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.

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.

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!

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); 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 and data-rich classroom activities. Handouts.

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)

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): Michelle C. Harris (Wakefield High School: Arlington, VA); Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); Ardis Herrold (Grosse Pointe North High School: Grosse Pointe Woods, 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 materials from areas other than your own.

Activities from Across the Earth System

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

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

NESTA Rock and Mineral Raffle

Win display-quality specimens of rocks, minerals, fossils, and other earth science–related materials while learning about earth materials from areas other than your own.

Presenter(s): Roberta M. Johnson (National Earth Science Teachers Association: Boulder, CO); Kimberly Warschaw (Wakefield High School: Arlington, VA); Parker O. Pennington IV (Retired Educator: Ann Arbor, MI)

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)

Activities from Across the Earth System

Educators and scientists share their repertoire of 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)