Education Commons^™

Editor's Corner - The Country Club, Carl W. Bollwinkel

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Quigley, colleagues call him "Q" for short, has his full set of golf clubs out on the front lawn. He calls all that action ''practice swings." Certainly is a lot of air being moved . . . and a few divots. These practice · sessions on the front lawn are sort of a spring ritual that coincide with election time. They're a sure sign he's prepared to deliver commentary. "Well Quig, tell me, what is the main issue in this year's country club election?" "Glad you asked, Prof." (He always calls me Prof. That's short for professional. I spend much …

Science Calendar

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial Office & Staff; Officers, Iowa Academy Of Science; Executive Board & Regional Directors, Iowa Science Teachers Section

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

This Spud's For You!, Suzanne Zobrist Kelly

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Upper elementary students often seem to think that saving energy is limited to car pooling, turning off the lights when leaving a room and turning down the thermostat in the winter. Seldom do they consider energy as critical in the manufacturing, packaging, transporting, storing and distributing of products. Rarely is energy recognized as being involved in eating a sack of potato chips, buying fast-food carry-out French fries or preparing frozen hash-browned potatoes in the kitchen. Although my students list sources of energy as "electricity" or "fossil fuels,'' they often do not relate such sources to food production and marketing.

In …

Bird Feeding, Bird Watching, Ed Harris

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

A year ago at Christmas time, I became seriously fascinated with watching birds at feeders while we were visiting our daughter in Shenandoah, Iowa. She had put out a small hanging feeder, and I spread some loose seed in the garden plot behind the house. With my binoculars, I watched for hours by the window, seeing the birds in minute detail, and I considered trying this when we got back home.

Lakeside Laboratory: A Unique Learning Opportunity For Science Teachers, John Stiles

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In northwest Iowa, tucked away along the shores of West Lake Okoboji, is a unique biological research and teaching facility managed by the Iowa State Board of Regents. On a typical summer day, 60 or so researchers and students spend hours collecting data at a dozen sites in at least seven areas of research. Much of this activity goes unnoticed by the steady stream of vacationers driving or floating by who learn of this quiet place only by virtue of a wrong tum or an overheard conversation.

Editor's Corner - Last Thoughts, Stephanie A. Althof

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

It hardly seems possible that I have been the editorial assistant for the Iowa Science Teachers Journal for six years now. What seems even more impossible is the fact that I am leaving the Journal.

Science Notes - Field Testers Needed For Biology Education Project, Jonna M. Higgins

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) is seeking 40 life science and biology teachers to field test hands-on laboratory activities that require little or no money to implement. Field testers will receive a consulting fee of $450 plus $25 to implement the materials into their classrooms.

Teaching Chemistry Safety: A Personal Issue, Judith Lemons

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

As chemistry teachers, it is our moral and legal duty to make the laboratory a safe and healthy place for our students. However, safety policies will be most effective if the students share the responsibilities for promoting safety and preventing accidents. We can help to motivate our students to remember and apply safety principles if we make safety a personal issue for each student. I have found that a student will more readily comply with laboratory rules on a regular basis if the rules are important for that student, and that student has actively participated in the safety learning process.

The Pessimist And The Optimist, John D. White

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Suppose that in 1945 a respected sage had been asked, "What do you see for the future?" and he had replied, "Rust, sand and soot." He would have been considered a pessimist. An optimistic sage might have replied instead: "The future will be powered entirely by atomic energy. Contagious disease will be eliminated by antibiotics such as penicillin. Harmful insects will be eradicated by DDT and similar chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides."

Astronomy Bulletin - The Night Sky: December 12, 1992 To February 15, 1993, Patrick Steven Leiker, Darrel B. Hoff

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Science Notes - Catalyst Awards, Amy L. Wall

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The Chemical Manufacturers Association will honor 24 outstanding teachers of science, chemistry and chemical engineering through its Catalyst Awards program in 1993.

Science Notes - Science Teaching Awards, Jonna M. Higgins

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The National Science Teachers Association and Shell Oil Company will sponsor the Science Teaching Award for educators who have had a significant impact on their communities, schools and students of all backgrounds and abilities.

Science Notes - Toyota/Nsta Tapestry Grants, Amy L. Wall

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Grants allowing teachers to implement innovative science projects are being offered by TAPESTRY (Toyota's Appreciation Program for Excellence to Science Teachers Reaching Youth).

Science Notes - Applications Invited For Project Esteem

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Project ESTEEM (Earth Science Teachers Exploring Exemplary Materials) will hold another summer workshop for teachers at Harvard University's Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 5-23, 1993. The goal of Project ESTEEM is to develop a nation-wide network of earth-science resource agents to promote an increase in activity-based teaching in American schools. Thirty earth-science teachers from across the United States will be selected to participate.

Science Notes - Article Submission Requirements, Jonna M. Higgins

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In an attempt to standardize the format for all articles, the Iowa Science Teachers Journal has established a set of author's guidelines.

Science Notes - Scholarships For Minority Undergraduate Physics Majors, Jonna M. Higgins

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The American Physical Society is offering $2500 scholarships to qualified African-American, Hispanic-American or Native American students who plan to major in physics. Applicants must be in their last year of high school or first or second year of college. Scholarship awards will be based on a review of each student's personal statement, references, transcripts and standardized test scores.

Editorial Office & Staff; Officers, Iowa Academy Of Science; Executive Board & Regional Directors, Iowa Science Teachers Section

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Science Notes - Book News: Cry Of The Kalahari, Jonna M. Higgins

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Cry of the Kalahari, written by the husband and wife research team of Delia and Mark Owens, offers the basis for a variety of innovative science and cross-curricular activities at the high school level.

Editor's Corner - Free And Inexpensive . . . But Not Cheap, Carl W. Bollwinkel

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

"Energy cannot be created ...it costs money to throw out the trash ... there is no such thing as a free lunch ... " Although we cherish the idea of receiving something for nothing, we find that energy costs, trash disposal costs and we cannot even get a truly free lunch from the book salesperson. Many professional journals carry a well-read feature devoted to "free and inexpensive" materials. If things truly are not free, perhaps our next best choice is inexpensive.

Teaching The Logic Of Falsification: A Classroom Excercise, David Lopatto

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Every science teacher soon discovers that the intuitions students use to solve problems are frequently at variance with the critical thinking skills required by science. 1be exercise presented here focuses on the value of making scientific hypotheses and then attempting to falsify rather than confirm them. When challenged to test a hypothesis, intuitive thinkers tend to show a confirmation bias, i.e., they will propose a test in which the results will be a positive instance of the hypothesis (Einhorn and Hogarth, 1978; Wason, 1960). Scientists, on the other hand, know that tests are specific instances that cannot inductively ''prove" the …

Science Notes - Iowa Students Named Exploravision Semifinalists, Amy L. Wall

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

A team from Maharishi Middle School, Fairfield, Iowa, has been named regional semifinalists in the Toshiba/NSTA Explora Vision science competition. Team members are Kathryn Bettis, Mikaila Maidment, Jessica Hawthorne and Sarah Vigmostad. Their project, Making Life Better with Virtual Reality, was judged based on their storyboard. Criteria were creativity in vision and communication, historical perspective, scientific accuracy and feasibility.

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Reach-Ing For Our Dreams!, Sharon Kaufman, Tom Buckley

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

More than half a decade ago, several individuals and agency and organization representatives decided it was time to act upon the belief that conservation and the environment in Iowa needed a more generous and reliable funding source. Representatives of two dozen agencies and organizations, coordinated by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, worked with several key legislators to draft the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program. The program itself passed the Iowa House and Senate unanimously and, after a little haggling over funding, was signed by Governor Branstad in May 1989.

Astronomy Bulletin - The Night Sky: April 19 To May 15, 1993, P. Steven Leiker, Darrel B. Hoff

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Science Notes - Usnco Announces 1993 Program, Elizabeth B. Sharpe

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) Subcommittee of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Education invites all interested high school teachers and their students to participate in the 1993 USNCO program. USNCO stimulates young people to achieve excellence in chemistry and recognizes the accomplishments of these students and teachers as well as the importance of the school environment in which they learn.

Science Notes - Spring Msta Conference, Elizabeth B. Sharpe

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The Minnesota Science Teachers Association extends an invitation to all Iowa teachers to attend its 1993 spring conference ''Enjoy a 'Southern Exposure.'" Sessions will be held in Rochester, Minnesota, May 6-8.

Index To Volume 29

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Science Notes - Natural History Potpourri Workshops

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Natural History workshops are scheduled at the Conservation Education Center (Springbrook) for the weeks of June 13-18 and 20-25, 1993. The potpourri of topics includes: birds, trees, rocks, prairie plants and pond life. The week-long sessions will include field trips, lecture/discussions, slide talks and participation in activities which link the content topics to classroom activities.

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.