Virtual Conference
July 26-30, 2021
Conference Website
Every year the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) hosts conferences on science education. NSTA is committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Each day of this year’s five-day virtual conference will concentrate on a different grade band or strand.
Monday, July 26
Sensing Science through Modeling Matter Free Apps for Kindergartners
Carolyn Staudt, Nathan Kimball, Jamie Broadhead
12:45 – 1:30 PM
The Sensing Science project has developed and researched a curriculum to support learning about states of matter and phase changes at the kindergarten level.
Takeaways: 1. Free apps for use in your classroom; 2. Models that assist students in the understanding of why the three states of matter are different; and 3. Free interactive stories introducing phase changes to students.
Presentation Slides (PDF)
Tuesday, July 27
Watershed Awareness Using Free Technology and Environmental Research for Sustainability (WATERS)
Carolyn Staudt, Jerry Valadez
12:45 – 1:30 PM
The WATERS curriculum allows students to analyze real-world problems using models to explore and evaluate the condition of their local watershed using real data.
Takeaways: 1. Connect to the NGSS Earth and Space Science standards using models and data; 2. Make connections to our Earth system using real-world data and modeling; and 3. Provide multiple representations for the scientific terms with photos, movies, and Spanish translations with additional embedded Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Presentation Slides (PDF)