Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Integrating Writing To Enhance Mathematical Skills At The Elementary Level, Kendra J. Kupp

All Graduate Projects

The recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Washington State Commission on Student Learning Essential Academic Requirements are addressed. The benefits of integrating mathematics and writing are studied. Integrated activities and materials for a first and second grade mathematics curriculum are developed. Recommendations for implementing the project are given.

The Mathematics Of Sound: Integrating Music Into A Math Curriculum, Shawn William Meacham

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop prototype lesson plans that connects and integrates musical and mathematical concepts at the 5th grade level. Both musical and mathematical concepts can be enhanced when studying the correlation between the two subjects. This project will provide lesson plans and activities using the Washington State Essential Academic Leaming Requirements as a basis for the concepts being taught. The goal of the project is to inspire teachers to use integration throughout the curriculum. An integrated curriculum develops and supports the coherence of ideas and concepts taught within our schools. By fostering our natural instinct …

Real World Mathematics Skills Within The Elementary Resource Classroom, Stacy Schilperoort

All Graduate Projects

A project, including activities, to assist elementary special education teachers in incorporating real world mathematics skills within their own resource classrooms was developed. A literature review of current research on the topic of real world math skills in schools around the country is also included as part of this project. The literature indicates that students with learning disabilities might benefit and become better prepared for the future as adult citizens by receiving an education that includes math activities that relate to the real world outside the classroom walls.

Geometry And Mathematics Through Bridge Building, J. Joyner

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Helping Change Of Career Individuals To Prepare To Become Secondary Mathematics Teachers, K. Goldberg

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This article describes the development and content of a special introductory course developed and offered at New York University for change of career individuals entering the field of mathematics and science teaching at the graduate rather than the undergraduate level. With a critical shortage of qualified mathematics and science teachers at the secondary level being exacerbated in urban public schools, such as those in New York City, by high attrition rates during the first few years of teaching, it is important to find and encourage new populations of potential teachers. One such population is that of career changers, and the …

Educational Research Abstracts, G. Bass Jr.

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Editors' Note: As noted in previous issues of the Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations, the purpose of this Educational Research Abstract section is to present current published research on issues relevant to math and science teaching at both the K-12 and college levels. Because educational research articles are published in so many different academic journals, it is a rare public school teacher or college professor who reads all the recent published reports on a particular instructional technique or curricular advancement. Indeed, the uniqueness of various pedagogical strategies has been tacitly acknowledged by the creation of individual journals dedicated …

Overhead Projector Demonstrations Using Household Materials, S. Soloman, B. Brook, J. Ciraolo, L. Jackson, Chin-Hyu Hur, M. Oliver-Hoyo

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Woman, Wife, Mommy And Scientist: The Impact Of A Readers' Theatre Play On Elementary Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding Of Gender Issues, J. Matkins, R. Miles, J. Mcdonnough

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Mathematics And Science: Collaborative Explorations

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

No abstract provided.

Attitudes In Physics Education: An Alternative Approach To Teaching Physics To Non-Science College Students, V. A. Niculescu, J. P. Chinnici, B. L. Brown

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

In this article, we present an alternative way of teaching conceptual physics for non-science majors by depicting the role of physics in today's technology. The goal of this approach is to increase in the minds of non-science students the acceptance of physics as a useful component in general education, and as a major tool in comprehending the present-day technological world experienced by students outside the classroom.

Combining Theory And Practice In The Teaching Of Science Institutions: A Collaborative Program Between The City University Of New York And The American Museum Of Natural History, F. Espinoza

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

The National Science Education Standards contain several mandates that share the use of alternative and creative experiences in the teaching of science at all levels. An important feature of these standards is the call for learning settings and environments different from the traditional classroom in order to enhance student interest and participation in the learning process. New York City is rich in institutions that are ideal for the implementation of effective science teaching through the use of informal resources. This article uses the American Museum of Natural History as a prime example of this.

Assessing The Impact Of Sustained Professional Development On Middle School Mathematics Teachers, Joanne E. Goodell, Lesley H. Parker, Jane Butler Kahle

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The study reported in this paper examines the impact of the Ohio Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) on participating mathematics teachers. Quantitative data from 90 SSI-trained teachers and 400 teachers without training, along with qualitative data collected from seven SSI teachers who were visited in their classrooms are presented. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that SSI and Non-SSI teachers reported significantly different frequencies of reformed teaching practices and held significantly different views about the nature and pedagogy of mathematics. Qualitative data from the interviews highlighted that the SSI professional development experience, the ability to find creative ways to overcome lack …

Weed Seedbanks And Seedling Emergence In A Two And Three Crop Narrow Strip Intercropping/Rotation System, Shawn R. Wright, Douglas D. Buhler, Keith A. Kohler, Richard M. Cruse

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Weed populations in agronomic settings are, in part, a reflection of the cropping system utilized. The goal of this project was to gain an understanding of the weed population dynamics in a narrow strip intercropping (NSI) rotation by assessing the weed seedbank, weed emergence, and seedling establishment over the growing season for a corn-soybean (two-crop), and a corn-soybean-oat+berseem clover (three-crop) system. Field research was conducted in 1994 and 1995, near Nashua, IA, and each crop was grown m 4.6 m wide strips. Giant foxtail and total weed seed densities were significantly lower in the three-crop NSI rotation system than in …

Announcements Of Upcoming Meetings And Symposia

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Introduction: A Perspective On Midwest Amphibian Declines, Gary S. Casper

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

On March 21, 1998, approximately 300 scientists and students gathered at the Milwaukee Public Museum for two days of scientific presentations and intense discussion on amphibian declines and malformities. Never before had so many persons come together to address amphibian conservation in the Midwestern United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Missouri).

History Of Minnesota Frog Abnormalities: Do Recent Findings Represent A New Phenomenon?, David M. Hoppe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Two lines of investigation were used to determine whether recent Minnesota reports of frog abnormalities differ from historical reports: (1) museum collection studies paired with follow-up field surveys, and (2) comparison of recent and earlier field surveys in west-central Minnesota. For the museum study I examined 2433 northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) in the Bell Museum of Natural History collections of the University of Minnesota, collected during 1958-63. 0.7% of frogs were found to have abnormalities, consisting of 0.5% predator amputations and 0.2% malformations. Three types of malformation were found: missing hindlimbs, vestigial feet, and fused digits. Conspicuously absent from …

Effects Of Pcb 126 And Ammonia, Alone And In Combination, On Green Frog (Rana Clamitans) And Leopard Frog (R. Pipiens) Hatching Success, Development, And Metamorphosis, Mariana Beatriz Jofre, Michele L. Rosenshield, William H. Karasov

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

The Green Bay watershed in Wisconsin is polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin, heavy metals, ammonia, and over 100 organic contaminants. In this study we exposed embryos and larvae of two ranid species commonly occurring in the Green Bay ecosystem, the green frog (Rana clamitans) and the leopard frog (R. pipiens), to PCB 126 (3,3', 4,4', 5-Pentachlorobyphenil, nominal concentrations 0-50 μg/l, two control treatments: water plus 0.08% acetone as carrier for the PCB, water alone), unionized ammonia (0-2 mg/I), and mixtures of both contaminants. Exposure to PCB 126 did not cause significant mortality of embryos before hatching. However, exposure to …

Reduction In Road Mortality In A Northern Leopard Frog Population, Madeleine H. Linck

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Since spring of 1994, Hennepin Parks Natural Resources Management staff, assisted by numerous volunteers, has been working to reduce road mortality among migrating Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) adjacent to Baker Park Reserve in Maple Plain, Hennepin County, Minnesota. A county road separates the overwintering site from breeding habitat within the park. With steadily increasing traffic over the years, this population of frogs was in serious decline. For the first two years (1994 and 1995) rescue efforts were limited to the spring collection of frogs as they migrated out of the overwintering lake coward the breeding wetlands, although the road …

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Book Review: An Illustrated Guide To Iowa Prairie Plants, Paul Weihe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants. Paul Christiansen and Mark Müller. 1999. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa. IX + 237 pages. ISBN 0-87745-660-7 hdbd., ISBN 0-87745- 661-5 pbk.

Iowans are increasingly aware of the significance of the tallgrass prairie, and efforts to preserve and protect this once-widespread ecosystem are ongoing. An obvious focus of these efforts 1s to conserve the native flora. When Bison and Elk disappeared from the landscape and row-crop agriculture appeared, a few of the native plants remained in old cemeteries, along roadsides, and in a few prairie remnants. Workers are now attempting to …

Front Matter

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Corn (Zea Mays L.) Yield Response To Nitrogen Fertilizer In Conventional And Alternative Rotations, M. M. Harbur, M. Ghaffarzadeh, R. M. Cruse

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Nitrogen (N) fertilization recommendations are not available for corn in rotation with small grains or forages despite the possibility that the N response may differ from that of more conventional corn-soybean rotations. Rotations of corn with soybean (CS), corn with soybean and oat (CSO) and corn with soybean and an oat/berseem clover intercrop (CSOB) were established in 1991 and studied from 1993 through 1998 to determine the optimal N fertilization level for corn produced in each rotation. Corn in each rotation received NH4N03 applied at the rates of 0, 56, 112, or 168 kg N ha^-1. Significant differences …

Photo-Enhanced Toxicity In Amphibians: Synergistic Interactions Of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation And Aquatic Contaminants, Edward E. Little, Robin Calfee, Richard Skinker, Angela Zaga-Parkhurst, Mace G. Barron

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Amphibians experience a broad range of multiple environmental stressors that occur in natural systems. However, the impact of combinations of these stressors on amphibians are rarely examined. The effect of two stressors on amphibians, solar ultraviolet radiation (SUV) and environmental contamination, was investigated. To examine the interactive effects of SUV and environmental contaminants, Hyla venicolor and Rana sphenocephala were exposed in the laboratory to a carbamate insecticide and the water soluble fraction of a weathered petroleum in combination with various intensities of simulated solar radiation (SSR). The contaminants were tested at environmentally relevant concentrations. Synergistic interactions between SSR and these …

Effects Of Altosid And Abate-4e On Deformities And Survival In Southern Leopard Frogs Under Semi-Natural Conditions, Donald W. Sparling

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Since 1995 when a group of school children in Minnesota found frogs with supernumerary limbs and missing limbs, there has been widespread interest in the amphibian malformation issue. Despite considerable effort to understand this problem, its extent and seriousness as well as direct causes of these malformations remain unclear. Progress on this issue has been hampered by a scarcity of scientifically reliable information on historical rates of abnormalities under undisturbed conditions and by the normal turnaround times of data collection, sample analysis and publication. One of the very few peer-reviewed publications with field-collected data showed that an average of 12% …

Field Investigations Of Malformed Frogs In Minnesota 1993-97, Judy C. Helgen, Mark C. Gernes, Susan M. Kersten, Joel W. Chirhart, Jeff T. Canfield, Dorothy Bowers, Jon Haferman, Robert G. Mckinnell, David M. Hoppe

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Reports of malformed frogs were made to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) from different parts of Minnesota in 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997 and one, nine, 190, and 172 reports were received, respectively. MPCA field crews and Drs. Hoppe and McKinnell documented malformed frog locations starting in 1993. By 1997, MPCA field crews documented malformed frogs at 62 locations in Minnesota, in 29 of 87 counties. Most malformations were in young metamorphs of Rana pipiens but they were observed also in R. clamitans, R. septentrionalis, R. sylvatica, Bufo americanus, and Hyla spp. Frequencies of malformations varied by time of …

Revitalization Of Ephemeral Pools As Frog Breeding Habitat In An Illinois Forest Preserve, Denins Nyberg, Irene Lerner

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Almost all land in the eastern United States that has been acquired to preserve nature was once in agricultural usage, and because of this, alterations of ephemeral pool hydrology are common in forest preserves and parks. These ephemeral pools are an important breeding resource for many amphibian species. We hypothesized that filling drainage ditches and recreating a more natural topography at eroded berms would enhance amphibian populations in the forest preserve. Restoration of the hydrology was begun by volunteers in 1993 and was associated with management to reduce non-native woody vegetation. Three ephemeral pools have had maximum water levels raised …

Amphibian And Reptile Surveys In The Kaskaskia River Drainage Of Illinois During 1997 And 1998, Allan K. Wilson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Currently there is little doubt among the scientific community of the decline of amphibians on an international scale (Berger et al. 1998, Kuzmin 1994, Laurance et al. 1996, Lips 1998) and across North America (Delis et al. 1996, Drost and Fellers 1996, Lannoo 1994). In light of these widespread declines it is essential that current populations be inventoried and evaluated so that future population changes can be detected and hopefully correlated with possible causes. Critical baseline information is lost when monitoring is not implemented until after a problem is detected. The effectiveness of long-term studies in detecting amphibian declines (Beebee …

Index For Volume 107

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

Fetal Pig: The High School Dissection Experience, Gracia Barr, Harold A. Herzog

Education Collection

Using qualitative methods, we observed a series of fetal pig dissection sessions in a high school biology course and interviewed 17 students in the class. The students' responses to dissection varied considerably. Most felt that dissection was a positive experience, but a substantial minority viewed it primarily in negative terms. Almost all the students had some ambivalence about aspects of the fetal pig lab and believed that alternatives should be provided for students who object to the practice. We argue that dissection remains a viable educational tool but should be an optional rather than compulsory component of the curriculum.

Cover - Table Of Contents

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.