We will unpack why and how to integrate data literacy skills into current instruction across grades 2-8 subject areas in strategic and consistent ways. The data literacy topics will focus on creating and making sense of data visualizations in age-appropriate ways. We will explore turnkey strategies to enhance students’ data skills within our existing curriculum. Through hands-on activities, reflection-based discussions, and planning time, we will expand the tools in our toolkits and build our confidence and enthusiasm for teaching data literacy, foundational to future data science learning.
In this active session, K-5 educators will engage in hands-on, data investigations that are appropriate for young learners and enriched with culturally meaningful contexts drawn from Montana’s diverse communities and landscapes, specifically those of Montana's Indigenous Peoples. Participants will experience data tasks as learners, explore how to introduce related cultural knowledge respectfully, and leave with ready-to-use tasks that integrate measurement, data collection, and analysis aligned to grade-level standards.
This session focuses on practical strategies for implementing place-based mathematics instruction that connects rural students’ lived experiences to meaningful STEM learning. The presenter will share classroom-tested examples from an Algebra 1 systems of equations project grounded in local farming practices, where students model real agricultural decisions using linear systems. Participants will explore how place-based modeling tasks can be designed, scaffolded, and assessed within existing curricula and standards. Drawing on supporting research from a rural high school study, the session will highlight evidence of how these approaches impact student engagement, relevance, and confidence in mathematics. Attendees will examine project structures, student work samples, and assessment tools that emphasize real-world decision-making and environmental context rather than rote procedures. Key takeaways include concrete strategies for designing place-based modeling tasks, adapting projects for different rural or community contexts, and using local knowledge, such as agriculture and environmental systems, to support sense-making, reduce math anxiety, and deepen student learning.
Come see the museum exhibits, including the FROGS! Planitarium shows will be available, the Museum of the Rockies will offer information sessions for educators, and curiosity tables will be on display. Appetizers and drinks for all.
Monday August 3, 2026 17:30 - 19:00 MDT Museum of the Rockies600 W Kagy Blvd, Bozeman, MT 59717
