to be amateur paleontologists by sieving their own northern Gulf coastal sands for evidence of this diversity.

SPEAKERS:
Greg Graeber (Dauphin Island Sea Lab: Dauphin Island, AL)

This session is the second of a series of four - join for one or more - focused on early childhood science and language arts integration. Engage with concrete examples of interdisciplinary connections focused on Earth and space science. Part of NSTA Early Childhood/Lower Elementary Science Pathway.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to plan and implement instruction that integrates early childhood Earth and space science and language arts learning targets with fidelity.

SPEAKERS:
Jenn Brown-Whale (Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE): Randallstown, MD)

Dr. Michael Wysession, NGSS co-author and geophysics professor, will explore ideas for using recent NASA and NOAA data for recent extreme-weather-related phenomena, such as heat domes and severe flooding, to anchor storylines that make climate science relevant and engaging for students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The 2023-2024 severe weather events, analyzed with NASA and NOAA data, can drive climate-related storylines that can engage students and prepare them for assessments for the HS-ESS2-4 and HS-ESS3-1&5 performance expectations, covering climate systems, natural disasters, and environmental justice.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession (Washington University in St. Louis: Saint Louis, MO)

This workshop delves into the environmental consequences of flooding. Participants will explore resources and activities that highlight the chain reaction of events triggered by floods, including soil erosion, the spread of pollutants, and the effects of these on overall soil health.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore resources to understand that floods disrupt the delicate balance in soil impacting soil health and structure.

SPEAKERS:
Sequoyah McGee (American Geosciences Institute: Herico, VA), Lindsay Mossa (American Geosciences Institute: ANNAPOLIS, MD)

How do scientists study Earth’s historical climate? Are ice cores the only source of data? The fossil record can provide insight into cyclical changes in Earth’s climate. Teamwork, data analysis, and more scientific skills are used to analyze fossil data to study ocean temperature and level changes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will receive hands-on activities that use fossil evidence which indicates changes in ocean temperatures and levels, showing fluctuations in Earth’s climate over time. Activities can be easily modified based on the needs of the teacher and grade level.

SPEAKERS:
Sabrina Ewald (The University of Texas at Austin: Cedar Park, TX)

Space Rocks! Making heads and tails of rocks in space. Comets, meteors, asteroids? What’s the difference? We will use high-engagement strategies to help our students understand the difference between these windows to our galactic past.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will depart with tested lessons, prepared background information, and complete resources for hands-on labs, and three engineering-based STEM projects that incorporate Earth's place in space and human-created systems to make predictions and establish patterns.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Walker (University Academy: Lynn Haven, FL)

Photons of electromagnetic radiation of all wavelengths are collected by telescopes and processed using computers. Scientists use image analysis software to analyze the data and construct unique models of the data, including stars and galaxies, while maintaining the integrity of the underlying data.

TAKEAWAYS:
All our knowledge of stars and galaxies is determined by spectroscopy - the analysis of radiation emissions, including radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, gamma and X-ray. Knowledge of spectroscopy is essential to understanding the processes producing the individual wavelengths.

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

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Unlock the cosmos for your classroom with our tailored workshop for teachers! Discover teaching methods, explore resources, and delve into the latest astronomical discoveries. Gain confidence and tools to ignite students' curiosity about the wonders of the universe, fostering a passion for science.

Learn a possible pathway for facilitating your science department's transition from traditional grading to standards-based grading. See examples showcasing the integration of the SEPs to guide instruction and assessment, and foster your students' journey toward mastering essential science skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will see how the SEPs can be used to frame standards-based instruction and assessment in an authentic way. Participants will gain insights from specific examples of rubrics, success criteria, practice, and assessments that have been classroom-tested in biological and physical science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Molly Sponseller (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL), Kellie Dean (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

Dr. Michael Wysession, NGSS co-author and geophysics professor, will explore fascinating Earth and space science (ESS) storylines of how geologic events such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and climate swings have shaped the rise and fall of civilizations and altered human history.

TAKEAWAYS:
The unusual and sometimes bizarre history of human impacts from geological events provides engaging phenomena and storylines that help students understand not only the impacts of natural disasters (NGSS HS-ESS3-1) but the potential impacts of human changes to Earth’s surface (HS-ESS3-4/5/6).

SPEAKERS:
Michael Wysession (Washington University in St. Louis: Saint Louis, MO)

Engaging middle school students.

TAKEAWAYS:
PEEPs impact student engagement resulting in increased proficiency results in science and engineering assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Carri Wissman (Hilo Intermediate School: Hilo, HI), Pascale Pinner (Hilo Intermediate School: Hilo, HI)

This project incorporates into astronomy, physics, and engineering classes as students take on a current real-world career-based project: figuring out how to land on the Moon. Students utilize different STEM fields and communicate to solve a problem with hands-on exploratory learning methods.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will takeaway a plan to integrate current events and a real-world project into multiple disciplines. Whether attendees are looking for an idea to integrate into one class or many, they will see different learning methods and ideas to apply this project to their own classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsey Jacobus (New Trier High School, Winnetka Campus: Winnetka, IL), Joe Morales (New Trier High School, Winnetka Campus: Winnetka, IL), Hanna Cohen (New Trier High School, Winnetka Campus: Winnetka, IL)

The Environmental Institute of Houston monitors sites along the Galveston and Matagorda Bays in Texas to evaluate change in the bay’s ecosystems over time. Participants will utilize Team-based Learning (TBL) strategies to consider and apply data-informed evidence to real-world scenarios.

TAKEAWAYS:
Team-Based Learning (TBL) is a structured method of authentic inquiry grounded in relevant and significant real-world scenarios. Participants will take away from this session strategies and resources for TBL that they may use immediately in their own course.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Metoyer (Environmental Institute of Houston at University of Houston Clear Lake: Galveston, TX)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Get a close look at the pedagogical strategies of a highly acclaimed Earth Science book. Developed by the American Geoscience Institute, this book relies on student-centered activities, students doing science! Take part in several activities and connect with other earth science teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Curts (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Participants will examine how models can be used to drive understanding of complex concepts. Tree ring data will be used as an example of a line of evidence to support climate models and a balloon model will be used to support universe expansion.

SPEAKERS:
Crystal Risko (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Come engage in an earth science activity about geologic time periods (MS-ESS1-4) and a biology activity about cell membranes (MS-LS1-2) to explore how to make science relevant for their students. We will also demonstrate and discuss strategies for increasing the relevance of any NGSS lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience two examples of how we make science relevant for our students. We will also discuss tips and strategies for increasing relevance in any lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Alexa Clements (Associate Professor: Cedar Falls, IA), Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

This session will provide strategies on Teaching with Primary Sources in the science curriculum to promote student inquiry and discourse, critical thinking and analysis and the understanding of scientific history.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in teaching strategies that exemplify how analyzing primary sources can support critical thinking and the scientific method of observation, hypothesizing, and analysis.

SPEAKERS:
Dat Le (Arlington Public Schools: Arlington, VA)

Come have fun collecting real data to investigate the relationship between altitude and pressure using a micro:bit and a Grove sensor. We will walk through the Python code, collect the data and investigate the relationship through mathematical models, squeezing as much as we can out of our work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience the marriage of science and mathematics by using the micro:bit and a Grove sensor to collect real pressure data to analyze. We will spend time creating and using mathematical models so that we can better understand the relationship between altitude and pressure.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Pennell (High Point University: High Point, NC, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

"Dive into Earth's wonders! Our Earth Science workshop for teachers offers hands-on activities, expert insights, and teaching strategies to inspire curiosity and deepen understanding. Join us in exploring the dynamic systems of our planet!" Geology, Meteorology, Climate, Physical Geography!

Designed to empower teachers with knowledge and tools to address issues facing coastal communities in the Mississippi Delta, this immersive experience combines place-based exploration and the engineering design process to strategize solutions to foster resiliency and sustainability in the Gulf.

TAKEAWAYS:
This immersive experience combines place-based exploration and the engineering design process to strategize solutions, foster resiliency and sustainability, and empower teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Sanchez (Tulane University: New Orleans, LA), Erica Smith (Tulane University: Addis, LA)

Students collaborate in small groups to design and develop a sustainable island with a universal theme utilizing various subject areas, seamlessly integrating STEAM standards. It fosters cross-curricular learning and real-world applications through project-based learning activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees learn how to implement project-based learning, cross curricular concepts, and real-world scenarios to actively engage and assess students throughout the year.

SPEAKERS:
Katharine Kintz (Needlessly Nerdy: Allenhurst, GA)

Sponsoring Company: NOAA

Join us for a demo of our database of 1,300+ educational resources from NOAA. We host ocean, coast, Great Lakes, weather, and climate resources. Tour our lesson plans and activities and ask us your questions. Learn more at noaa.gov/education/resources. This session is appropriate for K-16 educators.

SPEAKERS:
Bekkah Lampe (NOAA Office of Education: College Park, MD), Kayla Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD)

5,600 exoplanets have been detected with new planets being found outside our solar system almost every day. However, just a few hundred years ago discovering new planets wasn't something that happened every day. Come learn about the dramatic stories of the discoveries of Uranus and Neptune.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn why the discoveries of Uranus and Neptune are connected to each other. They will also learn about how this episode in the history of astronomy illustrates the real life messiness and controversy that inevitably accompany the process of scientific discovery.

SPEAKERS:
Robinson Yost (Kirkwood Community College: Mechanicsville, IA)

Prepare for an exhilarating journey as you work to save the crew of a spacecraft in jeopardy. Work with a team on the ground to communicate a life-saving solution to the crew in space. Come be one of the great minds to save our crew! Ready-to-use lesson and chance to win a prize!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will receive a lesson that encourages communication and teamwork from their students. By participating in the activity, participants will have a first-hand look at how to conduct the lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Sabrina Ketter (Charleston Middle School: Charleston, AR), Missy Stubblefield (Charleston Middle Schoool: Charleston, AR)

Make molecular and mineral crystal models using very simple units of origami. Then work as an individual or a group to bond the units together to make inexpensive & amazing molecular models for chemistry and minerals for earth science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will create basic paper origami models that easily demonstrate mineral crystal structure, hardness, bond strength, & Cleavage/Fracture. Each person creates a unit, then groups bond units together to form crystals. Chemistry bonding modeling is also part of this session.

SPEAKERS:
David Ebersole (Greece Athena Middle School: Caledonia, NY)

Discover how sensemaking mini-projects can be used to engage students in the world around them. Learn how using non-traditional assessments helps students with obtaining and communicating high-level information. Strategies for assessment development will be shared with an emphasis on SEPs and CCCs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover strategies for authentic assessment of high-level concepts through phenomena-based mini-projects. Explore pre-developed earth science projects and student examples showcasing mastery of science and engineering practices. Gain tips for crafting NGSS-aligned assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren LaSota (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Tower Lakes, IL), Molly Sponseller (Adlai E. Stevenson High School: Lincolnshire, IL)

Come experience the wonder of our universe through the lens of a young learner while taking the abstract out of astrophysics! Join AMNH Educators as they present astrophysics lessons for young audiences, try activities that combat common misconceptions in space science, and receive lesson resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session aims to break down the barriers of intimidation that come with teaching an abstract concept like astrophysics and address common misconceptions in space science. Attendees will practice techniques for teaching astrophysics to elementary-aged students using AMNH lessons and activities.

SPEAKERS:
Ilana April (American Museum of Natural History: New York, NY), Kate Schmidt (Museum Educator: New York, NY)

Produce a public release image of a supernova remnant using NASA X-ray data both by hand and with Js9 web-based imaging software with this STEAM activity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Scientists learn about astronomical objects from the light they produce. Colors in images are based on data from this light and are used to highlight different features.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Perry (Lewiston High School: Brunswick, ME)

During this hands-on lesson exploring the significance of local watersheds, participants create a model of a watershed and explore its role in the water cycle. We will share insights with educators to help them integrate this lesson plan into their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
This workshop highlights the value of hand-on experience and adapting investigations to integrate sustainability principles to support teaching the NGSS. Leave with insights and strategies to adapt this investigation in your classroom to support sustainability education.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Rogers (SubjectToClimate: Harahan, LA)

Come see how we use a 5E lesson with geologic maps, many of which are free online, to help students determine plate boundaries. We also highlight nature of science with Marie Tharp and her discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Finally, we will discuss sense-making and model-building strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will take away a complete 5E lesson on plate boundaries using freely available maps. Participants will also take away strategies for developing student sense-making and model-building.

SPEAKERS:
Alexa Clements (Associate Professor: Cedar Falls, IA), Jesse Wilcox (University of Northern Iowa: Cedar Falls, IA)

"Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth", investigates the relationship between the ocean, weather and climate on global to local scales. This workshop introduces ten hands-on activities for upper ES and MS students to reinforce Earth science concepts related to oceanography, meteorology and climate.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will sample the range of activities that incorporate graphing, data analysis, visualizations and sense-making to introduce Earth/atmosphere/climate connections on local and global scales.

SPEAKERS:
Peggy Steffen (Ready, Set, STEM: West Liberty, IA)

The oil industry has many practical applications for teachers to use in the classroom. One of the less-explored topics is how oil is found. In this session, you will see a multidisciplinary lab where students explore for and extract oil, and deal with the economic and environmental costs as well.

TAKEAWAYS:
Oil drilling can be accurately modelled in a classroom setting to allow students to apply Earth Science concepts to understand how oil is made, explored for, and extracted out of the ground.

SPEAKERS:
Loren Klein (Academically Gifted Teacher: Lafayette, LA)

Learn how friendly competion gets students thinking, designing, and bulding levees. You can use the levees throughout the semester to teach succession, erosion, evaporation, and even about levees themselves.

TAKEAWAYS:
Hands on learning is easy and fun to do in the classroom. Learn how to tie in one lesson to many diffferent lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Melancon (Lafayette High School: Lafayette, LA)

Sharing free Department of Defense and US Space Force online resources around careers and space science topics. Will have a "light saber" circuit make or take kit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Sharing free Department of Defense and US Space Force online resources around careers and space science topics. Will have a "light saber" circuit make or take kit.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Novak (AFRL STEM Academy: Albuquerque, NM)

Experience two instructional routines supporting the integration of NGSS Crosscutting Concepts; learn how these routines can be used to foster belonging in science classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the steps for how to facilitate instructional routines that encourage student thinking and discourse, using CCCs to support sense making of phenomena and promote a sense of belonging in science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Charles Link (DeWitt Clinton High School: Yonkers, NY), Dora Kastel (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY)

Density of Stellar Materials is a hands-on interactive workshop that focuses on understanding density and volume, through a series of practical tests, working out the simulation of stellar materials low and high density as they undergo the life cycle of stars.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to collect data through measurement and use number skills in a practical context. This workshop incorporates math and science comparing the results with observational surveying.

SPEAKERS:
Vernita Adkins (LSU-LIGO Physics and Astronomy Demos (LLPAD): Baton Rouge, LA)

Participants will engage in science and engineering practices to develop their understanding of why flooding frequently happens in some areas of New Orleans but not others. Then, they will learn strategies for leading their own students through conducting schoolyard investigations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with suggestions to support elementary students in modeling a complex environmental science phenomenon that’s relevant to their everyday lives, getting outside of the classroom to collect data, and using this data to revise their understanding of the phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Karen Marshall (International School of Louisiana: New Orleans, LA), Claire Anderson (Ripple Effect)

Be a structural engineer for the day! Come design, build & test an earthquake proof structure while learning about Earthquakes. In this session we will review the MS ESS standards related to earthquakes & utilize the Engineering Standards to compete in a tallest earthquake proof tower challenge.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will ignite a love for engineering while focusing on structural engineering as a career. We hope that teachers will be able to turn key this with their own students with these simple materials.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Jessie (Haverstraw-Stony Point CSD: Garnerville, NY)

And imagine futures better. Pair dreams, plans, strategies, and goals with climate science in this expansive lesson that utilizes computer simulations and the principals of climate literacy to expand students’ views of what is possible and build system understandings of the climate crisis.

TAKEAWAYS:
Build confidence in helping students personalize what climate modeling means for their own life.

SPEAKERS:
Luke Gliddon (Teacher: Minneapolis, MN)

Learn how to engage your students with the rich phenomena that stars and exoplanets can provide through the use of a free high school ESS unit that received an NGSS Design Badge.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will deepen their understanding of how to use phenomena-driven three-dimensional instruction to attend to student interest and relevance, and develop a clear vision for how to use argumentation to teach ESS concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Devin Foschi (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY), Charles Link (DeWitt Clinton High School: Yonkers, NY)

Attendees learn about a project based learning activity revolving around earthquake proof structures. Students design a miniature earthquake proof skyscraper using real engineering techniques to be tested on a shake table. Two real shake tables and real student examples will be shown.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees learn about implementing a project-based learning activity in HS Earth Science. Students investigate how natural disasters impact human populations, and apply engineering principles to develop earthquake resistance skyscrapers. Learn how we built a shake table to test these structures.

SPEAKERS:
Aaron Dose (North Polk Community School District: Alleman, IA)

Why labs play a crucial role in every science class. Fellow teachers will discuss the advantages and disadvantges to labs in the class. We will discuss how to successfuly conduct labs in the ENVS classroom for very little money.

TAKEAWAYS:
Get fellow teachers' advice and wisdom on how to successfully conduct a lab in the ENVS classroom - plus a list of cheap or free labs that you can do on a whim.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Melancon (Lafayette High School: Lafayette, LA)

If “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” what data can we examine to escape this fate? Paleobiologic data can help students gain insights into climate change, the potential of a 6th mass extinction, and the enduring discourse around human equality and race. Come learn how.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain insight into how paleobiology offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with historical science and to access and apply real data to issues that they care about. The presentation will offer a sample course outline, resources, and the rationale for their use.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Schopf (The Winsor School: Boston, MA)

Admin breathing down your neck because post-pandemic reading scores are low? Let's look at the linguistic strands of reading and apply them to our Science classroom learning. Text structures for constructing meaning in reading are also sense-making structures for Science. Let me explain how...

TAKEAWAYS:
Morphemes, Syntax, Semantics, & Text Structures: Understanding and explaining the ways they overlap in reading instruction and science content instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Brook Frost (Ryan Middle School: Fairbanks, AK)

WaterMarks360 virtual field trips and curriculum/activity guides are free, open-source materials that support middle school NGSS standards and STEM education by highlighting Louisiana's coastal crisis and wetland restoration efforts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session with tools to virtually explore Louisiana's coastal landscape and to investigate the general geologic and regionally specific anthropogenic factors that have influenced positive and negative land change through history, including restoration strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Lauren Leonpacher (Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration: Sunset, LA)

The Earth2Class (E2C) Program at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory enables secondary school students and teachers to access cutting-edge research by world-class geoscientists. This free program is provided through hybrid (on-campus) and zoom formats. I will describe its assets and availability.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students and teachers can learn about cutting-edge geposcience resesources.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Passow (Dwight Morrow HS (retd): Englewood, NJ)

If you live in North America, do your students know that a lot of people on Earth are having summer on December 25th? This lesson can be taught with just a lamp and a globe yet deeply challenges your students' concept of the seasons, no matter what hemisphere they live in.

TAKEAWAYS:
This lesson guides students towards making a claim about why there are opposite seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere on a date that is familiar to most students (Dec 25). Using simple materials, students make a model to test their hypotheses and gather evidence.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Sullivan (St. Luke's Episcopal Day School: Baton Rouge, LA)

Engaging students in your classroom with citizen science experiments can be difficult. Come learn about how an entire grade level of science teachers developed, implemented, and evaluated a series of citizen science place-based (aina-based) lessons involving the watersheds and ocean of the area.

TAKEAWAYS:
Many teachers believe citizen science experiments can only be done outside of classrooms. This project supports the idea that citizen science and place-based learning experiences CAN be done in the classroom, and that these experiences are exceptionally motivating and engaging for students.

SPEAKERS:
Pascale Pinner (Hilo Intermediate School: Hilo, HI)

Learn how two technology-enabled learning resources from the Smithsonian – Spectrum Lab and DIY Planet Search – engage high school physics, chemistry and earth science students in relevant and compelling multidisciplinary investigations of light, color, and alien worlds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will take away strategies for equity that amplify opportunities for students to experience “connected” science learning — connected to their own prior knowledge, connected to their everyday lives, connected to other disciplines– through free Smithsonian DataLabs instructional materials.

SPEAKERS:
Erika Wright (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Fitzwilliam, NH), Mary Dussault (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian: Cambridge, MA)

This session provides best practices in secondary STEM education. We share our approaches to equity-centered, cultural responsiveness teaching. As former middle and high school science teachers, who are now university faculty, participants will interrogate trends in effective science instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to identify strategies for continuous improvement in secondary science instruction that center culturally responsive instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Anita Sanyal (University of Maryland)

Learn fun and rewarding labs that can be completed in 50 minutes or less. These labs can be adapted to many different learning levels including; SPED, ESL, and gifted.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will get a list of Environmental Science labs that can be completed in less than 50 minutes. Plus complete a hands on lab that brings a bit of competition into the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Melancon (Lafayette High School: Lafayette, LA)

Explore global, environmental challenges with hands-on lessons that build skills in science, math and social sciences, while applying learning to authentic problems. Engage in collaborative problem solving, simulation and 3D modeling related to Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with interdisciplinary strategies for addressing ecology topics in the middle school classroom, with an emphasis on 3D learning, data literacy and student inquiry. They will also be able to align the presented activities to NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Chantal Correll (Ascension Parish Schools: Prairieville, LA)

NSF’s NOIRLab’s Teen Astronomy Café – To Go! program brings students the excitement of scientific discovery by exploring astronomical data. Learn how students can hunt for brown dwarfs and planets in the outer solar system using the citizen science project Backyward Worlds. Laptops are encouraged.

TAKEAWAYS:
By exploring the Teen Astronomy Café – To Go! program designed to support the NGSS, participants will learn about the resources available to introduce astronomical data analysis their classrooms and help students develop critical thinking and data literacy skills.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Sparks (NSF's NOIRLab: Tucson, AZ)

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 (NSO/NASA: Laughlin, NV)

Full inclusion of students with disabilities in STEM involves both accommodation strategies for students and universal design of instruction that enhances learning for all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Universal design of instruction makes science lessons accessible to students with special needs as well as mainstream learners.

SPEAKERS:
Lyla Mae Crawford (University of Washington: Spokane, WA)

This is a hands-on interactive workshop that focuses on understanding multimessenger astronomy by the use of the four senses: sight, smell, touch, and sound.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain an understanding of the increasing significance of multimessenger astronomy and how it aids astronomers in their observation of the universe through the coordination of information from different sources like light, gravitational waves, neutrinos, and cosmic rays simultaneously.

SPEAKERS:
Vernita Adkins (LSU-LIGO Physics and Astronomy Demos (LLPAD): Baton Rouge, LA)

Come explore volcano-related resources and hands-on activities developed by the American Geosciences Institute in collaboration with the National Park Service. The ways in which volcanoes relate to sustainability will also be explored.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will understand how the United Nations SDGs can provide a context for learning. Making connections between volcanic activity and the SDGs using hands-on, standards-aligned instruction can be an effective way to highlight how the sciences are used to address global issues.

SPEAKERS:
Sequoyah McGee (American Geosciences Institute: Herico, VA), Lindsay Mossa (American Geosciences Institute: ANNAPOLIS, MD)

This poster presentation will showcase best practices to address that “all forms of energy production” have “risks as well as benefits.” The free, online Switch Classroom provides non-partisan content in this critical area of NGSS instruction. Adaptable for grades 4-12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn practical strategies to teach energy source pros/cons aligned with NGSS, fostering equity and inclusion in STEM classrooms while empowering students as informed decision-makers for a sustainable future.

SPEAKERS:
Lynn Kistler (Switch Classroom: Pittsburgh, PA)

This workshop will introduce attendees to a localized OpenSciEd unit designed to help 9th graders understand why New Orleans floods so frequently from everyday rainstorms. We will engage in student hat to investigate one of the causes of this issue and reflect on implications for other classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use modeling to draw conclusions about complex environmental science ideas that are relevant to students’ everyday lives. They will leave with a unit storyline and ideas for how to apply these strategies in different contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Claire Anderson (Ripple Effect), Lindsey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Burnet, TX)

Discover NASA's Astro Camp Program: free STEM resources and lessons on space exploration. See how one school created a week-long, community-building STEM Challenge for Pre-K to 5th grade, reinforcing the S.E.P.s and sparking interest in NASA careers.

TAKEAWAYS:
NASA’s ASTRO CAMP Community Partners Program provides collaboration opportunities for youth service organizations, museums, libraries, and schools interested in presenting NASA’s ASTRO CAMP activities in their community with training and resources provided by NASA ACCP specialists. Free resources.

SPEAKERS:
Elaine Sevin (Isidore Newman School: New Orleans, LA), Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: Belle Chasse, LA)

Experience the free Verizon Innovative Learning Lab VR app - Visceral Science - along with hands-on supportive learning activities about space science. Discover strategies to incorporate VR as a teaching tool in limited-resource classroom settings with students of diverse backgrounds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to use the Visceral Science app as an opportunity for novel learning of space science. Discover how to effectively use limited virtual reality resources in a large classroom setting.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Bundas (Senior Planetarium Educator: TOLEDO, OH), Mariam Khella (STEM Educator: Jersey City, NJ), Brandon Daniels (Liberty Science Center: Jersey City, NJ)

Middle school special educators share strategies to support reading, writing, and executive functioning in a science classroom. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice skills based on Orton-Gillingham, Writing Revolution tools, and Sarah Ward supports for executive functions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience classroom strategies that support students with language-based learning differences.

SPEAKERS:
Cristina Fabricant (Science Specialist: New York, NY)

Leveraging guided inquiry strategies we will support educators' interactions with the National Association for Geoscience Teachers' Teach the Earth resource collection. Our goal is to discover new ways to bring Earth & Space Science into the other disciplines.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to navigate the Teach the Earth collection, identify multiple resources that support their curriculum, and share ideas on more effective ways to integrate ESS in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics courses.

SPEAKERS:
Cheryl Manning (OrbWeaver Consulting, LLC: EVERGREEN, CO)