In this session I will show you how I use the various DNA Kits in my classroom from 3D Molecular Designs. I will also show you how I tie them together. I use these kits with my students in Project Lead the Way Principles of Biomedical Science when we discuss DNA structure and function and genetics. I use them to demonstrate types of chromosomes, where genes are located and the why behind the letters we use in Punnett Squares. I use these models to show the differences between heterozygous and homozygous alleles to allow the students to see what happens at the DNA level so they understand why we have those differences and how they show up in proteins. I use this kit with the Flow of Genetic Information kit and protein folding when we talk about protein synthesis and the dynamic DNA kit when we talk about genetics and DNA.
The Physics Classroom is a one stop shop. It is an interactive up to date text book, it has on line lab simulations, it has differentiated progressive on-line concept builders, it has a test generator that can grade, it ties in with Modeling Curricullum, ACT Prep sections, Lesson plans for all levels of Physics including beginning teachers, video tutorials, it is continually being improved and updated, and all this for much cheaper than any textbook on the market. This presentation will demonstrate the diverse set of learning tools that TPC has for teaching Physics and Chemistry. While TPC is always free, the low fee of using the Task Tracker system to monitor student progress will be emphasized only because it is a great tool and gives you more time to do what you love...helping students learn! TPC has a diverse set of tools and resources that litteraly cover almost every aspect of teaching Physics and is progressing to providing Chemistry rources too. The presenters will be the Owner/Software designer Trevor Fayas and a regular classroom teacher who uses it.
Owner of PhysicsClassroom.com, our site has been offering time proven tools, lessons, interactives, and learning modules for teachers and students in Physics (and now Chemistry!). Come learn about our resources and how they help students learn and grow.
Thursday April 3, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Lake Poygan
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.
Obtaining food to meet our energy and matter needs is a basic requirement of humans, in addition to helping define our cultural practices and ways of life. This presentation will share how to use elements of the three dimensions of the NGSS and Framework to engage students in making sense of phenomena and problems related to the production and consumption of food. Strategies for how to use driving question boards, 3-dimensional learning outcomes, and engagement of all learners will be shared. Students will ask questions for how perfect apples are mass produced, how nutrients and environmental factors affect the quality of fruit, and how to attain the right balance of sweet-tart flavor. This storyline weaves together concepts such as meiosis and mitosis, pedigrees and probability, plant structure and function, nutrient cycles, and the role of photosynthesis in producing food in order to explain why it took 30 years to produce the Honeycrisp apple.
Have you ever posed a scientific question to your students only to hear crickets? Have you ever planned an intriguing investigation only to have it flop because of lack of student engagement? In this session, science teachers will explore practical strategies to cultivate a classroom culture that inspires curiosity, fosters collaboration, and maximizes student engagement. Participants will learn how to create an environment where students feel valued, safe to take risks, and excited to explore the wonders of science. Through guided discussions, case studies, and hands-on activities, teachers will discover techniques to promote active learning, build a sense of community, and develop classroom routines that support inquiry-based and student-centered teaching. By the end of the session, educators will leave with a toolkit of strategies to strengthen student connections, enhance participation, and create a dynamic classroom atmosphere where students are motivated and eager to learn.
In the OpenSciEd Instructional Model students are presented with puzzling phenomena that elicit a variety of questions that motivate the learning in the unit. These anchoring phenomena draw students into the storyline by presenting the natural challenge of explaining something or solving a problem. Other phenomena may be introduced at key points in a storyline to maintain interest or push students to delve more deeply. To help teachers and students advance through a unit storyline, the instructional model takes advantage of five routines—activities that play specific roles in advancing the storyline with supports to help students achieve the objectives of those activities. The routines typically follow a pattern as students kick off a unit of study, surface and investigate different questions they have, put the pieces together from those investigations, and then problematize the next set of questions to investigate. In this session participants will engage as “students” with an OSE lesson to experience these routines from both the teacher and student lens. Additional supports and resources will be shared so that teachers can go back to the classroom ready to teach a 3-dimensional lesson.
Many science teachers feel overwhelmed by the challenges of implementing NGSS, as local and district demands often make alignment more challenging. To address this, we’ve created free, open-source NGSS-aligned materials through a research-practice partnership. These resources are designed to save time, reduce stress, and adapt to diverse teaching needs.
Grounded in educational research, our instructional design consistently helps students achieve NGSS outcomes. Teachers report reduced workloads, enhanced effectiveness, and greater confidence in meeting standards.
In this workshop, we’ll clarify NGSS goals, showcase ready-to-use curriculum examples, and guide you through examples of engaging classroom activities. You’ll leave with access to free, customizable content to streamline NGSS implementation in your classroom. We will focus on examples in biology, but will also provide access to other subjects, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and agriscience.
We’re all learning all the time, as we encounter new opportunities and challenges, and envision new possibilities for ourselves and our world. Over ten years ago, the series, Climate Wisconsin offered stories of Wisconsinites’ experiences of climate change at home, at work, and at play, as a way to bring climate education from communities into classrooms. Today, PBS Wisconsin Education is rebooting the effort of that collection, but with a twist. As climate change impacts have become even more present and urgent, we’re now looking to the next generation, young people in communities across the state, to see how they are learning about what’s going on, how they are feeling about the challenges we face, and how they are taking action to get us (back) on track to a future we can look forward to. We’re making a new multimedia collection that will relate these stories to efforts with local and global impacts, engage multiple ways of knowing, and support critical cross-curricular thinking skills along the way. Join us for this preview and discussion session to help shape the project, and be in conversation with fellow educators around how this work connects with what we experience in our learning spaces.
In this workshop, we will explore threats to biodiversity (HIPPO) using HHMI Biointeractive resources, including Designing Solutions to Preserve Biodiversity and Wild Hope short films. We will also model solution-design strategies that consider personal values, as well as social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
Using NGSS three dimensional design, this workshop will focus on what students need to know, how they process that knowledge and how that knowledge guides their solutions. Participants will use the jigsaw approach, a cooperative learning strategy in which “expert groups” familiarize themselves with a specific concept, then recombine into “jigsaw groups” to share and synthesize knowledge.
Participants will Use HHMI Biointeractive resources to assist students in identifying the key threats to biodiversity loss: Habitat Loss, Invasive Species, Pollution, Population Growth and Overharvesting. Learn instructional methods for analyzing and devising potential solutions to these threats. Collaborate with fellow educators to discuss effective practices for teaching about biodiversity loss. Learn about additional HHMI Biointeractive tools and resources.
Wisconsin High School Earth Science Storylines will share with you recently developed and created activities that use collaboration of students who will analyze data sets as they work to understand the phenomenon that focuses on the landforms and geological history of Wisconsin. These activities are designed to address NGSS standards for High School Earth Science. They will focus on three separate storylines - Bedrock to Glaciers, Feedback in the Arctic, and Wisconsin Groundwater. During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to work through a number of activities and take with them knowledge of how to use the storylines with their students. The storylines will utilize many local data sets and GIS map layers.
In a world where declining water quality threatens ecosystems, food security, and public health it is imperative that we as teachers are prepared to educate the next water leaders. This session will dive into a hands-on lessons from Nourish the Future where students analyze soil, water, and land use data to construct solutions for real-world land management challenges. We will showcase how students engage in science and engineering practices, such as analyzing data and constructing explanations, to tackle a relevant phenomenon, while highlighting student examples. Through NGSS-aligned strategies, participants will observe how sensemaking guides students in proposing solutions to improve soil and water quality. Teachers will leave better equipped with strategies for using the lesson as an activity or as a 3D assessment, The lesson is great for student engagement, phenomenon/storyline based teaching, and encouraging deep learning across diverse classrooms. Teachers will walk away with an activity that can be easily modified for any classroom or science topic.
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.
Are you new to the WSST Conference? We’re excited to have you join us! To help you make the most of your experience, we invite you to a special Newcomers’ Welcome session where you can learn the ins and outs of the conference. This session is designed to help you:
Navigate the conference schedule and key events
Connect with fellow educators and network with ease
Discover tips for maximizing your professional development experience
Get answers to any questions you may have
Whether it’s your first time attending or you’re returning after a while, we’re here to ensure you feel welcomed and well-prepared. We look forward to meeting you and making your WSST experience unforgettable!
Thursday April 3, 2025 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Lake Poygan
Milk is an important food product that provides all of the nutrients that young mammals need to survive early in life. Learning from populations that can digest dairy can help provide solutions to humans who choose to consume it into adulthood, despite the inability to do so naturally. Because of this demand, milk and dairy products altogether continue to be an important aspect of agriculture.
Participants will engage in a new storyline that tasks students with constructing and revising explanations based on evidence for why dairy is such an important agricultural product and source of food energy. The Milk storyline is the 7th in a series being developed by a group of 25+ educators from the midwest for science and agriculture teachers that engage students in developing explanations for agricultural phenomena and solving real-world problems. Students utilize the three dimensions of NGSS as they learn about food systems or the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food products and interactions with the natural environment. Intentional emphasis is placed on developing skills related to the Scientific & Engineering Practices and building Crosscutting Concepts.
In this professional learning session, participants will explore the power of science notebooks as tools to deepen student sensemaking and engagement in the science classroom. Science notebooks offer students opportunities to document their observations, make connections, and reflect on their learning in ways that support critical thinking and collaboration. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, you’ll leave with ideas and resources to make science notebooking a meaningful part of your students’ learning journey. This session is ideal for educators seeking to empower their students as independent thinkers and problem solvers in the science classroom.
Activate Learning has partnered with OpenSciEd to create a digital learning platform where students can benefit from an interactive, engaging online experience when using the OpenSciEd curriculum. Students can record their observations and reasoning and receive feedback from teachers. Students benefit from modeling supports like drawing tools and stamps, as well as writing supports with sentence starters and reading supports through recorded audio, highlighting, and annotations. The OSE lessons are designed and aligned to the Framework and the NGSS. They are based on research regarding how students learn, what motivates learning, and the implications for teaching. Participants will experience first-hand our intuitive digital platform with features that enhance the OSE curriculum and help make science teaching and learning more accessible.
Cost $10, Prior registration required Energy Tour = solar + sheep + wind!
Visit 2 utility-scale Renewable Energy generation sites and discover multiple energy education resources during this unique trip coordinated by KEEP and Alliant Energy. We will visit a farm that has on-site solar PV and sheep are integrated into vegetation management. The farm visit coincides with lambing season and will include a visit to the birthing barn. Next, we will visit a wind farm where we will see the control room for turbine operations and we will enter the base of a wind tower. Participants will learn how they can request similar field trips for their classes and KEEP staff will share relevant energy education lessons and kits which are free to Wisconsin teachers.
Must wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. Dress for the weather. We will be outside and walking on uneven surfaces. Please do not wear shoes that have visited any other farm or fair surfaces.
Cost $10, Prior registration required Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages. Join EAA Educators for making airfoil and balloon cars that you can bring back to your classroom, helping you incorporate the excitement of forces of flight into your lessons. EAA's educational programs, crafted by licensed educators, are designed to engage, and inspire students while challenging them to learn.
Cost $10, Prior registration required Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages.
Participants will also have the opportunity to tour the Wittman Regional Airport control tower. Did you know that for one week each year, during the EAA AirVenture airshow, this tower becomes the busiest in the world?
One of the most fundamental concepts in biology is cell membranes. Model with us as we gain a deeper understanding of the structure of phospholipids, their role in the cell membranes, and membrane transport proteins while gaining hands on experience and classroom strategies in modeling to help make abstract concepts tangible. This session will feature the use of our Phospholipid and Membrane Transport Kit and give you a first look at our new Articulated Membrane Model.
I was a classroom teacher for 25 years. I am now the National SMART team coordinator and Science Educator for 3D Molecular designs.In my free time, I am an avid fisherman and obsessive vinyl record collector.
Thursday April 3, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
BF Carter
This presentation highlights the journey of the Wauwatosa School District Biology team as they transformed from a fragmented collection of experts to a strong, mission and vision-aligned force. The Wauwatosa Biology team has become a lighthouse within the district and across the state as they are deeply committed to continuous improvement and providing a rigorous, 3-dimensional, storyline experience for all students, through the use of OpenSciEd curricular resources.
In this session, we will discuss the importance of a strong vision, sound process for selecting curriculum, ongoing instructional coaching, teamwork, and strategies for building system-wide capacity in building a movement and driving change. We will share ideas and tools, including grading practices, for districts or departments interested in transforming the student experience in science to be more coherent, impactful, rigorous, and equitable.
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
Transform your classroom into a hub of innovation and leadership with a STEAM mentorship program! In this dynamic workshop, discover how middle school students can develop hands-on STEAM challenges for younger peers, fostering confidence, communication, and cross-curricular learning while implementing the engineering design process. Using real-world examples from St. Mary School in Richland Center, where students created agricultural-based projects like the Cranberry Bog, you’ll explore how to guide your students in crafting and presenting their own challenges to elementary students.
Learn essential tips and tricks for building students’ presentation skills, encouraging them to take ownership of their work, and differentiating activities to meet diverse learning needs. Discover how to introduce college and career readiness skills through mentoring opportunities that emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.
You’ll also dive into strategies for gaining stakeholder buy-in, building community partnerships, and organizing lesson plans across multiple grade levels using Google Drive. This interactive session will provide you with practical tools, templates, and strategies to inspire your students to lead, mentor, and create—while promoting a love for STEM and agriculture. Walk away with everything you need to launch a successful cross-curricular STEAM mentorship program in your school!
Coordinator, Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom - Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation
I am passionate about food, farming, and people. For the past 22 years I have worked in both formal and informal roles related to agriculture literacy and education. I spent five years as an Agriculture Educator and Biology teacher in both rural and urban schools and for the past... Read More →
We’re excited to invite you to the WSST Retirees Meet & Greet, a special gathering to reconnect, share stories, and celebrate the lasting impact of science educators like you! Come enjoy a relaxed atmosphere where you can:
Reconnect with fellow retired educators
Share your experiences and wisdom with current members
Learn about opportunities to stay involved with WSST
Let’s celebrate the incredible community you’ve helped build and continue inspiring the next generation of science educators. We can’t wait to see you there!
I am Historian of WSST, which means that I am responsible for keeping the archives of the organization. This includes newsletters, lists of officers, long term conference records and anything else that the Board of Directors deem worthy of saving for the good of the organization... Read More →
Thursday April 3, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Lake Poygan
In this hands-on presentation, we will model the amount of water content in a cloud, formation of clouds in a container, and identify clouds in the sky. You’ll walk away with activities and resources you can use in your classroom. These lessons and activities can be used from the elementary grades to high school. Closely tied to the Wisconsin Science Standards, students make predictions, carry out investigations, use models, and construct explanations. I have used these activities in Earth and Space Science classes during the meteorology unit and in Weather & Climate classes while we are investigating the formation of clouds and precipitation. Time permitting, we will look into how reading the clouds in the sky and their movement can help in the weather prediction process and give us an idea of future weather patterns.
Join us for an engaging professional development session designed for teachers to come together, share, and brainstorm solutions around the OpenSciEd instructional materials. This workshop provides a collaborative space where educators can discuss their experiences—the good, the bad, and the challenging. Bring your successes and amazing resources to share with fellow teachers, and don't hesitate to bring your concerns and problems. Together, we will explore practical solutions, offer support, and enhance our collective understanding of how to best implement OpenSciEd in the classroom. Let’s turn challenges into opportunities and elevate our teaching practice as a team!
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms commonly found in soils and can act as pathogens, leading to diseases in plants, animals, and humans. Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection prevalent in arid and semi-arid areas. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that the distribution of this fungus may be shifting due to changing environmental conditions. During this workshop, participants will: Explore the ecological role of fungi and learn about Valley Fever's genetic links to specific populations. Engage in a role-playing exercise as researchers conducting a collaborative study to test soil samples for the Coccidioides fungus. Understand the procedures for extracting and amplifying fungal DNA samples. Perform agarose gel electrophoresis using MiniOne equipment to check for the presence of Coccidioides in soil samples. Analyze group data to identify areas with high rates of Valley Fever infections. Discuss how climate change affects the spread of fungi and the occurrence of Valley Fever. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions to minimize fungal infections. Discover teaching strategies to inspire students and incorporate an engaging biotechnology narrative
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Angler Education Program provides training and materials for adults to offer fishing programs in their schools and communities. This workshop will keep you busy with hands-on activities, and we’ll even go fishing! You’ll go home with a boatload of program materials that link fishing to science through investigations of fish and their habitat and provides opportunities for interdisciplinary unit development with social studies, language arts, fine arts and physical education. Fishing equipment and other supplies are available for loan to instructors at more than 50 tackle loaner sites run by the DNR and partners. The program has two main levels, Junior Angler for grades 4 – 8 and Hook, Line & Thinker for high school. A subset of materials appropriate for younger learners is also available. The materials are aligned to Wisconsin’s state academic standards making the program an easy fit in the classroom. Successful program models include after-school fishing clubs, summer enrichment classes, and school-family events, in addition to classroom use. [I would like this to be an all-day workshop. What are my options?]
The IL Biology Storylines provide a free, complete curricular replacement for any introductory biology course. 3-D learning incorporates the disciplinary core ideas, the science practices and the crosscutting concepts and is the driving force of the Next Generation Science Standards. In order to better integrate the different topics typically taught in the high school biology classroom, storyline units that are coherent and phenomenon-driven have been created so that students can make sense of how science works in real world situations. This workshop serves to introduce attendees to how the IL Biology Storylines have proven to be incredible models for sensemaking opportunities, equitable instruction, and how to lead to students becoming self-directed learners and critical thinkers in an ever-changing world.
This roundtable invites educators to share strategies, curriculum resources, and innovative teaching ideas for anatomy and physiology. Discuss challenges, exchange effective practices, and help to create a shared drive with valuable teaching materials.
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
Discuss and share samples of various fermented beverages/foods and smoked meats. Designed to be a social gathering for those to share samples and ideas with fellow fermenters and meat smokers.
As concerns about plastic pollution grow, educators are uniquely positioned to inspire students with innovative solutions like bioplastics. This workshop delves into the science and engineering behind biodegradable materials derived from renewable resources, focusing on bioplastics made from milk and soybean oil. Participants will engage in hands-on activities to create these bioplastics, gaining insight into their properties, production processes, and applications.
Aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the session will emphasize key practices such as constructing explanations, analyzing data, and exploring the crosscutting concepts of sustainability and resource management. Participants will leave equipped with classroom-ready resources, lesson plans, and access to food and agriculture education kits. They will also discover grants, training opportunities, and student engagement programs to deepen agricultural literacy.
Participants will actively make bioplastics from milk and soybean oil during the session, work collaboratively to explore the material properties, and discuss ways to adapt the lesson for various grade levels. A dedicated Q&A and resource-sharing segment will provide further opportunities for interaction and feedback.
#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 →
Coordinator, Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom - Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation
I am passionate about food, farming, and people. For the past 22 years I have worked in both formal and informal roles related to agriculture literacy and education. I spent five years as an Agriculture Educator and Biology teacher in both rural and urban schools and for the past... Read More →
This presentation will explore the development and implementation of Driving Question Boards (DQB) to foster student-led scientific inquiry. Attendees will gain insight into how DQBs serve as a powerful tool to inspire curiosity and drive learning through real-world phenomena that connect to students’ cultural resources. The session will feature classroom examples of student-created DBQs and practical strategies and procedures for guiding students in the question development process.
Participants will engage actively by stepping into the shoes of students and experiencing the DQB process firsthand as I model the teacher’s facilitation techniques and preparation. Through this interactive approach, attendees will observe how DQBs align with the Next Generation Science Standards by emphasizing student-centered inquiry, phenomenon-based learning, and three-dimensional teaching practices.
By the end of the session, participants will leave with practical knowledge, sample student work, and ready-to-use resources for implementing DQBs in their own classrooms. This session is designed to equip educators with the tools and confidence to harness the power of student questions in driving deeper scientific understanding.
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, AP Chemistry, and CAPP Dual Credit Chemistry 105/106, Cuba City High School
Chemistry, Dual Credit Chemistry UWO, Physics, and Biology TeacherI am passionate about creating space for student sense-making through strategic planning and student wondering.
Thursday April 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Hutchinson
Facilitators will bring their 15+ years of background in science to help lead discussion in lab and investigation safety. In this session attendees will share ideas for science investigation facilitation. This will include informal exploration activities as well as formal and multiple day investigations. Ideas will be shared as to how to make classroom safety student centered. Attendees will also test their knowledge on best practices and apply new understanding of best practices to their science classroom by exploring science classroom safety plans.
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is an emerging technology and important conservation tool of natural resource professionals used to monitor the presence or absence of species, such as invasive carp. This session will engage participants in portions of the field and laboratory experience and in the curriculum refinement process for utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect the presence of invasive carp in the Wisconsin River. When finalized, participants will receive the field and laboratory investigation protocols and additional educational materials. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school students. Participant objectives are to experience portions of the curriculum and provide critical feedback for refinement. This session connects to NGSS Science Practices 1 & 4 (Plan, justify, and carry out an investigation & Apply reasoning from evidence to support a claim) and Cross Cutting Concept 1 (Interpret cause and effect relationships.)
This project is a collaborative effort between the UW Madison Division of Extension, UW-Madison Genetics & Biotechnology Center, Freshwater@UW Collaborative, Wisconsin 4-H, Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, and the U.S. Geological Survey, and was made possible by a Wisconsin Sea Grant and Division of Extension Innovation Grant.
Forest measurement is beneficial to students as they use tools, apply geometry and accounting, and begin to understand the importance of sustainable forestry and connections to healthy forests of Wisconsin. Participants will practice with a variety of tools used to measure trees and estimate density, make management decisions, and consider what products can come from a harvest. LEAF Field Lessons (grades 5-12) that incorporate measurement will be introduced. Depending on weather and proximity to trees, this workshop may go outside for part of the time. Wisconsin Science Standards connections: SCI.ESS3.A: Natural Resources SCI.ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems SCI.ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
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.
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.
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 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 →
Members of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin invite 8-12th grade educators to learn about university programs that provide middle school and high school students with hands-on opportunities to study freshwater science.
Topics will include high school freshwater camps, aquaculture in the classroom, wild rice in the classroom, water-focused educator workshops, and water-monitoring programs that link educators and students to statewide water experts. Panelists will represent programs led by faculty and staff at UW-Green Bay, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee UW Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point.
Learn how to prepare your students for STEM programs in college and create a network that connects them and you to faculty and undergraduate scientists in the Universities of Wisconsin. Intended outcomes include ideas for bringing hands-on water science activities into your classroom and building skills in students at all levels, an enhanced ability to provide knowledge about water careers to your students, and an increased connection to universities who would like to engage K-12 students and educators in freshwater science activities.
In an era where data-driven insights are critical for scientific discovery and understanding, the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data has become a fundamental skill for students. This workshop will explore how you can empower students to actively engage in data collection across diverse science disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science. Participants will learn hands-on techniques for integrating data collection into their science curricula using sensors, which provide real-time data and enhance students’ learning experiences. This session will offer insights on inquiry-based learning that develops students’ scientific literacy and problem-solving skills.
Objectives: 1. Understand the Role of Data Collection in Science Education 2. Explore TI Technology for Real-Time Data Collection 3. Design and Implement Data-Driven Experiments 4. Integrate Data Collection into Standards-Based Instruction
By the end of this session, participants will: • Gain confidence in using technology for data collection in science education. • Acquire practical strategies for designing and implementing data-driven science experiments. • Understand how to integrate data collection with standards-based instruction to enhance student engagement and scientific literacy.
By combining the best of NGSS and Ambitious Science Teaching, we will show you how our department revolutionized our assessments to grading to the skills. We will share sample activities, grading rubrics, gradebook set-up, and stories along the way.
Join this session to discover how incorporating simulations into your 3D learning experiences can revolutionize Grades 3-12 science lessons. Join this session to discover how incorporating simulations into your 3D learning experiences can revolutionize science lessons for Grades 3-12. We'll create an environment where students become inquisitive explorers, tackling challenging concepts and phenomena through engaging discourse, modeling, and designing solutions to real-world science problems.
This interactive session will demonstrate how simulations can enhance conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. We will reflect on how the experiences connect to the 3-dimensions of NGSS. Don't forget to bring your device to make the most of this hands-on experience!
This session focuses on empowering educators to teach climate change in a locally relevant, meaningful way by leveraging the Wisconsin Climate Hub as a resource and connecting climate educators across the nation. Participants will explore how collaboration among state leads fosters state-specific climate education while offering opportunities for nationwide connections. The session will begin with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities in teaching about climate change, followed by a deep dive into the Wisconsin Climate Hub—a platform designed to support educators with credible, engaging resources, lesson plans, and professional development opportunities. Attendees will be guided through a walkthrough of the Hub, including its navigation tools, state-specific resources, and pedagogical support articles. The session will also provide an opportunity for educators to create accounts, explore resources, and share their discoveries with peers. Key topics will include Earth Day, math integration, plastic pollution, and climate education for younger students. Finally, attendees will be introduced to the free SubjectToClimate courses available to educators, empowering them with additional tools to enhance their climate education curriculum. The session aims to foster collaboration, build knowledge, and inspire action in the classroom.
Learning Objectives: 1. Reflect on the challenges and opportunities of teaching climate change. 2. Navigate and utilize the Wisconsin Climate Hub for state-specific resources and professional development. 3. Engage in hands-on exploration of resources, with an emphasis on pedagogical strategies and local context. 4. Discover additional tools and courses to enhance climate education in the classroom.
Elephant populations are facing threats from many sources, including illegal ivory poaching. This workshop introduces participants to the work of scientists who are tracking African elephant populations and identifying factors leading to their decline. The workshop session will integrate concepts of population ecology, biodiversity, ethics, and molecular ecology. The workshop will emphasize integration of NGSS science practices including: asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations and designing solutions. Participants will run gel electrophoresis to determine where illegal poaching is occuring, bringing an engaging story and biotechnology skills to their students. In this hands-on session participants will Examine the role of elephants as a keystone species and reasons for population decline. Take on the role of Wildlife Crime Scene Investigators to analyze DNA samples from confiscated ivory using gel electrophoresis. Identify the elephant population the tusks came from by comparing the genotype to an elephant DNA database compiled from dung samples representing various forest and savannah elephant populations. Compile data to determine the location of ivory poaching hotspots. Evaluate possible solutions to the elephant poaching crisis
Cost $0, Requires advanced registration Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages. Participants will also have the chance to experience flying on our Cessna 172 Skyhawk Redbird Flight Simulators. These advanced simulators offer an immersive experience and are used by certified pilots for currency and proficiency training.
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Just a short walk from the conference, Fifth Ward Brewing offers a closer look at the science and creativity behind their craft beers. Explore their brewing techniques, fermentation process, and commitment to bold flavors. End the tour with a tasting of their signature brews, perfect for science enthusiasts!
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages.
Join EAA educators for soldering and riveting small airplanes that you can bring back to your classroom, helping you incorporate the technology and science of aviation into your lessons. EAA's educational programs, crafted by licensed educators, are designed to engage, and inspire students while challenging them to learn.
Cost $15, Prior registration required 1st stop- There are less than 100 certified master cheesemakers in Wisconsin. Willow Creek cheese factory has two of them. With ingredients sourced from the finest local dairy farms, the Willow Creek Creamery crafts the most authentically Wisconsin cheese you will taste. 2nd stop- Visit a small artisan winery specializing in local Wisconsin grape and fruit wines. Learn how to prune a spring grapevine out in the vineyard, all the steps in the wine-making process, and enjoy samples in the cozy tasting room.
Cost $10, Advanced Registration Required Visit the Intelligent Biomedical Engineering (IBMEL) and the Environmental Engineering Labs at UW Oshkosh and explore cutting-edge healthcare and Environmental Engineering. The IBMEL focuses on advancing instrumentation and algorithm development. During your visit, you will experience:A demonstration of UV-excited fluorescence microscopy using porcine or chicken tissues. The UV-excited fluorescence imaging enables rapid characterization of fresh specimens, which can be used to achieve slide-free histopathology assessment and tumor margin detection. A demonstration of artificial intelligence (AI) models. The emergence of deep learning has revolutionized medical imaging, including segmentation, classification, reconstruction, etc. This demo showcases the potential of AI in healthcare. Environmental Engineering Lab will focus on drinking water: Would you drink water from the Fox River, WI? In this lab activity we will show you the steps that drinking water treatment plants follow to provide clean and safe drinking water to their customers. We will demonstrate the removal of particles by coagulation / sedimentation / filtration. The dissolved chemicals like pharmaceuticals, pesticides PFAS will be removed using granular activated carbon (GAC). This is an interactive demonstration with a stunning visual result.
Time tends to be the limiting factor on how well a teacher can truly dive into using the NGSS standards. A flipped classroom can give time back to the class period and allow for more student collaboration in their learning. In my presentation, I will go over the key elements of managing a flipped classroom. These elements include: the pre-class learning and the technological logistics involved, how to hold students accountable for the pre-class learning, the way a teacher's role is shifted from direct instruction to facilitator, and how to fully utilize the freed up class time for group work, case studies, review activities, and hands-on learning. I will make sure to address the difficulties that also come with a flipped classroom. To keep this session interactive I will have audience members model numerous examples of the interactive review activities that I have used over the years.
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!
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
Discover how to engage students in scientific inquiry and coding by designing a digital mood ring! This hands-on session will guide participants through the process of creating a “mood ring” that changes color based on temperature readings from a sensor. With simple coding teachers will explore foundational science concepts—such as temperature sensing, data collection, and thermodynamics—while introducing students to basic coding and data visualization skills. No coding or advanced technical experience is needed; this session is designed to equip all teachers with the tools and confidence to bring this interactive project into their classrooms. Teachers will leave with a project outline, sample code, and step-by-step instructions, making it easy to replicate in a science or STEM curriculum.
Transitioning to NGSS is a huge cultural shift. Fully aligned NGSS instruction looks and feels very different from traditional science instruction. In this session, one or more current science teachers from Cameron Middle School will share, and answer questions about their journey into NGSS via the OpenSciEd Curriculum. This session will include information on the following: 1. Why OpenSciEd (OSE)? 2. Accessing OSE and using the resources to discuss the remaining topics. 3. Aligning curriculum sequence, including discussion on following OSE sequencing vs maintaining your current curricular sequencing. 4. Strengths and challenges of OSE. a. Planning and Prep b. Classroom instruction time c. Transitioning from tradition to NGSS-aligned curriculum d. Assessment 5. How we each adapt OSE to make it ours: a. 6th grade: science and social studies time is shared; only teach science half of the year b. 7th grade: "I am a teacher of Science not a Science teacher". c. 8th grade: "I hate being tethered to the front of the room!" Question and Answer time!
This session brings together science educators from small rural schools to explore shared challenges and solutions, focusing on best science practices for grades 6-12, school day scheduling issues with limited content teachers, variety of electives/preps taught, and standards-based grading implementation in small schools. Participants will engage in collaborative discussions to share strategies and experiences while addressing unique aspects of rural education. Connections to the NGSS will emphasize practical implementation of standard based grading. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, enhanced understanding of NGSS integration, and strategies for fostering collaboration within their schools. Interactive elements will include brainstorming sessions and guided resource-sharing.
Science teacher for 16 years-Teach in a small, rural school-Has been implementing and "tweaking" flipped classroom for several years-Implements flipped in chem and bio classes. Has developed new curriculum for Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Physics, Environmental Ed and... Read More →
Come experience a hands-on model lesson from OpenSciEd for High School and discover how the new Carolina Certified Edition enhanced these high-quality instructional materials, making them more accessible, user-friendly, and safer for classroom use. Participate in the featured Serengeti board game from the Biology 1 unit and walk away with valuable resources that you can take back to your classroom.
Bob is a Wisconsin lifetime science educator and has taught at the elementary, middle and high schools levels. He presently is consulting for The Smithsonian and Carolina Biological.
Attendees will look closer at the CASEL SEL competencies and the Learning for Justice Standards, both of which aim to bring equity and SEL into the classroom. This presentation is step one of getting familiar with the resources, as well as having time to implement one of the strategies in their current curriculum.
Join us for a roundtable discussion centered around Physics, Physical Science, or teaching in general. Have ideas to share? Great! Have questions you need help with? Bring them! Looking to connect with Physics teachers and grow your network? Fantastic!
Teacher, Mentoring Coordinator, Shiocton High School
I'm interested in Physics and Chemistry instruction, as well as interesting ways to increase student talk and alternative assessment. I'm also a foodie and comic book nerd.
Thursday April 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Lake Poygan
Discover how DNA evidence plays a pivotal role in optimizing agricultural practices and selective breeding to benefit both farmers and consumers. Use agarose electrophoresis to determine genotypes for bulls and cows for a gene responsible for a key milk protein needed for quality cheese production. After genotyping, use Punnett Squares to see the possible outcomes after crossing, then make a recommendation to a dairy farmer which bulls and cows to invest in to increase the chances of having the ultimate Ca$h Cows!
Participants will learn about Wisconsin’s oak forests and why they are ecologically and economically important. Through the phenomenon of growth and development of a single oak tree from acorn to old growth, participants will analyze and interpret its life history to understand the challenges facing oak forests. Questions to be answered include how an acorn survives to become an old oak tree, what ecological and human forces improve the tree’s chances for survival, and how these same forces apply to oak ecosystems. Participants will read brief accounts and review diagrams of oak natural and life history and review maps of presettlement and current oak forests. They will hear from a forest ecologist explaining how oak forests operate and how the sun-loving oak forests face challenges from vegetative competition, invasive plants, deer browsing, and a poor market for small diameter forest products. We will discuss what steps can be taken to insure the future of oak forests. Resources will be shared so teachers can find local data for different kinds of forests. Standards that are addressed include MS ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, MS & HS LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans and HS LS2.C Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience.
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.
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.
This workshop offers new teachers an opportunity to connect with peers, share challenges, and explore solutions. Participants will engage in discussions, build a supportive network, and learn about valuable resources to enhance their teaching practice. Gain insights, share experiences, and leave with tools to navigate the early years of your career with confidence.
This program, Stress-Free Differentiation: Utilizing AI for Planning and Teaching, equips science teachers with the tools and knowledge to simplify differentiation using innovative AI solutions. Participants will explore DiffIT and Brisk AI, two user-friendly platforms designed to streamline lesson planning, instructional delivery, and assessment. By incorporating these tools, teachers can efficiently tailor their instruction to meet the diverse needs of students, aligning with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)** by promoting inquiry-based learning and real-world application.
Additionally, this program integrates MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) principles by providing strategies for differentiated instruction across all tiers, ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning experiences. Educators will learn how to create personalized tasks, scaffold instruction, and design formative assessments that address both academic and social-emotional needs. By leveraging AI, science teachers can spend less time on planning and more time fostering student engagement, growth, and success in the classroom.
Case studies are a great tool to engage and spark students' interest in learning about the human body systems and to learn about different diseases and conditions that affect those body systems. I will present the advantages and reasons for using case studies in a biology or anatomy class. Several case studies from different body systems will be shared and one case study will be conducted in the session. Teachers will also be given directions on a project for students to create their own case study and solve another student’s case.
Learning objectives include Attendees will learn why case studies are a good way to teach human body systems and diseases associated with those body systems. Attendees will learn how to incorporate case studies as a way to introduce a body system or as a way to review a specific body system. Attendees will solve a case study. Attendees will learn how to have students create their own case study for classmates to solve.
Are you looking at making your lessons impactful? Are you struggling to find good graphs to help your students practice? You can generate real world graphs that will paint pictures for students. Using these tools, students can make their own weather predictions, discover real time weather information, and verify weather data after weather events. You will learn how to make your own weather collection tools and have students gather real time weather data to compile over time. Help prepare students for the ACT by having them analyze data from one of the most difficult graphs to read, the SKEW-t. By reading this graph, students can analyze the weather at your school and determine the cloud heights, whether it will precipitate, what kind of precipitation, and whether severe weather is on its way. Students will also be able to explore various climates around the country and around the world by analyzing these graphs and comparing them to other regions. The weather in Wisconsin is drastically different from Saudi Arabia. Come explore how students can read graphs for real.
Attendees will learn the core principles of Universal Design. From there, attendees will have an opportunity to 3D think and implement how to connect NGSS standards to strong UD principals in a practical, realistic, sustainable way. With extra time, attendees will take an upcoming lesson they are planning and apply these principles to that time to ask questions while integrating.
After reading Ambitious Science Teaching in 2022, I began to approach my classes much differently. Ambitious Science Teaching is a methodology which encourages student engagement, discussion, problem solving, and modeling. As with any new pedagogy, the desire to implement change can be daunting. Do I need to start from scratch? Can I implement new methods, without having to find new curriculum and materials?
I say you can! Come and hear about my journey to implement Ambitious Science Teaching methodologies, increasing student engagement without completely reinventing the wheel. Student work samples will be shown, so you can get an idea of how implementation of these ideas has increased student achievement as well.
Teacher, Mentoring Coordinator, Shiocton High School
I'm interested in Physics and Chemistry instruction, as well as interesting ways to increase student talk and alternative assessment. I'm also a foodie and comic book nerd.
Thursday April 3, 2025 3:00pm - 3:50pm CDT
Thistle
This presentation will explore how the Growing Beyond Earth (GBE) citizen science project has been integrated into a middle school science classroom. GBE, a collaborative effort between NASA and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, offers students a unique opportunity to engage in authentic scientific research by growing plants in controlled environments. By participating in this project, students are exposed to real-world science practices, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Through a series of hands-on activities, students learn about plant biology, environmental factors, and the challenges of growing plants in space. The project aligns with NGSS by addressing core ideas in life science, earth and space science, and engineering design.
This session will delve into the specific activities and lessons implemented to engage students in the GBE project, including: --Plant Growth Experiments --Data Collection and Analysis --Scientific Inquiry Student Learning Objectives --Understand the basic principles of plant growth and development. --Develop data collection and analysis skills. --Apply scientific inquiry to investigate real-world problems. --Appreciate the challenges of growing plants in space. --Develop a deeper understanding of the role of science in society.
Through this project, students have been able to contribute to real NASA research while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
#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 →
Friday April 4, 2025 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Hutchinson
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.
Both of these activities were developed by a high school teacher in the Teach Quantum fellowship at UW-Madison. Using a bird navigation storyline in chemistry, learn how to incorporate electrons, configurations, and spectrum to understand the Zeeman effect and its role in migratory behaviors of birds and even grazing patterns in cattle. You will also learn how to use quantum physics in an electron escape room using flame tests to explore superposition. I will provide the full lesson plans and list of materials to run activitites. Both activities showcase making chemistry equitable for all learners with basic strategies and promote group discourse and concesus modeling throughout the units. Its a great way to expose students to quantum chemistry in a unit that is difficult to come up with examples for.
Abstract: Unearthing Fossil Discoveries: Engaging Students with Interactive Science Notebooking and a Fossil Museum Project Dive into an interactive journey of paleontological discovery as I share how a generous donation of fossils from the Pit 11 Mazon Creek Formation transformed my classroom into a hub of hands-on scientific exploration. This session will detail how I integrated an original 1970s fossil hunter’s journal—complete with detailed sketches and field notes—into lessons that introduced students to scientific sketching, fossil identification, and museum curation. Participants will learn how students: Reflected on a non-scientist’s authentic field journal to connect with the documentation process. Created detailed scientific sketches of fossils, then engaged in peer-matching activities to hone observational skills. Identified, sorted, and selected fossils to design and curate a school library fossil museum, including 3D-printed models and student-created exhibits. Explored the process of uncovering unopened concretions using the freeze-thaw-bake method, resulting in exciting discoveries like additional Tully Monsters. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities adapted from these lessons, including scientific sketching and fossil identification, and discuss connections to the NGSS, including: MS-LS4-1: Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record. MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and refinement. This session emphasizes presenter-audience interaction, sharing adaptable strategies for classroom implementation, and fostering inquiry-based learning that inspires students to think like scientists.
Harnessing students’ innate curiosity about the natural world and desire to protect it can be done with hands-on classroom activities that build STEM skills, increase environmental literacy and show sustainable paths forward. In this session, the presenter will facilitate a series of interdisciplinary lessons that involve collecting and analyzing data, creating 3D models and working collaboratively on solving authentic problems. Raise environmental literacy while creating a 3-D model of land use, engaging in a simulation of carrying capacity in a habitat, and using engineering skills in experimenting ways to clean up a local river. The presented lessons are designed to deepen students’ understanding of “Earth and Human Activities” (ESS3) and Ecosystems (LS2) with several Cross-cutting Concepts (Patterns; Cause-and-Effect; Scale, Proportion and Quantity; Systems and System Models; Stability and Change). Participants will receive lesson plans, data sets and links to digital tools.
In today’s diverse classrooms, science teachers must support students learning English as an additional language while fostering their scientific curiosity. This interactive presentation, designed for middle and high school science teachers and support staff, offers a practical approach to meeting this need. Through empathy-building activities, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges multilingual students face, and they’ll leave with actionable tools, resources, and strategies to create a more inclusive learning environment.
Instead of an abstract discussion on ideal solutions, this session is grounded in reality—focused on changes you can implement in your classroom next week. Participants will explore targeted methods for making science and engineering practices accessible, build a network of like-minded educators, and engage in a sample lesson designed to show how phenomena-based teaching can naturally support multilingual learners. Join this session at the 2025 Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers convention to enrich your teaching toolkit and inspire your multilingual students to thrive in science!
The purpose of TIES is to inform interested middle school science teachers about the most up-to-date concepts of evolution for them to confidently cover the topics in their classrooms and fulfill their curriculum requirements. The Disciplinary Core Idea addressed will be Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity. This idea states that, “Evolution and its underlying genetic mechanisms of inheritance and variability are key to understanding both the unity and the diversity of life on Earth.” Our presentation will guide teachers through our website where we have compiled the best evolutionary resources available in one easy-to-access location. Our resources promote the practices in which scientists regularly engage, such as problem-solving, data collection, and making predictions. Because resources are arranged by curriculum standard, teachers can choose what best suits their needs. These resources range from short videos which can be used as phenomena to investigations where students can seek out patterns in nature, see examples of cause and effect, and witness real-life examples of change over time. TIES also connects science teachers with the experts in the field of evolutionary biology by offering live monthly webinars with authors and scientists, such as Nathan Lents and Kenneth Miller. Check out our website at www.tieseducation.org.
You will build a soil moisture sensing system using the Arduino UNO. First you will design and code the project in Tinkercad using the Arduino simulator. Then you will build and code the project using an Arduino UNO and a soil moisture sensor. You will wire your projects and code in C++. You will learn the basics of the electronics behind Arduino connected sensors and the limitless possibilities for your science labs, fairs and national competitions. The workshop will demonstrate 3D learning and how to spark innovation and creativity using the Arduino platform.
Gearbox Labs provides project and problem-based curriculum, kits, and learning experiences that integrate engineering, design, computational thinking, and digital prototyping using C/C++ and physical computing in applied STEM/STEAM contexts for K-12 students.
In this session, participants will interact with Dave Bergerson, Science Coordinator for the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools on their implementation of Mystery Science. Dave will share strategies that were implemented in his district to provide support for elementary teachers teaching science. Topics will include but not be limited to: Evaluation and Adoption procedures for Mystery Science, professional development options for training teachers in Mystery Science, suggestions for cost effective materials procurement, minimizing teacher prep and management of refilling materials, along with templates for supplementing Mystery Science.
Science Coordinator, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools
I am the Wisconsin Rapids K-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator for 50% of my job and the other 50% is teaching Physics. I am also an adjunct faculty in Physics with Mid-state Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids.
This workshop will explore the intricate balance between agricultural practices and sustainability. We will delve into the fundamental aspects of plant biology, the impact of water on land, the delicate equilibrium of nutrient cycles, and the strategic application of agricultural technologies. Participants will work through four Nourish the Future activities as part of a mini unit which works to answer the question, "How do farmers grow food and keep our waterways clean?" By examining the similarities and differences between corn and soybean plants, we will gain insights into the underlying principles of plant growth and development. We will then explore the critical role of water in shaping landscapes and the potential for erosion to degrade soil health. Next the workshop will highlight the importance of nutrient management in maintaining healthy ecosystems. We will observe the consequences of nutrient pollution. Finally, we will examine the latest advancements in precision agriculture, focusing on the use of data-driven technologies to optimize crop yields while minimizing environmental impact. Participants will complete activities which can later be done with their students.
Cost $10, Advanced registration required We will start this field experience with breakfast at the Lamartine town hall followed by a tour of a local farm that uses a managed grazing system to raise sheep. There will be some newly born lambs. This field experience will include information on grassland birds, use of rotational grazing to improve water quality, genomics of parasite resistance in sheep and the importance of pollinators. Staff from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, volunteers from Audubon Society and Glacierland Resource Conservation Development organizations will be leading talks and answering questions.
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.
A purrfect introduction to genetics! Track inheritance in cats using Punnett squares, then use gel electrophoresis to examine the gene that controls that trait. Connect Mendelian genetics with our modern understanding of genes! No stains or extra visualization equipment needed. At this hands-on session, you’ll complete a colorful micropipetting art activity to create micropipette art masterpieces. You’ll also learn technique of gel electrophresis using our super affordable Bandit™ STEM Electrophoresis Kit. We will also cover the accompanying high quality curriculum, allowing teachers to perform molecular biology labs on a budget that cover topics such as Mendalian genetics.
Preparing to meet the challenges ahead for people and the planet requires a solid foundation in understanding the trends that shape our world, how we interact with ecosystems and change the physical landscape. Knowing how to determine good sources of data, how to analyze and think critically about data, make reasonable correlations and use data for designing solutions are all skills emphasized in the Wisconsin Standards for Science.
In this hands-on session, the presenter will use interactive strategies (simulations, games and small-group discussion) to present and interpret data in different formats (statistics, photos/videos, narratives) on several key Disciplinary Core Ideas for grades 9-12, especially in Life Sciences and Earth and Space Sciences. Data-rich lessons will address climate change causes and effects, land and water use, biodiversity, and global demographic trends. The presenter will discuss how to implement these activities as part of broadening students’ understanding of “Earth and Human Activities.”. Participants will receive lesson plans and background materials in an electronic format. Presented activities are relevant to Biology, Earth Science, General Science, and AP Environmental Science.
Kevin will share NGSS-aligned resources for teaching climate change, vaccines, and evolution. We'll discuss strategies to teach them to students in ways that will be approachable for all. We'll also discuss how to support general media literacy for students - weeding out the fuzzy from the evidence-based. Finally, we'll discuss the psychological barriers that make people want to believe certain things and keep them believing it despite the evidence. It's important to note that private school teachers also teach these topics!
Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Dr. Anderson currently works as the Science Education Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He enjoys helping educators improve science programs and instruction to support all students in making sense of the world and solving problems. Previously, he... Read More →
We have a 0.5 credit Science Intern Course at Hartford Union High School which allows students the opportunity to learn alongside a science teacher. They are responsible for laboraory set up, preparation and clean-up for our department in addition to being a teaching assistant during labs or activities in our introductory level courses. We have an application and interview process along with a reflection document that is filled out during their internship. Several former students have secured lab interns jobs as freshman at their respective universities. Learn how to propose and execute this course to help develop students as leaders in science.
We will share the research trajectory of a program developed to support multilingual learners to demonstrate their evolving learning in science and spend time looking at examples of the assessments we developed. Participants will discuss the design principles involved in accessible assessments and how to leverage them to develop more robust academic language over time. Participants will leave with 3D assessments and grading rubrics ready for their middle school classrooms, as well as research-based strategies for adapting their existing assessments for struggling readers and English Learners.
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages. Join EAA Educators for hands-on activities that you can bring back to your classroom, helping you incorporate the excitement of flight into your lessons. EAA's educational programs, crafted by licensed educators, are designed to engage, and inspire students while challenging them to learn.
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Come visit the Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) at UW Oshkosh and explore ways you and your students can engage in water testing, renewable energy evaluations, and evaluation of emerging contaminants. The ERIC will host a group from WSST that will perform a rotation of three activities. All are activities that are available to you and your students during the school year and have exercises that you can take back to your own school. The ERIC team will have the visiting group split into three groups to rotate between: 1) an exploration of coliform and E.coli testing of drinking water and surface water using the most used test in the US, the IDEXX defined substrate test, 2) evaluation of renewable energy potential (anaerobic digestion) of various products, and 3) evaluation water processes in coastal situations, lakes, rivers, and streams, and water treatment dynamics using hands-on models.
Help a fictional family obtain a molecular diagnosis for sickle cell disease. Students use gel electrophoresis in a rich activity that can be easily tailored to classrooms ranging from middle school science to AP Biology. Using a case study format, students will understand the physiology and molecular genetics of sickle cell, draw biomedical connections, and review patterns of Mendelian inheritance.
Literacy is often the focus of instruction in elementary classrooms, but it doesn’t have to be at the exclusion of science! Join educator and presenter, Cassondra Kauppi, to explore the mutually supportive aspects of phenomena-based science instruction and literacy skill development. This session will provide you with innovative ideas, tools, research insights, and strategies for teaching students to read, write, and think like scientists. Ultimately, these skills will empower students to enhance their literacy capabilities across all areas of life.
With nearly 20 years in education, Cassondra brings a depth of knowledge spanning literacy, mathematics, and science content. She has worked as a classroom teacher, intervention specialist, curriculum specialist and now STEM Product Specialist. Whether she is teaching in the classroom... Read More →
With the rise of misinformation, a program that teaches students to ask questions and question their own beliefs and opinions is important. It’s ok to be wrong! Intellectual humility and science inquiry are key. Generation Skeptics has dozens of free lessons. In our “Power of Words” lesson, students learn the importance of multiple trials and double-blind protocols when designing experiments. In “How To Sell Pseudoscience,” students learn to identify the gimmicks used to sell pseudoscientific products. It is our hope students will learn to spot nonsense when they see it on TV or social media. We also have lessons teaching students to discern between credible and non-credible sources, and many more. We also have guest speakers who can Zoom into classrooms and discuss and discuss these topics for free. We offer $500 stipends to teacher leaders who are interested are starting GenSkeps clubs at their schools. All our lessons are free. Check out our website at www.generationskeptics.org.
Makerspaces can be found in almost every school, and you can have your own Makerspace in your classroom! Join us to see how easy it is to connect Makerspace activities to your science curriculum by utilizing the materials in your very own classroom makerspace. We will provide lesson ideas that use your trash/treasures to integrate NGSS, while also supporting the Wisconsin Standards for Math, and the Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts. We will be using the Design Thinking Process to develop creativity through a hands-on approach involving tinkering.
After 20+ years in packaging design and production. I opened a youth-focused makerspace to help develop design thinking and a maker's mindset in our communities. See what the Maker Learning framework looks like and how it brings together makerspace initiatives with well-known learning... Read More →
We will share examples of and have time to work on storyline-based pedagogy. We'll pull form Illinois Storylines, OpenSciEd, and anything else new coming out (hoping on BSCS). It will be interactive, not just listening to us go blah, blah, blah. While it will be the culminating session of the Storylines Book Study this year, people who were not a part of that can still attend and will find it just as valuable. We'll also be drawing from the book, Ambitious Science Teaching.
Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Dr. Anderson currently works as the Science Education Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He enjoys helping educators improve science programs and instruction to support all students in making sense of the world and solving problems. Previously, he... Read More →
Many science educators are using existing High Quality Instructional Materials developed outside of Wisconsin and want to adapt them to be more relevant for our students. Finding the time and resources to make adaptations that do not change the trajectory of the existing storyline can be challenging. During this presentation we will consider the rationale for changing storylines, examine cautions of equating “local” with “relevant” phenomena, and discuss options for the most realistic places to spend our efforts to adapt existing materials to make them more relevant for our students. Suggestions are research-based with recommendations from professional developers.
This interactive workshop introduces the NASA STELLA Q2 Spectrometer, a DIY, handheld tool designed to make scientific exploration accessible to educators, students, and citizen scientists. Participants will learn to build and use the spectrometer for environmental and materials analysis, emphasizing how this technology can support NGSS-aligned learning experiences in Earth and space science.
The session begins with an overview of the spectrometer’s design, components, and capabilities, followed by guided instruction on assembly and calibration. Attendees will then explore real-world applications, such as analyzing light spectra to assess plant growth and monitor environmental pollutants. Activities include hands-on experiments that directly address NGSS practices, like planning investigations (SEP 3) and interpreting data (SEP 4), aligned with performance expectations such as HS-ESS3-6 (Global Climate Change) and MS-PS4-1 (Wave Properties).
Learning objectives for attendees include: Constructing and calibrating the STELLA Q2 Spectrometer. Designing NGSS-aligned lessons integrating spectrometry. Applying spectrometry to engage students in environmental science and critical thinking. Through collaborative exploration and discussion, participants will leave equipped with tools and strategies to inspire curiosity and STEM engagement in their classrooms or outreach programs.
Project Learning Tree’s “Green Jobs: Exploring Forest Careers” guide includes background information and resources related to forest-focused STEM careers, as well as four learning activities designed to give students a taste of a wide range of jobs. In this session, we will work in small groups to do one indoor and one outdoor activity from the guide, practicing skills like data collection and analysis, tree measurement and identification, and scientific discourse. We will have a large group discussion to identify how these skills and activities connect to NGSS SEPs. Participants will then work with a partner to make connections between the activities and the biology, environmental science and/or earth science concepts they teach, then use some individual work time to plan how these activities and other careers education can fit into their existing curriculum. Participants will leave prepared to teach “green” careers education alongside their content. Participants will receive a free copy of the book.
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 →
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.
The US Department of Education has recognized the Modeling Instruction program as an exemplary K-12 science program. This pedagogical approach puts students into the role of a scientist planning experiments, gathering and analyzing data, presenting the data and results of an experiment to peers. The participants of this workshop will learn about Modeling Instruction and have an opportunity to experience a number of different aspects of this pedagogical approach. This includes a physics modeling style experiment, a white boarding session and post lab discussion. Participant learning objectives include: gaining a deeper understanding of modeling instruction, participating in a modeling style experiment, learning how modeling instructions aligns with the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, and learning how modeling instruction can be used with other science content areas.
Introduce students to an essential biotech technique while solving the mystery of who is the father to Molly the Labradoodle’s puppies. Using gel electrophoresis and Punnett squares to track the inheritance of the furnishings trait, your students will decide if it was Zeus the Poodle or Otto the Labradoodle. Upon completion of this presentation, participants will: 1) Learn about gel electrophoresis and understand the science behind how this technique works 2) Learn how to teach Mendelian genetics with an adorable labradoodle puppy case study 3) Have the knowledge and resources they need to bring biotech into their classrooms
Quality literacy and science instruction make a powerful pair. Students have much to gain from classroom instruction that intentionally integrates science and literacy in a way that builds towards rigorous outcomes in both content areas. In this session we will share resources and ideas from a new science leadership tool, hosted by DPI, for implementing quality literacy and science instruction together. Discuss the roles of multiple stakeholders, learn from evidence-based accounts of best practices, and consider the common barriers and pitfalls of integrated instruction.
Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Dr. Anderson currently works as the Science Education Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He enjoys helping educators improve science programs and instruction to support all students in making sense of the world and solving problems. Previously, he... Read More →
After receiving a WSST "Back to School" grant, a small science library consisting of both nonfiction and fiction books. These books were checked out by students throughout the year, used as semester exams, and used for curriculum ties in the classroom. Participants can expect discussion about the use of trade books, a list of those books used in this library, and links to resources to help integrate reading in the classroom to aid with science literacy.
Do you get bored thinking about boards? What if I told you that even a simple board has an interesting story to tell? A tree’s history of experiences is locked away in its wood, every stress and every time of plenty is documented in its rings. Looking at boards and tree cookies, learn how to decode the ecological story of trees from sapling to harvest. The humble board can provide a rich story to enhance cell biology to community ecology. Come get board with me!
When are we ever going to use this? Be prepared to answer that question in your Ag, Math, Science, or Tech class. This session seeks to recruit teachers to a partnership with Madison College to foster connections between high school class content and applications in chemistry of concrete, strength of materials, hydrology, water analysis, soils, and surveying & mapping. Participants will learn about opportunities to receive professional development, curriculum, and lab activities that support instruction in the classroom. In addition to technical content, participating faculty will learn about academic and career pathways in engineering and engineering technology.
Join us this July at the 1200-acre property at Lowenwood in Land O' Lakes, WI. Fuel your drive to deliver high-quality science learning experiences. Dig deeper into what three-dimensional, phenomenon-based instruction looks and feels like. Experience first-hand the type of sense-making intended with the Next Generation Science Standards. Most importantly, recharge your passion by reflecting on the impact that you are having and connect with like-minded science educators from around the state.
Dr. Wilcox is an Assistant Professor in Biology and Science Education at the University of Northern Iowa. He was a high school general science and biology teacher prior to becoming a professor. Jesse has won numerous teaching awards, has presented hundreds of times at science and STEM education conferences, and has published dozens of articles in science and STEM education journals. Jesse is passionate about working with science teachers and helping them strive toward improving their practices. He is the author of grades 6 - 8 Texas Experience Science. Come see practical ways to help students make sense of phenomena and how to authentically integrate phenomena into your curriculum! Using phenomena to explore scientific ideas has been an increasing trend in science education (German, 2016; NGSS Lead States, 2013). While many teachers are finding phenomena to engage students, helping students connect phenomena to science can be more challenging. This keynote will explore numerous ways teachers can transition from a phenomenon to 3D learning
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Discover the rich history and cutting-edge technology of aviation by joining a guided tour of the EAA Aviation Museum, where you can explore both modern and historic aircraft from throughout the ages.
Participants will also have the chance to experience flying on our Cessna 172 Skyhawk Redbird Flight Simulators. These advanced simulators offer an immersive experience and are used by certified pilots for currency and proficiency training.
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Join EAA Educators in building your own FliteTest RC Airplane then get outside (weather dependent) and fly! The airframe you build will be yours to keep and fly on your own at home or school. No prior experience required.
Join us for a collaborative session designed specifically for teachers new to AP Biology (less than five years of experience). This discussion-based session will provide an opportunity to share resources, strategies, and insights while reflecting on what has worked well and what challenges you’ve faced in teaching AP Biology. Topics will include navigating the course framework, engaging students in challenging content, managing labs, and preparing for the AP exam. Bring your questions, ideas, and experiences to contribute to a supportive community of educators eager to grow together. Whether you're refining your approach or looking for new tools, this session is an opportunity to connect with and learn from and with your peers.
With 22 years of experience teaching science, including a mix of Chemistry and Biology, I am dedicated to continuously enhancing my teaching approach. I thrive on exploring new, engaging ideas for the classroom, particularly through innovative labs and activities that keep students... Read More →
Friday April 4, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Lake Poygan
Approximately 30-35% of Americans self-identify as birders. Birds are amazing...and they are EVERYWHERE!!! While many elementary students can identify dozens of species of fictitious or long-extinct organisms, most cannot correctly identify even a handful of local birds. Birding is recognized as a gateway activity for caring about nature; because birds are so diverse, they are present in every possible habitat. Using a WSST Milton Pella grant, we were able to purchase a classroom set of binoculars, field guides, and a heavy-duty carrying case. Students learned about binoculars beginning with classroom and paper activities. We then practiced using our equipment safely and properly in the classroom and in the gym. Once students were comfortable with the equipment, we learned about basic bird anatomy and bird identification. We spent a couple classroom periods out in the school grounds finding and identifying our resident birds. These activities can easily extend over several weeks and were very enthusiastically received by our students. This presentation will provide an outline of our activities as well as paper copies of all lessons. This is a great way to get students outdoors and active in nature while (hopefully) encouraging interest in our local birds.
Thoughtful systems are essential for elementary science programs. Science leaders from across the state worked to develop a series of Science Leadership Tools to help districts consider ways to implement quality science instruction. Join us to learn about and discuss these five new tools; Developing a Vision, Elementary Materials Selection, Assessment and Reporting, Scheduling, and Connecting Science and Literacy.
Science Coordinator, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools
I am the Wisconsin Rapids K-12 Science Curriculum Coordinator for 50% of my job and the other 50% is teaching Physics. I am also an adjunct faculty in Physics with Mid-state Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids.
Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Dr. Anderson currently works as the Science Education Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He enjoys helping educators improve science programs and instruction to support all students in making sense of the world and solving problems. Previously, he... Read More →
Imagine a land where volcanoes rumble beneath glaciers, where steaming hot springs peak through icy landscapes. This is Iceland, a destination of an extraordinary adventure for two Wisconsin teachers. Join them as they recount their unique opportunity to present to graduate students at the University of Iceland, sharing the explorations, discoveries, and valuable connections they established with educators and students from around the world. Prepare to be inspired by the geological wonder of Iceland and the power of scientific exchange!
7th grade science teacher, Washington Middle School-Oconto Falls School District
I have been a 7th grade science (biology) teacher for 24 years and have been teaching for a total of 29 years. I received my Master's of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Education from UWSP. One of my passions is traveling. I have been to all 50 states, Puerto Rico... Read More →
Friday April 4, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Hutchinson
Step into the future of science education! This collaborative workshop will provide a treasure trove of effective technologies designed to transform your high school science classroom. From simulations to simple data analysis tools, discover how to ignite your students' passion for science like never before. Join us for an interactive session where you'll gain hands-on experience with some educational technology, share current technologies you use, learn from peers, and walk away with practical strategies to implement immediately. Whether you're a tech novice or a digital guru, this workshop will equip you with the tools to make your science lessons more engaging and effective. So, bring your charged device and your list of go-to tech. Let's collaborate and share the technologies that revolutionize our teaching to inspire the next generation of scientists!
Participants will explore Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program’s BRAND NEW, inquiry -based Building Energy Detectives Lessons. Lessons follow a 5E structure, include a career connection, and provide opportunities for climate change conversations. Participants will work hands-on with tools from KEEP’s Energy Audit Kit exploring the anchor phenomenon: What energy actions can I take at school, at home, and in my community to create a more sustainable future? The presentation will guide participants through the following essential questions: How much energy is used by appliances in the classroom when turned on and off? How can I reduce energy consumption of appliances at school? What can I do to help my school’s HVAC system operate well and conserve energy? How can we achieve recommended light levels throughout the school while decreasing the amount of electricity used for lighting? What does an energy bill look like and how can actions we take to conserve energy at school impact it? How can actions we take to conserve energy at school affect our carbon dioxide emissions? All lessons are designed to align with NGSS standards, WI Standards for Science, and WI Standards for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability.
WI Standards for Science/NGSS CC2: Cause and Effect CC4: Systems and System Models SEP1.A: Asking Questions SEP1.B: Defining Problems SEP3: Planning and Conducting Investigations SEP4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data SEP5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking SEP6.A: Constructing an Explanation SEP6.B: Designing Solutions SEP7: Arguing from Evidence SEP8: Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information SCI.ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems SCI.ESS3.D: Global Climate Change SCI.ETS2.B Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World
WI Standards for Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Strand 1: Connect, Standard 1: Students develop and connect with their sense of place and well-being through observation, exploration and questioning.
We invite you to participate in an entomological workshop designed for science educators, focusing on the craft of insect pinning and curation. Insects are fascinating creatures that play many crucial roles in ecosystems and are found almost everywhere. This hands-on session will guide teachers through the essentials of building an insect collection and offer practical insights on how to incorporate these activities into the classroom. We will explore the importance of recording specimen data, emphasizing its role in scientific research and education. Participants will engage in activities, including practicing insect pinning, adding specimens to a collection box, and labeling. Attendees will have developed an understanding for how an insect display box can be used to teach ecosystem services and biodiversity, food webs, classification & taxonomy, life cycles, adaptations to environments and environmental stewardship. All supplies will be provided for free and participants can take the collection boxes back to their classrooms for continued development, display, and teaching.
In this workshop, attendees will build replicas of human anatomy using clay and a specially designed skeletal model in a classroom setting. Educators will learn how to implement a unique curriculum system which helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy. They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores.
Cross-Cutting Concepts are like the roots of a tree—essential for growth but often hidden from view. Explore how CCCs enhance sensemaking in science classrooms by aligning with the brain’s natural methods for organizing and retaining information. This interactive workshop offers hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and practical classroom applications. Participants will learn how CCCs connect big ideas across disciplines, fostering critical thinking and deeper understanding. The session will highlight how CCCs leverage the brain’s tendency to form interconnected knowledge networks, making learning more accessible and transferable. Attendees will gain strategies to help students organize and retrieve complex concepts effectively, strengthening their ability to understand and explain scientific phenomena. This workshop is ideal for educators looking to enhance their teaching practices and empower students to build connections and think critically in science.
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.
#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 →
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.
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 →
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Just a short walk from the conference, Fifth Ward Brewing offers a closer look at the science and creativity behind their craft beers. Explore their brewing techniques, fermentation process, and commitment to bold flavors. End the tour with a tasting of their signature brews, perfect for science enthusiasts!
Cost $10, Advanced registration required Explore the science and craft of distillation at Sturgeon Spirits! This tour highlights their sustainable practices, fermentation process, and cutting-edge equipment, perfect for science teachers. Conclude with a tasting of their handcrafted vodka.
Delve into the fascinating world of protein structure and function, focusing on the principles of protein folding and the critical role of active sites in enzymes. Participants will explore these complex topics through hands-on molecular models. This session will feature our Amino Acid Starter kit and a first look at the newly redesigned Acetylcholinesterase Active Site Model!
I was a classroom teacher for 25 years. I am now the National SMART team coordinator and Science Educator for 3D Molecular designs.In my free time, I am an avid fisherman and obsessive vinyl record collector.
Presentation will consist of going through a mini lesson run as a storyline where the audience are the students. Present or will then walk through how each step would be taught, how this connects to NGSS, where to find storylines, how to edit storylines to try for yout classroom. We will also discuss data on storylines, pluses and minuses and address any questions around storylining. Learning objective would be audience feeling like they are engaged and feel confident in learning how to storyline and feel confident with resources given trying it out in thier own classrooms.
This session will introduce participants to engaging activities from KEEP—Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program—that are included in the Elementary Energy Explorations kit and lesson series. These activities delve into the science and processes behind the phenomenon of flipping a light switch and the complex energy systems that make it possible. The presentation will address essential questions, including: How does electrical energy reach our homes? How do circuits function? How are energy fuel resources obtained? What are the environmental impacts of energy resource extraction? What alternatives are available?
Participants will actively engage in the following KEEP lessons: Evidence of Energy, Digging for Coal, and Renewable Energy Resources. Each lesson is designed to align with NGSS standards and utilizes the 5E model of experiential learning, fostering a hands-on, inquiry-driven approach to understanding energy concepts. Participants will also be introduced to the Elementary Energy Explorations kit, available for checkout from KEEP to any Wisconsin educator.
Curriculum Integration: Educators will learn strategies to effectively incorporate the Agriculture Pen Pal and Exchange Box activities into their existing curriculum, enhancing subjects like science, social studies, and language arts through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. Facilitation Techniques: Teachers will develop skills to facilitate meaningful discussions and reflections among students regarding their agricultural exchanges, promoting critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness in the classroom.
We will explain how educators can sign up and become a Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Education Member. We will explain all the benefits of being a member. We will also explain all the free things you are entitled to as a member. After the first year you renew as a member for free annually. There are stem kits, Lessons for your classroom, free teacher orientation flights.
Lessons have NSSG objectives and areas listed. Our goal is to get teachers teaching aerospace education lessons to give students a taste for learning more about aviation. We have frees stem kits and lessons for their classrooms. We try to show them how they can maximize their efforts in getting stem kits. We also demonstrate the ease in which you can get free materials and a flight in a Civil Air Patrol plane.
We explain how you pay only once, and can then sign up annually free of charge every year after the first year. We also like to give Teachers Airplane rides. When you get a chance to fly it becomes an experience you want to share with your students.
The main focus of the presentation is encouraging students to lead discourse in the elementary classroom, using the skills and ideas from the book Ambitious Science Teaching. The key elements we will focus on are planning for engagement, student discourse, and eliciting ideas from the Ambitious Science Teaching framework. Teachers learn how to lead conversations, the next step to aspire to is to teach students to lead the discussion. By doing so, a teacher can encourage the student’s intellectual engagement while also attending to equity issues teachers face. We plan to share and discuss successful examples in the elementary classroom. Younger students require more scaffolding, reinforcement, and encouragement to be successful in the classroom. We will share how to plan for student conversation using an anchor chart, talk scaffolds, and talking circles. In this presentation, we will also allow time for educators to practice the shared strategies with each other.
The Milton O. Pella Banquet is named in memory of the individual responsible for the birth of the Wisconsin Society of Science teachers during the 1957 - 1958 academic year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Not only did Dr. Pella bring together enthusiastic, science-minded individuals to start the organization, he cultivated it with people called "Pella Fellas." This was to ensure continued programs designed to "Improve Science Education in Wisconsin." He willed nearly $200,000 to the WSST Foundation to provide grants to individuals for academic pursuits, individual science initiatives, attending professional conferences, purchasing science equipment, special school science programs, and the Front and Center Grants.
Dr. Pella, a native of Wisconsin, was born in Wilmont in 1914 and lived his entire adult life in the Madison area. He attended elementary and high school in Burlington, earned his B.E. Degree at the Milwaukee State College and both his M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing his Master of Science degree, Dr. Pella spent three years in the military. Starting in 1939, Dr. Pella (known as "Doctor" to his students) taught at Wisconsin High School on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1948, Dr. Pella became a member of the university faculty and retired as a full professor in 1980. While teaching at the university, Dr. Pella was much sought after as an education consultant and teacher. He served as Science Education Consultant to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Mexico, and India. In addition, he was active as a consultant and board member to a variety of federally funded science programs during the 1960s and 1970s.
Milton Pella was an active professional educator involved in many organizations such as the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. He also authored science textbooks and A History of the North Central Association of Math and Science Teachers (also known as The Association of Math and Science Teachers). His many achievements and publications are outlined in different editions of Who's Who. Milton Pella was at the forefront of modern science curricular design; his students were constantly reminded not to embrace change without a critical eye. The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers was one of Dr. Pella's major professional interests. After providing the impetus that launched WSST, he provided years of advice and support to the organization. In addition, many of his former students have occupied positions of influence within WSST, keeping it pointed at its goal of improving science education in Wisconsin. We are very proud to celebrate Dr. Pella's devotion to science education and his contributions to WSST by naming our annual spring conference banquet in his memory.
Have you ever found yourself in need of making accommodations to better support the range of learners in your room, but you didn’t know how to begin? In this presentation, you will be provided some ways to create a template for accommodating and modifying that can be used consistently throughout the year to speed up the process and provide a starting point. I have taught biology and chemistry for many years with a diverse group of learners, including students assessed on the Essential Elements with significant needs. Whether you just need some ideas for embedding more explicit vocabulary strategies or materials to reach a nonverbal student in a way that allows them to participate in a lab with their peers, there will be an opportunity to see examples and hear how they were created.
The goal of the session is to provide an overview with a few examples of my resources followed by time to brainstorm with peers in the session, ask questions, and create some resources you can use in your classroom when you return. Bring your colleagues for even more collaboration!
Are you using the Illinois Learning (IL) Science Storylines? Would you like to share your experiences and connect with others who are also implementing them in their classrooms? Then join this session to network with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and discuss best practices for using the IL Storylines to enhance science teaching and learning. Whether you're a seasoned user or just starting out, this session offers a supportive space to collaborate and learn from one another.
Soil and water are inextricably linked. Negative soil charges, known as cation exchange capacity (CEC), are essential for soil nutrient and contaminant retention, water filtration, and surface and groundwater quality. In this session, we will discuss the basics of how soils get their charge, the impact of CEC on soil and surface water chemistry, and the practical application of CEC to food production and waste management systems. Through easy and visual experiments using ionic dyes and water quality test strips, you will evaluate the CEC of diverse soils and explore the impacts of varying soil CECs on nutrient retention and loss. At the end of the session, you will be able to describe the source of charge in soils, the impact of diverse land management practices on soil CEC, as well as the connection between soil CEC and potential surface and groundwater quality.
I've been a soil scientist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for 32 years. I started my career mapping soils and collected soil data in northern and western Wisconsin. I now help soil survey users interpret soils and their properties. I also enjoy hydric soils... Read More →
I have been using legos to help teach chemical bonding, balancing chemical equations, stoichiometry, dimensional analysis and limiting reagents to my chemistry students. We will discussion I use this in my classroom and how I got my supplies using a front and center grant. We will go through my assignments that I do with my students and see what other ideas people have to use legos to teach.
Participants will consider and discuss why student-to-student discourse is essential for making sense of science. Science is the perfect setting for building students' capacity for deep discussions, and the strategies for making those discussions happen are transferable to other subject areas. Consider ways to help students grapple with evidence from multiple sources, make their thinking clear for others, and productively build upon or challenge the ideas of others.
AI is already having a significant impact on education and is only just starting to transform our work and lives. This session seeks to provide a discussion space for educators to consider some of the following thought prompts: -How do I design work that will help my students learn in the age of AI? -How do I leverage AI for my work? -How do I use AI ethically and how do I teach students to use AI ethically? -Who has access to AI and what biases are inherently embedded in it? -What policies exist in my space about AI? -What policies and practices do I want to establish using AI? -How can I evaluate the use of AI in my work and in my students’ work?
Attendees will be able to leave with: -A better understanding of the ways that AI is shaping and will shape their work. -Reflections on their views and values about AI in the classroom -Next steps for their practice in the ethical use of AI
This session will explore our district’s journey of adopting a new high school science curricular resource and developing curriculum aligned with the NGSS standards. Attendees will gain insights into how we collaboratively established learning targets, designed cohesive units, and developed shared assessments used across three high schools. The presentation will also share challenges and successes from multiple perspectives—administrators, teachers, and students—providing a comprehensive view of the process.
Interactive components will include opportunities to analyze sample rubrics and discuss strategies for applying similar processes in attendees’ districts. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with actionable ideas for fostering alignment and consistency in their own curriculum and assessments.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the steps for adopting and implementing NGSS-aligned curriculum and assessments. 2. Explore the importance of cross-school collaboration in creating consistent learning experiences. 3. Develop strategies to adapt the process for use in their own districts or schools.
High School Science Teacher, School District of Waukesha
This is my 12th year as a high school science teacher (Chemistry and Physics). I am an inveterate user of Blackboard and Google apps to facilitate instruction both virtually and face-to-face. I enjoy testing the capabilities and limits of what a program can offer me because my... Read More →
The School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the first academic institution in the nation solely dedicated to the study and advancement of freshwater sciences. This session provides a brief overview of current freshwater research initiatives and opportunities to engage with the School’s outreach efforts, which connect teachers and students with educational experiences. The session will also feature collaborative discussions to encourage your input. How can universities best support your work bringing freshwater science to students? What can we do to empower you to provide students with real-world applications which enhance engagement and learning outcomes. Learning objectives for this session include: 1. Enhancing participants’ understanding of the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. 2. Building connections between participants and the School’s outreach efforts to create ongoing opportunities for collaboration, internships, and student engagement. 3. Identifying opportunities for university support, with a focus on accessing resources, fostering collaborative partnerships, and integrating real-world applications of freshwater science into student learning experiences. This session will serve as a platform to share ideas and suggestions for new activities and resources to strengthen community-university connections.
There is a folder on my desktop with way too many activities saved in it. I know that I will never implement them all, but occasionally I will discover a new “tool” for my “teacher toolkit.” What I really want is to hear what “tools” other folks like to use. For this reason (and many others), I am happy to have found a community of practice of other science teachers with whom I can chat about stuff I want to try in my classroom. I have learned a lot from our times together and hope teachers at any stage of their career are able to find a similar support network. In this workshop, we will act as a small community of practice for the day. First, we will get into a classroom mindset by making sense of an “everyday phenomenon”. Afterwards, we will open space for folks to share experiences and resources that they find productive for meeting similar goals or could help improve the learning experience. Come to have some fun doing a kitchen-safe lab activity and chat with others about productive experiences teaching and learning science.
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.
I will discuss how I use the 3D Molecular designs water kit to help my students understand water and solutions. We will discuss the different hands on activities I use with the water kids and my students to show the properties of water and different types of solutions. We will also discuss how you can show how water dissolves substances.
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.
Every student deserves a welcoming and comfortable learning environment. At this polarized time, different communities are in different places in their level of encouraging welcoming spaces. In our session we’ll brainstorm the types of things that are within the control of a classroom practitioner to create welcoming spaces for all different types of identities. We’ll also share brainstorming of ways of overcoming community challenges. We will honor the wisdom and experience of the diverse perspectives of the room, by modeling strategies for helping people solve each other’s problems. Finally, we’ll look at places where in a Science classroom in particular, old types of thinking/ exclusion may cause problems for learners.
Attendees will be able to leave with: -A reflection on the identities present in their context -A list of possible strategies to try to make their space more welcoming to those identities -Troubleshooting solutions to other people’s challenges in creating welcoming spaces
Performing environmental surveys on your school building and campus is a way to make science content relevant to students and to discover and address environmental problems at your school. This presentation reviews a case study where students learned about air pollution through school air quality surveys. Four different surveys will be covered: an indoor carbon dioxide survey, an indoor particulate survey, an outdoor PM 2.5 survey, and an outdoor lichen survey. You will come away with knowing what supplies you need for each survey, how to evaluate the data, recommendations for scaffolding skills and content, and possible summative options, including a presentation to administration on environmental problems students discovered.
Standards: HS-ESS3-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
Science & Engineering Practices: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solution
Attendees will hear about our work to best unpack rich teacher resources to develop a cohesive PLC perspective of what a uniform experience might look like. We will discuss strategies for how to UBD a transfer task based assessment system which focuses on Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) rather than Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). Teachers in a PLC need to develop a shared vision of what student success looks like on SEPs/CCCs in order to efficiently share success criteria with students and effectively plan instruction to provide students to deeply engage in productive work to build the capacity for that success. At the end of the session, attendees will leave with a template that could be used as is or edited to organize PLC discussions for backwards planning a unit. Attendees will leave with strategies for clarifying SEP/CCC success and facilitator moves for developing those practices in the classroom.
Join the WSST Professional Development Committee for a round table discussion about professional development opportunities you want to see from the committee.
This informal session will begin with a brief introduction of myself, my role as a director, and my journey with WSST. Following this, participants will have the opportunity to share insights and hear from other members in our district. Together, we’ll network and exchange ideas on staying connected year-round, organizing socials, and planning professional development opportunities tailored to the unique needs of educators and enthusiasts in our district.
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.
Learning Blade is an innovative platform designed to inspire students through STEM exploration by connecting academic standards with real-world careers and technologies. This interactive session highlights how Learning Blade introduces students to a diverse range of STEM-related professions, from engineers to environmental scientists, data analysts, and healthcare professionals. By showcasing these opportunities, students can envision future careers and understand pathways to achieve their goals.
Through authentic challenges and projects, Learning Blade equips students with critical skills and knowledge for success in the 21st-century workforce. It fosters accessibility, ensuring students of all backgrounds and experience levels can engage meaningfully with STEM content. By exploring career paths and technologies aligned with their interests, students gain a clearer vision of their potential in STEM fields.
Educators and administrators can discover the transformative power of Learning Blade in preparing the next generation of STEM leaders. This session offers valuable insights into how this platform supports student growth, bridges interdisciplinary standards, and connects education with real-world applications.
Whether you're an educator or simply curious about innovative educational tools, Learning Blade provides resources to inspire and prepare students for future success. Register for a fully funded account at www.LearningBlade.com/WI.
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!
I will teach participants about how we created a self sustaining permaculture food forest that mimics nature with the movement of animals to maintain and sustain the forest. The food forest is self-watered through a series of swales and berms to retain nearly 100% of the water that falls on the property, and is projected to make the school roughly $50,000 each year. I will utilize a Powerpoint style presentation and handouts. This is connected to NGSS standard: MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. and 5-ESS3-1 Earth and Human Activity Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Attendees will experience several related science phenomena to build incrementally more productive models that explain the science that is being observed. A focus will be placed on attendee sensemaking -- both individually and as a collective group -- to increase facilitator tool boxes in terms of supporting student sensemaking through scientific models. The NGSS Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) of Developing and Using Models can be leveraged to bring student ideas to paper to explain weird and complex ideas. As facilitators in 3-Dimensional learning spaces, sometimes it is difficult to provide students guidance in how to create productive models without squashing student agency and authority. How can a teacher guide students toward success while leaving space for student discourse around productive modeling practices? Attendees of this session will leave with practical tools they can use to organize their facilitation moves when they ask students to develop scientific models.
This session is designed for educators who are new to AI or hesitant about using it. Attendees will be introduced to a variety of AI platforms to help determine which tools might best suit their needs. Real-life examples will demonstrate how AI can be used for creating and modifying content, designing unique classroom experiences, and saving time in both professional and personal tasks.
The presentation will highlight intuitive, accessible tools directly applicable to teachers’ daily routines. Participants will have time to explore these tools and see firsthand how easy it is to integrate AI into their practice in manageable steps.
By the end of the session, attendees will feel more confident about incorporating AI into their work, knowing that these tools are meant to enhance—not replace—their teaching.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how AI can streamline and simplify everyday tasks for teachers. Discover AI tools to amplify your lessons and engage students in new ways. Gain confidence in using AI to enhance both your professional and personal life.
High School Science Teacher, School District of Waukesha
This is my 12th year as a high school science teacher (Chemistry and Physics). I am an inveterate user of Blackboard and Google apps to facilitate instruction both virtually and face-to-face. I enjoy testing the capabilities and limits of what a program can offer me because my... Read More →
Saturday April 5, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Thistle
Learn how a digital template can provide scaffolded guidance for student learning by providing easily accessible learning resources such as embedded content sources (video clips, articles, website links, etc) and clarifying support related to expectations for student work products (embedded rubrics, student work exemplars, etc). Additional discussion and simulated mini-lesson will cover how this approach fosters more efficient and relevant feedback of student work and how the digital template can serve as a resource hub for teaching materials (i.e. lecture slides, class data collection, rubrics, answer keys, etc.). Student notebook samples and corresponding digital notebook templates will be available for reference.
Several high school science teachers in the Chequamegon Bay area who share a common desire to make student learning experiences locally relevant have been connected through their involvement in the Rivers2Lake program. Rivers2Lake, run by the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, offers year long professional development and mentorship in inquiry-based, place-centered, outdoor learning to regional teachers. Among other support offered through the program, teachers gain access to a library of NGSS-aligned lessons and field trip opportunities. In this session, teachers will share stories of how they are involving local rivers, estuaries, and Lake Superior in student investigations this school year, offer space for attendees to share their own stories about how they’re creating connections to local watersheds, and offer inspiration for where those ideas could lead them. Together the teachers are collaborating on using the stories they share, the Rivers2Lake curriculum library, and Rivers2Lake partner resources to build a NGSS aligned storyline unit investigating local waterways that could be used by regional teachers and start an annual symposium for their students to connect and share their investigations with one another.
I am a secondary science teacher who has taught in Minnesota, Alaska, and Wisconsin. My special interests include the integration of STEAM, experiential, and place-based learning. For the past seven years, I have been working with Argument-Driven Inquiry as a strategy for integrating... Read More →
In this participatory session, we will discuss several approaches to justice-centered science education, and then collaboratively brainstorm ideas and questions about how to begin centering justice in our own teaching practice. The presenters will give an overview of recent work done in this area by Danny Morales-Doyle (author of Transformative Science Teaching), Django Paris (culturally sustaining pedagogy) and Anastasia Sanchez (the Social Focus Framework). In addition, we will briefly discuss how phenomenon-based curricula and 3D Learning can act as a springboard into justice-centered teaching. We will then brainstorm social justice science issues that matter to, or affect our students and their communities, as well as questions related to teaching and learning science for social justice. The objective of this session is to explore the path that middle and high school science teacher learning communities might take to develop an understanding of what it means to center justice in their practice.
A concluding meeting to discuss the books "Planning to Stay", "Ambitious Science Teaching" and "Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Secondary Science." We will also reflect on our journeys so far.
Join other Chemistry teachers from Wisconsin using phenomenon based curriculum for an informal roundtable discussion and resource-sharing session. Bring a computer and any resources you would like to share. Are you diving into chemistry phenomenon based curriculum like Storyline or OpenSciEd—need others to connect with—or are you new to the concept and want to learn more? After introductions,, we plan to break the group of educators into smaller groups to connect specifically with your interests. We are excited to make connections in teaching chemistry and provide resources to explore after the conference!
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.
Insects are the Rodney Dangerfields of conservation—they don’t get no respect. As a result, invertebrate conservation (including that of insects) tends to be significantly underfunded and ignored. It doesn’t help that a majority of people think of most insects as just “bugs”—pests that would best be exterminated. One exception to this rule is Danaus plexippus—the monarch butterfly. Despite being invertebrates, monarchs rank up there with eagles and whales, manatees and wolves as emblems of conservation and the parts of nature that we love. Most people can identify monarch caterpillars, know that they feed on milkweeds, and certainly recognize the adults—not something they can say about any other lepidopteran.
The first grade class at University Lake School—a small, private school in Hartland, Wisconsin—has, for many years, learned about and acted out the monarch life cycle and migration. We will go through the activity, providing background information about these iconic invertebrates as well as giving out materials so participants can easily have their students become graceful monarchs!
Learn what makes great phenomena and come away with free lessons.
Not all phenomena are equal. How you kick off your unit sets the tone for the entire unit itself. Learn what makes a phenomenal phenomenon that keeps your students engaged. You’ll learn how to choose and implement the best science phenomena. You’ll also receive free access to Mosa Mack Science phenomena lessons.
This interactive, hands-on workshop has three parts:
1. Why Phenomenon: We dive into the purpose and methodology of teaching with phenomena. 2. Hands-on Physical Science: You’ll experience a shocking phenomenon: security camera footage of cars that appear to be levitating! What is really going on in the footage, how can we test it, and what can we learn about the laws of force and motion from it? 3. Closing: We’ll close the workshop with a brief summary, lesson takeaways, and a final Q&A.
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.
Wisconsin faces a significant downturn in the number of undergraduate, graduate, and, alternatively certified science teachers. In 2023, only 165.new science teachers were licensed from traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs in Wisconsin, down from an average of 225 between 2014 and 2021. As a middle or high school science teacher, you can play a vital role in helping reverse this trend! In this interactive problem-solving session, we’ll share data on licensure numbers over the past 10 years and share some research and tips on ways you might help your students, paraprofessionals, and others in your orbit consider one of the best jobs in the world: engaging middle and high school students with wonders of our universe! We will share nationwide research on how teachers and schools are working to recruit and prepare science teachers, as well as ways to retain and continue to help develop new science teachers. Participants will get sample activities that teachers can immediately use with their students and friends to help them consider a career in science education. We will also ask for ideas from the participants on strategies to help increase the number of science teachers in Wisconsin.
Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Dr. Anderson currently works as the Science Education Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He enjoys helping educators improve science programs and instruction to support all students in making sense of the world and solving problems. Previously, he... Read More →
This presentation will showcase how UWO’s Biology Department is partnering with UWO’s Dual-Enrollment program, CAPP, to provide transformative educational experiences for students. The focus of this current collaboration is part of a larger endeavor to help STEM learners translate educational experiences into career endeavors by working with regional employers as well. As UWO pivots to a new learner-centered academic structure that emphasizes career clusters, CAPP’s role in providing early access to college courses while students are still in high school can play a larger role in smoothing students’ transition to career pathways available at UWO and increasingly at other institutions of higher education.
A brief overview of UWO’s CAP Program will provide context for how we envision our collaboration with Biology—and other fields—can work to advance student learning in Wisconsin. Drs. Jessica Lucas and Mallory Janquart from the fields of Biology and Laboratory Medical Technology will showcase the career-case studies they have worked on.
As we are seeking more teachers to participate in our collaboration, attendees will learn the role of CAPP adjuncts in developing/ testing new curriculum and how to participate. Attendees will also learn about how UWO is using career clusters and trying to connect students with STEM careers. NGSS are not addressed directly, but college-level science standards are key in the design of the new curriculum. An interactive quiz is part of the presentation of the career-case studies and the new curriculum activities.
In this workshop, attendees will build replicas of human anatomy using clay and a specially designed skeletal model in a classroom setting. Educators will learn how to implement a unique curriculum system which helps students create a kinesthetic map of the human anatomy. They will acquire the knowledge to engage science students with immediate, hands-on learning using a proven method that is nationally recognized to increase student retention and test scores.
This workshop will emphasize directional terms, planes, cavities and landmarks on the skeletal model and then build several skeletal muscles. Emphasis will be placed on building the rotator cuff showing their origin and insertion, their movement and discuss exercises to strengthen these muscles.
