Breakout Sessions 

Getting up to Speed with District Common Assessments

Strengthening Instruction Using Crosscutting Concepts 

We will learn together from examples of how to be more explicit in the way that we teach the CCCs in our classrooms. We will see an example of how to implicitly incorporate CCCs into our activities and will spend some time reflecting on how we are incorporating CCCs into our lessons. 

Creating Classroom Culture for Student Engagement

This session uses a lab to focus on whole-class questioning techniques and creating collaborative talk norms for discussion with your students.

Talk as a Tool for Learning

This session will help teachers encourage students to use science talk to generate ideas and to revise thinking/models. The focus will be given on a science concept and how to frame and model science talk in the classroom.

Your Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It): Explore How Infini-D Learning Can Help Future-Proof Your Classroom 

As we enter the age of ever-increasing AI, students will need to learn how to not just memorize facts or regurgitate information but to truly analyze, evaluate, and use information. They’ll need practice with the vital skills of collaboration, critical thinking, initiative, and resilience — 21st-century skills that AI will never be able to fabricate. In short, we need students and teachers who are ready for the future of education. This hands-on session FOR 7th AND 8th GRADE science teachers will demonstrate a program called Infini-D Learning (that all ASD teachers ALREADY have access to) that helps teachers facilitate real-world problem-solving and authentic collaboration -- all at the push of a button. All attendees will gain access to a FREE ACCOUNT and learn how to best utilize the library of pre-built missions where the whole class works together to apply whatever they just learned to hyper-engaging, standards-based scenarios. 

Tips & Tricks to help ELL and IEP students in the Classroom

See how a SMALL change had paid HUGE dividends for our Special Education and English Language Learners. Time will be given for you to create similar changes for your students.

Beyond the Worksheet: Using Gizmos for Sensemaking

Gizmo worksheets can be great, but if your students have used that Gizmo and worksheet in a prior year, using the same worksheet again may not be the most effective strategy. This session will spark ideas on how to use Gizmos in new and different ways that support student sensemaking. 

Grade Band Progressions: What students should know BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER leaving your class

In this session, we will focus on how to read and utilize the Grade Band Progressions (from the Core Guides) for each content area. Teachers will understand what prior knowledge and skills students should have before coming to their classroom, how to get students caught up who have forgotten or never learned the prior knowledge and skills, and what knowledge and skills students should be leaving the classroom with. 

The Benefits of 3D Assessments

Discover the effectiveness 3D assessments have on student comprehension, growth, and critical thinking.  3D assessments aren’t as difficult to evaluate as you might think, learn strategies to help with the logistics of implementing and grading these assessments. 

Adapting, Revising, and Improving OpenSciEd MS Curriculum

This session will focus on what we have learned while using OpenSciEd curriculum and how to improve, adapt, and customize resources to fit the needs of your students. We’ll work together to solve problems and overcome hurdles from your experiences and you’ll leave with tips, tricks, and tools to make storylines more successful in your classroom. Experiences are middle school related but will be useful for anyone interested in their new high school curriculum.

Strategies for Embedding Science and Engineering Practices

Simple ways to embed Science and Engineering Practices to any classroom. Using activity pages that go with any subject and some strategies to use interactive notebooks and grow your SEPs. Get time to come up with ways to use them in your class! 

Using the SEEd Core Guides for Student Success

Exploring and learning about the SEEd Core Guides from A-Z. Come with questions and share your knowledge! 

UtSTA Conference Debrief

Join other teachers to debrief, share, and have time to work towards the implementation of strategies learned at UtSTA

Literacy Strategies for Science Classrooms

Learn about some realistic strategies for helping students with literacy in the science classroom.

Science Games and Fun Learning Activities 

Science games are great! In addition to focusing on a science principle, students can also learn leadership, cooperation, communication, logical thinking, and are motivated to do so to win the game- no candy or grading necessary! Come see a variety of games which have been created and collected over the years for science in 7th grade, 8th grade, Environmental Science, and Chemistry.