WSST Conference 2025: Full Schedule

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8:00am CDT

Who's Baby Luna's Father? Using DNA Fingerprinting to Solve a Mystery

Friday April 4, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

Embark on a hands-on adventure and join marine biologists in their quest to uncover the mystery of Luna's father! Meet Luna, an adorable whale calf, and become part of a passionate team determined to solve this heartwarming puzzle using gel electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting where 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.

Speakers

Erika Fong

Sales and Marketing, MiniOne Systems

Biology/Life Science

Molly Wallace

Sponsors

MiniOne Systems

Friday April 4, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Anna M

Biology/Life Science Environmental

9:00am CDT

The Genetics of Sickle Cell Detection and Therapy

Friday April 4, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Anna M

Join us on this hands-on workshop where we will unlock the secrets of Sickle Cell Disease. We will explore the genetics of sickle cell disease and genetic testing. Extend the narrative by becoming medical geneticists conducting newborn screenings for SCD to determine disease inheritance and susceptibility. We can wrap up with modern therapies now available for SCD.

Speakers

Erika Fong

Sales and Marketing, MiniOne Systems

Biology/Life Science

Sponsors

MiniOne Systems

Friday April 4, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Anna M

Biology/Life Science

10:00am CDT

Workshop: The Science Of Climate Change: Exploring Changing Wildfire Patterns with HHMI Biointeractive Resources

Friday April 4, 2025 10:00am - 11:50am CDT

Anna M

Although wildfires can be caused by natural events and provide many valuable ecological services, changes in the environment related to climate change are fueling the growth of large, destructive megafires. In this workshop, participants will explore how the HHMI Resources The Science of Climate Change film and the activity The Impacts of Wildfires can help students understand these changes. We will share how to use increases in megafires as a phenomenon to guide student inquiry into the causes and impacts of climate change. The workshop will emphasize integration of NGSS practices including: asking questions and defining problems, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations, and designing solutions.

In this hands on workshop participants will
Discover how to use the phenomena to engage students in the science of climate change
Explore evidence to support human causes of climate change
Evaluate various lines of evidence for which factors influence wildfire dynamics using a jigsaw strategy.
Analyze and interpret scientific figures, such as graphs and maps.
Utilize the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) approach to develop scientific claims supported by evidence and reasoning for why recent wildfires are burning more forest area.
Evaluate strategies to reduce the area burned by wildfire and minimize the impacts.

Speakers

Amy Fassler

Sponsors

HHMI

Friday April 4, 2025 10:00am - 11:50am CDT
Anna M

High Ed Environmental

2:00pm CDT

Workshop: Engineering Tomorrow: Designing Solutions for Today

Friday April 4, 2025 2:00pm - 3:50pm CDT

Anna M

Join us for a hands-on workshop and experience firsthand Engineering Tomorrow's innovative labs.

During this session, you'll:
--Dive into a real-world engineering challenge through participation in a hands-on engineering activity led by experienced mentors.
--Connect with industry professionals
--Learn effective teaching strategies to integrate engineering design into your classroom curriculum.

This workshop will introduce educators to the Engineering Tomorrow program, a free resource designed to inspire the next generation of engineers. Through this experience, educators will gain practical knowledge and skills in STEM education and be introduced to the NGSS aligned labs of ET.

ET STEM labs are developed by engineers and modeled on the cutting-edge work of experts in the field. During each lab, ET brings professional engineers and students from the nation’s top colleges and universities to mentor middle and high school students as they solve real-world problems at no cost to students, schools, or teachers. Over 8,900 middle and high school students in Wisconsin and over 15,000 students in the Midwest have participated in ET labs!

During the workshop, participants will learn about ET, interact with Zoom lab hosts, participate in a lab, and get advice from a veteran teacher who uses these labs in the classroom.

Speakers

Kathy Biernat

Curriculum Designer, Instructional Coach, Zanilu Educational Services, LLC

#ScientistMakerI am an award-winning educator with over 18 years of teaching experience and 30 years of curriculum design expertise. I am passionate about integrating real-world problems into the curriculum, fostering authentic learning experiences, and connecting students with professionals... Read More →

Ann Viegut

Program Coordinator, Engineering Tomorrow

As a former educator, with over thirty years of classroom experience, I am excited to be bringing Engineering Tomorrow STEM labs to Wisconsin 6-12 classrooms.

Liz Kysely

Program Coordinator, Engineering Tomorrow

As a Wisconsin certified STEM educator, with over 25 years of combined public education and private work experience, I am excited to bring the Engineering Tomorrow STEM labs to Wisconsin 6-12 classrooms. Engineering Tomorrow introduces students to the field of engineering through... Read More →

Sponsors

LLC

Zanilu Educational Services

Friday April 4, 2025 2:00pm - 3:50pm CDT
Anna M

General Pedagogy/Teaching Strategies