Science is a social endeavor! Gain strategies to transform your classroom into a community of learners in which students and teachers actively try to make sense of the natural and built worlds.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave this session with strategies for developing classroom norms in collaboration with your students.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Jersey City, NJ)

This session is the first 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 life science. Part of the NSTA Early Childhood/Lower Elementary Science Pathway.

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

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

Student discourse needs to be carefully orchestrated to provide teachers with meaningful information about all students. We will share a discourse routine as a powerful formative assessment tool that simultaneously supports students’ science sensemaking and expansion of their linguistic toolkit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience a Collect and Display discourse routine as learners and acquire strategies for integrating it into any instructional sequence to elicit and support 3D sensemaking and expand students’ linguistic repertoires.

SPEAKERS:
Jill Wertheim (WestEd: Takoma Park, MD), Lauren Stoll (Director of Professional Learning: Santa Barbara, CA)

Experience the impact of science instruction that directly engages and affirms the student scientists in your classroom. Learn how to ground daily lessons in meaningful community issues without overhauling your curriculum. Enable all students to advocate and create changes in their community.

TAKEAWAYS:
We'll share two strategies for grounding lessons in relevant contexts: (1) Anchor the lesson in a question and (2) Connect daily lessons to meaningful community issues using a three-step process. Participants practice both strategies and leave with an adapted meaningful lesson.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Harrell (UnboundEd: West Orange, NJ), Amber Woods (UnboundEd: Glen Burnie, MD)

Students must use discourse to engage with the Science and Engineering Practices, but what if students do not speak the language of instruction? Learn specific strategies and supports to create a welcoming environment for student language use and acquisition in inquiry-based science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will experience the instructional practices designed to support language use for newcomer students in inquiry-based science. They will leave with ready-to-use strategies to implement in their classroom or district to support students who do not speak the language of instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Kori Milroy (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Chantell Windham (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Niranjani Prabhakar (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Sarah Millette (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL)

The NGSS requires students work with big datasets. Yet time constraints limit trials during the hands-on labs that excite our students. You needn’t sacrifice one for the other! Join me to generate a robust dataset from a collaborative lab and to craft prompts about it that foster data literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the importance of having students interact with more robust datasets, how to efficiently pool student-collected data, and how to prompt students to practice skills needed by STEM professionals, such as questioning, describing variability, and identifying relationships.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran (Tuva)

An NGSS classroom promises Science for All, but sometimes students have different needs. See how classroom teachers build a culture of choice, create differentiated literacy and assessment products, and help students meet differentiated goals for 3D learning within an inclusive classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with ideas and routines for fostering a differentiated classroom culture, samples of high-quality, scaffolded guides for scientific readings and assessments, and strategies to allow students to set their own goals for meeting or exceeding standards.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara McIntyre (Michigan Technological University: Midland, MI), Chris Geerer (Mi-STAR: Rochester, MI)

Participants will collaboratively engage in a series of model activities to increase discourse in middle school science classrooms. These strategies will help foster regular talk opportunities that honor student voice and increase student engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain a deeper understanding and internalize discourse strategies that enhance student talk to increase engagement and instill ownership in their science learning. These strategies can be easily adapted for any content area and topic.

SPEAKERS:
Ryan Gracia (Chicago Public Schools: Chicago, IL), Amy Brady (Dept. of STEM, CPS Bridgeport: Chicago, IL)

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)

In this hands-on workshop, middle school teachers become the students, participating in a shelter design activity that connects their background knowledge and Indigenous ingenuity of America's first people.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the workshop, teachers will be equipped to engage students in hands-on, culturally relevant engineering activities that align to NGSS and SEPs, while fostering critical thinking and an appreciation for Indigenous ingenuity.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Felchle (Ben Steele Middle School: Laurel, MT), Jacie Jeffers (Indigenous Education Instructional Coach: Billings, MT), Kim Busch (Ben Steele Middle School: Billings, MT)

This hands-on session explores innovative techniques to incorporate data visualization tools into science curriculum. From artistic graphs to creative infographics, participants will learn fun ways to unleash the power of data, fostering critical thinking and inquiry-based learning among students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will gain confidence in designing data visualizations activities that ignite curiosity and deepen understanding of scientific concepts, and walk away with a toolkit of resources that can be modified to fit a wide range of classes and topics.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Slack (I.S. 223 Montauk Intermediate School: Brooklyn, NY)

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about creating a culture and instructional strategies to support all students and the assets they bring into the classroom through science sensemaking discourse and notebooking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will first experience an anchor from OpenSciEd 6.4 unit to create their model to describe their thinking in a notebook and then use the discussion diamond to come to a consensus and revise. Educators will review different student samples and discuss how these support all students' ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Christy Krenek (Santa Fe Public Schools: Santa Fe, NM)

When students encounter intriguing phenomena, their innate instincts to question and explore are activated. To truly grasp this concept, you have to experience it! We're going to go through a set of learning experiences (shortened for time) that are based on a phenomenon.

TAKEAWAYS:
This immersive journey into the heart of science education, where phenomena are the gateway to deeper understanding and lifelong curiosity, can be integrated into any science classroom. Invaluable phenomena resources will be shared to enrich lessons and foster a culture of inquiry.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Tolman (SET2Teach, LLC/Idaho Department of Education: Boise, ID)

Do you feel like you are doing all the talking in class? This sessions follows Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) format and will support you in your journey to make your classroom student-led. We will explore strategies to cultivate student agency.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave this session inspired and with the tools needed to give their students voice and choice. Though these strategies relate to my content, life science, they can transfer to any content and grade level.

SPEAKERS:
Alisha Salgado (Rio Rancho Public Schools: Rio Rancho, NM)

Finding authentic, relevant & engaging phenomena that requires students to use key science ideas to explain them is challenging & timely. Step into prompt engineering to discover how to use AI to help find phenomena to redesign/adapt learning experiences to increase equity & student interest.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use a new phenomenon heuristic and AI to generate ideas of phenomena for your classroom and learn some strategies to help learners use both the phenomenon heuristic and AI as tools for their sense-making.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE), Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA), Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL)

Racism is prevalent in our society. Participants will examine resources for engaging students in respectful and productive activity that contrast the social construct of race with scientific understandings of genetics. Examples of how science education can be a form of social justice will be shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Anti-racism work in science education is difficult. Resources to support teachers in engaging in controversial topics will be examined and used by participants to rehearse effective pedagogical moves in engaging in classroom discussions of racism and science. Curricular resources will be shared.

SPEAKERS:
Jeanne Chowning (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Seattle, WA), Michal Robinson (Alabama State Department of Education: Hoover, AL), Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Salt Spring Island, BC), Kelsie Fowler (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

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)

Take a deep dive into the practice of developing and using models! We’ll explore how creating and using models help students build science ideas and can support students’ in developing and writing explanations. Experience the power of building science ideas together as part of a learning community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Developing models individually, in groups and as a class makes all students essential members of the knowledge-building community.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Freeport, IL)

Educating students in science and engineering requires awareness of our practices and beliefs. What tools exist to keep these reflections in mind throughout the year? Learn about protocols that focus on classroom conditions for student belonging, identity development, and scientific sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will deepen their understanding of learning conditions necessary for student identity development, safety, engagement, and scientific sense-making. Participants will experience a ready-to-use reflective protocol to guide strategic planning for cultivating these learning conditions.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Stults (Loyola University Chicago: Chicago, IL), Kayla Cherry (Loyola University Chicago: Chicago, IL)

Remix CER to drive inquiry-based learning with the Question, Evidence, Claim, Reasoning (QECR) approach! Use science skills, like analyzing data and arguing with evidence, to solve a mystery in a sample lesson, and access more samples, student work, tools, and resources to design your own lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
A comprehensive toolkit including digital sample lessons, student samples, editable templates, and tips and tricks for QECR lessons that integrate phenomena, SEPs, science ideas, and students’ ideas and critical thinking in engaging and hands-on ways.

SPEAKERS:
Laurie Jack (Humble ISD: Humble, TX), Elissa Griffin (Humble ISD: Kingwood, TX)

Sensemaking with the three dimensions is the focal construct we want to measure in science assessments - not just the phenomenon or problem or the three-dimensions. Join us for a deep dive into how we center sensemaking in 3D assessment design for more equitable learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with examples of 3D sensemaking in assessment tasks and tools for building better assessments that elicit student sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL), Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE), Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA)

Talk is fundamental to learning. This workshop engages participants in a variety of talk strategies specifically designed for improving classroom equity while engaging in STEM learning experiences. Many supporting resources are shared that teachers can learn from and directly use with students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The goal of this session is to support teachers in understanding how best to meet the needs of all learners by starting from where students are at and drawing on their intuitive ideas and real world experiences to inform instruction. All strategies are framed as equitable 3D formative assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (University of Washington: Salt Spring Island, BC), Kelsie Fowler (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

This session is the third 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 physical science. Part of the NSTA Early Childhood/Lower Elementary Science Pathway.

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

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

What is the connection between coherent instructional sequences from the students’ perspective and equitable access to science learning? Learn how coherent storyline units support students’ genuine engagement and perseverance as they work to explain a complex phenomenon over the course of a unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Storyline unit Instructional routines provide a coherent path from students’ questions about a phenomenon to the explanation or model of that phenomenon.

SPEAKERS:
Holly Hereau (NSTA: Lake Angelus, MI)

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)

Unleash their potential! Middle School is an exciting time for trial and error! Students are beginning emerge into the leaders they will one day become. This session is designed to explore teaching moves to improve classroom collaboration and develop future leaders!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will walk away with a few new teaching moves for improving collaboration and discourse among students in the science classroom. The use of these moves will tap into the leadership potential inside each of your learners.

SPEAKERS:
Kat Chamberlain (Ridgetop Middle School: Silverdale, WA)

Learn how to support students in the use of surface temperature data to pinpoint places in their own communities where small-scale mitigation strategies can have the greatest impact on protecting the people and places they care about from the effects of extreme heat.

TAKEAWAYS:
We will explore strategies to engage students in investigations of temperature variation in the area surrounding your school, in the use of data to identify and support neighborhoods at risk, and in the evaluation of the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Slack (I.S. 223 Montauk Intermediate School: Brooklyn, NY)

Have you always wanted to try project-based learning… but you aren’t sure how to start? Join the News Literacy Project as we walk attendees through the PBL design process to create an extension for our FREE news and media literacy educator resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Presenters will engage educators in the development of a PBL experience for their students. Attendees will receive a demonstration of “Be Health Informed,” one of NLP’s STEM Checkology® lessons, and explore creating a PBL extension. Attendees will leave with a PBL planning template and project ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Brittney Smith (The University of South Carolina: Cincinnati, OH)

Let’s work together to figure out how to Problematize phenomena in ways that pose productive uncertainties that motivate students toward productive sensemaking throughout a task. Walk away with strategies, example problematized tasks, and tools to use in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Analyze multiple tasks to understand what it means for a task to be problematized. Reflect on how this leads to increased engagement and opportunities for more equitable access for all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL), Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE), Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA)

This session is the fourth 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 engineering. Part of the NSTA Early Childhood/Lower Elementary Science Pathway

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

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

As long as there have been CER templates, there have been students who struggle. What’s the difference between evidence and reasoning, or an explanation and an argument, exactly? Our Mi-STAR CER lesson and templates help answer these questions and they are open to all - join us to learn more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with clear and concise definitions of reasoning, explanations, and argumentation, along with a lesson plan, activities, and templates to help students define and construct all three in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Geerer (Mi-STAR: Rochester, MI)

What does it take to store CO2 underground? Discover how engineers determine where CO2 can be stored in subsurface geology by engaging in an engineering design challenge and learn how the energy industry is currently storing ‘captured’ carbon emissions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how the engineering design challenge can be integrated into AP Environmental Science, ESS, or Environmental Science courses and learn how it aligns with NGSS and APES standards. A document version and an online version are provided to attendees.

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

Participants will build a fan cart to explore Newton's 3rd Law of Motion which would be appropriate for middle school and high school physical science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn a deeper understanding of the physical phenomena of Newton's 3rd Law with action-reaction pairs as it occurs with building their own small fan cart.

SPEAKERS:
Sophia Crook (LIGO Livingston Observatory: Livingston, LA)

Move beyond the need to buy and break eggs and into the world of the digital egg drop. Participants will learn how to program a digital data collection device to measure acceleration, build their egg drop device, and engineer improvements until they can keep their digital egg from cracking!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will employ all aspects of STEM to the egg drop, including the physics of collisions, the technology of data collection, the engineering of their egg device and modifications, and the math used in analyzing collisions—all without the mess and waste of a typical egg drop!

SPEAKERS:
Brad Posnanski (Comsewogue High School: Port Jefferson Station, NY), Todd Graba (Crystal Lake South High School: Crystal Lake, IL)

This session on how to use EcoRise tools and your classroom and how to teach students to write successful EcoAudit grants.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to use resources available from EcoRise and how to empower their students to write and receive a grant for an environmental issue in their area.

SPEAKERS:
Cecelia Gillam (Benjamin Franklin High School: La Place, LA)

Looking for ways to enhance a high-quality curriculum? This session provides teacher-tested strategies that can be used to augment a curriculum without adding more to a teacher’s plate. Come experience these practical, engaging strategies that help bring a curriculum to life!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage in a variety of classroom-tested strategies that can expand the menu of options for student-centered learning while covering the same material required within the curriculum used to teach standards.

SPEAKERS:
Missy Wooley (Louisiana Tech University: Ruston, LA), Cathi Cox-Boniol (Louisiana Tech University: Ruston, LA)

Immerse yourself in the power of explore-before-explain, even during "notes" days! Discover the magic of student-driven learning as we guide you through a sample lesson featuring an AI chat space and innovative note-making strategies. Transform direct instruction into dynamic, active learning!

TAKEAWAYS:
Toolkit with engaging strategies, intentional chunking, and AI tools, enhancing student sensemaking, particularly during direct instruction. Gain access to digital sample lessons, templates, and implementation tips for maximum impact and effectiveness.

SPEAKERS:
Elissa Griffin (Humble ISD: Kingwood, TX), Laurie Jack (Humble ISD: Humble, TX)

Sensemaking is actively trying to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering). Students do science and engineering through the science and engineering practices. Engaging in these practices necessitates students be part of a learning community to be able to share ideas, evaluate competing ideas, give and receive critique, and reach consensus. Learn how to guide your own learning community and build an understanding of sensemaking with your team.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will build an understanding of sensemaking and receive a toolkit to lead the session with other educators.

SPEAKERS:
Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Clarksville, TN)

There are many topics included in required course content that student view as irrelevant. Come learn about ways to make these topics more meaningful for students and then leave with access to a digital library of some high-quality instructional materials that you can use to teach them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Meaningful phenomena and authentic problems can make topics not only more meaningful for students but can also make instruction more rigorous and equitable.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Recognizing and valuing the assets students bring to assessment tasks is critical for understanding how to move their thinking forward and support continued sensemaking. Use a new tool to see student work through an asset-based lens that recognizes what students are using to make sense of phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with tools you can use in your classroom to tend to student work in ways that change the culture of assessment in ways that are more caring and supportive and can make assessment a joyful experience.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA), Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL), Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE)

All students have the right to develop a deep understanding of how the world works in ways that support their personal goals and the interests of their community. Come explore how instruction can more equitably support science learning that is consequential to your students and their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will develop an understanding of an equity project framework for science education for supporting professional learning and implementation projects. They will learn how open education resources (http://stemteachingtools.org/) can help them develop equitable approaches to science teaching.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Michal Robinson (Alabama State Department of Education: Hoover, AL)

Building from a set of high-quality read-alouds we engage in discussion to explore, even more deeply, the representations authors and illustrators use to represent various relationships. Leveraging the ideas of a part of and a part from we will explore relationships.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will use and collaboratively revise a scaffolded discussion tool, created by Learning in Places educators, to help others discern relational representations in children’s texts and create learning plans to engage children in discussions about them.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Starr (Michigan Mathematics and Science Leadership Network: Plymouth, MI)

Students’ notebooks should be more than just piles of papers! In this session we’ll discuss the multiple ways available to organize students’ science notebooks, ultimately making it students' go-to tool for sensemaking, evolving their use from more than just papers, into their daily essential tool.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with specific strategies and ideas to help students manage and use their science notebooks as resources for sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Tonya Brainsky (OSE Massachusetts Community: Rehoboth, MA), Ann Guglielmo (Taunton Public Schools: Taunton, MA)

We know that a 3D aligned classroom looks different than classrooms of the past, so why shouldn’t the way we provide feedback and grades to our students change? If you want to begin changing your grading practices, join us in rethinking shifts in feedback & grading to support equitable practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage with authentic student work and consider different ways of providing feedback to identify features that support students in sharing where they are in their sensemaking process. Participants will leave with some ‘tools’ they can use in their classroom to provide caring, collaborative feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE), Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA), Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL)

Learn about the Justice-Centered Ambitious Science Teaching framework and practices teachers have developed to be responsive to students' cultures and communities, recognize and build upon expansive forms of student meaning-making, and committed to naming and disrupting injustice in society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about teaching practices aimed at building a welcoming, joyful, and critical community, planning that is meaningful for youth and advocates for justice, elicits local stories and uses interpretive power, and nurtures revisions of scientific thinking with diverse and local expertise.

SPEAKERS:
April Luehmann (University of Rochester: Rochester, NY), Molly Wilson (Warner School of Education and Human Development), Priya Pugh , Todd Campbell (University of Connecticut: N. Franklin, CT), James Kostka (Warner School: New York, NY), Katrina Robinson (Penfield High School: Rochester, NY), Christina Riccardo (IslandWood: SEATTLE, WA)

Experience how classroom agreements can create productive and safe spaces for elementary students to share their ideas, let those ideas change and grow, and engage with each other as a community of learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary students can co-construct classroom agreements that support an environment where they recognize that science can be done in many ways, feel safe and compelled to share their ideas and questions, listen/look/respond to others' ideas, and let their ideas change and grow.

SPEAKERS:
María González-Howard (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Amy Belcastro (Science Educator/Grad Student: Fort Collins, CO), Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Laveen, AZ)

The NSTA Sensemaking Tool can support teachers shifting their instruction to create opportunities for student sensemaking. Gain experience using the tool to identify “look and listen fors” in classroom observations and to facilitate productive discussions about successes and overcoming challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use the NSTA Sensemaking Tool for classroom observations and providing feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Jersey City, NJ)

Engage in a new OpenSciEd Elementary unit and see how classroom discussions can support ALL students’ in using their ideas, experiences, and evidence for collective sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about how to engage elementary students in classroom discussion to share initial ideas, build understanding and come to consensus about the phenomenon they are trying to collectively figure out.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Laveen, AZ), Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Long Beach, CA)

Advancing equity and increasing accessibility for all students in assessment is a key aspect of the vision for science education. Analyze example assessments with the newly developed culturally responsive framework for alignment to multiple equity goals.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use culturally relevant design principles to evaluate and adapt three-dimensional assessment tasks to meet the needs of the students in your classroom and support them in developing cultural competence.

SPEAKERS:
Kelley Turner (Winchester Public Schools: Winchester, VA), Dawn Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL), Sara Cooper (Contextus: Lincoln, NE)

NSTA’s suite of instructional coaching tools support teachers, coaches and leaders in making the best use of instructional coaching cycles to support students’ sensemaking in the classroom. Become familiar with all of our OER coaching tools and try a few out a few in this session!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to use NSTA’s suite of instructional coaching tools to support instructional coaching cycles in your school/district.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Jersey City, NJ)

Hexagonal thinking is a collaborative hands-on concept mapping strategy focused on making connections across vocabulary, concepts, and other subject-specific components that can be utilized in any content area including cross-curricular settings. Come learn how to implement it in your own classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
For Upper Elem through HS. Participants will experience the strategy from a student POV and learn the process of implementation for a variety of settings (traditional and digital) and materials. Examples of student work will also be shown.

SPEAKERS:
Jeff Thomas (University of Southern Indiana: Evansville, IN), Simone Nance (University of Southern Indiana: Newburgh, IN)

Student game design is presented as an approach to engineering design practices and hands-on learning within a Biology classroom, including the outcomes of a year-long science game design course. Participants will witness research outputs, and receive tools for their classroom implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain scaffolding tools to implement game design in their classroom as a part of their science curriculum while addressing NGSS standards and science and engineering practices, designed to minimize instructional material cost while creating an authentic learning experience.

SPEAKERS:
Rebekah Snyder (University of Missouri: CLINTON, MO)

Join us as a young scientist to investigate different sounds and how and why they occur. Using simple tools, engage your curiosity about the phenomena of sound as you delve into sensemaking to figure out what causes sound to occur, and how you can stop, start, and change sound.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in teacher play, investigate making sense of how sound is made, how to change sound, how to create your own song with rubber bands and a simple board, plus explain all of it with your own words/drawings. First 50 participants will leave with rubber bands, a simple board, and an investigation idea.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Chizek (Iowa State University: Toledo, IA)

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)

This workshop explores various ways to integrate place-based learning in elementary science methods classes as a means for preparing preservice elementary teachers while also demonstrating theories, activities, and strategies for effective place-based science integration in the elementary classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will explore the benefit of using place-based learning as a lens for teaching science methods, as well as provide strategies and examples of how to integrate place-based learning in the elementary classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Downing (The University of Southern Mississippi: Hattiesburg, MS), Rachel Gisewhite (The University of Southern Mississippi: Long Beach, MS)

Numerous elementary classrooms have already embraced stations to engage with small groups of students in ELA or math. This approach is equally applicable to science classes, including hands-on investigations. Let's explore how you can implement this method in your classroom in just 25 minutes a day.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, learn how to deliver a comprehensive science lesson with just 25 minutes of daily class time. Stations facilitate focused tasks for small groups, enabling teachers to provide personalized support. In 10 days a full lesson can be completed, including hands-on investigations!

SPEAKERS:
Krissy Johnson (Midwest City-Del City ISD #52: Midwest City, OK)

In this session, participants will explore the principles behind Eduprotocols and how these frameworks can be adapted to various subjects and grade levels. Through hands-on activities, attendees will discover practical techniques for integrating EduProtocols into their teaching practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with several templates that can be used immediately to increase student engagement, foster deeper learning, and promote inquiry.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Simmons (Klahowya Secondary School: Bremerton, WA)

Case studies are powerful storytelling tools that captivate students and immerse them in learning scientific concepts in context. Discover how to leverage the case studies available through the NCCSTS that are freely accessible on the NSTA website and how to incorporate them into your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Case studies offer various types and teaching methods, from intimate debates and clicker cases to Problem-Based Learning and jigsaw. This session aims to demystify the world of case studies, guiding you through their various forms and how to use them to enhance student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc: Rio Rico, AZ)

This session highlights cultural dimensions of meaningful science learning. It showcases a powerful instructional technique for formative assessment called “self-documentation”—where students collect information related to a particular theme or topic in their everyday lives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers learn how to promote equity by focusing on learning and teaching as an inherently cultural process. They develop a shared understanding of how cultural formative assessment can reveal the interests, experiences, and identities of students.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Tiffany Neill (OpenSciEd: New York, NY), Ximena Gallegos Gutierrez (PhD student, Learning Science and Human Development: Seattle, WA)

Led by members of NSTA Early Childhood-Elementary Committee, the session addresses the relationship between the NSTA book series and natural phenomena providing an interactive platform for educators to discover how this series of books can support & enhance SEPs in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore the integration of this series with science and engineering practices through cross-disciplinary connections and hands-on activities. Resources provided.

SPEAKERS:
Simone Nance (University of Southern Indiana: Newburgh, IN), Jenn Brown-Whale (Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE): Randallstown, MD), Katie Morrison (University Child Development School: Seattle, WA), Jennifer Williams (Isidore Newman School: Belle Chasse, LA)

Learn how to use the NSTA Student Work Analysis tool and protocol to evaluate students’ three-dimensional learning. We’ll focus our discussions on what counts as evidence of students’ ownership of targeted elements of the three dimensions and how to use collected student data to inform instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to evaluate students’ three-dimensional learning using the NSTA Student Work Analysis tool and protocol.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Soriano (NSTA: Jersey City, NJ)

Understanding force interactions is essential to helping students explain atomic behavior. Hear how force interaction ideas are developed throughout OpenSciEd Chemistry units and experience how it is used to explain atomic behavior.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will use particle level manipulatives from two OpenSciEd High School Chemistry units to explain polarity differences of four substances and differences between weak and strong acids emerge from differences in intra- and intermolecular force interactions.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Novak (Northwestern University: Grayslake, IL), Nicole Vick (Northwestern University: Avon, IL)

Want to improve student analyzing and interpreting data skills but don’t know where to start? This workshop makes data analysis fun and accessible for you and your students. Learn to interpret and understand real-world data while incorporating math and science concepts. BYOD for optimal impact.

TAKEAWAYS:
Build expertise in nurturing elementary students’ ability to confidently infer meaning from real-world data, bolstering their math and science comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Foran (Tuva)

We have developed a framework of pedagogical practices that can be leveraged to support teaching with the NGSS no matter what curriculum is being used. Come hear about our research-backed framework, and experience a sense-making lesson that models high leverage pedagogical strategies!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will experience and gain a deeper understanding of high leverage pedagogical practices that directly support teaching with the NGSS, and strategies to implement some of these practices in the science classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Fattaleh (Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: Chicago, IL), Tara Flett (Sr. Educator IQST: Chicago, IL), Karin Klein (Museum of Science and Industry: CHICAGO, IL)

Learn to effectively integrate ideas from the science of reading and sense-making in science. This session will introduce a framework for aligning 5E lessons with a reading comprehension checklist and engage participants in strategies that support sense-making, reading comprehension, and writing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn to integrate the science of reading in sense-making lessons. Participants learn how to use phenomena to frame integrated lessons, when to introduce vocabulary, and how to use sentence anagrams, graphic organizers, sorts, and paragraph frames to support comprehension and writing.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Black (Granite School District: Park City, UT)

This is a two part workshop in which we will delve into the power of plants, our connection to the natural world, and build a culture of curiosity, while we generate questions that lead to larger scientific connections. Participants will learn the processes of naturally dyeing fabric, experiment with the PH levels of our dye to observe how it affects color, and ultimately produce a freshly dyed bandana. We will also explore the relationship between tannins found in plants and iron oxide by making botanical prints on fabrics. This is a way to transform textiles and get curious about compounds and chemical reactions. Participants will gain experience practicing and witnessing natural phenomena as a means of sensemaking together. Get curious and creative with us!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with the tools to facilitate two activities that weave together art, science, and the natural world. We will be working with food, PH levels, and chemical reactions to create printed and dyed textiles to take back to our communities and classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Mallory Schmackpfeffer (Shelburne Farms: Vergennes, VT), Hannah Corbin (Summer and Afterschool Program Coordinator: Shelburne, VT)

Attendees will participate in several activities designed to make atomic scale ideas visible and understandable. We will be looking at the Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment, the meaning of Schrodinger probability plots, and covalent bonding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students learn best by doing and experiencing. This workshop will present new ways to help students experience atomic scale chemistry in a way that they can touch and make sense of.

SPEAKERS:
Larry McAfoos (Jack Barrack Hebrew Academy: Bryn Mawr, PA)

The focus of this presentation will be on elementary level strategies to engage students in 4 elements of scientific argumentation: 1) Evidence, 2) Reasoning, 3) Student Discourse, and 4) Competing Claims.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will experience strategies to engage elementary level students in discourse, sense-making and problem solving through argumentation. Teachers will have access to multiple resources to enhance their strategy toolkit.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Wray (Wellston Public Schools: Guthrie, OK), Karla White (Earl Harris Elementary: Bethany, OK), Lisa Pitts (Oakdale School: Midwest City, OK)

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)

How can science learning experiences help students develop ecological caring approaches to the living world? Come explore educational approaches to multispecies justice with us! Expanding how students connect to and care for the living world around them is vital at this time of climate crisis.

TAKEAWAYS:
People’s relationships to nature are culturally and historically rooted and are embedded in approaches to science teaching and learning. Science can be used to guide ecological caring responses and support the thriving of species.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Nancy Price (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Kelsie Fowler (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Lead professional learning for your colleagues, school or district using NSTA's Professional Learning Units (PLUs)! These PLUs are designed to deepen educators’ understanding of three-dimensional teaching to help boost all students’ science learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Lead your professional learning community’s learning using NSTA PLUs.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Carrollton, GA), Kristin Rademaker (NSTA: Freeport, IL)

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Steamboat Springs, CO)

The National Center for Science Education has developed a free tool called DataWISE that can be used by students to critically examine data-based claims. Participants will practice using the tool as they engage in activities to teach critical data literacy skills (aligned to NGSS SEPs and CCCs).

TAKEAWAYS:
The goal of this session is for participants to move past functional data literacy to critical data literacy so that students can learn to evaluate data-based claims for various types of bias, intent, and misleading presentations of data in addition to basic strategies for understanding data.

SPEAKERS:
Blake Touchet (National Center for Science Education: ABBEVILLE, 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)

This workshop will introduce key strategies for supporting students with different learning needs (kinesthetics, visuals, hands-on activities, explicit instruction, simplified language) in order to meet NGSS standards. The workshop will include specific examples from a unit on honeybees.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience firsthand how the above-mentioned strategies for special education support learning for all students in an elementary classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Lindsey Marx (Stephen Gaynor School: New York, NY), Cristina Fabricant (Science Specialist: New York, NY)

Students are more excited to learn science when they see the ways the learning experience is motivated by their own curiosities. Come interact with and explore strategies to anchor your students’ sensemaking throughout a science unit in questions that the class community has collectively developed!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will leave with strategies to 1) elicit, 2) make public, and 3) value all students’ questions about a unit’s anchoring phenomenon, and to 4) collaborate with students to shape their questions into investigable questions that can motivate their ongoing sensemaking throughout a unit.

SPEAKERS:
María González-Howard (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Carla Robinson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Sage Andersen (The University of Texas at Austin: Buda, TX)

Explore through six hands-on stations just as your students would! Confidently teach energy forms and transformations to elementary students with experiments that showcase the science behind everyday objects – batteries, toy cars, glow sticks, an apple, yo-yo, and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to take hands-on experiments and background information that allow elementary students to explore the different forms of energy and how they are transformed right back to their classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Swan (The NEED Project: Manassas, VA)

Explore two museum-school partnership models that integrate best practices in outdoor and environmental education to connect urban K - 8 students to place-based learning through teacher professional development and direct student engagement both in the classroom and outdoors.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will dive deeper into the ways these programs allow schools to partner with cultural institutions, connecting them to resources and building teacher capacity through supported outdoor experiences, to connect K-8 students with the nature in their neighborhood and city.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Siska (Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Chicago, IL)

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)

Wondering how to make science more meaningful? Learn how to easily adapt a unit to affirm student experiences in daily lessons. We'll show you how to create a student survey and use the data to make small but impactful changes to your plans. See examples and leave with a template for trying it out!

TAKEAWAYS:
We’ll show participants how to choose a focus unit and create a survey focused on the same theme. We’ll use the collected data purposefully to make upgrades to our lessons by incorporating student experiences and interests into the learning, all while expanding their scientific understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Harrell (UnboundEd: West Orange, NJ), Amber Woods (UnboundEd: Glen Burnie, MD)

Do you want all students to contribute more of ideas in science class? In this workshop, we’ll present Community Agreements routines that build a culture where students feel safe sharing ideas and caring for one another. Creating a supportive classroom cuture is critical to all NGSS learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with a ready to use plan to implement community agreements in your classroom, including eliciting students’ ideas for how to be respectful, equitable, committed to community, and move science thinking forward, and strategies for student reflection on these agreements and how to assess them.

SPEAKERS:
William Penuel (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO), Greg Benedis-Grab (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO)

Join Louisiana teachers and state leaders in an immersive science experience that will unlock strategies for nurturing the brilliance and strengths of K-2 students and cultivate a strong science foundation.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, teachers will experience an anchor phenomenon as a student and will consider practical strategies for how phenomenon-based, three-dimensional instruction can support K-2 students sensemaking in science. Participants will receive tips on how to advocate for more time on science in K-2.

SPEAKERS:
Garelyn Adam-Dinet (Teacher: Marrero, LA), Molly Talbot (Louisiana Dept. of Education: New Roads, LA)

Engage students in conversations about climate change & inspire them to take action. Children's books are a catalyst for discussions and deepening students' grasp of climate change. We will focus on equitable classroom methods, strategies to integrate reading & science standards, and lift up hope.

TAKEAWAYS:
Integration approaches for science and reading; access to read aloud guides for all children’s books suggestions; equitable classroom strategies; multiple perspectives on climate change; highlighting indigenous authors; inspire student agency and hope.

SPEAKERS:
Luke Matlack (Educational Service District 105: Yakima, WA), Carissa Haug (North Central Educational Service District: Wenatchee, WA), Lorianne Donovan (Educational Service District 123: Richland, WA)

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)

Teachers use Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER) to support students’ construction of explanations using common science discourse. In this workshop, teachers will experience how to use evidence-reasoning-claim to make sense of a phenomenon and then CER to write a scientific explanation of the phenomenon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain an understanding of how to use CER as ERC during sense-making activities. A small shift in a popular strategy will help teachers facilitate deeper sense-making with their students. Leave with materials and techniques to apply this strategy to multiple grade levels and phenomena.

SPEAKERS:
Meredith Schwendemann (Clemson University: Greenwood, SC), Brooke Whitworth (Clemson University: Clemson, SC), Megan Hodge (Mississippi Department of Education: Poplarville, MS)

This dynamic session inspires, empowers, and equips educators with a plan to create an enriching learning environment to start the year. Embrace an approach that centers on nurturing curiosity, exploration, and inquiry in the classroom while establishing clear expectations and standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in discussions and hands-on activities to foster a positive classroom culture where students are encouraged to wonder, explore, and ask questions. Discover ideas and techniques for seamlessly integrating 3D lessons into your curriculum, enhancing student engagement and comprehension.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Tolman (SET2Teach, LLC/Idaho Department of Education: Boise, ID)

Learning and practicing data literacy skills creates a literacy-science crosswalk. Using the Checkology® lesson “Making Sense of Data,” and with the support of NLP experts, participants will develop a cross-curricular lesson.

TAKEAWAYS:
Presenters will support attendees as they develop an ELA and STEM cross-curricular lesson extension. Presenters will give attendees a live lesson demonstration and facilitate a QFT (question, formulation, technique) session to crowd-source the development of the lesson extension.

SPEAKERS:
Brittney Smith (The University of South Carolina: Cincinnati, OH)

This workshop will engage participants in a hands-on exploration of phenomena and practices to support teaching and learning in middle school. We will investigate how educators can use Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts to help students make sense of the world around them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session equipped with practical strategies, specific examples, and valuable resources to effectively use Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts to support phenomena-based learning in middle level classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Aimee Spahos (Waunakee Intermediate School: Madison, WI), Jessica North (Waunakee Community Middle School: Waunakee, WI)

This session will explore acid base chemistry. Hands-on, data collection, simulations, and card sorts will be utilized to encourage participants to have fun with the complex chemistry topic of acid base chemistry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Acid base chemistry and buffers are difficult concepts for students to grasp. This session will help teachers create and modify traditional lecture activities to be student-centered, hands-on learning opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Coker (Camden Fairview High School: Camden, AR), Stacy Thibodeaux (Southside High School: Scott, LA)

Participants will explore hands-on stations as they use inquiry analysis tools to dive into phenomena, primary sources, and discovery boxes about the coast. Participants will share, engage, and connect with multiple strategies and PreK-2 resources to use to analyze coastal phenomena.

TAKEAWAYS:
Inquiry-based teaching focuses on moving students beyond general curiosity into the realms of critical thinking and understanding. We must encourage our students to ask questions and support them through the investigation process, understanding when to begin and how to structure an inquiry activity.

SPEAKERS:
Noelle Carter (Chief Curriculum Officer: Orem, UT), Betsy Glisson (Studies Weekly: Dublin, GA)

Discover how to enhance your students' sensemaking of scientific concepts through powerful modeling strategies that align with NGSS standards. Gain valuable insights into how models can be used to deepen understanding and transform everyday lesson activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn to upgrade traditional modeling activities to ensure alignment to performance expectations. They will leave with multiple examples of utilizing modeling to make sense of science concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Harrell (UnboundEd: West Orange, NJ), Amber Woods (UnboundEd: Glen Burnie, MD)

Are students struggling to master academic language in Science? Get students listening, speaking, reading, and writing using academic language. Participants will engage in a science-focused Talk Read Talk Write using vocabulary/visuals within the 5E model to support Emergent Bilingual/all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to incorporate Nancy Motley’s Talk Read Talk Write approach within the 5E Model, how to incorporate vocabulary-focused structured conversations based on visuals, and how to differentiate for students to improve Science Literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Gibson (Seidlitz Education: Plano, TX)

From wolf to husky to chihuahua, the genetic relationships between wild canids and their diverse domesticated descendants provide a fascinating window into the science of evolution and heredity. We'll explore strategies for using the story of dogs to engage students and teach genetics.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will walk away with lesson plans that can be used to support mastery of standards related to genetics and heredity, including how genetic variation leads to physical and behavioral differences and how evolution can only take place in the presence of this variation.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Slack (I.S. 223 Montauk Intermediate School: Brooklyn, NY)

Innovative strategies and practical approaches to integrate real-world problems into classroom activities for kindergarten to 2nd-grade educators. Discover how to cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity in young learners as they tackle authentic challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Gabriella Lamothe (Teacher: Atlanta, GA)

Embark on a journey that will engage elementary students in understanding interactions in nature to create inventions and solve problems. A lesson that seamlessly integrates science, math, ELA, and intellectual property concepts, fostering holistic learning experiences for elementary students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Through hands-on activities, participants will gain practical experience applying the principles of nature-inspired invention to their elementary classrooms. They will also discover innovative ways to encourage their students to explore their own creativity and problem-solving abilities.

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc: Rio Rico, AZ)

Students bring amazing intellectual resources to make sense of science phenomena based on their personal and community experiences—including language, perspectives, gestures, and knowledge, interests, and values. Come learn how to notice and leverage those intellectual gifts in your teaching!

TAKEAWAYS:
Culturally responsive education supports student sensemaking and learning in science. Inclusive science strategies help teachers learn to see and leverage students’ diverse sense-making resources. These methods help us create and adapt curriculum that is equitable and centered on justice.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Nancy Price (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

Students bring a range of intellectual resources—based on their unique life experiences—into the classroom as they learn science. These resources can be considered different “facets” of thinking. Teachers explore a protocol for identifying and attending to facets through formative assessments.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will help participants: analyze cognitive formative assessment responses to surface the range of student thinking about science topics and concepts, guide instruction based on that diversity of student ideas, and design formative assessment tasks to support equitable 3D instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Philip Bell (University of Washington: Seattle, WA), Tiffany Neill (OpenSciEd: New York, NY)

ASSET, an NIH SEPA funded program at WashU STL, offers modules that nurture students’ innate curiosity through hands-on exploration of biology using safe, easily manipulated model organism, Tetrahymena. Modules are paired with FREE lending materials designed to stimulate inquiry-based learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be introduced to ASSET and will conduct modified lab activities to see how ASSET can be used in the classroom to address topics like microscope use, cell parts and processes (phagocytosis & osmolarity), chemotaxis, and the effects of smoking, vaping, and alcohol on living cells.

SPEAKERS:
Courtney Hausner (Oakville Senior High: Saint Louis, MO), Anne Deken (John Burroughs School: St. Louis, MO), Alexandra Forgerson (Instructional Specialist: University City, MO)

Explore density with hands-on activities in 'Layers of Learning: Exploring Density through Student Sensemaking.' Engage in creating density columns to understand matter and enhance science teaching with practical strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn to use density columns for teaching, apply sensemaking in science education, and integrate student-driven inquiry to boost understanding and engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Cohutt (Thurston Middle School: Sharon, MA)

Physical and engaging classroom activity to explore motion calculations and graphing.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers explore motion graphing from students perspective, learning tricks to address common misconceptions.

SPEAKERS:
Mishael Sedas (LIGO Livingston Observatory: Geismar, LA), Sophia Crook (LIGO Livingston Observatory: Livingston, LA)

Increase student engagement in analysis and evaluation of real data. Engage students of different ability levels in mathematical models with measurements not previously accessible in the classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Collect and use real data to develop mathematical models and learn how to test your hypothesis by performing an experiment and analyzing your results, combining graphing calculators with several wireless sensors to maximize instructional time.

SPEAKERS:
Karlheinz Haas (retired: Tequesta, FL)

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)

Student choice generates buy-in, project based learning awakens scientific inquiry, and engagement allows critical skill development. Attendees will hear how to design Scientific Research classes to meet the highest student needs through exploring student exemplar topics and making a fishing lure.

TAKEAWAYS:
Take away ideas of how to combat the overwhelming apathy of students entering the current science classroom through projects and topics that can be modified and adjusted to fit not only the individual students of a particular class, but the teacher's unique skills, education, and experience.

SPEAKERS:
Clark Moore (Sequatchie Co High School: Dunlap, TN)

Each year, over 150 oil and chemical spills occur in U.S. waters, and they can be devastating to our environment. We will examine where oil spills occur, look at the techniques scientists use to clean up oil spills, and participants will experience an oil spill cleanup simulation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cleaning up an oil spill can be very challenging. For this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to work as a team to eliminate oil from a simulated oil spill. Sand, feathers, seashells, and vegetable oil will be used in this demonstration.

SPEAKERS:
Joan Gillman (The Browning School: Teaneck, NJ)

In our Exciting, hands-on workshop participants will get to learn about and experience excited electrons as a part of the modern atomic theory and excited molecules in gases. Participants will leave with relevant materials, supply lists, vendor information and instructions to use in their classes.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this workshop, we will demonstrate various examples of exciting electrons using heat, visible light, ultraviolet light, chemical energy and electrical energy. In addition, participants will investigate the relationships that exist in gases between temperature, pressure and volume.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Este (Fontainebleau High School: Abita Springs, LA), Cylinda Barron (Retired: Slidell, LA)

Through this workshop, participants will learn what is necessary to establish, organize, and facilitate an interactive, hands-on environment for elementary students, whether in the STEM lab setting or the general education classroom while participating in engaging standards-based activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
STEM instruction is vital to the elementary experience, and students at this level should be engaged in hands-on, standards-based activities to be prepared for their future.

SPEAKERS:
Troy Russell (E. R. Dickson Elementary School: Irvington, AL), Maegan Gayle (Mobile County Public School System: Mobile, AL)

Starting with empathy, we can create inclusive learning environments rooted in people’s needs. Learn how human-centered design principles can be applied to create meaningful, engaging, and effective learning experiences for educators and students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this session equipped with human-centered design strategies and tools to guide their PLCs and to design impactful learning experiences for their students.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Beierle (Relevant Classroom, a Division of Vivayic, Inc.: Wauwatosa, WI)

This session will give participants the opportunity to interactively and collaboratively engage in a sampling of simple activities to promote explicit instruction in the nature of science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. It is important to explicitly teach the nature of science to students; 2. The nature of science should be presented in an accessible way to all students; and 3. Attendees will walk away with activities they can use in their class immediately to teach the NOS.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Moore (Tennessee Tech: Cookeville, TN)

Use agriculture to showcase evolutionary relationships with cladistics. Look at the shared characteristics of plants to construct cladograms and interpret data. Free classroom materials and prizes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learners will engage in an argument from evidence as they discuss the evolutionary relationships of corn and will identify unique traits between corn species, create outgroups to build a cladogram, and create an explanation for evolutionary relationships.

SPEAKERS:
Heather Bryan (Nourish the Future - Education Projects, LLC: McComb, OH)

Inquiry-based learning is fundamental to student success but for teachers new to science or inquiry, the commotion this style of learning creates can be a little scary!! Learn how to implement IBL in every step of the 5E process from driving questions to project-based assessments!

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn best practices for inquiry-based learning in science including introducing driving questions, facilitating effective classroom discussion, student-led inquiry, and incorporating literacy in the inquiry process.

SPEAKERS:
Leah Pinto (Director of professional development: Gilmer, TX)

Experience the fascinating world of color perception through two intriguing phenomena: colored shadows and afterimages. Experience light color through hands-on exploration and captivating demonstrations. These are ready-to-implement activities for your class (NGSS-aligned).

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers engaging in this fun activity will gain insights into the mechanisms of human color perception, providing them with engaging ways to use these hands-on experiments and captivating demonstrations into their curriculum to enhance students' understanding of waves, light, color and vision.

SPEAKERS:
Sophia Crook (LIGO Livingston Observatory: Livingston, LA), Mishael Sedas (LIGO Livingston Observatory: Geismar, LA)

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)

Do you want to develop a stronger sense of global citizenship in your students? Join us to explore practical place-based learning resources and activities you can immediately implement. Join like-minded teachers to explore nature journaling, literacy resources, observation skills, and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Help your students develop a sense of community and plant the seeds of global citizenship. Attend the workshop and learn new ideas from the presenters and fellow attendees. Together we can create a community of teachers that will prepare our students for the challenges of our changing environment.

SPEAKERS:
Rachel Gisewhite (The University of Southern Mississippi: Long Beach, MS), Stacey Britton (University of West Georgia: Roopville, GA), Ann Catherine Cox (Carrollton Elementary School: Carrollton, VA)

Learn how to engage your students with the rich phenomena around the mismatch between our human body physiology and our modern environment, using a free, EQuIP-reviewed unit designed for HS NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will develop a vision for how to use engineering practices to teach genetics and epigenetics while creating a more engaging and inclusive classroom environment for all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Joy Otibu (Mott Hall Bronx High School: Bronx, NY), Devin Foschi (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY)

Participants will experience a lesson designed to use argument from evidence to learn about how the structure and function of natural and designed macromolecules differs. Briefly learn how technology-mediated lesson study has helped rural science teachers collaborate to design 3 dimensional lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
In one class period, students will make a claim from initial evidence and then revise that claim as they gather evidence through five different tests used to teach them about the structure and function of cotton and spandex.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Sansom (Texas A&M University: College Station, TX), Douglas Morris (Carbon High School: Price, UT)

Struggle with new science teachers or student engagement? This 60-minute workshop puts YOU in the student role! Explore a hands-on science activity & learn how to design lessons that ignite student curiosity & sense-making. Leave with practical strategies & a support network!

TAKEAWAYS:
Tired of passive learners? This 60-minute workshop equips you to design student-driven science experiences! Engage in a simulated student investigation, analyze real student work, and discover formative assessment strategies to boost sense-making! Leave with practical tools & a support network!

SPEAKERS:
Sharonda Eggleton-McNeil (Guilford County Schools: Greensboro, NC)

Soil science IS the Science of Life! The elements present in our soil today become our food tomorrow. Participants will make connections between Biology, Chemistry and Geology through use of the periodic table, soil studies and biogeochemical cycles.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain an understanding of the importance of soil chemistry and how soil studies connect life and physical sciences.

SPEAKERS:
Ann Smart (Cabrini High School: Covington, LA)

How can we effectively prepare the next generation of scientists when science instruction is so vastly different from actual science practice? In this session, you’ll learn how research scientists work in a lab environment and how you can transfer those practices directly to your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will understand 6 practices of lab researchers that differ from science instruction in most classrooms. They’ll learn how to incorporate these practices into their classroom to better prepare the next generation of scientists.

SPEAKERS:
Terra Tarango (Van Andel Education Institute: Grand Rapids, MI)

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)

BYOD to explore CODAP, a free web-based data exploration tool designed for engaging students in inquiry with data. Import data from anywhere, create multiple linked visualizations through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, and move your students beyond spreadsheets into the realm of data inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
CODAP moves data exploration from cumbersome graph wizards to inquiry-based discovery. As students make data moves—using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to create graphs, maps, and more—they are able to find patterns and make sense of data in unique ways not possible with other tools.

SPEAKERS:
Jacob Sagrans (Senior Research Associate: Weston, MA), Zac Opps (Data Science Education Project Manager: Concord, MA), Daniel Damelin (The Concord Consortium: Bolton, MA)

The Power of Perception, when educators demonstrate an understanding of students' perspectives, fosters trust and rapport. Students feel valued and respected when their experiences and perceptions are acknowledged, which strengthens the student-teacher relationship and is conducive for learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
The intrinsic value of understanding how students perceive their environment is imperative for their future selves. Helping students and teachers understand their perceptions empowers them to take ownership of their learning journey, and navigate complexities with confidence.

SPEAKERS:
Autumn Nowlin (Autumn's Academy: Jacksonville, FL)

Phenomenon-based instruction can make learning experiences more relevant and equitable for students. Come learn how to foster student sense-making after you introduce a phenomenon today, and then leave with a library of high-quality instructional materials that you can use for years to come.

TAKEAWAYS:
Introducing meaningful phenomena is necessary but not sufficient for fostering sense-making. Students must also have opportunities to use DCIs, CCs, and SEPs during the learning experience and the experience must be structured in ways that make the process of sense-making useful and inclusive.

SPEAKERS:
Victor Sampson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX)

Forrest Bird is the inventor of the first convenient and reliable, low cost, mass-produced medical respirator. Join us in this workshop as we model hands on activities to get your students excited to learn more about respiratory system basics as well as invention education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students are less likely to be what they cannot see. Everyone can be an inventor and diverse inventor stories and activities with a transdisciplinary approach can aid elementary educators in creating high-quality, equitable learning experiences even with constraints to "Science time."

SPEAKERS:
Kathy Hoppe (STEMisED, Inc: Rio Rico, AZ), Christine Lawlor-King (MIT, InventEd, Invention Convention, STEMisED: Manchester, CT)