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Ists E-Newsletter, November 15, 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Message from the ISTS Chair, Traci Maxted

--Message from the Fall Conference Chair, Gale Vermeulen

--Message from the Vice Chair, Morgan Masters

--Observations of a Well-Seasoned Middle School Science Teacher

--Your ISTS Leadership Team

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V03n3, Autumn 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--Iowa Science Teachers Section Fall Conference

--Myrle Burk Scholarship Winners

--Project WET Update

--Academy Awards

--Opportunities for Learning

--ISTS Fall Conference Workshops

--Increasing Academy Membership and Recognition Across the State

--Financial Statement

Ists E-Newsletter, September 15, 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Message from the ISTS Chair, Traci Maxted

--Message from the Fall Conference Chair, Gale Vermeulen

--Message from the Vice Chair, Morgan Masters

--Attend the Fall Conference

--Announcements, Opportunities, News

--Your ISTS Leadership Team

Ists E-Newsletter, May 15, 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Messages from Your President, Traci Maxted

--A Memo from Your Past President, Gale Vermeulen

--Meet the President-Elect, Morgan Masters

--Announcements

--Your ISTS Leadership Team

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V03n2, Spring 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--Election Information

--Financial Statement

--IJAS Represented at American Junior Academy of Science

--Expedition Iowa Update

--Gifts Received 2006

--Schutte Receives National Biology Teaching Award

Ists E-Newsletter, February, 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Notes from Your President, Gale Vermeulen

--A Message From Your President-Elect, Traci Maxted

--News

--Announcements

--Your ISTS Leadership Team

Proceedings Of The 119th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2007], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Welcome from the Executive Director --- 3
Program Summary/Timeline --- 4
Iowa Junior Academy of Science --- 6
General Session Presentations --- 7
Symposia Presentations --- 10
Senior Poster Program --- 14
Awards Luncheon --- 16
President's Banquet --- 16
IAS Annual Business Meeting --- 17
2006-2007 Officers and Volunteers --- 18
Notes --- 19
Field Trips --- 20
Section Meeting Programs and Oral Presentations (Alphabetical by Section) --- 22
Abstracts (by Section) --- 27
Author Index --- 53

Iowa Academy Of Science 119th Annual Meeting [2007]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2007 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Synergistic Relationships: Why Effective Teaching Is Complex, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The crucial role of teachers in creating powerful learning environments has been a consistent feature of editorials and articles appearing in ISTJ under my editorship. Research makes clear that what teachers do significantly impacts their students' achievement, interest in a field of study, and attitude toward schooling in general. The cognitive and affective climate of classrooms is influenced by the learning and behavioral expectations set by teachers, the activities and instructional strategies they choose, the behaviors they exhibit when interacting with students, and many other important teacher decisions.

On Cloud 9: Helping Students Relate The Concept Of Differential Heating To Changes In Weather, Elizabeth White, Morgan Pett

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Understanding the basic features that drive the weather is important for understanding weather forecasting. In this activity students investigate differential heating and then connect that understanding to weather. Students are required to design a procedure, collect data, and make sense of that data. These investigative skills require students to be mentally engaged, and better model what scientists do while highlighting the inquisitive nature of science. This activity promotes National Science Education Standards A, B, D, and G and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Beyond Bone Dry Memorization: Using Comparative Anatomy To Better Understand How The Human Body Works, Ben Overman, Katherine Larson

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Oftentimes students learn about the skeletal system by simply viewing pictures of bones or, if they are fortunate, by observing real bones, but then going no further than being told the names of the bones. While this approach may result in students recalling names and locations of particular bones, it does not promote an understanding of these individual structures' function and importance. Here we present an inquiry approach to teaching human anatomy that has students observe body movements, comparing these observations to other species, and then returning to look more deeply into the role of bones. This inquiry approach to …

Rock On!: Providing Concrete Experiences Prior To Introducing Formal Geology Definitions, Rachel Banasiak, Jody Beimer

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

How can teachers mentally engage students in order to promote a deeper understanding of rock classification systems? Hands-on activities, while essential, are not enough. Students must have “minds-on” experiences as well (NRC, 1996). Inquiry lessons that encourage investigating, questioning, discovering, negotiating, making claims based on evidence and applying information to new situations encourage the mental engagement required for learning. The activity presented here has students meaningfully investigate and come to understand similarities and differences between metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks before being introduced to those terms. In doing so, it focuses students' attention on understanding rather than memorization. This article …

How Are We Stacking Up?: Current Reforms In Science Education Twelve Years After Publication Of The National Science Education Standards, Robert E. Yager

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In education Science-Technology-Society (STS) is commonly viewed as another add-on to a course or the curriculum. This view portrays STS as being plagued with the same problems as traditional teaching of science and technology; information is transmitted to students by lecture, verification laboratories, or textbooks and other written materials. This article presents the case that STS instruction, when effectively implemented, captures more broadly key aspects of both science and technology, and does not succumb to the common problems of traditional instruction. Essential characteristics of effective science teaching are presented.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Wait Just A Moment!, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

My previous ISTJ editorial addressed the importance of teachers' questioning for accurately diagnosing students' thinking, for helping students perceive where their ideas and thinking may be problematic, and for moving students toward desired conceptual understanding. Asking thought-provoking questions is not intuitive, and much effort is required to develop effective questioning patterns. To improve their questioning, some teachers place an easily seen poster in the room with words and phrases such as “How?,” “What?,” “To what extent…?,” “If…, then…?” These prompts help them avoid asking yes/no questions that begin with “Can?,” “Do?,” “Should?,” and “Will?” Another strategy is to write down …

Kiloclips And Millipens: An Introduction To Units Of Measure, Matthew D. Bannerman, Casey J. Brown, Doug Martin

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article presents a physical science activity for introducing units of measure and the role of human beings in deciding units of measure and their standards. These important science ideas are introduced through inquiry, and in a way that makes this activity appropriate for the beginning of the school year. The manner that this activity is done promotes mental engagement, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of the targeted concepts. In doing so, it helps set expectations for the entire course that students will be actively engaged in learning. The activity uses common objects to serve as standards for mass and …

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

When Molecular Worlds Collide: Developing The Conceptual Groundwork Needed To Understand Molecular Motion, Scott M. Moore Jr., Kara Victorsen

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The activity described in this article introduces students to the concept of molecular motion and how it is affected by temperature using two simple ingredients: water and food coloring. In the hands of a highly effective science teacher, this activity will promote student inquiry, creative and critical thinking, effective communication, and cooperative learning. This activity is appropriate for use in both physical science and chemistry. The activity described here promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, and G, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Can A Bird Build-A-Beak? Using Inquiry To Address Student Misconceptions About Animal Adaptation, Katherine Larson, Mandy Kemp

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The fifth grade activity presented here is a modified version of a common cookbook approach to teaching animal adaptations. The original activity gave step-by-step directions that provided few opportunities for students to be engaged in deep thinking. In presenting our version of the activity, we make clear the critical role of the teacher in promoting higher order thinking and engagement. This animal adaptation activity helps students understand how the structure of various bird beaks determines the type of food it can successfully acquire and eat. This activity addresses two common misconceptions: that animals choose their adaptations and that animals adapt …

The Ground We Walk On: An Effective Analogy For Exploring Soil Characteristics, Sally Wilson, Meher Vani Bojja

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Soil is common to all of us, so common that few people think about it and its importance in our everyday lives. The activity presented here provides an analogy useful for helping students design experiments and explore how soil particle size affects its behavior. Originally a simple “cookbook” demonstration for community college students, we restructured it to be more inquiry oriented so that it mentally engages students and promotes several important goals for science teaching. We believe the modified activity is applicable across a broad grade/age range, perhaps from upper elementary to some introductory post-secondary science courses. This activity promotes …

It's Alive! I Think . . .: Students Investigate What Defines Something As Living, Garrett Hall, Jesse Wilcox

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Students often have misconceptions about what makes something alive or not, and few have a concept of what characterizes living things similar to that of biologists. The activity presented here mentally engages students in an inquiry-based way to teach students about the characteristics of life that will be revisited throughout the school year. We also use this activity to explicitly draw students' attention to effective inquiry skills, cooperative learning, and promote a deep understanding of the nature of science. The activity described here promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, C, and G, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1-6.

Colorful Geology: Using Crayons To Model The Rock Cycle, Sarah White

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The activity presented here is appropriate in a unit addressing the rock cycle and related concepts. Many variations of this activity exist, but the version below emphasizes student inquiry and decision-making. In doing so, it encourages mental engagement and promotes a deeper understanding of important geological concepts. This article promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, and D, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V03n4, Winter 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--Focus on an Institutional Member

--120th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

--GLOBE Activities for You and YOUR Students

--Committee on Committees and Elections Report to the Iowa Academy of Science Membership

--Financial Statement

--New Member Referral Program Report

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V03n1, Winter 2007, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--New IAS Membership Brochure

--Evolution and Intelligent Design Conference

--REAP-CEP Program Funds Project WET

--National Outstanding New Biology Teacher

--119th Annual Meeting

--Financial Statements 2007

--Expedition Iowa

--A Message from Our President

--IAS Section Update

--Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science Update

--Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award

Weather Factors Influencing Winter Roosts Of American Crows In Central Iowa, Joshua D. Obrecht, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

We investigated the effects of season and weather on the winter roosting behavior of American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) in central Iowa from January through March 2006. The peak number of birds recorded at a roost in Ames, Story County was 9,000+ in early February, and the number of individuals entering the roost decreased through February and March. Crows tended to enter the roost later in the day as winter neared completion. High wind speed and low light intensity caused individual to enter the roost earlier in the day. Temperature did not affect arrival time of crows. Wind speed, light intensity, …

Playing Games To Build Understanding, Michele Carnahan, Bridgette Stevens

Faculty Publications

I am fortunate. I teach from Investigations in Number, Data, and Space [TERC] (1996), a standards-based elementary mathematics curriculum. My evolution from teaching in a traditional teacher-centered approach to one that supports a student-centered community of learners has been a slow and gradual process during the past six years of teaching. Fortunately, through experience, professional development, and graduate level courses, I have come to appreciate the conceptual understanding students acquire from learning mathematics via a student-centered approach and how playing games is an effective instructional strategy for learning mathematics. As intended by the authors of Investigations and envisioned by the …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.