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.
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?]
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
