A short list of difference equation models (and their potential applications) that could make a good entry point for undergraduate students to work with models to understand system dynamics.

Phylogenetic tree activity to supplement the Virus Hunters: Epidemiology of Nipah Virus" worksheet.

Most students have seen an exponential model for population growth and know that it predicts unlimited growth. Better models, such as the logistic growth model, should incorporate assumptions to account for limitation of resources. In this activity, participants collect data from a physical simulation of resource-limited growth, prepare a variety of graphs to visualize the data, construct a verbal model based on their observations and the graphs, and (for those who want to go this far) construct a symbolic model from the verbal model.

These slides have an overview of what was discussed in the Invitation to Modeling Workshop, with links to resources embedded in presentation and listed below.

• Aikens, M., Dahlquist, K.D., Dauer, J.T., Donovan, S., Eaton, C.D., Highlander, H.C., Jenkins, K.P., Jungck, J.R., LaMar, M.D., Ledder, G., Mayes, R.L., Schugart, R.C. (2017) An Invitation to Modeling:  Building a Community with Shared Explicit Practices, to be submitted to CBE: Life Sciences Education in mid-August, draft available: https://docs.google.com/document/d/168826jQsv5zoNVXKJLaQeWC-VvXyKSB2cF28R1opZmY/edit?usp=sharing
  • Please give us feedback by commenting on this draft!

• Eaton, C.D., Callendar, H.L., Dahlquist, K.D., LaMar, M.D., Ledder, G., Schugart, R.C.  (2016)  A “Rule of Five” Framework for Models and Modeling to Unify Mathematicians and Biologists and Improve Student Learning, submitted on 20 June 2016 to the journal PRIMUS:  Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.02165v2

• Kam and Drew’s Lactase Persistence Activity is based on this article:

  • Morales, E., Azocar, L., Maul, X., Perez, C., Chianale, J., & Miquel, J. F. (2011). The European lactase persistence genotype determines the lactase persistence state and correlates with gastrointestinal symptoms in the Hispanic and Amerindian Chilean population: a case–control and population-based study. BMJ open, 1(1), e000125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000125

• Carrie’s HWE model lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/documen/d/1Re58_Gs1SMEEPhXUwcvgblpHG2mC6LT0vzhigjtPBoA/edit

  • PopGen: http://www.radford.edu/~rsheehy/Gen_flash/popgen/

• Glenn’s Resource-limited Population Growth materials: https://qubeshub.org/collections/post/3101

• HHMI Biointeractive modules on Lactase and Amylase

Invitation to Modeling draft paper

Rule of Five paper

Lactase persistence paper

Evolutionary forces with HWE

Evolutionary forces with HWE

PopGen software

Resource-limited growth

In this activity, students will use data from natural parks to examine trophic cascades.

In this activity, students will examine varying dynamics in seed dispersal by wind, bird, and monkey, interpreting data and making predictions.

In this activity, students will use data from natural parks to examine trophic cascades.

In this lab, students will work with messy data to try to answer the question “How do plants inherit cotyledon color?”

In this activity, students will examine varying dynamics in seed dispersal by wind, bird, and monkey, interpreting data and making predictions.

In this lab, students will examine differences between C3 and C4 plants in their transpiration rates.

In this lab, students perform phylogenetic analyses on morphological and molecular data, and compare.

In this lab, students will work with a simple algae/brine shrimp environment to learn about food chains and population dynamics.

A brief introduction to the use of UCSC Genome Browser for exploring SNP loci in the human genome ... designed as a prequel to an in-class activity.

A rough, quick and dirty introduction to QUBES hub 

Naked Egg presented to 5th grade science classes at Jesse Wharton Elementary School (JWES) in Greensboro, NC by Tonya Gerald-Goins.

"The students learned a lot and it was directly aligned with our Common Core standards for 5th grade Science." Mrs. Yorel Lofters, 5th Grade Teacher, JWES

From their web site:

"CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs)

Here are just a few ways you can use this software:

• You can use it to create demonstration videos for any software program
• Or how about creating a set of videos answering your most frequently asked questions?
• You can create video tutorials for school or college class
• You can use it to record a recurring problem with your computer so you can show technical support people
• You can use it to create video-based information products you can sell
• You can even use it to record new tricks and techniques you discover on your favourite software program, before you forget them"

9-12 Grade

June 2017