Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

A Twofold Approach To Addressing Under-Representation In Science, Matt Harding

Science Education Update Conference Documents

I teach in one of the largest public school districts in Iowa, and have always been bothered by how the demographics of my course rosters differ significantly from the diverse enrollment at my school. My talk will address some of what can be done to reduce gate keeping that limits opportunities for students that might not typically take courses like AP Physics, how I have managed to push-in to our ELL introductory science course with many of the same activities that I use in my grade level and AP physics courses, as well as my experience with AIP's STEP UP …

Is There Life In Space? How Do We Find Exoplanets?, Deetta Johnson

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Two separate sessions are being presented. You can attend one or both sessions. In the first hands-on session, participants will simulate the transit method of finding exoplanets by looking at star dimming. This activity uses accessible materials and shows students how scientists look for habitable planets outside our solar system. In the second session, participants will learn how students use the scientific method to make concrete samples and test them for strength. Students love doing this while learning about a natural resource important to Iowa. Student-made concrete samples will be shared. Appropriate for both Earth and Physical Sciences.

Iowa Pbs Iowa Science Phenomena, Tiffany Morgan

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Learn how you can start using local phenomena in your classroom today with Iowa PBS Iowa Science Phenomena. This session will introduce educators to the site and service, discuss phenomena-based teaching strategies, and share how teachers can contribute to the user-generated site! Participants are encouraged to bring their device so they can explore the site and tools.

Stem Problem-Based Learning For A Diverse Classroom Of Learners, Maria Hasken-Averkamp

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Engage in a hands-on, minds-on activity to engage ALL learners in the practices and concepts of science while employing a culturally responsive project-based learning framework. Session for middle school and high school science teachers.

Chemistry: The Dead Zone And Solubility, Holly Garcia

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Use the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico as a phenomenon for understanding ionic compounds, solutions, solubility rules, and predicting the outcomes of a chemical reaction (NGSS PS-1-2). At the end of this unit, students engineer a filtration system to remove pollutants and dissolved ions from contaminated water. This unit is designed to be taught during the first semester of an on-level Chemistry class (prior to stoichiometry).

Make Science Concrete!, Deetta Anderson Dr.

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Two separate sessions are being presented. You can attend one or both sessions. In the first hands-on session, participants will simulate the transit method of finding exoplanets by looking at star dimming. This activity uses accessible materials and shows students how scientists look for habitable planets outside our solar system. In the second session, participants will learn how students use the scientific method to make concrete samples and test them for strength. Students love doing this while learning about a natural resource important to Iowa. Student-made concrete samples will be shared. Appropriate for both Earth and Physical Sciences.

How To Integrate Stem In Your Classroom With Ngss Foss, Larry Escalada, Alison Beharka

Science Education Update Conference Documents

STEM Enrichment NGSS Modules including Variables & Design (Grades 6-8), Sound & Design (Grades 3-5), and Forces in Action (Grades K-2) are now available. Join us as we explore these STEM Enrichment NGSS Modules and discuss how they can be used in your classroom. NGSS Modules Observing Nature (Grade Pre-K) and Weather and Seasons (Grade K) will also be available to be explored and reviewed.

Wild About Critters, Barb Giger

Science Education Update Conference Documents

The session will be targeted to elementary educators. It will include some quick engaging activities for teaching about animal groups, adaptations, and habitats from the national award-winning Project WILD and Aquatic WILD resources. I will also share links to additional online resources including age appropriate books, Iowa's natural resources, and outdoor observation and investigation.

Shifting Preservice Teachers’ Sources Of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Through Scaffolded Reflection: Fostering Commitment To Reform-Based Mathematics, Brooke Krejci, Elana Joram, Anthony J. Gabriele

Faculty Publications

Efforts to promote reform-based mathematics instruction in schools are pervasive, yet many teachers continue to use more traditional, procedural methods (Paolucci, 2015). In this chapter, the authors suggest that to achieve sustained adoption of reform-based instruction in mathematics, it is essential for professional development programs to draw teachers’ attention to sources of mathematics teaching efficacy afforded by reform-based teaching, such as enhanced student thinking. Educator preparation programs are ideal settings in which to begin this process, and the authors describe how scaffolded reflection activities within a mathematics methods course were used to focus preservice teachers’ attention on sources of mathematics …

Identifying Misconceptions About Evolution Relative To Science Curriculum Exposure At The Secondary Level, Rachel Carney

Graduate Research Papers

Evolution is the foundation of the biological sciences. Addressing misconceptions related to biological evolution ensures students have a solid understanding of evolution so that they can become scientifically literate members of society. While studies have identified misconceptions about evolution, there is much less research on the degree to which specific biology curricula address these misconceptions. The goal of this study is to determine how exposure to the SEPUP biology curriculum affects the misconceptions about evolutionary theory held by 10th grade students.

This study took place at a moderately-sized school located in the Midwest. Students respond with their agreeability to a …

High School Earth Science Students Evaluating Agricultural Solutions, Jaclyn Citlali Sanchez Erickson

Graduate Research Papers

With the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) implementation it is imperative to include three-dimensional learning in any curriculum designed. In addition, NGSS lends itself well to inquiry based and project based learning.

I chose to focus my curriculum project on developing a project-based learning (PBL) piece targeting NGSS ESSS 3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. The PBL was designed for ninth-grade earth science students at a rural school. This project was designed with 5 E-learning in mind to help organize the end product, a presentation. It was developed using an …

Impact Of Inquiry Science Courses On Preservice Elementary Students' Ideas On Science, Lance Charles Baetsle

Graduate Research Papers

This study examines how students' scientific ideas compare between students who have taken different numbers of general science and inquiry science courses at a midwestern university. The purpose of this study is to gain perspective and to inform current teaching practices based on how preservice elementary education teachers view scientific ideas after taking a different number of inquiry science courses. Students in a science inquiry course completed a science survey (Appendix B) of science and non-science questions and were asked to explain their reasoning. A scoring rubric (Wilson et al., 2010) was used to apply a score for correct and …

Analysis Of Assessments On Secondary Students' Development And Interpretation Of Models, Alaina L. Appley

Graduate Research Papers

As districts are making the shift to three-dimensional learning the development of a coherent set of high-quality task-based assessments has been a challenge. For this research I collected and analyzed twelve of my district's assessments over the scientific skill of modeling from grades seven through 12. The analysis involved two tools developed by NGSS and Achieve.org to determine the extent to which the assessments ask students to perform tasks that are driven by phenomena and use the three-dimensional in service of sense-making, the Task Screener and the Framework to Evaluate Cognitive Complexity in Science Assessments. The findings support what …

Immediate Vs. Deferred Feedback During Formative Assessments In A 9th Grade Physical Science Course, Jordan Sonntag

Graduate Research Papers

For educators, feedback has become a very important part of the teaching practice that is taught in both teacher education programs and building-level professional development. While many studies have been done on feedback itself, there is much less research on the effectiveness of certain types of feedback used within a Learning Management System (LMS). The goal of this experiment is to determine if there is any difference on summative assessment scores based on the use of different types of feedback on formative assessments using an LMS.

An LMS is a program that allows the educator to create step by step …

Enhancing Scientific Literacy Through Attention To Argumentation As A Disciplinary Literacy Practice, Whitney Mcwilliams

Graduate Research Papers

This project is partly driven by Science Writing Heuristic as writing to learn is part of a larger objective to help students develop literacy. While research on the SWH examines its own effectiveness through the lens of literacy, it only looked at its impact on science content knowledge. This project will examine five assessment tasks structured around the practice of argumentation. Data collected will measure use and inclusion of phenomena, three dimensional learning, and alignment to Performance Expectations. The content of the performance expectations center around two standards focused on electromagnetic radiation’s effect on matter and technological devices used to …

Autoethnography On Teaching During A Pandemic, Kelsey Ufford

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted and changed teaching strategies in a young adolescent science classroom and how the pandemic changed personal ideas around online learning. Prior research shows how online learning can be implemented successfully in collegiate classrooms, but it is rare to find research that shows how to successfully implement online learning in a young adolescent classroom. This point of view is from a rural, Iowa middle school standpoint and data was collected through the use of personal journals, emails, and a timeline from March 2020 and May 2020. After the …

Accuracy Of Self-Assessment In A Ninth Grade Earth Science Classroom, Alyssa Jacobson

Graduate Research Papers

Student engagement is a constant struggle teachers and schools work to address. Students who are not engaged are more likely to drop out of school and participate in risky behaviors that negatively impact themselves and society as a whole. As a means to combat student disengagement, school districts have begun to implement The New Art and Science of Teaching, a framework meant to engage students by involving them in the learning process through self-assessment.

The purpose of this study is to determine how accurately high school aged students can self-assess and how students make decisions when they self-assess. To …

Effects Of Stepwise Guided Inquiry On Students' Attitudes And Depth Of Knowledge From Written Lab Reflections In High School Chemistry, Melissa Rae Campbell Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

Many teachers find it challenging to embed guided inquiry into high school chemistry courses. Although guided inquiry provides excellent opportunities for students to engage in data analysis, misconceptions and loss of class time are teacher stated problems with guided inquiry. A stepwise inquiry project can slowly introduce students to the inquiry process of data analysis in high school chemistry.

This stepwise inquiry project examined three different inquiry labs designed around the anchoring phenomenon, “ Which toothpaste protects our teeth the best?”Each lab progressed in inquiry level. Lab one was written at inquiry level one,confirmation. The second lab was written at …

Human Impact On The Environment: A Middle School Project Based Learning Unit Development, Shannon Power

Graduate Research Papers

I chose to focus my creative component on the development and implementation of a Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned earth science unit for an 8th grade science course taught using Project Based Learning (PBL) and graded using Standards Referenced Grading (SRG) philosophies and a proficiency scale. The unit focused on the Performance Expectation MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment (NGSS, 2013e). This standard includes the Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) of constructing explanations and designing solutions, a Cross Cutting Concept (CCC) of cause and effect, and a …

Using Adapted Primary Science Literature To Enhance Argumentation And Reasoning Skills In Middle School Students, Betsy Wiederin Lemus

Graduate Research Papers

Adapted primary literature is literature adapted from primary scientific literature for the purpose of using it with school age students. The process begins with teachers finding an appropriate primary scientific literature article, written by scientists for scientists, and rewriting the article to meet the reading level and understanding of the students being taught. In the newly created article, a teacher focuses only on the part of the original article that is important to the students learning and the writer may add background information, graphics, or edit existing graphics to make them more student friendly. The goal of this project is …

Identification Of Trends In Scientific Communication By Minority Students In An Integrated And Advanced Ninth Grade Science Curriculum, Loren Thalacker

Graduate Research Papers

In the United States, the population of minorities is rapidly increasing. Our nation is facing a shortage in students pursuing STEM careers and it is vital to improve all students’ scientific communication abilities. As our population of minority students is also growing, it is especially important to tap into our potential STEM resources. While the Midwest is less diverse than the rest of the nation, the Waterloo Community School District in Waterloo, Iowa has a large population of minority students. When the district implemented the Next Generation Science Standards it created a problem for students wanting to take advanced science …

Making The Water Cycle Accessible And Relevant For English Language Learners, Summer Teed

Graduate Research Papers

Students with limited English-proficiency present many unique challenges for educators and schools. These challenges multiply as both the number of students requiring services and the diversity of languages spoken increases. In Iowa’s 335 public school districts, the number of students classified as English-language learners (ELL) has nearly tripled in the last 15 years, jumping from 2.1% of the student population during the 1999-2000 school year to 5.7% in 2015- 2016 (Iowa Department of Education (IDOE), 2013; IDOE, 2015). Individual districts currently range from 0 to 57.4% of students requiring ELL services, with 25 of Iowa’s districts identifying more than 10% …

Three Cases Of Makerspace Integration In School Library Programs In Conjunction With District Initiatives: Steam, Design Thinking, And Literacy, Lisa Tegels

Graduate Research Papers

Note: This study refers to three co-researchers who each collected data in their respective schools and collaborated in reviewing that data, but each separately authored a paper using that data; the co-researchers are Kris Baldwin and Sara Pflughaupt.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine whether makerspace or STEAM activities can support inquiry learning and meet specific American Association of School Library (AASL), Next Generation Science (NGSS) and Common Core Literacy (CCSS ELA) Standards. For purposes of this study, the three co-researchers were also focused on how this type of learning activity can support district initiatives in …

Elementary School Library Program Integration With Art, Literacy, And Steam Through Makerspaces, Kristi Baldwin

Graduate Research Papers

Note: This study refers to three co-researchers who each collected data in their respective schools and collaborated in reviewing that data, but each separately authored a paper using that data; the co-researchers are Sara Pflughaupt and Lisa Tegels.

The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to find out how makerspace use might influence an inquiry-based focus in student learning through the use of design thinking. The researchers were interested in how makerspaces support the National School Library Standards and local school district goals. This study investigated literacy, critical thinking, and inquiry-based processes that might justify having a makerspace …

The Impact Of Confidence-Based Marking On Unit Exam Achievement In A High School Physical Science Course, Casey Clark

Graduate Research Papers

High school teachers begin each year with a plethora of content standards to teach, however, instructing students how to learn is hardly ever considered. Metacognition and learning how to learn are not present in high school science content standards. The ability to self-regulate our knowledge is essential to assumptions about learning (Cubukcu, 2009). Students are expected to use metacognitive strategies, even if they do not have them. When students work through problems, it is common to expect them to go back and recheck their work. This is a form of metacognition and self-regulation. Asking students apply metacognition can help them …

Uni Science Education Update Conference [Program] April 5, 2019, University Of Northern Iowa Science Education Program.

Science Education Update Conference Documents

The program for the Science Education Update Conference held on April 5, 2019 at the University of Northern Iowa.

Navigating The Financial Aid Process, Jennifer Sullivan, Kristin Peiffer

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Whether you're a current college student, current educator, or a community member, this session will help cover the basics of financial aid programs and also discuss TEACH grant programs and federal loan forgiveness programs.

Empowering Students Through Science, Ashley Flatebo

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Gaining strategies to engage students in STEM through experiences that will transfer beyond the classroom walls.

Inclusive Curriculum: Making Stem Accessible For All Students, Mark Busch

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Historically, women and people from marginalized community groups have accounted for a small portion of those pursuing STEM careers. In this session, participants will reflect on their current curriculum and consider new practices for making STEM coursework accessible to at-risk students and other students from underrepresented populations. This will be a conversation based session where participants will share about their experiences and reflect on their classrooms.

Journey 2050, Cindy Hall, Will Fett

Science Education Update Conference Documents

Journey 2050 takes students on a virtual simulation that explores the science and economics of world food sustainability. Through an inquiry-based approach, students make decisions on farms in Kenya, India, and Canada that impact society, the environment and the economy at a local and global scale. Explore the science behind best management practices as we journey to feed the world!