Digital Commons Network^™

Using Interactive Read-Alouds To Support Students' Comprehension, Emily D. Chaffin

Graduate Research Papers

This research project reviews literature on the impact interactive read-alouds have on lower elementary students' comprehension. The studies that were researched focused on how students benefited from interactive read-alouds and how teachers prepared and conducted interactive read-alouds. The project focused on providing model lessons to be used in an interactive read-aloud. Each model lesson consists of introduction to the comprehension strategy being taught, teacher dialogue with students participating in tum and talks throughout the interactive read-aloud and a reflection time for the teacher and students to reflect on the story and how applying the comprehension strategy helped them.

Three Men In The Wilderness: Ideas And Concepts Of Nature During The Progressive Era With Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot And John Muir, Jeffrey A. Duke

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When I began this research in the summer of 2014, I endeavored to find out how Americans comprehended nature in the Progressive Era. By the Progressive Era the historian Frederick Jackson Turner declared the frontier to be closed. This notion that no wide open spaces remained to be conquered altered the American people’s attitude towards nature. The perspectives of three men who were at the forefront of environmental policy illustrate how America’s understanding of nature had changed. These three men were twenty-sixth President Theodore Roosevelt, professional forester Gifford Pinchot and naturalist John Muir. Describing the similarities and differences in these …

A Book Club For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Elizabeth Ann Kosmicki

Honors Program Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social communication and interaction, as well as repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities. Individuals with ASD are also known to struggle with reading comprehension. Difficulties in social communication and interaction may lead to depression, while poor literacy skills may result in unemployment and poverty. Because book clubs target social communication and interaction, as well as reading comprehension, they may be beneficial for individuals with ASD. Indeed, some evidence already exists to support this belief. Through literature review of book clubs in general, currently existing book clubs and information on …

Excess Folic Acid As A Potential Competitor Of Glutamate May Interfere With Neural Development, Benjamin Fick

Honors Program Theses

Folic acid, Vitamin B9, is strongly advised as a supplement taken by pregnant woman to maintain the health of the embryo, and deficiency increases the risk of neural tube defects. However, a safe upper limit of folate to consume has not been established, and an excess of dietary folate may interfere with neurodevelopmental metabolism, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that folate affects connectivity among neurons as the brain develops. Glutamate is important in the regulation of neural tissue development, as it is a common excitatory neurotransmitter that binds to synaptic …

Statistical Modeling Of Earthquake Damage, Allison Nicole Waters

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to build a statistical model of the economic damage that arises from earthquakes in order to better predict losses from future earthquakes. Though earthquakes are essentially a random event and cannot be fully anticipated, analyzing historical data and creating a statistical model can provide researchers with a more accurate estimate of future losses. The data set from which this model was built incorporated earthquakes occurring worldwide from 1915-2015 in which the total damage was recorded. The final model was a multiple linear regression model explaining total damage resulting from an earthquake through four independent …

Analyzing Winter Migration Fidelity And Movement Of The Wild Taimyr Reindeer Herd, Rangifer T. Tarandus, Emily T. Francis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Taimyr Reindeer Herd (TRH) is the largest wild reindeer population in the world, and is located in the northern central region of Arctic Russia. Previous detailed research on the spatiotemporal dynamics of this herd have been conducted involving aerial population censuses for two of the three seasons for reindeer: calving (Meerdink, 2012) and summer (Cooney, 2014). The first part of this study continues with the methods of the previous studies, analyzing the spatiotemporal fidelity of the TRH in the winter season. This was completed using geospatial analysis of digitized historical aerial census data of reindeer locations, and analyzing areas …

Supporting Reading Curriculum Without Restricting Access To Library Materials: Resources For Teacher Librarians, Tricia Carty

Graduate Research Papers

External pressure upon teacher librarians to arrange library book collections by level and to limit students’ choices to books within their level is complex due to the interwoven but sometimes conflicting demands of providing quality reading instruction, resources for independent reading, and relevant readers’ advisory. The school library and its teacher librarian are positioned squarely in the middle of this dynamic topic. The purpose of this study was to identify the strategies and policies teacher librarians use to support reading instruction without restricting students’ access to library materials. This study revealed that through the use of focused instruction, adaptable policies, …

Content Analysis Of Two Libraries Resources For Supporting Primary Economics Instruction, Lindsey J. Hilts

Graduate Research Papers

The teaching of some primary teachers is being compromised in schools with a lack of rich science and social studies library collections that have been intentionally developed by a professional teacher librarian in collaboration with teachers. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare school library resources for the same economics unit taught in two different elementary schools’ primary classrooms, including the quality of resources available and their usefulness in teaching social studies economics standards. School B had a higher quantity of resources meeting the standards as well as more texts determined to be of high quality. The …

Sign Language In The Preschool Classroom : A Self-Study, Dianna Geiger

Graduate Research Papers

This research was a self-study involving the learning and implementation of sign language in the preschool classroom. Over the course of eight weeks, I taught myself sign language and implemented what I learned in my preschool classroom of three- and four-year-old children. Through journaling, videotaping and surveys, I was able to increase my sign language knowledge at a good rate, increase student engagement and find a unique way to bond with my students. My memory was the biggest challenge for me during the study. Knowing someone that speaks in sign language would be beneficial to someone just starting out. While …

A Healthy Herd: Addressing The Justifications For Vaccine Denial And Applying The Health Belief Model To The Current Anti-Vaccination Movement, Sarah L. Mchugh

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore and analyze the existing literature regarding the refusal to receive vaccinations designed specifically to prevent Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), which has spurred a serious public health issue that puts every unvaccinated person at risk. It will investigate the reasons people refuse to get vaccinations for themselves or their children. The analysis of the current situation and the application of the Health Belief Model to the related factors will provide potential explanations regarding how the decision-making process may strengthen efforts towards increasing vaccination rates.

Iowa Journal Of Communication, Volume 48, Number 2, Spring 2016 [Download Entire Issue]

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Appeal Of Documentary-Based Programming: Discerning Viewer Enjoyment Of Reality Television Thorugh Uses And Gratifications, Kristin M. Barton

Iowa Journal of Communication

This study explores how documentary-based reality shows featuring varied types of content influence the gratifications obtained (GO) by viewers. Participants completed surveys which asked about their overall consumption of reality programming and, more specifically, about their reasons for watching the documentary-based shows Jersey Shore, Deadliest Catch, and The Real Housewives series of programs. Results indicated that perceived reality of these shows and the participants who appear on them are the two primary factors in why people choose to watch this particular reality subgenre. This study concludes with an examination of the current findings within the context of previous studies in …

Exploring How First-Year Experiences In Higher Education Influence Student Acceptance Of Biological Evolutionary Theory, Lauren A. Winter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the current study, I investigated whether changes occurred in the acceptance of evolution for students majoring in elementary education during their first semester of college and if so, what factors influenced the change. Thirty participants in their first semester of college completed pre-and post-tests that included the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance to measure changes in student acceptance of evolution over the course of one academic semester. Ten of those participants completed interviews to elaborate on those factors that may have affected their acceptance in evolution. Mixed methods analysis utilizing a cognitive constructivist framework revealed that religious beliefs, explicit …

Dying To Live Forever Sophia Harris Journal 1860 To 1861, Shirley Ilene Davis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Sophia Harris’s journal is a window into one woman’s experiences in an area that transformed from a frontier outpost to a market-oriented and increasingly urbanized society. It also sheds light on how she made sense of the meaning of these changes in her personal life: specifically how her religious understandings of death shaped her understanding of the world she lived in.

The Use Of Minecraft As An Educational Tool To Improve Student Performance In The Classroom, James Roberts

Graduate Research Papers

While the author will be speaking directly of his experiences in a classroom and district setting, he argues that these same ideas can be carried out by others who would perform the same tests that he does. The idea behind exploratory class is to give students in grades 6 through 8 the opportunity to see what kinds of classes that are offered at Panorama schools as well as introduce them to possible career choices like automotive repair or construction trades that they might find interesting and wish to pursue later in life. Since there are over 60 students in each …

A Twist On Happily Ever After : Fractured Fairy Tales For Young Adults, Kathryn Hale

Graduate Research Papers

Fractured fairy tales are growing in popularity for young adults. Teacher librarians may need a more complete understanding of themes and characters found in fractured fairy tales in order to provide readers’ advisory in this genre. The purpose of this research paper is to describe the themes and moral lessons of positively reviewed fractured fairy tales for young adults. Novels from 2006 - 2015 were analyzed using constant comparison for the themes and lessons described in them. Nine positively reviewed core collection novels were chosen, read and analyzed by the researcher. Themes explored through the research include: danger of ignorance, …

The Use Of Mentor Texts To Teach Writing In Kindergarten, First And Second Grades, Mary Heeringa

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to research and analyze high quality fiction and nonfiction texts to be used as mentor texts to teach writing in kindergarten, first and second grades. The researcher created a checklist and a table to analyze 81 different texts and then selected 29 to be used as mentor texts to assist in teaching opinion/persuasive, narrative and informational writing. Annotated bibliographies for the 29 texts were written and include how the texts can be used to teach writing in a classroom and/or library setting.

Mindfulness In The Classroom: Cultivating Peace From Within, Maya Vandriel

Honors Program Theses

Teachers are placed with the difficult task of transferring knowledge to the next generation of leaders. This knowledge transfer can be measured in various ways. What cannot be easily quantified is the impact of the life skills taught to accomplish this handoff of reading, writing and math skills. Often times, teachers are the role model of how a student can cope with life inside and outside of the classroom. Teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a powerful method that shows students how to self-regulate emotions in order to cope with whatever life brings them. These life skills are essential for …

The Effects Of Blended Learning On Critical Thinking In A High School Earth Science Class, Renee Nicole Borglum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study analyzed the effects of differing levels of technology use in a high school Earth Science class on student performance on the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR). Blended learning manipulates the combination of hands-on activities, classroom discussions, online discussions, interactive simulations and a variety of assessments that engage, instruct and assess student learning. Critical thinking is the set of skills and dispositions that foster problem solving, reasoning ability and selfregulation. The increasing use of technology in the classroom and fluctuation of content standards prompted this research. The results have implications for the classroom teacher of a wide range …

Tessellations: An Artistic And Mathematical Look At The Work Of Maurits Cornelis Escher, Emily E. Bachmeier

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to learn more about the mathematics of tessellations and their artistic potential. Whenever I have seen tessellations, I always admire them. It is baffling how such complicated shapes can be repeated infinitely on the plane. This research aimed to increase the amount of tessellation information and activities available to secondary mathematics teachers by connecting the tessellations of Maurits Cornelis Escher with their underlying mathematics in order to use them for teaching secondary mathematics. The overarching premise of this study was to create something that would also be beneficial in my career as a secondary …

Exploration Of Empfindsamer Stil: The Creation And Performance Of An Informed Performance Edition Of Cpe Bach's Concerto In D Minor For Flute And Orchestra, Emily C. Bicknese

Honors Program Theses

Through research of the unique Empfindsamer stil (“sensitive style”) developed by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, I have constructed an informed performance edition for the second movement, “Un poco andante,” of Bach’s Concerto in D minor for Flute and Orchestra according to the performance practices of the era. The slow movement allows the greatest possibilities for embellishment and stylistic interpretation. For the second movement performance edition, I have written exact musical notation for the solo flute line, including ornamentation, articulation, phrasing, dynamics, tempo, and an original cadenza. All notations have been based on performance practices of the Empfindsamer stil. In the …

Uni Grad Student News, V13n5, December 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Faculty Profile: Dr. Windee Weiss
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- Student: Mackensie Smith
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Opportunity
-- Alumni: Dr. Tom O'Shea
-- New Faculty: Rubina Chowdhury
-- New Year, New MGSA!
-- MLK, JR. Service Opportunity
-- Tips to Prepare for the 2016 Spring Semester
-- 2nd Annual Elect HER - Panther Women Win!
-- Cedar Valley Family Step Festival - Lyuda Grygorchuk
-- American Association of University Women for UNI - Rachel Gregory
-- New Graduate College Secretary - Rubina Chowdhury
-- 9th …

Rhythms: Music At The University Of Northern Iowa, V34, Fall 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Rhythms: Music at the University of Northern Iowa

Contents:

Concert Chorale Tour to Estonia --- 5
Panther Marching Band in London --- 3
UNI Opera's "Merry Wives of Windsor" --- 6
From the Director --- 2
Autism and Arts Symposium --- 4
Hearst Visiting Artist Series --- 7
Hall of Fame and Honorary Doctorate --- 9
Scholarship Benefit Concert --- 11
Community Outreach --- 12
Jazz Division News --- 13
Student Awards and Honors --- 14
Alumni Spotlight --- 16
Donor Spotlight --- 17
Guest Artists 2014-14 --- 18
Faculty News and Activities --- 21
Faculty Spotlight --- 24
Alumni News and Updates --- 25
Emeritus Faculty News …

The Poor Of 1984: The Roots Of George Orwell's Final Novel, James M. Lang

Ethics Conference

Most American readers know George Orwell as the author of 1984 and Animal Farm, and as such consider him a staunch critic of communism and prophet of the surveillance state. But Orwell spent much of his writing career focused on exploring the cause and nature of poverty, and remained a committed socialist until his death. This lecture will put 1984 within the full context of Orwell’s career, and especially his lifelong criticism of big business and laissez-faire capitalism.

Voting At Home Is Associated With Lower Cortisol Than Voting At The Polls, Jayme Neiman, Karl Gieseffi, Kevin Smith, Jeffrey French, Israel Waismel-Manor, John Hibbing

Faculty Work

Previous research finds that voting is a socially stressful activity associated with increases in cortisol levels. Here we extend this research by investigating whether different voting modalities have differential effects on the stress response to voting. Results from a field experiment conducted during the 2012 presidential elections strongly suggest that traditional “at the polls” voting is more stressful, as measured by increases in cortisol levels, than voting at home by mail-in ballot or engaging in comparable non-political social activities. These findings imply that increased low-stress voting options such as mail-in ballots may increase political participation among individuals who are sensitive …

International Panther, Summer 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Culture And Intensive English Program.

International Panther

Inside this issue:

-- UNI Connections: International Students & Scholars Office
--CIEP Current Student: Firuza Nabievna from Tajikistan
--CIEP Culture & Social Activities
--CIEP Staff Spotlight: Student Employees
--CIEP Special Program: Proyecta 100,000 Strong
--Brazil Scientific Mobility Program Special Program
--CIEP Intercultural Workshop
--CIEP Staff Initiatives
--CIEP World’s Window Staff Overseas

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, July 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Contents:

--- 27 Days Until Food Waste Compost Training
--- Nickey Receives Environmental Award
--- IWRC Featured in IASourceLink Blog
--- Five Reasons Farmers Should Compost
--- Industry News

Invention Through Form And Function Analogy, Audrey C. Rule

Faculty Book Gallery

Invention through Form and Function Analogy is an invention book for teachers and other leaders working with youth who are involving students in the invention process. The book consists of an introduction and set of nine learning cycle formatted lessons for teaching the principles of invention through the science and engineering design principles of form and function. An appendix contains sets of color, illustrated cards to be printed onto cardstock paper and used for sorting and sequencing activities during the lessons. This set of lessons has been field-tested with elementary and middle school students by teachers and was improved through …

Activities For Challenging Gifted Learners By Increasing Complexity In The Common Core, Alyssa Mckeone, Lenora Caruso, Kailyn Bettle, Ashley Chase, Bridget Bryson, Jean S. Schneider, Audrey C. Rule

Open Educational Resources

Gifted learners need opportunities for critical and creative thinking to stretch their minds and imaginations. Strategies for increasing complexity in the four core areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies were addressed using the Common Core and Iowa Core Standards through several methods. Descriptive adjective object boxes were created, based on the themes of bees, surface area and volume, cultural beliefs and mummies, and bee colony collapse disorder. The sets of materials were used in various ways to increase the complexity of instruction in the core subject areas of literacy, mathematics, social studies, and science. The descriptive adjective …

Proceedings Of The 127th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Abstracts & Program, 2015], Iowa Academy Of Science.

Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science [Programs & Abstracts]

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2015 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science, including abstracts.