Three novel science activities relating to the structure of the atom, bioinformatics, and the denaturation of protein

Plan B Paper. 2013. Master of Science in Education- Physics--University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Physics Department. 30 leaves. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 10).This paper describes three novel activities that were designed to teach difficult scientific concepts to a wide age range of students (7th through 11th grade). The subject of the three activities include the structure of the atom, bioinformatics, and protein denaturation. Each section within the paper includes background information and material lists necessary for the activity, in addition to a procedure and reflection. The two models of learning used to analyze the activities were Bloom's Taxonomy and the Constructivist Theory. In Bloom's Taxonomy, there are six levels in the Cognitive domain: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation (in order from lowest to highest). As a student progresses from the lower levels to the higher levels, their comprehension and mastery of the subject increases. According to Constructivism, a learner needs to be active in the learning process so that they can give meaning to their experiences. This happens when the learner reconciles their experiences to something they previously held to be true

Service Learning Through Disaster Relief

The Rock County 4-H Disaster Relief Committee raised $1,550 to aid tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and then turned its attention to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Thirty-one 4-H youth participated in a service learning trip to the South with the objectives of helping hurricane victims, learning about new cultures and achieving personal growth during three days of service projects in Louisiana and Mississippi. Their written reflections and other evaluative measures revealed they learned about southern culture, gained a greater appreciation for their lives, gained self confidence and developed a desire to help others more often. The trip was a valuable developmental experience for the youth, and information from the trip could be utilized to create similar experiences based on service learning. This article provides an overview of the trip and describes the evaluation methods used to measure learning and assess personal growth

Development and Analysis of Financial Indices for Cooperative Elevators in Oklahoma

Agricultural Economic

On the Breeds of Cattle—Historic and Current Classifications

Classification of cattle breeds contributes to our understanding of the history of cattle and is essential for an effective conservation of genetic diversity. Here we review the various classifications over the last two centuries and compare the most recent classifications with genetic data. The classifications devised during the 19th to the late 20th century were in line with the Linnaean taxonomy and emphasized cranial or horn morphology. Subsequent classifications were based on coat color, geographic origin or molecular markers. Several theories were developed that linked breed characteristics either to a supposed ancestral aurochs subspecies or to a presumed ethnic origin. Most of the older classifications have now been discarded, but have introduced several Latin terms that are still in use. The most consistent classification was proposed in 1995 by Felius and emphasizes the geographic origin of breeds. This is largely in agreement with the breed clusters indicated by a biochemical and molecular genetic analysis, which reflect either groups of breeds with a common geographic origin or single breeds that have expanded by export and/or crossbreeding. We propose that this information is also relevant for managing the genetic diversity of cattl