Set your calendars for next year’s conference, The Journey Continues in Appleton at the Hilton Paper Valley Hotel on March 12-14, 2026.
The 2026 Conference in Appleton is brought to you by co-chairs Terry Schwaller and Kristin Kyde, and features Michael Waasegiizhig Price from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission as the keynote speaker. Make sure you have reserved the dates and plan to continue your journey in Appleton next spring!
From the President
WSST President, Dennis Rohr
What a Conference in Oshkosh this year!
Congratulations to Stacey Strandberg and Jamie Groark, along with their entire Conference planning team for a job so well done! From the early Thursday morning Registration desk team to the 11am Saturday morning presenters and attendees, it was a whirlwind of awesome events and great times. And we learned so much along the way from the incredible list of presenters! And to whomever secured my Larry Scheckel’s inspired “red seat of nails” from the Equipment Adoption area, I hope it can add fun to your students’
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Essay Winners Page 21
Baseball: July 20
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The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers
Our Mission:
WSST provides a welcoming collaborative network, useful resources, and professional learning to support all Wisconsin science educators in delivering high quality instruction.
Our Vision:
All Wisconsin students engage in meaningful and relevant three-dimensional science learning that prepares them to use valid evidence to make sense of the world and solve current and future problems.
WSST Newsletter Archive
Visit www.wsst.org/newsletter to download past issues of the WSST newsletter. Available from 2002, all newsletters are in Adobe PDF format.
Erik Duhn, District 1 (CESA 11 & 12) e00drik@gmail.com
Thomas Davies, District 2 (CESA 9 & 10) tdavies@dce.k12.wi.us
Chad Janowski, Dist 3 (CESA 7 & 8) district3@wsst.org
Jonathan Baker, District 4 (CESA 3 & 4) bakejon@wc.k12.wi.us
Patrick Mootz, 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 Stephanie Bartels
Michelle Howe Jennifer Bault
Karen Messmer Sue Whitsett
Megan Sprague
Document Review
Terry Schwaller (chair)
Dave Bergerson Sue Whitsett
Chad Janowski
Elementary Education
Shelly Petzold (co-chair) Leah Aubert (co-chair)
Melissa Wimmler Teri Dillenberg
Jena Jorsta Riley Terpstra
Equity and Access
Kevin Anderson (co-chair)
Kelly Steiner (co-chair)
Zach Pratt Kristin Michalski
Lalitha Murali Karen DeShong
Karyl Rosenberg Sara Krauskopf
Leigh Kohlmann
Finance
Kevin Niemi (chair)
Matt Lindsey Terry Schwaller
Sue Whitsett
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
Adam Schafer (chair) Ray Scolavino
Joel Donna Mark Olson
Membership
Michelle Griffin-Wenzel (chair)
Ray Scolavino Tracy Swedlund
Deanna McClung Matt Lindsey
New Teacher Network (ad-hoc)
Jamie Lauer (co-chair) Sonja Gasper (co-chair)
Jacquelyn Curran Stephanie Ruder
Megan Sprague Terry Schwaller
Sara Renish Rebecca McDermid
Nominations and Elections
Marcia Gardner (chair)
Mary Ellen Kanthack Dan Nelson
Professional Development
Jamie Groark (chair)
Kevin Anderson Shelley Petzold
Stacey Strandberg Andrea Christianson
Sonja Gasper Tom Davies Mallory Conlon
Publications
Brian Bartel (co-chair) - Newsletter Editor
Julie Fitzpatrick (co-chair) - Website
Sarah Adumat (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 Chad Wilkinson
WSELA
Kevin Niemi (co-chair) Kevin Anderson (co-chair)
WSST Conference Director Ray Scolavino
WSST Vendor Coordinator Rodney Dymesich
WSST Conference Chairs
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
Jamie Lauer and Megan Sprague Middleton - 2028
President continued from page 1
lives. By the way, I nailed each one of them by hand:) Thank you Larry for all of those amazing make and take sessions and booklets that you are so famous for; it truly made my life and so many others enjoyable for our students. Our conference provides professional opportunities that are only gained by coming back each year. Not only have these experiences helped us to become the teachers that we are today, I love being witness to watching newer science teachers (and those new to the conference) learn from our collective years of experience. I truly appreciate all of the presenters who shared their resources, knowledge and enthusiasm. And I revel in the experiences and friendships in getting to know all of you, the amazing people who make up our WSST.
As I look at the calendar and experience the days getting longer, I can’t believe that we are almost through another year. Panic sometimes creeps in that I won’t be able to get everything completed that I wanted in my classes, but that seems to happen each year. As summer begins, I do like to take a mental break by tackling one by one, some of the many home projects that always seem to be on my back burner. Most of them are outside in our yard, and I can’t wait to enjoy the summer air of relaxation. If I can only teach our beagle to sleep in a little more :). But even those rainy summer days give me an opportunity to look back and revise activities or create new ones. I encourage you to enjoy each moment of summer, spend time with your loved ones, and do things
that you still have on your bucket list. For me, I can’t wait to just be camping in the Northwoods, sitting around a campfire, enjoying the company of others, and having a smore or two.
If you would like to join us, our WSST Summer Board meeting will be held in Green Bay this year on Tuesday, June 24 and Wednesday June 25 at the Einstein Project world headquarters on the UWGreen Bay Campus. Each of you are always welcome to attend our meetings, as it is your organization. And if you are heading to WINGS 2025 in Land O Lakes, congratulations to you! I hope you have a fantastic time collaborating with like-minded people and enjoying all that the Northwoods has to offer! It truly is a life-changing experience in the world of science teaching!
Wisconsin society of science teachers presents
APPLETON, WISCONSIN
March 12-14th 2026
Hilton Paper Valley
Guest Speaker: Michael Waasegiizhig Price
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
WSST Annual Awards Presented at the Milton O. Pella Banquet, April 4, 2025
This spring, the Awards and Recognition Committee recognized winners of the 2025 Ron Gibbs Award, Excellence in Science Teaching Award, Administrator Award, Friend of Science Award, and Frank Zuerner New Science Teacher Award and Scholarship. We congratulate the following winners who were recognized during the Milton O. Pella Banquet on April 4, 2025.
The Ron Gibbs Award
Pat Arndt, a retired teacher from Berlin High School, is this year’s distinguished recipient of the Ron Gibbs Award. Over his multi-decade career, Pat has left a profound mark on WSST and science education across Wisconsin. During his tenure as president, Pat responded to student data showing needs for growth in Earth Science and elementary teaching by resurrecting WESTA and expanding elementary engagement. Through organizing innovative field studies and environmental initiatives, Pat’s work exemplifies lifelong dedication to science, education, and community. His legacy includes not only transformative classroom experiences but also environmental stewardship and statewide teacher development programs such as Science Futures and WINGS. His time and support of these programs have driven the development of teachers across the state, improving science for not only his own students, but others as well. Writing in support of Pat, Paula WoutsHanson said, “I have taught 33 years, and I have never ever known a teacher to be as innovative, resourceful, patient, humorous and passionate. He has always made learning fun in a structured, creative atmosphere using the newest technologies
available while maintaining a strong relationship with educational partners he has connected with. A step in his classroom revealed an environment bursting with energy, where dynamic teaching and learning took place.”
2025 Excellence in Science Education Awards
Stacey Balbach, of Cuba City High School, is celebrated for her long-standing contributions to chemistry education. Her classroom is a hub of inquiry-based learning, emphasizing equity and student identity. A leader in state and national science communities, Stacey integrates
Pat Arndt
real-world relevance into her teaching and inspires deep, critical thinking through dialogue and phenomena-based instruction. Ryan L. Stowe, a collaborator in the Department of Chemistry at UW- Madison, states, “Stacey is a fearless innovator in the classroom, thinks deeply about the nature and purpose of assessment, and is a recognized leader in the local and national chemistry education community.”
exceeded expectations while developing instructional materials by reaching out to community organizations and practicing scientists to establish partnerships and obtain real world data sets.”
Sara Krauskopf brings decades of impact through her work across all levels of science education in the Madison area. From her early teaching in Honduras to her current leadership in curriculum development, Sara champions inclusive and culturally responsive practices. She is a passionate advocate for connecting students to real-world science, earning respect through her collaborative work with PBS, OpenSciEd, and others to reshape how science is taught in Wisconsin. Kate Henson, PhD, a colleague from InquiryHub with the University of Colorado Boulder said the following about Sara, “She devoted her considerable professional expertise to developing learning experiences for students that focused on real world science phenomena while attending to students’ interests and identities. She often
Jamie Lauer, a science teacher at Hartford Union High School, is recognized for her dynamic, student-centered teaching style and her involvement in professional development programs like WINGS. With a rich background in research and curriculum development, Jamie integrates local and personal relevance into her lessons, helping students connect with science in meaningful ways. Her success in securing grants and developing state-wide STEM resources further extends her impact beyond the classroom. The Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Hartford Union High School District, Stevy E. Schliewe wrote, “Ms. Lauer is an exemplary science educator who embodies the qualities of innovation, passion, and encouragement. I have no doubt that she will bring the same level of dedication and enthusiasm to any professional learning opportunity she undertakes.”
Administrator Award
Sarah Blechacz, the K–12 Science Curriculum Coordinator for Wauwatosa School District, receives the Administrator Award for her transformational leadership in science education.
Sara Krauskopf
Jamie Lauer
Stacey Balbach
Since joining the district in 2022, Sarah has championed a clear vision for instructional excellence, implementing high-quality, NGSS-aligned curricula and supporting teachers through ongoing coaching and collaboration. Her strategic efforts have reignited a culture of curiosity and equity in science across the district, empowering both educators and students to thrive. Jessica Ebert, Director of Curriculum for Wauwatosa School District states, “What truly sets Sarah apart is her unwavering passion for learning and commitment to educational equity in science. For Sarah, this is more than just a profession - it is her life’s work. Every day, she is driven by a desire to instill a love for science in both students and teachers, inspiring a culture of curiosity and growth.
hands-on learning experiences to K–12 students and supporting numerous outreach programs such as Science on Tap and Wild Rice Camp. Their tireless commitment to connecting communities to natural science exemplifies the Wisconsin Idea and continues to enrich scientific learning far beyond traditional classrooms.
Frank Zuerner New Teacher Scholarship Winners
Friend of Science Award
The University of Wisconsin–Trout Lake Station, accepted on behalf of the organization by Carol Warden, is honored with the Friend of Science Award. For nearly a century, this renowned limnology research center has been a beacon of environmental education, offering
Rachel Hunjadi, a dedicated science educator at Verona Area High School, is one of this year’s recipients of the Frank Zuerner Scholarship. In just a few years, she has taken on the challenge of developing an applied chemistry curriculum that serves a diverse student body, bringing depth and equity to the classroom experience. Her innovative use of realworld storylines has sparked departmentwide conversations on instructional reform. Rachel’s department chair shared, “I am aware of no other new teacher that, in my tenure, exemplifies the mission of WSST to advance science education in Wisconsin to such a degree so early in their career. Her considerable potential for teaching and leadership, dedication and enthusiasm to the job, and outstanding contributions to science education for our district deserve nothing less than the thanks and honor that the storied Frank Zuerner New Teacher Scholarship confers.”
Sarah Blechacz
Rachel Hunjadi
Carol Warden
Kayla Thompson, a rising star at Portage High School, is also recognized with the Frank Zuerner Scholarship. Kayla’s approach centers on relationship-building and inclusion, reflected in her commitment to bilingual learning, her role as Science Club advisor, and her drive to expand access to dual-credit coursework. Her colleagues speak highly of her natural ability to teach and inspire, noting her profound influence on students and her school community in such a short time. Coworker Rachelle Murphy says, “Kayla is the true definition of an effective educator. She was born to teach and inspire those around her. Kayla has been a large asset to Portage High school and contin-
ues to make a positive impact on those around her.”
WSST extends heartfelt congratulations to all our 2025 award recipients. Your work uplifts students, empowers teachers, and strengthens science education across our state.
Rumford Award
The Rumford Memorial Award was established to showcase a science teacher who has been a member of WSST for at least 10 years, made presentations at least once during the spring conference, and served productively for at least 4 years as officer, committee chair or district representative.
WSST is pleased to announce Greg Bisbee as this year’s recipient.
Awards Ceremony at the 2025 Milt O. Pella Banquet
Kayla Thompson
Greg Bisbee
Miranda Dahlke, Awards Co-Chair Pat Arndt accepts the Gibbs Award
Foundation Grant Awards
The WSST Foundation is proud to present the following grant winners acknowledged at the 2025 Milton Pella Banquet.
Milton Pella Grant
The Milt Pella Grant supports the professional activities of our members.
Brad Roost, Ripon High School
Stream Guardians: Monitoring Stream Health
Students will be assessing stream health through macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality testing at Silver Creek and White Creek, fostering ecological awareness and hands-on learning.
Ryan King and Tim Gatti
Madison Metro School District
MMSD Elementary Science Teacher Team
A Madison Metro School District elementary science team will present at WSST this year to prepare for leading a full day of science PD this summer.
Megan Sprague, Onalaska High School MARSFarm
A MARSfarm will help Megan integrate botany, biotech, and food science into her courses.
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.
Michelle Griffin-Wenzel, Germantown HS Incorporating 3D Printing into SMART Teams
3D printing will be used to help students understand key scientific concepts and acquire skills that will prepare them for future academic and career opportunities.
Danielle Reed, Wausau West High School PocketLab Explorers: Unlocking Science
Wausau West science teachers will transform 9th-grade physical science course with PocketLab Voyager and G-Force sensors, enabling hands-on exploration of physics and earth science through dynamic, data-driven experiments.
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.
Lisa Swaney, Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium Sensory Friendly Planetarium Field Trips
The goal of the project is to provide a supportive environment that can foster a positive, engaging planetarium show experience for people with sensory sensitivities.
STEM Grant Awardees Brian Bartel presents the Pella Grant Awards
Andrea Pokrzywinski, Ashland High School
Modeling and Measuring Carbon Flux in Ecosystems
This grant will purchase wireless Vernier carbon dioxide sensors to assist students in designing bio chamber experiments that test carbon dioxide levels when ecosystem variables are changed in a simulated model.
Founders Grant
This $1000 grant can be used to reimburse costs of professional development.
Michelle Young, Glen Hills Middle School
NSTA: National Conference on Science
Education Philadelphia 2025
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.
•
•
Sean Pineda, Marquette University
• Abigail McGraw, UW-Milwaukee
Amanda O’Malley, UW-Milwaukee
Front and Center Grants
These special grants, in the amount of up to $200 each, are awarded at the annual conference.
• & Membrane Transport kit
Kathy Jardine (Mondovi): 3-D Phospholipid
• Tank from Sea Grant
Bonnie McGill (Barton, MPS): Aquaponics
• Brine Shrimp and Soybeans from Space
Lalitha Murali (Glen Hills Middle School):
Tina Pernsteiner (Hortonville Middle
• School): Phenomena with One Way Mirrors
• Skins, & Bones Oh My!
Casey Sprotte (Trees for Tomorrow): Skulls,
Colleen Coleman-Jayne (Evansville HS):
• Ionic Bond Disk Kits for Tactile Modeling
Beth Spear (Westosha Central HS):
• Modeling the Nature of Electrons and Atomic Structure
• Center): Chickpalooza For All! (Hatching Equip)
Mary Cooper (St. Mary’s School, Richland
• 3D water molecule kits
Meghan Bosonetta (Sun Prairie West HS):
Stacy Stoecklein (Germantown HS):
• Incorporating Case Studies with Sickle Cell Diagnostic Kits
Amanda O’Malley, Abigail McGraw and Sean Pineda
2025 WSST Election Results
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)
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
District 1: Andy Pokrzywinski
District 4: Megan Sprague
President Elect: Terry Schwaller
2025 OshVegas Conference in Oshkosh
Exploring Products, People and Ideas in the Exhibit Hall
Learning from future Science Teachers in the Exploratorium
Luncheon Speaker Jesse Wilcox, Sponsored by Savvas
I was recently talking with one of my WSST friends when he told me that he would really like to know some more about Ron Gibbs, Ben Thompson and Frank Zuerner - the people for whom some of our awards were named. Since I am always happy when WSST friends ask about people and events from our past, I knew that this was a worthy subject for research and sharing. There is a fair amount of information about each of these people, so I will be sharing it over the course of three newsletters in 2025-2026.
Secondary education in 1973 and held that position until his death in June 1976. While serving as Secondary Education Department chair, he served as the UWO program director for NSF College Cooperative School Science Grants for several east central Wisconsin school districts including Oshkosh, Appleton, Hilbert, Little Chute, Neenah and Sheboygan. In addition to these pursuits, Dr. Gibbs co-authored three high school biology texts as well as several articles in various journals and helped develop many resources for biology classroom use. Ron also chaired the NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher award committee from 1967-1976.
To start this series, I will introduce you to Dr. Ronald K. Gibbs (1928-1976). Ron was a native of Ladysmith, Wisconsin. He attended UW-Madison, graduating in 1950 with a BS in Natural Science and again in 1956 with an MS in Science Education. He taught Biology at Rice Lake High School from 1951-1957, then at Roseville, Minnesota High School from 1957-1963. Between 1963 and 1966 he was the school science coordinator at Indiana University while completing a doctorate in education. In 1966, Ron joined the University of WisconsinOshkosh as an assistant professor, subsequently being promoted to associate professor, and then full professor. He became chairperson of the UWO Department of
Ron was not teaching in Wisconsin when WSST was formed in 1958 but he became active as soon as he returned to the state. He was a member of the Advisory Board in 1971-72, then ran for and was elected Vice-President in 197374. After his time in office, he worked with professors from seven UW campuses to create The Wisconsin Implementation Network (TWIN). This program was designed to create better curriculum development in-services for K-12 teachers around the state. This program ran during the 1975-76 school year (WSST newsletter, volumes 13, 15, 17, 18).
A detailed obituary for Dr. Gibbs appeared in the Volume 18, #1 newsletter. Following that, a statement of the establishment of an award in Dr. Gibbs’ memory was made. It was originally described as an award to be given to a WSST mem-
ber who best exemplifies the attitude of doing one’s best for the improvement of science education. The President Elect was tasked with forming a committee to choose an annual winner to be recognized at the spring conference. This was the first award created by and for WSST members. The first winner, in 1977, was Jon Harkness of Wausau. Over the years, a total of 46 people have received the Ron Gibbs Award.
Over the years, this award has grown to be considered a lifetime achievement award, usually given to a late career or retired WSST member. The selection is done through a nomination process with responses required of the nominee and supporters of the nominee’s choice. The Awards and Recognition Committee coordinates the process of choosing each annual winner. If you known someone in our organization that you believe to be deserving be sure to nominate that person as soon as the next round of nominations are open!
Listen to Lab Out Loud
A full list of past Gibbs’ award winners can be found at the WSST website at www.wsst.org/past-award-winners
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/
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WSST MEMBER SUBMISSIONS
Setting Norms
by Claire Bernatz
Setting Norms and High Expectations in Classrooms is one of those things that you hear about it, but wonder how do you implement it? And more importantly, how do you maintain it throughout the year? When you want to create an engaging, authentic classroom community, it starts with you.
Make your vision. What do you want your class to sound like? Who is engaging in conversation? How are students staying safe? How ever you envision your class, try to get it into an actionable sentence. Any systems you create in your classroom should be reflective and contribute to achieving this vision. This is your north star; you’re pointing to it for the remainder of the year for managing and upholding classroom expectations.
Reflect on how you will support your classroom community in getting there. Will you need help? Should students cocreate the classroom expectations? How are you including families in this shared vision? How you end up creating your classroom norms can vary; this could look like students making a “looks like, sounds like activity”, co-creating norms around core values of either you or the school, or having each student reflect on what they want their learning to be, and how they will hold themselves accountable to get there.
Uphold the system that is created. Consequences are neither “good” nor
“bad,” but rather growth opportunities. If students are following through on a norm, how are you recognizing their achievement? Are there other privileges they could have access to? Or more voice in the classroom? If students are not adhering to norms, what other systems might need to be in place? More structured seating? Clear follow-through on deadlines?
Conversation and behavior plans with administrators? Whatever the consequence, students need to see that it is consistent, unbiased, and communicated. In my class, I reflected on what I wanted my classroom to look like, and it centered on the core values I wanted my students to embody: just, brave, kind, safe, and experience growth. To create our shared agreements, each class broke into small groups and began with a core value, writing what their version of that value looked like in class. They rotated until every value had five examples of what that value looked like in class. Students then selected a value that resonated with them and attempted to incorporate their peers’ suggestions into an agreement statement. I then compiled their statements and created our class’s final statements, which we used for the remainder of the year. Early in the school year, I will also root in the norms. If a student is doing something well, calling it out and linking it to a norm. If there is a behavioral issue, it is rooted in what they agreed to and cites exactly where the norm is being broken. Once agreed to,
parents are also looped in with the classroom norms; if I am sending an email home, I will also cite the agreements. Very early on, we established that the entire class is responsible for upholding the norms. I will provide them with opportunities to self-correct, hold one another accountable, and celebrate their successes together. Here are the norms we had this year:
In this class, we will practice justice • by standing up and with others, by being respectful of each other’s spaces and things, and will be fair to one another
We promise to be brave by being an
• active participant in groups and class, advocating for our needs, and by asking or answering questions.
selves, their environment, and you, making them more likely to take academic risks later.
Enhancing Planetarium Experience by Improving Accessibility for All
by Lisa Swaney, Kelly Suha, and the Horwitz-DeRemer Educators
We will grow this school year by per-
• severing through challenges, improving from mistakes, and encouraging ourselves and others to keep trying
• ing others, keeping our spaces clean, and helping each other out.
As a class, we will be kind by includ-
We agree to be safe by being mindful
• of our surroundings, listening to and following directions, and watching out for one another.
Regardless of the reflection pathway you choose or the many options you may take to get there, creating an authentic community takes time. You may need to delay instructional time to establish norms, skip a lab to build community with an icebreaker, or hold a discussion to better reflect together. Those sacrifices you feel in the moment can turn into opportunities where your students build trust in them-
Continuous improvement is a goal for many in their personal and professional lives, and this is also true for the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium in Waukesha. Our journey of improvement began with upgrading the beloved Starball projector system in 2017 to Digistar 6. Following a few years later, Planetarium Director Lisa Swaney saw the potential to update the lobby to the planetarium dome to be more interactive, engaging, and educational. And, within the last year, the actual planetarium theatre received a cosmetic makeover with reupholstered seats and new carpet.
As the Digistar system and projectors upgrade project is in its planning phase, it was the ideal time to look at our planetarium shows and the visit experience as a
whole. Being a part of the School District of Waukesha (SDW), the approximate 10,500 students are our primary focus. Teachers and their assistants often advocate for their students, which is how we discovered areas or processes that weren’t necessarily ideal for the groups that visit. This began our “wish list” of upgraded technology, show enhancements and additional items that we thought could help us successfully reach and inspire the students and community who visit. And, we couldn’t have achieved these goals without the support of the SDW, FRIENDS of the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium, as well as organizations like WSST who provide grant opportunities for these wishes to become a reality! Within the SDW, there are 12 elementary schools, and four of those offer dual language educational opportunities. Each student visits us annually and views a different show each year that aligns with the curriculum that they are learning in the classroom. Science was taught in Spanish in the four dual language schools, so it made sense to offer shows in Spanish. We started by obtaining shows that could be viewed in either language. Conveniently, some shows came with captions! But, for the ones that didn’t, we created a pro-
gram to add captioning. So, we worked to add open captioning to our shows. Captioning not only assists persons with a language barrier, it assists those with hearing challenges, in addition to everyone else. Within a few years, we now have each of our K5-8 shows available in FOUR different captioned options and can have them ready to view for a group at a click of a button. We don’t limit captioned shows to only school groups. We also offer our public shows with captions on the last Saturday of each calendar month.
There are two different audio systems that we have installed to enhance the experience of visitors with hearing impairments. The first is an FM/WiFi Assistive Listening System from Williams AV. This system offers a variety of options to help listeners hear the sound from the audio system directly and improve their planetarium experience. The FM+ system includes an FM transmitter that supports both FM and WiFi transmission and will receive a direct audio feed from an open output on the existing Symetrix digital signal processor (DSP) for high quality audio transmission.
The second system that we installed is an inductive hearing loop system. It enables individuals that have a hearing aid with a telecoil (t-switch) to hear sound directly into their hearing aid,
which is specifically tuned to compensate for their hearing deficiencies. This system enhances the quality and clarity of speech for listeners with hearing disabilities throughout the planetarium theater. Both of these audio systems have been in place and have been utilized by visitors of all ages.
When it comes to the visually impaired population, we have shows and activities available as well. For example, we recently acquired the show “Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar System.” This is a descriptive planetarium show that utilizes audio sounds and verbal descriptions to explain our solar system. It is relatively new, so it hasn’t been requested just yet. But we are excited to share it when the time comes! In addition, we have tactile star coins that are available for exploration, which includes three different categories of constellations that can be used to learn the approximate form of each featured constellation for those with vision challenges. We are also happy to have a great collection of tactile books that have been provided by NASA that describe astronomy topics, such as lunar exploration, solar system, solar eclipse, as well as others!
Finally, while the Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium’s website was going through a major update, we would search other planetarium websites for formatting and information inspiration. We noted that many were offering sensory items for
people with sensory processing challenges. This sparked the idea of offering a variety of items for sensory input opportunities for visitors. Some of the items that we have purchased are space fidgets, pop-its, bendables, weighted blankets, planet stuffies, and wiggle seats. We even purchased sensory headphones, which have been used a lot. Lastly, we purchased some updated items for sign language interpreters, when they accompany students. This includes white gloves, redlight white gloves, as well as a smaller, portable light clip to highlight the speaker for the student. The next addition to our schedule will certainly be “Sensory Friendly Shows” for all ages. While we have improved in many ways, we will continue to strive and to stay current with the trends of the students and visitors who come to the HorwitzDeRemer Planetarium. While we welcome the School District of Waukesha students each year, we are also so thrilled to provide field trip experiences from other neighboring school districts. Please feel free to pass our information along. We hope that your educators consider adding us to their field trip rotation in the coming school year and years to come. Feel free to check out our website for more information. You can also check us out on Facebook/Instagram/X @hdplanetarium!
Equity Sessions at OshVegas Conference
By Kelly Steiner, co-chair Equity Committee
The equity committee is so grateful for a fantastic conference and so many wonderful people learning and growing together about science instruction and equity. We wanted to provide a recap of sessions that related to equity and make sure you had the resources you needed to continue to move your practice forward. The links will take you to the Sched, where, if you log in, you can connect to any of their uploaded resources.
The Wauwatosa Biology Story - The • Power of Strong Vision, Curriculum, Coaching and Teamwork (includes untracking)
In this powerful session, teachers, coaches and leaders from Wauwatosa talked about how they implemented OpenSciEd and detracking in Biology. My favorite were resources on how they adapted OpenSciEd for clarity, the ways they used assessments and rubrics, and their transparency at how they managed challenge.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: • Indigenizing your Instruction
In this session from Bev DeVoreWedding, the incoming NSTA president shared her journey with learning to use indigenous practices integrated into instructional practices. It is helpful to think about how your content connects to your community, and local land, air, water, and environment. Another cool thing- if you chew gum and then eat chocolate, the gum will seemingly disappear! What a cool way to show dissolving in “like polarity” in a highly memorable way.
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Rural Schools Talk Science
This session allowed for important connections between teachers managing a similar equity challenge. Rural schools, like urban ones, are often overlooked, underfunded, and misunderstood. Unlike urban schools, rural schools don’t have a built-in local network for managing those challenges. Other rural educators are incredibly valuable resources in working through your challenges. The group also discussed standards based grading as an important part of moving from strength to strength.
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Learning for Justice
This session discussed how to implement two frameworks into your classroom. The CASEL concepts work to support students’ social-emotional group in the classroom. While the Learning for Justice Framework provided tips on how to target their standards into your practice. The LFJ standards center around Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action in K-12 standards and give actionable outcomes for your classroom on how to build those skills.
Stress Free Differentiation: Using •
AI for Planning and Teaching
It’s so easy to be caught in the space where you know you need to differentiate and make your materials for both specific needs and the general range of learners in your classroom and having the time to make that happen. This session explored AI tools (Brisk Teaching and Diffit) that help provide feedback and resource creation for teachers to better serve students using. Universal Design in Science •
UDL is a framework that centers around how to design lessons to reach the greatest number of students in your classroom, and this session showed how to slowly start introduc-
ing UDL into your practice. By identifying different parts of UDL (engagement, representation, action/expression) that probably already appear within your classroom, the session guides you to the next steps you can take to integrate the framework into your next unit fully. The attached worksheet is particularly helpful in highlighting how UDL is integrated and what it may look like.
Science that Speaks to Everyone:
Practical Support for Multilingual Classrooms
After building strong empathy for multilingual learners and others with barriers to text-based science learning, this session included some key strategies such as: balancing visuals with text (both are good!), providing all materials in both languages (allow for cross-learning of vocabulary), giving directions chunked, numbered, and modeled/acted out, and finally, creating side-by-side vocabulary lists/word walls. They even provide suggestions for some tech tools you can easily implement!
Teaching Challenged Topics in • Science
Kevin helped us realize that when people are challenging topics, it is coming from their beliefs and psychology, and not their facts. Everyone has areas of their life where they believe things without scientific evidence; having evidence doesn’t change that for us. There are many good psychological reasons for this, and it’s important to consider what it takes for us to really change our minds. Check out slide 7, which has great resources for teaching students about how we think and believe. It’s also important to make sure that stu-
dents are creating their own conclusions from data (rather than having us tell them the conclusion) so they must really wrestle with their current ideas and challenge their thinking. Roleplaying to discuss ideas from different perspectives and understanding the (messy) nature of science can also both help.
Multidimensional Assessment for • English Learners and Developing Readers
OnPAR formative assessment prompts are designed to elicit and challenge student thinking of key concepts, with three-dimensional analysis, but access
for all types of learners and all types of levels. Here is their folder of examples.
• Practice (in Science)
Elementary Leadership Problems of
This project helps to direct schools, leaders, and educators to the ways to be effective with elementary science to achieve our state-wide vision for learning. They discussed vision, mission, material selection, connecting science and literacy, schedules, assessment, report cards, and small groups.
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Equity Roundtable
The equity round table was a wonderful discussion and great sharing of strengths, support and resources. If there are ways you want to grow in your practice related to equity, reach out to the equity committee through co-chairs Kevin Anderson kevin.anderson@dpi.gov or Kelly Steiner ksteiner@shorewood.k12.wi.us and they would be happy to connect you with resources.
Accommodating and Modifying
• Resources for Inclusion in High School Biology and Chemistry
This session talked about co-serving, co-planning, co-creating, co-assessing and co-teaching in New Berlin. The looked at when scaffolds were neces-
sary and helpful for all students to access and develop to a high level. They included strategies to edit existing resources, find visual representations, finding collaborative colleagues, creating levels of resources, incorporating collaborative modeling, using Canva or other “pretty” tools, creating a personal template, considering youth books at the library, and considering AI and other tech tools. Realistic, visual examples of each of these strategies is in their presentation. Creating Welcoming and Inclusive •
Spaces (with or without Community Support)
The Shorewood Intermediate School team shared some of their strategies including: student voice and choice, consistent communication and feedback, collaboration and inclusion, lifelong learner mentality, advocating for student needs, setting common goals with families at the start of the year, project-based learning that connects to the community, asking for help, grounding in your own values, investing in self-care, making room for mistakes, and finding a diverse network of people to follow online.
Participants then reflected on a current challenge in their practice which might include what’s on their walls, curriculum, practices, start of the year lessons, ways to advocate loudly or quietly, and types of identities that would need to be supported in their classroom. We then helped each other and ended with a circle of sharing what we learned.
Teaching Secondary Science for • Social Justice
A brainstorming session focused on the ways that people interface with science in their lives and the fact that centering social justice can either prepare students to solve the social, political, economic and ecological concerns that face them, or uphold the status quo. Students are already interested in social justice and it’s a commitment toward the society we want to live in. Discussions and resources were shared and worth making connections to move your practice forward.
After WSST ended, we hosted a webinar on Gender Inclusive Biology. I highly recommend checking out the resources at GenderInclusiveBiology.com
Here are the slides from the session in case you want to learn/ think more about the topic. One participant shared the Meiosis Case: SRY not SRY as a resource. Another favorite was Pigeonetics. The most used resource discussed was the activity: Sex Verification of Athletes. Sam Long, one of the creators of the website and hosts of the webinar shared this podcast as a way to grow your own learning.
April’s Night Sky Notes: Catch the Waves!
By Kat Troche
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
If you’ve ever heard the term “radio waves,” used a microwave or a television remote, or had an X-ray, you have experienced a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum! But what is the electromagnetic spectrum? According to Merriam-Webster, this spectrum is “the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light.” But what does that mean? Scientists think of the entire electromagnetic spectrum as many types of light, only some that we can see with our eyes. We can detect others with our bodies, like infrared light, which we feel as heat, and
ultraviolet light, which can give us sunburns. Astronomers have created many detectors that can “see” in the full spectrum of wavelengths.
Telescope Types
While multiple types of telescopes operate across the electromagnetic spectrum, here are some of the largest, based on the wavelength they primarily work in: Radio: probably the most famous radio tele- • scope observatory would be the Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro County, New Mexico. This set of 25-meter radio telescopes was featured in the 1997 movie Contact. Astronomers use these telescopes to observe protoplanetary disks and black holes. Another famous set of radio telescopes would be the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) located in the Atacama Desert in Chile. ALMA was one of eight
This illustration shows the wavelength sensitivity of a number of current and future space- and ground-based observatories, along with their position relative to the ground and to Earth’s atmosphere. The wavelength bands are arranged from shortest (gamma rays) to longest (radio waves). The vertical color bars show the relative penetration of each band of light through Earth’s atmosphere. Credit: NASA, STScI
radio observatories that helped produce the first image of supermassive black holes at the center of M87 and Sagittarius A* at the center of our galaxy. Radio telescopes have also been used to study the microwave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Infrared: The James Webb Space Telescope • (JWST) operates in the infrared, allowing astronomers to see some of the earliest galaxies formed nearly 300 million years after the Big Bang. Infrared light allows astronomers to study galaxies and nebulae, which dense dust clouds would otherwise obscure. An excellent example is the Pillars of Creation located in the Eagle Nebula. With the side-by-side image comparison below, you can see the differences between what JWST and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) were able to capture with their respective instruments.
Visible: While it does have some near- • infrared and ultraviolet capabilities, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has primarily operated in the visible light spectrum for the last 35 years. With over 1.6 million observations made, HST has played an integral role in how we view the universe. Review Hubble’s Highlights here.
X-ray: Chandra X-ray Observatory was • designed to detect emissions from the hottest parts of our universe, like exploding stars. Xrays help us better understand the composition of deep space objects, highlighting areas unseen by visible light and infrared telescopes. This image of the Crab Nebula combines data from five different telescopes: The VLA (radio) in red; Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared) in yellow; Hubble Space Telescope (visible) in green; XMM-Newton (ultraviolet) in blue; and Chandra X-ray Observatory (X-ray) in purple. You can view the breakdown of this multiwavelength image here.
Try This At Home
Even though we can’t see these other wavelengths with our eyes, learn how to create multiwavelength images with the Cosmic Coloring Compositor activity and explore how astronomers use representational color to show light that our eyes cannot see with our Clues to the Cosmos activity.
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!
NASA’s Hubble Telescope captured the Pillars of Creation in 1995 and revisited them in 2014 with a sharper view. Webb’s infrared image reveals more stars by penetrating dust. Hubble highlights thick dust layers, while Webb shows hydrogen atoms and emerging stars. You can find this and other parts of the Eagle Nebula in the Serpens constellation. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Hubble Heritage Project (STScI, AURA)
WSST Newsletter
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Volume 66, No. 4
Published in Appleton, Wisconsin
Editing & Layout: Brian Bartel
Publisher: Kevin Niemi
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