Raising the Standard: An NGSS-Badged Approach to Ag-Based Genetics

A PENNSELA Winter Workshop

Cost: Complimentary (Includes Breakfast & Lunch)

REGISTRATION & MEMBERSHIP OFFER:

This event is free for all attendees.

• Current PENNSELA Members: Registration is complimentary as a benefit of your membership.

• Non-Members: Thanks to the generous support of our funders, non-members who register will receive a complimentary one-year membership to PENNSELA in addition to their free event registration.

OVERVIEW:

Join us for a dynamic day of professional learning hosted by PENNSELA in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA) and the Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education.

This workshop centers on "Unravel Genetics to Raise the Steaks," a unit that has earned the prestigious NGSS Design Badge. The NGSS Design Badge is awarded to top-rated science lessons and units designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Participants will discover how this high-quality material bridges the gap between complex high school genetics concepts and authentic modern agriculture.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

This session focuses on the intersection of advanced science and classroom application. During the workshop, you will:

• Explore the Badged Unit: Gain a comprehensive introduction to the unit’s purpose, storyline, and lesson architecture that earned it the NGSS Design Badge.

• Analyze Modern Beef Genetics: Use the science of inheritance, variation, genomics, selective breeding, and environmental interactions as a vehicle for deep high school biology sensemaking.

• Go "Inside the Unit": Participate in an interactive walk-through of the anchoring phenomenon, real-world data sets, models, and student tasks.

• Connect to Local Priorities: Discuss connections between the unit, Pennsylvania science priorities, local agriculture, and specific district needs.

• Chart Implementation Pathways: Explore what it takes for a district to successfully adopt and support a phenomenon-based unit.

LOGISTICS:

• Food & Beverage: Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all attendees.

• Technology: Please bring a laptop or tablet to access digital materials.

WHY ATTEND?

• Access Top-Rated Materials: Walk away with a clear understanding of a unit certified for quality that connects molecular mechanisms to real-world food systems.

• Strategic Planning: Learn how to implement phenomenon-based learning at the district level.

• Network: Connect with facilitators, PENNSELA ambassadors, and peers to discuss the future of science education in PA.