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High School Science Teacher Program

NORM 2026 is proud to partner with Boise State University to present a dedicated High School Science Teacher Program. This program allows chemistry and physics teachers to obtain professional development credits.

Registration and professional education credits are completely free for all high school teachers and some participants can earn a small stipend (see option B below).

Questions? Contact Dr. Don Warner at (208) 426-3030 or dwarner@boisestate.edu

Registering for NORM for Free

1. Get your registration code

Contact Dr. Don Warner (dwarner@boisestate.edu) to receive your registration waiver. Please note: Your waiver covers only the registration fee; it will not apply to any additional fees if you register for social events or other ticketed activities.

2. Register

Begin your registration. In the Registration Type (2nd screen), select Teacher. Ignore the fee listed while you work to the Order Summary page.

3. Apply your code

On the Order Summary page, enter the Registration/Discount Code you received. Once applied, the registration fee will be removed.

Professional Credits

Option A — 1 Credit

Attend the High School Teacher Program.

Earn 1 credit by attending the core two-day program on June 28–29 (8 AM – 6 PM), featuring complimentary breakfast and lunch, and a dynamic series of concurrent workshops and laboratory experiments. Topics cover electrolysis simulations, green chemistry, physics with smartphones, POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) fundamentals, semiconductor curricula, and an AP Chemistry exam analysis.

Option B — 2 Credits

Attend the High School Teacher Program + NORM talks and events

Complete Option A and then attend an additional 15 hours of broader NORM talks and events through July 1. This option features over 300 presentations on STEM education and cutting-edge research, including a keynote presentation by Nobel Laureate Prof. Stanley Whittingham.

A limited stipend of $300 or $600 is available for the first 20 teachers who register for Option B and sign up for the Wednesday “Python for Educators Workshop” at registration.

High School Teacher Program

  • 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM

Welcome Remarks and Breakfast Snacks

  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Group 1

  • 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Tom Greenbowe, University of Oregon

This workshop will demonstrate how digital tools are used to provide students with a) opportunities for experimental design and to b) visualize complex dynamic atomic and molecular processes within galvanic and electrolytic cells, making abstract concepts accessible. Learn to effectively use the four simulations to understand and visualize oxidation and reduction half-reactions occurring at the electrodes, ion movement in the salt-bridge and aqueous solution, and electron movement in wires, potential generation in galvanic cells, the effect of changing the concentration of the solutions (Nernst Cells), current and time used to plate mass on an electrode in an electrolysis cell. The activities will bridge the particle and symbolic levels of representation views of electrochemical cells. Tom Greenbowe will share pedagogical strategies for integrating these visualizations into your curriculum, enhancing conceptual understanding and addressing common misconceptions.

  • 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Tom Greenbowe, University of Oregon

This workshop will have teachers working laboratory experiments involving galvanic cells, Nernst Cells, and electrolysis cells. Teachers will measure E°cell for three galvanic cells, then determine the identity of an unknown half-cell.  Teachers will use the Nernst equation to predict Ecell potentials of two galvanic cells not having 1.00 M solutions. Teachers will use a D.C. power generator and vary current, and time used to plate a mass of metal on an electrode in an electrolysis cell. Teachers will have the opportunity to engage in experimental design. Teachers will diagram each cell and indicate the oxidation and reduction half-reactions occurring at the electrodes, the overall cell reaction, ion movement in the salt-bridge and aqueous solution, and electron movement in wires, potential generation in galvanic cells, E° and E calculations.

Group 2

  • 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Henry Charlier Jr., Boise State University

This workshop is designed for high school chemistry and physics teachers and highlights the use of engaging, safe demonstrations to explore the behavior of gases. Participants will investigate key concepts such as the Universal Gas Law and the Kinetic Molecular Theory through a series of simple, hands-on activities—many of which use everyday materials—that can be performed either by students or as instructor-led demonstrations. The session includes practical suggestions for implementing these demonstrations in the classroom and incorporating them into effective lesson plans, helping make abstract ideas more concrete and accessible. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use ideas and select materials to support bringing these interactive and approachable experiences into their own classrooms.

  • 10:45 AM to 12:15 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Tanya Elmer, Borah High School

Discover how green chemistry can transform traditional labs into safer, lower-cost, and more engaging learning experiences for students. In this workshop, participants will explore practical replacement labs that use household or less hazardous materials while still teaching core chemistry concepts such as reactions, equilibrium, thermochemistry, and spectroscopy. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use resources, classroom-tested activities, and strategies for reducing waste, improving safety, and increasing student access to hands-on science. Whether you teach high school or college chemistry, this session will provide meaningful ways to make chemistry more sustainable and student-centered.

  • 12:15 PM to 1:30 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Speaker: Dr. Allan Albig, Boise State University and author of the book titled “It’s Not Magic, It’s Biology: A Guided Tour Through Your Molecular World”

Have you ever stopped to wonder how your eyes can convert light into nerve impulses? Or maybe how your ears translate sound waves into brain waves? What about your sense of touch…? How do your fingers sense pressure? How does your body tell you when you need to pee? These are mysteries that many people never stop to think about, but they should. Without a background in science, the answers might seem so complex that only a specialist could understand them. The truth however is that the answer to all these questions is simply, molecular biology. It’s Not Magic, It’s Biology!

Group 1

  • 1:45 PM to 3:15 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Henry Charlier Jr., Boise State University

This workshop is designed for high school chemistry and physics teachers and highlights the use of engaging, safe demonstrations to explore the behavior of gases. Participants will investigate key concepts such as the Universal Gas Law and the Kinetic Molecular Theory through a series of simple, hands-on activities—many of which use everyday materials—that can be performed either by students or as instructor-led demonstrations. The session includes practical suggestions for implementing these demonstrations in the classroom and incorporating them into effective lesson plans, helping make abstract ideas more concrete and accessible. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use ideas and select materials to support bringing these interactive and approachable experiences into their own classrooms.

  • 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Tanya Elmer, Borah High School

Discover how green chemistry can transform traditional labs into safer, lower-cost, and more engaging learning experiences for students. In this workshop, participants will explore practical replacement labs that use household or less hazardous materials while still teaching core chemistry concepts such as reactions, equilibrium, thermochemistry, and spectroscopy. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use resources, classroom-tested activities, and strategies for reducing waste, improving safety, and increasing student access to hands-on science. Whether you teach high school or college chemistry, this session will provide meaningful ways to make chemistry more sustainable and student-centered.

Group 2

  • 1:45 PM to 3:15 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Tom Greenbowe, University of Oregon

This workshop will demonstrate how digital tools are used to provide students with a) opportunities for experimental design and to b) visualize complex dynamic atomic and molecular processes within galvanic and electrolytic cells, making abstract concepts accessible. Learn to effectively use the four simulations to understand and visualize oxidation and reduction half-reactions occurring at the electrodes, ion movement in the salt-bridge and aqueous solution, and electron movement in wires, potential generation in galvanic cells, the effect of changing the concentration of the solutions (Nernst Cells), current and time used to plate mass on an electrode in an electrolysis cell. The activities will bridge the particle and symbolic levels of representation views of electrochemical cells. Tom Greenbowe will share pedagogical strategies for integrating these visualizations into your curriculum, enhancing conceptual understanding and addressing common misconceptions.

  • 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Boise State University Science Building, 3rd Floor

Facilitator: Dr. Tom Greenbowe, University of Oregon

This workshop will have teachers working laboratory experiments involving galvanic cells, Nernst Cells, and electrolysis cells. Teachers will measure E°cell for three galvanic cells, then determine the identity of an unknown half-cell.  Teachers will use the Nernst equation to predict Ecell potentials of two galvanic cells not having 1.00 M solutions. Teachers will use a D.C. power generator and vary current, and time used to plate a mass of metal on an electrode in an electrolysis cell. Teachers will have the opportunity to engage in experimental design. Teachers will diagram each cell and indicate the oxidation and reduction half-reactions occurring at the electrodes, the overall cell reaction, ion movement in the salt-bridge and aqueous solution, and electron movement in wires, potential generation in galvanic cells, E° and E calculations.

  • 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Dinner on your own

  • 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

(Optional) Nobel Laureate Plenary Presentation, Reception & Poster Session

  • Boise Centre East

Kick off NORM 2026 with an opening plenary address by Nobel Laureate M. Stanley Whittingham. The lecture will be followed by a Nobel Laureate Reception and Frontiers in Scientific Research: Opening Night Poster Session.

Group 1

  • 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Cait McGraw, Idaho National Laboratory; Greg Losinski, Idaho National Laboratory

This hands‑on session explores how smartphones, equipped with powerful built‑in sensors and the free PhyPhox app, can transform the way physics is taught and learned. Participants will use their own devices to collect, visualize, and analyze real‑time data, revealing the remarkable measurement and computational capabilities students already carry in their pockets. The workshop highlights inquiry‑based investigations that leverage accelerometers, gyroscopes, sound sensors, and more to make abstract physics concepts tangible and engaging. Attendees will leave with ready‑to‑use activities and strategies for integrating smartphone‑based experimentation into their physics or STEM classrooms.

  • 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Dr. Shawn Simonson, Boise State University

An introductory workshop designed for those with limited or no previous exposure to POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning). Participants will have the opportunity to engage in POGIL activities, observe facilitation strategies firsthand, and learn about POGIL classroom implementation. After attending this session, participants will be able to a) list the essential elements of POGIL pedagogy and philosophy, b) list desirable student learning outcomes supported by POGIL pedagogy and c) collect strategies to begin implementing POGIL in the classroom.

Group 2

  • 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Dr. Shawn Simonson, Boise State University

An introductory workshop designed for those with limited or no previous exposure to POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning). Participants will have the opportunity to engage in POGIL activities, observe facilitation strategies firsthand, and learn about POGIL classroom implementation. After attending this session, participants will be able to a) list the essential elements of POGIL pedagogy and philosophy, b) list desirable student learning outcomes supported by POGIL pedagogy and c) collect strategies to begin implementing POGIL in the classroom.

  • 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Cait McGraw, Idaho National Laboratory; Greg Losinski, Idaho National Laboratory

This hands‑on session explores how smartphones, equipped with powerful built‑in sensors and the free PhyPhox app, can transform the way physics is taught and learned. Participants will use their own devices to collect, visualize, and analyze real‑time data, revealing the remarkable measurement and computational capabilities students already carry in their pockets. The workshop highlights inquiry‑based investigations that leverage accelerometers, gyroscopes, sound sensors, and more to make abstract physics concepts tangible and engaging. Attendees will leave with ready‑to‑use activities and strategies for integrating smartphone‑based experimentation into their physics or STEM classrooms.

  • 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Speaker: Andrea Baerwald, Idaho State Department of Education Science Coordinator

The Idaho Department of Education provides various resources to support science teachers in implementing the state’s science standards. These resources focus on inquiry-based learning, aligning with the National Research Council’s report, “A Framework for K-12 Science Education.”

Group 1

  • 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Hailey Lynch, Boise State University Microelectronics Education and Research; Camille Platts-McPharlin, Boise State University Microelectronics Education and Research

Join us for the ChipWorks Series: Electrify Your Class, where you will explore a free, accessible semiconductor curriculum designed for easy classroom integration. This workshop introduces key semiconductor concepts and connects them to practical strategies for teaching circuits and microelectronics. Participants will use Arduinos and components such as jumper wires, LEDs, and photoresistors to explore real-world applications and the role of semiconductors in modern technology.

  • 3:15 PM to 4:45 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Ed Drapher, Executive Director of Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation

This session examines the chemistry and engineering behind paper as a sustainable, renewable material designed for the circular economy. Topics include pulping chemistry, process engineering, recycling, and emerging research that converts biomass and industrial waste streams into bioplastics, bioenergy, and other high-value products. The lecture highlights how chemistry and engineering enable paper-based materials to replace plastics while advancing sustainability and the circular bioeconomy.

Group 2

  • 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Ed Drapher, Executive Director of Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation

This session examines the chemistry and engineering behind paper as a sustainable, renewable material designed for the circular economy. Topics include pulping chemistry, process engineering, recycling, and emerging research that converts biomass and industrial waste streams into bioplastics, bioenergy, and other high-value products. The lecture highlights how chemistry and engineering enable paper-based materials to replace plastics while advancing sustainability and the circular bioeconomy.

  • 3:15 PM to 4:45 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Facilitator: Hailey Lynch, Boise State University Microelectronics Education and Research; Camille Platts-McPharlin, Boise State University Microelectronics Education and Research

Join us for the ChipWorks Series: Electrify Your Class, where you will explore a free, accessible semiconductor curriculum designed for easy classroom integration. This workshop introduces key semiconductor concepts and connects them to practical strategies for teaching circuits and microelectronics. Participants will use Arduinos and components such as jumper wires, LEDs, and photoresistors to explore real-world applications and the role of semiconductors in modern technology.

  • 5:00 PM to 5:50 PM
  • Boise Centre East

Speaker: Dr. Tom Greenbowe, University of Oregon

This workshop will involve AP Chemistry teachers in an analysis and discussion of the 2025 and 2026 AP Chemistry Exam Free-Response Questions (FRQs). The workshop leaders have extensive experience as AP Chemistry Exam Readers, Table Leaders and Question Leaders and will provide their insights about scoring FRQs. Select FRQs will be discussed in detail, including the scoring guidelines, statistics, student samples, and the AP Chemistry Chief Reader Reports. The workshop leaders will discuss ten chemistry content errors and ten writing mistakes exhibited by students on the FRQs.

  • 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Dinner on your own

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See Full Program