Workshops and Presentations by the Windows to the Universe Team
Our staff conducts workshops and presentations at conferences and other venues for the professional development of geoscience educators.
We've gathered up web links and other resources related to our presentations and listed them here. Upcoming events and our most recent workshops appear at the top of this list. The list of workshops offered prior to 2005 is not complete.
Windows to the Universe Educator Members should login to get full access to free formatted pdfs of activity descriptions, worksheets, data sheets, assessmements, and powerpoints on our Teacher Activities page. Non-members can access html versions of these resources and ppt slide shows, purchase individual pdfs and downloadable ppts from our online store, or join today for access to everything, and lots of other services and benefits, too. Thank you for helping to support Windows to the Universe!
We are now offering on-site professional development workshops for teachers.
2012
Upcoming Events!
NSTA National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 28 - 31, 2012
A PDF of the NESTA Schedule of Events at the National NSTA Conference in Indianapolis, including Windows to the Universe workshops, is available here.
Tickets are now available for NESTA ticketed events in Indianapolis! Ticket events include:
- Wednesday, March 28 - From Glacial Till to Minerals that Thrill! - NESTA's full day Field trip, leaving about 8 am and returning about 5 pm. A printed field guide and lunch are provided. Details will be provided shortly. Tickets are available here at $35 in advance or $40 on-site.
- Thursday, March 29 - Sampling Midwest Geology - NESTA's 1/2 day Field trip, leaving about 1 pm and returning about 5 pm. A printed field guide will be provided. Details will be provided shortly. Tickets are available here at $30 in advance or $35 on-site.
- Saturday, March 31 - NESTA's Earth and Space Science Educator Luncheon - including a lecture by our speaker, Prof. Steven Hovan, on "Dust in the Wind - The Geological Record of Ancient Atmospheric Circulation". This is a sit down lunch, with a choice of meals. Tickets are available here at $40 per person in advance. A limited number of tickets may be available on the day of the lunch at $45 per person.
2011
AGU NESTA Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshop, December 5-6, 2011, San Francisco
NESTA and AGU teamed up to organize the AGU NESTA GIFT Workshop for teachers at the Fall American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco. The five workshop presentation teams, composed of scientists and education specialists, were selected based on the quality of their workshop proposals from among the 24 proposals submitted. The materials presented in the workshop will be freely available here by the end of January 2012.
NSTA Area Conferences
The NESTA Windows to the Universe Team presented the same three workshops (Activities Across the Earth System, Climate Change Classroom Toolkit, and Let's Get Well Grounded!) at each of the following NSTA Area conferences.
- Hartford Connecticut (October 28, 2011; Presenters: Missy Holzer, Lisa Alter, and Roberta Johnson)
- New Orleans, Louisiana (November 11, 2011; Presenters: Roberta Johnson, David Mastie, and Parker Pennington)
- Seattle, Washington (December 9, 2011; Presenters: Richard Jones, David Mastie, Parker Pennington, and Roberta Johnson)
Activities Across the Earth System Workshop
| Resource/Title of activity | Brief description | PDF/PPT (Educator Members Only) | Purchase PDF/PPT (Non Educator Members) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activities Across the Earth System Powerpoint Presentation | Powerpoint presentation used in the workshop. | Powerpoint | |
| The Traveling Nitrogen Game | Become a nitrogen atom and travel through the cycle! Classroom Activity Kit available! |
Activity Description Signs and Codes Stamps Student Passport Teacher Stamp Key |
Purchase |
| Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation | Students investigate the climate effects of increasing amounts of black carbon on the absorption of solar radiation on the Earth's surface. |
PDF Worksheet 1 10% Paper 50% Paper 80% Paper |
Purchase |
Climate Change Classroom Toolkit Workshop
| Resource/Title of activity | Brief description | PDF/PPT (Educator Members Only) | Purchase PDF/PPT (Non Educator Members) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Change Classroom Toolkit Powerpoint Presentation | Powerpoint presentation used in the workshop. | Powerpoint | |
| Thermal Expansion and Sea Level Rise | Discover how thermal expansion of water might affect sea level! | Activity Description |
Purchase |
| Carbon Dioxide: Sources and Sinks | Find out about sources and sinks of carbon in the environment. | Activity Description | Purchase |
| Looking Into Surface Albedo | Students investigate how color affects heat absorption. |
Activity Description |
Purchase |
| Glaciers: Then and Now | Students compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last century. Classroom Activity Kit available! | Activity Description Student Worksheet Image Pairs |
Purchase |
| CO2: How Much Do You Spew | Students analyze the energy consumption of a hypothetical household to determine the amount of carbon dioxide they are adding to the atmosphere each year. Classroom Activity Kit available! | Purchase |
Let's Get Well Grounded!
| Resource/Title of activity | Brief description | PDF/PPT (Educator Members Only) | Purchase PDF/PPT (Non Educator Members) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let's Get Well Grounded Powerpoint Presentation | Powerpoint presentation used in the workshop. |
Powerpoint | |
| Silicon Tetrahedron | Students build a tetrahedron model using simple materials. Activity focuses on silica tetrahedron. | Activity Description | Purchase |
| Let's Take A Rock Apart | Students investigate the climate effects of increasing amounts of black carbon on the absorption of solar radiation on the Earth's surface. |
||
| Cookie Mining | Students will explore coal mining by attempting to remove chunks of coal (chocolate chips) from the ground (cookie) with minimum damage to the environment. |
Coming soon! | Coming soon! |
| Milky Way Tectonics | Students investigate plate tectonic processes using modes of deformation of a candy bar. |
Coming soon! | Coming soon! |
| Terrabagga | Students will build a simulated planet with a magnetic field. They will use a simple magnetometer to determine the orientation of the "planet's" magnetic field. | Activity Description Student Worksheet Student Instructions |
Purchase |
NSTA National Conference - March 9 - 12, 2011 - San Francisco, California
- Wednesday, March 9
NESTA Field Trip: A Tour of Subsidence, Jurassic Cherts, Active Faults, and an Antiform! - tickets available here ($65 per person online before March 8 and $70 per person on site - be sure to select the field trip from the drop down and continue to payment for a seat).
- Thursday, March 10
- 8:00-9:00 am - Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System, MosconeCenter, 220 & 222
- 9:30-10:30 am - Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge, Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Yerba Buena Salon 11
- 12:30-1:30 pm - Workshop: Playing with Ecosystem Science: Informal Modeling Games, Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Yerba Buena Salon 11
- Friday, March 11
- 9:30-10:30 am - NESTA Geology Share-a-Thon, Moscone, Meeting Room Hall D
- 11:00 am -12:00 pm - NESTA Oceans & Atmospheres Share-a-Thon, Moscone, Meeting Room Hall D
- 12:30-1:30 pm - NESTA Space Science Share-a-Thon, Moscone, Meeting Room Hall D
- 12:30-1:30pm - Workshop: Point, Game,Set, Match Hilton San Fran Union Square, Continental 3
- 2:00-3:00 pm - American Geophysical Union Lecture!
"Our Eye on the Sun - the Latest from SDO - the Solar Dynamics Observatory", by Dr. Todd Hoeksema, Moscone 104 - 2:00-3:00 pm - Workshop: Radiation Storm vs. the Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education, Moscone Center, 220 & 222
- 6:30-8:00 pm - NESTA Friends of Earth Science Reception, Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Club Room - Join us to honor the recipients of the AGI Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching.
- Saturday, March 12 - NESTA Earth and Space Science Resource Day: Earthquake Hazards and Seismology
All events at the Moscone Center, Meeting Room Hall D, except the ESSRD Breakfast
- 7:00-8:30 am - NESTA Resource Day Breakfast - "Bringing a earthquake seismology into your classroom with the Quake-Catcher Network", Prof. Jesse Lawrence, Stanford University, Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Nob Hill A - tickets ($48 in advance before March 8 and $53 on site) are available here - be sure to select the breakfast from the drop down box and continue to payment for a seat.
- 9:30-10:30 am - NESTA Earthquake Hazards and Seismology Share-a-Thon
- 9:30-10:30 am - Workshop: Virtual Labs in the Earth Sciences: Melting Ice, Warming Climate, and Ballooning Through the Stratosphere, MosconeCenter, 232 & 234
- 11:30 am -2:30 pm Three NESTA Advances in Earth and Space Science Lectures!
- 11:30 am -12:30 pm - "Earthquake Forecasting in California", by Cynthia Pridmore, California Geological Survey
- 12:30-1:30 pm - "Imaging the Earth Beneath our Feet - Pictures of the Earthquake-Producing Machinery in the Western US and Alaska", by Dr. Gary Fuis, USGS
- 1:30-2:30 pm - "The Tortoise and the Hare: A Tale of Faults that Creep", by Prof. Matthew d'Alessio, Cal State Northridge
- 3:30-5:00 pm - NESTA Rock and Mineral Raffle
- 5:00-6:30 pm - NESTA Annual Membership Meeting
2010
- NSTA Regional Conference - December 2010 - Nashville, Tennessee
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Climate Change: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present, and Future
- Workshop: Igniting Curiosity Through Discrepant Events
- Workshop: Just Add Humans! Helping Students Understand How Design and Development Choices Affect the Planet
- Workshop: Radiation Storm vs. the Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education
- NSTA Regional Conference - November 2010 - Baltimore, Maryland
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Climate Change: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present, and Future
- Workshop: Igniting Curiosity Through Discrepant Events
- Workshop: Radiation Storm vs. the Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education
- Workshop: Simulations and Interactive Multimedia Across the Earth Sciences
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- NSTA Regional Conference - October 2010 - Kansas City, Missouri
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Climate Change: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present, and Future
- Workshop: Cloudy Day Activities: Bridging Cloud Science, Literacy, and Art
- Workshop: Point, Game, Set, Match: Science Wins with Tennis Ball Containers
- Workshop: Radiation Storm vs. the Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific's (ASP) "Earth & Space Science: Making Connections in Education and Public Outreach" conference - August 2010 - Boulder, Colorado
- NSTA National Conference - March 2010 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Workshop: Playing with Ecosystem Science: Informal Modeling Games to Explore the Delicate Balance
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Simulations and Interactive Multimedia across the Earth Sciences from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- Workshop: Cloudy Day: Activities Bridging Cloud Science, Literacy, and Art
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
2009
- American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting - December 2009 - San Francisco, California
- NSTA Regional Conference - December 2009 - Phoenix, Arizona
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Math Activities in the Earth Sciences Using Interactive Multimedia from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- NSTA Regional Conference - November 2009 - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- NSTA Regional Conference - October 2009 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Activities from Across the Earth System
- Workshop: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- Earth Science Workshop with BVSD & St. Vrain Teachers on 19 October 2009
- NAAEE Presentation: Changing Climate, Changing World: Tackling the Global Warming Challenge
- NSTA National Conference - March 2009 - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Playing with Ecosystem Science: Informal Modeling Games to Explore the Delicate Balance
- Workshop: Changing Climate, Changing World
- Workshop: Water, Air, Land, Life, and Space! (WALLS!)
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Space Weather, and Geomagnetism
- Workshop: Interactive Simulations and Hands-on Activities across the Earth and Space Sciences
- Workshop: Cloudy Day Hands-On and Online Classroom Adventures Bridging Fundamental Basic Weather Science to Literacy, Arts, and ELL
2008
- NSTA Regional Conference - December 2008 - Cincinnati, OH
- Workshop: Cool Science from Cold Places: Classroom Activities to Explore the Impacts of Climate Change in the Polar Regions
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Water, Air, Land, Life, and Space! (WALLS!)
- Workshop: Microworlds! Online Tools Exploring Earth's Atmosphere, Water Cycle, and Greenhouse Gases
- NSTA Regional Conference - November 2008 - Portland, OR
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Earth's Magnetism, and Space Weather from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Water, Air, Land, Life, and Space! (WALLS!)
- Workshop: Cool Science from Cold Places: Classroom Activities to Explore the Impacts of Climate Change in the Polar Regions
- Workshop: Make a Big Splash: Ocean Literacy Resources for the Elementary Classroom
- Workshop: Microworlds! Online Tools Exploring Earth's Atmosphere, Water Cycle, and Greenhouse Gases
- NSTA National Conference - March 2008 - Boston, Massachusetts
- Workshop: Magnetism Activities, Space Weather, and Geomagnetism (Earth's magnetic field)
- Workshop: Interactive Simulations and Hands-on Activities across the Earth and Space Sciences
- Workshop: Bringing Writing and Reading into Your Earth Science Classroom: Innovative Assessment Ideas
- Workshop: Water, Air, Land, Life, and Space! (WALLS!)
- Workshop: Cool Science from Cold Places! Activities and Online Resources About Science of the Polar Regions
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: Playing with Ecosystem Science: Informal Modeling Games to Explore the Delicate Balance
- Workshop: Make a Big Splash: Ocean Literacy Resources for the Elementary Classroom
2007
- AGU GIFT Workshop, AGU Fall Meeting - December 2007 - San Francisco, CA
- NSTA Regional Conference - November 2007 - Denver, CO
- Workshop: Cool Science from Cold Places! Activities and Online Resources About Science of the Polar Regions from Windows to the Universe
- Workshop: Counting Stars and Watching Buds Burst: Citizen Science by Day and Night
- Short Course: SC-3 Climate and Global Change: A Toolkit for Teaching About Our Ever-changing World (sold out)
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: WALLS!
- Workshop: Magnetism, Electricity and Space Weather
- NSTA Regional Conference - October 2007 - Detroit, MI
- NSTA National Conference - Spring 2007 - St. Louis, MO
- Climate Change Workshop - Exhibit Museum, Ann Arbor, MI
2006
- 7th National Convention for Professors of Natural Science from 9-12 November 2006 in Puebla, Mexico
- NSTA Regional Conference - November 2006 - Baltimore, MD
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshops: Magnetism, Electricity, and Space Weather
- Workshop: WALLS!
- Presentation: Bringing Writing and Reading into Your Earth Science Classroom
- The Sun-Earth Connection and Geomagnetism: How the Sun, space weather, and Earth's magnetic field influence our planet's environment - Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for K-12 Educators at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Science Park (Research Division at Smithville) - July 2006 - Austin, Texas
- AGU GIFT Workshop on Space Weather and Magnetism - May 2006 - Baltimore, Maryland
- NSTA National Conference - Spring 2006 - Anaheim, California
- Workshop: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present and Future of Climate Change
- Workshop: WALLS!
2005
2004
2003
Last modified November 23, 2010 by Becca Hatheway.
