How do you get our STEM kids motivated while desiring to pursue STEM careers? MMS is crafting a robust STEM program that merges with outdoor engagement. Discover innovative approaches to integrating outdoor classrooms, field trips, and adventure clubs, fostering a deeper connection with nature while nurturing mental well-being. Learn how these initiatives not only enhance STEM education, but also address the pressing mental health challenges facing today's youth. Be part of the movement reshaping STEM education for a brighter, healthier future.
We will discuss pacing and unit planning to assist those adapting to the new biology standards. Our focus will be on inquiry-based lessons in experimental design and evolution, highlighting the use of models, questioning techniques, and data analysis. We'll offer engaging activities and opportunities to collaborate with fellow biology educators to share implementation strategies for the new standards.
This session will feature biomedical research taking place to understand environmental exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and implications for human health. Attendees will participate in an activity that introduces how scientists use a systems biology approach to study environmental influences on living systems. This session will showcase strategies for incorporating real biological data and associated science practices into instruction to provide students with current, NC-relevant examples of curriculum concepts.
In this session, instructors will use 2D models of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to conduct tracking of carbon molecules and apply this information to a hands-on assay using freshwater algae to indirectly qualify carbon movement. They will then develop protocols that quantifies the qualitative changes witnessed (via carbon dioxide tracking) under a variety of environmental conditions. Collectively, participants will use the sum of their experiences to develop and explain an ecological model of carbon cycling.