NSTA 2025 Minneapolis

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING INSTITUTE

Wednesday, November 12 • 8:15 a.m. –3:15 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – TBD

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Join us to experience how students make decisions and engage in classroom discussion as part of their sensemaking in OpenSciEd Elementary’s newly released 1.3 Sky Patterns Unit. Find out about the seamless integration of 3D science with ELA and mathematics and built-in guidance for supporting a range of learners. During the session, we’ll engage participants in an immersive curriculum-based professional learning experience and experience the joy possible when elementary science classrooms engage in collective science sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
The OpenSciEd instructional materials can support science classrooms that leverage the Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of K-5 Educators. OpenSciEd Elementary units are designed to support classrooms with embedded opportunities to use ELA and math to support science sensemaking and designed to support a range of learners. The storyline approach is designed to provide students with a meaningful experience that is motivated by the students’ own desires to explain something they don’t understand or to solve a problem their classroom has come to care about.

PRESENTERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Amy Belcastro (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

LEADERS INSTITUTE

Wednesday, November 12 • 8:15 a.m. –3:15 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – TBD

How can we use high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) paired with curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL) to ensure effective science teaching and learning? Join us to consider how leaders build internal capacity for the selection and sustained effective implementation of high-quality instructional materials. Work with other leaders to consider strategies to lead change toward more equitable systems that support all science learners—now and into the future.

TAKEAWAYS:
Consider how high-quality instructional materials can be used to design more equitable systems Discuss how to share the vision, support implementation, and build internal capacity for ongoing support for curriculum implementation

PRESENTERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jim Short (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Molly Leifeld (Saint Paul Public Schools: Saint Paul, MN)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 8–9 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Explore how leaders can use the new BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model to support teachers in creating learning experiences that motivate students with significant, real-world phenomena and problems! Learn how AIL cycles of inquiry and sensemaking culminate in student agency! The BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and utilizes authentic phenomena/problems to anchor multiple cycles of inquiry and sensemaking, culminating with student explanations/design solutions. The research-based AIL model emphasizes coherence from students’ perspective. In this session, participants will consider how AIL integrates elements of the 5E instructional model, NextGen Science storylines, and problem-based learning instructional models, the role of an instructional model in high-quality instructional materials, and their own education contexts and how they can apply AIL to design meaningful learning experiences to support their teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es as the basis for implementing HQIM. Leaders leverage this model to support teachers in developing a shared vision of effective science teaching and learning and creating a student-centered classroom for all.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 8–9 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Join us to consider how leveraging high-quality instructional materials in professional learning can strengthen the shared vision of the instructional shifts called for by the NGSS and engage educators in three dimensional phenomena driven teaching and learning. Hear how a state level partnership with multiple district’s deepened teacher’s knowledge of the NGSS and three-dimensional instructional practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using high-quality instructional materials as a lever to further NGSS implementation across multiple district/school contexts can support teachers and leaders to deepen their understanding of the NGSS and three-dimensional teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Guy Ollison (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Nancy Hopkins-Evans (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 12:30–2 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Leaders will share their purpose for joining this session and then engage in a simulation as a “common experience” and use that experience to consider how key lessons about change played out in the simulation and how the lessons play out in their work. Leaders will read and discuss the Change Management text from The Elements: Transforming Teaching through Curriculum-based Professional Learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Join other leaders to consider key lessons from change and dig into Change Management from The Elements: Transforming Teaching through Curriculum-based Professional Learning.

SPEAKERS:
Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 2:20–3:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Experience how classroom agreements can create productive and safe spaces for elementary students to share their ideas, let those ideas change and grow, and engage with each other as a community of learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary students can co-construct classroom agreements that support an environment where they recognize that science can be done in many ways, feel safe and compelled to share their ideas and questions, listen/look/respond to others’ ideas, and let their ideas change and grow.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 2:20–4:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – L100 H

STRAND: Climate Science and Sustainability: Teaching with Relevance and Impact

FieldScope is a collaborative platform empowering communities to visualize and analyze environmental data that fosters a deeper understanding of science. This workshop introduces you to a tool transforming how participants engage with citizen science, moving beyond data collection to meaningful interpretation and storytelling. FieldScope is a common portal for collecting, sharing, and analyzing diverse data, a tool to help participants create place-based stories using data, and support for making sense of environmental information. Experience hands-on exploration of FieldScope tools, examination of partner projects featuring intergenerational collaborations, school/park partnerships, and public health initiatives, and guidance for integrating data storytelling into community programs. Join us if you want to enhance your programs with data-driven approaches or engage communities in participatory science. You’ll leave with concrete steps for implementing data explorations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leave with the next steps for planning data explorations in existing or future projects, examples of how to learn with data generated by participatory science projects, particularly in middle and high school settings, and how to host your own project data.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Noll (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 2:20–3:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

We know two things: 1) the purchase of new instructional materials represents a significant district investment and 2) effective classroom use of high-quality instructional materials improves student learning. NextGen TIME can help districts ensure investment in the best possible instructional materials and provide them to teachers prepared to use them effectively. NextGen TIME is a suite of tools and processes to support districts in evaluating, selecting, and implementing instructional materials designed for the NGSS. NextGen TIME is also designed as a professional learning experience for teachers to deepen their understanding of NGSS as they analyze instructional materials. It addresses the needs of states, districts, and schools for a deep understanding of the NGSS to make selection decisions for instructional materials, plan for implementation of those materials, and provide teacher professional learning that enables effective implementation of NGSS‐aligned teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how NextGen TIME supports the evaluation of current instructional materials to strengthen their design for NGSS and how NextGen TIME tools and processes can serve as critical components of curriculum-based professional learning. You’ll walk away with free access to NextGen TIME resources.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Thursday, November 13 • 3:40–4:40 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Learn about and apply lessons learned from Saint Paul Public Schools and BSCS Science Learning’s partnership to customize high-quality instructional materials to align with state-specific 3D standards and local contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn what considerations are important for developing a well-crafted plan for implementing and customizing high-quality instructional materials for use in local contexts. Leaders will review examples of customized units that are aligned with the MN Academic Standards for Science.

SPEAKERS:
Jamie Noll (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Molly Leifeld (Saint Paul Public Schools: Saint Paul, MN), Abraham Lo (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PRESENTATION

Thursday, November 13 • 3:40–4:40 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Explore the storyline of a newly released OpenSciEd unit and see how students leverage connections to ELA and math as they investigate and make sense of a puzzling phenomenon.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd Elementary units provide significant opportunities for students to explicitly connect with grade-level mathematics, reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language standards in service of their science sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 8–9 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Literacy and Math in the Three Dimensions

Experience how embedding literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in 3D teaching and learning promotes sensemaking and science understanding for ALL learners! Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports throughout cycles of inquiry.

The NGSS calls for 3D learning grounded in real world phenomena to ensure science learning is equitable and relevant to all students. The SEPs and CCCs require sensemaking of complex texts and data as well as communicating explanations and arguments and engaging in scientific discourse.

In this session, participants will experience literacy strategies that support student engagement in the SEPs and CCCs, consider how these strategies support all students, particularly below grade-level readers and EMLs, in sensemaking, and consider how embedding these strategies in assessments allows all students to demonstrate their learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and embeds literacy supports for reading, writing, and academic discourse in conjunction with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to promote students in figuring out key science ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 9:20–11:20 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 204 A /B

STRAND: Climate Science and Sustainability: Teaching with Relevance and Impact

Localized climate change learning positively impacts students’ climate change knowledge and their sense of agency. Designing a localized climate curriculum can be challenging. Participants in this workshop will get to know an NGSS-aligned climate change unit storyline and curriculum materials designed for teachers to localize. These materials were developed for teachers to create a local anchoring phenomenon to motivate the unit and a local culminating task at the closure of the unit. Participants will use design tools to start planning their own localized unit for their students and community. These tools make storyline lesson design accessible as participants outline a local anchoring phenomenon and generate ideas for a local culminating task. Participants will break into small groups to do focused design work together. All materials and design tools are freely available to participants for use beyond the workshop.

TAKEAWAYS:
Localized climate change learning is impactful for students. Existing curriculum and design tools can help teachers create localized climate change learning experiences to make learning meaningful and consequential to students.

SPEAKERS:
Candice Guy-Gaytán (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Lindsey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 9:20–10:20 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Equity is often stated as a key value in education, but how can we embed equity in science leadership work? Reflect on your own ideas, beliefs, and approaches to equity and learn how one science leadership development program weaves equity into the fabric of science curriculum leadership.

TAKEAWAYS:
Beliefs, knowledge, context, and lived-experiences shape approaches to equity work. The NEXUS Academy for Science Curriculum Leadership has developed Equity Principles to consider and intertwine with other leadership knowledge bases as leaders work to ensure equity for all learners in the system.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 10:40 a.m.–12:10 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Once you’ve adopted high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), how do leaders ensure effective and sustained implementation? Join us to explore critical actions of leaders to launch and sustain the implementation of HQIM!

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective and sustained implementation of high-quality instructional materials requires planning for change prior to implementation, generating excitement, providing transformative professional learning, monitoring implementation progress and using data to support continuous improvement.

SPEAKERS:
Jody Bintz (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Jim Short (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 10:40–11:40 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Engage in an OpenSciEd Elementary unit and see how classroom discussions can support ALL students’ in using their ideas, experiences, and evidence for collective sensemaking.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about how to engage elementary students in classroom discussion to share initial ideas, build understanding and come to consensus about the phenomenon they are trying to collectively figure out.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Guy Ollison (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

Friday, November 14 • 1–2:30 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Science Curriculum Implementation, as a change process, provides opportunities to confront persistent inequities in educational systems. Curriculum leaders consider and seek information from multiple levels to understand how the current system is disadvantaging some learners so that they can redesign the system accordingly. The examination of state, district, and school level policies and practices can reveal factors contributing to equitable or inequitable outcomes. Participants will engage in an equity simulation and consider important takeaways that can help them lead change in ways that produce more equitable outcomes across student groups.

TAKEAWAYS:
Barriers to equity are not in learners, but rather in environments. When seeking to reach “all”, historical and current policies and practices need to be examined. Educational policies and practices that are seemingly neutral can contribute to persistent inequities for marginalized student groups.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 1:20–2:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 211 C

STRAND: Climate Science and Sustainability: Teaching with Relevance and Impact

In this session, participants will engage in a localized climate change storyline unit designed for Minnesota high school students. The storyline unit is anchored in the phenomenon of wild rice decline and struggles with wild rice production in the state. Participants will experience, in student hat, the anchoring phenomenon. They will also preview the full localized storyline for the unit. This includes a local culminating task with students investigating wild rice restoration strategies with the option of implementing a wild rice restoration project. Participants will have access to a set of curriculum materials to implement in their classrooms and resources to create their own localized climate change storyline units.

TAKEAWAYS:
One way to make climate change learning relevant for students is to anchor learning in local issues and solutions. This session shares an example of a locally meaningful learning experience for Minnesota students.

SPEAKERS:
Candice Guy-Gaytán (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Carmen Gavin Vanegas, Lindsey Mohan (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 1:20–2:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Experience and explore how OpenSciEd Elementary’s free high-quality units are designed to support teachers in making time to engage their students in 3D science.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd Elementary lessons are organized in four components: Navigate, Explore, Connect, and Synthesize. These components support teachers in understanding the purpose of each part of a lesson, allow for more flexible timing, and can be implemented in various parts of the school day.

SPEAKERS:
Gail Housman (Northwestern University: Brookfield, IL), Guy Ollison (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

Friday, November 14 • 2:40–3:40 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 H

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Far too often equity efforts are relegated to the sidelines instead of embedded in core curriculum leadership tasks. Join us to consider how anchoring science leadership in equity principles can remove barriers to science teaching and learning through curriculum implementation efforts.

TAKEAWAYS:
The implementation of HQIM can lead to more equitable systems when barriers to equity are confronted and removed. The process of confronting barriers includes collaborating for justice, taking small actions to learn, and continual reflection and revision of implementation plans based on data.

SPEAKERS:
Susan Gomez Zwiep (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PRESENTATION

Friday, November 14 • 4–5 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 F

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Interest and identity are key for supporting meaningful science learning for students (NRC, 2012), yet traditional secondary science assessments do not invite students to bring their sensemaking repertoires and interests to assessment tasks. Participants will examine features of meaningful, phenomenon-driven assessments. Teachers will adapt a community survey tool designed by the 5D Assessment Project, a collaboration between BSCS Science Learning and Inquiry Hub, to elicit information about their students’ interests and identities. Teachers will learn about an approach to customizing (or designing from scratch) assessments to better engage their students’ interests and science-linked identities as knowers, doers, and users of science. Teachers will explore adaptations developed by Minnesota teachers to meet the needs of their students. This session is open to all science teachers, but may be most appropriate for secondary teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will adapt tools to elicit and use information about their students to customize meaningful, phenomenon-driven assessment opportunities to better engage their students’ interests and science linked identities.

SPEAKERS:
Abraham Lo (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WORKSHOP

Saturday, November 15 • 10:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 204 A /B

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

Experience how leveraging genetic and environmental risk for complex disease as authentic phenomena supports student understanding through 3D teaching, learning, and assessment. Learn how the BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional model develops student agency that leads to individual and community action. The NGSS calls for learning grounded in real world phenomena to ensure science learning is relevant to all students. The BSCS AIL instructional model succeeds the 5Es and utilizes culturally relevant societal challenges to anchor cycles of inquiry and sensemaking, culminating with student explanations. In this session, participants will 1) consider their ideas about teaching complex societal challenges, 2) experience 3D learning, sensemaking strategies, and science concepts required to evaluate genetic and environmental risks for complex disease, and 3) consider how societal issues as assessment tasks can motivate students and develop agency in addressing complex issues.

TAKEAWAYS:
The research-based BSCS Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model succeeds the 5Es and leverages complex societal issues as anchoring phenomena/problems, culminating tasks, and performance assessments in 3D units of instruction to motivate students and develop agency in addressing these issues.

SPEAKERS:
Cynthia Gay (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)

PRESENATION

Saturday, November 15 • 10:20–11:20 a.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 G

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

How can assessments support three dimensional sensemaking? Explore how the OpenSciEd Elementary assessment system illuminates the brilliance and strengths of students, teachers, and classroom communities as they figure out science ideas.

TAKEAWAYS:
OpenSciEd Elementary curriculum units have three-dimensional assessment opportunities woven throughout the unit. Five different assessment types work together as a system to support teachers, students, and the classroom community in responding to ideas, reflecting, and checking progress.

SPEAKERS:
Janna Mahfoud (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO), Gail Housman (Northwestern University: Brookfield, IL)

PRESENTATION

Saturday, November 15 • 11:40 a.m.–12:40 p.m.

Minneapolis Convention Center – 101 F

STRAND: Designing and Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials and Assessments to Support 3D Teaching and Learning

In this session, teachers will learn about a research-driven approach to assessment customization that supports teachers in using information about their students and 3D standards to brainstorm alternative phenomena contexts to elicit students’ use of disciplinary core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts to make sense of phenomena and problems that matter to them. This approach was designed and tested by the 5D Assessment Project, a collaboration between BSCS Science Learning and Inquiry Hub. Teachers will work in content area groups to analyze an existing high-quality assessment and consider ways to customize it to better engage their students’ interests and identities as knowers, doers, and users of science. Lessons learned from this work can be applied to elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will leave with strategies for identifying alternative phenomena contexts to frame phenomena-driven assessment opportunities that engage their students interests and science-linked identities.

SPEAKERS:
Abraham Lo (BSCS Science Learning: Colorado Springs, CO)