PLI #4

About the Session

NSTA is providing an OpenSciEd Curriculum Launch Workshop* for the High School Physical Science Unit: P.1 Energy Flow from Earth’s Systems. This immersive professional learning experience is centered around the compelling and real-world context of the Texas power crisis of February 2021. Participants will explore how to guide students in making sense of the complex social, environmental, and physical systems involved in meeting community energy needs.

Throughout the workshop, you will experience key lessons from the unit as a student would—engaging with phenomena, analyzing data, and developing explanatory models that span multiple scales, from electrons moving through circuits to decisions made by power companies. You’ll see how the unit supports students in understanding energy transfer, evaluating the reliability of different energy sources, and applying engineering design principles to propose solutions that meet the real needs of their communities.

By participating, you’ll gain an understanding of how this unit supports student sensemaking, critical thinking, and civic engagement. You’ll also learn how to effectively navigate the embedded instructional resources to foster meaningful and relevant science learning in your classroom.

All attendees are invited to extend their professional learning virtually through the OpenSciEd High School Physical Science Unit P.1 Curriculum Launch Workshop (24 hours total) and Facilitator Training (32 hours total), empowering you to confidently lead and support energy-focused learning in your school and beyond.

• 6 hours onsite at the Minneapolis Conference PLI
• 18 hours virtual to complete 4-day curriculum launch*
• 8 additional hours virtual to complete facilitator training* (optional)

*Registration for virtual sessions incurs additional cost

Takeaways

• Gain experience and confidence to implement an OpenSciEd high school unit in your classroom.
• Create an opportunity to complete the OpenSciEd high school curriculum launch and facilitator training after the conference ends (virtual workshop sessions).