Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2005, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V01n3, Autumn 2005, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--A Memorial to Charles Drewes

--Buena Vista University

--ISTS Fall Conference

--Iowa Science Teacher’s Section Fall Conference

--Fall Conference Registration

--Return of the Iowa Science Teachers Journal

--IAS Honors New Fellows

Mammalogy At Texas Tech University: A Historical Perspective, Lisa C. Bradley, John R. Suchecki, Brian R. Amman, Joel G. Brant, Hugh H. Genoways, L. Rex Mcaliley, Robert J. Baker, Francisca Mendez-Harclerode, Robert D. Bradley

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The mammalogy program at Texas Tech University officially was established in 1962, when Robert L. Packard joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences. As the institution's first mammalogist, Packard took the initiative to develop a strong program of mammalian research and education. Influenced by the successful program built by his mentor, E. Raymond Hall, at the University of Kansas, Packard modeled similar goals for Texas Tech University. Those goals included a strong emphasis on both undergraduate and graduate education and research, with several mammalogy faculty members, and the establishment and growth of a large and active mammal collection.

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V01n2, Summer 2005, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--EPA Award for Program Director

--Reflections of the Iowa Teacher of the Year

--Opportunities for Teachers

--The Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science

--Inventing Flight: A Workshop for Science Teachers

--IAS Honors New Fellows

--2005 ISTS Fall Conference Update

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V01n1, Spring 2005, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--New Electronic Iowa Science Teacher Journal

--Bringing the Lost Landscape into Iowa Classrooms

--The Iowa Junior Academy of Science at the 2005 AAAS Annual Meeting

--Iowa Science Foundation Grants

--Iowa Academy of Science Election 2005

--New Web Site Software

--IAS at the State Capitol

Corpus Data And The Teaching And Learning Of Science In English In Malaysian Primary And Secondary Schools, Arshad Abd Samad

Arshad Abd Samad

The post independence Malaysian school system has gone through several curricular revisions not only in terms of content and subject matter but also in the medium of instruction used. In 1980, the national language, Malay, was adopted as the medium of instruction in schools in place of the English language. After more than twenty years of instruction in the national language, the medium of instruction for Science based subjects at the first year of primary and secondary schools in Malaysia has recently reverted to the English language. This has largely been due to increasing concern over perceived falling standards of …

Limits Of Truth: Exploring Epistemological Approaches To Argumentation, Michael H.G. Hoffmann

Michael H.G. Hoffmann

Some proponents of epistemological approaches to argumentation (Biro, Siegel, Lumer, Goldman) assume that it should be possible to develop non-relative criteria of argument evaluation. By contrast, this paper argues that any evaluation of an argument depends (a) on the cognitive situation of the evaluator, (b) on background knowledge that is available for this evaluator in a certain situation, and (c)—in some cases—on the belief-value-system this person shares.

Logical Argument Mapping: A Method For Overcoming Cognitive Problems Of Conflict Management, Michael H.G. Hoffmann

Michael H.G. Hoffmann

A crucial problem of conflict management is that whatever happens in negotiations will be interpreted and framed by stakeholders based on their different belief-value systems and world views. This problem will be discussed in the first part of this article as the main cognitive problem of conflict management. The second part develops a general semiotic solution of this problem, based on Charles Peirce's concept of "diagrammatic reasoning." The basic idea is that by representing one 's thought in diagrams, the conditions that determine interpretations can become visible, we can "experiment" with them, and we can change them eventually. The third …

Science In The Community: A Look At Informal Science Organizations In Clark County, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI Education)

UNLV’s Public Lands Institute is partnering with area-wide Informal Science Organizations to provide experiences that can have significant and lasting impacts on student learning.

Education About The Environment Discover Mojave Programs, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI Education)

Increases people’s knowledge and awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and take responsible action” (UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1978)

An Effective Science Education Program Can Be A Deterrent To The Drop Out Of Hispanic Females, Sally Anne Field

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to look at parallel factors between the Hispanic female dropout rate and possible resiliency methods such as retention through inquiry based science education. This type of educational program might provide insight into the many educational possibilities that are open to Hispanic females.

Writing In Math And Distributive Learning In Math Problem Solving, Mary Jo Metz

Graduate Research Papers

Many teachers, parents and students have questions about single sex classrooms. Are there gender based strategies that can be used in single sex classrooms and coed classrooms?

The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible difference in the perceptions of boys and girls in their math problem solving ability, and to determine if writing in math and distribution of curriculum would be effective strategies in math problem solving. The researcher conducted a classroom study to determine the effects of writing in math and compare the impact on males and females. In addition, another study investigated the distribution of …

Summer Soil Temperatures On Algific Talus Slopes In Northeast Iowa, Tom R. Cottrell, Kyle S. Strode

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Soil temperatures at 15 cm depth were recorded on a single occasion at multiple grid points on two algific talus slopes during the summer of 1999. To represent and compare soil temperatures over a wider area, soil temperatures were measured (less intensively) at five other algific slopes and three non-algific forested slopes. Algific slopes appear to have greater variation in soil temperatures than non-algific sites. Spatial variation in algific slope soil temperatures ranged from 4-25°C. During the 10 day sample period temporal variation in air temperature at a nearby weather station had a similar range. Isotherm plots reveal a heterogeneous …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Hydrogeology Of Hanging Bog State Preserve: The Role Of Hillside Seeps In Draining The Iowan Surface, William L. Niemann

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Along the margin of the Cedar River Valley, groundwater discharges from eroded and weathered glacial materials of the Iowan Surface to modern alluvial deposits of the valley floor. Hanging Bog State Preserve, located along this topographic, geologic, and hydrologic boundary, represents one such groundwater discharge location, in the form of a perennial hillside seep. Based on detailed monitoring of surface water and groundwater levels within the preserve for a one-year period, it is shown that a significant quantity of groundwater, collected from a disproportionately large recharge area, is funneled to the valley wall at this site and subsequently carried to …

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.

The Challenge Of Environmental Protection, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

Connecticut is in the midst of a demographic transition to a period of lower population growth. These demographic changes will help check the pressures exerted on the state's natural resources by population growth. Water, air, soil, energy sources, food, fisheries, forests, and biodiversity are common pool resources upon which we depend in ways that transcend political boundaries. Those governing Connecticut should help turn the state into a model of how to manage natural resources by halting forest fragmentation, reducing pollution, and promoting environmental science education.

Beyond 'Hot Lips' And 'Big Nurse': Creative Writing And Nursing, Sandra Young

English Faculty Publications

This essay describes a special topics creative writing course designed for nursing students, and argues that creative writing strategies work to improve nurses' compositional skills. Also discussed are other potential benefits from creatively writing patients' lives, notably, the blending of arts and sciences, and the ways in which medical schools are encouraging their students to study the humanities, especially literature and creative writing. The essay includes student creative writing samples.

The essay also discusses the depiction of nurses in popular culture. M*A*S*H*, Richard Hooker’s black comedy about the antics of doctors and nurses during the Korean War, gave us “Hot …

The Moths Of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge: A Preliminary Assessment, Michelle N. Lewis, Renae M. Steichen, Keith S. Summerville

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

North American prairie systems are believed to have supported substantial insect biodiversity. Loss of prairie and oak savanna habitats, however, has been severe in many Midwestern states, including Iowa. An unanswered question facing land managers interested in restoring tallgrass prairies to the Iowan landscape is the degree to which restored habitats contain native insect species that are dependent upon prairie habitat. This study reports data from a preliminary survey of the moths of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, a 2,292-ha prairie and oak savanna restoration site in central Iowa. We identified and cataloged a total of 426 species of moths …

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.

Letter To The Editor - Conservation Of Freshwater Mussels In Iowa, K. Elizabeth Poole

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Freshwater mussels occur in a variety of aquatic ecosystems worldwide but nowhere is mussel species richness as high as is reported in North America. With nearly 300 recorded species in the U.S., mussels are key components of freshwater biodiversity playing a vital role in benthic communities. Ecologically important in biological processing and nutrient cycling, mussels are also an important food item for a variety of mammals including mink, otter, and raccoon. In addition to ecological importance, freshwater mussels have been economically important in the production of cultured pearls.

Discordant Harmonies In Fingernail Clam Populations (Musculium Transversum) Of Mississippi River Backwater Lakes, Jim Eckblad

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The populations of Musculium transversum from 8 backwater lakes have been studied over a 29-year period based upon over 440 grab samples. These lakes in Navigation Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) range in size from 2 to 255 hectare surface area, mean depths from 0.2 to 0.9 meters, with mean water exchange times from 0.5 to almost 57 hours. Samples from the 1989-91 period suggested summer Muscu!ium populations had declined to about 9 percent of their mid-1970 levels. Deterministic models have attempted to explain this decline. More recent sampling suggests a substantial recovery of Musculium populations (mid-summer …

Index For The Journal Of The Iowa Academy Of Science Volume 112

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.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Iowa's Sand Prairie State Preserves: Anomalous Grain-Size Distributions And Optically Stimulated Luminescence (Osl) Dates, Steven H. Emerman, Brian R. Depew, Lisa K. Anderson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Grain-size distributions and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates were obtained for the sand from Iowa's five sand prairie state preserves, which are Behren's Ponds and Woodland, Cedar Hills Sand Prairie, Kish-Ke-Kosh Prairie, Marietta Sand Prairie and Rock Island. OSL dates ranged from the late Pleistocene (15,560 years B.P.) to the very late Holocene (as recent as 590 years B.P.), indicating that the late Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs in Iowa have seen multiple episodes of aridity, which is consistent with results from the Nebraska Sand Hills and eolian sand stringers in southeastern Minnesota. The grain-size distributions were anomalous in that, compared …

Threatened By Industry, Saved By Science: Mussel Propagation At The Fairport Biological Laboratory, James Pritchard

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

During the 1890s, people on the Mississippi River exploited mussel populations to support a thriving button industry. Within a brief time, they noticed significant declines in mussel populations, and called on the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to save the resource. This paper discusses mussel propagation studies, techniques, and activities carried on in association with the Fairport Biological Laboratory (Iowa) from about 1908 to 1932. While scientists developed sophisticated techniques and had success in mussel propagation, changing habitat conditions in the river (caused mainly by pollution and dam construction) meant limited success in rescuing mussel stocks, while the introduction of plastic …