Title:  Climate Change & Me @ Adler Planetarium

Room 300

Description  Join the Adler Planetarium to hear more about the process, programming & resources from our newest offering, Climate Change & Me. Designed to help 5th - 8th graders understand the science behind climate change and it's impacts on local communities.  With options for in-person field trips, bilingual virtual classroom visits and classroom extension activities - participants to the program will hear from NASA scientists and young activists about current challenges, future strategies, and how collaboration can create solutions and foster hope.  

Presenter: Museum Science Educator -  Leila Makdisi

Resources: https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/

Title:  Teaching Sustainability: Activities, Careers, and Real-World Connections 

Room: 321

Description:  Empower your students to take action for a better planet by connecting geoscience learning to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Explore AGI’s classroom-ready tools, including the Sustainability Interactive and Geoscience Career Explorer, and experience hands-on ways to bring sustainability into your teaching. 

Presenter: Education Specialist- Lauren Brase

Resources: https://www.americangeosciences.org/

Title: A Closer Look at Animal Behavior: Using Ethograms to Support Student-Centered Investigations

Room: 301

Description: Ethograms are tools that scientists use to study and share data about animals in nature and in managed care. This NGSS standards-informed session provides an introduction to ethograms, practical tools, resources and strategies for engaging students in their own animal behavior studies. 

Presenter: Manager of Professional Learning - Patricia Steinmeyer

Resources: https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/

Title: Conservation@School: Planting for the Future  

Room: 302

Description: "Think globally, act locally" is often said when talking about the environment. Supporting native plant habitats on school grounds is a great way to act locally, involve students in tangible, hands-on and hopeful actions to support plants and animals in the age of climate change. Join The Conservation Foundation to learn about their Conservation@School program and how you can create welcoming nature spaces right on school grounds that are good for people and nature in a changing climate. We will cover how educators can incorporate native plants and the outdoors into their lesson plans to help students build a strong connection with nature as well as how native plants are an important piece of the puzzle when combatting the negative impacts of Climate Change.  

Presenters: Conservation@Home Managers Beth Peluse and Carolyn Wagner

 Resources: https://theconservationfoundation.org/

Title:  NGSS Environmental Justice Curriculum for Illinois Classrooms. 

Room: 303

Description This session will present Illinois EPA's new NGSS-aligned environmental justice curriculum unit. Geared towards a middle school audience, this FREE unit includes content and activities adaptable to high school science classes as well. We will get hands-on in this session and try out several of the unit's activities, including air quality monitoring and asset mapping. The curriculum and loanable activities kits are available online for free at: https://pathways.mste.illinois.edu/curriculum/environmental-justice 

Presenter: Eli Dollerhide

 Resources: https://www.epa.gov/

Title  EF Tours (International Travel Experiences for Students) 

Room: 308

Description: Discover the world with EF Tours! This session will highlight upcoming international travel opportunities for students, including trip destinations, educational benefits, and how travel can expand global perspectives. Attendees will learn how these experiences foster independence, cultural awareness, and lifelong memories beyond the classroom. 

Presenter: Science Department Chair and EF ambassador Brian Glasby

 Resources: https://www.eftours.com/educational/collections/stem-tours

Title    Using DNA to infer shark and ray mating biology 

Room: 315

Description: Kevin Feldheim is the A. Watson III Manager of the Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution. His research focuses on inferring the mating system and population biology of sharks using genetic markers called microsatellites, although he is broadly interested in many organisms. Microsatellites are short, tandem repeats in DNA (e.g, AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG) and are extremely useful in identifying individuals. In fact, these are the same types of genetic markers that are used in court cases and paternity tests. We use these markers in our lab to answer similar questions in other animals, plants, and fungi. 

Presenter: Kevin Feldheim - Manager of the Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution

Resources: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/about/staff/profile/kevin-feldheim

Title: Climate Change and its Effects on Forest Preserve of Cook County Management.

Room: 312

Description:  This presentation will focus on the Fisheries and Lake Management section and its annual operations, along with other FPCC Resource Management practices and observations. 

Presenter: Head Fisheries Biologist Steve Silic

Resources: https://fpdcc.com/

Title: From the Ashes: Rethinking Land Management Practices to Match our Shifting Climate

Room: 316

Description Description: Discover how prescribed fire and shifting management practices shape ecosystems in a warming world. Through engaging, hands-on activities and classroom-ready experiments, participants will explore fire ecology & habitat resilience, and cover strategies to help students connect climate science to their local communities. 

Presenter: Naturalists - Derek Gronlund, Keriann Dubina, Jenny Kamm, Glenn Perricone, Kaela Khan 

Resources: https://www.dupageforest.org/

Title: Using Phenology to Track the Effects of Climate Change in Illinois 

Room: 316

Description

Presenter: Naturalist Amber Ross

Resources: https://kaneforest.com/

Title  Using BioInteractive Resources To Model Climate Change 

Room: 318

Description : Join us as we engage in the science practices of modeling and data analysis using BioInteractive resources focused on climate change and its impacts. We will discuss integrating climate change as a phenomenon into a variety of life science topics. 

Contact: HHMI Ambassador and teacher Michele Koehler

Resources: https://www.biointeractive.org/

Title  Engineering behind ice coring drills

Room: 347

Description designing the right tool for the job. Description: PowerPoint presentation highlighting how science and engineering work together along with a 'choose the right drill' activity based on theoretical field project scenarios. 

Contact : Lead Scientists at the Ice Drill Program - Krissy Slawny, Elliot Moravec, Jay Johnson

Resources: https://icedrill-education.org/

Title  Exploring Glaciers-Slip Sliding Away.

Room: 317

Description:  In this hands-on session, teachers will explore a classroom-tested investigation that uses “glacier goo” (Glue-based slime) and adjustable glacier valleys to model how real glaciers flow. Participants will try open and guided inquiry approaches to test how factors such as slope, bed surface, temperature, and internal ice deformation influence glacier movement. Through colorful tracking dots, toothpicks, and layered “ice,” students collect time-series data, and calculate flow speeds to uncover key glacial flow concepts. This engaging activity supports NGSS-aligned instruction in Earth science, forces and motion, systems, and cause and effect.  

Contact : Ben Kopec and Alden Adolph, professors at Michigan Tech University. (Recommended Grades 6-12). 

Resources: https://icedrill-education.org/

Title  The Year Science Changed Everything

Room: 320

Description : In 1957, the impossible happened: 60K scientists from 66 nations worked collaboratively to unlock some of Earth's greatest mysteries. It's time to do it again. Join the author to hear about his journey writing how and why the International Geophysical Year continues to be relevant to our daily lives. 

Presenter: Author - Mark O'Connell

Resources: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/year-science-changed-everything-mark-oconnell/1145809477

Title  Vital Signs of Thwaits, the "Doomsday Glacier" Virtual Field Lab Curriculum

Room: 310

Description:  Explore authentic data from Thwaites Glacier—the so‑called “Doomsday Glacier”. Investigate three different vital signs through the virtual field lab series led by Dr. Karen Alley and Dr. Richard Alley. Students will analyze satellite imagery, build data tables and trend graphs, and investigate whether Thwaites Glacier’s rapid changes could reshape the rate of global sea‑level rise. This investigation features glaciology, oceanography, and remote sensing, in classroom‑ready activities that connect real polar science to authentic climate research. 

Presenter: Richard and Karen Alley, who will be keynoting later in the day, will be in person at this breakout session and will prioritize answering all of your Thwaites and climate questions as the curriculum is explored. (Recommended grades 7-12) 

Resources: https://icedrill-education.org/

Title  Show Your Stripes

Room: 304

Description  Learn about turning climate data into a wearable color graph. This will not only be a fashionable item to wear but a great conversation starter. Learn how you can even make this a lab activity with your kids. 

Presenter: Louise Huffman and Jenny Baeseman

Resources: https://showyourstripes.info/

Title: Teaching Climate Change to Address Denial & Climate Anxiety

Room: 306

Description: Teaching climate change can spark a range of responses, from denial to anxiety. Explore free, classroom ready NGSS-aligned resources that support flexible, student-centered instruction and plan how to implement them in your classroom

Presenters: Education Specialists and science teachers - Britt Miller and Wendy Johnson

Resources: https://ncse.ngo/ncse-story-shorts

Title: Changing Trees-Phenology Connections for Your Students 

Room: 309

Description: Trees and plants change throughout the year, and these observable phenomena are a rich opportunity for students to observe how timing of these events can change slightly year over year. This presentation will introduce educators to a new pilot field trip program launching soon at the Arboretum. This new program (designed for students grades 6-12), will allow students to make phenological observations and understand how changes to timing of these events have impacts on the ecosystem and interconnected species within the ecosystem they reside in. 

Presenter: Education Activist Megan Kuhl-Horbin

Resources: https://mortonarb.org/

Title:   Connecting Sustainability and Climate Science in the Classroom to the Community

Room: 352

Description: Local governments provide a number of services and have various policies that are relevant to the environment. Connecting STEM concepts and lessons to your local community can provide valuable context that reinforces understanding, as well as helping identify opportunities for promoting sustainability in your community. This session will review a framework for linking STEM concepts to community sustainability efforts and measuring environmental impacts. 

Presenter: Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Jason Michnick

 Resources: https://www.downers.us/environmental-sustainability

Title:  Nature: Where you live, work and play. 

Room: 349

Description: Creating and restoring natural habitats in the urban, suburban and rural areas is critically important today. It has a million benefits and encompasses many professions. We connect everyone to our shared environment by communicating through their values. 

Presenter: President of Pizzo Group - Land restoration - Jack Pizzo

Resources: https://www.pizzonursery.com/   https://habitatrestoration.com/  

Title  Weird Weather, Wetlands, and Amphibians.

Room: 351

Description:

This session will take a look at how climate change causes 'weather weirding' and how the changes in weather patterns affect our local wetland ecosystems. With a focus on amphibian communities, we will discuss 1) how local amphibian might adapt to climate change and 2) how restoration can help ensure amphibians survive and thrive. 

Presenter: Research Biologist Melissa Youngquist

Resources: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/about-shedd/leadership/research-experts/melissa-youngquist-ph-d 

Title  Coral Reefs in a Warming World: From Bleaching and Breakdown to Building Resilience.

Room : 307

Description:

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth, yet they are being transformed by the rapidly warming oceans. In this session, hear from Shedd Aquarium scientists and educators who are on the front lines of studying coral responses to climate change, advancing research to build their resilience, and engaging public audiences in understanding what’s at stake—and what can be done—to protect these vital ecosystems. 

Presenter: Coral Researcher Ross Cunning

Resources: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/about-shedd/leadership/research-experts/ross-cunning-ph-d

Title: Learning on a warming planet: Climate emotions in the classroom

Room: 362

Description: In this session we will examine the ways that students' emotions about climate change (e.g., anxiety, grief, hope) intersect with and influence how and what they learn in classrooms across the curriculum. Best practices for supporting students' emotions while teaching with urgent hope will be explored including the use of regenerative paradigms and co-creating futures with students. 

Presenter: Assistant Professor in Education Policy Organization and Leadership - Samantha Lindgren 

Resources: https://education.illinois.edu/profile/samantha-lindgren 

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