WSST Newsletter, Volume 65. #4

67th Annual Conference: Welcome to Osh-Vegas!

Stacey Strandberg and Jamie Groark, Conference 2025 Co-Chairs

Welcome to OshVegas – Increasing Your Odds of Student Engagement!!

April 3 – 5, 2025

Oshkosh Convention Center

The Oshkosh Conference Chairs are busy planning and recruiting science teachers to create an amazing conference opportunity for next year. If you are interested in joining our committee, please do not hesitate to reach out to Stacey Strandberg at biologystacey@gmail.com or Jamie Groark at groakjamie@gmail.com

The conference will be held at the Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel &

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From the President

WSST President, Kristin Michalski

Another successful conference has ended, thanks to the efforts of Timothy Sprain, Marcia Gardner, and the 2024 conference committee for organizing our WSST Conference, Driftless Wonders. The conference ran smoothly, thanks to the efforts of our members, vendors, and presenters. However, we also need to acknowledge those working behind the scenes to ensure a flawless registration: Kevin Niemi and Tammy Dymesich. Thank you for all their efforts.

One of the many highlights of the social events was the trivia night on Thursday, where many members competed and

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President’s Address & Conference Info

WSST and Other Awards

WSST Election Results

Pictures from Conference 2024: Drifltless Wonders

WSST Foundation Grant Awards

WSST Essay Winners

WSST Baseball: July 20

WSST News

Membership Submissions

Eclipse 2024: Memories and Pictures

NASA’s Night Sky Notes

Summer 2024 Vol. 65, #4

The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers

Our Mission:

Promoting, supporting and improving science education in the state of Wisconsin.

Our Vision:

The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers will carry out its mission of promoting, supporting and improving science education in the state of Wisconsin by providing leadership, advocacy and programs to enhance the teaching and learning of science.

WSST Advertising Rates

Full page ads:

$250

Half page ads: $150

Quarter page ads: $75

1” Bottom page banner: $40

Business card: $25

10% discount on two or more of identical ad in current volume

Advertising must be submitted to editor in camera-ready form or electronically, with check or money order (payable to WSST)

WSST Directory, 2023-2024

Kristin Michalski, President mickri@easttroy.k12.wi.us

Dennis Rohr, President-Elect drohr@seymour.k12.wi.us

Stephanie Baker, Secretary bakeste@wc.k12.wi.us

Kevin Niemi, Chief Financial Officer kjniemi@wisc.edu

Tammy Dymesich, Chief Operating Officer coo@wsst.org

Erik Duhn, District 1 (CESA 11 & 12) e00drik@gmail.com

Thomas Davies, District 2 (CESA 9 & 10) tdavies@dce.k12.wi.us

Jayne Ryczkowski, Dist 3 (CESA 7 & 8) jayneryczkowski@gmail.com

Jonathan Baker, District 4 (CESA 3 & 4) bakejon@wc.k12.wi.us

Sara Krauskopf, District 5 (CESA 2 & 5) district5@wsst.org

Teri Dillenberg, District 6 (CESA 6) teridillenberg@hasd.org

Stacey Strandberg, District 7 (CESA 1) strandbergs@dsha.k12.wi.us

WSST Committees

Awards/Recognition

Miranda Dahlke (co-chair) Laura Ramthun (co-chair)

Tom Davies Nancy Smith Stephanie Bartels

Michelle Howe Jennifer Bault Karen Messmer

Sue Whitsett Megan Sprague

Document Review

Terry Schwaller (chair)

Dave Bergerson Sue Whitsett Darsha Olsen

Elementary Education

Shelly Petzold (chair)

Melissa Wimmler Teri Dillenberg Leah Alburt

Equity and Access

Kevin Anderson (co-chair) Kelly Steiner (co-chair)

Dennis Rohr Zach Pratt Kristin Michalski

Lalitha Murali Karyl Rosenberg Sara Krauskopf

Finance

Kevin Niemi (chair) Matt Lindsey Terry Schwaller

Foundation

Brian Bartel (President)

Denise McCulley (1st Vice-President)

Carol Ochsner (2nd Vice-President)

Dale Basler (3rd Vice-President)

Tracy Swedlund (Treasurer) Ray Scolavino (Secretary)

Higher Education

Joel Donna (chair)

Mike Beeth

Membership

Michelle Griffin-Wenzel (chair)

Ray Scolavino Tracy Swedlund Deanna McClung

Matt Lindsey

WSST Newsletter Archive

Visit www.wsst.org/newsletter to download past issues of the WSST newsletter. All newsletters are in Adobe PDF format.

Nominations and Elections

Kathy Biernat (chair)

Mary Ellen Kanthack Zach Pratt Dan Nelson

Professional Development

Chad Janowski (co-chair) Jamie Groark (co-chair)

Kevin Anderson Shelley Petzold Deana Johnson

Stacey Strandberg Sonja Gasper

Andrea Christianson Tom Davies

Publications

Brian Bartel (co-chair) - Newsletter Editor

Julie Fitzpatrick (co-chair) - Website

Sarah Adumat - Newsletter Copy Editor

Karyl Rosenberg - Historian

Tracy Swedlund Dan Nelson

Strategic Planning

Kevin Anderson (chair)

Dennis Rohr Ray Scolavino Kevin Niemi

Kristin Michalski

WESTA

Shannon Previte (chair)

Dennis Rohr Margaret Guderyon Ben Sanderfoot

Beth Allcox Ken Budill Chad Wilkinson

WSELA

Kevin Niemi (co-chair) Kevin Anderson (co-chair)

WSST Conference Chairs

Marcia Gardner and Tim Sprain, LaCrosse - April 18-20, 2024

Stacey Strandberg and Jamie Groark, Oshkosh - April 3-5, 2025

Terry Schwaller and Kristin Kyde, Appleton - 2026

Dennis Rohr and Chad Janowski, Green Bay - 2027

WSST Conference Director WSST Vendor Coordinator

Ray Scolavino Rodney Dymesich

Conference continued from page 1

Convention Center (formerly Best Western Waterfront Oshkosh)

At this time guests will need to call the hotel directly to make a reservation. The block of rooms is listed under WSST WI Society of Science Teachers. Call (855) 230-1900 Today to Make Your Reservation.

For more conference information, visit www.wsst.org/2025-conference throughout the year! See you in Oshkosh!

President continued from page 1

interacted with each other. My favorite trivia theme question asked us to identify either “Taylor Swift song or Bath and Body fragrance”. Michelle Howe and the social committee did an outstanding job this year in creating opportunities for networking among colleagues. The sense of community among members was visible at every event. I would like to acknowledge the newest event at this year’s conference, the pre-conference field day.

Registration in LaCrosse for Driftless Wonders

About 30 members were in attendance and activities included a field trip to the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center and the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Center, as well as concluding the day with Elk spotting and wolf tracking. We hope to make this happen more often at future conferences.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners and essay contest winners. Several Front and Center Grants were also awarded at the conference; congratulations, and we hope you will share your project successes at next year’s conference in Oshkosh.

We have some new and continuing leadership serving us this year. Patrick Mootz was elected as our new District 5 Director, Teri Dillenberg continues as District 6 Director, Stacey Strandberg was newly elected as District 7 Director, and Stephanie Baker continues as Secretary. In May, they will be changing into their new roles to fulfill their duties for the membership. WSST is grateful for your dedication and expertise in volunteering for our organization; we couldn’t do it without you. Your District Directors are already planning future events, so keep an eye out for updates in the coming months. These opportunities will be shared through our Impact newsletters or as separate messages.

If you have ideas for events or would like to volunteer your time, please email me at president@wsst.org. As I’ve mentioned before, WSST is a volunteer organization and thrives because of its volunteers.

The conference is not your only profes-

sional development opportunity offered by WSST. Please consider applying for the PD retreat WINGS. This transformative experience is designed to fuel your passion for delivering high-quality science learning experiences for your students. It will also serve as a professional retreat, providing opportunities for reflection on the impact you are making in the profession and the next steps you can take to lead the future in your own classroom or beyond.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the membership for giving me the opportunity to serve as your president. It has been a great honor to lead you. I am confident that you are in good hands with Dennis Rohr, our next president. I am excited to see how he continues to advance our organization.

Digital Presence

WSST Annual Awards Presented at the Milton O. Pella Banquet, April 19, 2024

This spring, the Awards and Recognition Committee recognized winners of the 2024 Ron Gibbs Award, Excellence in Science Teaching Award, Administrator Award, and Frank Zuerner New Science Teacher Award and Scholarship. We congratulate the following winners who were recognized during the Milton O. Pella Banquet at the Driftless Wonders conference in LaCrosse on April 19, 2024.

The Ron Gibbs Award

Kevin Anderson began his classroom instruction at the middle school level in 2000. After time at the middle school level, he transitioned to post-secondary education at UW-Madison, working in both the School of Education and the College of Engineering. Much of this time was spent focusing on creating curriculum resources, professional development programs for staff and improving use of research in course work, which led to a position with CESA 2 supporting teachers and administrators in improving science, math, and STEM programs based in the new national standards. Work in the new standards brought Kevin to his current position as the Science Education Consultant at WI DPI, where he coordinates and disseminates professional development and instructional resource materials for science teachers across the state. In reflecting on a long career in education, Kevin identified partnerships with WSST as critical to his work at DPI. He especially values his connections with co-chairing the Wisconsin Science Education Leadership Association, initiating the establishment of the WSST Equity and Access committee, chairing the professional development committee and the

strategic planning committee, and writing more than a dozen articles for the newsletter and participating in over 50 conference sessions. John Whitsett commented, “I have had the pleasure of working on a number of projects with Kevin and can attest to his knowledge, motivational ability, and dedication to the outcomes. The science education in Wisconsin is better because of Kevin, and the real winners are the children and adolescents who attend our schools. Kevin has the insight to be able to visualize what the future of science education should be, and the ability to make it happen.”

Kevin Anderson

Excellence in Science Teaching

Beth Allcox, New Holstein

Beth currently teaches physics, physical science, astronomy, and Earth science at New Holstein High School, where she has been since 2004. Beth has taught a wide range of student abilities across her classes, and she emphasizes her desire to provide students with real world experiences and connections to future careers whether they are college-bound or entering the workforce after graduation. To be the best teacher possible, she seeks out learning opportunities including earning her master’s and participating in the Fox Valley Physics sharing group. As an active member of WSST since her preservice teaching, she has participated in WESTA and Science Futures and served as a District 3 director.

Kelly Steiner, Shorewood

ing insulation for the Milwaukee domes to keep flowers at a constant temperature and building physical models to evaluate their designs. As her career progressed, she earned national board certification, her master’s in Education, and became an adjunct professor at a local university to interact with pre-service teachers and learn from the candidates as well as support their growth and preparation. As a member of WSST, she has presented at conferences, written for the newsletter, and now serves as a co-chair for the Equity Committee.

Kelly Steiner teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Shorewood Intermediate School where she has been since 2005. She identifies her best work coming from collaborating with 6th and 9th grade teachers in the area to align standards and create alignment to engaging local phenomena to connect to student interests, including students design-

Stacey Strandberg, Divine Savior Holy Angels, Milwaukee Stacey teaches accelerated and AP Biology at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee where she has been since 2007. To engage students with current trends and incorporate inquiry-based learning outside the classroom, she developed a trip to take students to Eagle Springs and Lulu Lake to conduct dissolved oxygen testing and research the lakes ecosystems and topographies. Students then develop independent research questions and investigations to test in the field. WSST contributions have included participation in the PD committee, book club, WINGS, and the equity committee. She also now holds the District 7 Director position.

Beth Allcox

Kelly Steiner

Stacey Strandberg

WSST Administrator Award

Jenny Pierre is the Director of Teaching and Learning in the Seymour Community School District where she has worked in this role since 2010. Her philosophy puts student engagement and achievement at the center as standards are unpacked and evaluated to determine effective resources to support student learning. PLCs are used at the school level to implement curricular decisions, and all science teachers are invited to participate in the decisions to allow all voices the chance to be heard. Staff development is supported through the PLC structure, monthly staff development days with flexible teacherdirected time and opportunities to work in the summer if desired. This summer

work allowed for developing a high school storyline around drinking water, including safe drinking water research, data analysis, and human impacts explored through collaborative student activities. Sarah Klingbile, a science teacher at Seymour Community High School states, “Other district administrators I have worked with do not fully recognize the value of the WSST Conference, for example, imposing cumbersome hurdles for attendance. Jennifer recognizes the invaluable learning opportunities they present but also actively seeks and secures resources to ensure educators, including those in their first year at the district, can benefit.”

Frank Zuerner New Science Teacher Awards and Scholarships

Brad Roost is a teacher at Ripon Area High School teaching Physical Science, Biology, and Earth Science. In reflecting on his entrance to the teaching profession, Brad shared he knew he understood the content well enough to teach it, but quickly learned that teaching is frequently more about building relationships, being a trusted adult, and preparing students for adulthood than it is learning the content or memorizing facts. He has strived from day one to create a welcoming environment where everyone is free to be themselves, ask the important questions and learn a lot about science and have fun doing it.

Jobe Youssi currently teaches Honors Chemistry and College Preparatory Physics at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee. He came to teaching as a second career and shared that his decision to teach came from a reflection on the classes he enjoyed where he recognized they all involved the goal of describing the world around us and delving into how it works. This led to development of a primary objective to share this eager curiosity about the world with the students in the classroom and laboratory settings.

Jenny Pierre

Brad Roost

Jobe Youssi

Rumford Award

The Rumford Memorial Award was established to showcase a science teacher that has been a member of WSST for at least 10 years, made presentations at least once during the spring convention, served productively for at least 4 years as officer, committee chair or district representative.

WSST is pleased to announce Deanna McClung as this year’s recipient.

Awards Ceremony at the 2024 Milt O. Pella Banquet

Laura Ramthun, Awards Co-Chair

Beth Allcox and Kelly Steiner

Kevin Anderson

Kevin Niemi and Deanna McClung

Deanna McClung

Nominate a Colleague for a WSST Award Today!

Do you have a colleague you wish to nominate? Nominations for the coming year are accepted at any time through the first Friday in December of each year. See the WSST website for links to nominate at www.wsst.org/awards

Other Awards for WSST Members

Tracy Swedlund, National PLTW Engineering Teacher of the Year

Tracy Swedlund, a science teacher at Medford Area Senior High School, was honored with the 2023-24 National Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Teacher of the Year Award. Selected from a nationwide pool of nominees, Swedlund was recognized for his contributions to PLTW Engineering. Mr. Swedlund has instructed at Medford for 26 years where he teaches science courses and specialized PLTW subjects including engineering design and development (EDD) and environmental sustainability (ES) to high school students.

Laura Lundy, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Medford (and former WSST Administrator Award recipient, says "Tracy demonstrates commitment to enabling and empowering students to develop key transportable skills important for college and career success. He treats his students like scientists and expects them to be scientists. Students not only do well academically in his classes, but they enjoy science because of his teaching style and positive "can-do" personality. He is a leader in our PLTW program, becoming a Master Teacher and bringing his knowledge and skills to our district and classroom. Tracy creates an inclusive classroom environment, so all students feel a sense of belonging. He has high expectations for all students and because of his strong student teacher relationship his students meet those expecta-

tions. Tracy is an extraordinary PLTW and science teacher, but even more than that, he is an extraordinary teacher and leader in our school, community, and state who puts his students first."

Grace Ledin, Excellence in Teaching Award (Middle School) from Elmbrook Schools

WSST Election Results

By Kathy Biernat, Elections Chair

Congratulations to our newly elected WSST Officers begining their postions in May!

Stephaine M. Baker, Secretary

Stepahinie, from District 4, is currently a Middle School Teacher at WonewocCenter Schools, grades 6-8 in earth, life, and physical science. Stephaine says, “I've proudly served as WSST's Secretary for five years, cherishing every moment. WSST's legacy as a science education advocate inspires me to continue nurturing science education in Wisconsin as Secretary. My goal is to give back to an organization that's enriched my knowledge, improved my

methods, and introduced me to countless dedicated teachers.”

Teri Dillenberg, District 6

Teri is a third-grade teacher at North Greenville

Elementary in Hortonville. Teri says, “I feel WSST is a wonderful organization to share resources with other teachers, and learn about new ideas and how to implement them. Educators become connected and can share science celebrations and concerns.”

2024 WSST Election Results

Stephaine M. Baker, Secretary

Patrict Mootz, District 5

Teri Dillenberg, District 6

Stacey Strandberg, District 7

WSST Voting Districts

District 1 (CESA 11 & 12)

District 2 (CESA 9 & 10)

District 3 (CESA 7 & 8)

District 4 (CESA 3 & 4)

District 5 (CESA 2 & 5)

District 6 (CESA 6)

District 7 (CESA 1)

Stephaine Baker

Teri Dillenberg

Patrick Mootz, District 5

Patrick is a High School teacher at Deforest Area High School. Patrick says, “My vision for the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers revolves around promoting inquiry-based education, fostering collaboration, inspiring young minds, and championing equity. …I am committed to advocating for policies and practices that advance these principles, contributing to the collective success of both educators and students in our state.”

science teachers in my region to give them the support they need and the opportunity to grow in their science leadership positions within their schools and communities.”

Listen to Lab Out Loud

Stacey Strandberg, District 7

Stephaine Baker

Stacey teaches College-Prep Biology, AP Biology & 105 Dual Credit Biology teacher and is the Science Department Chair at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee. Stacey says, “[b]ecoming involved with a network of science teachers locally and globally has allowed me to express my passion to my students and peers in a more effective manner for the past seventeen years. Involvement in WSST and NABT yearly has given me the resources to bring new ideas and technology to my students, which makes them more active learners in their education. My vision as a District Director for WSST would be to collaborate with more

Listen to Wisconsin’s own Brian Bartel and Dale Basler discuss science news and science education with leading scientists, researchers, science writers, and other important figures in the field. A selection of links and notes accompanies each episode, enabling the listener to dig deeper into the topics discussed. Listen to and download episodes of Lab Out Loud at www.laboutloud.com

Questions, comments or suggestions should be submitted via laboutloud.com/contact/

Patrick Mootz

Driftless Wonders Conference 2024 in LaCrosse

Exploring Products, People and Ideas in the Exhibit Hall

Learning from future Science Teachers in the Exploratorium

WSST Town Hall Meeting and Vendor Raffle

WESTA Rock Raffle

2024

Milton O. Pella Banquet and Social

Foundation Grant Awards

The WSST Foundation is proud to present the following grant winners acknowledged at the 2024 Milton Pella Banquet.

Milton Pella Grant

The Milt Pella Grant supports the professional activities of our members.

Greg Bisbee, University Lake School Education for the Birds

This project will provide elementary through high school students (and the school community) the opportunity to enjoy and study local birds while learning birding.

Jamie Lauer, Hartford Union HS Urchin and Coral Nursery Systems

This project will allow students to design research projects focusing on sea urchin and coral restoration with the purchase of equipment and live specimens for aquaculture saltwater tanks.

Erica Yoss, Waukesha Farm to Classroom

The School District of Waukesha is building an embedded agriculture program. They are partnering environmental science and family consumer science to provide agriculture education to underserved populations.

Leo Olson, Lodi High School Trout in the Classroom

This project will incorporate raising trout and

stocking to supplement high school ecology curriculum on stream habitat assessments

Katherine Lehto, Monroe Chem: Materials Science

Students will be putting Chemistry concepts into practice by using metals (opposed to traditional solution chemistry) and learning of non-traditional chemistry careers.

Foundation STEM Grant

These grants, up to $1,000 each, are to be used to improve STEM learning for science students through the purchase of innovative technology hardware or other STEM equipment tied to a specific project or curricular topic.

Ted Snyder, Escuela Verde in Milwaukee School Air Quality Study

This grant will support an annual project where students study air pollution and use lichens to measure indoor and outdoor air quality with the purchase of Vernier carbon dioxide sensors.

Byerly Grant

The Byerly Grant is a memorial to Don Byerly. Don was instrumental in developing and sustaining Science World. The grant, in the amount of $500.00 is to be used to improve the science classroom experience (including field trips) for students.

Jamie Lauer Leo Olson

Katie Lehto

Debbie Thurber, Lake Superior Elementary Science for Second Grade

This project will provide STEAM learning experiences to our school’s second grade classes. Students will have a clearer understanding of science processes, properties of matter, habitats and ecosystems, earth changes/landforms, plant and animal life cycles, and engineering and design.

Founders Grant

This $1000 grant can be used to reimburse costs of professional development.

Sherri Woelffer, Washington Middle School/Oconto Falls Area Schools

This grant will support middle school science instructors new to WSST conferences and the information and networking it provides.

Founder’s Pre-Service Teacher Grant

These scholarships of $500 each will pay for pre-service teachers in elementary education or secondary science education to attend the upcoming WSST conference.

Maya Welch, UW-Milwaukee

• Timothy Western, UW-Milwaukee

•

• Eve Kelly, UW-Madison

Front and Center Grants

These special grants, in the amount of up to $200 each, are awarded at the annual conference.

• Berlin Area School District Garden

Anna Maramonte, Berlin High School

• Madison

Walaa Awad, Madinah Academy of

Creative Corner with Robotic Kits

Carrie Hein, Watertown High School

• Collaboration Through Conservation with The Watershed Game

• (Watertown Unified Schools)

Betsy Gerike, Webster Elementary

Growing Wild (Webster Wildcat School Garden)

• (La Crosse)

Rachel Wotruba, Logan Middle School

The Watershed Game: Enhancing water quality education in the Driftless region

• Living Diversity Exploration with Binoculars and Handheld Microscopes

Nicole Brudos, North Woods (La Crosse)

Wendy Gilbertson, St. Mary of the

• Immaculate Conception (Green Bay Diocese)

Harnessing Hydroponics

• School, Aquinas Catholic Schools

Michelle Parcels, Blessed Sacrament

Aerogarden: Growing Healthy Habits

Front

Antoinette Key, West Salem High School

• A Most Contagious Lesson: Enhanced with Coronavirus Models

and Center Grant Awardees

4-5 Mia $100 Glen Hills Middle School

Lalitha Murali

6-8 Vincent $100 Glen Hills Middle School Lalitha Murali

9-12 River $100 Benton School District Roxanne Boardman

Congratulations to our 2nd place winners also!

LevelStudent SchoolTeacher Name

4-5 Levi $50 Arbor VitaeWoodruff Elementary Susan Jurries

6-8 Henry $50

Glen Hills Middle School

Lalitha Murali

9-12 Lizzie $50 Madison Country Day School Michelle Kramer

Thank you to everyone who submitted! Watch for the essay contest next fall!

WSST Madison Mallards vs. Kokomo Jackrabbits Baseball Game

Sponsored by Foss

When: Saturday, July 20th

First pitch: 6:05 p.m.

Cost: $15.00

Where: Warner Park, Madison See Mallards website for directions

Cost includes:

• Seating this year is along the right field in the Busch Light Duck Blind G/A

• All-You-Can-Eat Buffet for 3 hours starting when the gates open. BBQ Pulled Pork, Brats, Hotdogs, Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Vegan Black Bean Patties, Watermelon, Boneless Wings, French Fries, Potato Salad and Coleslaw

• Bottomless Beverages for 3.5 hours starting when the gates open. Over 25 varieties of Craft and Domestic Beers, Spiked Seltzers and Pepsi products. Need to choose either a beer or soda band

Registration deadline: We have 20 tickets—get them while supplies last!!!!

Please complete the information below. Detach and send to:

WSST-Mallards Game

c/o Ray Scolavino

N8876 Townline Rd. East Troy, WI 53120

Once received you will be sent a code to purchase your tickets. For more info contact rscali3@yahoo.com or call 414-460-0746. Make checks to WSST.

WSST Member Name (s)

Email (please print clearly). Will be used to send link for tickets

Phone Beer or Soda Band

Number of Tickets ____________ Amount Enclosed _________________

WSST NEWS

WSST Stories and Conference Memories

by Karyl Rosenberg, WSST Historian

Here I am, a little more than a week out from the 2024 conference and I know that I need to write an article for the newsletter! First of all, I had a wonderful time at the Driftless Wonders conference. My presentation went well, I had the chance to introduce a first-time attendee to a WSST conference, and I personally reconnected to friends from around the state. I even met a woman from Bloomington-Normal, Illinois who works as a STEM coach for a program sponsored by the University of Illinois at the Cranberry Research Center! She had attended an Indiana conference earlier and was totally impressed with our conference. We need to be proud of our organization and how it has worked through the changing educational landscape over our greater than 60 years of existence.

more complex than expected! Thank you to everyone who has helped me locate information, both from within and outside of WSST. Stay tuned for the complete story in fall 2024.

On a final note, one of my friends at the conference asked me “you know, Karyl, this is my thirty first conference. What number is it for you?” At that moment, I responded that I hadn’t counted - but since then I figured that it was number thirty-four for me! Whether it’s your first or fortieth conference, we hope to see you next year in Oshkosh!

Wisconsin-Based Storyline Resources

So where is the historian’s path leading in the future? You may recall that one of my earlier articles dealt with the growth, and end of Science World. I have been doing research into the background to that program and several others that existed in the 1980-2000 period, and will have a detailed story of those programs. Particularly, I plan to discuss the circumstances and relationships that caused them to occur when they did; it is far

During the 2023 WSST Conference, a group of District 5 educators got together during a roundtable session and discovered a common interest in developing a set of resources to use in storylines that are more Wisconsin-focused. That informal discussion led to the more formal creation of a state-wide group that met regularly over the course of the last school year to pursue their common interests. We were awarded a grant to gather, create, evaluate and upload high quality instructional materials to the DPI’s WISELearn website.

Our first task was to develop criteria and a rubric for vetting high quality instructional materials. The rubric we settled on combined ideas from EQuiP’s rubric for evaluating high quality 3D NGSS standards with OpenSciEd’s broader Key Instructional Elements for phenomena-

based, coherent, collaborative, equitable instruction for all students.

We prioritized finding WI-based data sets and phenomena that can be used to modify key portions of existing storylines. The rubric helped us determine the best ways to use these resources that were already vetted as high quality and also to begin building our own new materials. You can search these WI-based data sets and phenomena compiled in the WISELearn group called: WisconsinBased Storylines Resources (below).

Note, this is in progress so some items may not be complete and additional resources will be added over time. For now, most resources are geared at high school, but we hope to expand the collection to reach a broad range of needs. We invite more people to use the rubric and add more resources.

District 5 Educators group: Sara Krauskopf, Aaron Burg, Craig Kohn, Andrea Pokrzywinski, Dennis Rohr, Frank Devereaux, Kevin Anderson, Amy Workman, Zach Pratt

WSST MEMBER SUBMISSIONS

Further Wrestling with the “Science of Reading” in Our Science Worlds

By Brian Bartel and Kevin Anderson

In the November 2023 WSST Newsletter (p. 18) we shared initial details on what the “Science of Reading” is and some words of caution in planning out programs. This new law has definitely added a bit of spice to the already full plates of elementary teachers, especially given the legally required professional learning that is taking 80 hours or more in some districts. Therefore, our advocacy for strong elementary science is even more important, but we have to be mindful of breaking those plates. So, what would we suggest for elementary teachers who want to keep science strong? Are there implications for secondary science teachers too? And, what are the lessons we should be pulling from all this hoopla for using textbooks and research to guide our instruction?

What are some important considerations for elementary teachers?

Perhaps the key part of Act 20 to consider in relation to science is the requirement to build student background knowledge. Many early literacy programs have students reading about science, but as we know, we need to do more than read about it. Therefore, the work of districts like Wauwatosa is notable, where they are lining up their literacy units that have a science context with their science units

and standards at each elementary grade. Coherence in learning across subjects is a critical first step; so, be wary of literacy programs that promise to replace science instruction instead of working alongside it.

It’s important to be a little cautious about literacy or science programs created primarily to be more “fun” and “engaging” for all students. One reason why “balanced literacy” programs like Lucy Calkins were so popular is that they were seen as more engaging for all students than traditional phonics and phonemes work. Science curriculum, likewise, can gravitate toward doing lots of fun and frenetic activities that get students excited. Research shows, however, that this was the wrong approach in literacy, and it is in science too. Students need both lab activities and access to other more direct types of learning opportunities to most effectively build conceptual understanding.

Should secondary science teachers care?

While secondary teachers are fairly insulated from the impacts of Act 20, you still have an important role to play. You are the advocates, the champions, and the mentors for elementary teachers trying to teach science well. There have been several Wisconsin secondary science teachers who have nudged their district leadership to do better with elementary science, and have seen changes happen.

Literacy, also, of course, plays a role in your classrooms. This work could support

you in considering how to help your students who do not read well. You can glean ideas for how to bring more research-based literacy learning to your classrooms, such as thoughtful vocabulary instruction and making sure students aren’t just parroting those terms.

So can we trust textbooks?

As we observe elementary teachers experience this shift in reading instruction, we might ask ourselves, “can we trust our own textbooks?” Remember that the resources adopted by districts across the nation were essentially using methods that ran counter to the most up to date research on reading. And in some cases, these resources obstinately ignored research that conflicted with their own work. There are now districts actively contemplating how they can remove and discard many of these resources from teacher shelves. We envision scenes from “Dead Poet’s Society” where students are prompted by Robin William’s character to rip out chapters of their textbooks. But we are not advocating for that kind of drama with our science textbooks!

For the most part, we can trust textbook companies to deliver trustworthy products. We have to remember that these companies employ a wide array of experts to make science textbooks that host general information about a subject. These experts can be subject experts, language experts, art and design experts, and others, just to name a few. Textbooks go through many drafts and iterations, often field tested by teachers, before they reach a finished product. And good science textbooks even reference scientific litera-

ture for the discoveries found therein. Of course, remember that publication dates matter. We know that science changes, and sometimes printed textbooks can etch content in pages for decades when recent discoveries may demand updating. But that’s the process of science, isn’t it? We can both remember teaching a three kingdom model in taxonomy, and then teaching a six kingdom model, and later shifting to the higher level of domains. Modern textbooks that live online might be able to update that information more quickly, but there’s value in visually pointing out some of the older ideas in textbooks. You can literally teach the process of science while learning content!

Even a recently published textbook can have shortcomings, as we have seen textbooks that mostly consist of prescribed labs along with readings and answering comprehension questions. They rarely move beyond DOK 2 and are not usually student-centered. Fortunately, you can also use reference tools like EdReports to provide reviews of textbooks you might be using or are considering for adoption. We also have to remember that what we

teach isn’t always bound directly inside of a textbook adoption. There are science standards to consider (hopefully your textbook has been published since the release of NGSS over a decade ago), as well as your district’s scope and sequence. And teacher craft comes into play, especially as you consider appropriate inquiry-driven, hands-on activities. So it’s natural to seek out supplemental resources. Brian had the fortune of starting out as a science teacher under the mentorship of seasoned veterans like Gary Krueger (a former WSST president) who would literally push resources and lesson ideas into his lap - Gary called this “peer poaching”. Many of those ideas (that probably originated from other WSST members at conferences and from Science World!) supplemented the content in the textbooks Brian was using. Modern practices of peer poaching have moved online, which has helped to create a small industry for aspiring educators who want to sell their craft. But we have to be careful of steering directly into

Facebook groups, Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and other sources. Some of these ideas can lead to “feel good” teaching over best practices, as we witnessed in reading instruction. In addition, these communities also provided echo chambers that amplified and rebroadcast questionable reading strategies that are now being tossed out or even banned (e.g. three-cueing).

That’s not to say that these online communities don’t have value. In fact, while textbooks may have reliable content, they might be slower to update instructional practices when new standards are adopted. To fill that void, we have seen some wonderful resources created by “boots on the ground” teachers. For instance, consider the emergence of storylines developed in an effort to create units around engaging, real world phenomena. Organizations like OpenSciEd even offer curriculum built around this approach. Rightfully so, many textbook publishers have begun to take notice of these efforts and are updating their instructional practices.

So

what are science teachers supposed to do?

Here’s our advice. Get to know your textbook and recognize where it might need some updates, especially with instructional practices. Know how your textbook addresses your district’s science standards so you can fill in the gaps where they might be lacking. And seek out professional science communities like WSST and Kevin Anderson from the DPI; they have resources and strategies to offer that are reliable, tested and NGSS aligned.

Help your students apply STEM learning to real-world challenges!

Feeding and

Fueling the World

June 24–25, 2024 elkhorn, WIsconsIn

Get equipped to bring science to life in your classroom—register for this 2-day immersive workshop on the science of food production and sustainable fuels.

How can we feed an ever-growing population and establish food security?

Every student deserves inquiry-driven learning that engages with real-world challenges. The unique Feeding and Fueling the World workshop will help middle and high school science teachers gain a deeper understanding of the impact of food production on environmental issues and nutrition around the world.

• Opportunity to network with industry experts

• Experience biotechnology in agriculture during an industry field trip

You’ll receive:

• $300 of classroom materials

• NGSS-aligned curriculum

• Hotel stay and meals

Feeding and Fueling the World is brought to Wisconsin by Wisconsin Corn and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.

Limited spots are available for this free experience—register today!

Nourish the Future is a national education initiative developed by science teachers for science teachers that connects students to modern agriculture. The program is generously sponsored by National Corn Growers Association and the United Soybean Board.

Why is Tracking Students a Problem? (Part 1

in a series)

by Kevin Anderson, WI DPI Science Consultant

Three experiences in my life stand out in my personal pathway to discouraging schools from tracking students into different levels of classes (such as “honors” vs. “regular”). In conjunction with reflecting on these experiences, I’ve also dug through the research on tracking – turns out it doesn’t support typical school and district practices either.

I had the opportunity several years ago to support a curriculum review process at a mid-sized Wisconsin school district. In observing high school science classes and talking with the teachers, I saw the core materials for freshman biology were a series of packets developed by the teachers. Through further discussion, they let me know that honors biology did not use those same materials. They did much more inquiry work in the honors class, but “didn’t have time for it” in regular biology.

In another mid-sized school district more recently, they wanted my help in revamping their high school science courses. They acknowledged that they had three levels of biology, chemistry, and physics – consumer, regular, and honors. They made the claim that it was not tracking because students could choose which level they wanted to take, with no prerequisites. However, when looking at the data, they acknowledged that their honors classes were much more likely to be white and Asian students,

while their consumer level classes were much more likely to be students of color and students receiving special education services.

Finally, while not a science example, my son had solid math skills in kindergarten and liked math. We supported math learning at home, and he was clearly at grade level, likely a little beyond. In first grade, the school split students into an advanced math class or regular math. My son knew he didn’t get into the “smart” math class. We pushed on that decision a couple times and were told he just didn’t quite meet the criteria. While we could’ve used our white privilege to get extra support and get him into that class eventually, we made the hard decision to let it go. By second grade, he did not like math anymore and did not feel like he was good at it.

These examples are repeated over and over across the state, country, and world. They’re not isolated incidents, and if not the exact thing, then something similar is likely happening in your school district. Therefore, WSST and DPI have boldly said, “Tracked course pathways should be eliminated. All students deserve access to rigorous courses and high standards, so they must be provided with the support needed to be successful in those courses.”

It’s hard, but important, to realize that tracking hurts kids. Experience and research show that again and again.

Let’s look at some research-based evidence. Based on a meta-analysis of dozens of studies, Terrin an Triventi (2023) did not find tracking correlated to higher achievement, but did find it corre-

lated with unequal opportunities. In fact, “tracking is one of the primary mistakes that schools make if they hope to close achievement gaps” (Mathis, 2013). Additionally, underrepresented students are more likely to be placed in lower level classes (Connolly, et. al., 2019). Tracking not only limits opportunities for more rigorous classwork with higher expectations, it also appears to impact students’ self-perceptions, beliefs, and goals (Legette, 2020). Admittedly, you can find research with mixed results (not

clear results) for the effect of tracking on the achievement of “higher level” students, but the impact of getting stuck in that lower track is much clearer.

So, “How do we change this pervasive and well-entrenched part of our school system?” you might ask. In the next article of this series of tracking, I’ll be joined by teachers from the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District who will share their work to detrack freshman biology and sophomore chemistry.

Eclipse 2024: Memories and Pictures from our Members

Kevin Anderson

We traveled to Southern IL for about 4:10 of totality, amazing! It was fun that the big group of people in the park applauded. We could see a pinkish bright dot below the moon during totality and wondered if it was a solar flare, but could not get a good photo. I was definitely unprepared for effective photo taking!

Dan Bugenhagen

It was done with a notecard with hole punches in the card. A pegboard works great also!

Kathy Biernat

It was fabulous to be able to experience totality in Fort Worth while dipping my feet in the pool! At home: The Junior High students I work with at St. Alphonsus School in Greendale learned about eclipses and created a really cool display (part of it shown below) for their

local library, then got a chance to experience a partial eclipse. And I got to share information (and eclipse glasses) with the participants of St. Coletta’s Intergenerational Care program in New Berlin - we made a craft and clients got a chance to experience the partial eclipse too!

Brad Roost, Ripon

The Science Club at Ripon High School had been wanting to take an eclipse trip since the end of last semester. The bus company that the District is contracted with does not leave the State, so alternative transportation was needed - a coach bus. That’s not cheap. Fortunately, we were able to use the Club’s fund as well as funding from the very generous Ripon Education Foundation and the Toshiba Corporation to pay for the trip without having to charge the students to go. In total, about 50 students and three science teacher chaperones went on the trip. We got on the bus at 5:30 am and hit the road; we knew to get to the path of totality we would need to get close to Indianapolis. We calculated we would have a two-hour time buffer to allow us to get there. The closer we got, the slower the progress and the smaller our buffer got. We could see the moon begin to pass in front of the sun while we were still on the bus. Every time we had to slow down on the interstate, my heart sank. Fortunately, when we arrived, we had less than 20 minutes before totality. We unloaded in a busy Dairy Queen parking lot outside Thorntown, IN.

Just as everyone was settling in, the sequence of events started. The sky started to darken, the breeze brought in cool air. Everyone was wearing eclipse glasses or using them to photograph the event. As totality neared, we could see dark sky approaching from the southwest. We briefly saw the Bailey’s beads, the “diamond ring” and then...TOTALITY! The lights in the

parking lot were triggered by the dark and turned on. Everything took on a grayscale appearance. The corona was INCREDIBLE! It was one of those moments where you question if you are seeing the real thing or an image. Everyone cheered when totality happened and cheered again when the sun “returned”. We again saw the diamond ring and the brilliance of our sun even when just a sliver was shown. We returned to Ripon High School at 10:30 pm, and I don’t think anyone regrets the many hours on the bus. I hope the memory of the event stays with them for a long time. When someone asks years from now, I hope they can tell the story of how we survived nearly 17 hours on a bus in a single day with 50 students for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Well, maybe more than once. I have invited them all to join me in western North Dakota in 2044. Total Eclipse or Bust!

Larry and Ann Sheckel in Ellettsville, IN

Students and Staff in Kaukauna, WI

Jack Bartel at Appleton East High School

Paul Shevidy, Fort Myers

May’s Night Sky Notes: Stargazing for Beginners

By Kat Troche

Millions were able to experience the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, inspiring folks to become amateur astronomers – hooray! Now that you’ve been ‘bitten by the bug’, and you’ve decided to join your local astronomy club, here are some stargazing tips!

The Bortle Scale

Before you can stargaze, you’ll want to find a site with dark skies. It’s helpful learn what your Bortle scale is. But what is the Bortle scale? The Bortle scale is a numeric scale from 1-9, with 1 being darkest and 9 being extremely light polluted; that rates your night sky’s darkness. For example, New York City would be a Bortle 9, whereas Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania is a Bortle 2.

Determining the Bortle scale of your night sky will help narrow down what you can expect to see after sunset. Of course, other factors such as weather (clouds namely) will impact seeing conditions, so plan ahead. Find Bortle ratings near you here: www.lightpollutionmap.info

No Equipment? No Problem!

There’s plenty to see with your eyes alone. Get familiar with the night sky by studying star maps in books, or with a planisphere. These are great to begin identifying the overall shapes of constellations, and what is visible during various months. Interactive sky maps, such as Stellarium Web, work well with mobile and desktop browsers, and are also great for learning the constellations in your hemisphere. There are also several astronomy apps on the market today that work with the GPS of your smartphone to give an accurate map of the

The Bortle scale helps amateur astronomers and stargazers to know how much light pollution is in the sky where they observe. Credit: International Dark Sky Association

night sky.

Keep track of Moon phases. Both the interactive sky maps and apps will also let you know when planets and our Moon are out! This is especially important because if you are trying to look for bright deep sky objects, like the Andromeda Galaxy or the Perseus Double Cluster, you want to avoid the Moon as much as possible. Moonlight in a dark sky area will be as bright as a streetlight, so plan accordingly! And if the Moon is out, check out this Skywatcher’s Guide to the Moon: bit.ly/MoonHandout

Put On That Red Light

If you’re looking at your phone, you won’t be able to see as much. Our eyes take approximately 30 minutes to get dark sky adapted, and a bright light can ruin our night vision

temporarily. The easiest way to stay dark sky adapted is to avoid any bright lights from car headlights or your smartphone. To avoid this, simply use red lights, such as a red flashlight or headlamp. The reason: white light constricts the pupils of your eyes, making it hard to see in the dark, whereas red light allows your pupils to stay dilated for longer. Most smartphones come with adaptability shortcuts that allow you to make your screen red, but if you don’t have that feature, use red cellophane on your screen and flashlight.

This article is distributed by NASA’s Night Sky Network (NSN). The NSN program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more!

A full view of the northern hemisphere night sky in mid-May. Credit: Stellarium Web.

WSST Newsletter

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Cambridge, WI 53523

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Volume 65, No. 4

Published in Appleton, Wisconsin

Editing & Layout: Brian Bartel

Publisher: Kevin Niemi

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Stay informed and get connected with the largest professional society for teachers of science in Wisconsin. Regular Membership in WSST is only $25 per year, Retired teacher annual membership is $15.00, and Student annual membership is $10.00. Visit www.wsst.org/join to join today.

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WSST Calendar

WSST Summer Board Meeting Beaver Creek Reserve S1 County Hwy K Fall Creek, WI June 25-26, 2024

WSST Conference 2025 Oshkosh April 3-5

2023-2024 Newsletter Deadlines

Fall: Friday, August 25, 2023

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Spring*: Friday, January 26, 2024

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