“I work at a school in a science department that needs a little bit of re-innovation. I am trying to invigorate my department and help connect them with ideas that will help our students shine!” High school teacher Meghan W. had a great reason for wanting to be at NSTA’s National Conference last year, and no doubt many science teachers feel the same. NSTA conferences have great science ed PD, and we bring together the brightest minds in the field. Here are 10 more reasons high school educators won’t want to miss #NSTA19 in St. Louis this April.

1. High School Share-a-Thon—Saturday, April 13, 9:30–11:00 AM
   Join NSTA’s High School Division Director, Carrie Jones (ncscienceteacher@yahoo.com) for a high-energy morning designed just for high school educators. Session organizers say this is the place to come if you need new lessons for your high school classroom. Stop by for networking, great ideas, fun activities, handouts, and door prizes.
   (See page 13 of the program preview for more information.)

2. NGSS@NSTA Forum—Friday, April 12, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
   Held annually, this forum is considered to be the best place to explore three-dimensional teaching and learning. This year’s NGSS@NSTA Forum will focus on instructional materials. At the opening session, you’ll discover tools you can use to evaluate resources; and then five additional sessions will highlight instructional units designed to address three-dimensional standards. Click here for a list of the sessions. 
   (See page 11 of the program preview for more information.)

3. Dozens of sessions will be led by high school educators. Below is a small sampling of what you’ll find when you search the session browser for events targeted for high school science teaching:

• Developing Inclusive, Three-Dimensional Science Communities in High School Chemistry Classrooms, Thursday, April 11, 8:00–9:00 AM
• A Generation of Citizen Stewards, Thursday, April 11, 8:30–9:00 AM
• STEP UP 4 Women: Bringing the Representation of Women in Physics to 50% with High School Interventions, Thursday, April 11, 12:30–1:30 PM
• Creating a High School Physics Course in the NGSS Style, Friday, April 12, 8:00–8:30 AM
• Adventures in Flipped-Mastery: The Do’s and Don’ts of Changing a Traditional Classroom into a Flipped Learning and Standards-Referenced Environment, Friday, April 12, 9:30–10:30 AM
• Integrating E-Books into the Secondary Classroom Friday, April 12, 11:00 AM–12 Noon
• NGSS Session: What Can and Should We Do with CRISPR? A Next Generation Storyline That Connects Science to Students’ Interests and Concerns, Saturday, April 13, 12:30–1:30 PM

4. HHMI Night at the Movies—Thursday, April 11, 6:00 PM, at the Ferrara Theatre in America’s Center.
   Admission is free! Complimentary refreshments before the show.
   (See page 33 of the program preview for more information.)

5. Global Conversations: Welcome to My High School Classroom (W-2)—Wednesday, April 10, 7:20–11:45 AM
   Welcome to My Classroom is a program sponsored by NSTA’s International Advisory Board and is intended primarily for international participants to view science classrooms. Those with W-2 tickets will visit the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, an innovative college preparatory grades 9–12 high school with high expectations for its academic team and student body. For more information, visit slps.org/collegiate.
   (See page 18 of the program preview for more information.)

6. Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)–sponsored session: Citizen Science Investigations—Data-Rich Learning at Your Doorstep—Thursday, April 11, 3:30–4:30 PM
   Experience how citizen science provides a context for developing students’ understanding of data and variability along with science skills and concepts through local ecosystem investigations.
   Click here to see more ASTC-sponsored sessions.

7. Learn how to get published in The Science Teacher (NSTA’s high school journal) or any of NSTA’s journals—Saturday, April 13, 9:30–10:30 AM
   Meet the editors of NSTA’s four grade-level teaching journals. Find out what types of articles they’re looking for, why it’s important to use your own classroom experience as the subject matter, how the review process works, and more. Would-be authors will find that it’s not so daunting to share their great ideas with peers.

8. Meet the authors of your favorite NSTA Press books and share ideas for using their innovative strategies in the classroom. All NSTA Press sessions will be held in America’s Center. Click here to see all of the sessions. Many of the sessions are great for high school teachers, including the following:
   • Integrate Engineering into the Science Classroom Using Case Studies
     Thursday, April 11, 5:00–6:00 PM
     Struggling to add more engineering to your science class? Join us for hands-on case studies for grades 6–12 physical and life sciences.

   • Reading Nature—Engaging Biology Students with Evidence from the Living World
     Friday, April 12, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
     Engage adapted primary literature using an NSTA Press publication that allows biology students to not only understand core ideas, but understand how they are justified.

   • Beyond the Egg Drop-Infusing Engineering into High School Physics/Science Classrooms
     Friday, April 12, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
     Egg drop, marshmallow tower, motor-building…we certainly don’t lack “activities” in our science classroom. How can we go beyond trial-and-error? Explore concept-based engineering infusion and assessment options.

   • Once Upon an Earth Science Book
     Sunday, April 14, 9:30 AM–10:30 AM
     Want your students to read and write more effectively? Join Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, author of the Once Upon a Science Book series, for lessons that integrate literacy and Earth science content.

9. The Exhibit Hall—Daily
   Some call NSTA’s exhibit hall the “science teacher’s playground,” and while it truly is fun, you’ll also pick up a lot of PD and get to try top-notch science ed resources while there. Check out this blog to see what happens there (and only there)—from the whacky to the wonderful. View the exhibit floor and plan your route here (and don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for all the swag).

10. Meet your fellow high school teachers at the First-Timers Session—Thursday, April 11, 8:00–9:00 AM.
    This may be last on our list, but it should be first on yours. You’ll find tables marked “High School” (among other topics you may choose from like STEM and NGSS), where you can meet other attendees with similar interests, get to know the NSTA leadership, win prizes, and have a lot of fun. It’s the best way to kick off your conference experience!

Can’t Attend But Want the Experience?

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram using #NSTA19, like NSTA on Facebook and check out our St. Louis album, or follow The Science Teacher editor on Twitter for high school–specific information about the conference and other happenings at NSTA.

Pro Tips

Check out more sessions and other events with the St. Louis Session Browser. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA19, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it and share.

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And don’t forget, NSTA members save up to $90 off the price of registration. Not a member? Join here.

Future NSTA Conferences

2019 National Conference
St. Louis, April 11–14

8th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA
San Francisco, July 24–26, 2019

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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