Digital Commons Network^™

Proportional Reasoning: Understanding Student Thinking With Direct And Inverse Proportions, Emma Marshall

Honors Program Theses

The topic of proportions in mathematics is often misunderstood by students, yet proportional reasoning is the foundation for higher-level math. The purpose of this study is to understand how students are currently solving direct and inverse proportion problems and how the degree of difficulty increases when solving inverse proportion problems. There is little research done about student thinking with inverse proportions. Primary data has been collected from students and will be used to analyze students’ thinking about inverse proportion as well as a comparative look between direct and inverse proportional reasoning. By understanding students' thinking about proportions, educators can better …

The Effect Of Gender-Based Occupational Segregation On Women's Earnings In The United States And Canada, Jadyn Grace Milius

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

¿Tengo El Derecho A Votar?: Un Análisis De Las Leyes Del Acceso Lingüístico Y Los Impactos De Recursos Multilingües De Votación En La Participación De Votantes Hispanos En Iowa Y Michigan, Madeline L. Hinz

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

A Literature Review Of Factors Contributing To Archaeal Diversity, Anna R. Carmen

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Classroom: Do The Iowa Civic Virtues Standards Achieve Their Goals?, Damien Foster

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Crafting A Traveling Icon: The Role Of Mobile Carillons In Honoring Tradition, Emily S. Clouser

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

“Our Hands Are Tied”: How State Educational Diversity Laws Affect Iowa Public Educators And How Educators Respond, Lydia Berns-Schweingruber

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Athletes' Competitive State Anxiety And Self-Confidence And Coaches' Behaviors, Derek Anderson

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Language Barriers In The U.S. Legal System For Primarily Spanish Speakers: Attorney Perspectives And Potential Solutions For True Equal Access, Emma F. Kizer

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Reexamination Of College Students’ Behaviors And Knowledge Of Recycling, Ella Hilbrant

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Between Two Schools Implementing Trauma-Informed Classroom Management, Maddie Steffen

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Death And Grief In 21st Century America: A Literature Review On Bereavement & Attitudes Toward Death, Jordan Whitney

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Orthographic Influences On The Production Of French Nasal Vowels By English-Speaking Learners Of French, Claire Evelyn Tow

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Impact Of High School Climate And Bullying On Depression And Anxiety In Emerging Adulthood, Tyler K. D. Larson

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Integrating Music In Pk-12 Classrooms To Impact Behavior, Improve Academics, And Support Developmental Milestones In Children, Emily Grace Manis

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Balancing Progress And Ethics: Exploring The Science And Ethics Of Gene Editing: Literature Review, Jackson Burgess

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Language Development And Poverty: Considerations And Applications For Speech-Language Pathologists, Samantha Lynn Ehler

Honors Program Theses

Economics is one vital variable that can support or hinder the successful development and acquisition of language. A large body of research has shown that conditions of poverty often negatively impact a child’s language learning environment and brain development, resulting in poor language development and a high risk of speech and language disorders. Language development is a dynamic process that begins during the first years of life and is contingent on social interactions and safe predictable routines. A thorough examination of the relationship between familial financial standing and language development is the foundation for developing interventions that will minimize the …

Bioactive Secondary Metabolites In Cave Dwelling Fungi, Jade Nuehring

Honors Program Theses

Water samples were collected in May 2022 from WTH lake and silent lake located in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. From the water samples collected, 8 pure fungal colonies were isolated. All samples underwent chemical extraction, growth inhibition testing, proton-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1H NMR), and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Three pure colonies also underwent DNA extraction, and sequencing of the ITS region for genus level identification. These samples were able to be identified to the genus level, and for these three samples were: Talaromyces, sp., Linnemannia, sp., and Gliomatsix, sp. The secondary metabolite that showed antimicrobial activity …

The Horror Of Darwinism: The Evolution Of The Monster In Film And Popular Culture, Ava Deitrich

Honors Program Theses

In the following pages, dear reader, you will be astounded, mystified, entertained, and intrigued. Using Stephen King’s three monstrous archetypes outlined in Danse Macabre as a guide, and the 1930’s Universal Monster Films as a starting point, I trace the roots of the Vampire, Two Faced, and Thing Without a Name through time and space. Along the evolutionary track of these archetypes, I touch on changes regarding perception and performance, in relation to social and historical shifts. I will be your guide exploring the scenery, costuming, sound design, and cinematography (to name a few) as I examine each film within …

New Policy Opens Trade With India For Pork Producers In The U.S., Morgan Marie Aitchison

Honors Program Theses

International trade is critical in maintaining a country’s prosperity. Trade between countries fuels the economy for both parties, creates jobs, and raises the standard of living. This statement comes from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). A major development of USTR's portfolio is the progress in trade with India. In November of 2021, the United States of America and the country of India agreed on a long-awaited Trade Policy concerning numerous economic topics. Within the policy released by the USTR were discussions and agreements over agriculture, non-agriculture goods, services, investment, and intellectual property. The topics included a …

Nature-Based Education: Expanding The Walls Of The Classroom, Halle Louise Kilburg

Honors Program Theses

Are the current practices of education one that best benefits a student? Every day, millions of children go to school. While there is a wide variety of what this experience may look like, there are common factors, such as sterile classroom environments, canned experiences, and dry lectures that often contribute to leaving students feeling burnt out, exhausted, and unmotivated. The purpose of this study was to explore how various schools use Nature-Based education to run their programs and the impact of this approach on students and teachers. For this study, four educators from three various programs were interviewed and asked …

Her Story, Her Right: Narrative As A Basic Human Right, Karlee M. Colby

Honors Program Theses

When I began this project, I wanted to ask the question of whether or not our narratives are a basic human right. Looking back, I realize how naive it was of me to ponder on such a thought, for I have now realized that we have many rights just simply by being humans, and it is undeniable that having an accurate version of our narratives without fear of manipulation or silencing is a right. How can one argue not? The question is not and cannot be about whether or not something is a right, but instead whether or not we …

Exploring The Microbial Composition Of Moonmilk In Wind Cave National Park, Emma Pellegrino

Honors Program Theses

Moonmilk is a white substance mainly composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that is often found in limestone caves. It is one of many mineral composites, or speleothems, in Wind Cave National Park South Dakota and is thought to be formed by microbial activity. This cave system is a complex, isolated environment that serves as an analog for similar domains beyond the Earth. Each site has varying degrees of human exposure, from public tour routes to caverns only occasionally visited by park rangers, making it an ideal place of study for pristine samples in extreme conditions. Wind Cave also varies in …

Exposure, Adaptation And Expectations: How They Affect Perception Of Foreign Accented Speech, Isabella Huddleston

Honors Program Theses

Understanding accented speech is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. The world is connected through technology allowing us to reach further than we ever have before. One challenge this presents is the necessity to communicate across languages. Even if an individual has learned another language proficiently, the speech they produce is influenced by their native language resulting in foreign accented speech (FAS). There now exists the need for understanding how FAS affects speech perception and uncovering ways to improve communication situations between native and nonnative communication partners.

The Effect Of Gibberellic Acid Concentration On Gentiana Andrewsii Germination, Laura Spies

Honors Program Theses

Closed Bottle Gentian, Gentiana andrewsii, is an herbaceous flowering plant found in wetland prairies. The seed is difficult to germinate, so it is not on the native seed market. This study determines the optimal concentration of gibberellic acid for this species. The results were accessed based on the morphology changes, germination rates, and survivorship after transplanting. The 50 ppm concentration of gibberellic acid resulted in the highest rate of Gentiana andrewsii germination. The number of seedlings in the experimental group exhibited only slight differences between concentrations. Transplant data shows more significant advantages in determining an optimum concentration. The 50 ppm …

Monitoring Archaeal Persistence In Cultivation, Payton Hall

Honors Program Theses

It was previously thought that microbes in the domain Archaea were only found in extreme environments such as hot thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean and hypersaline environments, but as scientists began to use environmental DNA to survey soil, they detected archaea from the phylum Thaumarchaeota in relatively benign environments including farm fields, forests, and prairies. In spite of their widespread global distribution, relatively few of these species have been grown in laboratory culture. It is now known that Thaumarchaeota play an important role in the nitrogen cycle because they can generate energy through ammonia-oxidation. To increase the …

Better Solutions To Increasing Covid-19 Vaccine Access: Giving Away Vaccines Rather Than Vaccine Formulas, Tristen Prouse

Honors Program Theses

The debate over giving away the COVID-19 vaccine formulas is a political hot topic. Mention of a Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver proposed in early 2021 suggested violating patent law to give away the vaccine formulas. While a tempting option, many problems exist with this solution. Violating patent law to give away the vaccine formulas disincentivizes innovation, undermines confidence in vaccine safety, and harms America’s geopolitical objectives. Patent law can be inefficient and is not the only way to incentivize innovation, but it is here to stay. Instead, the United States should give away vaccines rather than vaccine formulas …

Art Teaching And American Society: An Exploration Of How Art Makes Us Think And Why America Needs It Right Now, Julie Marie Hammerand

Honors Program Theses

The motivation for this thesis comes from my own experience as a learner, an artist, and as a teacher. When I was young, I was always fascinated with the idea of the unknown. Each new piece of knowledge I acquired was a part of the greater puzzle I had yet to understand. As I got older, I understood the value of new perspectives and how each person creates a personal relationship with the world around them. I saw how teaching was the art of bringing a person into and through a new realm of knowledge and thought. Each new realm …

Data Ethics And The Dilemma Created By Turing's Learning Machines, Jacob Kuhn

Honors Program Theses

The main purpose of this research is to shed light on the good and bad that has come about from the interaction of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in society. Transparency with the public is paramount for the future of Artificial Intelligence. Without awareness, the public is blind to the parts of the Data Revolution that could help them or hinder them. The key question is what AI advancements are being made and what ethical problems do they pose to the general population? To help answer this question, it is best to examine the founding of Artificial Intelligence and the …

Diffusion Of Carbon Nanoparticles Intercalated Into Layered Materials, Madelyn Johnson

Honors Program Theses

Using electron beam radiation, as found in a scanning electron microscope, it is possible to induce the local intercalation of carbon nanoparticles into two dimensional layered materials. This technique can be used to form insulating and optically active nanostructures in samples ranging from graphite to BSSCO. In this study, the evolution of these features with time is explored to determine the stability of such nanoparticles in layered materials.

Over the course of days and weeks, the nanostructures created this way broaden and change height. In general, it appears that material buried deep within the layers diffuses upwards to increase the …