From Classroom to Research Lab: Generating Testable Research Questions!

KEY INFORMATION

• LOCATION: on Zoom (link will be sent to registrants)
• DATE & TIME: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 10 AM-noon
• LED BY: Tracy LaGrassa (bio below)
• CTLE HOURS AVAILABLE: 2
• THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR: Teachers of all age levels, especially those incorporating research projects with their students.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Are you tired of cookbook-style science labs? Would you like to engage your students in real, student-driven independent research projects? Engaging students of any age in the authentic research process stirs their curiosity and promotes creativity, while introducing them to how science is done.

In this two-workshop series, participants will put on their student-hats to engage with various phenomenon/experimental models and research entry points, and participants will learn to scaffold the scientific process with mini-lessons. In this first workshop, we will model and share resources that teach students how to develop testable research questions. In the second workshop on November 23, we will present tools for teaching students how to design and execute their own rigorous experiments to answer those questions.

You are welcome to join one or both workshops, and we encourage you to share your own practices, ideas, and questions, as the workshops will provide space for reflecting on - and refining - the process of turning your science classroom into a research lab!

THIS WORKSHOP IS ALSO PART OF AN AUTUMN SERIES for teachers using research project-based curriculum working up to student-driven investigations and year-end project showcases. All are welcome to join, and participants in the NYAS Scientist in Resident program are specifically invited. Other workshops in this series include:

• Sun 10/26: The Questioning Classroom
• Sun, 11/23: From Classroom to Research Lab: Part 2 - Experimental Design
• Tues, 12/3: Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (coming soon!)

WORKSHOP LEADER

Tracy LaGrassa is a biology and science research teacher since 2014. Her teaching interests include authentic student research, developing student agency in the classroom, and building equitable classroom communities. Prior to becoming a teacher, Tracy worked in patent law and as a cell biologist.

ABOUT STEMteachersNYC

Since 2011, STEMteachersNYC has delivered professional development workshops for teachers, by teachers, about teaching. We are an approved CTLE and NYCPS MTAC vendor. All workshops over 2hrs offer CTLE. Below is some important information, but please see our official Registration FAQ on our website for full details and policies.

Pricing: workshop/event pricing reflects a desire to offer affordable professional learning experiences. Some workshops are subsidized and offered at a discount or for free.

CUNY & other partner campus pre-service students: If you are training to be a teacher, we want to welcome you to attend our workshops for free! Please email registration@stemteachersnyc.org for details and to see if you qualify.

Want to pay by invoice or purchase order? We encourage you to ask your school or organization if this is a possibility. Please see the Registration FAQ for the process.

Are there discounts available? Often, yes! In the summers, we offer Early Bird and Teacher discounts alongside a Full Price ticket meant for those whose school or organization is funding their ticket. In the summer, we also have full scholarships, and a Fellowship available. All year, we announce specials and discounts on our social media (@STEMteachersNYC on Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Facebook), and in our Weekly Newsletter – sign up here. Additionally, we partner with several organizations and CUNY to offer free tickets to teachers and pre-service teachers involved, and if at any time price is a barrier to you purchasing a ticket, please contact us at registration@STEMteachersNYC.org

Refunds, cancellations, and other registration/ticketing policies or changes: Please see the full Registration FAQ for details and policies.

Please note: We take screenshots, photographs and record video of our workshops in order to publicize a positive image of science teaching, and of STEMteachersNYC – a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – and to support future teacher leaders. If you register, you are agreeing to be photographed and to have your voice and image video-recorded. You are also agreeing to relinquish all your rights to the photographs and video recordings.

If you do not wish to be photographed or video-recorded – you must inform us before the workshop starts. For in-person workshops, we may take one photograph of your face so that we can erase your image if we happen to catch it by chance during the workshop, and we will do our best to avoid you.

Have more questions? Please see the full Registration FAQ for further details and policies, or contact us directly:

• Registration or ticketing questions - registration@STEMteachersNYC.org
• Questions about invoice/PO issues - bookkeeper@STEMteachersNYC.org
• Any other questions - info@STEMteachersNYC.org