JoinPLI #3
National Conference in Indianapolis • November 4, 2026
Full-Day Workshop
From the Sky to Your School: Exploring and Implementing OpenSciEd Elementary
Wednesday, November 4 • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
All participants will receive breakfast and lunch.
About the Session
Have you ever spotted the Moon in the middle of the day, or wondered why some constellations disappear for months at a time? These are the kinds of questions that stop students in their tracks—and they're exactly what this unit explores. Come experience a unit from the Elementary OpenSciEd curriculum and see how phenomenon-driven science turns everyday sky observations into deep investigations of Earth's place in the universe.
You'll see what it looks like when elementary learners do real science: arguing from evidence, revising their thinking, and driving the storyline with their own questions. You'll also leave with a clear picture of what it looks like to bring OpenSciEd into your school or district—and get introduced to free, high-quality materials designed to support professional learning communities while teachers are actively teaching the curriculum.
Come ready to be curious, think alongside colleagues, and imagine what becomes possible when rigorous materials meet the brilliance of elementary learners.
Key Takeaways
- The OpenSciEd Elementary curriculum units are designed using a storyline approach, providing students with a meaningful experience motivated by their own desire to explain something they don’t understand or to solve a problem their classroom has come to care about.
- Explore ways to make time for science in an elementary schedule and the math and ELA opportunities incorporated into units.
- Leave this session with free, ready-to-use Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) resources built to help teacher teams implement OpenSciEd Elementary materials with confidence.
In Partnership With:
Presenters
Guy Ollison
Guy Lamont Ollison, Ed.D. is a Science Educator with BSCS Science Learning who designs and facilitates professional learning focused on 3D, inquiry-based, and culturally responsive science instruction. With over 25 years of experience in K–12 education, he supports teachers and leaders in implementing high-quality instructional materials and strengthening equitable science teaching practices. His work centers on advancing student sensemaking and building educator capacity in diverse learning environments.
Tami Plein
As a member of the OpenSciEd State Science Steering Committee, Tami collaborated on the scope and sequence, design specifications, and instructional models for all three field-test projects. She also served as the Iowa field-test coordinator, supporting K–12 Iowa teachers as they field-tested units and provided feedback and implementation data that informed the development of all 58 units. Tami continues to contribute to a variety of OpenSciEd projects and is a certified OpenSciEd K–12 facilitator. Previously, she taught middle and high school mathematics and science in Iowa public schools and served more than 40 school districts as a regional science specialist in southeast Iowa