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Proceedings Of The 120th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2008], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Welcome from the President --- 3
Program Summary /Timeline --- 4
General Session Presentations --- 6
Symposia Presentations --- 9
Special Events --- 12
Iowa Junior Academy of Science --- 13
Senior Poster Program --- 14
Awards Luncheon --- 18
President's Banquet --- 18
IAS Annual Business Meeting --- 19
ESTA Awards Banquet --- 19
Field Trips --- 20
Section Meeting Programs and Oral Presentations (Alphabetical by Section) --- 22
Second Annual IAS Picnic Program --- 28
Abstracts (by Section) --- 29
Author Index --- 53

Series Activity: Watching Wildlife [Iowa Academy Of Science National Wildlife Audio Series], Iowa Academy Of Science

Open Educational Resources

Observing wildlife can be fun whether you are at one of Iowa’s National Wildlife Refuges, a local park or your own back yard. Make watching wildlife a hobby and you will begin to recognize habits and patterns in the actions of the wildlife around you. You might be able to predict when certain wildlife will come to an area to feed, the sounds a bird makes when attempting to protect its young or what will trigger a rabbit to freeze in place. You’ll also be practicing the skills scientists use to make their observations: comparing and contrasting, measuring, counting and …

Less Is More: Stepping Away From Cookbook Labs And Moving Towards Self-Written Labs To Effectively Portray The Nature Of Science, Ben Herman

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Incorporating accurate and explicit nature of science (NOS) instruction throughout the school year is important for overcoming long engrained student misconceptions regarding what science is and how it works. This can be challenging when addressing abstract content such as microscopy and cells. I developed an inquiry based lab that accurately portrays aspects of the NOS while also teaching cell microscopy. The teacher's role in encouraging students to reflect on the NOS is also described. This article addresses National Science Education Standards A, C, and G and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Continuum: Selecting Inquiry-Based Experiences To Promote A Deeper Understanding Of The Nature Of Science, Matthew D. Bannerman

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Whether explicitly or implicitly, science teachers constantly convey an image of the nature of science (NOS) in their classrooms. The actions of the teacher, how the class is run, and the instructional patterns all convey an image of what authentic science is like. As such, significant attention to inquiry-based instructional practices is required to accurately portray the NOS. However, even teaching through inquiry, while necessary, is insufficient for NOS understanding. This article presents four factors that teachers should consider when teaching the NOS. This article addresses National Science Education Content Standards A and G, and Iowa Teaching Standards 3, 4, …

Nos: Integrating The Nature Of Science Throughout The Entire School Year, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Secondary school students possess many significant misconceptions regarding the nature of science (NOS). Accurately portraying the NOS throughout the school year is necessary for promoting desired conceptual change. However, few teachers devote more than an isolated unit to the NOS, and rarely explicitly raise NOS issues while teaching science content during the rest of the year. This practice is problematic considering the implicit inaccurate NOS messages generally present within the science classroom. This paper discusses how to explicitly integrate accurate NOS instruction through the entire school year, and provides examples illustrating how to do so. This article promotes National Science …

Painting An Accurate Picture Of The Nature Of Science, Jesse Wilcox, Elizabeth Potter

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Understanding the nature of science (NOS) is an essential part of scientific literacy (McComas, 1998; Robinson, 1969; Shamos, 1995; Abd-El-Khalick & Lederman, 2000). When the NOS is taught in context-related inquiry activities and historical examples all school year, students show improvement in NOS understanding (Kruse, 2008; Khishfe & Abd-El-Khalick, 2002) that persists into the next academic year (Clough, 1995). Even so, educators often struggle with how to accurately and explicitly incorporate the NOS in an already packed curriculum. This article presents an activity that explains how science content and the NOS can both be effectively taught at the same time. …

Are Questions Enough?: An Action Research Investigation To Analyze The Effect Of Questions And Non-Verbal Behaviors On Student Responses With Suggestions For Improving Practice, Ben Herman

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Action research has been advocated as an effective way to improve teaching practice. I conducted action research to determine the effect of question type and non-verbal behaviors on students' responses. Question type in conjunction with non-verbal behaviors are crucial considerations when motivating quality responses from students in science classrooms. This article addresses National Science Education Standards A and G and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Observations On The Distribution And Status Of Western Sand Darter, Spotted Gar, And Skipjack Herring In Iowa Rivers, Travis E. Neebling, Michael C. Quist

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

This paper describes new records of western sand darter (Ammocrypta clara), spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), and skipjack herring (Alosa chrysochloris) in Iowa's interior rivers. A western sand darter was collected from the Cedar River, Benton County, in 2007. Western sand darters are occasionally collected from the upper Mississippi River (UMR), but have not been sampled in interior rivers since 1958. Two spotted gar were collected from the Des Moines River, Polk and Wapello counties, in 2007. Two spotted gar were sampled from the UMR in 2000, but no spotted gar have been previously recorded from Iowa's interior rivers. A skipjack …

Response Letters To Camayd-Freixas Article On Postville Raid

Postville Project Documents

A collection of letters submitted to the Congressional Record written in support of an article on the Postville raid written by Erik Camayd-Freixas.

Pre-Settlement Vegetation At Casey's Paha State Preserve, Iowa, Reid J. Leichty, Steven H. Emerman, Lyndon R. Hawkins, Michael J. Tiano

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Paha are loess-capped ridges standing 10-30 m above the surrounding plain of the Iowan Surface. Although Iowa was almost entirely covered with prairie and wetlands just prior to Euro-American settlement, the paha are believed to have been forested based on soil types and on early vegetation maps. The objective of this study was to find evidence that paha were forested by measuring the δ13C value of humin, the fraction of soil organic matter that is insoluble in acid and base. Previous work has shown that humin retains the δ13C signature of vegetation on a 1000-year time scale, as opposed to …

Assessment Of Smallmouth Bass Populations In Iowa Interior Rivers, Andrew C. Jansen, Michael C. Quist, Jeff Kopaska

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu are a popular sport fish throughout North America and occupy an important ecological role as top predators in aquatic systems. Despite the importance of smallmouth bass, knowledge of their population structure and dynamics in Iowa interior rivers is limited. The objective of this study was to describe population dynamics (e.g., relative abundance, size and age structure, growth, mortality) of smallmouth bass in six Iowa rivers. Smallmouth bass were sampled from the Upper Iowa, Maquoketa, and Wapsipinicon rivers in northeast Iowa and the Des Moines, Iowa, and South Skunk rivers in central Iowa using electrofishing during the …

Eyes On Your Classroom: Collaborating With Others To Improve Your Practice, Jesse Wilcox

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

How do you know if you are an effective teacher? Many teachers consider their effectiveness only in terms of student feelings toward the teacher and course, or how their students perform. While students' performance and perceptions are important factors to consider, students typically lack the expertise to provide accurate feedback about teaching and learning. What students enjoy and what is best for them are not necessarily one in the same. Furthermore, students' performance is related to, but not solely determined by, what teachers do. High student performance may occur in spite of poor teaching practices, and students may do poorly …

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V04n4, Winter 2008, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--IAS NWR Website

--Science: Our Past and Future

--Iowa Academy of Science Fellows

--IAS Board Retreat

--Announcements, Events & Deadlines

--Spotlight on Des Moines University

--Iowa Academy of Science Membership Overview

--ISTJ—Practical Science Education Applications from Iowans to the World

Ant Diversity In Two Southern Minnesota Tallgrass Prairie Restoration Sites, Pamela M. Kittelson, Monica Paulson Priebe, Phillip J. Graeve

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

There is little basic information about ant species richness and abundance in tall grass prairie restorations despite the importance of ants to plant community structure and function. We compared ant abundance and richness, vascular plant cover and richness, and soil compaction at two southern Minnesota grassland restoration sites, a prairie reconstruction and a prairie remnant undergoing rehabilitation. We collected a total of 3,523 ants from 12 different species. Plant species richness ranged from 45 in the prairie reconstruction to 95 in the remnant prairie. We found five more species of ants and significantly higher mean ant species richness per plot …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Programs And Courses 2008-2010, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Programs and Courses Catalogs

This catalog is published for students and other persons who want to know more about the University of Northern Iowa. Its purpose is to communicate as objectively and completely as possible what the university is and what it does. The catalog is presented in sections to give a general view of the university as well as the detailed information required for informed decision making.

Iowa Academy Of Science 120th Annual Meeting [2008]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2008 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.

Review Of Carmen Tafolla's The Holy Tortilla And A Pot Of Beans, R. C. Feddersen

Short Story

No abstract provided.

Average Budgeted Salaries Of Faculty Staff 2008-2009, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Gives the average salaries of faculty broken down by rank and college and the distribution of salaries of the professional and scientific category.

Hands-On Materials For Teaching About Global Climate Change Through Graph Interpretation, Audrey C. Rule, J. E. Hallagan, B. Shaffer

Open Educational Resources

Teachers need to address global climate change with students in their classrooms as evidence for consequences from these environmental changes mounts. One way to approach global climate change is through examination of authentic data. Mathematics and science may be integrated by interpreting graphs from the professional literature. This study examined the types of errors 72 preservice elementary teachers made in producing hands-on materials for teaching graph interpretation skills through graphed evidence of global climate change from the literature. The teaching materials consisted of a graph electronically manipulated on a colored background and enhanced with clip art related to the graph’s …

Annual Report Of The Registrar 2007/2008, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Definitions
--- Annual Report Data
--- Summary of Attendance
--- Attendance by Session
--- Full-time Equivalency Enrollment
--- Degrees Granted --Degree Summary
--- Program Certificates
--- Pupils in Price Laboratory School
--- Miscellaneous Enrollment Information
--- Degrees Granted by College, Degree Objective, and Racial/Ethnic Classification

The Teaching Of Elementary School Science In The Pre And Post No Child Left Behind Era: For Better Or Worse?, Jeffrey K. Perkins

Graduate Research Papers

A major problem confronting science education is the barriers elementary teachers face in teaching science. The reform efforts of the 1970's led initially to increased devotion of time in the area of science. The report "A Nation at Risk" published in the 1980's exposed the neglect of the American education system and helped lead to the establishment of standards and benchmarks for all school subjects.

The purpose of this paper was to examine the current state of elementary science in the No Child Left Behind [NCLB] school environment and compare this to the previous status of teaching science in the …

Cns Connections, Winter 2008-09, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Natural Sciences.

CNS Connections

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- UNI Botanical Center celebrates birthday, new name and addition
-- Hydrology lab opens in fall 2008
-- Fahmy's final year as head of IT exceptional
-- CNS News in short
-- CNS students in the news
-- Applause
-- Transitions
-- Duncan and Litwiller break 1,000!
-- PSM prograns in CNS off to promising start
-- Project SOAR under way at UNI
-- IMSEP up and running
-- Faculty research
-- Imagine your impact
-- Petersons give back to UNI
-- Alumni News
-- CNS Advisory Board

2008 Betcha Can't Do It Like We Did It, Northern University High School

Malcolm Price Laboratory School Yearbooks

The student yearbook of the Northern University High School, part of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School of the University of Northern Iowa.

An Herbal Abc Book: A Contribution To Information Available To Children And Adults, Linda Jo Kirkland

Graduate Research Papers

From Neanderthal to New Age times, plant medicine has been shown to be used by people seeking relief from ailments. There is a lack of information available for children to learn about the simple herbal remedies used by their ancestors even though herbal remedies are commonly used in this country. These plant remedies are both culturally and medically significant. People use herbal medicine to a great extent without consulting medical professionals. Therefore, a research based herbal ABC book would be a significant addition to children’s literature in this country, both as information for children and adults, and as a conversation …

Preparing Instructors Of Adult Learners To Address The Needs Of Minority Students, Travell Unique Brock

Graduate Research Papers

In predominately Caucasian educational systems, diversity in the classroom is becoming a fast-growing phenomenon. With this new phenomenon, adult instructors now have a new challenge of facilitating learning in an environment where the learners not only have different learning capabilities, but also language and cultural differences. The reviewer answers the following questions: what are the important considerations for instructors to prepare diverse adult learners for corporate work environments, higher education, and K-12 professional development? And what are the appropriate cultural specific media and literature resources to include in training?

The literature collected focused on resources related to teaching adult minority …

Motivational Factors Of Seasonal Volunteers: A Study Of The Student Conservation Association, Cory J. Roegner

Graduate Research Papers

The use and efficacy of motivational factors in attracting and retaining employees has become an increasingly important concern within the realm of leisure-service management. Authors of leading text on managing leisure-service organizations have affirmed this dilemma, stating that more research is needed on how to attract, retain, supervise, and motivate employees (Henderson & Bialeschki, 1993; Hoff, Ellis & Crossley, 1988). In recent decades, this need has become particularly true with respect to the motives of seasonal and part-time volunteers (DeGraaf & Edginton, 1992). The field of outdoor recreation/resource management is of no exception. Thus, the purpose of this study was …

The Effect Of Two Types Of Recovery On The Decline In Performance After Intense Bouts Of Exercise, Whitney Shindelar

Honors Program Theses

Anyone who is recreationally active, whether an athlete or someone in the general population, has some preferred action they choose to engage in after an extensive bout of intense exercise. According to Comparison of Two Strategies on Recovery after Exhausting Exercise, the common recommendation of raising your arms above your head in order to recover more quickly and thoroughly has been shown to not be the optimal recovery mechanism. The previously mentioned study has recently shown that a subject's heart rate decreased dramatically faster, which then decreased their over all recovery time, when they opted to bend at the …

Social Politics And Freedom: Incorporating Civil Society Into Arendt's Political Thought, Grant J. Rozeboom

Honors Program Theses

The possibility of human freedom has captivated philosophers throughout the ages, often leading them to conclude that freedom is a unique capacity of humanity, exemplifying our potential for politics, contemplation, and/or religious salvation. In the modern age, beginning with the political writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, freedom has been understood (at least within the early liberal tradition and common discourse) as unhindered and individuated economic movement, motivated by self-interest and actualized most fully in institutions such as the consumerist free market. Yet, we find that the more we devote our actions to fulfilling our individual interests and needs, …

The Reflexivity Of Pain And Privilege: An Autoethnography Of (Mestizo) Identity And Other Mestizo Voices, Ellis Hurd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Approximately 20 million Latinos living in the United States identify as Mestizos. A Mestizo is a person of mixed heritage. Almost half of these Mestizos racially or culturally identify as White, while the other half identify as Hispanic or racially mixed. These racial and cultural identifications have vast effects on educational performance: those identifying themselves as Hispanic or mixed experience lower academic achievement whereas those identifying as White do not. Many communities have experienced an influx of Mestizo-Latinos, but are ill prepared for the educational challenges due to the language and cultural differences Mestizos bring. This researcher himself has experienced …