UtSTA 2024: Out-Of-This-World Science Teaching

These activities have students observe the phenomenon of flight and examine how the interactions between lift, drag, thrust, and weight affects how an airframe flies. Students will design and build paper airplanes and use the information gained from this lesson to predict patterns of motions in their designs. This activity supports SEEd standard 3.3.1, concerning the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces, and SEEd standard 3.3.3, concerning the gravitational effects of Earth. This presentation is offered thanks to funding provided by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, and in partnership with the Clark Planetarium.

Zion National Park rangers will demonstrate place-based, interdisciplinary teaching practices designed for use in any outdoor location – from National Parks to your own schoolyard. Join us for an interactive curriculum development session linking Utah Core Standards in Science to English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Fine Arts through exploration of the immediate landscape. The techniques discussed in this session are appropriate for K-12 educators, with an emphasis on connecting concepts and skills across multiple subject areas on your own school campus. Teaching practices may be used to develop new classroom content, enrich existing lesson plans, or support teachers in self-guided off-site field trips.