Happening right outside the nation’s capital, NSTA’s 2018 National Harbor conference on science education will take place November 15–17.

If you’ve ever attended, you know that the best thing about the conference is that there is so much to choose from—and you also know that’s the most challenging thing about attending an NSTA conference—so what do you do? One way to make the best use of your time is to consider sessions devoted to your content area. The place to begin is with a keyword search of the session browser for National Harbor. Browse below to find ideas for your content area, and see all conference details here.

Biology

Into biology? Put the keynote speaker on your schedule right away!

Mireya Mayor
Primatologist and National Geographic Explorer
WILD ABOUT SCIENCE: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer
Thursday, November 15, 2018
9:15–10:30 AM
Maryland A-D, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

Join Mireya Mayor for a morning of adventure, as this one-time Miami Dolphins cheerleader shares how she went on to earn a Fulbright Scholarship, discovered a previously unknown species of mouse lemur, and earned her PhD, proving there is more than one path to success. As an advocate for science and education, her passion is both inspiring and contagious.

Here are a few more sessions you may want to target:

• Facilitating Student-Created Field Studies in Your Local Environment
• 3-D Natural Selection
• NSTA Press Session: Argument-Driven Inquiry in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: Lab Investigations for Grades 9–12
• Exploring Life Sciences and Climate Change in Antarctica to Develop Scientifically Literate Global Citizens
• Easy Modeling Techniques for a Life Science Classroom

Chemistry

Looking to bond with other chemistry teachers? Join us for Chemistry Day on Friday, November 16, sponsored by the American Chemical Society. Look for their name on presentations.

Want more? Search the session browser using the keyword “chemistry,” and find the events that are right for you. Here are a few you may like:

• NGSS for Struggling Learners in Chemistry
• Chemical Evolution of Earth for High School Chemistry and Earth Science Classes
• Solids: The Neglected “State” of Chemistry
• Kinesthetic Chemistry: Get Your Students Up and Moving
• NSTA Press Session: Argument-Driven Inquiry in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: Lab Investigations for Grades 9–12

Next Generation Science Standards

Whether your state has adopted the Next  Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or you’re personally committed to 3D teaching and learning, you’ll find a lot at National Harbor when you browse the scheduler. Here are some you may want to attend:

• More Than a Lesson—What an NGSS Unit Looks Like
• Blended Learning in the Elementary Science Classroom: Transitioning to the NGSS Using Individualized Learning
• NSTA Press Session: Instructional Sequence Matters—Structuring Lessons with the NGSS in Mind
• Grounding STEM Education Programs in NGSS Practices
• Advancing Scientific Literacy with Lesson Plans that Meet the CCSS and NGSS

Physics

Physics teachers: Join us for Physics Day on Friday, November 16. And throughout the entire conference find events that are right for you. Here are a few you may like:

• Cars: Science Lessons That DRIVE Science Concepts
• ASEE Session: Make and Code…Together
• Exploring the Science and Engineering Practices
• Energy Explorations at the Primary Level
• Local Ice Rinks Are a STEM Wonderland and Feature Newton’s Laws at Play—Year Round!

STEM

STEM stars will want to put this featured speaker on their schedules:

Heidi Schweingruber
Director, Board on Education, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
Becoming Scientifically Literate: Insights from Research on Learning and Teaching
Thursday, November 15, 2018
2:00–3:00 PM
Maryland C, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

Join Heidi Schweingruber for great insights. Science is a way of knowing about our world. In a society where science and technology now touch nearly every part of our lives, it is critical to understand the processes and practices of science and to become critical consumers of scientific research. Drawing on studies from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Heidi’s talk focuses on exploring what scientific literacy is and the kinds of learning experiences students need to become more scientifically literate.

STEM, STEAM, Maker Spaces—they’re everyone, and National Harbor will be no exception. Browse the sessions to find your favorites. Here are a few samples:

• How to Implement STEM and NGSS into Your Classroom Through the Use of NSTA Competitions
• STEM on a Budget: Leveraging University and Community Partnerships
• Find the Fund$ for STEM: Grant Writing 101
• STEM Design Challenges in a Diverse Inclusion Classroom
• Taking STEM Outside
• NSTA Press Session: Engage Your Students: Designing Meaningful STEM Lessons

Pro Tips

Check out more sessions and other events with the National Harbor Session Browser/Personal Scheduler. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA18, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it!

Need help requesting funding or time off from your principal or supervisor? Download a letter of support and bring it with you! National Harbor support letter

And don’t forget, NSTA members save up to $95 off the price of registration. Not a member? Join here.

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

Future NSTA Conferences

2018 Area Conferences

• National Harbor (MD), November 15–17
• Charlotte, Nov. 29–Dec. 1

“Dive into Three-Dimensional Instruction” Workshop
National Harbor, November 16–17, 2018

2019 National Conference
St. Louis, April 11–14

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