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

Finding the time for effective and equitable science instruction in elementary classrooms is a challenge.  To address this challenge, teachers are told to integrate.  What does effective integration look like and how do teachers plan for it?  This session shares ideas for integrating the science of reading and sense-making in science.  Participants will be introduced to a framework for aligning 5E lessons with the LETRS reading comprehension checklist. Participants will learn how to use phenomena to frame integrated lessons, when to introduce vocabulary, and how to use sentence anagrams, graphic organizers, sorts, and paragraph frames to support comprehension and writing.

In this hands-on, minds-on session, participants will construct models to show the movement of ions and nutrients across membranes with emphasis placed on the large and small particles that pass through the membrane to maintain homeostasis. They will connect theory with results from popular homeostasis labs. They will make and defend a claim based on evidence that homeostasis results from a variety of factors. This presentation will help educators guide their students in asking questions and defining problems, planning and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and developing and using models. This presentation supports Standard Bio.2.4.

We want students to ask high quality questions that show deeper learning.  We want students to make and use scientific models to predict and explain phenomena.  But making this happen in the classroom can be very challenging.  And how does a teacher assess these skills? This hands-on, minds-on workshop will dive into how educators can incorporate these skills into instruction and what success looks like for asking questions and developing and using models. We will provide various strategies for teaching modeling and asking questions and rubrics for science skills.

HERE is the slidedeck.

AI isn’t just about technology; it’s an opportunity to redefine how we teach and prepare our students for a tech dominated future (hopefully without full-fledged AI Overlords). In this interactive session, we’ll explore the human skills that will matter most—like critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration—and discuss how to integrate them effectively into your science classroom using strategies grounded in Transdisciplinary Learning (Convergence Education) and proper gamification techniques. We’ll dive into how most gamification tools miss the mark and how you can implement approaches that truly engage students and connect to real-world challenges. You’ll leave with practical, hands-on activities and a toolkit you can use to transform your lessons and inspire your students to think and act beyond the textbook. Walk away equipped to design science lessons that not only meet SEEd standards but also future-proof your students with skills they need to excel in an AI-driven world.