Professional Development
AMTA Offers workshops in: Physics 1 – Mechanics Physics – Light Physics – Mechanical Waves Physics – Electricity & Magnetism Physics – CASTLE ( Circuits) Physics [...]
What is AMTA?
Of Teachers, By Teachers, For Teachers
AMTA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by teachers with the mission of providing professional development designed to help teachers implement Modeling InstructionTM in their classrooms. Teachers learn to help students plan and conduct data collection, analyze data, and share their findings in order to develop conceptual models that help them make sense of phenomena they observe.
Emphasis is placed on promoting classroom discussion in which the students arrive at a set of representations (a diagram, a graph and an equation) for the model they have created, then deploy the model in a series of related tasks.
This classroom dynamic is very different from the typical school culture, and requires teachers to develop skills in redirecting student questions to the group rather than simply giving the answers. To become proficient in the implementation of this pedagogy requires time and practice.
AMTA offers a number of experiences including face-to-face workshops, distance-learning courses and customized training which are aligned with NGSS Science and Engineering Practices. AMTA is a community of teachers dedicated to providing a wealth of instructional resources (curricular materials, webinars, short conferences and the ability to interact on various social media platforms) that will support teachers long after the training has been completed.
What is Modeling Instruction?
Modeling InstructionTM is a guided-inquiry approach to teaching science that organizes instruction around the handful of conceptual models that form the content core of the scientific disciplines. This method provides a framework for science instruction that approximates how scientists “do science.” Students build, test, and deploy conceptual models of physical relationships. Research has shown that students in Modeling Instruction classrooms perform significantly better on measures of conceptual knowledge than similar students in traditional science classrooms. Follow this link for more information.
What’s Happening?
Have You Checked Out the Latest Chemistry Materials?
The materials in 01-Matter-v3 (2023) change the emphasis in calculations from factor-label to proportional quantitative reasoning, while maintaining the core storyline of v2. The document “The Story of Quantitative Reasoning” makes the distinction between quantities (like mass and volume) and relationships (like density and molar mass), and makes an argument for why it is important to explicitly teach this. Brenda Royce and Larry Dukerich have made a short video describing this approach in greater detail. You can find it at https://bit.ly/prop_reasoning Units 2, 3 and 5 have been updated to reflect this approach which emphasizes sense-making over answer-getting.
We’re working on updating units 7-9.
Physics–Mechanics Gets a Refresh—Updates Underway!
Work has started on updating the physics-mechanics materials on the AMTA member site. Unit 2- constant velocity model now has updated teachers notes, additional activities, links to presentations on the use of Graphical Analysis (rather than Logger Pro) and suggestions for how to obtain/build inexpensive apparatus to study motion. Likewise, updated units 3 (uniform acceleration) and 4 (balanced forces) are now available in both docx and PDF formats. BTW, Vernier has recently released an updated version of Graphical Analysis. The link below takes you to a slide deck that describes new features of GA. Graphical Analysis New Features
Want to Improve Your Modeling Instruction?
Fall 2025 Vernier + AMTA Webinars
Ready to help students see the relationship between impulse and momentum change? Join physics educator Jess Dykes and Vernier Science Education Director of Physics Fran Poodry partnership with the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) as they demonstrate how Go Direct® Sensor Carts deliver real-time data that students can analyze to link impulse and momentum changes. You’ll discover how these measurements reinforce Newton’s third law and create a foundation for exploring conservation of momentum through modeling instruction in your classroom. Registration and Information
Tired of simply telling students that polyatomic ions exist when compounds like KNO3 dissolve? Join chemistry educators Larry Dukerich and Nüs Hisim partnership with the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA) as they demonstrate how the Go Direct® Conductivity Probe helps students understand what really happens when compounds containing polyatomic ions dissolve through hands-on investigation! Get strategies to engage students in inquiry-driven, phenomena-based experiments that transform abstract concepts into real-world observations and data. Registration and information
Membership in the AMTA Modeling Teacher community includes: Professional Development Offerings, Community Events, Classroom-ready Teacher Resources as well as Research on Modeling Instruction.
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