Nature As The Classroom: Teaching Cross-Cutting Concepts Using Nature Journaling
November 2026
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), Indianapolis, IN
This session describes how to integrate the NGSS cross-cutting concepts in science instruction using Nature Journaling. The presentation shares classroom examples of integration of cross-cutting concepts when investigating outdoors, including nature journaling prompts and suggested activities. For example, what are ways in which teachers can encourage student sense-making of nature through the lens of Patterns/Cause and Effect/System and System Models (and the remaining cross-cutting concepts)? What are prompts teacher can use to guide students through Nature Journaling? How will such an activity help students to better understand and use cross-cutting concepts in their science investigations? I shared low-prep and high-impact strategies for integration of cross-cutting concepts in preservice science education courses, including examples from my classroom experiences.
Building the Birth–Kindergarten Science and Engineering Blueprint: A National Framework for Equitable Early STEM Preparation
November 2026
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), Indianapolis, IN
Children begin wondering, investigating, designing, and making sense of the world long before kindergarten, yet there is no nationally coordinated Birth–Kindergarten framework to guide science and engineering teaching, educator preparation, and early learning environments across these critical years. This session introduces our national stakeholder effort to develop a Birth–Kindergarten Science and Engineering Framework that addresses this gap and builds coherence across the early STEM continuum. We shared the need for the framework, the collaborative process for engaging early childhood educators, STEM scholars, and teacher educators, and emerging principles for developmentally appropriate and equitable science and engineering learning from birth through kindergarten. Attendees explored implications for teacher preparation, curriculum, and learning environments, and left with concrete ways to use a Birth–Kindergarten lens to strengthen practice and preparation.
Moon Journaling: Building Pre-service Teachers’ Observation and Sense-making in an Elementary Science Methods Course
November 2026
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), Indianapolis, IN
This session showcases an Earth and Space Science learning experience in an Elementary Science Education Methods Course titled ‘Moon Journaling’. With journals, preservice teachers were invited to wonder, observe, analyze and interpret data, and make sense of the day-time and night-time sky, particularly the moon and its phases. The presentation shares how preservice teachers enacted NGSS Science Practices, identified and corrected their misconceptions, and learned about elementary science pedagogy through this process. The presentation also shares examples of how to integrate Earth and Space Science core ideas in the classroom, including journaling prompts and suggested activities. For example, what are ways in which teacher educators can encourage preservice teachers’ sensemaking using Moon Journals? How will such a learning experience help preservice teachers to understand science content and prepare them to use it in their future classrooms?
