Implementing a quality STEM education program requires creative approaches. But you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. At NSTA’s National Conference on Science Education, taking place in Nashville, March 31–April 3, you can find and take home some great STEM Ed tools for use in your classroom and schools. Challenge your students to become CSIs and find fingerprints and blood spatters using STEM techniques or have Hollywood come to you in the Body of Evidence: A Forensic Science Mystery session. Teach your students physical science concepts using K’NEX or CO₂ cars. No matter where you are in your STEM program, you’ll find colleagues in Nashville who are successfully using tools and can share solutions that will take your program to a new level. Check out the 10 sessions below to get a sense of what we’ve got in store, and browse all the sessions here (more than 1000 of them!) to see who’s offering the tools you need to succeed!

Teaching STEM Using Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

• On Thursday March, 31 at 8:00 AM, join Danielle Snowflack, Maria Dayton, and Tom Cynkar from Edvotek Inc. for a STEM session exploring four hot topics in biotechnology. Use DNA fingerprinting, paternity testing, medical diagnostics, and GM organisms to foster critical thinking and STEM learning techniques. Bring CSI and other techniques from your favorite crime shows to the classroom with this great STEM session.

STEM Infographic Use, Analysis, and Production for Higher Scientific Literacy in the Classroom

• Learn how to incorporate STEM infographics in the science classroom as a way of increasing science literacy. Rob Lamb from Pattonville High School will discuss with session attendees several lessons and give them resources that they can use back home in the classroom.

Build, Program, and Control with K’NEX Education’s New Robotics Building System

• Remember the building toys, K’Nex, from your childhood? It’s time to dust off those building skills for this STEM session focused on teaching students how to apply their programming skills to operate various models. In this workshop you will write your own computer program to control a vehicle model made out of K’NEX. Space will limited so make sure you get there early!

Body of Evidence: A Forensic Science Mystery!

• What can we learn from decomposing corpses? A lot! Join us for a hands-on lesson developed by Texas Instruments and the National Academy of Sciences with help from forensic anthropologist Dr. Diane France. This lesson combines science, Hollywood, and STEM careers into one easy-to-follow lesson and is part of the STEM Behind Hollywood program—free at stemhollywood.com.

NMEA Session: Starting a STEM Program in Your School on Next to Nothing

• Teacher-led STEM programs can offer students a wide range of learning experiences without a huge influx of cash. Find out how one program lets student fly, build underwater rovers, and create GIS projects, with grants, donations, and ingenuity.

Engineer Excitement in Your Classroom with a Carolina STEM Challenge®

• Build, spin, and race into hands-on activities that engage your middle school and high school students. Apply creative problem solving skills and engineering practices to environmental and physical science challenges. Experience how Carolina makes it easy to incorporate STEM into your classroom.

Science of Speed: The Fusion of Competition, Creativity, and STEM Learning

• Participate in this session to teach your students STEM education in a unique way. Students can learn physical science and engineering skills at lighting speed by designing, building, testing, and racing CO2 cars.

Solving the Mystery of STEM Using Forensic Science

• Conduct a number of STEM-focused forensic activities that LINK scientific investigations with analysis and investigative skills to solve multifaceted “cases” involving fingerprint, blood spatter, and document analysis. Apply basic mathematic principles and integrate reading and writing strategies.

Teach STEM Content and Spark Science Career Interest with Free Online Games

• Have your students translate their Sonic the Hedgehog and Minecraft skills to these science career simulations by solving real-world science problems using authentic tools and practices of scientists.

Flinn Scientific’s STEM Design Challenge™ “Build-It-Yourself” Lab Project

• Integrate STEM scientific inquiry and engineering design principles into your science curriculum. Join Flinn Scientific in a “build-it-yourself” lab project that will actively engage your students and increase their understanding of concepts that cut across scientific disciplines. Interactive demonstrations highlight science and engineering practices such as reasoning based on the evidence. Handouts for all activities!

Register to attend here—and don’t forget, NSTA members get a substantial discount!

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

Future NSTA Conferences

2016 National Conference

• Nashville, March 31–April 3

2016 STEM Forum & Expo

• Denver, July 27–30

2016 Area Conferences

• Minneapolis, Oct. 27-29
• Portland, Nov. 10-12
• Columbus, Dec. 1-3

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