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Nature Of Science: Curriculum Unit For The 6th Grade Classroom, Reagan Denise Boeset

Graduate Research Papers

Having a basic knowledge of scientific principles is no longer a luxury but, in today's complex world, a necessity. While Americans are holding their own, they are not even close to where they should be says Jon Miller of Michigan State University. Miller (2007) states in Science Daily that only 28% of American adults currently qualify as scientifically literate (as cited in Michigan State University, 2007, para 5). With the pace of technological advancement as well as our increased reliance on technology, there should be no debate over the need for scientific literacy. There is a need for our society …

Professionally Accomplished Women's Perceptions Of Father-Daughter Communication: An Exploratory Study, Teresa M. Scott, Lynne M. Webb, Patricia Amason

Iowa Journal of Communication

A survey of 75 professionally accomplished women examined father-daughter communication during daughters' middle-aged years. The daughters' perceptions of relational closeness with their fathers were associated with family communication environment (both conversation and conformity-orientation). Furthermore, daughters' conflict management scores for competing-with-fathers were negatively associated with the daughters' state-communication-apprehension scores. Finally, many non-significant results are inconsistent with results previously obtained with college student samples, perhaps indicating that the influence of father-daughter communication may differ across the lifespan.

Table Of Contents (Back Cover)

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Soil Carbon Index For Iowa Mineral Soils, M. M. Al-Kaisi, T. E. Fenton, J. G. Guzman, B. R. O'Neal

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

A carbon index (Cl) is one of many soil quality indicators that depends on organic carbon concentration. One of the values of a soil carbon index is in determining the impact of agriculture practices (i.e., tillage, crop rotation, N management, etc.) on soil organic matter status of mineral soils. Interactions of climate, parent material, topography, time, and organisms including human activities influence soil organic carbon (SOC). This study developed a soil carbon index for mineral soil map units in Iowa using data collected by the Iowa Cooperative Soil Survey Laboratory and the USDA Soil Survey Laboratory for over 2,300 soil …

Measurement And Graphing Guided Inquiry Based Unit, Charlotte Louise Mcdermott

Graduate Research Papers

An inquiry-based curriculum unit in measurement and graphing is important, because it is the foundation for many science courses and used in many real-life applications and increases the ability of students to think critically. Linn-Mar High School has two different pathways for science where one starts with Earth Science as the first class and the other with Biology first. Every year, approximately 300 freshmen 5 (60% of all freshmen) take Earth Science as their first high school science class. Our science department at the high school is made up of 12.3 science teachers, and every year we discuss strengths and …

Editorial: Implementing The Teacher Education Initiative, Glen Bull, Marshall George, Melanie Shoffner, Cheryl Bolick, John Lee, Janice Anderson, David Slykhuis, Joe Garofalo, Robin Angotti, Michael Mckenna, Elizabeth West, Sara Dexter, Mary Herring, Mark Hofer, Abbie Brown

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

Representatives from ten specialty professional associations affiliated with the National Technology Leadership Coalition (NTLC) are collaborating with Microsoft Corporation to develop an innovative professional development opportunity for teacher educators—the Teacher Education Initiative (TEI). The goal of the initiative is to enhance preparation of future teachers to use technology in effective ways to teach students across grades and academic disciplines. This effort builds upon initiatives such as Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) and Microsoft’s Partners in Learning (PIL) program.

The goals of TEI are described in more detail in a previously published overview, “Preparing Teachers for Tomorrow’s Technologies” (Dilworth …

Child Labor In India, Luke Juran

Open Educational Resources

Students will be able to convert rupees to US dollars and vice versa. Students will be able to get a feel for poverty and strife that exists in India. Students will be able to see how basic necessities are considered luxuries for some people.

God Grew Tired Of Us: Migration Of Sudanese "Lost Boys" To U.S., Brittany Lassen

Open Educational Resources

Students will learn the current conflict in Sudan and about the journey of Sudan’s lost boys to the U.S. Students will also learn about the challenges these young people faced and triumphs they experienced when they arrived.

Making Maps With Population Data, Tami Huegel

Open Educational Resources

Students will create choropleth maps using the 3 methods of equal frequency, equal interval, and natural breaks. Students will compare the 3 maps for accuracy and bias. Students will analyze the maps and develop hypotheses about population to plan for the future.

People In India, Kelly Davidson

Open Educational Resources

Students will determine how the lives of those in India and the USA are similar and different.

Nigerian Transportation Through Mathematics, Aaron Shields

Open Educational Resources

Students will compare the percentage of one’s income needed to buy a car in Nigeria vs. United States.

How Does Your Reading Stack Up? Effective Teaching Practices Make For Successful Reading Experiences In The Classroom, Jennifer A. R. Smith, Lori Marie Ihrig

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article provides teachers concrete strategies for applying knowledge of how people learn and effective teaching practices to decisions about classroom implementation of science content area readings. This article promotes Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Short Story, Volume 20, Number 2, Fall 2012 [Download Entire Issue]

Short Story

No abstract provided.

Here We Lie, Rebekah Clarkson

Short Story

No abstract provided.

The Princess Of China In San Guiness-Louis, Yueyue Wenren

Short Story

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Sciences Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

University Of Northern Iowa Today, Special Edition, V94n4 [V95n3], Winter 2012, University Of Northern Iowa Alumni Association

UNI Today

Inside This Issue:
-- We are Iowa's university
-- Enabling innovation
-- Remarkable voices
-- Education at its finest
-- UNI I am a legacy family
-- Go Panthers!
-- Panther athletes making a difference
-- Getting creative
-- Class Notes

Evidence From Detrital Zircon Ages For Middle Pennsylvanian Uplift And Drainage In The Source Area Of The Chariton Conglomerate And Marmaton Group Sandstones, Southern Iowa And Northern Missouri, Scott Mcfadden, Steven H. Emerman, Jane Pedrick Dawson, Kevin A. Rey, Tracy Kemp Anderson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The Chariton Conglomerate is a quartz/limestone conglomerate of Middle Pennsylvanian age sparsely exposed in southern Iowa and northern Missouri. In Iowa it is characterized by quartz granules and rounded crinoid columnals. The objective of this study was to use detrital zircon ages to determine the provenance of the Chariton Conglomerate and possibly associated Marmaton Group sandstone beds. Detrital zircon ages were obtained for five conglomerate and two sandstone beds of the Chariton Conglomerate in Iowa, three conglomerate beds of the Chariton Conglomerate in Missouri, and two sandstone beds of the Marmaton Group in Iowa. According to the Kolmogorov-Smirnoff Test, the …

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Harlan's Ground Sloth (Paramylodon Harlant) (Xenarthra: Mylodontidae) From The Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) Of Iowa, H. Gregory Mcdonald

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Harlan's ground sloth, Paramylodon harlani, is documented for the first time from Iowa. The record is based on a fifth metacarpal recovered from a gravel bar within West Tarkio Creek, Page County. While the specimen was not found in situ, and could not be radiocarbon dated, the local geology suggests that it was probably derived from sediments that post-date Peorian loess deposition and is late Wisconsinan in age. This specimen extends the range of Paramylodon 350 km ro the northeast of the closest previously known locality. Its size is slightly larger than average for other late Pleisrocene (Rancholabrean) …

Effects Of Berberine, Chelerythrine, And Sanguinarine On Proliferation In Four Human Immortalized Cell Lines, David S. Senchina, Nisarg B. Shah, Marc G. Busch

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L., Papaveraceae) is a plant rich in benzophenanchridine (isoquinoline) alkaloids such as sanguinarine and chelerychrine. Both isolated alkaloids and whole-tissue rhizome extracts have demonstrated in vitro anticarcinogenic (antiproliferacive) activity in limited immortalized cell culture models, but the relative contribution of various alkaloid constituents to whole-tissue extract activity, and whether or not various alkaloids may act synergistically, has not been investigated. We challenged four immortalized cell lines (Jurkat, K562, Ramos, U937) with various doses of chelerythrine, sanguinarine, and berberine (a structurally and functionally similar alkaloid absent from bloodroot), alone and in all possible combinations, and measured proliferation …

Perspectives: Developing And Defining Both Science And Science Education As Disciplines, Robert E. Yager

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The six "domains" have been identified as features for the "doing" of science. These six are: Concept, Process, Creativity, Attitude, Application, and Worldview. They are offered to affect teaching, student learning, as well as a new way of defining science. Concepts and Processes often are the only two typically used to define school and college science content; Creativity and Positive Attitudes are added as two "enabling" domains; a fifth Domain is offered as a focus on the Application of typical concepts and process skills. It is the Domain where and how most people live and operate! The sixth Domain is …

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V08n4, Winter 2012, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--ISTS Fall Conference Photo Album

--New Energy Research Program Creates Educational Opportunities

--125th Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

--eCYBERMISSION Seeks Volunteers—Partners with IAS

--Iowa NASA EPSCoR News

--Using Constructivist Theory: The Next Generation of Standards for K-12 Science

--IAS Awarded Environmental Literacy Capacity Grant

--Announcements, Events & Deadlines

Schools In Balance: Comparing Iowa Physics Teachers And Teaching In Large And Small Schools, Trevor Kittleson, Jeffrey T. Morgan

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In 2009 we surveyed all known Iowa high school physics teachers to gain insight into their educational backgrounds, instructional styles, content coverage, and available resources. Based upon a suggestion made at a subsequent presentation, we reexamined the collected data, comparing the responses of teachers from small and large schools to see if there were notable differences between the two populations. We found that teachers at larger schools teach a wider variety of physics courses, including more advanced and “physics first” style courses, and report stronger educational backgrounds in physics. While larger schools also have more financial resources allocated for physics …

Supporting English Language Learners In Today's Early Childhood Classrooms, Katie Furlong

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review is to identify the kind(s) of early childhood instruction and learning environment that best supports students whose primary language is not English. The research examined focused on which teacher strategies used in the classroom improve academic achievement for English Language Learners (ELLs). In addition, the research compared the effects of dual language, or two-way immersion (TWI) and monolingual English immersion (El) early childhood education program models on children's learning. A variety of sources were used and synthesized to provide the reader with informational data and recommendations.

Effective Professional Development And Social Media Technologies' Potential For Enhancement, Jami J. Elliott

Graduate Research Papers

Effective professional development for technology integration in the classroom is essential. The purpose of this paper is to review literature regarding professional development models, identify essential elements for maximum effectiveness and examine social media technologies potential role. In this review, 32 journal articles and books written since 2000 are reviewed to identify essential elements for effective professional development, as well as social media technologies' potential in professional development. The results of this review could be used to design and implement effective professional development for integrating technology into elementary curriculum. Effectiveness of professional development can determine the level of student learning …

Differentiated Instruction : Learning Profiles, Assessment, And Professional Development, Sharon Kay Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

Differentiated instruction, in which a teacher recognizes and seeks to accommodate each student's method of learning (a learning profile), optimizes the classroom experience for all students (Tomlinson, 1999). Though differentiated instruction can be an excellent strategy to manage the diverse learning culture of the contemporary classroom, many educators have concerns about it, This literature review examines the following questions: 1. What is the role of learning profiles in a differentiated instruction classroom? 2. What is the role of assessment in a differentiated instruction classroom? 3. What should be the content and processes of a professional development program for the implementation …

Using Social Technology In Professional Development: A Literature Review, Catherine M. Olson

Graduate Research Papers

Due to unprecedented pressure to improve teaching practices and student achievement, professional development has become the focus of much scrutiny. This paper reviews twenty-six peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss the effects of integrating social technologies in professional development activities. The review examines the traits of effective professional development, the ways social technologies are being incorporated into professional development, the impact of this integration, and what problems may arise using social technology. Final discussions indicate that social technologies have great potential to encourage collaboration and professional growth. Further research is needed, however, to determine if using social technologies in professional development …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Skills Needed For Children's Entry Into Kindergarten, Jessica Blohm

Graduate Research Papers

Kindergarten readiness is an ever-increasing topic in the field of early education among educators. Research has indicated that children learn better if parents, preschool and kindergarten teachers' expectations are aligned. The purpose of this project is to understand local preschool and kindergarten teachers' perceptions of skills needed for children's entry into kindergarten. Teachers from two school districts and local preschools and daycares will be surveyed using the local Head Start Kindergarten Readiness Goals. Information gained will potentially lead to modifications in curriculum and learning goals for children, aid in professional development practices for teachers, and better prepare children in the …

Developing A Stem Education For Rural Elementary Students, Lisa J. Chizek

Graduate Research Papers

With his launch of "Educate to Innovate" in 2009, President Barack Obama stated, "Reaffirming and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century," said President Obama. "That's why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national priority" (The White House, 2009).