NSTA Sensemaking Professional Learning Packages

Empower educators. Transform instruction. Engage all learners.

NSTA’s professional learning offerings support the shift from traditional, content-driven teaching to phenomenon-based, three-dimensional science instruction. Whether you're adopting high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) or designing your own, our research-based workshops are tailored to help educators build capacity and implement the vision of the NGSS and A Framework for K–12 Science Education.

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What Is Sensemaking?

Sensemaking happens when students actively engage in science and engineering practices to investigate phenomena, ask questions, and construct explanations. It's not about memorizing facts—it's about making meaning of the world.

Our workshops help educators implement this approach in real classrooms with practical tools, classroom-ready routines, and immersive experiences that model what 3D teaching looks like.

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Sensemaking Professional Learning Pathways

NSTA’s Sensemaking Packages provide a scaffolded series of research-based workshops—from building foundational understanding to advanced implementation and coaching. Each experience is tailored to your district’s grade levels, curriculum priorities, and instructional goals. Whether you're just beginning or scaling high-quality science instruction, our flexible professional learning helps teachers, leaders, and administrators bring three-dimensional teaching to life in any classroom setting.

Build the Foundation

For teams beginning their sensemaking journey or looking to re-calibrate their educators.

Sensemaking: Foundations of 3D Science Teaching
Explore three-dimensional teaching through immersive experiences using high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) such as OpenSciEd. Participants will engage in classroom simulations, analyze student thinking, and learn strategies like Driving Question Boards and formative assessment tools to support student engagement, sensemaking, and productive discourse.

Engaging Young Learners in Science and Engineering Practices
Designed for elementary educators, this session unpacks the three dimensions—Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts—and models what they look like in K–5 classrooms. Educators will engage in lessons, explore instructional strategies, and learn how to support young learners as question-askers and meaning-makers.

Launch

For schools implementing HQIM or ready to deepen practice.

Implementing High-Quality Science Curriculum
This workshop supports the instructional shifts needed to implement HQIM effectively. Educators explore routines such as the anchoring phenomenon routine, investigation routines, and strategies for facilitating student discussions and formative assessments. Sessions are tailored by grade level and built around district-selected HQIM units.

Supporting Student-Led Scientific Argumentation
Help students build and refine scientific claims using evidence and reasoning. Participants experience lessons from a student perspective and explore scaffolds like the CER (Claims-Evidence-Reasoning) framework to promote both oral and written scientific argumentation.

Reviewing Curriculum for 3D Alignment
Ideal for districts designing or adapting curriculum, this workshop helps teams assess whether materials truly support 3D learning. Educators learn how to identify opportunities for students to use disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and practices in exploring phenomena and solving problems.

Note: Not intended for use with existing HQIM. Consider the "Implementing HQIM" workshop instead

Elevate

For experienced teams looking to master sensemaking.

Assessing 3D Learning in the Classroom
This workshop helps educators evaluate both assessment tasks and student work for alignment with three-dimensional learning. Participants will use research-based tools to examine how assessments provide opportunities for students to engage with science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. They’ll also explore strategies for analyzing student artifacts—such as models, explanations, and discussions—and learn how to provide meaningful feedback and adjust instruction to support deeper sensemaking.

Coaching Teachers in 3D Instruction
Support teacher growth with coaching strategies grounded in the principles of three-dimensional learning. Participants will explore observation tools, facilitation protocols, and collaborative planning approaches to help build teacher confidence and capacity.

Why Choose NSTA for Professional Learning?

As a trusted leader in science education for over 80 years, NSTA has a long-standing reputation for delivering high-quality, research-based professional learning experiences that empower educators to implement effective science instruction. As a certified OpenSciEd Professional Learning provider, NSTA leverages its decades of expertise in professional learning to support the successful implementation of high-quality instructional materials.

Partnering with NSTA gives you:

Access to a national network of science education expertise.
Evidence-based instructional strategies aligned with NGSS.
Classroom-ready tools to enhance teaching and learning.
Ongoing support to sustain long-term professional growth.
Professional learning that aligns with Science Professional Learning Standards

Full Workshop Calendar - Coming Soon

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