Wisconsin residents have extensive, high quality water systems and a broad range of individuals and organizations working to understand, protect and enhance them. The Milwaukee Waters Investigation Project (MWI) is a multidisciplinary STEM project focusing on a semester of teacher support, four professional development meetings, and ending with a one day field investigation with over 325 students supported by partners from more than 15 organizations. There is no cost to teachers to participate. The Freshwater Tool Kit.org website, project activities, water systems review, and water quality and water habitat monitoring and the opportunity to reveal and inspire potential career pathways in the water sector connect this project to the NGSS standards. This presentation includes an overview of the MWI Project, and the experience of a teacher involved in the project. There will also be an exercise for conference attendees to share what they are doing with their students in this space, to identify partners they do or might want to work with, and explore opportunities for collaboration within their community or with peers in other parts of the state to develop real-world projects centered on this vital resource.
Many students aren’t aware of the breadth of jobs in natural resource conservation. From scientists to artists and GIS specialists to bloggers, conservation agencies and organizations are seeking passionate individuals with a wide variety of skills to help address growing soil, water, air, and wildlife challenges. In this session, we will introduce various educational resources, case study materials, and practical classroom demonstrations to integrate into your current curriculums to highlight potential natural resource career paths. At the end of the session, you will be able to identify diverse examples of natural resource conservation professionals and describe their general qualifications and job duties, as well as discuss how the knowledge and skills learned in your courses are applicable to a career in conservation.
Think outside the box! As we continue to face decreasing levels of student engagement, can we design new course offerings to captivate students in a variety of ways?
Science electives offer high school students a unique opportunity to explore their passions and delve deeper into specific scientific fields. Beyond meeting graduation requirements, these courses provide invaluable benefits, such as gaining in-depth understanding of a specialized science area, developing practical skills through laboratory work, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, exploring potential career paths, and simply satisfying a natural curiosity about the world!
Attendees will hear about the development process for three unique electives including: Cultivating student interest, encouraging exploration and interest-based course selection, and providing opportunities for students to contribute to curriculum development.
Presenters will share reflections on the preliminary offerings, including successes, challenges, and the need for cultural shift in order to maximize the benefit of these courses.
Calling all EARTH SCIENCE teachers to a round table discussion session to collaborate, share resources and build future connections! We will explore different phenomena based storylines in Earth science, focusing on those that are free to teachers and learn how to join online communities for questions, modified documents and so much more! Bring your computer and any resources you would like to share, as well as gain access to many free resources and google drives for teaching hands on Earth science at any level!
Discover an engaging, NGSS-aligned activity that introduces students to the science of light pollution and empowers them to develop design solutions to real-world problems. In this presentation, participants will explore light pollution. We will look at the causes and effects of lighting up our night sky. They will then be challenged to use the Engineering Design Process to provide a solution to our current light pollution problem.
Attendees will: 1. Investigate the phenomenon of light pollution and why it matters. 2. Engage in a hands-on activity, constructing and testing mini streetlights in a homemade planetarium. 3. Explore the engineering design process, focusing on optimizing light shields to reduce light pollution while maintaining safety. 4. Learn how skills are used for assessment at Racine Unified School District
Through collaboration and interactive problem-solving, participants will experience the lesson from the student perspective while gaining practical resources to bring this learning to their own classrooms. This activity connects STEAM learning with Earth Science, engineering, and astronomy.
I will present for 30 minutes on how I use transects to get kids outside collecting data along a stream corridor. I have found transects are engaging for students without the expectation that they are an expert on identifying plant or animal species. Transects are often the building blocks for our field observations within an outdoor freshwater ecology course I teach and useful to build skills required for the rest of the semester. I will share several different transects that I have found to be effective for mapping, analyzing and collecting field data all within a 45 minute class period (so quick turn around). I will talk about common barriers and future connections with transects as well. The last 15 minutes will be open discussion or time for any questions you may have for me.
HS LS2- 2 Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.HS LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
