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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is the use of quantum mechanics across a variety of fields, including physics, computer science, math, and engineering. This includes quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum-based measurement devices. Given the increasing relevance of quantum technology to our day-to-day lives, it is important to expose students to these topics before college. Quantum mechanics has a reputation of needing higher level math skills to understand it, but basic ideas of quantum mechanics can be taught with simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication. We will explore this simple approach for teaching the basic ideas of quantum mechanics in high school courses. We will also look at resources for incorporating QISE topics into the high school curriculum. While QISE is most applicable to the NGSS related to physics and with AP Physics, there are applications in chemistry, math, and computer science for QISE topics. Attendees will take away an understanding of how quantum mechanics can be taught using simple math, as well as a list of resources for curricular material to add into their courses.
