Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Spanish To Second-Language And Heritage-Language Learners, Kathryn R. Wall

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The following portfolio is an assemblage of work submitted for the Master of Second Language Teaching (MSLT) program at Utah State University. Contained herein is the author’s personal teaching philosophy about teaching beginning level Spanish in college with second and heritage language learners in the classroom. Following the teaching philosophy are artifacts and reflections relating to specific topics of the teaching philosophy. These artifacts represent the author’s understanding of the role that language, culture, and literacy play in the Spanish second and heritage language classroom.

No Child Left Inside Week: Pilot Program, Jamie C. Clark

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This program evaluation assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of a free No Child Left Inside (NCLI) week-long outdoor program to coincide with the Utah state-designated No Child Left Inside Week. The pilot program was implemented at the community level in Cache Valley, Utah, in 2012. Families attended eleven activities throughout the week that included hands-on experience and participation. A community BioBlitz was also planned as a conclusion to the week. Survey results demonstrate increased excitement and desire to spend more time outdoors exploring and learning, accomplishing NCLI goals of laying groundwork for an environmental literacy foundation in America’s children.

Development Of Ecologically-Based Invasive Plant Management Curriculum For University Audiences, Halley Kartchner

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Great Basin is considered one of the most endangered ecoregions in the United States. One threat facing Great Basin rangelands is the invasion of harmful, non-native plants. These invasive weeds outcompete native plants, degrade wildlife habitat, decrease valuable forage for livestock, and cost millions every year in weed control efforts. In order to restore degraded ecosystems of the Great Basin, it is essential that effective weed management programs are integrated in rangeland management strategies. Traditional management approaches have focused on killing invasive weeds with limited regard to the underlying processes that contributed to the invasion.

Ecologically-based invasive plant management, …

Automated Check-In And Scheduling System For A Web-Based Testing Application, Ashwin V. Kumar

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Ideally, a testing center and associated software should be an effective tool for learning assessment. It should serve as a link between faculty members who create tests and their students who are assessed by those tests. Testing centers are generally limited in the number of computer systems available as compared to the number of students taking tests. Automated testing plays an important role in such situations. Automated testing outside the classroom offers students the flexibility of choosing a preferred time for taking tests. A completely automated system also contributes in reducing a portion of the workload by automatically grading some …

Validating Resonance Raman Spectroscopy: A Non-Invasive Assessment Of Skin Carotenoids As A Biomarker Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Children, Sheryl Swain Aguilar

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Background: Adult studies have found a strong correlation between serum carotenoids and skin carotenoids measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS). No published studies have examined correlations between skin and serum carotenoids among children.

Objectives: (1) To validate skin RRS methodology against serum carotenoid measurements by high-performance liquid chromatography and (2) to determine if RRS skin carotenoids can be used as a valid biomarker of total fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among children.

Design: Participants were 45 healthy children age 5-17 who provided 3 blood samples used to assess serum carotenoid concentrations and 3 RRS skin measurements (using a Biophotonic ScannerTM) …

Regional Planning Initiative For The Province Of Puerto Plata In The Dominican Republic: A Tourism Planning Framework For The Towns Of San Felipe De Puerto Plata And Sosua, Ana A. Baez Sarita

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Dominican Republic has locations rich in cultural, historical, and ecological assets. One of these places is the province of Puerto Plata. Located in the northern region of the country, Puerto Plata was one of the first territories of America in which Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Built in the year of 1494 because of the second Spanish expedition arrival, La Isabela, the first new world’s Spanish village represents one of the many vital historical components of the province of Puerto Plata. The country has an economy largely based in the service sector. According to the U.S. Department of State, …

A Primary Document Analysis-Centered Curriculum In A Residential Treatment Center, Jared Peterson Collette

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study examines the challenges and rewards of applying Stanford History Group’s Thinking Like a Historian program in the context of a residential treatment center to better understand the necessary modifications and adjustments that would be needed to successfully apply this program. The researcher used an action research methodology, an analytic autoethnographic journal, as well as student work to investigate student successes and challenges in learning history through the use of primary documents. The findings demonstrate that students did not successfully apply historical thinking even after explicit instruction, extensive modeling, and guided practice. The author argues that low literacy rates, …

Processing And Manipulation Of Data Collected From The Educational On-Line Game Refraction, Xiaotian Dai

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A team of students, artists, and researchers at the Center for Game Science at the

University of Washington are trying to create video games that can discover optimal

pathways for learning. They have focused so far on early mathematics education,

including topics such as fractions and algebra, which are some of the main bottlenecks

preventing students from pursuing a career in science. As a result, the educational

on-line game \Refraction" was created, which is aimed at students who start learning

fraction computations. When the students are playing the game online, all the data

and information, such as mouse movements and …

Early Dynamic Assessment Of Morphological Awareness And Early Literacy Achievement: A Feasibility Study, Katherine Pike

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to the determine the feasibility of studying whether a) a morphological awareness dynamic assessment task was sensitive to assessing emerging knowledge of morphological awareness and revealed a range of performance in typically developing children, and b) performance on a dynamic assessment of morphological awareness is related to other predictors of language and literacy success. Method: Participants for this study included 15 typically developing children attending preschool in the Intermountain West with a mean age of 5 years, 2 months. The Early Dynamic Assessment of Morphological Awareness (EDAMA) was developed and administered, and a …

Linking Intermountain West Shrub-Steppe Grassland Restoration Ecology With Cultural Meaning Through Landscape Design, Bridget Marie Atkin

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

It has been proposed that the aesthetic quality of landscapes, designed or natural, provides a critical linkage between humans, and ecological processes and function. Ecological function is not always compatible with cultural expectations of the landscape aesthetics or is considered desirable. This thesis argues that landscapes that demonstrate desirable environmental characteristics can also possess aesthetic qualities. If they are well-utilized by the general population and more valuable ecologically, they will be more successful. This thesis examines the use of principles of landscape design to incorporate meaningful ecological function within a constructed landscape with desirable aesthetics for the mutual benefit of …

Instructional Strategies For Implementing Utah's Early Childhood Core Standards, Mark R. Noyce

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Children who are pre-lingually deaf or hard of hearing are often delayed in the acquisition and development of spoken language. Educators of the deaf and hard of hearing, of necessity, adapt and modify curriculum to ameliorate the delays inherent with hearing loss. Teachers utilize specialized strategies and techniques of presentation to adjust to the language and communication learning needs of children with hearing loss.
Curricula are written to identify the developmental sequence of concepts and skills expected of typically developing children. The Utah Early Childhood Core Standards (UECCS) was established to help prepare children to have the pre-requisite skills and …

Development Of Standards, Objectives, And Curriculum Guide To Teach Basic Electronics For Utah Science Credit In Secondary School Education, Rick Pierce

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Recently, the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) has accepted Basic Electronics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code 47.0105, as an elective to fill the required third science credit for secondary education (grades 10-12) students. The current Utah state core standards and objectives used for curriculum development in the Basic Electronics classes are now inadequate, as they are more than 15 years old, and designed specifically for students pursuing a technical career path. A formatting change to the document was implemented in 2008, but the standards and objectives were not changed.
Students are subsequently being taught the fundamentals of technology …

The Relationship Of Bulbous Bluegrass And Big Sagebrush In Utah, Jason D. Cox

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The increase in abundance and distribution of bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa) has been a concern of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Very little research has been conducted to analyze the invasiveness of bulbous bluegrass in the Intermountain West. This study used data from 1982 to 2012 at range trend study sites across the state of Utah to investigate trends in bulbous bluegrass abundance, range expansion, and co-occurrence with big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). This study addressed the question of whether the increase of bulbous bluegrass correlates with changes in sagebrush …

Street Tree Diversification And Location Considerations, Jeran Farley

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Although essential in an urban forest, street trees create numerous challenges for municipalities as well as private owners. Lack of species diversity is usually pronounced. In addition, inappropriate species are commonly planted along streets. Selection of street trees should follow established percentage guidelines for tree species, genera, and family in order to maintain diversity when planting in a municipality. Numerous variables such as proximity to buildings or vehicular traffic, soil area, exposure, and road salt usage should also be considered when planting any tree. Planting a diverse urban forest with the right tree in the right place can enhance a …

Use Of Exposure History To Identify Patterns Of Immunity To Pneumonia In Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis), Raina K. Plowright, Kezia R. Manlove, E. Frances Cassirer, Paul C. Cross, Thomas E. Besser, Peter J. Hudson

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Individual host immune responses to infectious agents drive epidemic behavior and are therefore central to understanding and controlling infectious diseases. However, important features of individual immune responses, such as the strength and longevity of immunity, can be challenging to characterize, particularly if they cannot be replicated or controlled in captive environments. Our research on bighorn sheep pneumonia elucidates how individual bighorn sheep respond to infection with pneumonia pathogens by examining the relationship between exposure history and survival in situ. Pneumonia is a poorly understood disease that has impeded the recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) following their widespread extirpation in …

Acid Ceramidase Maintains The Chondrogenic Phenotype Of Expanded Primary Chondrocytes And Improves The Chondrogenic Differentiation Of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Calogera M. Simonaro, Sylvain Sachot, Yi Ge, Xingxuan He, Victor A. Deangelis, Efrat Eliyahu, Daniel J. Leong, Hui B. Sun, Jeffrey B. Mason, Mark E. Haskins, Dean W. Richardson, Edward H. Schuchman

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

Acid ceramidase is required to maintain the metabolic balance of several important bioactive lipids, including ceramide, sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate. Here we show that addition of recombinant acid ceramidase (rAC) to primary chondrocyte culture media maintained low levels of ceramide and led to elevated sphingosine by 48 hours. Surprisingly, after three weeks of expansion the chondrogenic phenotype of these cells also was markedly improved, as assessed by a combination of histochemical staining (Alcian Blue and Safranin-O), western blotting (e.g., Sox9, aggrecan, collagen 2A1), and/or qPCR. The same effects were evident in rat, equine and human cells, and were observed in monolayer …

Mesobiliverdin Ixα Enhances Rat Pancreatic Islet Yield And Function, Taihei Ito, Dong Chen, Cheng-Wei Tom Chang, Takashi Kenmochi, Tomonori Saito, Satoshi Suzuki, Jon Y. Takemoto

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The aims of this study were to produce mesobiliverdin IXα, an analog of anti-inflammatory biliverdin IXα, and to test its ability to enhance rat pancreatic islet yield for allograft transplantation into diabetic recipients. Mesobiliverdin IXα was synthesized from phycocyanobilin derived from cyanobacteria, and its identity and purity were analyzed by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Mesobiliverdin IXα was a substrate for human NADPH biliverdin reductase. Excised Lewis rat pancreata infused with mesobiliverdin IXα and biliverdin IXα-HCl (1–100 μM) yielded islet equivalents as high as 86.7 and 36.5%, respectively, above those from non-treated controls, and the islets showed a high degree of …

The Utah Statesman, April 18, 2013, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Utah Statesman, April16, 2013, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Damaging Economies And Ecosystems: Light Pollution In Logan City, Rachel K. Nydegger, Shane L. Larson Ph.D.

Student Showcase

Though the view of city lights is considered a modern beauty, indicative of the strength of the human intellect, it is the cause of an assortment of negative effects. Most street lights emit light radially, sending large portions of the light into the sky, leaving the ground dim. The excess light- light pollution- directed at the atmosphere destroys our ability to view beauty of the night sky and represents a loss of energy and money. Damage is also done to nocturnal and migratory animals as well as greatly affecting local ecosystems. To improve the efficiency of astronomical endeavors, the economy, …

The Utah Statesman, April 9, 2013, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, April 4, 2013, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Caine College of the Arts

• Course Prefix Change, Credit Hour Change, Course Description Change, Administrative Responsibility Change, Repeatable for Credit Change

Department of Theatre Arts

• New Course

School of Accountancy

• Prerequisite Change, Course Description Change
• Title Change, Prerequisite Change, Course Description Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Prefix Change
• Title Change, Dual List Change
• Delete Course

Department of Economics and Finance

• Prerequisite Change

Department of Family, Consumer and Human Development

• New Course
• Course Number Change, Title Change

Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation

• New Course
• Prerequisite Change

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

• New Course
• Prerequisite Change
• Title …

Ecological Integrity In Protected Areas: Two Interpretations, Gorden Steinhoff

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Federal environmental legislation and policy in the United States require that managers seek to maintain natural conditions or “naturalness” within national parks, wilderness, and other protected areas.1 A number of experts in protected area management have argued, however, that naturalness should be abandoned as a mandatory goal in these areas. In the recently published book, Beyond Naturalness, leading management experts strongly recommend changes in protected area law and policy to allow alternative goals.2 One goal recommended by these experts for many management situations is maintaining ecological integrity.3 Indeed, ecological integrity is currently the management goal required by law in Canadian …

Biology And Impacts Of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 9. Capra Hircus, The Feral Goat (Mammalia: Bovidae), Mark William Chynoweth, Creighton M. Litton, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Steven C. Hess, Susan Cordell

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Domestic goats, Capra hircus, were intentionally introduced to numerous oceanic islands beginning in the sixteenth century. The remarkable ability of C. hircus to survive in a variety of conditions has enabled this animal to become feral and impact native ecosystems on islands throughout the world. Direct ecological impacts include consumption and trampling of native plants, leading to plant community modification and transformation of ecosystem structure. Although the negative impacts of feral goats are well known and effective management strategies have been developed to control this invasive species, large populations persist on many islands. This review summarizes impacts of feral goats …

Integrating Mathematics And Other Content Disciplines In The Elementary Classroom, Jessica Billingsley

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Curriculum integration is a growing trend in education. Researchers look at integration to alleviate the demand on educator’s time to teach while still meeting all core standards, whether they are state standards such as the Utah Core Standards or other standards such as Common Core State Standards. For my honors project I looked at curriculum integration applied to the elementary classroom setting. Having researched integration examples and best practices I created three lessons that were taught during my student teaching. My lessons met all Common Core State Standards and Utah Core Standards. Through an action research qualitative study I reflected …

Describing Horse And Ranchette Owners In Utah, Courtney Buchanan

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A 2008 study of the Extension needs and preferences of small-acreage landowners in Morgan, Summit, Utah, and Washington counties revealed that approximately 50% of landowners grazed horses. These landowners present a specific group within small-acreage owners that can be targeted with Extension information. Using the data gathered previously, this study looks to identify the characteristics of these landowners as well as compare owners that graze horses, other livestock, or do not keep animals on their property. In addition, I evaluated whether horse owners fit the stereotype they are often given: Affluent people from city or suburban roots that move into …

Livestock Marketing And Risk Management, Dillon M. Feuz, Bridger Feuz, Ryan Feuz

All Current Publications

Ranching has always been a challenging and risky operation. Producers deal with production risk on a daily basis. A late winter storm during calving or lambing season can result in sickness and even death for many new born calves and lambs. Drought can reduce available grazed forages and increase feeding costs. Sickness or disease may limit weight gain or be detrimental to reproductive performance

The Utah Statesman, March 28, 2013, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Need To Address Black-Backed Jackal And Caracal Predation In South Africa, David L. Bergman, Ho De Waal, Nico L. Avenant, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Michael C. Marlow, Dale L. Nolte

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Prior to 1990, the four provincial governments of South Africa had a variety of programs in place to manage predation by black-backed jackals and caracals through lethal and nonlethal management in close cooperation with livestock farmers. During the 1990s the official programmes were phased out due to a multitude of factors including lower predation rates. Today, thousands of livestock (primarily sheep and goats, but also cattle and wildlife) are lost each day in South Africa due to black-backed jackal and caracal predation. The actual numbers are not known because not all losses are accounted or reported. It also does not …

Beyond Surveillance: Towards The Management Of Feral Swine Diseases, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Brian Mesenbrink, Bruce Leland

Wildlife Damage Management Conference

Feral swine distribution and densities are greatest in Texas and related swine disease issues have emerged in a number of fronts. Beyond the standard surveillance protocols, the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Service program has initiated several feral swine projects to identify, contain or eliminate feral swine diseases and pathogens. This paper discusses these projects, the supportive data to quantify dis-ease management and the near-term trend in disease management.