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2018 NSTA Area Conference in Atlanta, Georgia


The NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Altanta, Georgia was held from Thursday, March 15 to Sunday, March 18, 2018. We have a number of exciting sessions! Don't miss out on our Share-a-Thons and the events below!

Dr. C. Mark Eakin
American Geophysical Union Lecture:
Chasing Coral Bleaching—A Present and Growing Ecological Disaster

 Coral reefs are amazingly beautiful and complex ecosystems that support at least a quarter of all marine species. However, as ocean temperatures rise, corals have been expelling the algae that give them their color and their food, causing corals to die around the world at a record rate. Reefs have shown us that climate change is impacting nature and people now—it's not just some far-off problem we can worry about later. Mass coral bleaching is only a 35-year-old problem and it has been increasing in frequency and severity; a gruesome picture painted during the recent three-year global coral bleaching event. The focus of this talk will be on describing this growing problem and its haunting future while attempting to leave you hopeful that we still can save coral reefs before they are all gone. NOAA resources will be shared to understand this essential marine ecosystem, how we study them, and how we can help save them. We'll also explore a new film, Chasing Coral (available on Netflix), that takes students—and everyone else—on a journey to document and understand coral reefs and the problems they face.

When: Friday, March 16, 2018, 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Sidney Marcus Auditorium

Biography of Dr. C. Mark Eakin:

A coral reef specialist, C. Mark Eakin has worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for over 20 years and directs Coral Reef Watch, a program that monitors coral reef ecosystems through satellite and in water observations. He also played a role in developing the International and U.S. Coral Reef Initiatives and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).

Mark frequently publishes on coral reef ecology, especially the impact of climate change on coral reefs, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and coral paleoclimatology. He co-chaired the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force's Climate Change Working Group and has testified before the U.S. Congress on the impacts of climate change. In addition, he was a contributing author on the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report and a chief scientific adviser for the film Chasing Coral, which was filmed over three years, with 500+ hours underwater, including footage from over 30 countries. He holds a PhD in biological oceanography from the University of Miami.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
NESTA and NSTA Aerospace Education Advisory Board Space Science Share-a-Thon
Presenter(s): Paul Nordhaus (Harborside Academy: Kenosha, WI), Carla McAuliffe (TERC: Cambridge, MA)
Georgia World Congress Center, B102

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
NESTA Shares: Connecting Culture and Earth Science
Presenter(s): Michael Passow (Retired Teacher: Englewood, NJ)
Georgia World Congress Center, B102

Friday, March 16, 2018 (All sessions in: Georgia World Congress Center, B103)

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
NESTA and Climate.gov: Decoding Global Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Levels from a Model Ice Core
Presenter(s): LuAnn Dahlman (NOAA Climate Program Office: Silver Spring, MD), Carla McAuliffe (TERC: Cambridge, MA)

9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
NESTA and AMS Share: Using Core Concepts to Build a Robust Earth System Science Foundation
Presenter(s): Wendy Abshire (American Meteorological Society: Washington, DC)

11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
NESTA and NOAA Share: NOAA Planet Stewards—Content, Collaboration, and Action
Presenter(s): Peg Steffen (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Bruce Moravchik (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Molly Harrison (NOAA Fisheries: Silver Spring, MD)

12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
NESTA and NOAA Ocean, Climate, and Weather Share-a-Thon
Presenter(s): Belinda Jacobs (Cedar Ridge High School: Round Rock, TX), Michael Passow (Retired Teacher: Englewood, NJ)

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
NESTA and NOAA Share: Game Design and Game Jams for the Science Classroom
Presenter(s): Peg Steffen (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Bruce Moravchik (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Molly Harrison (NOAA Fisheries: Silver Spring, MD)

3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
NESTA and PolarTREC Earth System Science Share-a-Thon
Presenter(s): Deanna Wheeler (J.C. Parks Elementary School: Indian Head, MD)

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
NESTA and PRI: Activities from the Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change™
Presenter(s): Don Haas (Paleontological Research Institution: Ithaca, NY), Robert Ross (Paleontological Research Institution: Ithaca, NY), Ingrid Zabel (Paleontological Research Institution: Ithaca, NY)

Saturday, March 17, 2018 (All sessions in: Georgia World Congress Center, B103)

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
NESTA and Soil Science Society of American (SSSA): Soils and NGSS—Perfect Together
Presenter(s): Margaret Holzer (Chatham High School: Chatham, NJ), Emily Fuger (Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS): Madison, WI), Susan Chapman (Soil Science Society of America: Fitchburg, WI)

9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
NESTA and NOAA Share: Investigate Earth Processes Using NOAA Data Resources
Presenter(s): Peg Steffen (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD)

11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
NESTA, NREL, and CLEAN: Understanding the Grid: Using Evidence to Argue for Ways that Engineering Can Improve How We Live
Presenter(s): Cheryl Manning (Evergreen High School: Evergreen, CO), Margaret Holzer (Chatham High School: Chatham, NJ)

12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
NESTA Integrating Earth Science into Other Disciplines Share-a-Thon
Presenter(s): Cheryl Manning (Evergreen High School: Evergreen, CO), Belinda Jacobs (Cedar Ridge High School: Round Rock, TX)

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
NESTA and AAPT: Developing the Strategies and Content Knowledge to Integrate Earth and Space Science Concepts into High School Physics and Physical Science Courses
Presenter(s): Rebecca Vieyra (American Association of Physics Teachers: College Park, MD), David Thesenga (Timberline PK-8: Longmont, CO)

3:30 PM to 4:00 PM
NESTA and NABT: Developing the Strategies and Content Knowledge to integrate Earth and Space Science Concepts into High School Biology Courses
Presenter(s): Carla McAuliffe (TERC: Cambridge, MA)

4:00 PM to 4:30 PM
NESTA and AACT: Developing the Strategies and Content Knowledge to Integrate Earth and Space Science Concepts into High School Chemistry Courses
Presenter(s): Cheryl Manning (Evergreen High School: Evergreen, CO)

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Raffle
Presenter(s): Parker Pennington IV (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Ann Arbor, MI), Howard Dimmick (Consultant: Fort Collins, CO), Michael Passow (Retired Teacher: Englewood, NJ)

6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Friends of Earth Science Reception
International Ballroom F, Omni Atlanta at CNN Center

Other Earth Science-related presentations by NESTA Members

Thursday, March 15, 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM
Argumentation and Modeling in Earth Science Using Free Online Modules
Presenter(s): Amy Pallant (The Concord Consortium: Concord, MA), Stephanie Harmon (Rockcastle County High School: Mount Vernon, KY)
Georgia World Congress Center, A410

Thursday, March 15, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
AMP UP Your Earth Science Curriculum with Integrated Practices
Presenter(s): Jayma Koval (CEISMC, Georgia Institute of Technology: Atlanta, GA), Barbara King (Griffin-Spalding County School System: Griffin, GA)
Georgia World Congress Center, A305

Friday, March 16, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
NSTA Press® Session: Big Data, Small Devices
Presenter(s): Donna Governor (University of North Georgia: Dahlonega, GA), Eric Brunsell (University of Wisconsin Oshkosh: Oshkosh, WI), G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)
Georgia World Congress Center, B405

Friday, March 16, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Biology and Geology: Co-Evolving Over Time
Presenter(s): Margaret Holzer (Chatham High School: Chatham, NJ), Bernice O'Brien (Bainbridge High School: Bainbridge Island, WA)
Georgia World Congress Center, B308

Friday, March 16, 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
After an Earthquake: Real-Time Earthquake Data as a Hook to Encourage Answer-Seeking about the Geologic and Societal Context of the Event
Presenter(s): Michael Hubenthal (IRIS: Washington, DC), Tammy Bravo (IRIS: Washington, DC)
Georgia World Congress Center, A412a

Friday, March 16, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Using NASA Data to Enhance Earth Science and Make STEM Connections
Presenter(s): Tina Harte (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA), Elizabeth Joyner (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)
Georgia World Congress Center, A302

Saturday, March 17, 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
Calling All Carbons
Presenter(s): Eric Pyle (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA)
Georgia World Congress Center, B305

Saturday, March 17, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Prospecting for Mineral Ore
Presenter(s): Eric Pyle (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA)
Georgia World Congress Center, B305

Saturday, March 17, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Using Climate Proxies to Learn about Earth's Climate History
Presenter(s): Eric Pyle (James Madison University: Harrisonburg, VA)
Georgia World Congress Center, B305


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