Sample Investigation
The Gossman Farm
Located in Jackson County Iowa, the Gossman farm offers forested hills, rolling prairies, streams, caves, and endless opportunities for research. Since 1999, IMSA students have worked in teams on self-directed research projects. Teams are led by a student principal investigator/project managers and are created through student interest.
Student investigations at Gossman Farms have included anthropology, botany, forestry, ornithology, ichthyology, computer science and web development, photojournalism, and geology. Each student spends at least two weekend each term at the farm doing research and meets with Mr. Gossman on campus on Inquiry Days. Much of the work continues on campus at IMSA between visits to the farm.
Students benefit from the guidance of many professionals from the Iowa Historical Society, IMSA staff, and botanist Dr. Elizabeth Neese (affectionally called "Aunt Janie") who flies in from California to work with the botany team.
This investigation is further described in the following abstracts:
- Botanical Surveys:
- A BOTANICAL SURVEY (2001)
- A BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE GOSSMAN FARM IN ZWINGLE, IOWA (2002)
- A BOTANICAL SURVEY (2004)
- Buck Creek School:
- Map: