Lab Skills: The Escape Room! (Life Science Grades 9–16)
A mysterious illness renders patients incoherent, and a group of field scientists is missing. You must find the cure to solve the mystery. Workshop space is limited. Get tickets at the Bio-Rad booth.
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Thursday, November 01
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8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
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5E Lessons: You Only Thought You Knew How to Write Them!
5E lessons are intended to be inquiry-based lessons in which students discover the concept before assigning vocabulary, but too often, 5E lessons introduce vocabulary before the activity. Learn how to develop truly inquiry-based lessons that challenge the critical thinking skills of your students and teach targeted content.
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ACT2 Presents: Driving Forces: Thermodynamics Activities and Experiments
This session will focus on activities and experiments for an AP Chemistry class dealing with thermodynamics. It is easy to find thermochemistry activities, but relating entropy and free energy is more challenging. Several of the experiments were originally published in the Journal of Chemical Education.
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Bean Soup Is Ready
"Bean Soup Is Ready" converts the classroom into a giant cell. In this interactive, high-energy activity, all students role-play the functions and interactions of cell organelles. It supports major concepts and themes connected to the TEKS. It will be one of your favorite lessons.
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Blend Your Classroom with Resource "Playlists"
Learn how to create a blended classroom that utilizes resource "playlists," allowing you to provide more targeted initial instruction as well as real-time intervention. Participants will be provided access codes for classroom-ready "playlists" available through Schoology for seventh- and eighth-grade standards.
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Busy-Hands Chemistry
Learn engaging hands-on activities for chemistry using manipulatives—connecting cubes, cut-outs and magnets. We’ll cover topics for the whole year—bonding, the periodic table, electron configuration, atomic theory and more!
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Clearing the Conclusion Confusion
Claims, Evidence and Reasoning (CER) and Identify and Interpret (I-Squared) are effective conclusion methods that can be used in any grade level with lab activities, reading, problem solving, graph analysis, state assessment questions, video scenarios, inquiry-based activities and so much more.
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Coding for Kinder
Programming is becoming a basic literacy in the digital age. Learning how to program is like learning any other language: The skill must be practiced and tested. Using Bee-Bots, a colorful, easy-to-operate, friendly little robot, we will learn sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and space exploration!
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Coding the Table
Students are required to interpret the periodic table. Teaching them to use songs, color, and symbols to "code" the features of the table helps to develop this skill.
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Combining Performance-Based Tasks with Argument-Driven Inquiry
Our goal is to show how you can take a performance-based task with the rigor of argument-driven inquiry to engage students and deepen their understanding, learning, and performance of objectives.
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Connecting Biomolecules to Natural Selection Using HHMI BioInteractive Resources
In this workshop, teachers will explore free HHMI BioInteractive resources about lactase persistence as a way to introduce students to biomolecules and the concept of natural selection. Teachers will also participate in data analysis activities related to both concepts.
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Create Personalized Learning Pathways and Engage Students with Visual Science Mini-Lessons
Learn how fifth-grade science teachers from a leading school district combined digital resources from Summit K12 with unique instructional strategies to create personalized learning pathways and engaging, differentiated visual mini-lessons for students during science tutorials that helped them achieve strong growth on the fifth-grade STAAR.
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Digital Science Notebooking
Bring your own device and learn how to create a digital science notebook that raises the level of engagement in any science class. When you return to your own campus, you will be able to utilize what you have learned by designing specific notebooks for your classes and students.
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Drive the Future of Coding with mBot
Explore the fundamentals of coding with mBot, an app-enabled, programmable robot. In this hands-on session, use your science, mathematics, and problem-solving skills to navigate mBot. Preview Vernier's Coding with mBot: Self-Driving Vehicles activities module while learning mBot’s simple block-based programming software.
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Edusmart Academy
New and experienced Edusmart users are encouraged to come and learn about all the recent enhancements and additions. Take a tour of the variety of resources available, including our new Science Readers, Prepackaged STAARSmart Science Assessments and Easy-to-Use Learning Management System and Easy Integration into Google Classroom. The Edusmart team will be on hand to answer questions and share tips on how you can get the most out of this popular resource. Door Prizes!
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Engaging Elementary Students’ Creativity With Concept Maps
Wipro Science Education Fellows will guide elementary and middle school teachers in a hands-on, interactive session. Participants will create concept maps, learn how they are used throughout the learning cycle, and understand how they increase engagement and the level of student thinking.
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Explore Before Explain: How to Set Students Up for Success in Science
Do you struggle with leveling the playing field of experiences among students in your class? Do you want students to authentically engage in their learning? Join us to explore what the research says and various content examples.
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Fantastic Physical Science Phenomena from Flinn Scientific
Engage your students with quick demonstrations that teach common physical science topics, including force and motion, waves, light and color, energy, pressure, and scientific inquiry. Great demos to stimulate student interest, arouse curiosity, increase observational skills, and reinforce the learning process in a fun and positive way!
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Fascinate Your Students with Glowing Bacteria
Make bacteria glow fluorescent green in this hands-on transformation lab. Bacterial transformation is one of the most important techniques in genetic modification and medicine production.
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Full STEAM Ahead for Elementary
These STEAM resources will have your students thinking, designing, creating, and experimenting their way through their education. Activities, websites, and resources will be shared.
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Gateways to Science Companion Guide: Interactive Notebooks
Explore Region 4’s Gateways to Science Companion Guide: Interactive Notebooks and identify best practices in implementation, management, and assessment of interactive notebooks. Discover another way to assist students as they interactively learn and retain content. Attendees will have the opportunity to peruse the book and ask questions.
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Get Your Game On! Game-Based Learning with Legends of Learning
Legends of Learning creates standards-aligned digital games that increase subject mastery and engagement. Teachers use our platform to supplement and enhance their lessons. Experience Legends of Learning and see how you can integrate an exciting game-based learning platform into your curriculum to give your students the superpower of knowledge!
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ISEA Presents: Balancing Forces with Tightrope Walkers
Explore forces in this interactive workshop! Participants will experience the forces acting upon tightrope walkers in a demonstration and create their own tightrope walker prototype in which they can manipulate its properties and test its balance on a model of a high wire.
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Igniting Student Voice and Choice Through Choice Boards
Student engagement is key to a productive learning environment. In this session, you will explore different apps and websites to keep students engaged by empowering them to express their voice and choice using interactive choice boards. Bring your device and be ready to ignite YOUR voice and choice!
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Inspiring Young Scientists through Teaching, Learning and Research
Learn about why students’ perceptions of scientists are important and what classroom teachers can do to broaden students’ perceptions of scientists. Trade books are discussed as a means to humanize and personalize children’s science learning via biographical stories of real-world people who pursue science and engineering methods.
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Integrating Virtual Science Labs in the 21st-Century Classroom
This session will focus on how to use virtual science labs within the modern Texas science classroom, including how to address different learning styles and non-native English language speakers. We will also cover why virtual science labs are a critical part of modern science teaching strategy.
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Landscape for Learning: A STEM PBL Unit
Teachers learn what a successful STEM problem-based learning (PBL) unit looks like and how it can be implemented. The unit explores human impact on ecosystems and involves students' creating a wildlife refuge on their school campus that can then be used by all students to study different patterns in nature.
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Let's Fly a Kite: A Cross-Curricular Project
The project focuses on creating and flying kites in the context of cross-curricular project-based learning. Students will research the most common types, history, and uses of kites, resulting in a product to present, and then they will apply the scientific method to hypothesize and predict which kite will fly best.
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Making Learning Fun and Engaging
Learn how to keep learning engaging for all students in the classroom using games to review content and build vocabulary.
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Making Sixth-Grade Science Accessible and Hands-On
Glean examples of activities and games used successfully in a sixth-grade science classroom to make some of the more “boring” TEKS hands-on, accessible for struggling learners, and fun for all students. Identify effective ways to use games, card sorts, and word walls to guide struggling learners.
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Middle School Biotechnology: An Easy Approach to Explore with Your Students
Would you like share technologies used in today’s biotech laboratories with your middle school students? Join us for this hands-on workshop where you’ll explore commonly used high-level skills (DNA isolation, electrophoresis, etc.). These activities will help your students understand how techniques such as genetic engineering work in a real-world context.
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Population, Populations, Populations
What happens when a species is eliminated from a food chain? Are there really that many organisms in the woods? Do natural resources really affect species populations? The answers to all of these questions can be found through hands-on labs, sampling activities, and discussions.
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Raising the Bar: Adding Rigor to Science Literacy with STEMscopes
Join us as we learn the power of using science literacy to engage students in reading, writing, and discourse about science through text, inquiry, and media in collaborative groups, leading to student mastery and high achievement. Build the rigor and engagement for all students.
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STEM-ulating Activities on Human Ecology
Discover innovative ways to teach students about human-environmental interactions while also building STEM skills through problem solving, mathematical modeling, interactive technology, and more! Receive lesson plans in an electronic format, all matched to TEKS.
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Science Teaching Hacks to Make Your Life Easier!
Participate in a whirlwind of tips and tricks for organizing science supplies, making notebooking user friendly, setting up a simple makerspace, tackling the streamlined TEKS, and much, much more! These simple hacks, some of them make-and-take, will leave you feeling energized and excited about implementing new ideas. Door prizes too!
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Simplifying Differentiation: How to Tier Lessons to Better Meet Individual Student Needs
Do you ever feel like some of your students are being held back while others are struggling to keep pace? If so, come experience how we differentiated two eighth-grade lessons to meet the needs of both groups. Participants will walk away with materials for tiered 8.8A and 8.8C lessons.
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Sol 1: STEM Experts Mars Exploration
Prepare for your mission to Mars with STEM Experts. Practice engineering principles as we design and test a spacesuit to maintain your body temperature in the extreme heat and cold of Mars. You'll work with a model that simulates the water composition of the human body.
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Spinning Your Way to AP Biology Success
Do you sometimes feel you are spinning your wheels? Do you want better insight into what’s spinning around in your students’ brains? Engage student learning by using spinners as a pre- or post-assessment. Assessing your students has never been this much fun or this informative!
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Structures and Functions K-5: What Is the Learning Progression?
How many ways can we help students understand structure and function? How does the structure and function of plants and bessbugs help them survive? Can students learn better through a coherent learning progression? Can science be taught in 30-minute lessons? Experience a fun, inquiry-based workshop to answer these questions.
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Student-Centered Science
Learn how to organize student-centered stations for a middle school classroom. Participants will leave with a sample learning log that helps guide students through their independent learning. Learn how to get middle school students invested in their education while also increasing individual attention.
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TCES Presents: Getting Outside with Young Science Learners
Participants will explore multiple ways young scientists can actively investigate a variety of topics outside the classroom. Using readily available materials and common outdoor environments, participants will focus on how early learners interact with nature and deeper their understanding of the world around them.
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TESTA Presents: Minerals—Using Minerals to Teach Physical and Chemical Properties
This hands-on session will use mineral samples and elements from the Periodic Table to learn more about the physical and chemical properties of matter. This session will focus on methods to make these concepts from the abstract more concrete and meaningful to your students.
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TSELA Presents: Dealing with Programs and Partnerships: Where Do I Start? Tips for New Coordinators
In this session, participants will learn tips and strategies for cultivating partnerships with entities that can benefit their students, as well as gain a deeper understanding of how collaborations with certain district departments can help increase your productivity level.
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Taste and Smell the Science
In this session, we will explore taste and smell. Carbonate fruit, taste a periodic trend, and explore the shapes of molecules with our sense of smell. Through these experiences, we will explore how bubbles get into our soda and the sensitivity of our taste buds and olfactory sense.
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The Great Generational Divide: Boomers, Gen X, and Those Pesky Millennials
When working to empathize with those around us, we often neglect a glaring discrepancy: age. From the Gen Z kids we teach to the three drastically different generations in our workforce, see how identifying our generational biases can help build bridges for stronger relationships to flourish on our campuses!
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Using Menus to Provide Choice = Greater Equity in STEM?
Create a classroom where students of different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities are more engaged by giving them choice. Use menus/choice boards to allow students to integrate their background, culture, and interests into your classroom and content. Applicable to grades 3-12 across all content.
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Utilizing Today’s Tools with Digital Notebooking
Students use a variety of tools to navigate science content. A staple of the science classroom is the interactive notebook. This session will digitize the notebooking journey and create an e-learning profile. Students can, in turn, use this as resource to review content and prepare.
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VR in a Secondary Science Classroom
Virtual reality is designed to be realistic and interactive, creating compelling learning environments. Using quality graphic images, touch feedback, simulated movements, and auditory stimuli, VR has the potential to enable students to learn science in dynamic new ways: visualizing abstract concepts, practicing procedural skills, and interacting directly with phenomena.
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Visual Physics: Using Nonlinguistic Representations to Support Calculations
Are you tired of students working equation after equation without visual representations? During this session, participants will work together to solve physics problems using nonlinguistic representations to support all learners. This session is a great way to learn how to visualize kinematics, energy, and momentum.
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What Is pH? Hands-On Strategies to Tackle Misconceptions
What is pH, and why is the scale 0–14? Help students develop and understand the logarithmic pH scale by creating serial dilutions in this hands-on workshop. Using the Wireless pH sensor and some universal indicators, your students will be able to analyze and visualize what pH actually means and measures!
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What's in the Bag? Cost-Effective STEM activities for the Classroom
This session will focus on how to use STEM in the classroom on a teacher's budget. There are plenty of STEM activities that you can buy from a box. These are hands-on activities that come from everyday materials some people would even throw away.
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What's the Buzz on Electricity?
TEKS are changing for Electricity 4.6 A,B,C; 5.6 A,B. We will provide a hands-on, minds-on make-and-take activity of circuits easily implemented as part of your 5E lesson (especially explore, extend). We will also have a TEKS-based vocabulary development puzzle and template to take.
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Who is Baby Whale’s Father? DNA Fingerprinting Solves the Mystery!
Get hands-on experience on how to teach gel electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting in a single classroom session. You will pour, load, and run a gel; capture gel image; analyze the results; and deduce a probable conclusion for a whale of a forensic mystery.
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11:00 AM - 5:30 PM
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Museum Bus (No Preregistration Required!)
Visit the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) or Fort Worth Japanese Garden. See page 14 of your program for details.
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11:15 AM - 6:00 PM
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Camp El Tesoro
Check in at the Excursion counter beginning at 11:15 a.m. Where do outdoor laboratories, critical thinking, hands-on scientific exploration and team building intersect? See for yourself when you join the CAST excursion to the Texas Outdoor Education Center. Hop on the bus and become a student of nature for the day and have an experience you won’t forget.
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12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
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TSELA Presents: Developing District-wide PLCs for Upper Elementary Grades
Participants will learn about our district's journey to develop and support content professional learning communities (PLCs) at departmentalized grade levels in our elementary schools. Our discussion will focus around the professional learning of participants and the development of a powerful science PLC for each grade level.
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12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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ACT2 Presents: Enlightening Chemistry—Tools for Teaching Chemistry to Blind and Visually Impaired Students
Chemistry is a visually demanding subject and can seem daunting to meaningfully adapt for a visually impaired or blind student. A number of DIY and store-bought tools for both classroom instruction and lab adaptation will be shared. Participants will also have the opportunity to share other helpful tools or resources.
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AP Physics: Statics Demos and Labs
In this workshop, we'll discuss several demonstrations and labs that prove the rules and concepts of static equilibrium. Included topics: springs in parallel and series, tension, the rules of static equilibrium, center of mass, and moment arm. If you have yet to teach statics, this will be extremely useful.
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Biology and AP Biology with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, and hands-on experiments that use Vernier digital tools with computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices to investigate cellular respiration and enzyme activity. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Break Out the Fun with the Newly Streamlined Biology TEKS!
In this session, participants will engage in a breakout session where they must solve clues to rescue fellow researchers. To rescue them, participants must complete a number of instructional activities focusing on the newly streamlined Biology TEKS SEs. Activities will simulate review activities that can be done with students.
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Breaking Brains! Explore the Fun and Fascinating World of Brain Training and How Brain Breaks Improve Instruction
Do you know how the brain processes information? Brains are similar to computers. We have to hit the reset button on the brain to gain optimal performance. Study ongoing research that shows how brains are affected by periods of inactivity and how brain breaks improve student learning.
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Breaking the Misconception
Research shows teachers who have knowledge of common student misconceptions are more likely to increase student achievement. Armed with the right tools and the knowledge of common misconceptions it is possible to be an effective science teacher without having to get a Ph.D. in Physics. In this fun, hands-on experience, you will learn how to leverage those instructional tools and align your instruction to break students’ misconceptions of critical content. Door Prizes!
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Building Proteins: How Do Cells Read the Blueprint?
How is the information stored in DNA used to build proteins in our cells? Participants will use hands-on, minds-on manipulatives to verbalize their thought processes as they use a DNA template to create RNA, then “read” the codons on the mRNA to build a protein at the ribosome.
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Colorful World of Electrophoresis! Molecules in Action!
In this hands-on workshop, you will separate color dyes using gel electrophoresis. Which way will they go, and why? What properties drive the direction of migration? Can you solve for the unknown dye? There's no better way to set the foundation for electrophoresis. Seeing it is believing it!
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Crime Scene Analysis Using Forensics and Physics in the High School Classroom
We will use basic physics concepts and mathematics to investigate the forensics of blood splatter and bullet trajectories. Specifically, we will investigate the connectivity of kinematics in physics and crime scene analysis. The techniques learned in this session can be used in both the forensics and physics classroom.
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Demystifying Supplemental Aids in Science
“IDK” stands for “I don’t know” but often really means “I don’t remember.” What’s an educator to do? The presenter will share what she has learned as a science educator and specialist about supplemental aids and how they can support memory retrieval for the entire class and support eligible students on STAAR.
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Drop the Lecture and Let the Students Pick Up the Learning in Environmental Science
Engage your students in a game that simulates predator and prey interactions. Use the data generated from the game to graph and analyze population dynamics. Examples in this session will include general environmental science content for covering the 2018 streamlined TEKS with takeaway lessons plans for the activities covered.
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Engaging Students with STAAR-Aligned TEKS-Based Science Games, Activities, and Investigations
Session participants will be able to engage students in hands-on learning opportunities through educational games while collecting student data on specific TEKS per game. Teachers will be able to collect measurable data for RTI and interventions per student through interactive journals, all while students play games.
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Eureka! K-2 Science Activities and Stories
Eureka! allows teachers to participate in science lessons that encourage students’ development of confidence and skills in STEM processes and knowledge and awareness of STEM career fields. Trade books are used to humanize and personalize children’s science learning via biographical stories of real-world people who pursue science and engineering methods.
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From Textbook to Techbook: A Digital Resource for All Students
Make your students the authors of their learning and go beyond the textbook by empowering them to create an interactive digital "techbook" using a variety of resources, including labs, notes, anchor charts, videos, and more! This resource will grow with your students' learning throughout the year!
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Game On!
Get ready to gamify your classroom. You will learn how to integrate any game into your class to help improve the level of understanding of any science TEK. These games can be used to support any part of your lesson plan and also review for classroom tests and STAAR.
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Getting the Learning Out with Retrieval Practices
Learn how research-based retrieval practices from The Science of Learning can make a positive difference for your learners. Presenters will share some of the findings and ways they can be implemented in your class to improve critical thinking, make learning more dynamic, and improve content mastery.
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Going Rogue: Hacking Science Education
If you attend this session, there will be only one outcome. Your perspective on teaching science will forever be altered. Join the presenter on a journey to hack science education and whittle the thousands of books and articles on our craft down to its essential truth.
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H2Know and Digging through the Layers of Soil Science
Healthy soil and clean water are essential to healthy living. This hands-on workshop will look at the relationship between healthy soil, clean water, and sustainable practices in agriculture. This will include exploration through a digital case study on the algae bloom in Lake Erie and Nutrients for Life Foundation materials.
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Hands-On, Minds-On to a Mini Make-and-Take Workshop: Science Games and Project Ideas for Middle Schools
This is a mini make-and-take workshop where teachers will learn and create their own games and puzzles that target a specific TEKS or topic. These instructional tools help differentiate instruction and can be modified depending on the TEKS and needs of their learners.
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ISEA Presents: From No Tech to Low Tech: Elementary Programming
Introducing programming and new technology can be intimidating. Learn how to engage your elementary students in meaningful activities and conversations about programming and coding. Founded in 1997, Girlstart is a nationally recognized nonprofit that provides innovative informal STEM education programs dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round programming.
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Implementing a Flipped Classroom for STEM Educators
Imagine having your students ready to utilize maximum class time. Teachers can provide essential instructions or background information prior to class so students can have more interactive learning during class time. Join us to learn successful strategies to implement the flipped classroom for your students.
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Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Demonstrations are great attention-getters, but authentic inquiry fosters critical thinking. We use four demonstrations with air and water to model lessons appropriate for fourth- through eighth-grade students. The approach is based on the scientific method and easily adapted for many topics. Participants will take away four lessons and a template.
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Investigate Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration with Algae Beads for Both AP and General Biology
Use algae beads in a colorimetric assay to study photosynthesis and cellular respiration through inquiry investigations. Then see the effects of light intensity, light color, temperature, and other organisms.
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Make a Makerspace!
Come play in our makerspace with electronics, 3D printing, coding, robotics, and more! Learn how to build a collaborative and creative STEM work space for your school. We'll help you shop for the best high-tech and no-tech tools and provide suggestions for design and furniture. We'll showcase exciting makerspaces fun.
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Maker U
Maker U is an interactive and engaging professional development series that transforms a certified teacher into a confident and prepared makerspace educator! Whether you’re new to the arena or on the hunt for fresh new ideas, Maker U will help you achieve your goals!
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Newton’s Three Laws—the Most Tested Grade 8 Science TEKS
Come “investigate and describe“ Newton's three laws—the most tested Grade 8 Science TEKS. Learn common student misconceptions along with real-world applications that clarify how Newton's three laws are simple but not easy! We will analyze some released STAAR test items so we can see what students need to know.
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STEM in Elementary Science: Grades 3-5
Students become engineers as they construct models and develop solutions to problems. In this activity, students design and build a cart that will roll and meet specific criteria and constraints. Students will learn the engineering design process and work through a challenge.
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Science STAAR Digital Breakouts
Looking for a way to increase high yield engagement during that time of year in your science classroom? Region 10 ESC's Digital Breakouts for Science STAAR Review is a session to guide teachers in creating their own digital breakouts.
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Science Teaching Hacks to Make Your Life Easier!
Participate in a whirlwind of tips and tricks for organizing science supplies, making notebooking user friendly, setting up a simple makerspace, tackling the streamlined TEKS, and much, much more! These simple hacks, some of them make-and-take, will leave you feeling energized and excited about implementing new ideas. Door prizes too!
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Solar System Models with McDonald Observatory
Models provide a great teaching method for conveying concepts that are difficult to see in everyday life. Scale models are especially important in astronomy. We will present a number of hands-on and kinesthetic models of times, sizes, and distances for objects in the solar system, including planets and our moon.
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Sticklebacks + Literacy Strategies = Genetics Learning Success with HHMI BioInteractive
In this workshop, teachers will explore free HHMI BioInteractive stickleback genetics resources to help their ELL students build their literacy skills in biology. We will focus on the use of these resources to help build student comprehension of genetics concepts and vocabulary while increasing student agency in the learning process.
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Strawberry Milkshakes: DNA and Lactose Intolerance
Introduce students to the fascinating world of molecular biology through age-appropriate, hands-on activities. They’re designed to make challenging, abstract concepts (including DNA, genes, and enzymes) more concrete—and to make biology fun. Now presented with Carolina’s digital enhancements.
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Student Engagement: The Science Behind the Why
Participants will learn the parts of the brain necessary for students to learn. Presenting content in multiple modalities will be highlighted around "hard to teach and hard to learn" middle school science concepts. Participants will leave with ready-to-use engagement strategies to increase student achievement.
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Subscripts and Coefficients Made Easy!
Can your students tell the difference between coefficients and subscripts? Do they know when they need more of an atom in a compound or more of the compound itself? Help your students by using the Molecular Model Set and Essential Chemistry Equation Builder to make molecules and model chemical reactions!
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Super Science Bros. (STAAR Carnival and Escape Rooms)
Students deserve a fun and innovative way to review. Readiness and supporting standards will be reviewed in the form of a carnival and escape rooms. We have created a series of games that will help you and your students review in a fun and engaging way.
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TEA Update for Elementary Science
This session will present the most current information regarding science curriculum and assessment for grades K–5. Critical issues such as TEKS, STAAR assessments, and resources available on the Texas Gateway will be discussed.
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TESTA Presents: It's Just a Rock—or Is It?
Separate igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock kits will be utilized to obtain and use the physical properties of different types of rocks in order to identify and classify samples based upon their formation, origin, and features. This is an opportunity to learn more about the rocks in the rock cycle!
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TSAAPT Presents: Cartoon Physics (Elementary Edition)
Attendees will analyze scenes from cartoons such as Coyote and Roadrunner using physics concepts taught in the elementary/middle grades. We’ll explore hands-on experiments that test whether the cartoon scenes showed good or bad physics. Teachers will also use the CER method of developing scientific explanations that are grade-level appropriate.
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The "Wow Factor": Note-taking and Vocabulary Games Can Be Fun!
Tired of students groaning or those glazed-over eyes during note-taking? What about blank stares when you ask them to define key vocabulary words? This session will jazz up students' engagement levels and increase retention of important concepts, as well as spice up those vocabulary reviews resulting in overall mastery!
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Think Like a STAAR Scientist
Using fifth-grade Science STAAR released test questions, teachers can create activities that improve students' science process skills as well as their critical thinking skills and academic vocabulary. STAAR test items are transformed into cooperative and/or hands-on activities that can be used during lessons or review time.
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Using Formative Assessment Strategies to Inform Instruction
Assessment and instruction go hand in hand in classrooms that focus on the student. Explore a variety of strategies and digital tools to assess student readiness in order to make decisions about current and future instruction.
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What's Exciting and NEW in STEMscopes Texas Streamlined? K-5
Come join the STEMscopes writers we share our excitement about the new Elements in STEMscopes based on the streamlined TEKS. Learn more about "Strengthening Literacy: Getting Kids to Talk, Read, and Connect Science" and much more!
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12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
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Dancing Plants: Using Time-Lapse Photography to Show Plant Response to Stimuli
The Dancing Plants workshop will be a lesson in using seeds, seedlings and time-lapse photography to teach students about forces in plants, such as germination, changes in turgor pressure, and geotropism. Workshop attendees will learn how to plant their own seedlings and apply variables to be recorded in time-lapse.
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12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
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The Science Toolsmith: All Hands on Task!
Although most don't think so, teachers are a versatile and creative bunch. Using that creativity, the presenter will show ways to turn easily accessible, regular school materials into tools every student in your class can use at the same time for the labs you teach.
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12:15 PM - 5:00 PM
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Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge
Check in at the Excursion Counter beginning at 12:15 p.m. Hike the trails of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge and explore the aquatic habitat by canoe. Observe animal and plant adaptations that help them survive in this ecosystem, and analyze the interactions between living and nonliving parts of the environment with the help of experienced guides.
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1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
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Cultivating a Culture of Research from Third- to 12th-Grade
Learn how a district provides students with the opportunity to begin experiencing the realms of research-based learning at the third-grade level while guiding them into their very own research by the 11th-grade and a senior-year capstone project.
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1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
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1-2-3 Steps to Better STAAR Scores
Use a three-step approach to help students master critical science concepts in preparation for the state assessments in fifth- and eighth-grade science. Focus vocabulary/main ideas on a single page; perform activities that review and apply concepts; and determine mastery completing mini-assessments with similar format and rigor as STAAR questions.
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ACT2 Presents: Kinesthetic Chemistry
This presentation will get students and teachers out of their seats to physically demonstrate basic concepts in chemistry. Students learn best when they combine mind and body. So, in this session, participants will use their bodies to their fullest advantage to internalize ideas in chemistry.
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AUTOPSY: Forensic Dissection Featuring Carolina's Perfect Solution® Pigs
Ready for a dissection that is on the cutting edge? With this “real” classroom autopsy, easily revitalize your mammalian structure and function lesson while addressing important TEKS. Participants dissect a Carolina’s Perfect Solution® pig by modeling the protocols of a professional forensic pathologist. Come experience our exclusive Perfect Solution® specimens.
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Are You Moody?
We will bring science and coding together as participants learn to do some basic coding (no experience necessary) while developing a mood ring! The science of color mixing is explored while determining the right body temperature thresholds. Is fuchsia flirty? Should green be groovy? It’s up to you!
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As the World Turns
Focusing on TEKS 5.8C and 4.8C, this workshop will show hands-on ways to help students understand the patterns and cycles of the Earth and moon using both kinetics and visual methods.
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Break Out the Fun with the Newly Streamlined Middle School TEKS!
In this session, participants will engage in a breakout session where they must solve clues to stop the zombie outbreak. Participants must complete a number of newly streamlined TEKS-driven activities (modified versions, too) to control the release of the zombie virus. Access to all documents will be included.
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Bringing Science and Math Together Using ... Zombies?!
Use the "Zombie Craze" to make STEM become "un-dead" in your science and math classrooms! This is not only a hands-on session but also a brains-on session as we attempt to fend off the coming zombie apocalypse!
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Cheap and Easy Physics Labs
Experience 20 or more tried-and-true cheap and easy physics labs, projects and videos used each year in the presenter’s classroom. Gain access to the presenter’s Google Drive repository of PowerPoints, reviews, worksheets, videos, and, most importantly, labs and projects.
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Chemistry Literacy: A Great Read
The key to literacy is to find a relevant, interesting, and engaging book. Reading and writing in science is no different. Trade books (specifically The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean) are used to pique student interest. Online materials and projects related to the book and Chemistry TEKS will be available.
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Coding Playground: Little Bot, Big Tech … Ozobot!
Meet Ozobot, your favorite STEM tool packed in a cubic inch. Creativity, exploration, and play are all that's required to teach coding, math, and science with Ozobot. We’ll show you how to use Ozobot to model phases of the moon, explore force and motion, and more! Bring your own device.
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Conserving the Panda Population through Understanding Their Reproductive Endocrinology (Grades 9–16)
Save the Giant Pandas! Learn about the effect of reproductive hormones, immunological responses, and ecosystem balance by engineering a hormone detection system for Giant Panda population conservation efforts.
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Constructing and Crossing Cell Membranes
Why is the cell membrane structure a bilayer? A series of hands-on, minds-on thought experiments will lead students to a foundational understanding of the composition of the cell membrane. Find out how proteins play an important role in active and passive transport of materials across the membrane.
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Cord-Free Technology—Markerboards
Did you get a free Markerboard from the Exhibit Hall? There are so many ways to use it You won't believe the versatility! Join us for an hour of lessons, laughter, and giveaways. You'll leave energized, educated and eager to get boards into your classroom.
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DNA Forensics Solves the Murder Mystery of Dr. Ward
In this interactive MiniLab, students analyze hair, fingerprint, and DNA evidence from the crime scene to determine the killer of Dr. Ward. In this workshop, learn how to conduct the hands-on lab using electrophoresis to perform DNA analysis for DNA forensics.
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Duck! Objects Aloft! Or Not
Using NASA resources, this energetic session will demonstrate ways to assist students in understanding the laws of force and motion, energy conversion, buoyancy, and more. Will it go up or sink? Racing blimps and shooting rockets will help build stronger foundations for various physics concepts and keep students engaged.
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Dynamic Demonstrations from Flinn Scientific
Seeing is believing! Flinn Scientific presents a variety of easy to perform and exciting chemistry and physical science demonstrations. Come see Flinn’s new demonstrations and some of your old favorites—all guaranteed to make your science classroom come alive. Handouts provided for all demonstrations.
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Easy-Peasy Green Screen on a Teacher's Budget
If you have $5 your students can do amazing things in your classroom with green screen technology as they learn and share science concepts with others. Join us for active, hands-on learning. You'll leave with tons of ideas that you can use the next day in school with your students!
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Forensic Bone Analysis: Age, Sex, Gender, Height, Ethnic Background, Diet, Geographic Origin
Skeletons provide clues to age, sex, height, ethnic background, diet, injuries and geographic origins. Learn how to integrate math, science and history using high-interest case studies, including Colonial Jamestown, Romanovs and the NYC African Burial Ground. Solve the “Secret in the Cellar Mystery.” Numerous handouts, suggested readings, websites and references will be provided.
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From CAST to the Class: Battling the STAAR Wars with Hands-on Elementary and Middle School Science Activities
This action-packed presentation for elementary and middle school teachers will feature several hands-on, interactive mini-projects sure to continue academic success of your current science concepts. You will walk away with examples, handouts for 5E activities, and past STAAR questions to recreate the fun seamlessly from CAST to class.
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From Intro to Assessment: Teach Ecology with Clipbirds
This lab puts students in the place of an isolated island habitat. They are birds needing to compete, feed and even reproduce to survive. Students will model actual differentiation in populations before your eyes! The lab can be easily modified according to need.
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From Science Practices to Process Skills
Looking for ways to identify the process skills within content lessons that your students truly need? Explore how to modify activity designing and facilitation to give students opportunities to engage in science content and make sense of their science practices.
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Hands-On, Minds-On to a Mini Make-and-Take Workshop: Science Games and Project Ideas for High Schools
This is a mini make-and-take workshop where teachers will learn and create their own games and puzzles that target a specific TEKS or topic. These instructional tools help differentiate instruction and can be modified depending on the TEKS and needs of their learners.
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ISEA Presents: From Rocket-Powered Ski Lifts to Zip Line Transportation: Where to Find TEKS-Aligned Hands-On Activities
From Cyberchase to Design Squad to SciGirls, explore free online STEM resources, hands-on activities, and videos to enhance teaching and learning experiences for your students in formal or informal classrooms and settings. Experience three STEM activities and discover initiatives that connect and support K–12 STEM outreach across Texas and beyond.
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Integrating iPad with Vernier Technology
Participate in fun and engaging experiments that have you compare grip strengths, investigate pressure and volume relationships, and match position graphs, all using Vernier digital tools with iPads. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Literacy in the Secondary Science Classroom
Participants will participate in experiences that include literacy integrations and claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER). Incorporate a variety of literacy strategies within the science classroom, explore leveled text, and discuss how to provide students opportunities to access science content at their independent reading level through discourse.
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Observing, Inferring, and Predicting in Grades 4–8
Walk away with a fun, creative, and effective card activity that teaches students to make observations, inferences, and predictions. This TEKS-focused activity can be used immediately and, if laminated, used for years to come. Join us for easy-to-use, engaging strategies, idea sharing and door prizes!
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Picture-Perfect STEM: Using Children's Books to Inspire STEM Learning
In this hands-on, interactive workshop for Grade 3–5 teachers, we will share a force, motion, and energy lesson that integrates STEM and literacy. We will detail the relevant TEKS (Science, Mathematics and ELAR) related to the lesson presented.
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Put the Sparkle in STEM
Our schools can no longer graduate students into jobs that don’t exist without preparing them for this new reality. Dig into the compelling excitement of STEM skills and careers and view overwhelming outcomes from innovative school districts who are preparing students for the future. Finally, gain perspective on what the research says about the resources needed to transform STEM teaching and learning and put the sparkle back in STEM.
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Region 4 Science ¡en Español!
Explore Region 4 Science Spanish instructional materials that include STAAR Review to Go (Grades 4 and 5), Warm Ups to Science (Grades 3, 4, and 5), and Gateways to Science (Kindergarten). Attendees will be able to experience, peruse, and ask questions about our Spanish Science TEKS-aligned products.
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Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This workshop will outline how to implement a project that involves students' building a cardboard boat they can race. Concepts covered in this project include design features, density, buoyancy, draft, calculation of water displacement, and theme. Participants will engage in small groups and create a model of their boat.
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STAAR Science PREP Workshop
This STAAR prep workshop will be delivered by Paula Noe, an experienced educational consultant and science leader of a major urban school district, this is not a drill and kill workshop. Paula will share her strategies that have worked for the teachers and students she supports and will cover topics including Visual Literacy, Vocabulary Development, 3D to 2D and Frameworks of Success. Door Prizes!
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Scientific Literacy: Where Do I Begin?
As a science teacher, how do you begin to facilitate development of the essential skills students need to become scientifically literate adults? Come dig deeper into what it means to be scientifically literate, and experience easy-to-implement strategies and protocols.
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Stoichiometry: Tools and Strategies to Make It Easier to Teach
How can you tell when a reaction is complete? Why doesn’t more reactant always lead to more product? Help students develop a better understanding of mole ratios, stoichiometry, and limiting reactants through this hands-on activity using household chemicals and a wireless pressure sensor.
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Strategies for Eighth-Grade STAAR Success
Are you frustrated when kids know the content but still miss the questions? Come see how the strategies and interactive practice you use all year can empower kids to tackle those unfamiliar formats.
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TABT Presents: Biology Jenga
Come and enjoy a Jenga-filled hour! By playing Jenga games, you will experience how this multimodal approach allows your students to visually understand a systems approach to multiple topics. Four different Jenga-based activities are planned to illustrate both ecological and biological systems.
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TAEE Presents: The Strother Wheelchair Challenge
Do you have what it takes to be in a wheelchair for a day at work? This presenter does. Do you shy away from wheelchair-bound? Come learn about this "moving" experience, in more ways than one, and see how you could "roll out" this challenge at your school or center.
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TCES Presents: Scaffolding for Meaningful Inquiry in Every Science Classroom Today
Are you getting the most from inquiry in your classroom? Do your students need help making connections from hands-on learning to the key concepts of science? Learn about using a suite of common strategies to support your students taking ownership of their learning through inquiry.
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TEA Update for Middle School Science
This session will present the most current information regarding science curriculum and assessment of science for grades 6–8. Critical issues such as TEKS, STAAR assessments, and resources available on the Texas Gateway will be discussed.
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TSAAPT Presents: Explore, Engage In, and Experience Physics!
These engaging ideas help physics teachers foster a culture of experiential and three-dimensional teaching and learning in their classrooms. We'll share lots of ideas to start your lessons with a common experience for your students that piques their curiosity for most every topic in physics.
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Target Asteroid! NASA Solar System Exploration
Join us for this hands-on activity session and gain experience and insight into the process of selecting an asteroid to investigate as part of an exploration mission. During the session, you’ll also learn about past, present and future NASA missions to asteroids, including the current OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu.
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The Third Generation Correlates of Effective Schools
Edmonds' research launched the first generation correlates of effective schools, and Lezotte's research deepened and broadened into the second generation. John Hattie's research has provided a way to quantify the effects of the first- and- second-generation correlates using effect sizes. This is the third generation of effective schools research.
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What's Exciting and NEW in STEMscopes Texas Streamlined? 6–12
Come join the STEMscopes writers as we share our excitement about the new Elements in STEMscopes based on the Streamlined TEKS. Learn more about "Strengthening Literacy: Getting Kids to Talk, Read, and Connect Science."
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Where Data, Technology and TEKS Meet: Making Sciences Come Alive
Leverage local datasets and research-based data tools to make TEKS-aligned middle and high school sciences come alive! Explore how people learn from data, case studies of data literacy in science nationally and in Texas, and strategies to integrate data into classrooms. Let’s set our students up for success with data!
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1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
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Analyzing the Rigor of STAAR
In this session, participants will analyze questions from the most recently released STAAR. We will discuss what rigor means and how it looks on a state assessment. We will then look at ways to include rigor in the classroom.
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ISEA Presents: Frog Whisperers to Bug Safaris: Bringing Science to Life
Integrate citizen science in your program! Public participation in scientific research, or citizen science, engages kids and adults in the collection of data for use by scientists. Educators attending this workshop will try out hands-on activities and apps as well as best practices for engaging all types of learners.
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Interactive Word Walls: Speaking and Writing about Science
Interactive word walls help develop students’ ability to read and produce the genres of texts that are intrinsic to science. They strategically target academic vocabulary and are student-generated. They support critical thinking, build academic vocabulary and reinforce important patterns while providing an overview of each lesson and unit.
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Paving the Way to Constructing CERs
With our construction roadmap to guide you, we will help "pave the way" for students to successfully write CERs and reflect on their own learning. Using our strategies and processes, we will look at how to authentically plan for student connections from beginning to end.
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Science Modeling Instruction and Inquiry Learning: A Perfect Fit
Scientists learn by constructing models to describe real phenomena, then testing the model’s predictive ability. Our classrooms turn students into scientists by replicating this process. Join us to actively learn what a modeling cycle is and how modeling instruction can engage and enlighten your students—and keep you happy, too!
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Supporting STAAR Achievement in Science, Grade 8
This session includes 10 5E lessons that address STAAR Readiness Standards. Lessons include intervention strategies and ELPS-based support to make science content accessible to all learners. Participants in this session will explore Lesson 6 “It’s Just a Phase” and will receive a copy of Supporting STAAR Achievement in Science, Grade 8.
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TABT Presents: Streamlined Biology Make-and-Take Part 1
In this make-and-take session, participants will experience activities and models for effective delivery of instruction on streamlined TEKS 4A, 4B, 5A and 2G. Teachers will create specific models and activities for use in their own classes.
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TESTA Presents: Plate Tectonics 101
Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, Pangaea and plate tectonics merge for this fun, hands-on extended session of mapping and model building. Participants will leave with a completed project, models, and a CD of all activities.
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TSAAPT Presents: Easy-to-Grade Google Form Lab Practicals
The best way to learn physics is by doing physics, but who wants to grade lab reports? You’ll learn how you can perform lab practicals that test students’ knowledge of concepts and calculation accuracy without the tediousness of lab reports. The secret is using Google Forms that grade it all for you!
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TSELA Presents: We Do Science!
Determining a vision for science is one thing; helping it become reality is another. In our district, our vision is to do science, and in this session we will look at how we're making that happen, one step at a time.
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1:45 PM - 2:15 PM
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Growing Lab Girls
The session will explore the free resources of talkSTEM’s "Growing Lab Girls" toolkit for grades 7-12 teachers. The toolkit aims not only to help teachers inspire young women to know they are all scientists but also to promote communication between research scientists and teachers.
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1:45 PM - 2:45 PM
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Creativity in Science
Join us as we share several global projects aimed at elementary through eighth-grade students that allow classrooms to connect and focus on global issues. Design labs, conduct investigations, and share data with other classrooms! Science is about being creative, citizen scientists.
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2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
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Create Your Own STAAR Carnival
Discover new ways to prepare for improved academic performance on STAAR tests and reduce test anxiety. Teachers will leave ready to create carnival games to enrich students learning, build process skills, and foster student engagement while reviewing academic content.
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3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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100 Alternative Science Conceptions and Hands-on Activities to Draw Them Out
Alternative conceptions may take root and hinder learning unless identified early and addressed consistently. Many alternative conceptions go unnoticed or unspoken in the busyness of managing K–12 classrooms. In this session, we will present hands-on activities to help science teachers draw out and address alternative science conceptions.
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ACT2 Presents: The Chemistry Behind Art
Make paints by extracting pigment from berries and veggies, break surface tension to create painted snowflakes, color titanium with voltage, and electroplate copper onto nickels. Through distinctly different processes, we will use science to create art. We will discuss the science behind the art, fusing the two fields together.
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Advancing the Middle School Science Curriculum
In this session, presenters will share how they successfully compacted all middle school science standards into two years, allowing students to begin high school science in eighth-grade. They will their plan, curriculum and the difficulties they faced along the way.
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Ask And You Shall Receive: Questioning Protocol For Biology
How do you know when students really learn and understand? How can questioning close gaps and raise student achievement? How can effective questioning help develop critical thinking skills that encourage student interest in science while incorporating technology, engineering, art, and mathematics daily? Relevant, targeted, and probing questioning is key. Let's explore.
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Cancer Investigators: Medical Diagnostics in Your Classroom
Cancer contributes to almost one in every four deaths in the U.S. Fortunately, recent innovations in biomedical research have improved our understanding of the differences between normal and cancer cells. In this hands-on workshop, participants will use microscopy and electrophoresis to explore and investigate the hallmarks of cancer.
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Charge Up Those Bots!
Want to see your students become engaged and inspired when topics come alive with the help of Ozobots? Then charge up your Bots as we walk through the lesson we designed to teach speed, motion and graphing. You will personally experience playing and learning with our Ozobots.
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Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) for All Learners: The Value of Framing Scientific Explanations for All Students
CER is a way for students to explain observed phenomenon in a scientific way and how observations and data from an investigation are connected to science knowledge. Make science investigations meaningful for all students. GT, ELD, and dual language strategies will be shared and modeled for an equitable learning environment.
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Creating Opportunities for ELLs to Read, Write, and Speak in the Secondary Science Classroom
Do you want more instructional, hands-on strategies that support your English language learners (ELLs)? The strategies explored in this session are designed to be easily implemented in the classroom and help ELLs at all proficiency levels understand concepts while supporting academic language development for all students.
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Cross the Rubicon With Us and Love It! Student-Directed Learning Environments
District challenge: Move toward personalized learning. Using the gradual release model, find out how to create and implement a student-directed learning environment to increase student engagement and student achievement. Integrate choice boards, personalized STEM projects, and community service learning while covering your Science TEKS.
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Drop, Spurt and Spatter: Forensic Science Blood investigations
Explore the science, math, physics, and fun of blood spatter. Investigate, record, and compare as you research how blood spatter can help forensic scientists solve a crime. Engage your students in the world of CSI with these outstanding STEM activities. You're in for a bloody good time!
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Engineer TEKS Excitement in Your Classroom with a Carolina STEM Challenge®
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 and three-dimensional learning into your classroom.
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Environmental Systems with Vernier
In this hands-on workshop, study the effect acid deposition has on surface water and see how easy it is to perform water quality tests using Vernier sensors. You will also learn how to use Vernier technology to share data with mobile devices and geotag your data with a LabQuest 2.
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Enzymes: Technology Inspired by Nature
With rising greenhouse gases, scientists look to nature for a biofuel solution. Extract a biofuel production enzyme from mushrooms and design experiments to study reaction rates in various conditions.
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Formative Assessment: Assessment for Learning
The initial push of formative assessment use in the classroom has been stagnant and has not expanded beyond the mere data collection of exit tickets with closed-ended answers. However, formative assessment can be so much more than simply finding deficits in instruction to re-teach. Join us to learn more.
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Great Escapes in Science
Transform your classroom into a student-centered escape room! Help foster collaboration and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills for your students by learning how to create the basics of digital escape games.
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Homefield Learning
Field experiences are a great way for students to practice process standards! Discover how the Perot Museum conducts our geology tours. Then learn how to leverage local and digital opportunities for field trips—no buses needed! Leave with resources to design your own field learning experience near your school.
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IPC Linked to Algebra 1: Innovative Course Sequencing Supporting Chemistry and Physics
Success in the physical science courses IPC, Chemistry, and Physics is directly related to a student's math skills. Learn how one district has aligned IPC with Algebra 1 on high school as well as middle school campuses to support success in chemistry and physics for both on-level and Pre-AP students.
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ISEA Presents: Hardware Store Science
Do you know that you can walk down the aisle of your local home improvement store and find supplies to conduct an array of science lessons? Wander the aisles with us and find out how! Then put your best home improvement skills to work in your own classroom or program.
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Increasing Content Understanding through Frequent and Relevant Nonfiction Reading
We will discuss the benefits of using nonfiction news articles to add relevance and improve content understanding. We will provide data demonstrating content understanding and improved reading levels, as well as ideas for implementing them in your classroom!
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It's Getting STEAMY In Here! Pipetting as Art and Science
Delve into the world of tiny volumes and gain hands-on experience using adjustable-volume micropipettors. Learn how to pipette different microliter volumes with accuracy and precision. Explore several affordable and simple teaching strategies to get your students pipetting like a pro, allowing them to tackle more advanced labs.
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Making STEM Fun, Easy, and Effective
Wondering how best to infuse STEM in your classroom? Do you want to learn how to create STEM lessons using your favorite science lessons that are both engaging and enriching for your students? Answers to these questions, and more, in this hands-on minds-on session delivered by Dr. Milton Huling the author of recently published NSTA book- Designing Meaningful STEM Lessons. Three lucky winners will walk away with a copy of this great book! Door Prizes!
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Mind Spark: Building STEM Knowledge Through Virtual Reality
Virtual reality offers an opportunity to greatly impact STEM learning, and educators must be able to harness its potential. This session will go beyond the initial “wow” factor of the technology and focus on using VR to build student knowledge through student design, art, and creativity.
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the Grade 3-5 Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 3-5. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, free templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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Open-Source Student Sheltered Instructional Approach Growth Model
This session presents the expanded version of the SSIAG Model (Guevara, 2014), a project-based learning (PBL) instructional approach. The model includes classroom management strategies, teaching tools such as Google Classroom, and original assessment instruments. The presentation will include an analysis of five years of the model’s impact upon student academic performance at a Houston high school.
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Picture-Perfect STEM: Using Children's Books to Inspire STEM Learning
In this hands-on, interactive workshop for K–2 teachers, we will share a matter and energy lesson that integrates STEM and literacy. We will detail the relevant TEKS (Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, and ELAR) related to the lesson presented.
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Plate Tectonics Inquiry Investigation
Teachers will use the argument-driven inquiry strategy to describe the plate movement and major geological events and land forms that occur at spreading and colliding boundaries. In this investigation, students analyze four different maps and make a claim about the boundary type.
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STEM Academy for Science Teachers and Leaders: A Systematic Approach to Promoting Active Learning and STEM Integration through Coaching
The session describes the STEM Academy for Science Teachers and Leaders, which is a collaborative program between Southern Methodist University and the Dallas Independent School District. The program includes professional development followed by intensive one-on-one coaching with teachers and leaders. This session will highlight the components of the science coaching cycle.
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Scaffolding Strategies and Activities for ELL’s in high school science
Attendees will go over scaffolding strategies that can be used to teach ELL’s and special populations. The strategies can be used across all content areas of science. However, the focus of the session will be kinematics, stoichiometry, and ecology.
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Science Vocabulary Excitement
Discover exciting games and interactive strategies to make vocabulary rich and fun to learn. Make your diverse learners' weaknesses a strength even with the complex STAAR language. Come play games with us and find out how engaging teaching academic vocabulary can be. Don't miss this one.
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Stop Thinking for Them! Teach Them to Think for Themselves!
This session will assist educators in developing students’ metacognitive skills to build self-efficacy by implementing student self-monitoring tools. Attendees will be shown how to develop unit progress monitoring sheets, unit tab sheets with levels of understanding and goal-setting, as well as semester test-tracking.
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TABT Presents: Biology Smorgasbord
The session serves up three interactive multimodal activities found on the TABT member page. Each participant will experience an activities smorgasbord—Determining the Structure of DNA, BodyMan, and a Virus Lab—with each designed to develop higher-order skills by allowing students to apply knowledge, analyze data, and make inferences.
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TEA Update for High School Science
This session will present the most current information regarding science curriculum and assessment of high school science courses. Critical issues such as graduation requirements, TEKS, STAAR assessments, and resources available on the Texas Gateway will be discussed.
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TSAAPT Presents: Party Hardy with Physics
Party favors can offer fun, hands-on ways to learn about science, especially physics. Participants will conduct both qualitative and quantitative explorations, such as energy conservation and elastic potential energy, using "pop-ups" and "boinks." We will also make observations of rotational motion with "tippy-tops."
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Teaching Science Through Talk Read Talk Write
Based on Nancy Motley’s highly engaging book Talk Read Talk Write, this session will show teachers how to help students meet or exceed state standards in science. Talk Read Talk Write incorporates student discourse while developing literacy skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.
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Teaching Weather for Understanding: Using Sensors and Free GIS Software to Make Data Meaningful
How can students understand the weather? What regional and global patterns are driving local weather conditions? Have students analyze weather data they can collect and then bring the data into GIS software to add more meaning and context to their measurements. Use the wireless weather sensor and SPARKvue and ArcGIS.
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Using Astronaut and Satellite Imagery to Compare Planetary Landforms
Work with images of Earth and other planets to learn about and understand geologic processes that have sculpted the surface of Earth and other worlds such as Mars, Pluto and more! This session will highlight a new version of the Blue Marble Matches activity compatible to all educators.
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Using Inquiry to Teach Conduction, Convection, and Radiation
Participants will work through 5E Lessons for the sixth-grade classroom. Teachers will learn the importance of teaching conduction, convection, and radiation in isolation. Teachers will work in cooperative groups to practice asking questions that will lead students to discover methods of thermal energy transfer.
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Virtual Interaction with Gravitational-waves to Observe Relativity (VIGOR)
This workshop will introduce VIGOR, an interactive simulation of binary black holes and the gravitational waves they emit. Using VIGOR on tablets or computers, participants will learn the physics behind the Nobel Prize-winning discovery that gravitational waves stretch and squeeze the fabric of spacetime.
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What's Your Evidence?
How do students show what they know? This informative and interactive session addresses those important process standards. Educators will experience the process of claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) and be introduced to a variety of ways in which it is embedded throughout a lesson. Door prizes will be awarded!
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Wilderness? Yes, Anywhere! Bio-Extension into Natural Spaces
Bring out the explorer in you while supporting your students’ learning! Use this popular Nature Center program—tailored to your outdoor space—as an extension of your classroom. Join us in three activities and practice strategies for making your students’ outdoor learning TEKS-focused, fun and successful.
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3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
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Dallas Zoo Teen Science Cafe
Learn about the Dallas Zoo Teen Science Cafe and how we are changing perceptions of science. We will display evidence from survey data and interviews with scientists and teen attendees to support the claim, and discuss how to connect this type of informal opportunity to the science classroom.
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3:15 PM - 4:15 PM
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Brod Bagert's Heart of Science Presentation
The whole idea behind the Heart of Science series is to give teachers and parents a tool with which they can have children act out science content and learn while having fun. The author himself will be modeling the content-rich literature pieces from the series.
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Game On: Purposeful Play
Want to increase student engagement and learning? Spark collaboration and critical thinking in your classroom with our classroom-tested games. Learn how to use reflection strategies to move beyond simple game play to deepen student knowledge and understanding. Participants will walk away with ready-to-use resources based on eighth-grade STAAR-tested TEKS.
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3:15 PM - 6:30 PM
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National Weather Service
Check in beginning at 3:15 p.m. Observe a weather balloon launch and learn how the NWS collects and uses upper air observations to provide data for weather forecasts, climate change research, air pollution models and confirmation of satellite data.
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4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
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Active Science: One Part Experience, Two Parts Making Sense of the Experience
Participants will use science practices within the context of active investigation. Experience analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, and engaging in argumentation from evidence as tools to deepen student learning to determine if toothpaste is really a solid or a liquid. Discuss the relationship between argumentation and other practices.
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Breaking Brains Part II: Where Is the Glue? How Do I Get Learning to Stick?
What do we do when learning doesn’t stick? This session focuses on improving the retention of new information in a fun and interactive way! Participants will leave with an understanding of how brains process information and how this skill can be used to improve student retention of science concepts.
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Changes in Ecosystems Explained by Science Doodles
Learn creative ways to teach changes in ecosystems with fun and engaging doodles! Interactive notebook doodles as well as new doodle sheet resources will be free to all session attendees. The lesson will be modeled and explained, as well as other best practices in an engaging science classroom. Many giveaways!
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Chemistry and AP Chemistry with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, and hands-on experiments that use Vernier digital tools with computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices to investigate cellular respiration and enzyme activity. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Designing Effective Differentiated Science Menus
This session shares the secrets to designing effective menus, from incorporating different learning styles to assigning activities based on Bloom's Taxonomy. Whether you self-design or find menus online, this session will give you tips to ensure your menus are as effective as they can be!
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Effective Online Classroom Instructional Tools for the Busy STEAM Teacher!
Do you feel overwhelmed with all of the online tools available for the STEAM teacher? Are you trying to decide which ones are really effective and will help you in the STEAM classroom? Join us for a rundown on some of the time-saving, effective, and low-cost tools.
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Engineering with a Growth MIndset
This session will focus on the importance of implementing socially relevant and high-interest engineering projects in the STEM curriculum in order to foster the cognitive and motivational characteristics of students' growth mindsets. Attendees will engage in hands-on, mini activities they can build upon and take back to their classrooms.
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Enzymes in Action
Enzymes are specialized biomolecules that play an important role in biological processes. The sequence of amino acids along with the basic principles of chemistry influence an enzyme’s final three-dimensional shape and ultimately its function. Analysis of changes in enzyme structure reveal a significant impact on catabolic and anabolic reactions.
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From Exploring to Explaining: Empowering Primary Students to Construct Scientific Explanations
Go beyond the hands-on! Primary students can explain themselves scientifically! In this session, we will explore best practices for scaffolding students and empowering them to move from making simple observations to making a claim supported by evidence using the CER framework, as well as providing peer feedback.
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Get that Grant Money!
Successful grant writing isn’t rocket science, but it can take your teaching to new heights. See how to get organized, find resources, and get tips from experienced grant writers to get you to the next level.
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Hands-On Science with Classroom Critters
Add excitement to your class with live organisms! Discover fun, simple hands-on ways to explore evolution, adaptation, and behavior in your classroom with a variety of insects and arthropods. Learn about care and handling, as well as easy ways to integrate Organisms and Environments TEKS. Additional resources available online.
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Hands-On: Model Watersheds and Human Impacts
How can students understand the impact of human activity on natural systems? Help students appreciate this important concept by creating a model watershed system. In this hands-on session using the wireless pH Sensor, you’ll monitor the effect of human activity on water as a “pollutant” is added to the system.
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Hot, Cold, Glow … Safe and Simple Chemical Reactions
Just zip it! Join us for quick and easy chemistry in a Ziploc bag. Explore chemical changes through hands-on experiences with endothermic/exothermic reactions and chemiluminescence. Incorporate safe practices and easy clean-up while you develop understanding in the states of matter and physical and chemical changes.
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ISEA Presents: Connecting the School Community through a Halloween-Themed, Hands-On STEM Night
Halloween is a great time to get your students and families excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Girlstart’s Spooky Extravaganza resources, which include nine hands-on STEM activities incorporating spooky physics, creepy chemistry, eerie biology, and more, is the perfect way to ensure participation!
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Instantaneous Learning: Better Results through Better Feedback
Everyone learns better when they immediately know what they did wrong. Learn how to incorporate instantaneous feedback in everything you do in your classroom: labs, homework, quizzes, even tests! Student testimonials will help convince you, too. Be there for the learners, not the cheaters!
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Just When You Thought STEMscopes Had It All—There Is More to Uncover!
Join our curriculum writers as they share STEMscopes' future projects. You gave your feedback, and we listened! Be in the know: Listen as Amanda and Andrew describe the expansion of upcoming packages in Spring 2019—literacy, assessment, media. This one is not to be missed!
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Letting Students Take the Wheel: On the Road to a Student-Driven Classroom
Participants will explore student-centered strategies such as one-minute check-ins, graffiti walls, community boards, collaborative assessments, and podcasts and how they can be used to differentiate for advanced learners. We'll focus on how students can use these tools to enhance their 21st-century skills.
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Making Science Words Real: Vocabulary Strategies that Work Like Magic!
Do your students struggle to learn the long list of new science terms needed to comprehend complex content and assessment questions? Join us and discover creative, practical vocabulary strategies that are engaging and highly effective. Learn to use imagery, collaboration, card sorts, and games to make science words real.
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Mars Anomalies: Exploring Literacy and STEM Collaborations
Experience a summer reading assignment turned into an immersive team-building STEM and literacy experience surrounding the classroom edition of The Martian. Participate in activities including a Breakout Edu experience, HAB shelter construction, anomaly response, and medical applications. Leave with plans to implement the unit with your classes.
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More Than a Dumping Ground: Teaching Real Science in IPC
Traditionally, IPC has been treated like an “extra science” class for unsuccessful student populations. Let’s erase the stigma from taking IPC by incorporating inquiry-based learning to build scientific literacy and capacity for all learners.
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the 6-8 and Biology Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 6-8 and Biology. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, FREE templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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Plowing through Science Vocabulary
Getting students to understand academic vocabulary can be hard work. Learn a few strategies that can help students “plow” through their science words. Get hands-on experience with multiple activities you can use in your classroom right away. These strategies are especially good for English language learns and students with special needs.
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Proactive Classroom Management
In this presentation, we will discuss the impact of creating a positive environment in your classroom, how to establish clear expectations, and the power of reflection. Your phone or laptop will be used as a discussion tool and to demonstrate how to use student phones to your advantage.
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Recipe for Disaster! Investigate and Solve a Food-Borne Outbreak with Electrophoresis
Learn how to engage students to use scientific reasoning to mimic a food-borne outbreak investigation and design an experiment using gel electrophoresis to determine the source of a real-life outbreak. You will pour, load, and run a gel, capture gel image, and analyze the results to test your hypothesis.
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Reporting Category Rockstars: Fifth-Grade Science
Do you need engaging activities that will help your students understand science concepts? Attendees will go through a series of hands-on activities for streamlined TEKS Reporting Categories to share with their students.
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Return to Learn: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know About Students with Concussions in Their Classrooms
When should concussed students “return to learn”? How many classes should they attend? What levels of cognitive activity are not damaging? Learn when a student should begin to use a computer, have homework, read, draw or take notes, and which classroom activities do not cause symptoms to get worse.
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TABT Presents: DNA Glow Lab: A New Way to Investigate DNA Structure
This is a completely new approach to studying DNA in the classroom. Have your students directly investigate how factors such as temperature, pH, and genetic sequence affect DNA structure. Go beyond building paper and candy models; use modern biotechnology techniques to introduce an authentic lab component to your DNA unit. And it glows!
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TESTA Presents: SOAR—Solar, Ocean, and Atmosphere Reactions!
This session will focus on learning strategies and activities for teaching the interactions of the solar, ocean, and atmospheric systems to produce global weather systems and patterns in the eighth-grade classroom. The session has been designed to provide multiple lessons for the complete unit of instruction.
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TSAAPT Presents: 30 Demos in 60 Minutes
Members of the TSAAPT will entertain and intrigue you with 30 demos related to physics and physical science. Demos will be applicable across grade levels. Bring your camera; this is a fast-paced show and we know you will learn a few new tricks for the classroom!
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TSAAPT Presents: Moving or Not, That is the Question
Science and elementary books can be used to teach motion. Topics that will be addressed include change in position and comparing patterns of movement, such as sliding, rolling, and spinning.
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TSELA Presents: Science on Display! Planning and Implementing a Community Showcase of Science Learning
Learn how to plan and execute a variety of public showcases that focus on student learning and community involvement. Throughout the session, you will have time to start planning your own experience while learning from and sharing with other science leaders.
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Teaching Biology with Es: Student-Centered Biology Lessons
Do you need a ready-to-use, rigorous, engaging 5E biology lesson? This professional development will target content for predicting inheritance using a dihybrid cross. Participants will receive one classroom-ready 5E lesson designed to engage students at the rigor of the TEKS.
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The Power of an Image
Telling the story of images, charts, and diagrams will increase student performance...guaranteed! Visual literacy is an integral part of an inclusive and responsive classroom. Participants will be led through a series of visual challenges to reveal how content comes alive with images, charts, and diagrams. High levels of visual literacy that require concept knowledge, vocabulary, and image interpretation are part of a skillset that must be taught and practiced throughout the literacy process. Door Prizes!
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This Is How We Do It!
Are you looking for ways to differentiate your classroom? Then this workshop is for you! “This Is How We Do It” is an interactive workshop that allows participants to engage in the three main areas of differentiation: the process, product, and environment.
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Transforming Your Lab Activities in High School with Argument-Driven Inquiry
Argument-driven inquiry (ADI) is an innovative instructional model (based on how students learn) that has students participate in the practices of science as they learn to use core ideas and crosscutting concepts to explain natural phenomena. Students also interact with their peers, critique ideas, and reflect on their mistakes.
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Using Technology for Teaching Science and Catering to the Needs of English Language Learners
The need of today's classroom is to explore the use of new methodologies as a part of pedagogy for supporting the needs of diverse learner, especially English language learners. The use of digital learning can foster cognitive skills essential for science classrooms.
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WILD About Science!
Structure science stations to be hands-on, small-group, student-driven, and inquiry-based. Students work independently as well as collaboratively and utilize written journals as well as technology to record observations and reflections. Stations are set up for a weekly rotation with the teacher leading one group.
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Water and the Gift of Ghana
Sixth- and seventh-grade girls in San Marcos gathered weekly to learn about water, engineer water gathering and filtering systems, create games about water, and connect with peers in Ghana. Examples of student creations, impressions and ideas will be shared, as well as curriculum and activities focusing on the importance of water and water scarcity.
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What Exactly is CER?
In this session, teachers experience a hands-on investigation and relate each piece to the Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) format of scientific explanation. Teachers will walk away knowing exactly how to introduce and apply CER in their own classrooms.
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What’s in My Lunch? Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction to Identify Genetically Modified Foods
For centuries, selective breeding and conventional hybridization were used to produce desirable qualities in plants. Today, genetic engineering allows scientists to directly manipulate DNA, quickly producing these traits. Controversial or not, some companies have removed GM ingredients entirely. In this workshop, snack food DNA is extracted/analyzed using PCR and electrophoresis.
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Why Am I Grading This?! Misadventures in Mastery Learning
How much of what we put in our gradebooks is really meaningful? What do we do about zeroes, late work, absences, grade changes and reassessments? Do our gradebooks really show “mastery”? Join us for an amusing but thought-provoking look at the pitfalls of traditional grading approaches, and explore some alternatives.
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walkSTEM in the Classroom
This session will focus on using math as the language of science to encourage students to explore connections between the STEM concepts all around them, such as ratios in plants, patterns in building design, and how estimation can help answer broad questions about the world.
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4:45 PM - 5:45 PM
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STE(A)M Dream! Designing and Building a Topographic 3D Model
The presenter will share her expansive unit covering all aspects of topographic maps—a unit that is project-based, STE(A)M, and cross-curricular. We will travel through each step of the project via stations. Discussions include teacher tools, incorporating a culture of collaboration, and maintaining balance between all disciplines of STE(A)M.
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STEMscopes 101: Leadership in Science and STEM Implementation with STEMscopes
Leading science instruction for student achievement gains, engagement, and integrated STEM—these are the tasks of district and campus science leaders and coaches. Join the STEMscopes Campus Success Team as we discuss the flexibility of STEMscopes and all the ways it can be implemented.
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Friday, November 02
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7:15 AM - 1:30 PM
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Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Behind the Scenes
Check in beginning at 7:15 a.m. Explore the Intensive Management Area and see cheetahs, rhinos and other endangered animals. Learn about research and conservation efforts from Fossil Rim staff.
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7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
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ACT2 Presents: AP Chemistry Big Idea 6
Every year, AP chemistry students struggle with Big Idea 6, which deals with equilibrium, acid and bases, buffers, and titrations. In this session, we will dive into this Big Idea and share activities to help improve their understanding of these topics.
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An Action Plan to Improve Student STAAR/EOC Scores
Learn key factors and strategies for improving student test scores and performance. Research studies over the past few decades have identified several characteristics used by effective schools to improve student performance. We will explore not only what these factors are but also share and discuss various means of implementation.
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Breakout EDU: Online Learning
Learn multiple ways to use online breakout to engage students and have fun along the way. Attendees will get a hands-on look to create their own online breakouts!
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Changing Classroom Practice and Student Achievement through STEM Teacher Certification
Earning a STEM teacher certificate will refine and demonstrate your understanding of STEM teacher actions. These effective, engaging, and evidence-based STEM instructional strategies will transform your students' outcomes and energize your campus culture.
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Climate Change: Modeling Melting Icebergs
Participants will use a thermohaline circulation model to explore the following questions: Will ice cubes melt faster in distilled water or in salt water? What implications does this have for glacial ice melting? Participants will use their experimental data to predict how long it takes for an iceberg to melt!
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Crack the Code: Building Digital Escape Rooms
Attendees will learn how to plan and create engaging, themed, and content-focused escape room puzzles based on the Science TEKS. Receive a step-by-step process for turning an escape room into a digital experience using Google Sites and Google Forms.
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Days/Nights, Seasons, Moon Phases, Tides: Putting It All Together Hands-On/Bodies-in-Motion
Batter up! We will take the field in an all-hands-on session that walks participants through the interactions between our sun, earth and moon. TEKS 5.8BC, 6.11A, and 8.7ABC will be addressed in the activities, handouts, and resources presented. We will wrap up with usable brain dumps for STAAR preparation.
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Dynamic DNA: Exploring DNA Structure and Function as an Information Storage Molecule
DNA can be modeled either as a macromolecule or as a source of information. Participants will explore both features of DNA with an interactive DNA model and a paper bioinformatics exercise focusing on the beta subunit of hemoglobin. Participants will identify the point mutation that leads to sickle cell disease.
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Edusmart Academy
New and experienced Edusmart users are encouraged to come and learn about all the recent enhancements and additions. Take a tour of the variety of resources available, including our new Science Readers, Prepackaged STAARSmart Science Assessments and Easy-to-Use Learning Management System and Easy Integration into Google Classroom. The Edusmart team will be on hand to answer questions and share tips on how you can get the most out of this popular resource. Door Prizes!
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Exploring Projectile Motion with Garage Physics
Using a series of catapults, participants will go from designing simple investigations to test the effects of force on an object to describing accelerated motion in two dimensions. Launch your way into a tactile exploration of fundamental concepts of physics!
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Going through ALL of the Steps of Teaching Moon Phases
Teaching moon phases can be tricky. Learn the one aspect most teachers omit when teaching moon phases that is critical to understanding the entire process: day and night on the moon!
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Help Me! How Do the Streamlined Science TEKS Affect the Fifth-Grade Science STAAR?
Are you ready for changes coming to the Science STAAR? Discover how new streamlined Science TEKS will be integrated into state assessments. Teachers will be led on a discovery process focusing on the streamlined Science TEKS and TEA’s assessment development process.
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Help! There Has to Be an Easier Way!
Walk away with tools and resources that help you maximize instructional time and impact students' learning but don't burn them out. We will provide strategies such as technology use, increased engagement, data tracking, and the use of centers and assessments.
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Home on the Range: Engaging K-5 Students in Nature
Learn about a fun rangeland conservation-based curriculum that is sure to engage your students in the outdoors! Activities fulfill Texas state curriculum requirements, including concepts such as habitat, adaptations, structures and functions, interactions in an ecosystem, and more.
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Ignite Student Innovation While Cultivating Environmental Stewardship
Explore how EcoRise sustainability curriculum, resources, and grant funds can be used to inspire student driven instruction. Learn to use STEM focused, PBL-ready lessons to guide students through an eco-audit and support students as they problem-solve to make their green campus solutions come to life.
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It’s All About the Es: Enhancing Elementary STEM Engineering through the 5E Model
Are you ignoring the E in STEM? Early STEM exposure impacts young children’s achievement and future interest in STEM fields, and early experiences in engineering spark interest in undertaking engineering as a career. Become that spark by experiencing fun, engaging elementary engineering activities that utilize a practical, 5E inquiry-based approach.
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Journals: A Powerful Tool in Science
The goal of this session is to focus on the infusion of high-level science into curriculum. Teachers will be able to use science journals as a learning tool for students through hands-on activities.
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Journey Through the Middle School Reporting Categories
Join us on a journey as we explore engaging, hands-on activities that will address a concept centered around each Reporting Category. This workshop will include games and models meant to reinforce content standards including TEKS 8.5 A-C, 6.8 C, 8.6 B, 8.7 B, 8.11 A-B, 7.10 B, and 6.12 E.
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Learning on the Go with GooseChase!
Ready, set, hunt! Discover how to blend together the tried-and-true fun of scavenger hunts with mobile technology to create a learning experience like no other. GooseChase creates authentic learning through increased student engagement. Learn how to use GooseChase as part of a lesson, field trip, open house, science night, etc.
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Leveling Up Physics with Depth and Complexity
Teachers will learn how to utilize depth and complexity and leveling up strategies to maximize time and learning in order to allow for advance learners to explore and innovate—also giving more time for teachers to provide small-group instruction so all learners learn about physics at high levels.
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Reaching the Unreachable Learner
We've all had them. From the outwardly disruptive to the painfully quiet, we often have no choice but to accept their failure. Instead, let’s look past their non-compliance and get at the root of their disobedience, discuss strategies to encourage change, and remind ourselves why we all got into teaching.
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Rigor: How to Boost Data and Reignite Your Instruction
We know that rigorous classroom experiences are essential for student achievement, but explaining what rigor is can be difficult! In this engaging session, we will build a case for rigorous classroom experiences, build a shared definition of rigor, and develop our ability to design rigorous, engaging lessons.
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STEM in Middle School Science: Grades 5-8
Participants use their understanding of energy transfer to face an engineering problem: how to build a container that keeps hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold. They will test materials for their insulating properties. They will determine criteria and constraints in the engineering design process and test their designs.
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Save a Nickel and Learn to Trickle!
Explore some of the parameters involved in irrigating a garden or lawn more efficiently. This hands-on workshop combines some simple computer coding (no experience necessary) with a few inexpensive sensors to create a smart irrigation system. Appropriate for middle school to high school students. This session combines project-based Learning, science, and coding into a meaningful solution to an unfortunate phenomenon.
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She Sorts Sea Shells by the Seashore: Creating Classification Systems and Using Dichotomous Keys to Identify Organisms
The focus of this session to engage middle-level science teachers in an exploration of structures of organisms such as seashells and then use and create dichotomous keys for identification of these organisms.
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Space: It's Really, Really Big
This session focuses on national science standards regarding the relationship between size and frequency of waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as TEKS 8.8C, 8.8A, 7.3B&C. We will also provide activities taken from this year's NASA Project LiftOff teacher academy.
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TABT Presents: Science STAAR Digital Breakouts
Looking for a way to increase high-yield engagement during that time of year in your science classroom? Region 10 ESC's Digital Breakouts for Science STAAR Review is a session to guide teachers in creating their own digital breakouts. Come and learn with us!
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TESTA Presents: Which Rock Made This Sand?
This is an inquiry-based investigation using sand samples from around the world, which will allow teachers to actively experience how their students can better understand Earth science concepts and the forces at work on Earth as well as in space. Take home a surprise sand sample and more.
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TSAAPT Presents: Low Maintenence Differentiation
Differentiated lessons ensure that each student gets what he or she needs, whether it’s intervention, extension, or enrichment. We’ll use quick formative assessments focused on common misconceptions (Newton’s 3rd, centripetal/centrifugal force, and SHM v. periodic motion) to group by level, allowing you to spend more time with the students who need it.
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TSAAPT Presents: Using Content Stations in a STEM Unit on Bridges
Creating opportunities to address content as students participate in STEM projects and experiences is a problem many teachers face when developing STEM curriculum for the classroom. Through the use of inquiry-based content stations, participants will participate in a way to embed content within your curriculum design.
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Teaching Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table through Analysis and Manipulation of Atomic Models
Teachers looking for ways to avoid direct teaching (such as lecturing) while introducing the concept of atomic structure and the periodic table arrangements will benefit from the session. Learning through analysis of atomic models and small group discussions will be incorporated into the 5E (Engage-Explore-Explain-Elaborate-Evaluate) lesson cycle.
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Teaching Science Ethics
Ethics in science might be offered to undergraduates but is rarely explored in a K-12 setting. Through a model lesson, this presentation introduces K-12 teachers to methods including an interrupted case study and provides guidance on how to use them to explore ethics in science with their students.
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Tips, Tricks and Technology to Help Manage Small-Group Instruction
In this session, learn how one teacher created a task card system to help students navigate large tasks or everyday assignments with confidence, freeing up a teacher’s time to pull small groups and address individualized concerns.
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We Are Engineers! Engineering Design Activities for Preschool
This session focuses on engineering design activities for preschool and kindergarten-age students. The goal of the session is to introduce teachers to hands-on, minds-on engineering activities that target inquiry-based science practices, including asking questions, defining problems, using models, planning and carrying out investigations, and communicating information.
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7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
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Museum Bus (No Preregistration Required!)
Visit the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) or Fort Worth Japanese Garden. See page 14 of your program for details.
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8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
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Alcon Laboratories
Check in beginning at 7:45 a.m. Tour the laboratory where cutting-edge innovation and breakthrough technology is transforming treatment of eye diseases and conditions. Visit the Alcon Experience Center for an overview of operations, then tour the manufacturing plant floor and R&D. Meet with a panel of scientists for Q&A and career connections to different science fields.
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Trinity River Turtle Research
Check in beginning at 7:45 a.m. Learn how to conduct field research with your students. Work with experienced researchers and educators to pull traps out of the Trinity River and collect morphometric data on all turtles. Mark turtles with a PIT tag and notch shells before releasing the turtles back into the river.
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8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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Dinosaur Valley Geology and Paleontology
Check in beginning at 7:45 a.m. Experts from Texas Christian University will lead this trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park. Learn about the geologic forces that formed North Texas and how the environment has changed over time, then take a hike to observe geologic structures and fossils in situ. Make a stop outside the park to collect fossils for your classroom.
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9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
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A Demo A Week Makes Science Class the Peak
About 30 simple demonstrations will be performed with materials obtained locally. Use of demonstrations promotes classroom learning, increases interest and motivates students.
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ACT2 Presents: Google and Goggles—Integrating Technology in the Chemistry Classroom
Participants will explore the integration of Google Forms, Google Classroom, and Chrome extensions to integrate technology in the science classroom.
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Affordable Hands-on PCR in One Class Period Is for Real
Experience how engaging and accessible classroom biotechnology can be! Amplify three sections of the Lambda phage genome at the same time using fast and robust PCR. You will set up the reaction, program, and monitor the MiniOne PCR System from a tablet app, then separate and analyze your PCR products on the MiniOne Electrophoresis System.
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Algae Blooms: Agriculture, Ecology, and Economy
Teach photosynthesis and cellular respiration together using algae beads in conjunction with an algae bloom case study about the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Explore the associated ecological and economical implications.
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Beyond the CER: A New Frontier for Student-Centered Assessment
Do you use the CER framework to write scientific explanations? Take your students’ explanations to the next level by empowering them to self- and peer-assess. In this session, we will explore student use of checklists and feedback protocols that will build capacity for initiating self- and peer-assessment independently.
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Break Out the Fun with the Newly Streamlined Grade 3-5 TEKS!
In this session, participants will engage in a breakout session where they must solve clues to keep a species from becoming extinct. To save them, participants must complete a number of instructional activities focusing on the newly streamlined Grade 3-5 TEKS SEs. Access to all documents is included.
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Breaking Down Walls: Activating Student Engagement
Participants will engage in and explore hands-on activities that target full student engagement through multidisciplinary strategies. Activities will focus on accessing student buy-in while also aiming for STAAR success! Activities will include fun, effective assessments, classroom organizational tools, and easy interactive games to keep your kids excited about science!
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Bringing High School Physics into the Modern World
Quantum physics is the most successful physical theory and underpins modern life. Improve your understanding of modern physics with instruction on quantum mechanics. Discussion includes historical development and modern research. An overview of physics education research in this area will be presented, including common student ideas and relevant teaching strategies.
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Building and Sustaining an After-School STEM Club
Starting a club is easy … sustaining it is not. This workshop focuses on building leadership, sustainability and legacy in a STEM club. Based on a three-point “hook, line and sinker,” attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to enjoy a successful STEM club.
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Cold Calorimetry with Vitamin C
Calorimetry is the process used to measure the thermal energy released or absorbed by a chemical reaction or physical process. Many labs exist that explore exothermic reactions but not with endothermic reactions. Experience cold calorimetry through a quick-and-easy endothermic chemical reaction using Vitamin C and other household chemicals.
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Creating Animations through Google Slides for Secondary Science
Learn how to use Google Slides to create animations as authentic assessments. Students will be actively engaged in creating a digital representation of content knowledge. Examples will include primary and secondary succession, moon phases, mitosis, chemistry gas laws, and forensic science crime scene investigations.
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Demystifying Motion Graphs: Position and Velocity Made Easy!
What’s the difference between position, speed, and velocity? By collecting data from a moving cart, we’ll graph distance vs. speed and position vs. velocity to help students understand the motion of moving objects and the distinction between positive and negative position and velocity.
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Design Thinking in the Elementary Science Classroom
Explore design thinking practices, including communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Learn to facilitate problem solving using the engineering design process to make science content engaging and relevant for students.
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Dissecting Animals? Frog-get About It!
Alternatives to dissection are increasingly sought by educators to avoid animal use and integrate technology. Because of research on the efficacy of non-animal methods and growing student concerns about animal welfare, many organizations advise teachers to offer alternatives. Science educators should be familiar with the efficacy of non-animal teaching methods.
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ELPS Strategies that Promote Building Science Comprehension for All Kids
Are you running out of ideas to incorporate ELPS strategies with your ELL students? In this session, you will learn new ways to incorporate listening, speaking, reading, and writing into the classroom, such as "Question, Signal, Stem, Share, Assess" and "Talk Read Talk Write."
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Eureka! 3-5 Science Activities and Stories
Eureka! allows teachers to participate in science lessons that encourage students’ development of confidence and skills in STEM processes and knowledge and awareness of STEM career fields. Trade books are used to humanize and personalize children’s science learning via biographical stories of real-world people who pursue science and engineering methods.
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Exploring Forms of Energy and Energy Transformations!
Explore six hands-on stations: motion, sound, thermal, radiant, electrical and chemical energy. Use items we encounter in our daily lives—glow sticks, hand warmers, batteries, etc.—often without understanding the science making them work. Leave feeling confident to teach energy forms and transformations to your students.
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Hot, Cold, Glow … Safe and Simple Chemical Reactions
Just zip it! Join us for quick and easy chemistry in a Ziploc bag. Explore chemical changes through hands-on experiences with endothermic/exothermic reactions and chemiluminescence. Incorporate safe practices and easy clean-up while you develop understanding in the states of matter and physical and chemical changes.
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I Like to Move It
“I Like to Move It” is a student-centered approach that will teach participants how to sign and dance their way to a better understanding of biology. In this workshop, participants will use their bodies to learn or review complex topics such as biomolecules, cell cycle, viruses and much more.
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Inquiring Minds Encounter New Frontiers
Using traditional biology laboratories, we will demonstrate conversion of the activity from teacher-driven to student-driven inquiry, fortified by student-generated stories, questions, cartoons, models and descriptive vocabulary. The groups will make connections with each other and will generate innovative ways to use the investigative process.
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Interactive Word Walls: Visual Scaffolds that Transform Vocabulary Instruction
Interactive word walls may resemble graphic organizers or data tables. They highlight connections between concepts and artifacts (realia) from inquiry-based science activities while connecting scientific concepts and academic vocabulary. They strategically target vocabulary and include visual aids that illustrate word meanings to deepen understanding.
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Literacy: It's Not Just for English Class!
Content area literacy is an important part of learning science. Students not only must read about science, but also write and speak about science using content concepts and vocabulary. Participants will learn strategies that will assist them with integrating these literacy practices without feeling like an English teacher.
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Make TEKS Connections: Try Carolina's Young Scientist™ Dissections
Transform students into young scientists and meet your TEKS with these simple, hands-on dissections! Come dissect our Carolina’s Perfect Solution® squid and discuss adaptations and the relationship between structure and function. Compare your observations with the anatomy of a frog, and take a free sample back to your own lab!
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Observing, Inferring, and Predicting in Grades 4–8
Walk away with a fun, creative, and effective card activity that teaches students to make observations, inferences, and predictions. This TEKS-focused activity can be used immediately and, if laminated, used for years to come. Join us for easy-to-use, engaging strategies, idea sharing and door prizes!
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Physics with Vernier
Use Vernier digital tools to match position and velocity graphs, investigate the principles of kinematics and dynamics, and measure magnetic forces on a current-carrying wire. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Rx: Revolution and Rotation
Having trouble getting kids to understand revolution and rotation concepts? Modeling is the key! Come see how models for day/night/shadows, the moon’s motion, seasons and tidal patterns can help create interest and insight into these difficult spatial concepts.s.
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TAEE Presents: Becoming a Certified Environmental Educator
Don't you want to become a certified environmental educator through the Texas Association for Environmental Education? Demonstrate your knowledge of environmental literacy, promote best practices in environmental education teaching methods, and find a new community. This workshop will walk attendees through the process of becoming a Texas Certified Environmental Educator.
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TESTA Presents: TexNet—The Texas Statewide Earthquake Monitoring and Research Program
Learn about the new Texas statewide earthquake monitoring program, TexNet. In this session, Dr. Dino Huang, research scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, will introduce attendees to the online TexNet earthquake catalog, provide case histories of seismicity in Texas, and discuss current seismicity distribution in our state.
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TESTA Presents: Weather Reporter
Focusing on 4.8A, this retired navy weather forecaster will teach you to build a simple weather station with your students.
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TSAAPT Presents: Improving Literacy in the Science Classroom
Learn ways to integrate student collaboration, academic reading, and writing within your science classroom. Participants will leave with specific structures to ensure maximum student participation and how to avoid common classroom obstacles.
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TSAAPT Presents: Shoot for the Stars
Engage in inquiry-based activities aimed to stimulate discovery of topics such as planets beyond the solar system, the life cycle of stars, supernovas, galaxies, and more. Activities include teacher background and sample assessments developed by the Perimeter Institute.
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TSELA Presents: Help! I Am "Over" Science, and I Have No Idea What to Do!
This session is designed to give administrators and/or science department leaders a lens through which to consistently support their campus science teachers. Successful implementation of this session on your campus will improve coaching, communication, teacher support, and goal achievement.
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The Breakout Box Science Extravaganza!
In this session, you will experience the Breakout Box with lessons geared toward science concepts for Grades K-5. We will share teacher-created Breakout lessons that engage students with learning in ways you've never seen before! Are you up for the challenge of "breaking out"?
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The Power of an Image
Telling the story of images, charts, and diagrams will increase student performance...guaranteed! Visual literacy is an integral part of an inclusive and responsive classroom. Participants will be led through a series of visual challenges to reveal how content comes alive with images, charts, and diagrams. High levels of visual literacy that require concept knowledge, vocabulary, and image interpretation are part of a skillset that must be taught and practiced throughout the literacy process. Door Prizes!
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The Science STAAR is a Reading Test! Teaching the Streamlined TEKS through Literacy
In this session, participants will learn comprehension strategies for teaching science content and vocabulary through an integrated science-literacy curriculum designed to reach all students. It will include strategies on how to integrate Science TEKS content into nonfiction reading and expository writing units of study.
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This Crazy System We Live In
The focus for this workshop is to provide hands-on, inquiry-based activities that enhance student learning about the relationships between our sun, moon, and Earth. Take these activities and implement them into your classroom the next week.
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Transforming Your Lab Activities in Middle School with Argument-Driven Inquiry
Argument-driven inquiry (ADI) is an innovative instructional model based on how students learn that has students participate in the practices of science as they learn to use core ideas and crosscutting concepts to explain natural phenomena. Students also interact with their peers, critique ideas, and reflect on their mistakes.
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Vitruvian Man Corrected
Vitruvian man can’t meet the Scientific Method. Find out why. This session which will guide you through a corrected version of the perfectly proportioned Vitruvian Man in your high school biology course for TEKS 2(E) during the first two weeks of school. You will no longer confuse students with incorrect science practices.
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Want to Work at NASA?
What if you cannot be an astronaut? What other careers does NASA have to offer? We will utilize student interests to match with career paths at NASA: robotics, graphic designer, videographer, computer technology, foods and nutrition, fashion design, and more. There are many choices!
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What's Exciting and NEW in STEMscopes Texas Streamlined? K-5 (Repeat Session)
Come join the STEMscopes writers as we share our excitement about the new Elements in STEMscopes based on the Streamlined TEKS. Learn more about "Strengthening Literacy: Getting Kids to Talk, Read, and Connect Science."
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Year-Round Solutions for Success in AP Chemistry from Flinn Scientific
Join Flinn as we share AP Chemistry demonstrations, labs, inquiry activities, and more! Learn about new ways to engage your advanced students. Our activities are aligned to the learning objectives and skills your students need to be successful. Free handouts!
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9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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TCES Presents: STEM Spectacular
Experience TEKS-aligned make-and-take activities to reinforce the objectives and concepts covering earth science, life science, and physical science. Participants will travel from table to table and experience the best that K-8 science and STEM education has to offer in this two-hour extravaganza.
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9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Breakout EDU: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Escape Room
Do you love escape rooms but struggle to implement them in your classroom? This workshop focuses on creating an escape room with classes of all sizes! Learn how to use already-made escape rooms as well as create your own (digital and non-digital) from scratch.
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Building Scientific Habits: Creating and Analyzing Models
What makes Bill Nye's ability to communicate science so compelling? It's his use of scientific models to make abstract concepts easy to understand! The ability to create and analyze scientific models is key to thinking like a scientist and is assessed on exams including STAAR, ACT, and MAP.
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Deepen Your PBL Knowledge with Creature Suit Power
How can we deepen our knowledge of project-based learning to be better educators? Teachers will engage as educators and “students” as they complete a project designed to deepen PBL understanding while participating in an elementary science PBL aimed at designing Wild Kratt Creature suits that highlight animal adaptations and inherited traits.
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Engaging Tech Tools for Blended Learning Lessons
Wanted: Secondary teachers who are interested in adding interactive technology tools to their teaching toolboxes. Are you tired of taking home stacks of papers? Do you want to be the cool teacher? This presentation will focus on using learning management systems effectively in the blended classroom to increase student engagement.
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Extreme Event
Extreme Event is an in-person role-playing game that provides participants a taste of what it takes to build community resilience in the face of a simulated natural disaster. The award-winning Extreme Event was developed by the National Academy of Sciences’ Koshland Science Museum in collaboration with the ResilientAmerica Roundtable.
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ISEA Presents: Project WET
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an award-winning, action-oriented curriculum for K-12 educators. All activities are connected to TEKS and other standards. Project WET is a fun way to engage your students in the water lessons taught at every grade level! During this “sampler” workshop, attendees will take part in some of Project WET’s most popular water education activities across grade levels.
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Integrating Science Content, ESL Strategies and STEM to Teach Elementary Science
The purpose of this hands-on, interactive session is for teachers to deepen their understanding of elementary science content, focusing on fifth-grade TEKS. Presenters will interact with attendees using hands-on activities, the creation of foldables and discussion of ESL strategies to teach vocabulary. Relevant STEM connections and past STAAR questions will also be presented.
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Literacy for All Learners in the Science Classroom!
The partnership between literacy and inquiry in the science classroom equips scholars for success. When teachers engage in literacy strategies while teaching science, they provide their students skills that will sustain life-long learning and encourage STEM-related college and career choices.
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Literacy in Science
Do your students struggle when you ask them to read or write in your science classroom? Participate in research-based literacy strategies designed to promote reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the science classroom. These strategies are designed to improve student comprehension of science concepts.
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TABT Presents: PTC Taster Lab: From Genotype to Phenotype Using DNA analysis
Are you a supertaster? Explore the molecular genetics of taste using PCR and gel electrophoresis. Analyze single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your taste receptor genes, linking your own DNA to your tasting ability. This hands-on biotechnology-based activity is suitable for settings ranging from middle school classrooms to college labs.
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TESTA Presents: Topography in the Classroom
Explore the ups and downs of topography. This session focuses on learning strategies, offers plenty of hands-on activities and is designed to provide multiple lessons for units of instruction incorporating a large variety of activities involving mapping skills and satellite imagery.
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9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
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How To Win the TCEA 3D Design Challenge
PBT ISD won the 2018 TCEA 3D Design Challenge. The presenter will share (1) why the challenge is a great avenue to engage students in STEAM, CAD, and engineering; (2) strategies used; and (3) pro tips on leveraging student interest. Participants will be shown a documentation process and digital logbook.
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9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
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Science Making Connections through Art Integration
Equip students with base knowledge and then help creatively develop, enhance, and maintain that knowledge with songs and wearable art ideas! Reinforce and assess learning for Grade 4-8 TEKS, including lab safety, life cycles, food webs, water cycle, cells, and atomic structure. The wearable projects designed/created will become door prizes at the session’s end.
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10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
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A Closer Look at CLOSE Reading
CLOSE reading is a strategy that will allow students to dive deeper into the text and make meaning of the words on the page. With the push for content literacy, it is very important that students be able to understand, discuss, and draw conclusions from scientific texts.
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ACT2 Presents: Mini Labs Throughout the Year
Throughout 42 years of teaching high school chemistry, the presenter has used the concept of "mini labs" (or lab stations) for a variety of chemistry topics: density, atomic theory, gas laws, intermolecular forces, and more! She will share tips and resources for how to use this lab method successfully.
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ACT2 Presents: Thermochemical Equations—Making the Math Work for Everyone
Thermochemical equations intimidate students. How do we show students that energy of a reaction is an important part of the balanced chemical equation? Take calorimetry to the next level with fun demonstrations that apply calorimetry results to thermochemical equations. See how a common math tool helps students understand thermochemical equations.
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Animal Instinct: Teaching with Critters in the Classroom
Are you an animal person? We are! Join us to explore the possibilities for engaging all learners with live organisms, and enrich your classroom while teaching responsibility and connecting to life cycle TEKS. You'll enjoy this hands-on experience with some very special classmates.
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Are Increased Incidences of Infection the Result of Climate Change?
There are more reports of infections with symptoms such as gastroenteritis, bloody stools, fever, and dark blisters. See which microbes are linked to this increase and why such symptoms might be more common as the average earth temperature increases.
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Assessing Beyond a Test
Student understanding of content extends way beyond a multiple-choice assessment. This session invites participants to look at various strategies that have been successfully embedded into our elementary curriculum as a way for teachers to gauge student progress prior to a summative assessment.
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Best of the Best: STAAR Review
In this interactive workshop, attendees will learn new and innovative ways to review. We will look at resources, technology, and activities that engage students from day one of your review. Leave feeling like you'll have the most successful STAAR review ever!
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Break Out! Creating Virtual Escape Games
A good escape room challenges players to think critically and creatively while working together to solve puzzles within a time limit. Learn how to create virtual escape games that challenge students to apply what they have learned while supporting the “Four Cs” of STEM: creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.
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Chemistry and AP Chemistry with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, and hands-on experiments that use Vernier digital tools with computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices to investigate cellular respiration and enzyme activity. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Choice Creates Curiosity
This session will demonstrate how providing choice in your classroom increases student independence, engagement, differentiation in learning, and, ultimately, child-centered curiosity. Put learning in the students’ hands with choice found in exploring foundational concepts, labs and projects, and even STAAR test reviews!
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Digging Deep at the Witte Museum
Join the staff of the Witte Museum as we dig deep to discover how we can all be land stewards. Learn about exciting, hands-on, immersive programming for K-12. Get your hands dirty by creating an aquifer in a cup. Ask questions and learn how to book a field trip.
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Dynamic Forces: Newton's Laws Made Easy!
In this hands-on workshop, we'll investigate Newton's laws and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the force and acceleration of moving objects.
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Elevate 6-8 Teaching with Problem-Based Learning!
Problem-based learning helps students connect science topics to the real world. In addition, it builds critical thinking skills, provides a rich learning environment, and introduces possible STEM careers.
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Engineering for All Students: A Hand-On, Minds-On Approach to Building 21st-Century Skills
Discover how to engage all high school students in real-world engineering design projects and empower them with 21st-century skills. Hands-on, research-based engineering courses can prepare students for creative problem-solving in any profession. See how local teachers enhance their STEM pathways with courses, comprehensive support, and optional dual-enrollment credit developed by The University of Texas at Austin.
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Flinn Favorite Biology Activities and Games
Students learn better and faster when they are actively involved in hands-on activities that are not only fun but also create learning opportunities along the way. We’ll share some inquiry-based labs, interactive demonstrations, and collaborative games you can use to motivate your students.
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From Cabbages to Pocket Mice: The Power of Selection
In this discussion-rich, TEKS-focused workshop, see how powerful small genetic changes can be! From diverse food plants that are all members of a single species to natural selection in the wild, explore the power of artificial and natural selection. Grocery store produce and free online resources are all you need!
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Getting the Most Out of Molecular-Level Visualization in High School Chemistry and AP Chemistry
Conceptual understanding of molecular processes is a huge focus for high school chemistry and AP Chemistry. Larn how to work with Odyssey Molecular Explorer—a highly interactive and scientifically sound program for three-dimensional visualization. Please bring a Windows or Macintosh laptop if you can (some loaners will be available).
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Hands-On Earth Science for Grades 3-4
Learn quick and inexpensive hands-on activities that you can use in your classroom. This session is designed for the middle elementary grades (3-4). Participants will walk away with lessons they can use quickly and STEM tie-ins for engineering design.
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Help Me! How Do the Streamlined Science TEKS Affect the Eighth-Science STAAR?
Are you ready for changes coming to the Science STAAR? Discover how new streamlined Science TEKS will be integrated into state assessments. Teachers will be led on a discovery process that focuses on the streamlined Science TEKS and TEA’s assessment development process.
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ISEA Presents: Read and Grow! Using Literature to Inspire Environmental STEM learning
Learn how to use children's books to inspire STEM learning in your classroom and beyond! Quality children's literature serves to connect STEM learning, whether through read-alouds with higher-level questioning, circle conversations with talk that teaches, hands-on activities with natural materials, or outdoor explorations using your own campus.
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Igniting the STEM Spark Earlier—and Longer
STEM education is key to building digital citizens ready for tomorrow’s careers. But teaching STEM early is a challenge. Learn how elementary grades are ready for STEM and how teachers can overcome roadblocks such as a lack of STEM training, an already tight curriculum, and student apathy to deliver a quality STEM experience.
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Integrating Technology and Stations to Enhance Learning
This “bring your own device” session is designed to model how to use stations and introduce teachers to various apps and websites that can be used in stations. Teachers will leave with instructional and classroom management strategies for stations as well as free, interactive and easy-to-use technology resources.
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May the Force Be With You
You will be moved by these engaging force and motion demos presented by award-winning physics teacher Buzz Putnam. These classroom-ready activities include the Stunt Car Lab, the famous Monkey-Hunter "problem," the vertical vs. horizontal acceleration demonstration, and a simple way to prove "g" is always the same.
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Need More SASS in Class? (Serious About Science Stations)
This workshop will provide ideas for incorporating engaging stations in science classrooms. Learn how to incorporate reading, writing, vocabulary games and process skills, as well as a teacher-directed station. Teachers will leave with resources to implement and differentiate for students.
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the 6-8 and Biology Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 6-8 and Biology. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, FREE templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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PD is Nice with NISE: National Institute for STEM Education
Spend an hour with the STEMcoach Leaders from NISE and School Success Team (PD). In a focus group setting, you'll share your campus needs and wants for professional learning, and we'll showcase our new and engaging NISE professional development opportunities (both face to face and online).
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Regular, Accommodate, and Modified Students in the Lab, Oh My!
Teaching science is a balancing act as you provide lab-based lessons to a variety of learners at different learning levels. The experienced presenter will share tips/strategies on how to reach every learner, including English language learners, students with special needs, and gifted students in a regular classroom. Differentiation is the key! Come learn how to differentiate!
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Rubik's Cube: Algorithms for Reorienting Underachievers
This hands-on workshop shows how you can use Rubik's Cubes in your classroom or after-school programs to motivate resistant and underachieving learners. Learn ways to include cubes to teach math skills, coding, and art creation. Attendees will practice cube-solving and discover resources.
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SNIP SNIP! Restriction Digest FUN-damentals Made Quick and Easy
Looking for an easy hands-on restriction digest lab that delivers immediate, clear-cut, and reliable results with minimal prep? Experience how you can cover restriction enzyme concepts and analysis using electrophoresis, and then experience the application side of restriction enzymes with a paper activity on cloning.
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Science Olympiad: Tips for Success in the Protein Modeling Event
The theme for this year’s Science Olympiad Protein Modeling Event focuses on genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9. This session will introduce a variety of resources available to explore the topic and provide insights for preparing a team for a successful competition. Materials are also suitable for classroom use in exploring this topic.
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Science Process Standards Meet Understanding by Design
Join as we share our experience in turning our written curriculum from "content-focused" to "process-embedded." We will show examples of how we have taken the process standards and embedded elements of scientific process throughout our curriculum. We will discuss the process and next steps associated with integration.
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Social Emotional Learning in the STEM Classroom
Attendees will leave with an understanding of social emotional learning (SEL) and its importance in a classroom, especially for gifted and talented students, and how to integrate SEL in STEM lessons.
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Student-Driven Test Analysis
This session is designed to show how students can reflect on common assessment results and view them as personal growth. Teachers will learn a new method of reviewing the test through student-led activities. Based on results, teachers can create enrichment activities for students to support further learning.
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TABT Presents: Weaving Biotechnology Throughout the Year
This session will provide examples of how biotechnology can be used throughout the year to reinforce important concepts and allow students to see it as a collection of many tools that form an integral part of our understanding of biology rather than a standalone unit.
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TAEE Presents: Ignite Learning with Blackland Prairie Restoration
Through the creation of a native Blackland prairie on our campus, we have brought environmental science to life in an exciting way for our students. This session is designed to share our process of establishing the prairie on our campus and discuss the resulting learning opportunities created for our students.
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TESTA Presents: Using National Geographic's Geo-inquiry Process to Learn Earth Sciences!
Join us for tips on getting students to engage in the inquiry process by asking questions around your own community. Use photography, data collection, and map tools to take action on earth science issues with your smartphone. Get your kids to tell stories about local earth science around school!
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TSAAPT Presents: Uncertainty in the High School Classroom
Quantum mechanical topics such as the wave-particle duality and the uncertainty principle are subjects with which students should have some familiarity. In this session, we will retool an experiment used to show light’s wave nature and use it to demonstrate implications of the uncertainty principle that students can see.
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TSELA Presents: Walking the Line ... Coaching Teachers and Administrators with Efficacy
Building trust with both administrators and teachers is like walking a tightrope. How do you cultivate relationships with teachers while being honest with administrators? We've distilled ideas from Jim Knight, Pete Hall, and Alisa Simeral to produce practical steps to help you keep your balance.
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The Light Stuff
Learn new "en-lightening" strategies to teach lessons about light in your early childhood science classroom. This hands-on workshop will give you engaging activities you can implement immediately. Learn about properties of light and color filtering to make a secret message! Your students will say, "Wow!"
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The Smithsonian Presents "Energy in Action"
How does energy move and change? Answer this question and others while experiencing one of the new modules from the Smithsonian Science for the Classroom™ series.
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Using Culture, Language, and Metacognition to Differentiate Instruction for ELLs
When working with English language learners, we need to design lessons that differentiate instruction by presenting various avenues for learning. An excellent starting point to achieving this is recognizing the importance of including students' cultural and linguistic references in all aspects of learning. This presentation will show you how to create learning experiences that use language and culture to teach content. Door Prizes!
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Using Outdoor Learning Environments to Build Science Skills
This TEEAC session will involve attendees in learning how to use outdoor learning environments to build science observation, data gathering, and communication skills. Attendees will be given the opportunity to participate and ask questions.
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10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
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Maximizing the Talent in Your School
In difficult financial times, everyone must maximize the talent in their buildings. Participants in this session will learn how to use teacher-leaders to plan, develop teachers, and then release them to assist others so that all students on your campus have equitable instruction in every classroom.
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10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
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CSI: Sand Forensics
Solve a fictional murder by analyzing actual sand samples. Examine sands for size, shape, sorting, and color.
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12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Botanical Forensics
Check in beginning at 12:15 p.m. Visit the Botanical Research Institute of Texas to learn how botanical evidence is used to solve crimes in the real world. Discover the history of botanical forensics and study how plant adaptations, such as animal-dispersed seeds and fruits, have contributed to solving actual crimes.
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1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
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2 Fast 2 Furious
We are experienced middle school teachers who love what we do! We would like to share 20+ hands-on, vertically-aligned, cross-curricular activities that are inexpensive and easy to throw together on a Monday morning. Our labs encourage students with safe, hands-on activities that can be modified by the student and teacher for optimum investigative purposes.
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ACT2 Presents: Activity-Based Chemistry
This session will focus on in-class engagement activities such as demos, card activities, and games, as well as labs that support key concepts in chemistry. Participants should be able to take home various activities and labs for teaching TEKS for the entire year of Chemistry.
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Argument-Driven Engineering: A New Instructional Model for Teaching Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Using Engineering Practices
Learn about argument-driven engineering (ADE), an instructional model aimed at teaching science content through the engineering design process. Session participants will hear from the development team of researchers and teachers on the general flow of the model and tips for successful implementation of ADE design challenges in the classroom.
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Become a GMO Investigator
Which foods are genetically modified? This hands-on workshop teaches basics of DNA extraction, PCR, and electrophoresis and how they are used to test grocery store food products for the presence of GM foods.
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Biomimicry in Design for High School Teachers
The future depends on learning from our renewable, efficient world, the result of 3.8 billion years of life tinkering with the elements. High school students can learn from nature's adaptations, processes and the use of harmless materials and make a sustainable world through biomimicry design.
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Brown Bag STEAM Challenges
Use common household items placed in brown bags to complete exciting STEAM challenges. Work as a team to solve engineering problems. Challenges include marshmallow poppers, catapults, fluffy slime and more. All will receive a copy of the PE³: Expanding Energy Education guide. Session includes prizes!
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Building Better Bridges: Build a Stronger Understanding of Structure Concepts
In this hands-on workshop, you will learn powerful, intuitive ways to teach your students how bridges really work. With a wireless force sensor, see how forces flow through a bridge and understand why trusses have triangles. We will show you how to build and measure different bridge designs.
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Can They Learn It? Yes, They Can!
Differentiation in the science classroom can be confusing and complicated. This session provides participants with practical approaches to help all students succeed regardless of disability, native language, or emotional issue.
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Challenging the GT Learner
By rewarding obedience and grades, our brightest learners avoid valuable experience with obstacles and struggle—every gold star and label further digging them into the mindset of compliance, self-doubt, and massive anxiety. Learn how simple but consistent changes can catapult the GT learner into a world that rewards the risk-takers!
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Design in 5: How to Create Engaging Assessments
Fully engage learners in your classroom. Discover how to create high-quality assessments using a five-phase design protocol. Explore types and traits of quality assessment, and learn how to develop assessments that are innovative, effective, and engaging. Apply the protocol to evaluate assessments and turn them into communication tools.
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Differentiating Science Instruction with Menus for Beginners
This information-packed session is designed for attendees new to choice menus. We will define menus and investigate how they meet the needs of your students in diverse classrooms. We will then discuss various ways menus can be integrated into instruction to engage and challenge your students.
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Dollar Store Science
Take a virtual walk through the dollar store and find dozens of items that can be used to teach science, with emphasis on engineering practices and inquiry. Leave this session eager to find the nearest dollar store to seek out new items easy to use in your classroom.
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Ecosystem in a Bottle
Help your students assemble a self-sustainable pond ecosystem contained within a two-liter bottle. Observe abiotic and biotic organisms within the ecosystem as it changes over time. This is a project your students will not forget!
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Elementary Science with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, hands-on activities using temperature probes that will excite your students. See how age-appropriate sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Engage and Interact: Best Practices for Active Learning in Middle School
Conceptual understanding requires students to engage in higher-order thinking tasks while being actively involved in the learning process. Join us for this interactive session as we explore practical, ready-to-use instructional strategies that stimulate active learning and aim for deeper, more meaningful understanding of TEKS-aligned content. Attendees get access to all activities.
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Escape Space: Unlocking the Airlock to Survival
Escape Space is a high-energy escape room designed to use your students' creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and technology skills as they attempt to survive the extreme environments of space. Students decode clues and solve STEM puzzles within a time limit. Bring this excitement into your classroom to target TEKS.
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Exploring Oil and Gas
Experience fun hands-on explorations, critical-thinking activities, and nonfiction text that introduces students to the basic concepts of oil and natural gas formation, composition, exploration, production, and use. The activities to be explored are aligned with state standards and draw on engineering, science and math skills. Geared for the intermediate and secondary level.
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Hands-On Integrated Science Activities for Middle School from Flinn Scientific
Hands-on science leads to minds-on learning! Flinn Scientific presents relevant and age-appropriate activities for middle school—integrating engineering and life, Earth and physical science topics. Workshop participants perform and observe experiments designed to capture the curiosity and engage the energy of adolescent students. Handouts for all activities.
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Help! My Notebook's Boring!
Have a boring INB? Students never use it? Kids hate the activities? Look no further: In this session, you'll be shown multiple fun, engaging, and TEKS-based foldables desgined to fit easily inside your INB. This session will help you turn your INB from not to hot!
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ISEA Presents: Sparking Natural Curiosities in All Youth: An Interactive Session on Ideas for STEM Activities Inside and Outside the Classroom
In this session, participants will discover the potential of authentic and standard-based activities in environmental, science, technology, engineering, and math. Participants will leave this session with a new framework for designing ESTEM activities and the power of measuring student environmental STEM-related attitudes.
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Inferring through Interactive Anchor Charts and Content Walls
Learn how to engage your students and build their inferring skills by interacting and manipulating content through the use of interactive anchor charts and content walls. Participants will leave with a plethora of exciting, hands-on activities ready to implement immediately to make classrooms a fun and successful place of learning!
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Make a Makerspace!
Come play in our makerspace with electronics, 3D printing, coding, robotics, and more! Learn how to build a collaborative and creative STEM workspace for your school. We'll help you shop for the best high-tech and no-tech tools and provide suggestions for design and furniture. We'll showcase what makes exciting makerspaces fun.
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Miss! Why Are We Reading in Science Class?!
Reading is essential for students to increase their science literacy. We will share our lessons for using the fiction novel The Martian to engage students and reinforce eighth-grade science and math—and help eliminate the cry of “Miss, why are we reading in science class?!”
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Modeling in Chemistry: What Is It All About?
Models aren’t just for runways and photo shoots! Teachers use scientific models to explain scientific theories and processes. Models have limitations and are refined as scientific understanding and technology improves. Find out how to effectively include scientific models in your classroom so the unimaginable becomes concrete for students.
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the Grade 3-5 Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 3-5. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, free templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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Phillippe Cousteau's EarthEcho International is Engaging Students to Take Action!
Come meet Philippe Cousteau's EarthEcho International Team! Learn how EarthEcho—in partnership with STEMscopes—is motivating students to take action in caring for the Earth, our oceans, and their neighborhoods! This one is action-packed and easily integrated into your STEM classroom, campus, and district!
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Playing with the Playlist: lead4ward Instructional Strategies for All
Participants will experience strategies from the lead4ward instructional strategies playlists available on the free lead4ward resource site. Explore ways to use instructional strategies in your own classrooms with science content.
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Reading Strategies in Elementary Science
Addressing reading and literacy is of paramount importance, especially for our K-5 learners. Join us as we examine one local district’s plan to address illiteracy and the role elementary science plays. Specific strategies for nonfiction reading will be shared.
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Ready to Take Your Blended Classroom to the Next Level?
Blended learning: You’ve been at it for a while, and you're wondering what the next step might be. Going paperless? Simplified delivery? With Google Hyperdocs, you can consolidate your online content and make your lessons more accessible and efficient. Meet the next level of blended learning.
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Reducing the Risk: Introducing Industrial Chemistry Practices in the Classroom
Green chemistry principles and practices are used in industry and academia because they address the triple bottom-line of cost, safety, and performance. Learn about open access labs that utilize materials that cost less and are safe for storage, disposal, and students to handle.
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STAAR Science PREP Workshop
This STAAR prep workshop will be delivered by Paula Noe, an experienced educational consultant and science leader of a major urban school district, this is not a drill and kill workshop. Paula will share her strategies that have worked for the teachers and students she supports and will cover topics including Visual Literacy, Vocabulary Development, 3D to 2D and Frameworks of Success. Door Prizes!
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STEAM Express: Classroom on Wheels
Learn and experience the Klein ISD STEAM Express. Join our session to explore resources and activities that can be used in your classroom to enhance your curriculum. These activities will also enhance college pathways for students in all grades.
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STEAM Using Picture Books
Finding time for science in the younger grades is difficult. This session will provide you with resources to incorporate STEAM into your reading program through the use of picture books.
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STEM Camp: New Perspectives on Training for the First Days of School
The first days of school allow teachers to set expectations, create rapport, and learn information about students. Participants will learn about the behavioral management and rapport-building strategies practiced during an eight-week STEM camp to create a highly fun and engaging climate. Handouts will be provided to all attendees.
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TABT Presents: Biology Manipulatives (v5)
The biology manipulatives to be presented are designed to target students whose primary learning styles are visual and kinesthetic. Application, analysis, and evaluation of knowledge are required to complete the manipulatives. Manipulatives can be used in a variety of ways such as FA, repetitive practice, proficiency checks, review, or engage activities.
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TSAAPT Presents: Work-Energy Theorem and All the Joules!
This session will use easy-to-obtain materials to demonstrate, measure, and calculate work, potential energy, and kinetic energy. Efficiency of the procedure will be computed and discussion of the energy loss will ensue. Optional replacement materials will be proposed. The cycle of the theorem will be clearly evident.
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TSELA Presents: Make a Difference: Tools and Strategies to Enhance Your Teacher Voice and Role in Education Advocacy
In this session, a panel of classroom, district, and state science education leaders will discuss the strategies, challenges, and rewards associated with being an effective leader outside the classroom. Learn how to focus on practical tools, approaches, and perspectives for communicating with various audiences.
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Teaching STEM with Hess Toy Trucks
Hess Toy Trucks donates 1,000 sets of their annual toy trucks to schools along with curriculum guides focusing on STEM activities using the trucks. Activities will be demonstrated, and attendees will learn how to apply for the sets. Twelve 2018 trucks will be given as door prizes.
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The Magic of Science! Motivate and Excite Your Science Students Using Discrepant Events
“The Magic of Science” will highlight classic "science magic" bell-ringers with a twist, a little slight of hand, and some music mixed with humor. This fast-paced workshop will offer discrepant events that teachers will be able to infuse immediately into their classroom. Guaranteed to excite your most apathetic students!
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They Come in Pairs: Using Socks to Identify and Address Student Misconceptions About Chromosomes
Understanding the stages of meiosis and addressing student misconceptions about chromosome behavior have always been challenges. What if those concepts were as easy to understand as folding laundry? This workshop digs in to how to identify and address these misconceptions using ChromoSocks. This session is presented in partnership with HudsonAlpha.
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To Taste or Not to Taste! PTC Genotype Determination by Electrophosis
Use hands-on experience to solidify the theoretical teaching of Mendelian genetics and learn the basics of genotyping by doing electrophoresis. You will pour, load, and run a gel, capture gel image, analyze the results, and determine PTC taster genotypes for a family.
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Using Figures from Primary Literature to Build Data Literacy
Engage in two strategies to help students develop their data literacy skills by analyzing figures from peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. During the session, participants will explore free biology and environmental science resources from HHMI BioInteractive and discuss how they could use the resources and strategies in their own classes.
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Using Trade Books and Biographies to Unpack the Engineering Design Process
Using books to support instruction is a time-honored tradition. We will use biographies and trade books to study the accomplishments of engineers and inventors in order to build student understanding of the nature of engineering and how the engineering design process (EDP) is applied to systematically and efficiently solve problems.
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Vocabulary Games Bridge the Gap from Lab to Test!
Do you have a great hands-on program but your students still aren’t testing well? Vocabulary could be the issue! Brain research supports the use of color, meaningful visuals, games, and active participation to ensure success for every child, every chance, every day! Increase student success! Decrease teacher effort!
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1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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CER: Baby Steps for Teachers and Students
Sixth- and eighth-grade science teachers, are you tired of reading student reports and essays lacking focus and scientific backing? CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) has the answers. CER is a format for writing about science that allows students to think about data in an organized, thorough manner.
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Digging into Data to Uncover Student Accountability
Wonder how to hold students accountable for their own academic growth? We will help you uncover student assessments to "dig in" and unlock our student data-trackers and self-reflection tools to support student accountability. Utilizing small data, we can make a big difference in our classrooms!
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ISEA Presents: Discover How Informal Science Sites Integrate Formal Science Teaching in Their Curricula
This hands-on, interactive session focuses on how to integrate school science content into informal science sites. Presenters include informal science educators from eight informal science sites, five district science coordinators, and the Wipro Science Education Fellows. Attendees will interact with presenters via a panel discussion and examples of interactive hands-on activities.
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Making Student Thinking Visible in Science
Explore research-based strategies that can lead to deeper thinking and personalized writing for students. These strategies will support students in recording their thinking in response to science learning experiences. Add to your toolbox various ways to collect authentic “evidence of learning” and make your students’ thinking more visible.
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STEM Leadership
This session is for STEM leadership to gain tools and understanding about implementation, scaling, and ongoing support for STEM. Systematic approaches for the district vision, design and implementation of professional learning, curriculum alignment, and leveraging T-TESS will be shared. Participants may also share their experiences.
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Spiraling Properties of Matter with CER Conclusion Writing
Focus on content and properties of matter vocabulary that can be spiralized throughout the year. Demonstrate strategies that can scaffold learning and improve Conclusion Writing (CER). Hold students accountable through self-assessment tools and rubrics.
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TCES Presents: Design Thinking and Computer Science Concepts in K-2
This session will focus on integrating design and computational thinking, coding, and robotics in K-2. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and leave with ideas, resources, and an understanding of how to integrate concepts into their current curriculum.
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Using Natural Phenomena to Engage and Guide Student Learning
Participants will engage in a learning experience that illustrates how using natural phenomena to support student learning generates student questions about the natural world. The effective integration of scientific discourse and argumentation plays a central role in this session.
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1:15 PM - 1:45 PM
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Pre-Coding: Computational Thinking in the PK Classroom
Create awareness that prekindergarten students are capable of learning computational thinking through problem-based learning while developing 21st-century skills. Computer science should be available for every child in a developmentally appropriate way in which students are not only technology users but also technology innovators.
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1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
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Breaking the Vocabu-Barrier
Integrate vocabulary strategies into the classroom using technology, board games, and old-school methods. These strategies encompass vocabulary for the eighth-grade STAAR.
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STEMscopes 201 - Leadership in Science and STEM Implementation with STEMscopes
Leading science instruction for student achievement gains is an important focus for district and campus science leaders and coaches. Join our School Success Team (PD) as we discuss strategies for increasing student achievement and test scores through STEMscopes Data Analytics. Your questions will be answered!
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2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Photographic Portfolios as Team-Based Learning Tools for Anatomy
Digital cameras/phones can enhance student engagement and understanding if used by incorporating experiential learning in a collaborative framework. Participants will learn how to engage their students in a team-based approach that allows students to better translate three-dimensional images into two-dimensional images—going beyond simple memorization of anatomical material.
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2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
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University of Texas at Arlington Planetarium
Check in beginning at 2 p.m. Participate in a Star Talk and observe a dome show geared toward fifth-grade through high school students. Learn what this resource has to offer students of all ages.
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2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
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A Guide to Using Games to Teach the 4 Cs
Experience a number of games that promote the four Cs of instruction (collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking). In this session, we will introduce games that are not only engaging and exciting but also 100 percent TEKS-aligned!
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ACT2 Presents: Hydroponics and Aquaponics—The Chemistry of Alternative Food Production
Hydroponics and aquaponics are becoming hot topics in the environmental world with sustainability. Students are intrigued by growing food without dirt. However, an understanding of water chemistry is a must for a successful system. This session will discuss the relationship between water chemistry and successful systems.
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Achieving Double-Digit Growth on the Eighth-Grade Science STAAR
The science chair from a middle school in a large, diverse district will share the story of achieving double-digit growth on the Eighth-Grade Science STAAR and closing the achievement gap with English Language Learners.
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Analyzing Forensic Impression Evidence: How-to Activities, Analysis, Case Studies, Evidence Reliability Debate
Observe demonstrations of inexpensive/easy techniques for preparing and photographing shoe and tire impressions (e.g., plaster of paris, inked tires and inkless pad impressions). Participants will analyze a case study for clues leading to the suspect’s identity. Leave with activity and resource handouts and impression evidence reliability debate planning and strategy forms regarding claims, evidence and argumentation.
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Breaking Out of Science, Clint-Style!
Grab your magnifying glass, dust off your detective hat, and let's get sleuthing! You will be given a top-secret mission to complete in 30 minutes or less! Teamwork and your Texas-sized investigating skills will help you complete the mission.
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Calming the Chaos: Tech Tools to Simplify and Organize Your Life
As teachers, we have a lot of jobs: creating content, keeping parents informed, and organizing ourselves and our students, all while being "on stage" for eight hours a day. Come see what technology tools can help save your time and your sanity. We'll focus on free resources for all grade levels!
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Coding Playground: Little Bot, Big Tech … Ozobot!
Meet Ozobot, your favorite STEM tool packed in a cubic inch. Creativity, exploration, and play are all that's required to teach coding, math, and science with Ozobot. We’ll show you how to use Ozobot to model phases of the moon, explore force and motion, and more! Bring your own device.
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Common Formative Assessment Tips and Tricks: Planning, Implementation, and Analysis
The session will cover tips and tricks for all stages of common formative assessment (CFA) implementation from defining levels of mastery, developing appropriate CFAs, administering with low- and high-tech options, sorting papers to determine who needs intervention and enrichment, and then tracking student data over time.
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Creating Escape Rooms that Don't Break the Bank
Escape rooms are all the rage, but they don't have to be expensive to implement. In this session, you will learn how to create an unparalleled student experience on a budget. Strategies and escape room ideas will be shared that will allow you to feel confident running an escape room.
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DNA Detectives: Who Killed Jose?
Investigate a crime scene using hands-on forensic skills: DNA gel electrophoresis, restriction digestion, and pipetting. Learn about exoneration of the wrongly accused through the Innocence Project.
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Differentiation in the Classroom with Menus
Having a classroom where participation by students is not only desired but also driven by students is a dream for any educator. Imagine student choice in your classroom that allows objectives to be taught, mastered, and loved ... all with student-led management!
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Do – Think – Talk – Write: So What's Your Question?
Students develop crucial skills when they have opportunities to discuss, evaluate, and discover patterns in evidence to support conclusions. The level of question is critical in this process. Focus on an essential question takes thinking beyond specific results and connects scientific practices to content. This session models and compares learning outcomes from these questions.
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Engaging Students with Chemistry Games
Explore different ways to use the digital chemistry game Collisions™ to support student understanding of chemical bonding! In this interactive workshop, you’ll experience how a game can encourage students to freely explore bonding concepts to support classroom instruction. Plus, you’ll come away with several ready-to-use classroom activities.
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Engaging in Relevant Mathematical and Computational Thinking with TUVA!
When describing and explaining phenomena, scientists and engineers gather data and use the language of mathematics and computational thinking to make it meaningful. Our students can do the same in an engaging and relevant way! Join us to take a look at using TUVA, a new tool for thinking about data!
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Five Ways to Make the Most of Multiple-Choice Questions
Learn five strategies to transform practice with multiple-choice questions into a rich learning experience that meets different student needs and encourage students to think more deeply. Each strategy will be illustrated using released STAAR test items because students benefit from instruction and practice in the format of the STAAR test.
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From VR to OMG in 60 Minutes!
Bring your smartphone and experience the creation of virtual reality that is super-easy and tailored to your students! You'll receive ideas as well as tips and tricks to get your students saying "OMG, that learning was fun!" Best of all, everything is free for you to use with your students!
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Good Heavens, the Time!
Our concept of measurable time is based on the movements of Earth. The ancients understood this by making daily observations of the heavens. With the invention of clocks and calendars, humans have become disconnected from our heavenly motions. Let's reconnect by making and analyzing models of rotation and revolution.
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Grade 5 STAAR Prep ... Connecting the Dots for Success!
During this jam-packed hour, teachers will learn engaging ways to connect the dots for success on the STAAR Grade 5 Science Assessment. Teachers will walk away with instructions for games, hands-on activities, intervention ideas, informal reviews and testing strategies. Connecting the dots is essential for success!
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IPC: Integrated Physics and Chemistry with Vernier
Participate in fun and engaging experiments that use Vernier digital tools to investigate collisions, measure forces on a current-carrying wire, and see heat transfer between objects. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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ISEA Presents: 10 Fantastic Force and Motion Activities for Your Classroom
These exciting science demonstrations will enrich your students’ understanding of force and motion. In this hands-on session, teachers will learn how to facilitate at least 10 physical science activities that cover everything from energy transfer to Newton’s Laws. Each participant will leave with materials lists and instructions.
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ISEA Presents: Take Science Outside!
Science is the human endeavor to understand our natural world, yet students often engage in science within the confines of a classroom. This session will explore aspects of taking science outside, including: research on outdoor learning, activities that teach content in students’ local environment, and strategies for guiding schoolyard investigations.
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InRIGORating Science Notebooks and Journals
Science programs today strive for more authentic communication in the science classroom. This session demonstrates how to turn notebooks into individualized communication tools. Learn how to immerse learners in science content through strong communication skills. This hands-on, minds-on approach is informed by research.
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Increase Rigor in Forensic Science by Emphasizing Evidence
Project-based learning experiences in forensic science emphasize evidence collection, documentation and crime scene analysis. Student engagement and rigor increase, and science process skills are used. Additionally, implementing the use of Google Sites as a student electronic portfolio provides evidence students can use to prove they have achieved learning goals.
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It's Getting STEAMY In Here! Pipetting as Art and Science
Delve into the world of tiny volumes and gain hands-on experience using adjustable-volume micropipettors. Learn how to pipette different microliter volumes with accuracy and precision. Explore several affordable and simple teaching strategies to get your students pipetting like a pro, allowing them to tackle more advanced labs.
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Keep Calm and Chemistry On: Successful Lab Activities for the New Chemistry Teacher
Explore easy, engaging, and safe chemistry activities that guarantee a reaction in your students. Whether you’re new to chemistry or feeling out of your element, create excitement with hands-on labs, demonstrations, and Carolina’s digital content. These lab activities support 3-dimensional learning and work every time, not just periodically.
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Looking at Science through the Lens of an Administrator
Participants will view science through the lens of an administrator. Information will be shared on how science is integrated across content areas and how the lesson design is connected to STEM standards. Integrating content areas engages learners and helps them make authentic connections to science, technology, engineering, and math.
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Moving with Newtons
Do you have trouble engaging students while teaching physics? Well, not anymore. Students will be engaged as well as gain a truer understanding of how Newton's three laws apply to their everyday lives. The presentation offers specific alignment to eighth-grade TEKS to prepare students for RC 2 on STAAR.
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National Geographic’s Geo-Inquiry Process in Action!
National Geographic invites you to empower students to think like explorers. Join us for a hands-on session to learn how the Geo-Inquiry Process connects students to real-world questions, phenomena, and National Geographic explorers in the field. This is an exciting, new, integrated, project-based, critical-thinking skills-in-action process.
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Science Teaching Hacks to Make Your Life Easier!
Participate in a whirlwind of tips and tricks for organizing science supplies, making notebooking user friendly, setting up a simple makerspace, tackling the streamlined TEKS, and much, much more! These simple hacks, some of them make-and-take, will leave you feeling energized and excited about implementing new ideas. Door prizes too!
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Set the Stage to Engage
Engage more students by adding music, movement, rhythm, and rhyme that is content-based and full of rich and relevant vocabulary. Participants will use science parodies, poems, and movements to teach, review, and recall science concepts. Using any of these strategies will increase student engagement and retention.
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Shockingly Good Electrochemistry: Making and Using Lemon Batteries
How can lemons and metals “create” electricity? How does chemical energy transform into electrical energy? Help your students understand the flow of electricity by creating their own batteries and measuring the voltage with a wireless voltage sensor. Then, use the electrical energy from their batteries to light a bulb.
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TABT Presents: In the Light of Evolution
The session will discuss current research findings in evolution education, Texas and national standards, college/university standards, storytelling to drive home evolutionary concepts, and misconceptions in evolution education, as well as provide helpful hints and links for teaching evolution in the classroom.
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TSAAPT Presents: Climate Change
Explore how carbon dioxide interacts with infrared light, how water expands when heated, how climate modeling works, and more. This session will highlight some activities designed to help your students critically think about key scientific data and the indicators signalling our changing environment.
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TSELA Presents: Mix It Up with the Correlated Science and Math PD Model
Improve student learning/performance with integration of science and math as recommended in national standards. Learn how to provide a proven research-based content PD model, Correlated Science & Math (CSM), for your teams of science/math teachers and their principals. Experience a hands-on integrated lesson to understand application in the CSM PD model.
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Tech Tools to Use Tomorrow!
Using a hyperlink game board document, teachers can explore different tools that can be used in the classroom to give student choices and transform student learning through technology. This presentation will also cover some ways to make teacher work smarter. The tools are mostly free and can be used in the classroom tomorrow!
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The Station Revolution
All students can benefit from small-group instruction that covers academic vocabulary and varies in cognitive learning style and activities. In this workshop, we will demonstrate how middle school science classrooms can productively use stations to teach often-overlooked concepts and eliminate daily whole group lecturing.
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Today’s Inventors + Real-Life STEAM Investigations = Tomorrow’s Innovators
Experience how today’s inventors and hands-on STEAM learning brings science to life for all children. Engage in inventor-based explorations, and learn how to inspire and motivate children to use creative and critical problem solving while immersed in real-life science investigations.
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Use Science as the Launching Point for ELA
Students who have firsthand experience tying science to reading will be more motivated and better understand what they are reading. Participants will start with a hands-on, inquiry-based active investigation and move to talking about it, writing about it, and reading about it. Increase science and reading scores!
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Using Nanotech: Growing Nano and Microwires and Making Pressure Sensors
How small is nano? What does it mean to be nano? And what are real-world nano-scale and micro-scale manufacturing practices? Participants will employ nanotechnology techniques to produce their own flexible copper wire patterns in seconds from a special plasma-etched template pattern!
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Using Science Stories to Build Vocabulary, Develop "Reading Grit," and Expand Content Knowledge
Discover how stories can help students comprehend concepts and make learning academic vocabulary visual and fun. Learn simple steps that ensure students interact with the text and practice valuable summarizing, note-taking, and reading strategies as they work collaboratively to read and decorate story pages.
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Using Visual Literacy to Develop New STEM Vocabulary
When we embark on developing new vocabulary and constructing new knowledge, the associative process of imagery and verbal cues play significant roles in determining our success. In that process, neuroscience tells us that pictures have an advantage over words with regards to coding and retrieval of information. In this presentation, we will show you how Edusmart and other visual resources support the acquisition of new STEM vocabulary through the use of visual literacy. Door Prizes!
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We Are Protein Biosynthesis! (Biosynthesis Bubble)
Protein biosynthesis is a multistep process in which organelles work together to produce proteins. This session offers a creative way to teach the importance of each organelle as students work together to produce a simple protein. Build your own organelle to take home, and join us in this unforgettable cell!
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Why Do They Do That? Behavior 101
Explore the ABCs of behavior to help you understand your students. Behavior 101 will provide an overview of principles, functions, and keys to addressing student behavior. This session is designed to cultivate a classroom of responsible, respectful, and safe learners.
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2:45 PM - 3:15 PM
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Engaging Students to Wonder
Activating prior knowledge can lead to inquiry-based investigations and deeper conversations using the CER model (stating Claim, Evidence, Reasoning). Templates, rubrics, and games provided will make it easy to guide students in this process while providing opportunities for students to use and apply academic vocabulary to demonstrate their learning.
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2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
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Animal Inquiry and Observation: Take Students on a Learning Journey with Livecams
Livecams will take students on an exciting and motivating learning journey outside your classroom. They allow students to see wild animals in real-time in their own habitats. Captivate students by integrating livecams to meet specific TEKS, such as animal behavior and structures and processes that help them survive.
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Brod Bagert's Heart of Science Presentation
The whole idea behind the Heart of Science series is to give teachers and parents a tool with which they can have children act out science content and learn while having fun. The author himself will be modeling the content-rich literature pieces from the series.
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3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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TESTA Presents: Rock Raffle
Rocks! Minerals! Fossils! Come 'n' get 'em! Here is your chance to browse more than 100 items that will be individually raffled off for lucky attendees to take back to their classrooms. Great way to end the day!
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3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
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Using IGNITE! Presentations to Ignite Your Students' Learning and Literacy
Literacy is more than simply reading and writing about a topic. It is also being able to speak about it as well. Traditional PowerPoint presentations leave little to be desired, but an IGNITE! presentation allows students to truly become subject-matter experts. Science literacy does not have to be boring!
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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ACT2 Presents: Relationships Are Complicated … Chemical Bonding
Ionic, covalent, and metallic are the bonding types important in chemistry. Students struggle with naming those compounds. Interactive activities can help students see what electrons are doing in these bonds, and games can make naming more memorable. Labs and demos will show how bonding types affects characteristics of substances.
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Achieving Strong Growth and Closing the Gaps on the Fifth-Grade Science STAAR
Obtain valuable knowledge and first-hand experience from a fifth-grade science teacher, science lab teacher, and district science coordinator on how their team implemented Summit K12’s Science Literacy and Science Tutorials program to increase overall student achievement, achieve record growth and help close the gaps.
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Activity-Based Chemistry
This session will focus on in-class engagement activities such as demos, card activities and games, as well as labs that support key concepts in chemistry. Participants will take home various activities and labs for teaching the TEKS for the entire year of chemistry.
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Addressing Misconceptions Using Formative Assessment in Elementary Science
Examine how warm-ups can be used to detect misconceptions in science. Explore how to confront misconceptions through activities. Demonstrate how to reconstruct misconceptions through collaboration and creative thinking.
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Biology and AP Biology with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, and hands-on experiments that use Vernier digital tools with computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices to investigate cellular respiration and enzyme activity. See how sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Brain Break! Friday Fun with MiniOne
After a long day of intense learning, take a break with the MiniOne Team and power users. More details and sign-up at Booth 1417!
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C-E-R-R: What's in a Claim?
The CER framework was born and developed out of teachers’ desire to better support their students as scientific thinkers and writers. The framework divides explanations into four logical, manageable, and teachable components for high school students: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning and Rebuttal.
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Coding Projects with a Design Thinking Focus
As coding makes its entrance into schools, how do you use it to solve real life problems? Join us for a hands-on introduction to MakeCode. Use MakeCode to control various devices, including the micro:bit. Leave with a design thinking lesson plan template and more resources.
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Cultivate Environmental Stewardship and Student Innovation through Authentic Learning Experiences
Explore how EcoRise curriculum, resources, and grant funds can be used to engage your high school students in environmental literacy, scientific inquiry, and 21st-century skills. Learn how our student-driven Eco-Audit Grant process empowers students to solve real-world environmental issues on their campus and in their community.
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Differentiating with Centers
Students in our classes are very diverse. Teachers are challenged to accommodate their students’ diversity. How can they do this? We suggest using science learning centers that accommodate students’ different learning styles. This session illustrates how centers can be used to engage all students to learn about light.
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Dissect How Social Emotional Learning Contributes to Science Literacy
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) explores the ways in which emotions and relationships contribute to academic achievement. During this interactive session, we will dissect SEL connections to the elementary science TEKS. Join us to investigate how the head and the heart can reunite inside the walls of our science classrooms.
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Hidden Figures in STEM: Examining the Importance of Racial Identity in Curriculum and Instruction
This session will focus on the current realities of racial representations in STEM curriculum materials and resources. Teachers will gain a better understanding of the steps that must be taken to ensure that all students are represented during STEM instruction.
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Kickstart Coding with Jack the Coding Robot!
In this problem-based, real world engineering exploration, you’ll get to “play” with the award-winning Coding Robot Mouse and engage in following code, writing code, and debugging code. Students learn about the needs of a pet mouse, practice giving and following directions with each other, and then code a robot mouse!
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Leverage Data and Technology to Advance Your District's Teaching of Science TEKS
Data literacy is essential for informed and successful citizens in the 21st-century and successful TEKS-aligned science teachers. Explore how school districts are broadening their data toolkits using Tuva, a research-based data literacy instructional platform and suite of tools. Let’s set our students up for success with data!
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Modeling Dissociation of Strong and Weak Acids Using Sticky Experiences
The strength of an acid refers to the extent that it dissociates into ions when dissolved in water. Students are normally encouraged to memorize this concept; rarely is this idea modeled in a way that makes logical sense. This session will explore modeling this difficult concept in a memorable way.
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Modeling the Lives of Stars
How do stars form? What happens when they die? What happens in between? These concepts are huge and extremely far away. Join McDonald Observatory educators as we bring the lives of stars down to earth with hands-on models and activities. Handouts and resources will be provided.
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Organisms and Environments TEKS: Introduction to Wisconsin Fast Plants®
Experience the versatility of Wisconsin Fast Plants®. These quick-growing plants engage students and are ideal for all grade levels. Easily integrate them into life cycle, heredity and inheritance, variation and evolution, and environmental science lessons. Learn to plant, pollinate, and teach with Fast Plants®.
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Other People's Money: Grant Writing for STEM
Want to find dollars and resources for a dream STEM classroom? We’ll show you how. Meet your personal grant writer from Ward’s Science and get step-by-step guidance for finding and winning grants and other science and STEM resources so your students may reach new and exciting heights.
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Paper Pets: A Fun Way to Teach Genetics and Natural Selection
In this activity, students create their own “pets” using genotypes to express phenotypes. They then “breed” their pets with other pets to produce offspring guided by Punnett squares. Finally, random environmental factors determine which of the offspring survive to breed again.
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Physics Essential Demos: Semester 2, Ancillary Topics
This session was inspired when the presenter mentioned an essential demo during a recent district meeting and several teachers didn't know of it. Learn the essential demos for the spring semester covering thermo, electricity, magnetism, light and optics, and harmonic motion. Don’t tell them about physics; show them!
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Rainy Day Fun!
Experiencing a rainy day? Forced to have inside recess? Bring back the classic games from your childhood! Students will experience the fun you had as a child and gain a deeper understanding of simple foundational math and science concepts. Come ready to move and play!
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Recipes for Teacher Zen
Teaching is hard—very hard. Maybe the stress is the student, maybe the school, maybe it's just life. Either way, teachers need to find their own happy place, which will make the classroom happier and more productive as well. What is your happy place? Don't know? Let's find out together.
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STEM Strategies Supporting Learning Across Content Areas: Becoming a STEM Campus
Learn about school-wide strategies to further strengthen students’ readiness for postsecondary STEM. Common, evidence-based instructional strategies can be refined across content areas to further enhance student learning, 21st-century skills and a STEM mindset across your campus.
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Science Done Right! Hands On, Minds On!
This workshop will give teachers ideas for making science engaging for students through a variety of hands-on activities, games, labs and performance tasks. Educators will be provided lesson plans, rubrics, PT assignments and lab report formats they can use the very next day in their classrooms.
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Science Teaching Hacks to Make Your Life Easier!
Participate in a whirlwind of tips and tricks for organizing science supplies, making notebooking user friendly, setting up a simple makerspace, tackling the streamlined TEKS, and much, much more! These simple hacks, some of them make-and-take, will leave you feeling energized and excited about implementing new ideas. Door prizes too!
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Science and Close Reading: Better Together
Your science students regularly make informed decisions by analyzing and evaluating text-based scientific claims. Do you know how they do this? Close reading. In this session we will discuss how you can leverage close-reading worthy science texts to help your students become not just science proficient, but also life-long learners and critical thinkers. Door Prizes!
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Sheltering in Science
All teachers must meet the content and linguistic needs of English language learners through the implementation of the ELPS. Having an evolving number of resources will help teachers guide students through the language development process in the science classroom.
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Stacking Vocabulary Strategies
This interactive presentation will model vocabulary development strategies/activities that work for all learners. Educators will experience multiple multi-modal vocabulary building strategies that can be stacked in a 5E concept format to take a student’s vocabulary from knowledge level to synthesis level.
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Student-Led Family STEAM Night
Learn how to generate excitement for STEM education in your school community and build student leadership skills by hosting a Student-Led Family STEAM Night. Involve student leaders to design and guide fun opportunities for campus and community members to explore STEM learning experiences together.
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Sustainable Science: STEM Connections to Our World
Investigate and explore innovative green chemistry technologies. Challenge students with a project-based learning approach to analyzing societal concerns related to non-renewable resources and a focus on how material science inventions can solve environmental problems. Walk away with open resources designed for teachers by teachers.
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TABT Presents: Genes in Space STEM Contest: Your DNA Experiment in Space!
Join a free science competition where teachers and students design authentic DNA research proposals for space. Students inspired by space and biology engage in self-guided experimental design. Winning experiments are launched to the International Space Station and done by astronauts! This real-world STEM contest celebrates curiosity and distributes amazing awards.
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TAEE Presents: Small-Scale Aquaponics on a Budget
In this session, we'll present low-cost, space-saving ways to bring the aquatic world into your classroom. Learn how to build interest and curiosity while teaching biodiversity, ecosystems, aquaculture, agriculture, symbiotic relationships, photosynthesis, and more.
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TSELA Presents: What Do You Mean There’s NO Scientific Method?
Many believe there is one step-by-step, experiment-based method of gaining new scientific information. This pervasive misconception, inconsistent with national standards since 1993, is found in lesson plans, textbooks, PD, online resources, state science standards, and science competitions. A new resource, Modes of Scientific Inquiry, enables identification of appropriate research design.
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Texas Biotechnology Pathway: Open Doors to Opportunity in Texas's Booming Biomedical and Biotech Industries
Get your students the skills they need to work in Texas's biomedical/biotech industries. Free teacher PD, curriculum, and mentorships are available; plus, your students can earn dual-credit and a Biotech Level 1 certificate.
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The Highs and Lows of It: How Weather Moves
The lesson in this session is meant to help students visualize how weather moves. During the first half, the students manipulate the vocabulary and familiarize themselves with the weather symbols associated with TEKS 8.10B. The second half, the students use weather maps to observe, manipulate, describe, and explain how weather moved.
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Transforming Your Lab Activities in Elementary School (3–5) with Argument-Driven Inquiry
Argument-driven inquiry (ADI) is an innovative instructional model (based on how students learn) that has students participate in the practices of science as they learn to use core ideas and crosscutting concepts to explain natural phenomena. Students also interact with their peers, critique ideas, and reflect on their mistakes.
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Untangling Basic Circuits: Teaching Circuits Made Easy!
How can students understand circuits when they can’t “see” the phenomenon? And how can they move past the tangled wires when trying to understand a circuit diagram? Get hands on with new technology to discover a better way to teach circuits!
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Using Menus to Differentiate Instruction in the Science Classroom
Menus can go beyond enrichment! This session will focus on integrating menus into various aspects of the science classroom lesson cycle. Whether it is interactive notebooks or station labs, come and discover how menus can be used to differentiate your science classroom. Examples will be shared!
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Using Primary Sources to Promote Scientific Literacy
Participants will learn how to use primary sources from the Library of Congress to help students ask questions, find answers, and describe, identify, and evaluate scientific information to promote scientific literacy.
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Vintage Lab Demos: Old but Not Forgotten
These science demonstrations have been around for years, but maybe you are new to teaching and or have a new position that might need some pizzazz. The majority of the demos are designed to be short and engage thinking: Make a sliding trombone, stomp a PVC rocket, water race, and balance nails.
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4:15 PM - 4:45 PM
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Honey, I Shrunk the Plants
Students discover the effects of radiation on germination and growth of seeds in this inquiry-based experiment. Students grow irradiated radish, marigold and squash seeds. Teachers gain the know-how to conduct these experiments, including a written laboratory, a grading rubric for a technology-based formal lab, and samples of the outcomes.
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4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
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Lunar Cycle: Learn, Sing, Make, Wear, and Share!
Experience the “hard fun” that takes place with fresh, new ideas to teach patterns among the sun, earth, and moon: rotation, revolution, seasons, and moon phases using songs, drama, and art! If you teach, you will enjoy this hands-on, fast-paced session! Glow-in-the-dark moon phase aprons created will become door prizes!
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Saturday, November 03
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8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
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ACT2 Presents: The Care and Feeding of a Student Science Demonstration Team
The Masters of the Universe at Hebron High School perform science demonstration shows. We will model our training process and share information about performance opportunities as well as our approach to preparing themed shows. The team will also perform its National Chemistry Week 2018 show (directions provided to workshop participants).
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Aligning STEM Standards to STEM Job Requirements for Career Readiness
Attendees will learn about Porter’s Alignment Index and its application to academic standards with respect to entry-level job requirements (career readiness) to quantify alignment. The goal of this exercise is to reduce the time between employee preparation in STEM occupations and employee productivity through focused training, knowledge, and skills acquisition.
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CSI: Creative Science Investigations
Have you ever wondered what happens when your fingerprint is found on a piece of glass? During this session, we'll focus on hands-on discovery of science investigation and get down and dirty with experiments and mysterious substances, casting ear prints, casting teeth to study bite marks, and even fingerprinting.
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Classroom Management with Technology Integration
There is little doubt that students like to learn with technology. In this session, we will discuss and share classroom management strategies for technology integration into a variety of environments including low-tech (1-5 devices) up to a 1-1 setting, as well as a variety of device types from desktop computers to chromebook and tablets. This session is meant to spark discussion and provide a space for all participants to share out their experiences! Door Prizes!
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Diving into Water! Exploring Water Properties in Biology and Chemistry
Polar water molecules are the driving force for many mechanisms in biology and chemistry. This hand-on session with interactive models explores the chemical underpinnings of the properties of water, which will assist in introducing chemical principles in biology and enriching chemistry courses with biological applications.
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Drop the Lecture and Let the Students Pick Up the Learning in AP/IB Biology
Engage your students in model building, simulations, and games where they must use terms in context when they narrate, explain, or defend a process or phenomenon. Examples in this session will include AP and IB Biology content and skills with takeaway lessons plans for the activities covered.
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Elementary Science with Vernier
Participate in fun, engaging, hands-on activities using temperature probes that will excite your students. See how age-appropriate sensor-based experiments teach students about data collection and analysis—practices that promote science inquiry, improve science literacy, and boost test scores.
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Elements of the Cosmos
The present-day universe owes its rich tapestry of elements and chemistry to the stars. What have new observations related to gravitational waves and neutron star mergers taught us about the production of certain elements? Learn about the synthesis of various elements in the cosmos with hands-on models and activities.
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Engaging Reluctant Learners Utilizing Toys and Hands-On Demos
Physics and physical science attendees will learn how to utilize toys and hands-on demos to engage reluctant learners. Actively engaging and involving students helps them remember science concepts and retain them longer. Make your classes more fun! Most of the toys and demos will be given away during drawings at each session.
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Engaging Students to Deepen Understanding
Actively participate and have fun as you delve into higher-order thinking strategies easily implemented in the science classroom. Prepare to engage students, deepen knowledge, and increase learning. Marzano's research-based strategies, using content specific materials, will be utilized to engage participants during this session and pique student interest.
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Escape Rooms and Compacting Curriculum in Junior High Science
Escape rooms are an innovative teaching resource designed around sixth- and eighth-grade science curriculum. Compacting curriculum benefits students by addressing their advanced needs, creating a challenging learning environment, and maximizing academic growth.
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Fascinating Forces and Simple Machines STEM Activity
How were the pyramids built? How do gears work? Simple machines are an effective way to learn about forces in this hands-on exploration guaranteed to engage students. We will build several machines using pulleys, levers, and gears as we develop the principles of forces, work, energy, and machines.
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Fifth- and Eighth-Grade STAAR Science Tutorial Success Stories from the Front L
Fifth- and eighth-grade science teachers from six Summit K12 campuses will share their success stories and the instructional practices that enabled them to achieve growth of 17 percent to 37 percent on the 2018 Science STAAR.
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Go on a Cell Quest! Teaching Cell Structure through Gaming
Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to explore cell structure in 3D with new CPO Science Link Cell Quest! Go on a cell structure and function adventure using cutting-edge augmented reality, then use your knowledge to address TEKS-specific concepts in cell structure.
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Hands-On, Minds-On to a Mini Make-and-Take Workshop: Science Games and Project Ideas for Elementary
This is a mini make-and-take workshop where teachers will learn and create their own games and puzzles that target a specific TEKS or topic. These instructional tools help differentiate instruction and can be modified depending on the TEKS and needs of their learners.
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ISEA Presents: Nature Play for Early Childhood Students
Some people grow up with a lifelong concern for nature while others grow up with little or no interest in conservation. This session will explore nature play experiences educators can provide for early childhood students in order to foster caring, responsible attitudes toward the nature world.
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No Children Left On Their Behinds: Making Connections Through Movement
This workshop will give science educators the opportunity to turn their science classrooms into kinesthetic environments where students are running to class to learn more. Join our session to learn how movement can wake up the brain, change moods, and facilitate cognition within all science classrooms.
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No-Prep Student Projects for Elementary Science
In this make-and-take session, we'll explore easy-to-implement student projects that target science content while reinforcing literacy skills. These strategies can be used with any science topic, and require only a pencil, paper, and critical-thinking skills!
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Observing, Inferring, and Predicting in Grades 4–8
Walk away with a fun, creative, and effective card activity that teaches students to make observations, inferences, and predictions. This TEKS-focused activity can be used immediately and, if laminated, used for years to come. Join us for easy-to-use, engaging strategies, idea sharing and door prizes!
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PBL or Project Digital Breakout
Do you want your students to benefit from the project-based learning (PBL) process but aren’t sure if you are teetering on just doing a “project”? Break free from projects and learn how to get more from your students by shifting to the PBL style.
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Peer Instruction: A Pedagogy of Engagement in the Science Classroom
Participants will experience and learn Peer Instruction (PI), a research-based pedagogy that promotes active engagement and student-centered learning. Educators will learn best practices to implement PI and how to impact the science reasoning skills of students in the classroom. Participants will leave with a new pedagogy they can immediately implement.
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Reviews that Make You Jump Jump
Why would you want to have a boring review? This session will teach you how to engage students in many different student-tested, student-approved review games. Attendees will receive information on how to create a review environment conducive to many different learning styles: kinesthetic, linguistic, auditory, and visual.
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STAAR Wars
Preparing for the STAAR Science test can be challenging. Using simple folding techniques and folders, matched to education standards, we will provide successful techniques to prepare students. Look at sample test questions while identifying ways to support student learning and engagement.
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STEM Projects Based on Children's Literature
In this session, attendees will learn to apply an engineering model for elementary students into a science lesson plan based on TEKS. They will also learn how to integrate literature into science, as well as discuss and reflect on our new learning.
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Science Done Write!
How can you help your students add more detail to their observations? During this workshop, educators will explore how to integrate sentence stretching and shared writing during scientific investigations. This integration of writing will anchor academic language and science learning, leading to more in-depth classroom discussions.
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Scientist in Residence: In-Classroom STEM Mentors and Role Models
Do STEM professional role models make a difference in K-12 classrooms? Hear from a K-12 teacher, a STEM graduate student, and the program’s coordinator on the student impact of the highly successful Scientist in Residence program at UT’s Environmental Science Institute.
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Simple Machines
This is an interesting way to learn about simple machines by using interactive activities that will engage students and increase learning. A list of items to consider will be provided to support rubric creation. This integrates all core subject areas, not only science, on the elementary level.
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TAS Connections to Classroom
This session will focus on the benefits of being an active member in the Texas Archeology Society. Benefits include hours for certificates; connections to scientists in fields such as biology, environmental science, chemistry, and more; as well as relationships with professionals in various state organizations.
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TSELA Presents: STEM Decision-making: Empowering or Constraining?
Teaching and learning decisions matter whether the teacher, principal, or district leader is making choices about what and how STEM best practices are implemented. We will examine both empowering and constraining decisions, the impact these decisions have on teaching and learning, and what we can do about empowerment and constraints.
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Take Your Hyperdocs Into Hyperdrive
Take your Hyperdocs, digital sorts, and graphic organizers to the next dimension. Intermediate and advanced Hyperdoc users will learn tips and tricks for making your Hyperdocs even more engaging, as well as discover additional ways to utilize them. They are great for digital interactive notebooks and interactive whiteboards.
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The Five Evidence-Based Practices for Effective and Efficient Classroom Management
Research shows there are five core features of successful classrooms. This session will provide an introduction and overview of the five evidence-based practices of class-wide positive behavior intervention and supports. These foundational practices will help improve both the behavioral and academic performance of your students.
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Transforming the Typical: Using Children’s Literature as a Vehicle for Elementary Science Engagement
STEM-related content, concepts and skills are often left out of the day-to-day elementary curriculum. This session helps new and veteran teachers alike to teach smarter, not harder, by developing fun and meaningful interdisciplinary science lessons and addressing STEM standards through the framework of children’s literature.
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Using Authentic Data in the Science Classroom
Participants will explore a variety of strategies to engage students in working with authentic data, including data puzzles, nested data sets, hypothesis array and scientific modeling. Increasing data sample size in the classroom and analyzing scientific databases will also be discussed.
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What's Exciting and NEW in STEMscopes Texas Streamlined? 6-12 (Repeat)
Come join the STEMscopes writers we share our excitement about the new Elements in STEMscopes based on the Streamlined TEKS. Learn more about "Strengthening Literacy: Getting 6-12th Grade Students to Talk, Read, and Connect Science."
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Who is Baby Whale’s Father? DNA Fingerprinting Solves the Mystery!
Get hands-on experience on how to teach gel electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting in a single classroom session. You will pour, load, and run a gel; capture gel image; analyze the results; and deduce a probable conclusion for a whale of a forensic mystery.
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8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
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Lab Skills: The Escape Room! (Life Science Grades 9–16)
A mysterious illness renders patients incoherent, and a group of field scientists is missing. You must find the cure to solve the mystery. Workshop space is limited. Get tickets at the Bio-Rad booth.
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9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Computational Thinking: Getting Students to Active Problem-Solving
Do you want your students to think on their feet? Computational thinking involves combining critical thinking skills and the power of computing to think about problems in a whole new way. In our changing world, students need a new set of skills to find innovative solutions for tomorrow's real-world problems.
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Early Learners Engage and Reason with CER
Early science provides an opportunity to investigate the natural world every day. Join us to delve into areas critical to K-2 while also exploring our beliefs about the role of the teacher and our own science understandings. The Claim-Evidence-Reasoning model supports early science exploration and literacy development.
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Gamification to Bring Your Lessons to "Life"
Looking for strategies to reinforce student content knowledge? Puzzled by gaming in the classroom but can’t find the start button? Come and explore how to use your TEKS through the lens of gamification to bring your lessons to "Life."
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Make Your Classroom Wild with the Texas Wildlife Association
Learn about the programs of the Texas Wildlife Association! L.A.N.D.S. (Learning Across New Dimensions in Science) Programs include distance learning, discovery trunks, Wildlife by Design classroom presentations, the Trinity River Project, Necropsy in a Box, field investigation days, and educator professional development.
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Physics Content Mastery: Mechanics
Through demos, hands-on experiences, and discussion, participants will strengthen their understanding of the first semester mechanics topics: kinematics, vectors, projectile motion, forces, energy, and momentum. We will also show and discuss as many demos and labs as possible. Strongly encouraged for new teachers. A reproducible “Mechanics Review” will be provided.
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STAAR Review to Go: Science Grade 4
Experience review activities from STAAR Review to Go: Science Grade 4. Each activity fits in a file folder that can be used independently or in small groups. Participants will make-and-take a copy of five folders and receive a printed copy of the new book with a license for digital access.
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TABT Presents: Streamlined Biology Make-and-Take Part 2
In this make-and-take session, participants will experience activities and models for effective delivery of instruction on streamlined TEKS 6A, 7A, 10A and 2G. Teachers will create specific models and activities for use in their own classes.
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TESTA Presents: Earth Science, Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Your Classroom
Excite your students using a variety of hands-on and interactive activities from Europe to create an earthquake, investigate tsunamis, build folded mountains, erode mountains and coastlines, and build a “Nile delta.” Test magma viscosity and model eruptions to understand the differences in the ongoing eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala.
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TSAAPT Presents: Sensemaking Tasks for Introductory Physics
Ten tasks will be introduced in this session that will help participants (and, ultimately, their students) think more productively about physics ideas and the mathematical representation of physics concepts. Several of these tasks have been adopted by the most recent textbooks. Each attendee will receive a published book.
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9:15 AM - 1:00 PM
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SiNaCa Studios
Check in beginning at 9:15 a.m. Learn about the science behind glass-making and create your own souvenir in the glass-blowing or flame-working studio.
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9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
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Beginners’ Guide to Interactive Word Walls
Build an understanding of interactive word walls within the classroom. Classroom videos of students creating interactive word walls will be shown, and the presenter will discuss how to increase writing using the interactive word wall. Teachers will unpack a TEK as a group and will create an outline for an interactive word wall.
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Building Vocab: The Kinesthetic Word Wall
Are you struggling with building vocabulary concepts in your classroom? Get moving with these kinesthetic word walls. These word walls get students out of their seats and interacting with their peers. Come engage in interactive discussion and even take away ideas for your own classroom. All levels welcome!
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Creating a Science Culture When Your School is the Petri Dish
The focus of this session is to support STEM leaders/coaches in shifting the culture within a school toward a STEM mindset. Participants will learn how we are building our STEM magnet program and leave with ideas on how to embed a STEM theme throughout the entire school.
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DIVE In to Engineering with STEMscopes: A New Engineering Program
DIVE In Engineering is taking the Maker Movement by storm. Developed by STEMscopes in partnership with New York Hall of Science, it is driven by natural curiosity and creativity! Join us as we showcase a new hands-on solution that could be the inspiration for students to pursue STEM careers.
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Differentiating with Culture, Language, and Metacognition in PBL for STEAM Learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is student-centered and student-driven and lends itself to differentiated instruction by providing teachers opportunities to meet the needs of students in multiple ways. This workshop provides teachers with effective and easy-to-implement PBL ideas designed around culture, language and metacognition to help students build STEAM understanding and vocabulary.
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Drop the Lecture and Let the Students Pick Up the Learning in General-Level High School Biology
Engage your students in model building, simulations, and games where they must use terms in context when they narrate, explain, or defend a process or phenomenon. Examples in this session will include general biology content for covering the 2018 Streamlined TEKS with takeaway lessons plans for the activities covered.
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Elephants and the Ivory Trade: A Phenomenon for Engaging Student Learning About Ecology, Evolution, and Biotechnology
The elephant ivory trade and its impact on elephant populations provide a phenomenon-driven approach to learning about topics in ecology, evolution, population genetics, and biotechnology. Freely available resources from BioInteractive allow students to investigate these important concepts while solving crimes against Africa’s elephants and proposing solutions to the ivory trade.
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Elevate K-5 Teaching with Problem-Based Learning
Problem-based learning helps students connect science topics to the real world. In addition, it builds critical thinking skills, provides a rich learning environment, and introduces possible STEM careers.
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Exploring Nature: A Log Study
We will learn how something in nature as simple as a log can be a treasure trove of learning to the young scientist. The class will use simple tools to break apart a log, collect organisms, and discuss concepts such as habitat, decomposer, energy flow, and ecosystem.
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From Trash to Treasure
This session will explain how to turn non-meat food scraps into nutrient-rich soil via vermacomposting. Participants will learn how to compost using worms, how the process is useful, and how to create composting bins for their classrooms.
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Giving Answers by Asking Questions
Attendees will utilize different techniques to answer students’ questions. Attendees will learn how to answer questions by asking specific, probing, scaffolding questions to lead the students to answer the question themselves. Teachers will learn how to use appropriate verbs to formulate questions that require higher-level thinking.
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Making STEM Fun, Easy, and Effective
Wondering how best to infuse STEM in your classroom? Do you want to learn how to create STEM lessons using your favorite science lessons that are both engaging and enriching for your students? Answers to these questions, and more, in this hands-on minds-on session delivered by Dr. Milton Huling the author of recently published NSTA book- Designing Meaningful STEM Lessons. Three lucky winners will walk away with a copy of this great book! Door Prizes!
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Mastering the Art of Lesson Design: How to Craft an Effective 5E Lesson
Ever get stuck writing a 5E lesson? Learn some great tips for writing a 5E lesson with a solid storyline. Avoid the 3E hiccup. Effectively align your lesson with the TEKS. Your work as a teacher should be in the planning so class time is all about your students.
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Menacing Misconceptions: A Top 10 List
Participants will explore conceptual misunderstandings, semi-truths or falsehoods perpetuated as scientific fact, common beliefs, and preconceived notions. We will begin with a top 10 list of common misconceptions with interactive examples. Each example is a concept necessary for overall scientific literacy in elementary, middle, and high school.
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Merging Science and Humanities: Building the Cross-Curricular Classroom
See how PBT ISD teachers are creating meaningful lessons that bridge the sciences and humanities using project-based learning. Learn to build technology-based, TEKS-aligned projects that encompass science with ELA and social studies curricula. Real student projects will be shared.
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Monitoring Mastery in the Moment
Using frequent formative assessment techniques throughout lessons is critical to student success. This session will share multiple hands-on formative assessment strategies directly connected to middle school science standards. Participants will leave with immediately implementable strategies to monitor student understanding and inform instructional adjustments for maximizing student mastery.
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Physiology with Vernier
Students develop important skills and gain a deeper understanding of physiology concepts when using sensors to collect their own physiological data. In this engaging, hands-on workshop, you will view your own EKG and measure your heart rate using activities from Human Physiology with Vernier and Project Lead The Way curricula.
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Real World Science
Explore ways to bring science to life for elementary science students! From the simplest nature walk to extended project-based learning (PBL), we will look at the ways we can provide student experiences that make learning stick. Take away ideas you can use in your classroom tomorrow.
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STAAR Blitz on the Ranch
Engage in the logistics of getting an entire grade out of the school and to a local ranch for some hands-on science review (eighth-grade STAAR). Planning—transportation costs and where to find volunteers, materials, and lessons—as well as execution will all be part of the presentation.
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STEAM Rolling the TEKS
Transform isolated and conventional lessons into gripping, hands-on activities that prepare your students for the real world. Learn strategies to create an inclusive multi-subject approach to inquiry and investigation. Attendees will take third- through fifth-grade science readiness standards and convert them to cross-curricular STEAM lessons. Attendees will conduct these fun, hands-on inquiries.
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STEM Camp: Experiential Professional Development for New Teachers and Aspiring Administrators
Summer camp is not just for kids! Summer camps provide aspiring/new teachers and administrative leaders the opportunity to develop logistical management and teaching skills. This session presents summer camps as an experiential professional development experience. Strategies for optimal management, identification of targeted outcomes, and increased awareness will be highlighted and discussed.
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STEMulating the Heart with Code!
In this STEM-based workshop, we will combine biology and coding to create an artificial heart! With some basic materials, you will construct a four-chambered heart and then innervate it with an artificial nervous system. From there, you will write some very simple code (no coding experience is required) to bring your heart to life! If time permits, you will also create an AED! Appropriate for middle school and high school students.
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STEP UP 4 Women: Ignite the Future of Physics
Join the national campaign for high school physics teachers to recruit at least one more young woman to pursue a physics degree each year. If this were to happen, then the representation imbalance in bachelor’s degrees would be eliminated.
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Science Teaching Hacks to Make Your Life Easier!
Participate in a whirlwind of tips and tricks for organizing science supplies, making notebooking user friendly, setting up a simple makerspace, tackling the streamlined TEKS, and much, much more! These simple hacks, some of them make-and-take, will leave you feeling energized and excited about implementing new ideas. Door prizes too!
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Stemify the TEKS
Learn how to differentiate the middle school TEKS based on students' diverse needs and mastery through engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) investigations.
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Stoichiometry: Tools and Strategies to Make It Easier to Teach
How can you tell when a reaction is complete? Why doesn’t more reactant always lead to more product? Help students develop a better understanding of mole ratios, stoichiometry, and limiting reactants through this hands-on activity using household chemicals and a wireless pressure sensor.
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TESTA Presents: Share-a-Thon
Ten to 15 TESTA members will present different lessons/labs/activities at once in a marathon session! Come and grab it, get it and go! Open to all CAST attendees!
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The Argumentation Toolkit: Multimedia Resources for Supporting Students in Talking about Evidence and Reasoning
Learn about The Argumentation Toolkit, a collection of free multimedia resources (including videos of real middle school students) designed to support teachers in integrating argumentation in their classrooms! Attendees will learn about and participate in various activities proven to help students talk about evidence and reasoning while engaged in argumentation.
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The Key to a Global Science Lesson
Are you preparing your students for a global society? Discover how a seventh-grade class used dichotomous keys to collaborate with students in Africa while learning about genetics and ecology. We will explain how to find global partners and turn science lessons at any grade level into global science lessons.
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The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs
Removing dinosaurs from the realm of the imagination to trace breakthroughs in the science behind our understanding of them.
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Turning Boring Lessons into Inquiry Lessons
It’s easy to make an inquiry lesson out of a lab, but what about the vocabulary and concepts? This session discusses techniques to turn that boring note-taking lesson into an engaging inquiry lesson, helping you transform a lecture-based classroom into an inquiry-based classroom.
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Using Models to Uncover Student Misconceptions in Chemistry
The molecular world of chemistry is difficult for many high school students to grasp. Discover how students’ conceptual understanding of atoms, molecules, compounds, and elements can be uncovered using modeling. Explore chemistry topics in polarity, density, solubility, bonding, and much more with hands-on, minds-on manipulatives!
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9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
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Let's Go on a GooseChase
Learn how to create the ultimate scavenger hunt for your students! Bold, crazy, and highly addictive! Incredibly easy-to-create missions that challenge your students as formative or summative assessment! Experience our GooseChase, and have time to build your own!
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10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
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STEAM Camp for Girls
See how one district has been developing a summer camp to get middle school girls more interested in all things STEAM. Join us as we discuss how developed a three-year, five-day curriculum to reach some of our most influential girls.
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11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Always Time for Science in Early Grades (PK-4)
With the increased focus on accountability for science, play-based, literacy-based, hands-on, child development/socio-development is the way even our youngest learners learn science best.
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Connecting the Dots to the Past and Future with Biology
This session will get teachers (and their students) thinking about the role biology and scientists have played historically that still affects the world today in surprising ways. They will also learn how knowing functional adaptations through the study of biology links students to the future through biomimicry in the design process.
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Data Analysis with Zest
We know that the ability to analyze data is an essential practice of scientists, but investing students in the practice can be hard because data analysis is difficult and sometimes dry. In this session, teachers will create engaging data analysis opportunities to spiral into their instruction.
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Drive the Future of Coding with mBot
Explore the fundamentals of coding with mBot, an app-enabled, programmable robot. In this hands-on session, use your science, mathematics, and problem-solving skills to navigate mBot. Preview Vernier's Coding with mBot: Self-Driving Vehicles activities module while learning mBot’s simple block-based programming software.
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Energy Explorations at the Primary Level
Join us for background information and hands-on experiments that explore the fundamental concepts of energy. We’ll explore activities covering the science of motion, heat, sound, growth and light while incorporating measurement skills and scientific process skills. All activities are designed to inspire primary students to ask “I wonder what would happen if ...?” and develop their own investigations!
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Engage and Interact: Best Practices for Active Learning in Biology
Conceptual understanding requires students to engage in higher-order thinking tasks while being actively involved in the learning process. Join us for this interactive session as we explore practical, ready-to-use instructional strategies that stimulate active learning and aim for deeper, more meaningful understanding of TEKS-aligned content. Attendees get access to all activities.
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Explore the Benefits of Science & Children Magazine
Science & Children Magazine is a valuable resource with many ideas and resources for elementary science teachers. Attendees will explore the parts of this journal in an engaging way and leave with elementary STEM ideas. They will also learn about opportunities to get involved in this publication.
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Getting Ready for Readiness: Grade 5 Science
How can we really be sure we're getting students ready for the Readiness standards on STAAR? Let's look at how they really test the Readiness standards by looking at the most recently released STAAR exams and comparing the standards side by side while answering key questions.
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Google Classroom - Updates and Integration Tips
Brand new to Google Classroom? Are you looking for ways to “level-up” your Google Classroom use from a novice to an expert? Are you a life-long Google Classroom user?
Whichever group you find yourself fitting into, never fear! We have something for everyone! This session will start with a brief overview of the tool, then dive in to the latest updates to Google Classroom and how they affect you and your students. Door Prizes!
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Google Classroom for Beginners
Have you wanted to begin using Google Classroom but haven’t quite figured it out? Have you created a classroom but want to do more? This session will provide a foundation for creating and effectively using Google Classroom in the elementary science class. Bring your device!
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Gravity: The Law, The Theories, The Demonstrations!
From Newton's Law of Gravity to Einstein's Theory of Gravity, we will discuss and model the effects of gravity on planetary motion. We will also discuss free fall effects and various misconceptions related to gravity through a series of demonstrations that can easily be adapted to student-inquiry activities.
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It Takes Guts to Teach Body Systems!
Have your students create various models of anatomy using readily available, inexpensive materials to identify organ location and demonstrate functions/interactions of various body systems. We'll provide tips for sharing the models to increase science literacy in your community. Models created during this hands-on session will be given away as door prizes.
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Lights, Camera, Action!
This workshop will provide hands-on science learning for middle school through the integration of technology, vocabulary, and activities. By providing vocabulary building, along with guiding questions, students can make easier connections. Lab activities include: "The Nose Bowl," “Glow Stick Chemistry,” “The Visible Light Spectrum,” and, “The Speed of a Wave.”
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Make-and-Take Atoms
Atoms are too small for us to touch, leading to the creation of models we can hold in our hand. While every model has its limitations, each model has its strengths. In this workshop we will use inexpensive materials to build and discuss atoms for use in your classroom.
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Modeling the Introduction of a New Species
How does a new species affect the flow of matter and energy in an ecosystem? This card sort-style activity models the introduction of a new species with special attention to the effect on existing predators and producers. From the new SEPUP NGSS middle-level ecology unit (Lab-Aids).
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the Grade 3-5 Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 3-5. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, free templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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Productive Science Talks
Support student discourse with strategically selected activities that draw students into content and develop metacognition skills. Create an environment that emphases discussing ideas, weighing various viewpoints and adjusting misconceptions. This interactive session allows participants to explore science probes and simulations for building science concepts.
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Rx: Process Skills
Are you looking for new ways to focus on observation, data, variables inquiry questions and C-E-R? Come explore ways to use manipulatives, make question wheels, stretch student thinking and eliminate those "that was a lot of fun; I learned a lot" conclusions!
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STAAR Review Science Nights
Over a four-night period, this STAAR review covers all readiness and supporting standards for eighth-grade science. All four categories will be addressed and lead to measurable gains for your students. You will leave with a toolkit to help you host your own.
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Short Videos = Powerful Results
This session demonstrates the powerful results that short videos can foster. We will provide tutorials on filming methods, the most effective ways to present material, give templates, and demonstrate how to use videos for student engagement and differentiation!
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Soda Science
Session participants will determine the acidity of popular sodas in this consumer chemistry activity. Participants will perform simple titrations using soda and learn how to adapt the activity for more advanced titrations and calculations, whether using pH sensors or simple indicators.
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Stepping Up to Inquiry: Moving from "Cookbook" to Inquiry in the Middle School Classroom
How comfortable do you feel about engaging in inquiry? Join us to learn ways to increase inquiry in the middle school classroom by participating in a guided tour of sample inquiry products we've created that you can easily use in your classroom.
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Student Engagement and Teaching STAAR Problem Solving
STAAR science tests are primarily word and application problems. How can we help students become better and more independent problem solvers? Learn a research-based strategy that increases student-student talk and higher-level reasoning. The strategy also helps build a more engaged class culture that values learning from mistakes.
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Surface Area and Volume: Sneaking Math into the Science Classroom
Integrating science and mathematics shouldn't just be a good idea—it should be the law! Come to this hands-on session to learn how easy, important, and fun it is to collect and analyze data as a part of good, solid, and responsible science education.
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TAEE Presents: Using Virtual Field Trips to Bring STEM into the Classroom
All students deserve to explore science and careers in the classroom, in field investigations, and in the real world. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is using virtual field trips to connect state parks and STEM professionals to the comfort of your classroom with the click of a button.
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TSELA Presents: Professional Learning Continuum: Differentiation for Adult Learners
We are in the initial stages of implementing our secondary science professional learning continuum that will allow for differentiation for teachers during district professional learning days. Come see the vision and hear the plan that will allow teachers to ultimately design their own learning.
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Understanding Photosynthesis and Respiration: A Lab-Based Approach
How can you clear up student misconceptions about respiration only occurring in the dark, or that only green light is used for photosynthesis? With data! Plan and carry out investigations on carbon exchange and plant pigments by building a model to illustrate how plants convert light energy into chemical energy.
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Using Action Research as a Coaching Tool to Improve Science Teachers' Instructional Practices
It was discovered that strategies and information presented during professional learning were not being implemented in the science classroom. The goals of this session are to share how we implemented an action research model to increase teacher collaboration, promote self-reflection, and increase classroom application of professional learning.
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Using Socratic Seminars to Facilitate Student Thinking
In this session, participants will participate in Socratic Seminars as they explore how to use this instructional tool to push students to higher levels of thinking and train them to express their thinking in a way that promotes positive student interaction.
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Using the Picture Superiority Effect to Develop New STEAM Vocabulary in Science and Augmented Reality
This workshop provides teachers with practical classroom activities designed to help students construct STEAM knowledge and vocabulary while using strategies that take advantage of the picture superiority effect, meaningful learning, and free technological tools. Science TEKS 3.7.A and 3.5.B are used to demonstrate.
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Visual Literacy in Science
Discover ways to support students as they navigate the world of charts, graphs, maps, and infographics in science. Analyze types of graphics and implement strategies to guide learners as they represent and interpret data in multiple ways. Provide your students with tools to problem solve and think like a scientist.
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11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
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Accelerated Math and Science Instruction
Learn how a district provides students with curriculum that covers all state-required TEKS for sixth-, seventh, and eighth-grade math and science while at the same time allowing these students to complete the requirements in only two years. These students advance into Algebra I and Biology as eighth-graders.
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11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
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Plate Tectonics Made Easy
This session will provide hands-on activities using snacks and easy tools that provide concrete examples of plate movement to demonstrate the formation of rifts, mountains and subducted ranges. We will use bathymetric maps to find the ring of fire and the edges of tectonic plates.
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12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
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ACT2 Presents: Nuclear Chemistry Q&A
Let’s shoot nuclear waste into the sun! Was Fukushima a nuclear or chemical explosion? How does nuclear power work? Can we mine the moon to further fusion research? How does radiation kill cancer cells? Explore resources and activities to answer these questions and more!
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Community LEADers: A Hands-on Community Health Simulation of Classrooms
This session introduces resources for teaching community health and environmental science concepts. Acting as members of a fictional town, participants will work together to protect their community from the dangers of lead exposure. Resources presented are freely available and highly adaptable for use in upper elementary to high school classrooms.
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Connecting Families through STEM Nights
Experience easy make-and-take STEM activities that encourage students and their families to engage in the engineering design process. Participants will choose from different STEM-building stations, including Air Blaster, Parachutes, Circuit Creations, and Marble Run.
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Constructivist Learning Theory and Its Impact on Classroom Instruction
Ever feel like you are teaching, but the students are not learning? Constructivist learning theory provides a framework to help teachers design lessons that cause students to reconstruct their mental models to create long-term understanding of science concepts.
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Continuous Improvement, Classroom Discussions, and Formative Assessment, Oh My!
Structuring discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, and academically challenging can be hard. In this session, learn how to engage students in structured conversations and use continuous improvement to hold students accountable along with formative assessments.
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Edusmart Academy
New and experienced Edusmart users are encouraged to come and learn about all the recent enhancements and additions. Take a tour of the variety of resources available, including our new Science Readers, Prepackaged STAARSmart Science Assessments and Easy-to-Use Learning Management System and Easy Integration into Google Classroom. The Edusmart team will be on hand to answer questions and share tips on how you can get the most out of this popular resource. Door Prizes!
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Energy is Blowin’ in the Wind
Learn about wind as a renewable energy source! Receive sample lesson plans and ideas for teaching wind energy and using scientific wind instruments. We’ll cover hands-on, critical thinking science and language arts activities that help intermediate students develop a comprehensive understanding of wind formation, wind energy and electricity generation from wind.
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Exploring Exoplanets in the Classroom
Are there habitable alien worlds? What makes a world habitable in our solar system or beyond? How far away are the closest potentially habitable exoplanets? In this interactive, TEKS-aligned workshop, we will explore planet hunting, known exoplanets, and what science tells us about alien worlds with similarities to our own.
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Fast Plants: Let’s Give them Something to Write About
Seed to seed in 40 days! Give your students the experience of observing the entire plant lifecycle. In this session, we will record data about Wisconsin Fast Plants® and then write a scientific observation using data. We will also discuss set-up and involving local Eagle Scouts to build light boxes.
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Game On!
Do you struggle with the same old review games? Tired of boring tutoring concepts that make students fall asleep? Join in the fun as we work through a top 10 list of review/tutoring games guaranteed to get your students excited about difficult concepts. Leave with ready-to-go games!
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Genetic Medicine: Free Classroom Resources from HHMI’s BioInteractive for Teaching Genetics in an Engaging Context
Only 13 years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, the growing field of genetic medicine allows scientists to design treatments targeting the genetic variations underlying disease. This workshop will introduce teachers to free classroom resources for teaching molecular genetics in the context of genetic medicine, including CRISPR-cas9.
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Hands-On: Strategies to Teach Adaptations
How can students understand the balance between environmental conditions and a living organism? Have your students model the conditions of the Arctic and explore how organisms can adapt to the cold, then use the wireless temperature to see which adaptations are best at keeping heat.
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Hiding in Plain Sight: How to Identify and Use Trade Books to Support the 5E Instructional Model
Trade books can be used to enhance the 5E Instructional Model. Books can launch a lesson or introduce a problem that structures an investigation. They can explain scientific phenomena, introduce vocabulary, support interpretation of observations, frame real world applications, present science as a human endeavor, and assess understanding.
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Inquiry Physics Experiments from Vernier and Pivot Interactives—No Lab Setup Required!
Come to this hands-on workshop to see how a collection of high-quality videos with embedded measurement tools can be used to expand inquiry opportunities for introductory physics students. You will Investigate topics such as mechanical energy transformation and Coulomb's law using customizable activities from our ever-expanding Pivot Interactives™ online service.
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It's All About the Visuals
Visual literacy is the notion that one can analyze, interpret, and make meaning from content presented in a visual. Visual literacy can increase students' understanding of science content and also help students make the connection from the 3D to the 2D.
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New Notebooking Templates and Fold-its for the 6-8 and Biology Streamlined TEKS
This highly popular make-and-take workshop has been updated with new editable templates and fold-it strategies for Grades 6-8 and Biology. These activities will become some of your favorite and most effective instructional tools. Join us for lots of great activities, FREE templates, idea sharing, and door prizes!
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Putting the "A" in STEAM!
Learn how to create high-interest STEM and art projects! Create your own unique name tag and then delve into circuitry using paper crafts, fun light-up wearables, vibrobots, and interactive circuitry projects on LEGO®. Projects ranging from beginner to advanced user and programming.
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Real Science for the Early Childhood Classroom
As an early childhood teacher, could you use more time and expertise to set up engaging, hands-on science centers that help your students learn real science concepts and vocabulary, connected to STEM standards? Join us to observe demos, get your hands dirty, network with others, and take away step-by-step instructions.
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STEM Bins: Engineering Through Play
Discover how to effectively use STEM Bins as a foundational, developmentally appropriate form of engineering for elementary students. Learn simple ways to implement STEM Bins for early finishers, enrichment, morning work, centers, makerspaces, and literacy/math extensions. Get your hands on the materials and try STEM Bins for yourself!
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STEM in Elementary Science
Students become engineers as they construct models and develop solutions to problems. They will grapple for a solution to the problem of designing a parachute system that can safely deliver emergency food supplies to firefighters deep in the woods. Get your students to think and act like engineers!
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Scull Eighth-Grade Science to Masters
Are you looking to scull eighth-grade science to achieve success in Meets and Masters? Participants will experience a a minimum of five activities designed to help master eighth-grade readiness standards.
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Show What You Know Using Your iPad
Bring your iPad and join us for an interactive, hands-on session using several free apps that will get students sharing and showing what they've learned and how to apply it. You'll leave with lots of ideas as well as additional resources to use in your classroom.
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TAEE Presents: What's the Question?
The key to a good scientific investigation is a good question. If young children are natural scientists, how do we guide their questioning toward investigable scientific questions? Are children’s schoolyard investigations reliable models for real-world science? Texas Parks and Wildlife resources can help answer your questions.
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TSAAPT Presents: Attraction or Repulsion
Participants will be engaged in magnetic hands-on activities. Cross-curricular strategies will be addressed with an elementary reading book incorporated into the session.
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Technology-Enhanced Learning in the Elementary Science Classroom
This workshop provides educators with tips for enhancing science lessons. Participants will complete a survey and discuss comfort levels with using technology often found in today’s elementary science classrooms. Participants will be asked to use their own device to practice and discuss ideas for incorporating technology into science lessons.
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The Wow Factor: Drones in the Classroom
Few other objects in school can fly and hover with as much “wow factor” as drones can, resulting in enhanced academic performance by engaging all students in lessons on topics typically uninteresting to them. Learn how to utilize drones to increase student mastery in your classroom.
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Using Current Events to Promote Project-Based Learning
Use current events to make learning relevant to students by establishing connections to life outside the classroom and by addressing real-world issues in order to promote independent project-based learning (PBL). All students, no matter their background, should have access to PBL to deepen their learning.
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Using Dungeons and Dragons Dice to Engage and Challenge All Learners
Many times, teachers assign projects that we think will spark student creativity, but the product produced by students gives “cookie-cutter” results. This session will introduce using Dungeons and Dragons dice to individualize student projects so every single product is as unique as our students!
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Using Escape Room Challenges in Your Science Classroom
Escape rooms are popular across the country. The challenge of solving puzzles and riddles is engaging for students of all ages! They don't even realize they are learning as they go. Learn how to build your own escape challenge or find ones already created!
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Using Total Physical Response (TPR) in Your Classroom
Total Physical Response is an engaging method of teaching vocabulary. It’s fun and easy for students, builds students’ self-esteem, and helps build connections in the brain. This workshop will provide K-12 teachers with a more engaging way for your students to learn science vocabulary through movement!
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Vocabulary the Easy Way
Do you have problems getting your students to learn vocabulary? By using iconic posters, you will create students that know the basic vocabulary and are ready to move deeper into concepts. Vocabulary pictures will also help your students do better on high-stakes tests requiring modeling.
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When a Big Teacher Goes to the Littles: Growing a Collaborative Community
Learn ways to use technology to create engagement and promote process skills in elementary students by partnering with a high school teacher. From idea through implementation, experience the activity that inspired the idea, and follow a high school teacher’s journey taking technology to elementary students.
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Zombies Get Out!
Zombies are people, too! But you don’t want them in your house. In this session, you will build a humane zombie repulsion device using a calculator, a flash light, and a little ingenuity. This session will combine some physical science with a little coding (no coding experience is required) to create an exciting STEM project for your middle or high school science class.
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