WSST Conference 2025: Full Schedule

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8:00am CDT

Phenomena-Based Learning in 30 Minutes or Less

Thursday April 3, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

In this session designed for K-5 educators, we will explore the power of phenomenon-based learning through hands-on activities that align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Using the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), we’ll demonstrate how authentic science content can be seamlessly incorporated into 30-minute lessons, making science accessible and engaging for students. Participants will actively engage in a real-world, hands-on lesson, gaining practical experience with inquiry-based learning that sparks curiosity and promotes deeper conceptual understanding.

Our session will showcase how these lessons are designed to align with any curriculum goals, providing strategies for integrating authentic science phenomena into your classroom. By the end of the session, participants will walk away with easy-to-implement, NGSS-aligned strategies that can transform their teaching approach and ignite student interest in the world around them. Learning objectives include understanding how to implement the 5E model, exploring ways to integrate phenomena into daily lessons, and gaining tools for delivering engaging, real-world science experiences in under 30 minutes. This session will feature presenter-audience interaction to foster discussion and encourage collaboration, ensuring participants leave with actionable insights.

Speakers

Madison Evans

Thursday April 3, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Herietta

Elementary General

9:00am CDT

Standards Based Grading with NGSS

Thursday April 3, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Herietta

How do you assess young elementary students in science? How do you measure progress in the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices? I have developed rubrics that allow me to chart the growth of my grades 1-4 students, using the SEP as my standards. I will share students' work samples from a variety of units and show how I use the rubrics to record and share their progress. My rubrics can be used with students to set goals, clarify expectations, and teach explicitly. They can also be used to share progress with parents, and they can support a standards based report card system. This session will allow participants to review the rubrics and discuss the pros and cons of using them in their own teaching practices.

Speakers

Shelley Petzold

Thursday April 3, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Herietta

Elementary Pedagogy/Teaching Strategies

10:00am CDT

Forest History Didn’t Start in 1850: A Fresh Look at How Forests Built Our State

Thursday April 3, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Herietta

In this session we will overview the recent revisions made to the LEAF K-12 Forestry Education Program’s 4th grade guide. We will explore why and how the revisions were made in an effort to produce a broader, more inclusive approach to teaching about Wisconsin’s forest history. Participants will then try some of the new hands-on activities together, then look at how an activity that has students trace the human use history of a forest plot through simple observations and measurements fits into a three-dimensional approach to teaching and learning. Finally, we will take a little time to reflect on how Wisconsin forest history and information about the Indigenous people of our state fit into their elementary science curriculum.

Speakers

Nicole Filizetti

LEAF K-12 Forestry Education Program Outreach Educator, Wisconsin Center For Environmental Education

Nicole has a B.S. in Biology/Ecology, a secondary science teaching certificate, and an M.S. in Science Education from Northern Michigan University. She has been with the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education since 2013, assisting with professional development for the LEAF... Read More →

Thursday April 3, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Herietta

Elementary Diversity/Equity

11:00am CDT

Explore Free Elementary Resources from the Food + Farm Exploration Center

Thursday April 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Herietta

Participants in this session will take a hands-on approach to learning about the many free elementary resources that are offered by the Food + Farm Exploration Center that teaches science with an agricultural focus. Participants will take part in small group discussions and hands-on activities as they learn more about the connection of agriculture to curriculum.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the connection that agriculture has to science curriculum.
2. Explore the many ways that agriculture examples can be used to highlight content.
3. Conduct investigations and do activities that highlight the connections between agriculture and science.

Standards:
2-LS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

3-LS-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

4-LS-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

5-LS-1 Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

5-ESS2-2 Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

Speakers

Jenn Scott

Education Outrerach Manager, Food + Farm Exploration Center

I have a passion to spread the word about the importance of agriculture to everyone! As an education outreach manager, my goal is to educate students and teachers about the role agriculture plays in their daily lives and to inspire a passion for the field and a desire to pursue a... Read More →

Thursday April 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Herietta

Elementary

1:00pm CDT

Bridging Literacy and Science

Thursday April 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Herietta

Let's face it: Literacy is a top priority in most K-5 classrooms. What if science instruction could not only support your literacy initiatives, but truly help your students become better readers and writers? Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting your teaching journey, join us for this workshop as we discover how teaching science can foster academic achievement across disciplines.

Speakers

Mike Larson

Thursday April 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Herietta

Elementary

1:00pm CDT

Workshop: Empowering Students to Lead: A Green Team Toolkit for Energy Savings

Thursday April 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

John Lynch

Green teams empower schools to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, resulting in cost savings, reduced environmental impact, and enriched educational opportunities. By engaging students and staff, these teams cultivate responsibility and foster a culture of sustainability within the school community.

FOCUS ON ENERGY® developed the Green Team Toolkit to support these efforts. This comprehensive resource empowers K-12 students as sustainability leaders, offering step-by-step guidance for forming and managing green teams, practical energy-saving strategies, and tips for competitions like Renew Our Schools. The toolkit highlights low-cost, no-cost measures with quick paybacks, enabling schools to optimize building performance while providing meaningful learning experiences for students.

Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) complements these efforts with Green Team Mini-Grants designed to fund energy education and efficiency projects, offering schools tangible support to turn ideas into action.

In this session, Focus on Energy, KEEP, and the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District will showcase the benefits of green teams, the impact of the toolkit, and how these mini-grants can amplify these initiatives. Attendees will be equipped with actionable strategies, real-world examples, and the inspiration to transform students into sustainability champions, benefiting facilities, education, and the broader community.

Speakers

Nick Gagnon

Teacher, Chippewa Falls High School

I've been teaching Physics, Chemistry and Remote Pilot classes at Chippewa Falls High School for 20+ years. Over the past 5 years I've been advising our Green Team. These students have accomplished more than I ever could have imagined!

Heather Feigum

Heather oversees Focus on Energy's Agriculture and Schools/Government programs. With a background in energy and project management, she previously served as an Energy Advisor for schools and government facilities. Heather's educational experience includes being a Renewable Energy... Read More →

Laura Lane

Heather Phelps

Student Resource Specialist, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education

Sponsors

Focus on Energy

Thursday April 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
John Lynch

Elementary High Ed General Energy Savings and Sustainability

2:00pm CDT

Workshop: Ignite Curiosity and Cultivate Tomorrow's Scientists

Thursday April 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

BF Carter

Ignite the natural curiosity of young minds as they explore the wonders of the living world, the principles that govern it, and the secrets of our planet. Join us for an exciting session where we dive into literacy-infused science lessons designed to build essential foundational skills for our future scientists.
Experience a variety of captivating activities, including interactive games, catchy songs, virtual notebooks, and hands-on experiments. These tools are crafted to make science seriously fun for Kinder through Grade 2 students.
Let’s transform your classroom into a vibrant hub of exploration and discovery!

Speakers

Cassie Harrelson

Sponsors

ExploreLearning

Thursday April 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
BF Carter

Elementary

2:00pm CDT

Books to Builds: STEM Activities to Compliment Your Favorite Read-Alouds

Thursday April 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Herietta

Discover innovative STEM activities tailored to complement popular read-alouds. Participants will experience firsthand three engineering challenges inspired by beloved books. This hands-on workshop empowers educators to confidently integrate STEM into their existing curriculum, enriching students' learning experiences. Leave equipped to inspire young minds with the magic of reading and the excitement of engineering.
Learning Objectives
·       Discover how to transform activities from arts and crafts to rich, STEAM experiences that meet the NGSS engineering standards
·       Explore 3 popular read-alouds and 3 follow-on STEM activities
·       Conduct the STEM activities during the session so you leave confident and ready to implement in the classroom

Speakers

Terra Tarango

Thursday April 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Herietta

Elementary Engineering

3:00pm CDT

Workshop: Bring Wisconsin Wildlife Into Your Classroom

Thursday April 3, 2025 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT

BF Carter

Snapshot Wisconsin is a statewide community science project that utilizes a network of trail cameras to produce wildlife management data. This workshop will discuss ways to bring Wisconsin wildlife to a wide range of grade levels, from grades K-5 to higher education. Snapshot staff will walk you through the various lesson plans and activities available to educators.

Please bring a computer/tablet, if possible. We will also have some print outs, for those unable to bring a computer/tablet.

All Snapshot Wisconsin lesson plans and activities are free. Lesson plans are available for grades K-12 and outline curriculum connections in each educator handout, including NGSS (April 2013), Common Core (2010), AP Biology (2012-2013), IB Biology (2016), Environmental Science (2013), Environmental Systems & Societies, and Wisconsin’s Standards for Science.

Learning Objectives:
- Learn about Snapshot Wisconsin and how to get involved as a community scientist
- Learn about how Snapshot Wisconsin data is used to support management decisions at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Learn about how to access Snapshot Wisconsin’s free lesson plans and activities and incorporate them into your classroom or educational programming
- Learn about how to access and explore the Snapshot Wisconsin Data Dashboard as well as how it can be used to teach about science and math concepts, data literacy, and science communication.

Speakers

WSST Conference 2025

8:00am CDT

Madison Evans

9:00am CDT

Shelley Petzold

10:00am CDT

Nicole Filizetti

11:00am CDT

Jenn Scott

1:00pm CDT

Mike Larson

1:00pm CDT

Nick Gagnon

Heather Feigum

Laura Lane

Heather Phelps

Focus on Energy

2:00pm CDT

Cassie Harrelson

ExploreLearning

2:00pm CDT

Terra Tarango

3:00pm CDT

Mackenzie McBride

Liv Gripko

Snapshot Wisconsin-Wisconsin DNR