NESTA Professional Development Opportunities

NESTA offers an assortment of professional development opportunities through the year. Many of these events occur in conjunction with NSTA National and Regional Conferences. In addition, NESTA occasionally co-sponsors events such as Field Trips and Field Conferences (add a link) with other organizations. For professional development opportunities offered by other organizations, click here

If you have a professional development opportunity that you would like to have listed here, please post the opportunity.

Radiation Storm vs. the Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education

Try some tested hands-on activities and resources about the basics of magnetism, Earth's magnetic field and poles, and space weather. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI); Becca Hatheway (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO)

Climate Change: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present, and Future

Explore the scientific foundations of what we know about climate change through hands-on, data-rich classroom activities. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); Becca Hatheway (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI)

Igniting Curiosity Through Discrepant Events

Capture your students' curiosity and integrate life, physical, and earth sciences with these "near-magic" K–12 discrepant events that are inexpensive, simple, and safe.

Presenter(s): David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI); Parker Pennington (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI); Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO)

Just Add Humans! Helping Students Understand How Design and Development Choices Affect the Planet

These hands-on inquiry activities encourage student exploration of how humans live in the landscape and help them understand the environmental science implications of their choices. Handouts.

Activities from Across the Earth System - ACES!

Educators and scientists share hands-on, inquiry-based activities spanning the five "spheres" of Earth system science. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Becca Hatheway (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO); Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI)

NESTA Rock and Mineral Raffle

Here's a chance to win display-quality specimens of rocks, minerals, fossils, and other earth science–related materials while learning about earth science materials from areas other than your own.

Presenter(s): Parker O. Pennington IV (Retired Educator: Ann Arbor, MI); Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO)

NESTA Earth Science Share-a-Thon

Join NESTA members and other education specialists as they share their favorite classroom activities. Lots of free handouts!

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); Ardis Herrold (Grosse Pointe North High School: Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)

Igniting Curiosity Through Discrepant Events

Capture students' curiosity with 12 science "surprises" integrating life, physical, and earth sciences. These "near-magic" discrepant events are inexpensive, simple, and safe and have universal K–12 appeal.

Climate Change: Classroom Tools to Explore the Past, Present, and Future

Explore the scientific foundations of what we know about climate change through hands-on, data-rich classroom activities. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); Randy Russell (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI)

Radiation Storm vs. Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education

Explore the basics of magnetism, Earth's magnetic field and poles, and space weather with these tested hands-on activities and resources. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Randy M. Russell (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO); Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI)

Tackling the Global Warming Challenge in a Rapidly Changing World

How's Earth changing as climate warms? Can we stop it? Can we adapt? Help students develop critical-thinking skills, science understanding, and global warming solutions. Handouts provided.

Simulations and Interactive Multimedia Across the Earth Sciences

Experience three activities—a very simple climate model, graphing sea ice extent near both poles over time, and virtual ballooning to explore Earth's atmosphere. Handouts provided.

Cloudy Day: Activities Bridging Cloud Science, Literacy, and Art

Explore hands-on and online activities that illustrate the processes of cloud formation and allow students to make observations of the sky. Handouts and CDs provided.

Radiation Storm vs. Magnetic Shield: Superheroes of Magnetism and Space Weather Education

Try some tested hands-on activities and resources about the basics of magnetism, Earth's magnetic field and poles, and space weather. Handouts provided.

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); David F. Mastie (Retired Educator: Chelsea, MI); Becca Hatheway (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research: Boulder, CO)

Point, Game, Set, Match: Science Wins with Tennis Ball Containers

Free, "green," transparent, unbreakable, and infinitely adaptable, used tennis ball containers offer hands-on activities that make density, porosity, permeability, capillarity, core-sampling, and other elusive ideas visible.