Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

The Helping Hand: An Administrator's Role In Encouraging And Supporting Effective Science Teaching, Robert L. Clark

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Science teaching that mentally engages students and promotes all the goals we have for students, including a deep understanding of science content and the nature of science, is extremely difficult. That sort of teaching deviates significantly from the time-honored approaches that have permeated our schools for as long as any of us can remember. Because of that, many institutional constraints exist that make implementing effective science teaching even more difficult. This article addresses the principal's crucial role as an educational leader, the principal's responsibility to encourage and support effective science teaching practices, and efforts made in one building toward these …

Colorblindness: Invisible Disability, John Stiles

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In nearly every classroom sits at least one student who is unable to distinguish between certain colors. This incurable, genetic, and sex-linked condition is particularly frustrating in science class, a subject in which color discrimination is frequently required. Teachers are often unaware of this invisible disability, which many "colorblind" students try to keep secret in order to avoid embarrassment. There are a number of modifications a science teacher can make to reduce, or in some instances remove, barriers to learning for colorblind students. In addition, a simple, free test may help identify young children who have color difficulties, so they …

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

Knowing Versus Understanding: Teaching That Goes Beyond Trivialities, John Stiles

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

In this century of science and technology, it is essential that students learn to critically assess science issues in historical perspectives. The traditional method of teaching students to memorize information bits cannot accomplish the goal of creating a science- and technology-literate public. However, if teachers transform their learning environment into one that encourages and supports student conceptual understanding, not only will graduates be able to make informed decisions regarding science, but numerous studies show that student achievement also increases, often dramatically. This article promotes National Science Education Content Standard A and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8.

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 …

The Phenomenon Of Math Anxiety, Mary S. Fliehler

Graduate Research Papers

Math anxiety has cognitive, physical, and affective components. The physical component is recognizable by sweaty palms, nausea, rapid heart rhythm, and shortness of breath – all of which are the body's response to anxious feelings. The affective component is displayed through lack of confidence in one's ability to accomplish the required mathematics computations, avoidance of studying mathematics, limitations of career choices, and an over-all sense of helplessness when confronted with mathematical situations. The cognitive component occurs when the anxiety reaches a level that reduces the efficiency of the working memory in the brain while learning new mathematical concepts. Tobias, 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

The Unknown Factor: Helping Students Understand Mendelian Genetics And The Nature Of Science, Chris Robinson

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Teaching science concepts in the same chronological order that the knowledge was developed by the scientific community is an effective way of promoting understanding of the concept as well as a greater appreciation for scientific inquiry. This activity mentally engages students and provides them a sense of discovery that Gregor Mendel must have felt over 150 years ago when he came to understand inheritance. Finally, by putting Mendelian genetics into a historical perspective, students will gain a greater understanding of scientific processes and the history and nature of science. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, C, E …

Making A Splash: A Population Study Of Orcas And Its Application For Student Inquiry In Iowa, Laura Howell

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The author participated in an Earthwatch Institute sponsored population survey of the Southern Resident Orca (killer whales). The two main aspects of this survey were to study the Orca population and to monitor the effects of humans on them. Orcas are listed as a "threatened" species and their population is currently declining. Results of the study linked the presence of the pollutant Polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCBs) in the ocean to this decline. Students will use the procedures outlined by this research to conduct their own population study on their local community. They will go to the cemetery to collect the mortality (death …

Zoology Teams In Action: Using Animals To Initiate Scientific Inquiry, Kat Hudson

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

The benefits of using animals in the science classroom have been discussed, debated and written about for some time. Using animals as initiators of inquiry-based science and managing the welfare of the animals by creating student-run “Zoology Teams” is addressed in this article. This article promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, C, and F, and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8.

The Teacher's Crucial Role In Helping Students Learn Through Inquiry, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Learning and effective teaching are both highly complex acts. Leinhardt and Greeno (1986, p. 75) write that "teaching occurs in a relatively ill-structured, dynamic environment". Classroom conditions change in unpredictable ways, and information arises during the act of teaching that by necessity must inform practice as it occurs. While this is true of all teaching, it is all the more so when effectively teaching science through inquiry. This, in part, may explain the all too common practices of lecturing, textbook assignments, worksheets, and cookbook activities in science teaching. Each of these approaches severely constrains students' input into a lesson and …

Winging It: Exploring Form And Function Using Chicken Wings, Kyle Girup, Mike Klein

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This article presents a modification of a “cookbook” laboratory activity addressing the structure and function of a chicken wing. While the original activity was interesting, it did most all the thinking for students. The problem solving, creativity, and cooperative learning demanded in the modified activity requires students to think deeply about what they are doing and the relationship between structure and function. In doing so, students develop a better understanding of this important concept and the nature of scientific work. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A and C and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, …

Learning Science As And Through Inquiry, Michael P. Clough

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Inquiry science teaching has been at the heart of science education reform efforts for as long as most of us can remember. Clearly, the longstanding efforts to move science education in this direction are not a passing education fad. However, confusion often exists regarding what inquiry science teaching means and what it looks like in the complex world of classroom teaching. Inquiry science teaching may refer to teaching science as inquiry (helping students understand how scientific knowledge is developed) or teaching science through inquiry (having students take part in inquiry activities to help them come to more deeply understand science …

Every Learner Inquires: A State Science Education Initiative, W. Tony Heiting

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Learning, by its very nature, is an active mental process whereby learners work to make sense of experience in light of what they already know. Learning through inquiry encourages extensive mental engagement and, when implemented well, promotes a deep understanding of science concepts and the nature of science. For these reasons, having students learn science through inquiry has been at the heart of science education reform documents. However, teaching science through inquiry requires particular teaching skills that depart from time-honored practices. This article describes a new state science education initiative in Iowa titled “Every Learner Inquires” (ELI) that will begin …

Rethinking The Rollercoaster: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Promoting Science Inquiry, Timothy Nordin

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

References to amusement park rides are often made when teaching students about motion and other physics concepts. The activity presented here goes further and engages students in using physics concepts, and extending this understanding to new concepts, including building roller coaster models that actually work. The value of the activity presented is its ability to promote several important goals for science learning, as well as describing the teachers' crucial role. This article promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, E, F, and G and Iowa Teaching Standards 2, 3, 5, and 6.

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 …

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.

Artists' Depictions Of Catsteps In The Loess Hills Of Iowa: Evidence For Mid-Nineteenth Century Climate Change, Kimberly R. Dillon, Steven H. Emerman, Pamela K. Wilcox

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Catsteps are the staircase-like features common on hillslopes of the Loess Hills of western Iowa. The record of artistic depictions of the Loess Hills was examined to determine when catsteps appeared. George Catlin, Karl Bodmer, and John James Audubon traveled up the Missouri River m 1832, 1833 and 1843, respectively, and between them, produced 31 works of art depicting either the Loess Hills or the loess bluffs on the Nebraska side of the river. Only three works by Bodmer of Blackbird Hill on the Nebraska side possibly show catsteps. The Assistant State Geologist, Orestes St. John, produced six sketches of …

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.