DASH: Delivering and Serving Hope

The main purpose of DASH is to reach out to the community with simple acts such as giving food, giving service, and helping those in need.https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/educ_sys_202/1082/thumbnail.jp

Construction and performance of a novel capture-mark-release moth trap

Mark-recapture studies can provide important information about moth movement as well as habitat preference across a landscape, but to date, such studies tend to be species-specific or require labor-intensive methodologies. To address this challenge, we designed a capture-mark-release-trap (CMRT) featuring a cooling unit attached to a black light trap. The CMRT captures and incapacitates moths throughout the night until the morning, when they can be marked on-site and released. Moths captured with the CMRT during summer of 2016 had a recapture rate of 1.6%, similar to those of previous studies. Importantly, because moths are immobilized by the CMRT, they can be handled and marked with ease, reducing the opportunities to damage specimens prior to release. The CMRT trap can capture a wide array of moth species and may facilitate an increase in the monitoring of moth movement across landscapes

Session F-2: Is it all Just Random?

Students in middle school often learn basic genetics and gain experience using a Punnett Square analysis to determine probable genotype and phenotype outcomes for a family. What students may not learn is how these probabilities relate to the overall population. Probability is an integral part of genetics and heredity. Understanding what is meant by “probability” and how it applies to genetics is an important focus in the CCSS. One way to teach these concepts is to tap into popular literature. In this session, we will explore the genetics and probability behind the character, Auggie, in the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

The art curriculum as a model approach for cultivating higher order thinking skills

As a life-long learner, I am fascinated by the abyss of knowledge that characterizes and composes a life of consciousness. As a teacher and mentor, I am committed to igniting this quest for knowledge in others and developing effective practices in doing so. The curriculum functions as an invitation to knowledge—or what can be seen as the crux of an education. The question I am most interested in answering is: “how can we most effectively approach curriculum in a way that inspires higher order thinking?” Throughout this study, I examined the factors that go into the formation of curriculum, the various types of thinking that different formats of curricula promote, and the potential for an alternative curriculum that would cultivate complex thinking. In the process, I analyzed the Standards of Learning (SOLs) in Virginia, 8th grade unit documents from World History I (WHI), English, and Art, observed classrooms, and interviewed both teacher and student participants. It is my opinion that the structure, format, and epistemological character of the art curriculum could function as a model approach for promoting higher order thinking skills. While curriculum is a constantly debated topic and is only as effective as it is reflective of society, this research is viewed as furthering discussions regarding the formation of a 21st century curriculum

Session F-6: “To Infinity and Beyond” – Exploring ways to teach an abstract concept

Imagine a numberless world. I wonder if you can. No need for calculations, or counting tools of man. Imagine all the people living without 1, 2, 3’s…Abstract concepts are often difficult to teach. Students frequently desire concrete examples of calculations or real-world connections to concepts. The concrete becomes increasingly difficult when numbers are extraordinarily large or small. Join us as we explore techniques designed to provide real-world connections and help make numbers, big, small, or infinite, easier to understand

STEM, not S-T-E-M! A Workshop on Integrative Teaching

Are you tired of experiencing STEM activities that really only focus on one content area within the acronym? Join us for a workshop on integrative STEM. We will begin with a general introduction to what an Integrative activity entails, move on to some quick examples and then jump into developing an original integrative STEM activity. Be prepared to think creatively and take risks as we explore the multi-content-verse in which STEM live

A Focus on NGSS and High School Life Sciences

In this session educators will engage in a brief discussion about High School level Next Generation Science Standards in Life Science. Sample activities will be presented that act as examples of how to approach some of these standards in the classroom, without overhauling existing curricula

Session A-2: Use Your Noodle – Tips from Neuroscience to Sauce up Your Lessons

How many times in a day do you look at your students and internally scream for them to use their noodle while hiding the fact that your internal waters are boiling? Turn the heat down and join us for an interactive and informative session exploring ways to engage your students to use their noodles and save yours from being cooked. We will experience activities designed to engage the brain, and explore the research behind why these technique may work to enhance learning. Leave with tips from the neurosciences that are easy to reproduce in your classroom