This Guide was created by the STEM Writing Project at Wake Forest University. We are STEM teachers and education researchers who want to make scientific writing a bigger part of students' training. The STEM Writing Project is funded in part by NSF IUSE grant from 2017-2022. The Guide is available in multiple, fully editable formats under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.

Introductory Biology courses typically introduce the structure and function of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. To understand biomolecules fully, students require knowledge of fundamental chemistry concepts such as covalent bonding, intermolecular interactions and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity (1). Students enter our large (>400 student) course with a notoriously limited conceptual grasp of basic chemistry principles. Our lesson is an activity designed on the principles of POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning). In 50 minutes, students build their own definitions of the following: polar vs. non-polar covalent bonds, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity and the nature of hydrogen bonding based simply on the relative electronegativities of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen. We find that this exercise improves students’ understanding of these chemical concepts. Since adopting this activity, students have been better able to understand biomolecular structures and predict interactions between molecules.

Primary image: Hydrogen Bond. Possible hydrogen bond interaction that can form between two simple organic molecules.

Biology students at the undergraduate level usually excel in knowing biological facts; however, they often struggle with connecting these facts to specific biological principles. In parallel, undergraduate students often struggle to read primary scientific literature (PSL), possibly for the same reason: they struggle to integrate the biological facts they know into the larger, and often complicated, biological principles presented in PSL. Our lesson bridges the gap between student understanding of content knowledge and their ability to connect this knowledge to larger biological principles through the integration of PSL and the 5 Core Concepts of Biology (5CCs) identified in the Vision and Change report. We begin by introducing students to PSL using a modified C.R.E.A.T.E. method and continue by walking students through Vision and Change as a way to introduce the 5CCs. Through the use of a matrix table detailing each one of the 5CCs and their related organizational levels, students learn how to integrate PSL and the 5CCs by connecting biological facts contained within PSL to a related biological core concept. Because students have to provide reasoning for why they connected a biological fact to a specific core concept, they begin to see biology as a larger entity, i.e., they begin to see the "big picture" of biology. Our lesson provides a novel strategy for introducing students to PSL.

Providing undergraduate life-science students with a course-based research experience that utilizes cutting-edge technology, is tractable for students, and is manageable as an instructor is a challenge. Here, I describe a multi-week lesson plan for a laboratory-based course with the goal of editing the genome of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Students apply knowledge regarding advanced topics such as: CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, DNA repair, genetics, and cloning. The lesson requires students to master skills such as bioinformatics analysis, restriction enzyme digestion, ligation, basic microbiology skills, polymerase chain reaction, and plasmid purification. Instructors are led through the technical aspects of the protocols, as well as the teaching philosophy involved throughout the laboratory experience. As it stands, the laboratory lesson is appropriate for 6-8 weeks of an upper-level undergraduate laboratory course, but may be adapted for shorter stints and students with less experience. Students complete the lesson with a more realistic idea of life science research and report significant learning gains. I anticipate this lesson to provide instructors and students in undergraduate programs with a hands-on, discovery-based learning experience that allows students to cultivate skills essential for success in the life sciences.

Reviewing and integrating key concepts and learning goals at the end of a biology course can be overwhelming to students and instructors alike. Often end-of-term review sessions in preparation for final exams are heavily based on memorization, and content coverage may be favored over students’ deeper understanding of fewer key ideas. We developed a final exam review for a virtual introductory evolution course using an “escape room” format, which consisted of unique activities—including puzzles, role-playing, and literature searches—aligned with course learning goals. Similar to a traditional escape room, students needed to collaboratively solve or complete each activity before moving on to the subsequent task. Our escape room activity was conducted virtually via Zoom and included both whole-class and smaller breakout room interactions. We recommend instructors utilize escape rooms as an engaging and effective way to review key concepts in their courses.

Primary image: Virtual Escape Room. In our activity, students virtually engage in activities related to evolutionary topics such as cichlid speciation, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, and extinction, among others. All images used in this image are open source, and associated links for all images are listed here: https://unsplash.com/photos/smgTvepind4, https://unsplash.com/photos/4_hFxTsmaO4, https://unsplash.com/photos/_BJVJ4WcV1M, https://unsplash.com/photos/k0KRNtqcjfw, https://unsplash.com/photos/Pitb97HIn6Y

Molecular case studies (MCS) use an interesting story as a hook , followed by exploration of biochemistry of one or more molecules of interest.  They can be useful in teaching about macromolecule structure and function and also for improving biomolecular visualization and analysis in undergraduate and graduate level classes. Several unique collaborations have stemmed from discussions and workshops facilitated by the Molecular CaseNet group. The “Malaria and Maria” case was originally drafted by a group of students in Dr. Vardar-Ulu’s Biochemistry class in Fall 2020 at Boston University.  This student authored MCS replaced the in-person laboratory student projects during the COVID-19 remote instruction period in Fall 2020. The case examines the structure of the enzyme Lactate Dehydrogenase, a key player in anaerobic metabolism. Dr. Vardar-Ulu used this case to teach Biochemistry at Boston University. Since the case uses Malaria, a neglected tropical disease as a hook, it was also a good fit for the Molecular Parasitology class taught by Dr. Agrawal at University of Mary Washington. In Spring 2022 the case was piloted in both these universities.

Students often memorize the definition of a transcriptional promoter but fail to fully understand the critical role promoters play in gene expression. This laboratory lesson allows students to conduct original research by identifying and characterizing promoters found in prokaryotes. Students start with primary literature, design and clone a short promoter, and test how well their promoter works. This laboratory lesson is an easy way for faculty with limited time and budgets to give their students access to real research in the context of traditional teaching labs that meet once a week for under three hours. The pClone Red Introductory Biology lesson uses synthetic biology methods and makes cloning so simple that we have 100% success rates with first year students. Students use a database to archive their promoter sequences and the performance of the promoter under standard conditions. The database permits synthetic biology researchers around the world to find a promoter that suits their needs and compare relative levels of transcription. The core methodology in this lesson is identical to the core methodology in the companion Genetics Lesson by Eckdahl and Campbell. The methods are reproduced in both lessons for the benefit of readers. The two CourseSource lessons provide the detailed information needed to reproduce the pedagogical research results published in CBE - Life Sciences Education by Campbell et al., 2014.

The central dogma of biology is a foundational concept that is traditionally included in genetics curricula at all academic levels. Despite its ubiquitous presence throughout genetics education, students persistently struggle with both the fundamental and advanced topics of the central dogma. In particular, students conflate the role of genomic variations in DNA replication, transcription, and translation. As research and healthcare increasingly utilizes genomic medicine to link genetic variants to clinical phenotypes, it is critically important for biology and health science students to understand the role of genetic variation in molecular genetics. This lesson focuses on the role of missense mutations in the central dogma using a case study of cystic fibrosis. The case study is paired with a creative activity in which students draw the molecular parts of the central dogma. This helps students to connect the abstract concepts of the central dogma to a real-world clinical example. The effectiveness of this lesson was evaluated for two semesters of a Human Genetics course using end-of-unit exam questions. The active-learning lesson is an engaging activity that reinforces the role of genetic variation in the central dogma and the effects on clinical phenotypes. This lesson is highly customizable and adaptable to courses of various sizes, levels, course lengths, and teaching modalities.

Primary image: Molecular View of the Central Dogma. This drawing was produced by a student at Bloomsburg University’s Human Genetics course for Part 1 of this lesson.

Before undergraduate students take a genetics course they generally know cancer has a genetic basis and involves the proliferation of cells; however, many are uncertain about why only a subset of people have a predisposition to cancer and how that predisposition is inherited from one generation to the next.  To help students learn about these concepts, we designed a teaching unit that centers on a small-group, in-class activity.  During this activity students learn how to:

1. determine inheritance patterns for different types of cancer,
2. explain why a person with or without cancer can pass on a genetic predisposition to cancer, and
3. distinguish between proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. 

In addition to participating in the small-group activity, students watch short video clips from a documentary about breast cancer, answer clicker questions, and engage in a whole-class discussion.  A combination of pre/posttest results, clicker question answers, and performance on subsequent exam questions suggests that this unit helps students learn about the hereditary basis of cancer.

Because most people have been infected by and/or immunized against influenza, students should know how the immune system responds to the infection and how vaccines protect against disease. Vaccines have played an instrumental role in disease prevention and control since the late 1700s, but the mechanism by which they work is still a black box to many people. Therefore, we designed this lesson to provide an introduction of the immune response to a pathogen, vaccines, and the process involved in testing human-grade vaccines. The course in which this lesson was taught focused on homeostasis and using feedback loops to illustrate factors affecting homeostasis. This lesson incorporates feedback loops to demonstrate how the immune system maintains organismal homeostasis and how vaccines contribute to this. The learning goals of this lesson are to collaboratively generate hypotheses, design experiments, and describe how vaccines harness the power of the immune system to protect against disease. This activity uses various student-centered strategies, including think-pair-share, group discussions, and jigsaw. We have successfully implemented this activity in a biology class for a combination of majors and non-majors, after which students reported being more knowledgeable about how vaccines protect against disease. Further, students can have sophisticated discussions about the benefits and risks of vaccines, which is an especially meaningful outcome, given debates regarding their side effects. In the current climate of a pandemic and the need for an expedited vaccine for SARS-CoV2, a better understanding of how vaccines work and are developed is more important than ever before.

Primary image: Influenza gone viral. Image portrays the seminal concepts covered within this lesson: Influenza virus and the impact of human age and sex on influenza vaccine efficacy.  

Constructing a robust understanding of homologous chromosomes, sex chromosomes, and the particulate nature of genes is a notoriously difficult task for undergraduate biology students. In this lesson, students expand their knowledge of human chromosome pairs by closely examining autosomes, sex chromosomes, and the non-homologous elements of the human X and Y sex chromosomes. In this four- part guided activity, students will learn about the structure and function of human autosomal and sex chromosomes, view and interpret gene maps, and gain familiarity with basic bioinformatics resources and data through use of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website. (Student access to computers with Internet connectivity is required for the completion of all Investigations within this lesson.) By viewing chromosomes and gene maps, students will be able to contrast expectations for homologous autosomal chromosome pairs and sex chromosome pairs, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the genetic basis for human chromosomal sex determination. In the last part of this lesson, students can also begin to understand how genetic mutations can lead to sex-reversal. The lesson, as presented, is intended for an introductory biology course for majors, but could be modified for other audiences. In addition, each exercise (“Investigation”) within the lesson can be used independently of the others if an instructor wishes to focus on only a subset of the learning objectives and provide the necessary context.  Options to extend the lesson related to interpreting phylogenies, and contrasting definitions of sex and gender are also provided.

Ensuring students' science literacy is essential for preparation for study in science disciplines and is of critical importance given contemporary challenges in determining the legitimacy and accuracy of science in popular media. This lesson describes the effectiveness of an undergraduate biology course designed to improve students' scientific literacy through meaningful engagement with science news sources. Students were surveyed at the beginning and end of the course to determine their preferred science news sources. Though 45% of students reported not accessing any science news sources in their daily lives at the beginning of the term, 100% of students reported accessing science news at the end of the term. Backward design and Scientific Teaching ensured that assignments meaningfully related to course learning goals, and formative assessment allowed the instructor to track student metacognition regarding science news throughout the term. These findings highlight the value of incorporating science news into undergraduate science courses with meaningful effects for science engagement and literacy beyond the classroom.

As members of society, students must be able to evaluate scientific claims across a wide variety of media to make sound decisions about health and wellness. However, students - and most members of society - struggle to evaluate the quality of evidence supporting a scientific claim. The goal of this lesson is to empower students to recognize unethical and/or overstated scientific claims. Towards this end, the lesson plan contains a combination of pre-class work, analysis of a TED video, group discussion and a jigsaw activity. The in-class portion culminates with a critical evaluation of the putative memory enhancer Prevagen®. We find that students who successfully complete the lesson know criteria for evaluating the quality of material that is presented as scientific. They feel empowered to make informed decisions about health and wellness based on their newly acquired practice with identifying valid/invalid scientific reasoning and with recognizing pseudoscience.

Tying it all together – LOs

Vit C for colds

Sex and Gender

Cell biology cell size

Cell Biology Surface Area to Volume Ratio

Anatomoy and Physiology spreadsheet exercise

Cell biology exercise

Cell Biology exercise