Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Take a tour through the mammalian heart and trace the path of a blood cell on its journey to oxygenation. Participants take blood pressure readings. Then dissect a preserved sheep heart to model blood flow and connect BP to heart anatomy. Don’t skip a beat - it’s going to be hands-on fun!

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Hale, MI)

In my session, I'll discuss how my students used lacto-fermentation to tackle food insecurity by making pickles, hot sauce, and salsa. Using the Design Cycle and STEM, they refined their recipes and techniques.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the science behind lacto-fermentation and how to incorporate it in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Jeremy Bishko (Shaker Heights Middle School: Shaker Heights, OH)

Louisiana's 9-12 CTE aligned STEM pathways for both college & non-college bound students. After 7 years innovations, data, student course choices, & programs are emerging. Computing , Pre-health & Pre-veterinary , Pre-Engineering, Digital Design & Emergent Media, & Enviro Protection/Sustainability.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will get research data on the success of 5 CTE/STEM pathways, take-aways on using state/federal funds, ideas for curriculum, and models for schools to implement vetted Louisiana curriculum. Participants will learn how to maximize their resources to offer a pathway.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Mixon (Louisiana Dept. of Education: Amite, LA)

Switch Classroom is a great resource to use in agriculture courses whether the topic is biofuels, land use, or transportation. Incorporating videos, print resources, and activities on Switch Classroom, agriscience teachers can access the latest accurate unbiased energy information.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the wide variety of topics and curricular materials available on Switch Classroom to supplement their agriscience courses. Interactive lessons, videos, and activities that bring unbiased and accurate information on energy use and demand in ag will be demonstrated.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Daniels (Mississinewa High School: Marion, IN)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Use gel electrophoresis to investigate if someone was wrongfully convicted. Based on the principles from the FBI’s CODIS system, this forensics investigation allows your students to make connections between DNA analysis and its uses in the criminal justice system. Inspired by the Innocence Project.

SPEAKERS:
Rose Chaffee-Cohen (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

Assume the role of a crime scene investigator to solve a realistic crime scenario. Students use fingerprint, hair analysis, tire track impressions, blood typing, forensic entomology, and a police log review to identify a primary suspect from a pool of 6 alleged perpetrators.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Nixon (Watauga High School: Blowing Rock, NC)

Department of Defense scientists and engineers are the bedrock of our nation’s most advanced technology and research breakthroughs, including virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, and more! Join us as we explore multiple STEM career pathways supported by DoD STEM’s network of partners in academia, i

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use career resources on DoD STEM’s website to support students in envisioning themselves as future STEM professionals.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Marquis Mason (RTI International: Research Triangle Park, NC), Dr. Whitney White (RTI International: Research Triangle Park, NC), Rebecca Stanley (DoD STEM/RTI International: Durham, NC)

Engage in conversations for how to use the three dimensions of the NGSS and the NRC Framework, storylines, driving questions, and hands-on activities to engage students in science and engineering skills while making sense of how SOIL affects the food that we grow and eat in a new storyline unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in activities that are part of a new storyline unit on how soil affects the types and quantities of food commodities grown. Topics include what is soil, the effect of soil on plant growth, movement of matter and energy through soils, and how to decrease human impact on soils.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Tobin (Stevenson High School: Gurnee, IL), Chris Embry Mohr (Olympia High School: Carlock, IL)

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Experience an easy-to-implement genetic engineering lab with simple teacher prep - no starter cultures or incubator required! This robust lab allows students to visualize the transformation of bacteria from white to bright blue using a protocol that can be completed in a 45-minute class period.

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

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Company

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

SPEAKERS:
Patti Kopkau (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Hale, MI)

How did humans turn a simple grass into a staple food crop? And, how are scientists working to ensure that corn can continue to feed billions of people as the world’s climate changes? In this new storyline on popcorn, students will think like scientists as they enjoy this yummy snack food.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore a new storyline on popcorn that engages students in constructing explanations from evidence. Students investigate how teosinte evolved into one of the most important food crops on Earth-corn, as they learn about genetics and future evolution in order to meet the needs of a changing planet.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Embry Mohr (Olympia High School: Carlock, IL)

Why can mammals survive the first few weeks or months of life by only ingesting milk? But, what happens when someone is lactose intolerant? Why can lactose-intolerant people tolerate some dairy products? Explore the answers to these questions in a new unit storyline on MILK.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this new storyline on milk, students construct an explanation based on evidence for why dairy is an important source of food energy. Human babies double their weight during the first 6 months of life, yet some lose the ability to digest lactose. Fermentation is one way to solve this problem.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Tobin (Stevenson High School: Gurnee, IL), Chris Embry Mohr (Olympia High School: Carlock, IL)

Engage in hands-on exploration of a place-based drone curriculum co-developed with tribal communities for elementary students in Alaska. Access the free student and teacher lesson plans and educational videos, and identify place-based drone applications for your community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will don "student hat" to participate in a hands-on lesson about how drones fly, learn how to access a suite of free resources for teaching about drones, and also learn tips for STEM curriculum co-production by Indigenous and Western institutions.

SPEAKERS:
Mariah McNamara (Education Specialist: Fairbanks, AK), Lori Schoening (Geophysical Institute: Fairbanks, AK)

Invention Education supercharges STEM for all K-12 students! Learn how the invention meets the needs of all learners and allows students to take control of their learning. Invention begins with students identifying problems in their own lives/community and solving these problems through STEAM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Experience the power of creative problem solving through hands-on activities to help educators prepare students to become inventors. Learn how invention becomes a vehicle for connecting your students with their community. The session will connect educators with a community of support and resources.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Lawlor-King (MIT, InventEd, Invention Convention, STEMisED: Manchester, CT)

The burgeoning field of Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a hot topic in any educational setting. Join us to explore how CTE intersects with NGSS to provide students with dynamic skill-based opportunities, high-interest pursuits, and prepare them for success in today's ever-changing workforce.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discover practical strategies for bridging CTE and NGSS. We will demonstrate the development of integration tools that seamlessly align school district classes, post-secondary education, and NGSS’s three dimensions.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Richmond (Colorado State University/Thompson School District: Fort Collins, CO)

Collaborating with regional workforce enhances the depth of career-focused education, forging valuable connections for both sides. Explore how the LASTEM initiative seamlessly integrates career exploration across K-20 classrooms, empowering learners with practical skills and real-world insights.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave equipped with the knowledge of key contacts within corporations for effective outreach projects. Additionally, they'll grasp the significance of aligning lesson plans with career exploration to deepen student comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Clint Coleman (Louisiana Board of Regents: New Orleans, LA)

Explore how makerspaces can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom to facilitate transdisciplinary and project-based learning. Discover strategies for designing engaging, hands-on activities that cultivate critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration across subject areas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to leverage makerspaces as dynamic learning environments that empower students to tackle real-world challenges. Help students develop critical skills, improve collaboration and communication, boost technical fluency, improve perseverance and resilience, develop a maker mindset.

SPEAKERS:
Kelleigh Huey (PAST Foundation: Columbus, OH), Andrew Bruening (Chief Innovation Officer: Columbus, OH)

Louisiana is embarking on a new chapter in computer science education! Join us for an informative session exploring the state's recently developed computer science standards. Participants can discuss and engage with standards for grade levels K-12.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the first-ever K-12 Computer Science standards for Louisiana, certification, and professional development opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Wrzesinski (Educational Consultant - Computer Science: Baton Rouge, LA), Jamie Mixon (Louisiana Dept. of Education: Amite, LA)

The true potential of AI lies in its fusion with design thinking. Leveraging these, educators can tailor learning experiences and create engaging equitable design challenges that unlock the skills required to thrive in an AI-infused workforce. Access a unique toolkit to futureproof your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
This interactive workshop empowers teachers to futureproof their classrooms using design thinking and AI-driven strategies to enhance instruction. At the heart are design thinking principles: a learner-centered approach that honors student agency and values human experiences for any grade level.

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Schneider (The PAST Foundation: Columbus, OH)

This workshop will discuss the value of a HFE course to K-12 education and how to adapt HFE to technology education and vocational high school curriculum environments. Workshop activities will reinforce hands-on analysis, decision making and redesign methods, with a Q&A discussion to follow.

TAKEAWAYS:
Consider Human Factors Engineering as a means of adding valuable practical hands-on, project-based, user-centered design, and transferable skill experiences with authentic real-world application.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Tenenbaum (Union County Vocational-Technical Schools: Scotch Plains, NJ)

Under a NIIMBL grant, NC biopharma industries combined with NC STEM outreach organizations to create a fun and interactive activity to showcase the biotech career pathway.

TAKEAWAYS:
My Future in Biotech is a comprehensive pilot program which addresses the unprecedented growth and demand for a skilled workforce in the biomanufacturing industry. This presentation will go through the pilots, the activity, and what we've learned from the experience and students and teacher feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Behrle (BioNetwork: Greenville, NC)

Educators will engage with lessons that can be used with an interactive website where students can learn about how geoscience-related careers can address the world’s greatest challenges, as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will understand the importance of discussing careers in ways that address current student concerns and priorities, especially with respect to environmental challenges. Educators will explore resources to bring these discussions into Earth Science and other related courses.

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

This session is a cross-curricular project between forensics science and AP Physics. These teachers have worked together to solve the age-old question- when do we need that in real life? Hello, real-world application! Here the session merges multi-level learners and teaches them to apply physics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cross-curricular projects help strengthen student engagement and increase learning. The activity will be shared with participants for immediate use in their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Tessah Zepeda (Los Fresnos CISD: Los Fresnos, TX), Misty Heredia (UTRGV: Brownsville, TX)

There is a critical shortage of professionals in the healthcare industry. This has increased efforts to attract people to the field at many levels, the most significant of which is the middle school years. This presentation focuses on engaging middle-level students in biomedical research.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session provides attendees with in-depth content and engaging pedagogy related to inquiry-based biomedical science. This is conveyed through exemplar classroom-ready, hands-on lessons that align with actual biomedical research and the Next Generation Science standards.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Scribner (Indiana University Bloomington: Bloomington, IN), Gayle Buck (Indiana University Bloomington: Bloomington, IN)

Learn how upper elementary students created video research projects to interview a diverse field of professionals in a multitude of careers. Students learned how the experts “do science” in their jobs and explored research projects to expand how they view science and scientists.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to organize students for group research projects related to careers to provide learners with a library of engaging collaborative videos. Attendees will learn how to help connect students with experts to help broaden their career understanding, goals, and aspirations.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer O'Sullivan (A. D. Henderson University School: Boca Raton, FL)

This session is a cross-curricular project between forensic science and AP biology. These teachers have worked together to solve the age old question – when do we need that in real life? Here the session merges multi-level learners and teaches them to work together to solve a mysterious death case.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cross-curricular projects help strengthen student engagement and increases learning, and developing ideas with other content areas keeps the original content “fresh.”

SPEAKERS:
Tessah Zepeda (Los Fresnos CISD: Los Fresnos, TX)

This session combines birdwatching with observation skills, deductive reasoning skills, impression evidence, and determining a post mortem interval with forensic entomology.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will involve both a demonstration, as well as whole group discussion. We’ll be able to model how the class combines observation skills and deductive reasoning and mathematical skills to determine a post mortem interval in a fictional crime scene to review key forensic science concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Tessah Zepeda (Los Fresnos CISD: Los Fresnos, TX)

This presentation will focus on the development and utilization of openly licensed math materials (OER) to support Technical Courses and on knowledge and experience with open content and open pedagogy, strategies and tools for creating content and curriculum that is inclusive of all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore resources dealing with open content and open pedagogy related to technical courses.

SPEAKERS:
Esperanza Zenon (River Parishes Community College: Lacombe, LA)

Find out how to leverage opportunities in your-day-to-day science teaching to get students excitedly picturing themselves in STEM careers! We’ll show you how to use high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) to intentionally support students’ development of Career Readiness Competencies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Become familiar with Career Readiness Competencies and how to use HQIM to create opportunities for students to develop these competencies.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Rob Wallace (: Houma, LA)

Learn the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind a project-based learning Science and CTE course, designed to integrate career exploration with sustainability. Gain development insights and resources to empower students with skills for the growing clean energy sector and beyond. Find the OER curriculum on Sprocket.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain tools to implement this curriculum in their own contexts, as well as an understanding of the development process, enabling them to expand the work into other topics and promote an educational movement that integrates sustainability and career readiness with academic content.

SPEAKERS:
Hanna Jaramillo (Educurious Partners: Kirkland, WA)