Tickets are $5 for our inaugural year! RSVP/Buy tickets now!
September 28th, 2019 (St. Michael, Independence)
Reaching Students Through Discourse: Reluctant to Enthusiastic Simulations in Biology — Buy Tickets/RSVP!
Rebecca Butler (Buchtel CLC)
We know that students talking and debating science helps us understand their thinking and helps students deepen their thinking. But most groups of students don’t know how to do participate in these discussions. In this session, we’ll lead you through how to build these skills by debating real-life issues. We’ll talk about strategies for dealing with different cultures and different levels of English language ability.
Card Sort— Buy Tickets/RSVP!
Michael Lerner (Beachwood High School)
A Card Sort often starts with a stack of cards and a short prompt: put these cards into groups. It looks simple. In some ways, it is. Students dive into a card sort almost immediately. But what do students learn from card sorts? How can you structure card sorts to guide students to think deeply about the concepts at hand? How can you build a flexible and strong conception of science? We will talk through these pedagogical issues along with the practical issues about best to photocopy, make, and store card sorts. You’ll also have time to develop your own card sort to use next week or next year in your own classes.
October 26th, 2019 Sessions (St. Edward, Lakewood)
Capacitor-Aided System for Teaching and Learning Electricity (Units 1-3) — Buy Tickets/RSVP!
Holly McTernan (St. Edward High School) & Jeremy Secaur (Elyria High School)
In this workshop, teachers in the role of students will learn fundamental principles of how circuits work, become familiar with prevalent preconceptions and misunderstandings regarding moving charges in circuits, and experience firsthand a modeling pedagogy for teaching circuits. The goal is to complete as much of CASTLE Units 1 and 2 as possible and dip into Unit 3. That is very ambitious, so participants will have the opportunity to request a followup workshop to push further into the curriculum. CASTLE is an acronym that stands for Capacitor Aided System for Teaching and Learning about Electricity. Modelers have developed the pedagogy to facilitate student learning around clearly defined models, so CASTLE is a cool way to experience and practice Modeling. Each single unit develops a clear model. These models must then be “broken” or developed further to more advanced levels.
November 16th, 2019 Sessions (Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School, Broadview Heights)
Earth Science Fun! — Buy Tickets/RSVP!
Kelly Kroesen & Sheryl Lewis (Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School)
Come and join us as we explore many engaging STEM activities and teaching strategies that will help your students master important middle school earth science standards. In this workshop, we will explore foundational concepts of heat transfer through the act of cooking popcorn and S’mores. Then further develop these models of heat transfer through activities that investigate the Theory of Plate Tectonics based on real-time global data and evidence using UNAVCO and USGS. We will also explore activities involving Play-doh, the AR Sandbox, and homemade stream tables as we study Earth’s changing surface through stream dynamics, topography, and watersheds. True to the NGSS and Modeling Instruction curriculum, the ideas shared will offer numerous opportunities for students to explore Earth science concepts as they are guided to construct their own understanding of essential ideas.
Biology and Chemistry Activities with Children’s Toys — Buy Tickets/RSVP!
Jessie Sun! (Laurel School) & Paula Phillips
Moles are elusive for many students. Using rote memorization and blind acceptance, students often have a hard time applying the use of moles or even understanding what is the point of the unit. The two main activities showcase a hands-on approach of teaching and understanding moles, molar, and stoichiometry through Play-Doh & Kool-Aid. Participants will get to play with Crafting Dough and even drink the Flavored Drink!