The 2025 NSELA Annual Conference, themed "Inspired by History, Driven by Innovation," is a one-day, immersive experience for district and state leaders, instructional coaches, and advocates to engage in a collaborative, high-impact setting.

Join us to experience how students make decisions and engage in class discussion as part of their sensemaking. Learn how the OpenSciEd Elementary’s instructional approach supports all students in figuring out complex science issues in their world through a coherent storyline.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd Elementary units are designed to support students in collaborative sensemaking through use of Science and Engineering Practices and engagement in equitable discussions.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Laveen, AZ), Yanira Vazquez (OpenSciEd: Los Alamos, NM), Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Long Beach, CA)

Join NSTA and middle school educators from across the country to delve into using OpenSciEd instructional materials to hand over to your students the joyful responsibility of thinking, talking and acting like scientists to deeply learn science. You’ll experience science learning in an OpenSciEd unit from both student and teacher perspectives with emphasis on specific teacher moves and strategies that will support your continuing shift toward student-driven science learning.

In addition, the NSTA professional learning team will help you tailor a professional learning path forward for additional support in implementing OpenSciEd curriculum and helping all of your students build confidence as the knowers in your classroom. 

This session is for those newer to OpenSciEd and investigating the middle school curriculum for classroom, school, or district implementation.

Experience student-driven, rigorous science learning fueled by students’ curiosity and concern for coastal communities through immersions in the OSE high school chemistry Unit C.1 Thermodynamics in Earth’s Systems (How can we slow the flow of energy on Earth to protect vulnerable coastal communities?). See how students’ sensemaking develops across this unit through careful analyses of classroom videos, real student work, and student and teacher interviews.

Whether you teach high school chemistry, biology, physics, or Earth and space sciences, you will walk away from this experience with an understanding of the instructional routines that comprise storyline units across the OSE high school curriculums and the supports you need to confidently implement an OSE high school unit in your classroom. In addition, you’ll become adept with navigating the resources embedded in the OSE unit materials so you can maximize your impact on student engagement and learning.

All conference attendees are invited to continue their professional learning virtually in the OSE High School Chemistry Unit C.1 Curriculum Launch Workshop (24 total hours) and Facilitator Training (32 total hours).

• 6 hours onsite at the Philadelphia Conference PLI
• 18 hours virtual to complete 4-day curriculum launch*
• 8 additional hours virtual to complete facilitator training* (optional)

Virtual workshop sessions will be held over the month of April 2025.

*Registration for virtual sessions incurs additional cost

The Breakout Box: Manufacturing Challenge takes participants on a 20-minute immersive adventure where they apply critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and manufacturing skills to successfully run an eyewear manufacturing facility.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to understand the manufacturing process, the importance of teamwork and its relevance in the real world.

SPEAKERS:
Ali Main (Learning Undefeated: Gaithersburg, MD)

The Breakout Box: Manufacturing Challenge takes participants on a 20-minute immersive adventure where they apply critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and manufacturing skills to successfully run an eyewear manufacturing facility.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to understand the manufacturing process, the importance of teamwork and its relevance in the real world.

Stop in and take a peek at our mobile manufacturing lab! Learning Undefeated staff will show you around, answer questions, and share how you can bring this unique experience to your classroom.

Join this dynamic workshop to explore three hands-on classroom activities that highlight the math and science skills needed in the manufacturing industry. Explore how geometry, measurement, and critical thinking skills all come together to create new products.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn 3 hands on activities that demonstrate how science and math skills translate to real world jobs in manufacturing.

SPEAKERS:
Ali Main (Learning Undefeated: Gaithersburg, MD)

The Breakout Box: Manufacturing Challenge takes participants on a 20-minute immersive adventure where they apply critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and manufacturing skills to successfully run an eyewear manufacturing facility.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to understand the manufacturing process, the importance of teamwork and its relevance in the real world.

Navigate your first National NSTA Conference with ease! Join our session for an orientation to the conference, tips on selecting sessions, and an opportunity to meet other first-time attendees. We will share a few insider tips from experienced conference attendees and give an overview of the conference app. This session is structured so you can learn why you belong at NSTA.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get the most out of your conference experience in addition to becoming an engaged learner.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Luft (University of Georgia: Athens, GA)

Join us at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for an opening reception to mark the start of NSTA Philly25! We’ll keep it casual—enjoy beverages and small bites while networking with old and new friends. The event is complimentary and open to all registered conference attendees. Don't forget to bring your free drink ticket included with your badge.

TAKEAWAYS:
NA

This keynote offers an inspiring roadmap for improving student outcomes and leaving a lasting impact on their lives. Through relatable analogies, and research-based advice, Daryl Williams Jr. shares his personal journey—from being an ineffective teacher to earning two Teacher of the Year awards. He will guide you on a transformative path of self-discovery, helping you uncover your own “1% Amazing” and unlock your full potential.

SPEAKERS:
Daryl Williams

Calling all yoga enthusiasts! Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or veteran, join yoga teacher, Azra Chughtai, RYT, for a warm-up with breathwork; hatha yoga (gentle stretching exercises to wake up the body); and, of course, meditation for relaxation and de-stressing. Beginner friendly!

TAKEAWAYS:
Recharge: Energizing and Stress Relief

SPEAKERS:
Azra Chughtai (NSTA: McLean, VA)

Navigate your first National NSTA Conference with ease! Join our session for an orientation to the conference, tips on selecting sessions, and an opportunity to meet other first-time attendees. We will share a few insider tips from experienced conference attendees and give an overview of the conference app. This session is structured so you can learn why you belong at NSTA.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to get the most out of your conference experience in addition to becoming an engaged learner.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Luft (University of Georgia: Athens, GA)

Sponsoring Company: Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI)

Learn to promote interest and engagement while helping students achieve specific learning objectives with games. Join us as you learn simple and valuable ways to gamify your lessons. We will be sharing a few creative game ideas for building relationships and reviewing and learning content.

How can we leverage digital tools to support biology learning that’s authentic and engages with science practices and cross-cutting concepts? We’ll explore “sit spot” strategies that connect students to their local context and communities through digital tools and a place-based teaching framework.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how implementing a “sit spot” assignment series can connect existing biology curricula to NGSS-aligned, place-based science explorations, as well as support student personal development and motivation, while overcoming the limitations of a traditional classroom experience.

SPEAKERS:
Kirstin Milks (Bloomington High School South: Bloomington, IN), Whitney Aragaki (Waiakea High School: Hilo, HI)

Move beyond passively visiting a museum to connect with curators & have your students take on the role of a teacher at a community event sponsored by the museum. Learn how to connect with local institutions, see samples of student work and leave with access to the full PBL project plan and more!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to organize, integrate and evaluate a long term PBL assessment into your curriculum. Leave with rubrics, a project plan and research template.

SPEAKERS:
Ilana Saxe (The Lawrenceville School: Lawrenceville, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Inspire curiosity by examining pond water! Observe freshwater organisms feeding patterns and reproduction firsthand while exploring microbial diversity. These activities will build an understanding of ecosystems and provide phenomena that connects with biology and nature.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Stubbs (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore the world of forensic science with these fun and exciting escape room activities! Try forensic blood detection and agarose gel electrophoresis experiments, decipher clues, and solve puzzles. Learn to design your own escape room to have students unravel the evidence and free the innocent.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Imagine the excitement of middle schoolers as they learn how to use micropipettes and run their own gel electrophoresis! Come learn how to bring these exciting and fun techniques to your middle school classrooms using the teacher- and student-friendly MiniOne equipment.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins (MiniOne Systems: San Diego, CA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

How do forensic scientists find evidence in invisible ink? Students must think like both detectives AND scientists to find out! By capturing spectra of ink samples, students investigate electromagnetic radiation, explore light-matter interactions, and use mathematical models to calculate energy.

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Engage students in hands-on, student-led learning with the Go Direct Motion Detector! We’ll share 3 hands-on experiments to help students explore position, velocity & acceleration. From kinematics in fall to dynamics & conservation laws in spring, this versatile sensor supports 3D learning all year.

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Engage students in a real-world engineering challenge! Learn how students can design and test crash barriers with live collision data to explore the link between momentum and impact forces. Analyze the resulting data to improve upon further design iterations.

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Link physical science concepts like circuits and charged particles to the essential biotech method gel electrophoresis. Build a reusable gel electrophoresis system with the Bandit STEM Electrophoresis Kit, and use it to separate colorful dyes. Also, add the A to STEAM with creative pipetting art!

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

Sponsoring Company: NOAA

Why are sea levels rising? Why is it so dangerous - no matter where in the US you live? How can we address it? Using hands-on role-playing activities from NOAA, engage your students on one of the most dangerous climate impacts of our time.

SPEAKERS:
Alexandria Gillen (NOAA National Ocean Service: Fredericksburg, VA), Peggy Steffen (Ready, Set, STEM: West Liberty, IA)

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Unlock student potential in writing and reasoning skills! This session dives deep into Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER), focusing on the crucial link between evidence and reasoning. Explore feedback strategies to empower students to apply their knowledge and construct strong scientific arguments.

SPEAKERS:
Kelsie Stocz (BrainPOP: Garner, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

If you can only attend one session, make it this one. Transform your classroom with exciting, easy-to-perform (& crowd-pleasing) chemistry & physical science demos! Perfect for teachers, admins, and new educators, this session showcases unique demonstrations and classroom classics to engage students.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Marvel, Ph.D. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL), Jonnathan Medina Ramos, Ph.D. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for High School and discover how the new Carolina Certified Version enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Cory Ort (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Burlington, NC)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

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)

By 2025, it’s estimated that 463 exabytes of data will be created daily; that’s like 212,765,957 DVDs/day! How can our students know if the information they receive is credible? Generation Skeptics teaches the necessary skills with lessons and guest speakers. (www.generationskeptics.org)

TAKEAWAYS:
Generation Skeptics arms educators with free resources to instill skepticism in students. Recognizing the proliferation of misinformation, GenSkeps seeks to equip the next generation with the enduring principles of the scientific method and the importance of substantiating claims with evidence.

SPEAKERS:
Bertha Vazquez (G. W. Carver Middle School: Coral Gables, FL)

Learn how to support your students in connecting phenomena based on genetics and epigenetics to their own lives and communities through engineering practices using a free, EQuIP-reviewed unit designed for HS NGSS.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use engineering practices to teach genetics and epigenetics while facilitating a classroom environment that privileges connecting phenomena to their own lives and communities through engaging in a design-based challenge to recommend modifications to their school.

SPEAKERS:
Devin Foschi (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY), Elizabeth Chatham (Lead Curriculum Development and Professional Learning Manager: New York, NY), Dora Kastel (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

The DQB is an essential tool used throughout OSE units to generate, keep track of, and revisit student questions around the anchoring and related phenomenon. Join the collaborative fun finding ideas for developing, maintaining, and revisiting this exciting representation of students’ learning.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Tindall (Activate Learning: Troy, MI), Jen Gutierrez (Activate Learning: Chandler, AZ)

Sponsoring Company: BIOZONE Corporation

BIOZONE's innovative worktexts deliver student-centred resources: AP, NGSS & electives. Identical print and digital titles integrate to provide a rich teaching program. Use our teacher resources to plan, deliver, & assess. Attendees receive a FREE print title & 30 day preview of our digital platform

SPEAKERS:
Mark Temons (BIOZONE International Ltd.: Hamilton, New Zealand)

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Together, we can change this by making science more engaging, relevant and meaningful. We’ll explore how hands-on experiences with LEGO® Education spark those 'ah-ha' moments, helping students build knowledge, skills, and excitement for learning.

SPEAKERS:
Andrew Sliwinski (LEGO® Education: Boston, MA)

Transdisciplinary learning that positions students in the context of real-life scenarios to problem solve authentic issues can increase conceptual understanding of content area knowledge, inspire community connections, and increase student engagement, while also building transformative SEL skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discover how transdisciplinary education and transformative social and emotional learning can be facilitated in their classrooms and educational communities.

SPEAKERS:
Stefanie Holloway (Greater Oregon STEM Hub: La Grande, OR)

Many high-quality curricula use transfer tasks, phenomenon-based assessments where students demonstrate their three dimensional understanding while exploring a novel scenario. In this session, educators will work through an example of a transfer task and an activity structure that helps students learn.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with an understanding of what transfer tasks are and an activity structure to use with students learning how to engage in this assessment practice.

SPEAKERS:
Kate Henson (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO), William Penuel (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO), Melissa Campanella (University of Colorado Boulder: Baltimore, MD)

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

NextGen TIME is a free suite of tools and processes that supports districts in preparing to evaluate instructional materials for quality and design for NGSS. This collaborative process helps you plan for next steps including customization to improve student outcomes and effective implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how NextGen TIME supports the evaluation of current instructional materials to strengthen their design for NGSS and how NextGen TIME tools and processes can serve as critical components of curriculum-based professional learning. You’ll walk away with free access to NextGen TIME resources.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Waldorf, MD)

Join award-winning science educator Griff Jones and members of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center to explore a sample of engaging demos and video-supported, inquiry-based activities from the IIHS’s free, online “Crash Science in the Classroom” program.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will see a selection of discrepant events and learn how to access other classroom-tested lessons plans, teacher/student tips videos, lab sheets, and answer keys to teach crash-related science and engineering concepts.

SPEAKERS:
Pini Kalnite (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute: Arlington, VA), Joe Young (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute: Arlington, VA), Griff Jones (University of Florida: Newberry, FL)

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

A showcase of dynamic spreadsheet chemistry lessons that provide instantaneous, differentiated feedback to students as they learn or practice new content independently or in small groups. This method amplifies confidence for students of all abilities and frees teachers to assist those most in need.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will learn the power of digital spreadsheet chemistry lessons and learn how to create or edit their own lessons. If they wish, they can sign up to receive already created chemistry lessons for free to trial with their students.

SPEAKERS:
Sean Regan (Framingham High School: Westborough, MA)

Geoheritage is a new construct in the US, but one well-established abroad. Integrating geoscience, history, economics, and aesthetic value of a place embeds students’ experiences in the landscape that surrounds them. This presentation will demonstrate how local geohertage narratives are generated.

TAKEAWAYS:
Science is embedded in the social and historical context in which it is generated and implemented. Geoheritage as a unifying construct enriches the relevance of a local site by illustrating how humans affect and are affected by that local landscape over time, promoting cross-curricular instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Pyle (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA)

Launch your STEM program into orbit with @DoDSTEM resources! Discover hands-on learning, paid internships, and scholarships for future innovators. Join us to create your "All Systems Are Go" plan leveraging DoD STEM resources and opportunities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover the wealth of STEM resources and opportunities offered by the Department of Defense. From hands-on learning activities to paid internships and college scholarships, learn how DoD STEM can help you power the next generation of innovators.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Stanley (DoD STEM/RTI International: Durham, NC), Jennifer Preston (DoD STEM/RTI International: Apex, NC)

Empower students to create videos about environmental challenges addressed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Discover tools and activities to build skills in inquiry, research, project organization, communication and using video technology. View samples of students’ inspiring work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees with learn how to facilitate a problem-based learning project that employs a variety of STEAM and literacy skills to deepen their understanding of a global environmental challenge.

SPEAKERS:
Barbara Huth (Population Education: Washington, DC)

This workshop will incorporate the phenomena of underwater sound into science activities and investigations. Resources such as an audio gallery of underwater sounds produced by animals and people and activities challenging students to produce spectrograms and explore the science of sound.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using the topic of underwater sound can be an engaging vehicle for students to explore physical science concepts and connect these fundamental principles with the undersea environment and science of sound.

SPEAKERS:
Liesl Hotaling (University of Rhode Island: Highlands, NJ)

In this interactive workshop, educators will dive deep into the world of STEM grant writing, equipping themselves with proven strategies to secure funding for their classrooms. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and learn from real-world examples to develop their grant-writing skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will develop a toolkit of practical strategies to transform their Science & STEM project ideas into fundable grant proposals. This workshop will provide valuable insights to help you unlock new funding opportunities for your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kevin Welch (Stewarts Creek Middle School: Smyrna, TN)

Use a lab and demo to talk about resources and the environment, using copper as an example. The labs can be used for many fields - geology, environmental science, chemistry; focus on the impact of resource acquisition; and provide resources to highlight the depth and complexity of these issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
Copper recovery from ore with two methods - these labs can be used for many fields: geology, environmental science, chemistry; they focus on the impact of resource acquisition; and they provide resources to highlight the depth and complexity of these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Briana Richardson (Washington High School: Columbus, OH)

Data collection probes and sensors provide the phenomenon and data to drive 3D student learning. This session will focus on how to utilize this technology to drive instruction. Teachers will experience a lesson using sensors to model photosynthesis, with a focus on sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will experience parts of a model lesson. Additionally, teachers will explore other examples of using probes to drive instruction. Lastly, teachers will have time to work collaboratively with other teachers to modify one of their lesson plans to effectively utilize probes in sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Justin Ingram (Johnston County Public Schools: Wilson, NC)

5th through 12th grade students are ready to learn about the problem with microplastics! Join a group of educators who sailed Lake Erie with scientists to study plastic pollution. Help your students become citizen scientists, collecting, organizing, and reporting data within their own community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the impacts of and solutions to tackling microplastics as well as strategies for involving their students in hands-on microplastics research along local bodies of water from educators who experienced this scientific research first-hand.

SPEAKERS:
Lara Roketenetz (The University of Akron: Akron, OH), Sabrina Deschamps (Huron-Clinton Metroparks: New Boston, MI), Kate Krischke (Waukegan High School, Washington Campus: Libertyville, IL), Brienne May (Franklin Regional Intermediate School: PITTSBURGH, PA)

Participants will experience Modeling Instruction in Chemistry by planning and conducting data collection and analyzing data to develop models. They will also develop representations (graphs, diagrams, and equations) for their model and present them in white boarding discourse.

TAKEAWAYS:
In student mode participants will experience how the Science and Engineering Practices can be a regular part of student experience in the chemistry classroom as they develop and deploy models. In teacher mode they will reflect on what is required to create this learning environment.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Braxton (Central High School in Philadelphia: Philadelphia, PA), Raymond Howanski (American Modeling Teachers Association: Gilbert, AZ)

We all want students to become critical thinkers, retain & transfer learning, and have a deep understanding of science ideas. Transform your instruction so students construct their own explanations of scientific phenomena that mirrors the process scientists use to make sense of the natural world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to define, identify, and apply characteristics of sensemaking into instruction. They will also become familiar with lesson models and resources that support sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Oakley (Katy ISD: Fulshear, TX), Tina Hovance (Katy ISD: Katy, TX)

Join us for an immersive EarthX experience, where you will don your student hat to explore the interconnectedness of Earth and the traditional sciences. We don’t experience the world as discrete biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science interactions, so why do we teach these subjects in silos?

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave the session having experienced first hand a student-centered, 3-dimensional lesson showcasing NGSS Earth Science DCIs integrated into traditional high school curricula, taught by one of the Baltimore City science teachers who helped develop the materials.

SPEAKERS:
Edmund Mitzel, Jr., Ph.D. (Baltimore City Public Schools: Hampstead, MD), Kevin Garner, Ed.D. (Baltimore City Public Schools: Severna Park, MD), Alan Berkowitz (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Millbrook, NY), Kyle Gregory (Teacher/ Secondary Science: Baltimore, MD), Nina Groseclose (Teacher: Baltimore, MD), Cassidy Johnson (Baltimore Design School: Baltimore, MD), Angela Hood (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Baltimore, MD)

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Baird (Flagstaff High School: Flagstaff, AZ), Ron Gray (Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff, AZ)

Join us to discover how to enhance AP Biology with phenomena-based storylines that make curriculum topics relevant and fun! Gain skills to integrate student questions with science practices while implementing inquiry-driven lessons to increase student engagement and deepen understanding.

TAKEAWAYS:
After an introduction to Lab Hamster’s AP Biology Unit 1 storyline, participants will leave with the knowledge and skills needed to implement student inquiry activities, apply science practices, and use pedagogical strategies that boost student engagement and reduce teacher workload.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Tatum (Anne Arundel County Board of Education: ANNAPOLIS, MD), Joshua Anoff (Severn Run High School: No City, No State), Noel Pauller (Anne Arundel County Public Schools: Annapolis, MD)

In a learner stance, participants will explore productive talk based on observations and development of a model to explain a phenomenon. Switching to a teacher lens, participants will identify types of talk they used, how it shaped deep learning, and apply these ideas to existing tasks/lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will take away ideas for increasing productive talk when students engage in collaborative science tasks. Considerations include different types of talk students use to share ideas and move toward deep content understanding. Time will include strategizing how to inform existing lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Takumi Sato, PhD (Knowles Teacher Initiative: Moorestown, NJ)

This session will share the experiences of former educator turned NASA astronaut, Ricky Arnold in a fun, informational, and inspiring way. The conversation will explore several aspects of Ricky’s life, especially his years as an astronaut. Ricky will share what it was like to live and work on the International Space Station including the experience of spacewalks, conducting scientific experiments, and what astronauts do in their free time. As a classroom teacher in many countries prior to his astronaut selection, Ricky will share what the transition was like to his role as astronaut and what skills he brought to the table as a classroom teacher. Lastly, Ricky will provide words of encouragement to the NSTA audience and share how critical they are to the future of science and our endeavors in space exploration.

SPEAKERS:
Richard Arnold (NASA Johnson Space Center: Houston, TX)

Calling all Science Supervisors, department heads, principals, school coordinators and science leaders. Please join us for the third annual roundtable discussion on curriculum, resources and supervision of science departments. Participants will learn how NSTA can support their needs for professional development and will walk away with access to a Padlet of resources.

Sponsoring Company: Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI)

Join us for an interactive session where engineering meets speed dating! Experience hands-on challenges inspired by TCI's K-5 science programs. Attendees will participate in engineering-focused "speed dates," uncovering valuable insights.

Sponsoring Company: PhET Interactive Simulations

Be empowered with PhET Studio, PhET’s first customization tool for teachers! Learn how to create unique sim experiences that fit your lessons and inspire students like never before. Join us to see Studio in action and gain free Open House access. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity!

SPEAKERS:
Linda Stegemann (Partnerships Manager: Fayetteville, NC)

Please join us for the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the exhibit hall, featuring companies with services, support, and resources for science educators.

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

3D teaching and learning is a powerful way to engage all students in science, but making the shift in a classroom or district involves fundamental cultural and practical changes at all levels. Engage in examples and take away your own Change Management Playbook for navigating this important work.

SPEAKERS:
Isaac Stauffer (Amplify Science: Chicago, IL), Naz Yaqubie (Amplify Science: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Why are some coral and fish species disappearing? In this 3D lesson, biology and environmental science students use real-time data to explore how excess CO2 in water affects the pH. Using their findings, students can model how these changes impact interdependent relationships in ocean ecosystems.

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

From friction to collisions, engage students in real-world motion phenomena! Investigate questions like “How do brakes stop a bicycle?” or “Why are seat belts crucial to car safety?” We’ll explore sensor carts in action, analyze velocity and acceleration data, and share hands-on investigations.

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Successfully engaging students in scientific reasoning, discourse, and investigation requires confident educators and reliable tools. Join us to explore hands-on lessons you can use to spark student curiosity, address Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards, and improve outcomes with LEGO® Education classroom solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Tom Taylor (LEGO® Education: Boston, MA), Evangelia Papacostas (LEGO® Education: Boston, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Classroom communities make sense of what’s being investigated through discussions; it’s key to ensuring all students’ ideas are shared and valued. This session focuses on discussion types used to help draw out student ideas, negotiate and refine them, and support communicating in scientific ways.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Tindall (Activate Learning: Troy, MI)

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

New to BioInteractive? Come investigate HHMI BioInteractive’s many free resources to support life science educators. We'll review how to navigate a website with hundreds of high-quality resources as well as how to connect with your fellow life science educators through our online community.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Moran-Johnson (Teacher: Philadelphia, PA), Karen Lucci (Retired Educator: Yardley, PA)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Dive into Earth's wonders! Our Earth Science workshop offers hands-on activities, expert insights and teaching strategies to inspire curiosity and deepen understanding. Join us in exploring the dynamic systems of our planet! Geology, Meteorology, Climate & Physical Geography! Grades 5-8, 9-12.

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

This authentic case study analyzes microbial DNA from the International Space Station. Available as a hands-on gel electrophoresis experiment or a free virtual lab. This session will also feature Genes in Space, a free experimental design competition that sends student experiments to space!

SPEAKERS:
Katy Martin (miniPCR: Cambridge, MA)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Agriculture, biology, and business knowledge are essential on the modern farm. In this hands-on workshop, use gel electrophoresis to visualize genotypes for a gene necessary for high quality cheese, and help a dairy farmer select which breeding pairs give her the best chance to have a Ca$h Cow!

SPEAKERS:
Glenda Goh Denison (MiniOne Systems: San Diego, CA)

Sponsoring Company: UL Research Institutes

This workshop focuses on sense-making about lithium-ion batteries and the phenomenon of thermal runaway. Participants will develop models to understand the phenomenon, applying cross-cutting concept of matter and energy. Participants will then ideate solutions for safer battery enclosures.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Gilbert , Jessica Sparacino (UL Research Institutes: Chicago, IL)

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

Experience the best way to teach basic circuits! Learn how to build circuits with modular components that look identical to schematic drawings. We'll show you how to skip the tangled wires that confuse students so you can focus on the physics.

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Harness the power of effective questioning to elevate student engagement and understanding. Led by a former middle school science teacher and current science learning designer, this session focuses on crafting questions to foster elaboration, critical thinking, and meaningful connections in science.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Bonville (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

Are you looking for new ways to excite your classes? This session will showcase labs, demos, and inquiry-based activities to keep your classroom buzzing with excitement. Walk away with tools to engage students and ensure concept understanding. Handouts and door prizes provided!

SPEAKERS:
Jillian Saddler (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL), Mike Marvel, Ph.D. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Join our interactive science workshop where literacy meets exploration! Immerse yourself in a world of discovery as we blend scientific concepts with the power of language. Through engaging activities see how to unravel the wonders of science but also enhance literacy skills.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Sarah Glassman (Smithsonian Science Education Center: Washington, DC), Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Cranford, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Explore easy, engaging, and safe chemistry activities that guarantee a reaction in your students. These lab activities support 3-dimensional learning and work every time, not just periodically.

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

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Participants will make and use alginate beads containing algae and alginate beads containing yeast. They will learn how the beads can be used to model the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

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

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Explore CRISPR-Cas gene editing in our hands-on electrophoresis workshop! The Nobel-winning biotechnology breakthrough is making dramatic changes to human health TODAY. Dive into CRISPR biology with quick experiments modeling cures for genetic diseases like Sickle Cell Anemia and Cystic Fibrosis.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Discover the latest and greatest science and STEM teaching and learning resources, tools, and products available during this break in concurrent sessions.

Simple, easy, and inexpensive methods for starting a school garden by using upcycled and free materials

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will show teachers how to begin planting using upcycled and free materials, how to reuse containers as planters, how to make biodegradable seedling planters in seconds, and how to transform desolate ground into a blooming wildflower garden with seeds and a container of air-dry clay.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Kurson (Collegiate School: New York, NY)

Explore how to design an immersive research trip that aligns with NGSS life science standards. I will share my experience leading a trip for 40 ninth-graders to the Bahamas, where students engaged in authentic science by conducting hands-on fieldwork, and what the students learned in the end.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn what NGSS life science standards are aligned in the overseas trip that incorporates authentic field research methodologies like GIS, environmental data collection, and graphing to create meaningful, real-world science experiences for students.

SPEAKERS:
Akira Wong (The Browning School: New York, NY)

This session provides strategies to enhance students' critical thinking skills in science. Participants will learn ways to support students to navigate the information landscape, by discerning credible sources and building strong scientific knowledge.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave the session equipped with strategies to encourage students to extend their thinking and knowledge beyond the classroom, enabling them to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens in an information-rich world.

SPEAKERS:
Rosiane Lesperance- Goss (Knowles Teacher Initiative: Roseland, NJ)

How can we introduce even first-grade students to atoms and molecules? Visitors can hold actual teaching materials and models that students will build, view photos and classroom evaluation data, and learn how molecular models can deepen even young students’ scientific understanding of our world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn a basic plan for younger students who are new to atoms and molecules and for more advanced students who are fed up with reaction formulas. It includes concrete, practical examples to introduce them to the physical images of atoms and molecules in a fun way.

SPEAKERS:
Koji Tsukamoto (Chiba Institute of Science: Chiba, AL), Haruhiko Funahashi (Kyoto University: Kyoto, Japan), Tomoko HASEGWA (Azuma-tachibana municipal junior high school: Tokyo, No State), Taro YAMAMOTO (ASHEC: Kibitani Kaizuka, No State), Mariko Kobayashi (Association for Studies in Hypothesis–Experiment Class: Niiza, NY)

What are the latest and greatest technologies and websites for science instruction? Come learn about them and how they can be used.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with an understanding of a variety of resources for incorporating technology into their science instruction

SPEAKERS:
Patti Duncan (Breakout EDU: Lakeville, PA)

How do you leverage the powerful computer in students' pockets to teach E&M? The modern smartphone's magnetometer can be used to do things as basic as detecting currents and permanent magnets and as complex as collecting data to linearize and discover distance dependencies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student "doing the lab" is better than one student "doing the lab" and 3+ students watching a demonstration of the lab. Turn your students into scientists with the tools to answer questions right in their pockets.

SPEAKERS:
Helene McLaughlin (JHU Applied Physics Lab: Columbia, MD), David Rakestraw (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: Livermore, CA), Michael Tobler (Moreau Catholic High School: Hayward, CA)

Give students opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and dive deeper into physics content through multiple representations. Learn strategies that can be used to deepen students' understanding and improve performance on FRQ #2, Translation Between Representations, on the AP Physics exams.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn engaging classroom strategies that allow students to communicate their knowledge of physics through multiple avenues and make connections between multiple representations and physical scenarios.

SPEAKERS:
Dee Dee Messer (William Mason High School: Mason, OH)

This workshop will have participants engaging in an abbreviated version of a highly interactive and creative project that emphasizes key concepts about biodiversity and ecology while allowing for creative flexibility. Teachers involved in the life sciences are encouraged to join!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about an engaging, fun, and creative multi-day in-class project centered around key concepts related to biodiversity and ecology. Attendees will also leave with materials to seamlessly integrate this project into their own classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Paul Marban (St. Paul's School for Boys: Riva, MD)

Student leaders of International Student-led Arctic Monitoring and Research, a 20-year old after school science program. They will showcase 7 research groups' data and summer trip experiences including highs and lows on their science teaching and learning journey.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a model for a science club doing authentic, novel research including concepts and lessons learned through 20 years of ISAMR. Adults will be on hand for questions, contacts and information sharing. Microbiome and permafrost depth feature heavily with some engineering and coding.

SPEAKERS:
Carla Guarraia (The Park School of Baltimore: Pikesville, MD)

During this session we will introduce a series of lesson plans that can help students recognize the value of science to their personal decision-making, so that they fully engage in science lessons throughout the year.

TAKEAWAYS:
Our students are constantly bombarded with crazy claims on a daily basis. Science presents a process for elevating specific ideas that can then be deemed ‘factual’. Making scientific claims based on evidence is a process students should be aware of, especially when making decisions for themselves.

SPEAKERS:
Makenzie Kuhns (Waggener Traditional High School: Louisville, KY), Samantha Bechtel (Jefferson County Public Schools: Louisville, KY), Nancy Yoak (Jefferson County Public Schools: Louisville, KY), Keegan Woodlee (North Oldham Middle School: Louisville, KY), Linda Fuselier (University of Louisville: Louisville, KY)

Learn to compare ground-based weather observations with satellite data using visible and infrared imagery. This session will provide hands-on activities with My NASA Data to help students analyze weather patterns and understand how different observations complement each other.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate ground-based observations with satellite data, using hands-on activities with My NASA Data to help students analyze and understand weather patterns from both local and global perspectives.

SPEAKERS:
Erin Smoak (American Meteorological Society: Savannah, GA), Diane Ripollone (Cardinal Gibbons High School: Garner, NC)

Guiding your students through sensemaking is a combination of more than you’d expect: the questions you ask, the activities you choose, and even how your classroom set up. In this session, you will learn the components of a formative classroom and walk away with ideas to enhance students' learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn the components of a formative classroom, and specific techniques they can use in order to give students a more formative experience; examples include collaborative work, room setup, cycles for questioning, appropriate feedback, and more. This can be done with any age group.

SPEAKERS:
Rama Sreekantham (Paragon Prep School: Austin, TX)

This poster showcases how you can transform your Canvas courses into inclusive, dynamic, and enriching learning experiences for all students. Swing by to tap into essential strategies, tools, and best practices to foster inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility through your school's Canvas site!

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster showcases strategies such as Canvas Groups for collaborative learning, media opportunities with Canvas Studio, and using Canvas to showcase student understanding in vibrant, visual ways. Plus, discover proven webinar engagement strategies to captivate and inspire your online learners!

SPEAKERS:
Tanya MacMartin, Ed.D. (Twin Peaks Middle School: Poway, CA)

Explore innovative strategies from the book, "Hacking School: Five Strategies to Link Learning to Life". Join author Annalies Corbin, PhD as we reimagine the classroom, overcome change barriers, and collaborate on implementing successful school innovations that prepare students for the future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with a customizable "Hacking School Toolkit" containing five actionable strategies, and implementation guides to immediately begin transforming their classrooms by connecting curriculum to real-world challenges and opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Schneider (PAST Foundation: Columbus, OH)

An annual high school competition organized as a team-based student project to design a creative solution for a fire safety problem. Student teams work in their high school, are provided with educational material, a small-scale house model, mentoring, and compete on Burn Day to test their solution.

TAKEAWAYS:
An example of how high school science teachers can introduce exciting and instructive educational material on STEM and Safety Science into their classroom. Attendees will learn about the unique field of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) and learn how to include FPE material into their curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Hollywood (University of Maryland: College Park, MD), Arnaud Trouve (University of Maryland: College Park, MD)

The University of Nebraska offers a geology field course to science teachers where participants will travel through Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota over a 2 week experience. The only cost for participants is tuition.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants in the course will not only learn about the geology of the area, but they will also learn new strategies to reinforce 3 dimensional learning in their own classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kyle Thompson (Lincoln East High School: Lincoln, NE)

It is quite a task to keep teenagers engaged in concepts being taught in the classroom, especially if it is a subject that they are uninterested in. This lesson focuses on one of the ten broad concepts of physics, Light, and provides an opportunity for the students to have hands on learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learning doesn't involve just lecturing for sixty minutes. There are many different learning types, and in a classroom, you may experience different backgrounds, knowledge level, and comfortability. This lesson should remind the attendees how important it is to keep learning interesting.

SPEAKERS:
Ellianna Trilling (Wartburg College: Sun Prairie, WI)

Explore how our instructional modules address the Plant Awareness Disparity by empowering high school students to connect with their botanical heritage. Our hands-on approach fosters equitable access to STEM learning through place-based exploration of personal, cultural, and community assets.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discover how our modules promote equity in science education by engaging students in hands-on botanical exploration, fostering deep connections with nature, and aligning with contemporary research and educational standards.

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

Challenges exist in implementing the NGSS and structuring equitable collaboration opportunities in the classroom. Join us to learn from a research study on a NGSS-aligned curriculum development and professional learning project that integrated the use of discipline-specific instructional routines.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, participants will learn key take-aways from a research study on how the use of instructional routines supported NGSS implementation and student sense-making in a high-school level Biology course.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Chatham (Lead Curriculum Development and Professional Learning Manager: New York, NY)

Discover how PBS LearningMedia, a free and trusted resource for PreK-12 classrooms, utilizes media-rich resources from PBS shows like NOVA, NATURE, Weathered, and PBS Eons to spark students' curiosity, facilitate student sense-making, and support 3D learning frameworks.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn strategies for seamlessly incorporating multimedia content from PBS LearningMedia into curriculum and learn new methods to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving as students learn about and discuss challenges posed by environmental issues and the potential solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Merek Chang (Hacienda La Puenta Unified School District: City of Industry, CA), Lori Brittain (VP, PBS LearningMedia: Arlington, VA)

Engage students in authentic science learning about lead contamination through interactive activities that integrate cognitive and technical perspectives.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will discover the significance of reframing lessons and traditional lab experiments through the lenses of cognitive and technical authentic science learning, empowering students to engage meaningfully with real-world scientific issues like lead contamination.

SPEAKERS:
Eual Phillips (Spring-Ford Area School District: Royersford, PA)

Engage learners in science through exciting hands-on activities, media, and discussions that make complex topics accessible. This lesson showcase offers free, adaptable resources, tools, and strategies to inspire STEM interest in classrooms and spark critical thinking in learners of all ages.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain strategies to engage diverse learners with hands-on STEM lessons that foster inclusion, critical thinking, and community connections, while empowering them to address real-world challenges through science literacy and active participation.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Roberts (Science Friday: Blairstown, NJ)

This poster demonstrates a series of activities using acoustic data from marine soundscapes to assess a coral reef habitat's ecological dynamics, functions, and resilience. The NGSS-aligned activities foster an interactive learning environment in all three dimensions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Ecological data, such as sound, can assess human impacts on Earth's systems and support decision-making to promote the responsible management of natural resources.

SPEAKERS:
Jocelyn Miller (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation: Chapel Hill, NC)

Potato aquaponics is a method of growing potatoes in a symbiotic system that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Aquaponics reduces the need for various chemical fertilizers and helps to conserve water, making it a promising for urban farming.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn what is needed to be able to successfully grow potatoes in an aquaponics system. They will also, learn about the sustainability and resource efficiency that comes with this type of farming. The information provided will help with optimal growth for the plant.

SPEAKERS:
Emery Breitbarth (Wartburg College: Waverly, IA)

Attendees will receive materials for a unit on nutrient cycling and the transfer of matter. Student examples show collection and sensemaking of their own data using iNaturalist. Students then apply data to monitor and make changes to the ecosystem model, serving as a local and current data set.

TAKEAWAYS:
Scaled ecosystem models provide opportunities for students to generate their own data. Further generations of students can collect long-term data on the model. Data can be used to propose changes to the model and make sense of larger phenomena. Students develop personal connections to the ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:
Anna Verdiguel Gillet (Science Teacher: Tucson, AZ)

Interested in bringing river ecology to your classroom? This presentation will introduce strategies to engage learners in place-based ecology on a budget. In this unit, students will research local riparian plant species, design a tank to house them, and monitor the ecosystem health over time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students are more engaged when the learning they are doing resembles their surroundings. Viewers of this lesson can expect to encounter strategies to bring local riparian ecology into the classroom and how to adapt their lessons to reflect their local ecosystems.

SPEAKERS:
Tobias Kochenderfer (Tucson High Magnet School: Tucson, AZ)

Educators can integrate Minecraft Education with academic standards. They can create challenges for students to gauge students' interests and provide creativity using Minecraft. Educators will also discover that there are built in lesson plans on Minecraft Education to assist with standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to create lesson plans, integrate standards from multiple academic content with Minecraft Education. Educators will be able to instill enthusiasm and positive learning outcomes using Minecraft Education to teach students their core academic content.

SPEAKERS:
Veena Black (DeKalb County School District: Atlanta, GA)

Ethics, biology, algebra, reading, what do all of these things have in common? Much more than you would think! Stop by to learn how we have been using ethics as a throughline to help students develop their literacy and numeracy skills in their science class.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with cross-disciplinary tools. Attendees will see examples of ethics in science and how that fosters discussion and develops class culture while creating connections between core disciplines.

SPEAKERS:
Leila Haghi (Birmingham Community Charter High School: Van Nuys, CA)

This lesson focused on Earth’s movement in space using a hands-on, inquiry based approach. In this lesson, students designed experiments to support a hypothesis that the helio-centric model is the most accurate in terms of explaining the phenomena: day & night and seasonality.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn to utilize inexpensive materials you may have lying around the classroom and/or at home to engage students in activities that will support them in their understanding of Earth’s movement in space. Teachers will receive an adaptable lesson plan with student examples that is customizable.

SPEAKERS:
Jaime Camero (Walter Douglas Elementary School: Tucson, AZ)

How does your doctor determine your potential diagnosis? Using the patient clinical format creates an interactive and engaging format for Anatomy & Physiology students to develop critical thinking and communication skills in a team-based setting.

TAKEAWAYS:
Beyond the realistic application of curriculum, students develop the skills and confidence to increase personal advocacy with their doctors and medical professionals when they understand the clinical problem solving process.

SPEAKERS:
Jonathan Howe (Haverford High School: Havertown, PA), Becky Mortland (Haverford High School: Havertown, PA)

How can we make chemistry more interesting, relevant, and exciting to students while maintaining rigor? Hear from different high school chemistry teachers about how they used food-based phenomena aligned to NGSS to teach chemistry concepts like bonding, IMFs, chemical reactions, and properties.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how teachers have used different series of lessons centered around different food-based phenomena and labs and how this has helped student engagement, disposition, their idea about what science is, and the understanding of science concepts.

SPEAKERS:
April Thompson (Westlake High School: Thornwood, NY), Jocelyn Puett (Valley Park High School: Valley Park, MO), Alyssa Wachsman (LDSD: Camp Hill, PA), Makala Woods (Northfield High School: Denver, CO), Kate Strangfeld (Harvard University: Cambridge, MA)

Join us at this Share-A-Thon to discover a treasure trove of educational materials and resources provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office of Public Engagement. Our poster session aims to showcase innovative teaching tools that empower educators to foster inventing and creativity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage with live demonstrations of free educational tools and trading card lesson plans designed to enhance student learning across STEM at various grade levels. Learn about professional development opportunities for enhancing invention and intellectual property education.

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

Teach Engineering and the AspireIT Toolkit offer educators free resources to enhance K-12 STEM education through inclusivity, hands-on learning, sensemaking, and student-centered instruction. These tools empower educators to create engaging and accessible STEM learning experiences for all.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster session introduces the Teach Engineering K-12 STEM digital library and the NCWIT AspireIT Toolkit. These tools are designed to enhance K-12 education with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and hands-on learning, addressing the need for equitable access to high-quality STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Dua Chaker (Teach Engineering: No City, No State), Jennifer Kracha (Teach Engineering), Ellen Parrish (Teach Engineering: ERIE, CO)

A Research Experience for Teachers (RET program) could be an inspiration for science and engineering lessons for the classroom. Our research rekindled our passion for STEM education and we believe it is contagious! Learn about the RET program and check out lesson materials for physics and math.

TAKEAWAYS:
How can you convert a university research experience into a high school classroom lesson?

SPEAKERS:
Tanima Mukherjee (Vista Ridge High School Lisd: Cedar Park, TX), Faith Palombi (Cedar Ridge High School: Austin, TX)

The implementation of high-quality instructional materials requires support as teachers make the shifts needed for effective use. Dig into Change Management from The Elements of curriculum based professional learning to figure out how key lessons can help you lead change.

TAKEAWAYS:
Join other leaders to consider key lessons from change and dig into Change Management from The Elements: Transforming Teaching through Curriculum-based Professional Learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jim Short (BSCS Science Learning: Ridgefield, NY), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

We show how instructional materials can be adapted for local contexts—and how to elevate issues of climate justice and ethical responses to the climate crisis. Participants will learn about how a high school physics unit from OpenSciEd was adapted to attend to Indigenous land rights and sovereignty.

TAKEAWAYS:
In relation to science and engineering projects in society (e.g., associated with the energy transition, ecological restoration, urban development), teachers will learn how to engage students in exploring moral and ethical dimensions of trade-offs in project approaches.

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

In this session, teachers will unpack the OpenSciEd Chemistry curriculum from a teachers point of view. Then they will work together to share tips and best practices around utilizing OpenSciEd in chemistry for their specific school context.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will have a better understanding about OpenSciEd in Chemistry through sharing with other teachers - no matter where they are in using this curriculum - and identify a future working group to navigate the curriculum together.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Stetzenmeyer (Belleville High School: Ann Arbor, MI)

Navigate utilizing hydroponics in the classroom to inform plant science concepts to generate a product used by your school lunch program. Teach students about the dynamics from seed to harvest and the scientific practices to manage systems to help feed a growing population in their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will gain strategies to incorporate standards into a variety of course offerings using hydroponic systems as a view into the world of agriculture and their life science standards to support their learning. Teachers will walk away with lessons ready to implement in the classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Sprague (Onalaska High School: Onalaska, WI), JESSICA JONES (Olmsted Falls High School: Strongsville, OH)

Explore modern livestock farming practices and their environmental impacts. Classroom activities will be shared to help students understand why plant-source and animal-source foods differ in their environmental impact as they think critically about the trade-offs involved in various food systems.

TAKEAWAYS:
Animal-source foods have a larger environmental footprint than plant-source foods (per unit of food produced). Evaluating the sustainability of food production systems requires critical thinking and an evaluation of socioscience to understand factors outside of science that impact our food choices.

SPEAKERS:
Andrea Gardner (Utah State University: Enterprise, UT)

Teachers can increase equitable instruction by understanding student status and identity. Attendees will reflect on their status and identity as science learners to inform classroom practices by graphing their status, discussing the role of identity and naming strategies to elevate all learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will gain strategies to positively influence student status and support identity development for an equitable classroom culture. Collaboratively, attendees will raise questions about developing equitable classroom communities and generate strategies to support all learners.

SPEAKERS:
Rosiane Lesperance- Goss (Knowles Teacher Initiative: Roseland, NJ)

This session will dive into how projects like a leaf pack ecology lab can turn students into citizen scientists and increase engagement in a high school biology classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a better understanding of ways they can help develop their students into citizen scientists through a leaf pack lab or other methods - the opportunities are endless!

SPEAKERS:
Christopher Aguiar (Choate Rosemary Hall: Wallingford, CT)

Sponsoring Company: ECA Science Kit Services

In this session we will select 3-4 popular science programs to evaluate using the 15-Questions developed by ECA Science Kit Services. The objective is to have participants walk away with an easy guide to use as they evaluate different programs to adopt. The takeaway will be an understanding of how to set teachers up for success for implementation. This process will share information about alignment, usability and budget, as well as exposing “blindspot” costs. It will cover short-term and long-term goals for implementation. There will also be an activity related to the “usability” portion of the presentation. Participants will have a fun experience and leave with a navigational guide to support their adoption and implementation process.

SPEAKERS:
Heidi Harlan (ECA Science Kit Services: Commerce Charter Township, MI)

Sponsoring Company: PASCO Scientific

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to facilitate deeper student understanding of mole ratios, stoichiometry, and limiting reactants. This hands-on activity uses common household chemicals to simplify setup and a Wireless Pressure Sensor to support live data collection and immediate data analysis.

Sponsoring Company: Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI)

Join us for an interactive session where engineering meets speed dating! Experience hands-on challenges inspired by TCI's middle school science programs. Attendees will participate in engineering-focused "speed dates," uncovering valuable insights.

In three-dimensional science instruction, teachers play a critical role as designers of learning experiences that promote sensemaking. This session will explore how educators can implement high-quality instructional materials to create engaging, three-dimensional earning environments. Participants will examine key indicators of effective science instruction, their implications for classroom observations and evaluation, and strategies for fostering teacher confidence and innovation. Attendees will gain insights into supporting teachers as they design and implement meaningful, student-centered science learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Zoe Evans (Bremen City Schools: Carrollton, GA), Elizabeth Pawlowski (Taunton Public Schools: Taunton, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

From coffee to cola, many of your students’ favorite beverages contain acid! Help them investigate the acid concentrations in different drinks using pH sensors and a simple acid/base titration. Walk away with a go-to experiment and tips to connect key chemistry concepts to real-world food science.

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Is there a reason to wear sneakers in gym class or a white shirt on a sunny day? The data say yes! Help middle school students explore real-world science with Vernier sensors that measure temperature, light, color, force & acceleration. Walk away with 3D, sensor-based experiments for your toolkit.

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for Elementary School and discover how the Carolina Certified Version enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use.

SPEAKERS:
Hoover Herrera (Carolina Biological Supply Co.: Cranford, NJ)

Sponsoring Company: LEGO® Education

Join LEGO Education for a special presentation/Q&A with Dr. Lisa Carnell from NASA’s Biological and Physical Science Division. Learn how they use space-based research to study phenomena in ways that cannot be done on Earth. Get inspired, be curious, and empower the next generation through science. 

Sponsoring Company: The Wonder of Science

Explore 3-dimensional science instruction through modeling, argument-driven inquiry, and phenomenon-based teaching. Learn to apply the NGSS SEPs and CCCs using best practices and resources from The Wonder of Science. Led by Paul Andersen, this hands-on workshop is inquiry-driven.

SPEAKERS:
Paul Andersen (Bozemanscience.com, Inc.: Bozeman, MT)

Sponsoring Company: LaMotte + Stroud Water Research Center

Observe aquatic macroinvertebrate specimens, conduct experiments, learn classification skills, and calculate a biotic index in this hands-on introduction to stream ecology. Come learn from a Stroud Water Research Scientist. Take-aways and door prize!

Sponsoring Company: BrainPOP

Spark engagement and deepen understanding with BrainPOP Science! This workshop explores phenomena-based learning, investigations, and STEELS-aligned strategies for grades 6-8. Discover how to differentiate instruction and empower students to become confident scientific thinkers and writers.

SPEAKERS:
Hannah Bonville (BrainPOP: New York, NY)

Sponsoring Company: Flinn Scientific

This session covers essential safety practices, including hazard analysis, proper PPE, GHS labels, risk management, and communication with administrators. Ideal for all science teachers, science supervisors, administrators and lab supervisors. Leave with actionable tips to prioritize safety! Visit https://www.flinnsci.com/safety/ for more information.

SPEAKERS:
Mike Marvel, Ph.D. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.: Batavia, IL)

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Rockets zoom and race cars zip through hands-on activities that engage your middle and high school students. Apply creative problem-solving skills and engineering practices to chemistry and physical science challenges. Experience how Carolina makes it easy to incorporate STEM into your classroom.

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

Sponsoring Company: Carolina Biological Supply Co.

Explore hands-on training in biotechnology! Teachers in this workshop will conduct two activities with BioBuilder’s proven classroom and laboratory curriculum designed for students gain industry microcredentials and to be college and career ready. Search "BioTechBuilder" online to learn more!

SPEAKERS:
Natalie Kuldell (Biobuilder Educational Foundation: Newton Center, MA)

Sponsoring Company: Edvotek

Wildlife conservators often return captive-bred animals to their native habitats to rewild the area. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the use of RFLP analysis and phylogenetics in conservation biology to analyze the DNA samples of two lions. Can we return them to their ancestral home?

SPEAKERS:
Brian Ell (Edvotek Inc.: Washington, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Amplify

Learn from a panel of educators who have successfully made the shift to 3-D teaching and learning – what steps they took to begin, strengthen, and sustain their implementation journey and how it has impacted classroom culture and student growth.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Stenger (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Santa Rosa, CA), Hilda Aganga-Williams (University of California Berkeley-Lawrence Hall of Science: WASHINGTON, DC)

Sponsoring Company: Activate Learning

Come and participate with the author of the book, Arthur Eisenkraft, for a close-up look at a new Physical Science book. Experience a fun, take-home lab and learn more about this super curriculum from Activate Learning.

SPEAKERS:
Gary Curts (Activate Learning: Greenwich, CT), Arthur Eisenkraft (University of Massachusetts Boston: Quincy, MA)

Sponsoring Company: HHMI BioInteractive

Delve into the power of science as storytelling using storylines! Explore how the BioInteractive Sickle Cell Storyline sparks student questions to help them create connections between biological concepts and build deeper understandings.

SPEAKERS:
Lee Ferguson (The Episcopal School of Dallas: Plano, TX), Chris Monsour (Tiffin Columbian High School: Tiffin, OH)

Sponsoring Company: Simulation Curriculum

Unlock the cosmos for your classroom with our tailored workshop! Discover engaging teacher resources and delve into the latest astronomical discoveries. Gain confidence and tools to ignite students' curiosity about the wonders of the universe, fostering a passion for science. Grades K4, 5-8 and 9-12

Sponsoring Company: miniPCR bio

Bring molecular techniques to Ecology and Evolution units with an activity based on the work of the Duke Lemur Center. Has an extinct lemur species been found again in the wild? Test DNA with gel electrophoresis, build phylogenetic trees, and analyze authentic field data.

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

Sponsoring Company: NOAA

Dive into a sea of classroom-ready resources! With standards-aligned teaching materials, tutorials, hands-on activities, PD, and funding opportunities, NOS Education supports ocean, coastal, and climate learning at ALL levels and engages students and communities in hands-on stewardship.

SPEAKERS:
Alexandria Gillen (NOAA National Ocean Service: Fredericksburg, VA)

Sponsoring Company: MiniOne Systems

Teach macromolecules without the crazy prep! In this micro-scaled lab activity, students test for starch, glucose, protein, lipids and DNA, without the need for large volumes of reagents, cleaning test tubes, or boiling reagents. Then students apply their knowledge and test various unknown samples.

SPEAKERS:
Priya Mangano (BridgeWater Raynham Regional High School: Bridgewater, MA), Lindsay Hamilton (Bridgewater Raritan High School: Bridgewater, PA)

Why is data science important? How can I integrate it in my classroom? The High School 2 Health Care project will share engaging data science content for teacher professional development. Join our interactive session to gain confidence to teach real-world data science and inspire your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The High School 2 Health Care project aligns with the NSTA’s Position on Data Science that all students should have knowledge of data science and ethical use of data. Data science modules will be provided and results showing our modules increased teachers’ data science knowledge and self-efficacy.

SPEAKERS:
Simpfronia Taylor (University of Tennessee Martin (Ripley Center): Ripley, TN), Rebecca Reynolds (UT Health Science Ceter)

Learn how to engage your students with the rich phenomena that stars and exoplanets can provide through the use of a free EQuIP-reviewed high quality ESS unit.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will deepen their understanding of how prioritizing phenomena-driven learning supports key HQIM features through exploring a free NGSS-badged ESS unit that engages student interest and relevance while integrating the three dimensions of argumentation, stability & change, and various DCIs.

SPEAKERS:
Devin Foschi (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY), Dora Kastel (New Visions for Public Schools: New York, NY)

Gain practical knowledge to provide accessible STEM experiences for all students. Participants will analyze scenarios and brainstorm ways to create a more authentic experience for students. Participants will have the opportunity to apply these new strategies using provided STEM lessons.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with ideas and actionable strategies to engage all students in learning STEM at appropriately challenging levels.

SPEAKERS:
Bev Berekian (Serrano Intermediate/SVUSD: Lakewood, CA), Jessica Minton (Houston High School: Germantown, TN)

Join this dynamic workshop to explore three hands-on classroom activities that highlight the math and science skills needed in the manufacturing industry. Explore how geometry, measurement, and critical thinking skills all come together to create new products.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn 3 hands on activities that demonstrate how science and math skills translate to real world jobs in manufacturing.

SPEAKERS:
Kristin Diamantides (Learning Undefeated: Gaithersburg, MD)

Learn how to leverage the power of social media to break down student misconceptions, rather than build them. Teachers will engage in an activity finding fake news on social media, then discussing how to adapt the activity for their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will experience an engaging activity designed to help students directly confront misinformation they encounter on social media. By having students confront their own misconceptions about hot topics, we empower them to be more responsible consumers of information in the future.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Dobrin (Mercersburg Academy: Mercersburg, PA)

Learn what representations and data your students can use to bridge phenomena and mathematics, and how to use data tasks to assess 3D kinematics understanding, as opposed to rote algebra skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to assess student problem-solving ability and conceptual understanding through students' use of multiple representations and approaches in physics classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Christopher Moore (University of Nebraska Omaha: Omaha, NE)

Integrate healthy habits of conversation into your students' learning with the civil discourse framework. Empower yourself with strategies and resources to engage students in respectful discourse when conveying their understanding of a topic related to environmental science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Equip yourself with tools and lessons to leverage in bringing civil discourse to your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Lane (Sphere Education Initiatives: Lakewood, WA), Elyse Alter (Sphere Education Initiatives: No City, No State)

This presentation would cover 2025 trends developing in state-level education policy and their potential to impact science education and science teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Be an informed science educator on the big policy issues that could impact your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Alex Molinich (Hands On Science Partnership: Pittsford, NY), James Brown (STEM Education Coalition: Washington, DC)

Performance Learning Instruction shifts from traditional content based teaching to a hands-on approach, where students, like "aspiring MacGyvers," construct knowledge by solving problems and sense-making, rather than simply verifying and recalling information.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this workshop, you will engage in instructional design by viewing performance learning and phenomena from the perspective of students and then teachers. Learning by doing, participants will collaborate to learn how to design instructional units grounded in phenomena and promoting sense-making.

SPEAKERS:
Beth Penney (Amherst School District: Lyndeborough, NH), Heather Wheeler (Portsmouth High School; New Hampshire Learning Initiative: Exeter, NH), Sue Downer (NH Learning Initiative: Bedford, NH)

Join experienced inclusion teachers as they share practical strategies for supporting ALL students in chemistry classsroom. It will include a short, NGSS-aligned, phenomenon-based lesson, demonstrating how to adapt instruction for diverse student needs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with concrete strategies for supporting neurodivergent students,

SPEAKERS:
Cathy Zavacki (Hillsborough High School: Easton, PA), Anjana Iyer (Hillsborough High School: Kendall park, NJ)

Join us for an engaging session with the Chief Science Officer (CSO) state coordinator, a high school mentor, and students as they lead a panel on this transformative initiative. Discover how this hands-on program builds workplace skills, amplifies student voices, and shapes future advocates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to foster student empowerment through the CSO program, support advocacy, and explore its statewide impact. Discover how the program prepares future STEM leaders and change advocates while strengthening your science community, and learn how to bring it to your district!

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Schwab (Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23: Norristown, PA), Dylan Fedell (Palisades High School: Kintnersville, PA)

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

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

SPEAKERS:
Audrey Baird (Flagstaff High School: Flagstaff, AZ), Ron Gray (Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff, AZ)

Looking to design well-scaffolded, standards-based, clustered assessments but not sure where to begin? Learn about available tools and resources to help kickstart your 2D and 3D assessment design. Develop a system for constructing performance assessments that are relative and meaningful for all learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will evaluate existing 2D & 3D assessments, gain access to assessment design checklists, learn how to develop questions, distinguish between scenario and data-based prompts and begin to construct their own scaffolded performance-based assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Burns (Connetquot Central School District: Baiting Hollow, NY), Jessica Mintz (Eastport-South Manor Central School District: Holbrook, NY)

Participants will engage with different stations that focus on 3D models and activities that are modified to help students who are blind experience inquiry in an appropriate and parallel way as sighted peers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave this 60 min workshop with strategies for modifying their own labs and hands-on class activities to better ensure that every child can “see” biology.

SPEAKERS:
Steffanie Shoop (Princeton Public Schools: Princeton, NJ), Hellanna Koflowitch (Princeton Public Schools: Princeton, NJ)

Join us to learn how to use a place-based approach with data from NASA’s Earth System Data Explorer tool. Participants will take part in hands-on activities and pedagogical discussions to think about implementing place-based, data-rich activities using NASA resources in their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to access and use both primary and secondary data from NASA’s Earth System Data Explorer and other NASA resources (e.g., My NASA Data Literacy Cubes) to explore global phenomena at local scales, and reflect on instructional trade-offs for using different tools.

SPEAKERS:
Sara Salisbury (WestEd: Verona, PA), Karen Lionberger (WestEd: Decatur, GA)

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), Carla Robinson (The University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Leticia Garza (University of Texas at Austin: Austin, TX), Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Laveen, AZ)

How can you customize an OpenSciEd unit to dive into the issues that really matter to your students? This workshop aims to help teachers find and leverage community resources from outside the classroom to adapt an OpenSciEd unit (MS or HS) to include local phenomena around environmental justice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will walk away with tips and tools to help them choose local phenomena, find community partners, and integrate them into an OpenSciEd unit, all while maintaining coherence from a student’s perspective and honoring the lived experiences and resources of environmental justice communities.

SPEAKERS:
Erin McCool (Cool Heron), Michelle Bolliger-Fyler (OpenSciEd Facilitator Team: Denver, CO)

How can we teach concepts like ions, ionic compounds, & chemical rxns in a fun, meaningful, & rigorous way? Through the phenomenon of popping boba! We will walk through a series of investigations and hands-on labs to explore its properties and how it is made.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a phenomenon-based lesson rooted in core chemistry concepts. They will engage in easy, investigative, and fun hands-on labs and see how we unpack how a gel-encapsulated liquid (popping boba) forms by exploring ions, charges, ionic bonding, and electrostatic attractions.

SPEAKERS:
April Thompson (Westlake High School: Thornwood, NY), Jocelyn Puett (Valley Park High School: Valley Park, MO), Alyssa Wachsman (LDSD: Camp Hill, PA), Makala Woods (Northfield High School: Denver, CO), Megan McCall (Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies: Mobile, AL), Hannah Holt (Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter High School: Philadelphia, PA), Kate Strangfeld (Harvard University: Cambridge, MA)

Give your students the chance to take on the role of a genetic counselor and apply their understanding of genetics to real world scenarios, including creating a pedigree, using NCBI and interpreting primary literature.

TAKEAWAYS:
Work through the genetic counselor project from a patient background, solving a pedigree, learning how to use NCBI, and interpreting primary literature. You will take home the student directions, exemplar projects, list of relevant primary literature articles, and teacher key.

SPEAKERS:
Ilana Saxe (The Lawrenceville School: Lawrenceville, NJ)

Join us for an exciting mini workshop designed to familiarize students with innovative technology, entrepreneurship, and career pathways leading to a career in STEM. This hands-on session is perfect for teachers to explore trending STEM careers with easily scaled classroom programs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers and faculty will walk away with examples of STEM innovation and entrepreneurship programs developed by the Manufacturing USA network. These programs can layer over existing classes and familiarize students with career pathways and new technologies.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Conrad (NIST: Gaithersburg, MD), Amy Keesler (IACMI-The Composites Institute: MORRISTOWN, TN), Christy Johnson (ARMI Advance Regenerative Manufacturing Institute), John Zappa (ARM Institute: Pittsburgh, PA)

Animalearn will showcase hands-on and tech-focused dissection alternatives, including a newly developed and low cost dissectible frog model and AR/VR experiences that will wow middle school students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Middle level science teachers will learn about a wide variety of non-animal anatomy resources that can be utilized in the classroom to replace dissection specimens.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Green (Animalearn: Jenkintown, PA)

Come try engaging, exciting and hands-on biotechnology activities for middle school students. Using colored dyes, students learn the basics of pipetting and running an electrophoresis gel.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about age appropriate biotechnology activities for middle school.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Hagins (MiniOne Systems: San Diego, CA)

Using free or low-cost resources in the middle school classroom, you can get your students excited about earthquake science. IRIS and EarthScope resources will be shared, explained, and demonstrated.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be able to have their classrooms and students monitor local, regional, and global seismic events even before they make national news stations. Authentic seismic data in the classroom will make your science classes more relevant and interesting for all students.

SPEAKERS:
David Curry (Newtown Middle School: Pipersville, PA)

Shape of Life provides FREE online resources that depicts the evolution of the animal kingdom on planet earth. Drived from a PBS eight hour series, Shape of Life offers short videos, animation film, lesson plans, feature articles and readings that have been engaging students all over the world.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how students may create their own cartoons and animations that depict the evolution of the animal kingdom as seen in the newly produced film by Ray Troll.

SPEAKERS:
Denise Ryan (Shape of Life: Capitola, CA)

Learn to use the Sphero Mini robot to teach middle school students kinetics concepts like velocity, acceleration, and force. This session offers hands-on activities aligned with NGSS, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and inquiry-based learning to make science engaging and interactive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate the Sphero Mini robot into science lessons to teach kinetics concepts such as velocity, acceleration, and force, using NGSS-aligned, hands-on activities that foster student engagement, critical thinking, and collaborative inquiry-based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Marrero (Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico: Bajadero, PR)

These materials have been compiled by the NSTA Middle Level Teaching Committee working in conjunction with our affiliate the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA). They include a comprehensive document that displays resources linked to NGSS PEs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will walk away with a set of online resources that they can use immediately!

SPEAKERS:
Anne Schoeffler (Seton Catholic School: Macedonia, OH)

Students cross alleles to create a dragon genotype. They will then interpret the genotype into a phenotype and assemble a paper dragon.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to decode genotypes and turn them into phenotypes.

SPEAKERS:
Sharon Miller (St Anthony of Padua School: Falls Church, VA)

NGSS inquiry based lessons about food and energy, as well as energy transfer will be shared. All lessons are OER.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with an understanding and blueprint of how to incorporate these lessons into their classroom, as well as make necessary modifications.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Martinez (Indepedent: Escondido, CA)

Visiting teachers will explore strategies and resources to start or strengthen a Green Team at their school. Two experienced advisors—one specializing in 4-5th grade teams and another in 6-8th grade teams—will provide insights and actionable tips for launching or enhancing an effective Green Team.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about options for meeting schedules, team goals, and varying levels of involvement, so they can decide what will work best for their students. Beginners and those advisors with established teams will leave inspired with actionable ideas to implement and improve their Green Team.

SPEAKERS:
Sandra Metzger (Charles Boehm: Langhorne, PA), Kristin Slota (Afton Elementary: Holland, PA)

You will learn how the Dimensions of Success for Middle Grades Learning Engineering and Science (DoS-MiddLES) classroom observation system can help teachers reflect and discuss with peers about their strengths & areas for growth as they integrate resilience with science and engineering learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Do you want to identify strategies to support your students' building resilience and thriving skills, such as perseverance, voice, reflection, or positive relationships, through engaging in authentic science and engineering experiences in grade 6 to 8 classrooms?

SPEAKERS:
Virginia Andrews (Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth)

Our classrooms are filled with diverse learners who value choice. We must proactively design differentiated activities that empower students, fostering independence, creativity, and ownership. Join this share-a-thorn session to explore strategies for designing and implementing Choice & Voice!

TAKEAWAYS:
Takeaway from the share-a-thorn session include: designing Choice & Voice assessments and empowering students to be independent learners, knowledge constructors, and creative communicators. The presenter will share tested, standards-based Choice & Voice assessments and student work exemplars.

SPEAKERS:
Gaganjot Singh (Fulton Virtual: Roswell, GA)