Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2006, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

How Have Teachers Affected The Disinterest Towards Mathematics?, Amy Brown

Senior Honors Projects

In our school system today there is a collective disinterest and lack of enthusiasm towards mathematics as a whole. This apathy is prevalent as early as elementary school and continues through higher education. It is disheartening that so many students avoid mathematics because of their misconception that it is too difficult and has little value in their future. How well prepared are our teachers to deal with this? I began my research by looking at the past perceptions of mathematics and how the reform movement has changed this perspective. I also looked at the changing standards and how the Principles …

Engaging Physics Students Using Environmental Lab Modules, John M. Pratte

Faculty Articles

Discusses multi-week activity modules that use civic engagement to increase student interest and learning in physics. Components of the modules; Activities included in the modules; Assessment of student learning and interest using the modules.

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V02n2, Spring 2006, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--Iowa’s Young Scientists Shine at American Junior Academy of Science Conference

--Iowa Academy of Science Election 2006

--Saylorville Visitor Center

--IAS Donors

--Iowa Science Teachers Section Fall Conference

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Interim (Phase I) Science and Research Strategy under development, with target
  completion by early May 2006.
• Interagency Science and Research Team meetings conducted approximately every two weeks
• Team extensively reviewed and approved plans, invitees, and timeline for two
  Ecosystem Health Assessment (Vital Signs) workshops scheduled for May and
  August 2006.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: March 21, 2006, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions & Announcements (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from January 17, 2006 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Update on Project Schedule – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
   A. Utilities
   B. Water Line
   C. Operator RFP
   D. NEPA
4. Report on Value Analysis Workshops – Michael Reiland / Line & Space
   (10 min.)
   A. Cost Estimates/Inflation
5. Curriculum Update – Jeanne Klockow (10 min.)
6. Standing Reports (10 min.)
   A. Line and Space – Les Wallach
   B. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
7. Committee Reports (5 min.)
   A. Building Committee
   B. Design Oversight
   C. Educational Programs
   D. Fund-raising and Partnerships
   E. NEPA
   F. Operations
   G. Other Uses …

Matrices And The Game Of Chutes And Ladders, Katherine Jedlicka

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending February 28, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three-months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• The 2006 Our Places Tell Stories Conference for place-based educators was held on the UNLV campus, January 24-27, 2006. Attendance totaled 120 participants, who rated the overall content and arrangements at 3.59 on a 4.00 scale.
• Forever Earth was scheduled 22 days in the past three months, benefiting more than 200 individuals.
• A $3,000 donation was received for the Forever Earth program.
• The Year 2 Schedule of Events for the Discover Mojave Outdoor World program is on track for delivering 29 total events, a 190% …

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: February 21, 2006, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

Meeting cancelled

1. Introductions & Announcements (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from January 17, 2006 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Update on Project Schedule – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
   A. Utilities
   B. Water Line
   C. Operator RFP
   D. NEPA
4. Report on Value Analysis Workshops – Michael Reiland / Line & Space
   (10 min.)
5. Curriculum Update – Jeanne Klockow (10 min.)
6. Standing Reports (10 min.)
   A. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
   B. Community Outreach – LaNelda Rolley
7. Committee Reports (5 min.)
   A. Building Committee
   B. Design Oversight
   C. Educational Programs
   D. Fund-raising and Partnerships
   E. NEPA
   F. Operations
   G. Other Uses
   H. Wild …

Assessment Of An Outdoor Recreation And Education Program, Daphne Sewing, Jeanne A. Klockow, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (DM)

• Introduce economically disadvantaged urban youth, ages 8-12, to outdoor recreation and education.
• Foster a belief that outdoor recreation plays an important and positive role in the health and fitness of America’s youth.

Nature - The Ultimate Classroom, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Oliver Ranch Project

A public meeting will be held to introduce the Red Rock Learning Center, the first outdoor education center for local fifth grade children in Southern Nevada. Designed to enhance math and science skills, the school will be built in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It will feature a curriculum that teaches children about conservation and the natural world by increasing their knowledge and understanding of the Mojave Desert ecosystem.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center & Wild Horse And Burro Facility: Public Meeting Psa For Radio/Tv, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Oliver Ranch Project

Text of a public service radio announcement for a meeting about the Red Rock Desert Learning Center.

Red Rock Desert Learning Center Core Group Meeting: January 17, 2006, Red Rock Desert Learning Center

Reports (RRLC)

1. Introductions & Announcements (5 min.)
2. Approval of Minutes from December 6, 2005 Meeting (5 min.)
3. Update on Project Schedule – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
   A. Utilities
   B. Parking
   C. Construction Estimates/Inflation
4. Statement of Work/Request for Information Update – Michael Reiland
   (10 min.)
5. Update on Water Line – Michael Reiland/Las Vegas Valley Water District
   (10 min.)
6. Update on Environmental Assessment – Michael Reiland (10 min.)
7. Update on Curriculum Development – Jeanne Klockow (5 min.)
8. Standing Reports (10 min.)
   A. Line and Space Architects
   B. BLM Capital Improvements – Michael Reiland
   C. Community Outreach – LaNelda Rolley
   --RRDLC Open House, January 26, …

Undergraduates' Use Of Mathematics Textbooks, Bret Benesh, Tim Boester, Aaron Weinberg, Eimilie Wiesner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V02n1, Winter 2006, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--Pare Lorentz Award for Iowa Documentary

--118th Iowa Academy of Science Annual Meeting

--Iowa Summit on Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education

--Iowa Science Teachers Journal

--Considering Reorganizing the IAS Sections

--GLOBE ONE

--Grants & Award Program Announcements

--IAS Honors New Fellows

--Now Accepting 2006 Fellows Nominations

Test 1880: Mccormick Xtx 185/Mccormick Mtx 165 Diesel, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Winter Bird Use Of Conservation Reserve Program Fields Harvested For Biomass, Les D. Murray, Louis B. Best

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

As Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts expire, many fields may be returned to agricultural production. Growing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as a biomass fuel is an alternative to returning fields to rowcrops. CRP fields provide winter cover for birds, but the harvest of biomass would remove most of the cover and affect bird use of the fields. We estimated winter bird abundances in nonharvested, total-harvested, and partially (strip) harvested switchgrass fields in southern Iowa. Song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were observed only in strip-harvested fields and ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were observed only in nonharvested fields and uncut areas of strip-harvested fields. …

Changes In Land Cover And Breeding Bird Populations With Restoration Of Riparian Habitats In East-Central Iowa, Thomas J. Benson, James J. Dinsmore, William L. Hohman

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Conversion of Midwestern riparian areas for agricultural production has greatly altered their function and suitability for birds and other wildlife. Recently, however, restoration of riparian functions has been a major focus of land management agencies in the Midwest. We used historic land-use data to describe land-cover changes since European settlement and the subsequent effects of habitat restoration efforts on the landscape along a section of the Iowa River in east-central Iowa. We then used bird-density data collected in a subset of the study area in 2001 and 2002 to estimate changes in breeding bird populations of the entire study area …

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Research Plan And Preliminary Results - A Field Research Site For Emerging Contaminants In Iowa, Douglas J. Schnoebelen, Dana W. Kolpin, Larry B. Barber, Edward T. Furlong, Michael M. Meyer, Mary Skopec

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Research has recently documented the prevalence of a wide variety of pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants (ECs) in streams across the United States. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been found to be an important source and collection point of ECs to streams as many ECs are incompletely removed during treatment. To investigate the complex instream processes (e.g., dilution, sorption, degradation, dispersion, etc.) chat can affect ECs following their input from a WWTP and determining if such input is having an effect on the aquatic ecosystem requires the integration of multi-disciplinary efforts at a carefully selected field site. Preliminary work has …

The Honey Creek Member: A New Holocene Alluvial Stratigraphic Unit In The Midwest, Jeremy S. Dillon, Rolfe D. Mandel

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

This paper describes the type locality and type section for the Honey Creek Member, a stratigraphic unit first recognized in the Honey Creek drainage in southeastern Nebraska. The alluvial chronology for Honey Creek basin is similar to the regional chronology of streams in the Midwest, and all of the formal members of the DeForest Formation occur in the basin. However, the lithology of one unit, the Honey Creek Member, does not correlate with any of the formally recognized members of the DeForest Formation. The Honey Creek Member is composed of grayish brown silt loam overbank facies coarsening downward to a …

Proceedings Of The 118th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2006], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Iowa Academy of Science Mission --- 1
Schedule --- 2
Business Meeting Agenda --- 3
General Sessions --- 4
Symposia --- 7
2006 IAS Awards --- 8
Senior Poster Session Overview --- 10
Section Meeting Schedules and Oral Presentations --- 12
Field Trips --- 15
Campus Map --- 17
Notes --- 18
Abstracts --- 19
Author Index --- 39

Use Of Artificial Enclosures To Determine The Survival Of Rana Pipiens Larvae In Upper Midwestern Agricultural Ponds, Joshua M. Kapfer, Mark B. Sandheinrich, Melinda G. Knutson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Amphibians in the upper Midwest use agricultural ponds for breeding. Unfortunately, the risks (both direct and indirect) associated with using these ponds are poorly understood in both amphibian adults and larvae. In order to quantify these risks, we performed a comparison of larval survival rates between agricultural and natural ponds in southeastern Minnesota during the spring and summer of 2001. During this time, larval survival was observed in Rana pipiens tadpoles raised through metamorphosis in enclosures placed in agricultural and natural ponds. In addition, we measured the levels of nutrients commonly linked with agricultural ponds (i.e., ammonia, total phosphorous, and …

Silicification Of Corals, Stromatoporids, And Brachiopods At The Weathered Surface Within The Devonian-Age Little Cedar Formation (Solon And Rapid Members) In Eastern Iowa, Adam L. Majeski, Paul L. Garvin

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Diagenesis of fossils contained in middle-Devonian limestones was studied at the Troy Mills and Robins quarries in Linn County, Iowa and at the Four County and Ernst quarries in Johnson County, Iowa. Fossils located at weathered bedrock surfaces were preferentially silicified, and the silicification affected corals, stromatoporids and, to a limited extent, brachiopods, but not other fossils or the host rock. The siliceous horizon extends no more than a few centimeters below the weathered surfaces, suggesting that silicification was constrained by them. Silica for silicification might have come from a variety of sources, including sponge spicules or radiolarian tests, insoluble …

Communicating Applied Mathematics: Four Examples, Daniel E. Finkel, Christopher Kuster, Matthew Lasater, Rachel Levy, Jill P. Reese, Ilse C. F. Ipsen

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Communicating Applied Mathematics is a writing- and speaking-intensive graduate course at North Carolina State University. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the course objectives and the assignments. Parts A–D of of this article represent the class projects and illustrate the outcome of the course:

• The Evolution of an Optimization Test Problem: From Motivation to Implementation, by Daniel E. Finkel and Jill P. Reese

• Finding the Volume of a Powder from a Single Surface Height Measurement, by Christopher Kuster

• Finding Oscillations in Resonant Tunneling Diodes, by Matthew Lasater

• …

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Relation Of Riparian Buffer Strips To In-Stream Habitat, Macroinvertebrates And Fish In A Small Iowa Stream, Jeremy P. Duehr, Michael J. Siepker, Clay L. Pierce, Thomas M. Isenhart

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Macroinvertebrate and fish habitat is often degraded as a result of agriculture. Riparian buffer strips are commonly used to counteract the negative effects of agriculture in headwater streams. We assessed the relation of multi-aged riparian buffer strips to in-stream habitat, macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages in an Iowa stream. In-stream habitat, macroinvertebrates, and fish were sampled from two buffered sites and two unbuffered sites, with the greatest substrate, water depth, and velocity heterogeneity occurring in buffered sites. The highest macroinvertebrate richness (11) as well as fish species richness (14), diversity (1.99) and IBI score (3 7) were found in the site …

Back Cover

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.