Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perceptions Of Graphic Novels, Katherine Block

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research study is to ascertain classroom teachers’ dispositions toward graphic novels as quality literature and the rationale for their beliefs and attitudes. Of particular interest in this study is how teacher dispositions toward graphic novels may differ across teacher age groups. In conducting research, a survey was given to a variety of classroom teachers. These participants are language arts teachers for grades three through eight and range in age from 20 to 60 years. The researcher recorded the frequencies and percentages of responses, looking for teachers’ perceptions of graphic novels, the origin of these perceptions, and …

Technology, Toddlers And Vocabulary Development, Gwendolyn Dayton

Graduate Research Papers

Emergent literacy with toddler age children has a strong foundation in vocabulary development. There are many methods currently being employed to foster vocabulary development. Dialogic reading, sign language, finger plays and songs are just a few of those methods. It is important to look for a curriculum that provides a format to combine these strategies into a cohesive presentation. Understanding the increasing importance that technology plays in the lives of our children is also crucial. Selecting the right technology may provide the solution for infusing vocabulary development into the early learning environment. This project will design a curriculum to implement …

Early Childhood Library Resources And Support, Lisa Catherine Riese

Graduate Research Papers

The increasing demands on teachers' time and the extra strain that small districts face in trying to meet the needs of all students, can mean that sometimes programming or certain groups may be overlooked. In the Colo-Nesco district, realignment of district buildings has caused a loss of library access and resources for the preschool program. This research project created an annotated list of library resources that align with the Iowa Early Learning Standards. Titles were found within the Children's Core database, have been published within the past ten years, and align with the seven content areas of the standards. This …

Defensive Communication Between Professors And Students And Its Effects On Student Outcomes, Alexa Pomerenk

Honors Program Theses

This study investigated the relationship between defensive communication and student outcomes in college classrooms. The researcher hypothesized that students would perceive a greater defensive climate in classes taught by their least favorite professors, and that the defensive climate would encourage the use of coping mechanisms. Defensive communication was also hypothesized to negatively affect student grades, attendance, and course satisfaction and to increase student burnout. Surveys were administered to college students, and results supported all hypotheses. Findings showed that students linked defensive attributes to their least favorite professors more frequently than they did to their favorite professors, and they reported using …

Clean Up Our Home: Ellen Swallow Richards' Human Ecology And Emerging Environmental Ideologies, 1890-1915, Raeann Lillian Swanson

Honors Program Theses

In the late 1880s, after years of study and hard work, Ellen Richards began publishing her ideas on the home and the natural and urban environment. She called for the knowledge of basic scientific principles to be available to everyone. She believed that ignorance was holding back the public from altering their environment to make life healthier, happier, and safer. Over one hundred years later, Malcolm Gladwell wrote the book The Tipping Point. In his book, Gladwell explores the Broken Windows Theory that social scientists claimed they developed in the 1980s. The Broken Windows Theory states that there is a …

Uni's Dance Craze: A Psychological Analysis And Creative Documentary On 'The Interlude Dance' And 'The Dance Party', Ian Goldsmith

Honors Program Theses

The UNI campus has been part of an epidemic: a dance epidemic. “The Interlude Dance” and “The Dance Party” are two recent dance phenomena that have played a major role in my undergraduate experience. I sought to study these phenomena through an analytical approach. I sought to determine the psychosocial factors that lead to the initial and continuing success of “The Interlude Dance” and “The Dance Party”, and to build conceptual connections between both phenomena. This creative-research hybrid project culminated in a documentary short-film.

The Effectiveness Of Negative And Positive Advertisements, Kristen Hora

Honors Program Theses

Whether we know it or not, we are faced with hundreds or even thousands of advertisements every day. Sometimes we acknowledge them and sometimes we do not, but whether or not we realize it, they can and do impact our decisions. The purpose for my senior year Honors Program Thesis was to determine the effectiveness of negative and positive advertising on people who are already favorable or unfavorable towards an industry. I chose to examine video advertisements with the topic of the pork industry. The basis of this research comes from my past experience in promotion for the pork industry. …

From Sidebets To Sideshow: The Influence Of Gambling On The Development Of Professional Wrestling In America, 1870-1911, Lee Casebolt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

While boxing and baseball have been common subjects of historical study, other sports of the nineteenth century have been comparatively neglected by historians. Professional wrestling, in particular, has received very little attention as a sport, as opposed to its twentieth century “sports entertainment” incarnation. What attention it has received has most commonly been through the lens of social history, focusing on wrestling as theater or its psychosexual overtones. Missing from its history is any consideration of the economic factors which influence the evolution of any professional endeavor. This paper explores the relationship between a wrestler’s payment and performance. Specifically, it …

Don't Paint Your Chevy Blazer In High Visibility Orange, Roy R. Behrens, Rich Dana

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Vocabulary Instruction : Becoming Word Conscious To Support Reading Comprehension, Amy Evelyn Bries

Graduate Research Papers

Currently, many classroom teachers are striving to support students' comprehension skills. Teachers are currently teaching vocabulary through incidental exposures. The dependency of vocabulary skills are falling to the students. The students might be asked to memorize rather than gathering a deeper meaning of a word and how we use the word within context. Over the past several years research has shown that vocabulary develops more rapidly after grade three, but the primary grades need to begin with a strong literacy foundation in word learning strategies (Biemiller, 2003, 2006). This research project organized professional development sessions for teachers, to provide the …

Portrayal Of Agriculture In Children's Literature: Contemporary Stories In Picture Books, Traditional Tales, And Nonfiction, Kathryn S. Koller

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to analyze the representations of modern American farming in traditional tales in picture book format, storybooks with contemporary settings, and non-fiction literature to assess how accurately agriculture information is provided to children. This project will contribute to the knowledge base about how well children’s books are compensating for the lack of first-hand experience. The four hypothesizes studied were: 1. Ninety percent of storybooks with contemporary settings will depict a male in the role of farmer. 2. One hundred percent of traditional literature in picture book format will depict a farmer wearing bib overalls, straw …

An Examination Of The Criteria For The Iowa Children's Choice Award List, Jessica Zimmerman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the Iowa Children's Choice Award lists for variety of reading levels, topics, and protagonists and compare this to the criteria set by the Iowa Association of School Librarians. A quantitative content analysis was conducted to allow comparison between the last four years of Iowa Children's Choice Award lists. Results showed that all of the texts chosen for the award lists in the last four years fell in the third through sixth grade level according to Fountas and Pinnell. The majority of the texts include a female protagonist making the award lists more …

What Are The Mechanisms Of Action Of Stereotype Threat And How Does It Contribute To The Development Of Cardiovascular Disease In African Americans, Anthony Gage

Graduate Research Papers

The rate of hypertension and cardiovascular disease for African Americans is disproportionately higher compared to Whites Americans. Previous research has focused much of its attention on biological and socioeconomic differences as a pathway to explain the disparity in rates of cardiovascular disease. Reviewed is the connection between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease, but also extends the reach of etiology to include racially induced cardiovascular reactivity responses in African American. Stereotype threat occurs when a member of a stereotyped group encounters a situation where a stereotype exists, the threat of confirming the stereotype produces an exaggerated cardiovascular response. This model takes …

Comparing Second Grade Students' Creative And Content Knowledge Performance On Figural Transformation Activities Introduced In A Standard Or Enhanced Manner With Nutrition Content Knowledge Taught Through Factual Or Fantasy Reading, Angela Naomi Webb

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Creativity and problem solving are skills students need for success in the 21st century. With the increasing pressures of achieving higher student scores in emphasized content areas, teachers' instruction in science, social studies, music and art has been reduced to provide additional time for teaching reading and mathematics.These lost instructional areas often allowed students to express themselves creatively. Therefore, educators need to find a way to incorporate creativity into content areas like reading and mathematics.

This 16 week repeated measures study examined second grade students' academic and creative performance on figural transformation drawings during an extended reading-science-creativity integrated unit. A …

Where Loyalties Lie: A Study Of Workplace Dissent Through The Lens Of Loyalty, Katelyn L. Santy

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis studied organizational dissent through the lens of loyalty in order to examine the nuanced motivations of employees' choices to dissent. The goal of this work was to approach loyalty as a nuanced concept that provides a foundational motivation for employees' dissent. In order to understand the contextualized experience of dissent, I conducted individual interviews with 17 employees in the radiology department of a healthcare organization. I adopted a grounded theory approach to data analysis, yielding a series of major findings. First, participants described their loyalties in the workplace as multiple and involving four distinct dimensions: organizational loyalty, coworker …

Batman And The Superhero Fairytale: Deconstructing A Revisionist Crisis, Travis John Landhuis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Contemporary superhero comics carry the burden of navigating historical iterations and reiterations of canonical figures—Batman, Superman, Green Lantern et al.—producing a tension unique to a genre that thrives on the reconstruction of previously established narratives. This tension results in the complication of authorial and interpretive negotiation of basic principles of narrative and structure as readers and producers must seek to construct satisfactory identities for these icons. Similarly, the post-modern experimentation of Robert Coover—in Briar Rose and Stepmother—argues that we must no longer view contemporary fairytales as separate (cohesive) entities that may exist apart from their source narratives. Instead, through strategies …

Understanding The Critical Role Of A Wetland In Maintaining The Ecosystem: A Case Study, Sushil Tuladhar

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Beaver Valley Wetland in north-east Iowa was studied to determine its functionality in filtering incoming contaminants from the surrounding agricultural fields. The study was conducted from May through November of 2011. Altogether 78 water samples (from 13 sites), 84 soil samples (from 14 sites), and some sediment samples were collected for chemical analysis. Heavy metals in three different soil categories, such as surface, 6” deep, and sediments were found to be at or below the acceptable concentrations, indicating no immediate concern for metal toxicity in the wetland environment. The chemical tracers that were used to study the sub-surface flow regime …

The Unveiling Of W.E.B. Dubois : A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Diverse Interpretations Of The Works And Life Of W.E.B. Dubois, Sonja Lee Bock

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

W. E. B. Du Bois is one of the founding fathers of sociology. Despite his many contributions, he was not included in the sociological canon and given the recognition he deserves. Du Bois was an African-American scholar whose contributions lead to the development of the first school of sociology in the United States, although he has generally not been recognized for it. My research explores how the effects of the veil contribute to the interpretations of Du Bois. To investigate this question, I will perform a qualitative content analysis of selected publications by Dubosian experts who have written extensively about …

Temporal Dynamics Of Nutrient Flux Across Hydrologic Unit Boundaries, Md. Aminul Haque

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study was done in Dry Run Creek watershed, a small sub-urban watershed in the northwestern part of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Different hydrologic units like, wetland, agricultural area, urban area, and stream channels were compared in terms of nutrient transport. Soil, surface water, and groundwater samples were collected from May, 2012 to October, 2012. Among the hydrologic units, agricultural land has the highest organic matter percentages, infiltration rate, soil nitrate, and total phosphorus. High infiltration rate and amount of nutrients in agricultural soil made those areas more vulnerable to vertical infiltration of pollutants. Agricultural and urban soils had similar …

Population Genetics Of Thomomydoecus Minor: Ectoparasitic Chewing Lice On Thomomys Bottae Pocket Gophers Of The Rio Grande Valley In New Mexico, Sheree Elizabeth Harper

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Thomomydoecus minor is an ectoparasitic chewing louse that lives in intimate association with the pocket gopher Thomomys bottae. Chewing lice are wingless, obligate, host specific parasites that spend their entire life cycle on the fur of their host. Pocket gophers are fossorial and asocial, cut off for most of their lives even from members of their own species. Thus, the life histories of both chewing lice and pocket gophers have been predicted to limit transmission of lice from host to host, thus limiting gene flow among louse infrapopulations found on different hosts and increasing the effect of louse population …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 15, 2012, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

University Of Northern Iowa Secondary Teacher Education Senate Meeting Minutes, December 13, 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Secondary Teacher Education Senate.

Documents - Secondary Senate

Meeting minutes from the Secondary Teacher Education Senate of the University of Northern Iowa.

Creativity And Thinking Skills Integrated Into A Science Enrichment Unit On Flooding, Audrey C. Rule, Jean Suchsland Schneider, Denise A. Tallakson, Diane Highnam

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

Floods that used to happen every hundred years are now occurring more frequently. Human influences on the damage inflicted by flooding need to be well-understood by future voters and property-owners. Therefore, the timely topic of flooding was used as the focus of a special multi-grade enrichment short course taught by two university education professors for 26 preK-8th grade high-achieving and creative students. During the course, students listened to guest speakers (city council member, meteorologist, and environmentalist), watched two flood-related videos, read books on floods, viewed electronic presentations related to dams and recent floods, discussed causes, effects, and mitigations of flooding, …

The Study Of Nitrogen Sources In The Municipal Wells Of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Alison Renee Schell

Honors Program Theses

Groundwater nitrate contamination has been a persistent concern in the drinking water of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Identifying the source of the relatively high nitrates in Cedar Falls Municipal Well 3 is the primary focus of this investigation. Although none of the municipal wells have exceeded the maximum contaminant level for nitrogen ( 45 ppm N 03), the purpose of this project is to investigate the general drinking water quality in the area. To identify the source of the nitrate contamination, groundwater samples from four municipal wells, surface water samples from three sites on the Cedar River, and soil from twelve …

Dr. Neal Corwell, Brass Soloist, Composer/Arranger, November 2, 2012 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Music Recital Programs

Program of a music recital given by faculty, students, or guest artists from the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

Ists, November 2012, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Messages

--News

--Opportunities

International Panther, Fall 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Culture And Intensive English Program.

International Panther

Inside this issue:

-- From the Director, Phil Plourde
-- CIEP's Distance Learning Exchange
-- Jean Wiesley Works to Make Students Comfortable in Residence Halls
-- Social & Cultural Activities
-- International Education Week
-- english and Music Pave Pathway for "Brazilian 2wins" to Achieve Dreams
-- UNI School of Music
-- World’s Window: Japan
-- CIEP Current Student Spotlight: America Nishimoto
-- CIEP Staff travel to Taiwan to meet with alumni and prospective CIEP students
-- Congratulations to our Graduates!
-- CIEP Staff Fall 2013

Uni Today, V95n3 [V96n3], Fall 2012, University Of Northern Iowa Alumni Association

UNI Today

Inside This Issue:
-- I want to be a Panther!
-- The Panther Evolution
-- What I did on my summer vacation
-- Panther Village
-- Alumni and friends receive service, philanthropy awards
-- $1.5 million gift funds math scholarship
-- Gold medal goals
-- Allen announces retirement
-- Seerley's great-grandson creates tribute gift
-- Athletics honors new inductees in Hall of Fame
-- 14 Panthers and counting
-- A look back - College Hill then & now
-- Class Notes
-- Calendar of alumni events

Academic Affairs Report, Fall 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of The Provost And Executive Vice President For Academic Affairs.

Academic Affairs Update

Inside this issue:

-- A Letter from Provost Gloria Gibson
-- Transition in Teacher Preparation
-- STEM Hub Hires New Manager
-- Faculty Development Highlights
-- The Office of International Programs Launches The UNI Diplomat Series
-- Retention Council Works to Help All Students Graduate
-- UNI I am...Nine Student Profiles
-- Campus Coalition Builders: Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Community
-- James Loewen, Diversity Inclusion Lecturer, 2013
-- Cornerstone Studies "The Great Migration"
-- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Update
-- Recognizing Faculty

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter, Autumn 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. Tallgrass Prairie Center.

Tallgrass Prairie Center Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

-- Butterfly Survey at Cedar River Natural Area
-- Renewed Assault on Prairie
-- Practical Data Collection: Establishing Methods and Procedures for Measuring Water Clarity and Turbidity of Stormwater Runoff from Active Highway Construction Sites
-- Seven Things to consider when hand collecting prairie seed
-- Reachin' Out (!) to a Different Kind of Audience
-- Ryan's Reachin' Out! Cowboy Cookies