The Exploratorium's Teacher Institute and Institute for Inquiry present:

The 6th NGSS STEM Conference
Investigating Everyday Phenomena
Exploring 3-Dimensional Learning through NGSS

Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Science is all around us, and the CA NGSS can help your students understand it. Join us as we engage in activities for your science classroom (grades 3-12) incorporating the three dimensions of the NGSS. Spend a day at the Exploratorium investigating the science of everyday phenomena.

This one day conference will feature:

• A keynote

• Your choice of three hands-on workshops

• Catered lunch and breakfast

• Access to all workshop materials online

• One semester unit of Continuing Education credit available for an additional fee

Tickets are limited, so please register early to get your first choice workshop sessions!

Do you teach at a Title 1 school? Let us know on your registration form and you’ll receive a 50% rebate on your registration fee after you attend the conference.

Are you traveling from outside of the Bay Area? A limited number of travel stipends are available for participants coming from outside of the 9 Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano & Sonoma). You can request a travel stipend on your order form. Since a limited number are available, requesting a stipend does not guarantee that you will receive one. Participants who request stipends will be notified by February 1st whether or not they receive the stipend. If you do not receive a stipend, you will have the option to cancel your ticket order for the conference (up to 7 days prior to the conference).

Workshop Sessions

We are offering eight hands-on workshops, and attendees will be able to go to three of them. After the conference, we will post activities from all of the workshops on our website.

Everyone is welcome to sign up for three workshops of their choice (first come, first served). The grade levels provided are suggestions.

Keynote Session: Navigating A Three-Dimensional World

Having two eyes provides humans perspective—the ability to frame what we see in three dimensions. Explore the science behind binocular vision and how it helps us make sense of the three dimensions of space—and gain a deeper perspective on the three dimensions of NGS

The Air Force (and Pressure) (grades 6-12)

Are you feeling pushed around and under pressure? Well, you are, because we all live at the bottom of an ocean of gas called the atmosphere. Join us as we investigate and explore the phenomena of air pressure and its associated force. Surround yourself with NGSS-aligned activities that will help you learn about the gas that envelops you.

The Circle of Life in the Produce Aisle (grades 3-8)

Birth, growth, reproduction, and death. These fundamental processes are represented in an everyday place: the grocery store. In this workshop, we’ll investigate structure and function in the life cycles of plants through explorations of the produce aisle.

Cycles and Scales of Earth, Sun and Moon (grades 5-8)

Come explore the cycles and the size and scale relationships of Earth, the sun, and the moon. All cultures have connections to these celestial bodies, and naked-eye astronomy is available and accessible to all students. Engaging phenomena and investigable questions lead us into NGSS-based explorations.

Dissolving Lifesavers (grades 3-8)

Figure out what makes Lifesavers dissolve faster or more slowly and experience several key features of NGSS, such as carrying out investigations, developing models, and engaging in science talks. While this lesson is focused on a Grade 5 standard and can be adapted for the classroom, it is designed to be used in staff development to show how the three dimensions of NGSS can be used to understand phenomena.

If a Leaf Falls in the Forest (grades 6-12)

We know that the change in seasons can impact ecosystems, but can it also affect the atmosphere? Join as we use a series of hands-on experiments and big data to investigate what affects photosynthesis, how and why it shifts with the seasons, and how the biosphere and atmosphere interact to change the planet.

The Science of Food (grades 6-12)

If cooks were the first chemists, then cookbooks make good science texts. Starting with recipes for things like fudge and Italian ice, we’ll look at how their directions reveal the hidden science of crystals and colligative properties. Bring the science behind cooking to the fore and arrange some molecules into a delicious lesson.

Science On A Roll: Tinkering and the SEP's (grades 3-12)

Science and Engineering Practices are at the heart of making and tinkering. In this workshop, you’ll get direct experience with an established tinkering activity and make concrete connections with the ways it supports core NGSS ideas, concepts, and practices.

Your Cell Phone's Secret Tools (grades 6-12)

Did you know that most cell phones are equipped with tools you can use for scientific investigations? We'll explore some common features, such as your phone's accelerometer and slow-motion video, that will allow you to take your explorations to a new level.

Conference Schedule

8:30 a.m. Registration

9:00–10:00 a.m. Welcome and Keynote Session

10:15–11:45 a.m. First Session

11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:45–2:15 p.m. Second Session

2:30–4:00 p.m. Third Session

4:00–5:00 p.m. Explore the museum!