Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Keynote Address: Sustainability And Student Learning, Geoffrey Chase

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

Keynote address & Keynote speaker biography

Morning Concurrent Track 1: What Does It Mean For K-12 Students To Think About Sustainability In The Western U.S.?, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Allison Brody, Amy Page, Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary …

Morning Concurrent Track 3: Weathering Climate Change In The Curriculum, Andy Jorgensen, Amy Northrup, David M. Hassenzahl, David E. James, Thomas C. Piechota, Jeff Jablonski

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 3: WEATHERING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CURRICULUM Moderator Barbara St. Pierre Schneider Student Union Room 213 Andy Jorgensen – Creating a Learning Community for Solutions to Climate Change Abstract: The Climate Solutions Committee of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) has proposed the creation of a learning community that will develop curricular content on solutions to anthropogenic climate change by drawing on the best available research on the phenomenon, coupled with the most effective pedagogical methods. The goal is to transform academic education about climate change from the current emphasis on physical and biological science …

Keynote Address: Climate Change And Sustainability: The Reality And Impacts Of Global Warming, Roberta M. Johnson

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

Keynote address & Keynote speaker biography Abstract: -What determines the Earth’s climate? -What’s happening to Earth’s climate today? -What do models tell us will happen in the future? -What is sustainability and why does it matter? -What’s happening nationally regarding K- 12 climate change and sustainability education?

Shark Teeth Classification, Tom Brown, Sally Creel, Velda Lee

Faculty Articles

On a recent autumn afternoon at Harmony Leland Elementary in Mableton, Georgia, students in a fifth-grade science class investigated the essential process of classification--the act of putting things into groups according to some common characteristics or attributes. While they may have honed these skills earlier in the week by grouping their own shoes or school supplies, this class provided the unique opportunity to classify objects that are inherently fascinating to students--shark teeth fossils! This article describes how by using the teeth to estimate the length of ancient sharks, students got a classification activity they could really sink their teeth into.

Comparison Of Fifth-Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievement As Evidenced By Georgia’S Criterion-Referenced Competency Test: Traditional And Departmentalized Settings, Marcia Wright Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effect of traditional (self-contained, one teacher for all academic subjects) and departmentalized (math taught by a different teacher) instruction upon the mathematics CRCT achievement of fifth-grade general education students. A secondary purpose addressed teachers' experiences, perceptions, and opinions concerning the classroom structure at this level. The 2007 and 2008 CRCT math data was used with a total of 9,386 students. The researcher's Data Collection and Opinions (DCO) for Teachers surveyed 180 fifth-grade teachers. A z score population proportion and a two-sample t test determined significant differences between the two structures. Results of the passing percentages showed …

Education In The Environment: A Strategy For Continued Interagency Outdoor Education Programming: Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending February 28, 2009, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

Highlights of the university's focused efforts during the past three months include the following:

• Fourteen people from the Fall 2008 cohort are currently completing the internship portion of the Nevada State Certification in Environmental and Interpretation Certification Program.
• Planning continues for the mobile exhibit program to support and deliver SNAP messages.
• An Hispanic Community education program - Families in Nature- is being planned for April25, 2009.
• Forever Earth was scheduled for 19 days and benefited 442 individuals.
• Seven Discover Mojave Outdoor World events were conducted for 132 participants.

Ists E-Newsletter, February 15, 2009, Iowa Academy Of Science

ISTS Newsletter

In this issue:

--Message from the ISTS Chair, Morgan Masters

--Message from the Fall Conference Chair, Traci Maxted

--Message from the Vice Chair, De Anna Tibben

--Announcements

--Opportunities

--News

--Your ISTS Leadership Team

A More Sophisticated Treatment Of Collisions, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

An improved argument about collisions in gas phase kinetics is elaborated upon, based on textbook arguments which oversimplify the concepts.

Parts Of The Whole: Is Everything Equally Important?, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

Two strategies are proposed for sorting out priorities and goals in education. At the college level the column argues that goals, and therefore requirements, should be set based on the desired knowledge base of the entire population rather than the individual. At the scale of a single K-12 classroom the column argues that priority be given to content requiring most instructor intervention, describing how the structure of class time and school activities would change as a result. Implementation of these strategies would lead to more efficient use of teacher’s time and effort, better allocation of systemic resources, and clarity of …

Review Of The Chicago Guide To Writing About Numbers By Jane E. Miller, Neil Lutsky

Numeracy

Miller, J. E. 2004. The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. 304 pp. Cloth $45 ISBN: 9780226526300, Softcover $17. ISBN: 9780226526317.

The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers is a reference work suitable for anyone interested in understanding, using, or promoting quantitative thinking. Its primary aim is to identify and illustrate ways in which information associated with numbers can be conveyed most effectively given a particular communication purpose and context. The book is directed at writers who incorporate numbers in verbal or visual displays in documents, in oral presentations, or on the Web. The …

Quantitative Literacy On The Web Of Science, 2 – Mining The Health Numeracy Literature For Assessment Items, H L. Vacher, Todd Chavez

Numeracy

A topic search of the Web of Science (WoS) database using the term “numeracy” produced a bibliography of 293 articles, reviews and editorial commentaries (Oct 2008). The citation graph of the bibliography clearly identifies five benchmark papers (1995-2001), four of which developed numeracy assessment instruments. Starting with the 80 papers that cite these benchmarks, we identified a set of 25 papers (1995-2008) in which the medical research community reports the development and/or application of health-numeracy assessments. In all we found 10 assessment instruments from which we have compiled a total of 48 assessment items. There are both general and context-specific …

The Case For Infusing Quantitative Literacy Into Introductory Geoscience Courses, Jennifer M. Wenner, Eric M. Baer, Cathryn A. Manduca, R. Heather Macdonald, Samuel Patterson, Mary Savina

Numeracy

We present the case for introductory geoscience courses as model venues for increasing the quantitative literacy (QL) of large numbers of the college-educated population. The geosciences provide meaningful context for a number of fundamental mathematical concepts that are revisited several times in a single course. Using some best practices from the mathematics education community surrounding problem solving, calculus reform, pre-college mathematics and five geoscience/math workshops, geoscience and mathematics faculty have identified five pedagogical ideas to increase the QL of the students who populate introductory geoscience courses. These five ideas include techniques such as: place mathematical concepts in context, use multiple …

Establishing The Quantitative Thinking Program At Macalester, David Bressoud

Numeracy

In November 2005, the faculty of Macalester College voted to institute a graduation requirement in Quantitative Thinking (QT) that is truly interdisciplinary. It currently draws on courses from thirteen departments including Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Theater, Mathematics, Environmental Science, and Geology. This article describes the process that led to the creation of this program. It explains how we were able to get broad buy-in at the beginning and the long process of trial and error—informed by formative assessment—that was needed to refine the initial vision and shape it into a viable program that would be accepted by most of …

Confronting Challenges, Overcoming Obstacles: A Conversation About Quantitative Literacy, Bernard L. Madison, Lynn A. Steen

Numeracy

An edited transcript of the opening session of a workshop on quantitative literacy held Oct. 10-12, 2008 at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. The workshop, which brought together interdisciplinary teams from two dozen colleges and universities, was sponsored by the Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge (QuIRK) Initiative at Carleton and the Washington-based Project Kaleidoscope. Two mathematicians in the forefront of quantitative literacy initiatives over the period 1997-2008, Lynn Arthur Steen and Bernard L. Madison, converse about attitudes, obstacles, changes and accomplishments. The conversation, structured as an interview, begins with the relationship between mathematics and quantitative literacy and moves through issues central …

All The More Reason For Qr Across The Curriculum, Bernard L. Madison

Numeracy

No abstract provided.

Specialized Science High Schools: Exploring Contributions Of The Model To Adolescent Talent Development Specialized Science, Christopher G. Kolar, Tracy L. Cross, Rena F. Subotnik, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius

Publications & Research

As the field of gifted education shifts much of its focus to domain-specific talent development, specialized science high schools are taking their place on the stage. Back in 1981,Bloom and Sosniak argued persuasively that talent development cannot take place exclusively in schools. They stressed that schools were not prepared to offer the required levels of expert teaching, time, and effort. Yet, specialized science high schools, by design, are staffed with teachers with advanced degrees, offer relatively flexible schedules, interested peers,reasonable access to appropriate technology, and connections with research institutions to provide apprenticeships for the most motivated and interested students.

The Impact Of Collective Teacher Efficacy On Student Achievement In High School Science, Mark W. Burcham

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact of collective teacher efficacy on high school science achievement by looking at relationships among collective teacher efficacy, its two constructs, group competence and group task analysis, and high school science achievement scores at four rural high schools in Northwestern North Carolina.

The researcher gathered historical test data from the testing coordinator from the school system and then administered the Collective Teacher Efficacy Instrument, developed by Goddard, Hoy, and Woolfolk Hoy (2000), to 24 science teachers from the four high schools. Using this information, the researcher conducted statistical analyses to determine the relationships …

Time.....Is On Our Side?, Jerrid Kruse

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Several articles in this issue explicitly note that their approach to the activity about which they write takes extra time. They make clear there is an “easier way to do it”. Yet the authors also note how the goals they have for students are better promoted through their “slower” activity. Whenever I discuss education reform with fellow teachers, the number one constraint that consistently arises is “time”.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Heavy Metal, Emerald C. Wilson, Grant M. Kellogg

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

We use this metal oxidation inquiry activity to encourage students to investigate the law of conservation of matter by performing combustion reactions on readily available metals such as aluminum, copper, iron, tin, and zinc. After observing mass changes, we challenge students to consider from where additional mass of products comes. This activity promotes National Science Education Content Standards A, B, and G and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, and 3.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Wow! Dna In My Food?: The Anatomy Of A Smoothie, Mike Zeller

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

While many students are able to speak at length about DNA, their fundamental understanding of the pervasiveness of DNA may still be unchanged. This activity is ideal for helping student link their classroom learning to their own daily experience and observations about DNA. Students also mentally engage by critically thinking about the physical and chemical properties of DNA. This article promotes National Science Education Standards A and C and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, and 6.

Title Page - Table Of Contents

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

No abstract provided.

Simple Machines: Promoting Student Application And Reflection, Sarah Borzo

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Simple machines are a common elementary grades science topic. This article describes how I frame my simple machines unit using a problem and have students reflect on their initial designs as we learn about each machine. The students then apply their learning by preparing proposals for how they might use simple machines to aid in the building of a pyramid. This article promotes National Science Education Standards A, B, and E and Iowa Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Weaving The Web Of Inquiry: An Activity Introducing Students To Marine Food Webs, Jena Kline, Ryan Dickinson

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

This activity engages students in a biological investigation focusing on marine life. Students receive pictures of several marine organisms, make observations, and propose a possible food web which includes each of the organisms. Students also explain to the class their rationale behind the construction of their food web. This activity promotes increased familiarity with food webs, ecosystems, and energy flow. While this activity focuses on marine life, the activities and strategies could be used with most any ecosystem of interest. This activity promotes National Science Education Standards A, C, F and G, and Iowa Teaching Standards 2, 3, 4, and …

The Effects Of Teacher Stability On Third Grade Student Achievement As Measured By The North Carolina End-Of-Grade Tests In Reading And Mathematics, Juddson W. Starling

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the effects of teacher stability on student achievement as measured by the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and mathematics for third grade students. The perceptions of third grade teachers and elementary school principals concerning issues with teacher stability were also examined. Accountability for public schools in North Carolina has driven educators to find ways to increase student achievement. Teacher stability is a variable that can be controlled by educators in an attempt to increase student achievement.

The writer gathered test data from a target school district and analyzed test scores by the number …

Kicking The Tires Of Natural Selection: The Carriage Still Runs After 150 Years

Iowa Science Teachers Journal

Science is both tentative and durable. This is its great strength: as we discover new evidence, or find new ways to interpret existing evidence, scientific ideas can be modified, offering us a more complete and reliable picture of the universe. Helping your students understand this aspect of science not only reduces their resistance to learning about evolution, but also encourages deeper understanding about how science works.

Issues In-Depth: Advancing Understanding Of Drug Addiction And Treatment, Roxanne Greitz Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

While most school districts utilize a drug abuse resistance curriculum, as science teachers, it is our responsibility to understand the science behind drug addiction in order to most effectively educate our students against drug abuse. In the last two decades, increases in scientific technology have permitted significant discoveries surrounding the neurobiology, genetic components, and treatment of drug addition. This article addresses the latest scientific knowledge about drug addition and treatment with information that can be used in the middle school setting, focusing on cocaine addiction to illustrate the points discussed. (Contains 2 online resources.)

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V05n4, Winter 2009, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--President's Message: Each One, Reach One

--122nd Annual Meeting

--Images from the 2009 ISTS Fall Conference

--Excellence in Science Teaching Awards (ESTA)

--Distinguished Science Awards

--IJAS Silent Auction

--Announcements, Events & Deadlines

--IAS Corporate Memberships