Upcoming webinars to amplify your science instruction!
Science instruction is evolving to better prepare the students of today for the STEM careers of tomorrow. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt® is proud to partner with our thought leaders and authors in the fields of next generation science instruction to equip teachers with the information and tools they need for the exciting changes ahead!
Some Strategies to Assist Students with Interpreting Images and Other Earth Science Spatial Thinking Skills
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades 6–12
Hosted by Dr. Michael Passow
 Understanding in the Earth Sciences depends greatly on interpreting images. We represent current conditions through such images as synoptic weather and color-coded sea surface temperature anomalies maps. We represent relationships between parts of our planet through cross-sectional diagrams of Earth layers. We can also use images like stratigraphic sequences to interpret the events of the deep past which created the present world. Interpreting geoscience images is one form of spatial thinking. Research has shown the importance of spatial thinking in science generally, and in Earth Science in particular. Research also shows that spatial thinking skills vary widely among students and teachers, and that performance on spatially demanding tasks can be fostered through instruction. This webinar will explore spatial thinking and provide you with strategies to assist your middle and high school students with mastering core ideas and NGSS*-aligned skills.
About the Presenter:
Mike Passow taught 44 years in middle school, high school, and college classrooms before finally retiring from Dwight Morrow High School in his hometown of Englewood, NJ. Dr. Passow continues to provide professional development for science teachers. He is the founder and organizer of the Earth2Class Workshops for Teachers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Dr. Passow is also active in many professional Earth Science societies, serving multiple terms as President of the National Earth Science Teachers Association and National Association of Geoscience Teachers—Eastern Section.
Cha-cha-cha- Changes: Re-engineering Science Curriculum for the 21st Century
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades K–12
Hosted by Michael DiSpezio
 Join a lively and informative webinar focused on re-engineering science curriculum based upon the common tenets of NGSS and its parent document, A Framework for K–12 Science Education. You'll not only get the backstory of standards-based curriculum, but you'll also construct a proactive understanding of what these changes really mean to the science teacher and administrator. Find out what's real and what are the challenges and inertia you might expect. See you there!
About the Presenter:
Michael DiSpezio has authored many HMH® instructional programs for Science and Mathematics. He has also authored numerous trade books and multimedia programs and hosted dozens of studio and location broadcasts for organizations in the U.S. and worldwide. Most recently, he has been working with educators to provide strategies for implementing the Next Generation Science Standards*, particularly the science and engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and the use of Evidence Notebooks. To all his projects, he brings his extensive background in science; his expertise in classroom teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; and his deep experience in producing interactive and engaging instructional materials.
When an Argument Is Not a Fight: The Claims-Evidence-Reasoning Approach
Thursday, September 28, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades K–8
Hosted by Marjorie Frank
 Step away from the panic button! Don’t let the words claims, evidence, and reasoning put you off. We’ll explore what they mean, how to bring them into your dialogue with kids, and how to lead kids to take ownership of these words and the kind of thinking they represent in scientific arguments.
About the Presenter:
An educator and linguist by training, a writer and poet by nature, Marjorie Frank has authored and designed a generation of instructional materials in all subject areas, including past HMH Science programs. Her other credits include authoring science issues of an award-winning children’s magazine, writing game-based digital assessments, developing blended learning materials for young children, and serving as instructional designer and co-author of pioneering school-to-work software. In addition, she has served on the adjunct faculty of Hunter, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Colleges, teaching courses in science methods, literacy, and writing. For HMH Science Dimensions™, she has guided the development of our K–2 strands and our approach to making connections between NGSS and Common Core ELA/literacy standards.
Three-Dimensional Teaching: What It Looks Like in the Classroom
Thursday, October 5, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades 3–12
Hosted by Dr. Cary Sneider
 Perhaps the greatest challenge of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is combining all three dimensions—practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas—into daily teaching and learning. In order to gain insight into what 3D teaching looks like, participants will be asked to view up to one hour of free online videos of science classes before the webinar, so that we can have an interactive discussion of ways the examples reflect 3D teaching.
About the Presenter:
While studying astrophysics at Harvard, Cary Sneider volunteered to teach in an Upward Bound program and discovered his real calling as a science teacher. After teaching middle and high school science in Maine, California,
Costa Rica, and Micronesia, he settled for nearly three decades at Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California, where he developed skills in curriculum development and teacher education. Over his career Cary directed more than 20 federal, state, and foundation grant projects, and was a writing team leader for the Next Generation Science Standards. He has been instrumental in ensuring HMH Science Dimensions meets the high expectations of the NGSS and provides an effective three-dimensional learning experience for all students.
Brain-Powered Science: Teaching & Learning with Discrepant Events
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades K–12
Hosted by Dr. Thomas O’Brien
 Optical illusions, cartoons, demonstrations, and hands-on explorations will engage participants and model the power of discrepant events to enhance learning by activating attention and catalyzing cognitive processing. The take home, minds-on message is that three-dimensional, next generation Curriculum Instruction Assessment shifts the teacher’s focus from didactically covering content to interactively helping learners recover FUNdaMENTAL conceptual precursors, uncover (and deconstruct) misconceptions, and discover (and reconstruct) enriched conceptual networks of understanding.
FOR OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE: Be sure to have a few sample materials on hand in order to participate in an actual live discrepant event! Please have a fork, knife, or spoon; a piece of string ~0.5 meters long; a spool; and two same size round balloons.
About the Presenter:
Thomas O’Brien is a distinguished leader in science education with a special focus on chemistry education. During the 1980s, he was a member of the writing team for the innovative Chemistry in the Community (ChemCom) program produced by the American Chemical Society. He has also authored a three-book series with the NSTA Press, Brain-Powered Science: Teaching and Learning with Discrepant Events, and served as an author/editor for Science for the Next Generation, another NSTA Press book. His research interests include constructivist approaches to science teaching, professional development, and leadership. For HMH Science Dimensions, he has helped guide the planning and development of the high school chemistry content.
Building Conceptual Understanding in Science from the Top Down
Thursday, October 26, 2017
3:30 PM PT/4:30 MT/5:30 CT/6:30 ET
Grades 8–12
Hosted by Dr. Stephen Nowicki
 Too often, our students come to class thinking that science is a bunch of stuff to know instead of a way of understanding how things work. In this webinar, we’ll use some common examples from biology to illustrate the difference between “bottom-up” and “top-down” concept formation in science and explore how to enhance our students’ ability to take a top-down approach to their own learning.
About the Presenter:
Steve Nowicki is a professor of biology, psychology, and neurobiology at Duke University. He is the author of HMH Biology and helped guide the development of HMH Science Dimensions Biology content. He also is the author of The Science of Life, a 72-lecture video series for adult learners produced as part of the Great Courses series by The Teaching Company.
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