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National Conference in Los Angeles: March 30–April 2, 2017
Sun, Surf & Science

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Los Angeles Convention Center • 1201 S. Figueroa Street • Los Angeles CA 90015

Mark your calendar for NSTA's 2017 national conference—we'll be in Los Angeles, California!

Twitter hashtags: #NSTA17 (2017 conferences), #NSTA (all-purpose)

Registration

Please refer to the registration links above for pricing, submission instructions, and other important information.

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Info for exhibitors

Session Proposals

We are no longer accepting session proposals for the 2017 NSTA National Conference.

Keynote Speaker

Andy WeirAndy Weir

Come see and hear the author of the New York Times best seller The Martian! Andy is a lifelong space nerd and devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. During the keynote presentation, Andy will discuss how he went from computer programmer to bestselling author. Spoiler: He did it mostly by mistake!

Also, the first 250 people in line for Andy's session will receive a FREE classroom edition copy of The Martian. Andy will be personally autographing the books shortly after his presentation for those with a ticket.

BONUS! Register by the earlybird deadline, February 3, and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a special VIP experience. Fifteen lucky winners will receive:

  • Invitation to join Andy for an exclusive dinner on Wednesday evening hosted by Penguin Random House
  • Complimentary copy of the book and classroom kit
  • VIP seating at the General Session

NSTA wishes to thank Penguin Random House for sponsoring this speaker.

Thursday, March 30, 2017
9:15–10:30 AM

The Planetary Society Lecture on Wednesday

Bill NyeBill Nye

Chief Executive Officer, The Planetary Society, Pasadena, Calif.

Don't miss scientist, comedian, teacher, and author—Bill Nye as he shares "How nerds solve problems." Bill's ongoing mission is to change the world through science education.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017
6:00–8:00 PM

NSTA District Package: Teaming Up for STEM

District Leaders and School Administrators are invited to take advantage of customized learning experiences at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Los Angeles. NSTA can guide groups of teachers and administrators, throughout the conference, to ensure that they use this incredible learning opportunity to best meet the actual needs of their schools or district. Learn more

Conference Schedule

Registration (Hall H/J, Los Angeles Convention Center)
Wednesday, March 29
Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Saturday, April 1
Sunday, April 2		 5:00–8:00 PM
7:00 AM–6:00 PM
7:00 AM–5:00 PM
7:00 AM–5:00 PM
7:30 AM–12 Noon

NSTA Science Store (South Lobby, Los Angeles Convention Center)
Wednesday, March 29
Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Saturday, April 1
Sunday, April 2		 4:00–7:00 PM
7:30 AM–5:00 PM
7:30 AM–5:30 PM
7:30 AM–4:00 PM
8:00 AM–12:30 PM

Sessions
Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Saturday, April 1
Sunday, April 2		 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
8:00 AM–6:00 PM
8:00 AM–6:00 PM
8:00 AM–12:00 Noon

Exhibit Hall (Hall H/J, Los Angeles Convention Center)
Thursday, March 30
Friday, March 31
Saturday, April 1		 11:00 AM–6:00 PM*
9:00 AM–5:00 PM
9:00 AM–3:00 PM

*Exclusive exhibit hall and exhibitor workshop hours are on Thursday, March 30, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM.

Special Invite to Free Evening Event

The HHMI Night at the Movies: Sneak Preview of Amazon Adventure 3D

HHMI Amazon Adventure 3D

Join HHMI BioInteractive in Los Angeles on March 30 for a special sneak preview of Amazon Adventure 3D, a new IMAX feature film. Witness the epic true story of Henry Walter Bates, who risked his life exploring the Amazon in the 1850s on a burning quest to determine if species change—and ultimately provided "beautiful proof" for Darwin's new theory of the origin of species by natural selection by unraveling the phenomenon of mimicry.

Click here for details and to register for this free screening.

Ticketed Events

Click on the following ticketed events to see complete descriptions and ticket prices.

Conference Strands

To help you make the most of the professional learning opportunities available at the Los Angeles conference, the Conference Committee has planned the conference around four strands that explore topics of current significance, enabling you to focus on a specific area of interest or need.

For a list of sessions for each strand, click on the strand title.

NGSS: The Next Generation of Science Teaching

Celebrate the vision of three-dimensional teaching and learning in the NRC Framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This strand provides engaging and collaborative examination of the NGSS architecture to allow teachers to implement the changes necessary to construct a coherent program, including classroom practice and instructional sequence, as well as to build student skills. Bundling performance expectations connects the three key dimensions within a progression. This strand will focus on providing opportunities for students to collaborate as they develop and use science and engineering practices, communicate evidence of core scientific understanding, and apply real-world contexts. Alignment of assessments connecting core concepts, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts is essential.

2017: A STEM Odyssey

Students' science learning has changed dramatically from learning in the past. In a STEM environment, students' understanding of the world around them is facilitated through the intentional connections between the four disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM curriculum provides research-based instructional strategies that engage diverse learners and highlights career pathways in STEM-related fields. More importantly, STEM provides opportunities for all students to place themselves in a 21st-century world. In this strand, participants will connect and collaborate to increase their understanding and ability to teach STEM-based lessons and instructional sequences.

Science & Literacy Reloaded

With the continued emphasis on mathematics and language arts, elementary teachers have not been encouraged or given opportunities to teach science. This strand will support these teachers in seeing the connections between science and literacy. Elementary science will be re-envisioned as an opportunity for authentic language learning and not just one more thing to squeeze into the curriculum. As students investigate natural phenomena, they collect data to then make claims from their evidence and explain their reasoning, arguing from their evidence. Teachers can then support their students' language and literacy through science notebooks, technical writing, interactive journals, and e-portfolios. This strand will allow teachers to become advocates of literacy in science, blending oral and written communication skills within the science curriculum.

Mission Possible: Equity for Universal Access

Access to science education is not a privilege; it is a right for students of all abilities, genders, languages, socioeconomic status, and geographic locations. A quality science education is essential in closing the skills gap in our current workforce. Science learning must start in early childhood and be sustained through postsecondary education to keep our nation as a leader in innovation. Current challenges provide opportunities for equitable access to science education. Some issues include maximizing student achievement for exceptional students while respecting cultural and linguistic diversity in order to celebrate those differences. The sessions in this strand will focus on pedagogical best practices to enhance learning for ALL.

Conference Sponsors / Contributors

NSTA and the Los Angeles Conference Committee are extremely grateful to the following companies, associations, and individuals for their generous support and contributions to the NSTA Los Angeles National Conference on Science Education.

Sponsors

Conference Committee Leaders

Tim Williamson
Conference Chairperson
Instructor and Science Credential Coordinator
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840

Therese Shanahan
Program Coordinator
Lecturer, School of Education
University of California, Irvine
137 Bison Modular
Irvine, CA 92697-5506

Susan Gomez Zwiep
Local Arrangements Coordinator
Professor
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840