CourseSource: Resources

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Quantifying and Visualizing Campus Tree Phenology

Large enrollment courses present a challenge for instructors who want to engage students in authentic science practices that fit the recommendations of Vision & Change. Our lesson provides a meaningful science experience for undergraduates in...

Courses: Introductory Biology

ecologyBiodiversityphenologyplant biology

Lesson

2055

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261

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1

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Discovering Prokaryotic Gene Regulation by Building and Investigating a Computational Model of the lac Operon

The ability to construct and reason through a biological system is an important skill to develop in science education. This level of understanding forces students to recognize the interrelatedness of components within a biological process and...

Courses: Introductory Biology

prokaryotesgene regulationLac Operoninducible operon

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2002

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635

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Sequence Similarity: An inquiry based and "under the hood" approach for incorporating molecular sequence alignment in introductory undergraduate biology courses

Introductory bioinformatics exercises often walk students through the use of computational tools, but often provide little understanding of what a computational tool does "under the hood." A solid understanding of how a bioinformatics...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Introductory Biology

BLASTmultiple sequence alignmentsequence similarityphylogramZika virusAlgorithmScoring Matrix

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1682

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578

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A Close-Up Look at PCR

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a fundamental laboratory technique that allows for the amplification of many copies of a desired DNA target sequence. Despite its prevalence, undergraduate students often have poor comprehension about the...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Genetics Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

PCRDNA replication

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3990

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280

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Learning to Pipet Correctly by Pipetting Incorrectly?

Beginning undergraduate students in biology need basic laboratory, data analysis, and science process skills to pursue more complex questions in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). To this end, we designed an introductory...

Courses: Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

statisticslaboratorypipetting

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901

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129

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BioMap Degree Plan: A project to guide students in exploring, defining, and building a plan to achieve career goals

Traditional college students begin their academic journey with a variety of ideas about the careers they might ultimately pursue. Some students have always known what they want to do, some have ideas about possible careers, while others have never...

Courses: Introductory Biology Professional Development and Career Planning

Career ExplorationCo-curricularsDegree Planning

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7683

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369

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Investigating Cell Signaling with Gene Expression Datasets

Modern molecular biology is a data- and computationally-intensive field with few instructional resources for introducing undergraduate students to the requisite skills and techniques for analyzing large data sets. This Lesson helps students: (i)...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology

genomicstranscriptionsignaling

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2098

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396

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Dynamic Daphnia: An inquiry-based research experience in ecology that teaches the scientific process to first-year biologists

This authentic research experience lesson teaches the core concept of systems and the competencies of quantitative reasoning, communication, and the ability to apply science. The research is student driven, the results are unknown, and the...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

statisticsecologyscientific methodexperimental designAbiotic and Biotic FactorsDependent and Independent Variables

Essay

763

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106

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Implementing active learning approaches into an upper-division biology course

In this essay, we present our strategy for implementing active learning strategies into an upper division course on Human Genetics. Our principal goal was to shift from a traditional didactic course design, to one that more clearly placed the...

Courses: Genetics Introductory Biology

human biologyPedigree analysisRare genetic diseases

Teaching Tools and Strategies

1016

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191

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0

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Wikipedia in the Science Classroom

Despite research suggesting that writing-to-learn exercises (WTL) in the classroom are associated with increased student learning, WTL is still not widely implemented in science courses. To provide our students with a meaningful WTL exercise that...

Courses: Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

scientific writingcritical evaluationWikipediawriting for general public

Essay

522

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69

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Learning Frameworks Aid Goal-oriented Course Design

As a new instructor it can be hard to know where to begin. Thankfully, CourseSource's learning frameworks (https://www.coursesource.org/courses) shaped my approach to teaching as a first year instructor. The frameworks, which include learning...

Courses: Introductory Biology Professional Development and Career Planning

backward designlearning goalscourse design

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18627

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389

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A flexible, multi-week approach to plant biology - How will plants respond to higher levels of CO₂?

To help introductory biology students understand how plants will respond to higher levels of CO2, we have created a multi-week module consisting of a series of four related laboratory lessons. These lessons allow students to make connections among...

Courses: Introductory Biology Plant Biology

statisticsplantsphotosynthesiscarbon dioxidecommunicating sciencegroup workResource AllocationRespirationStomata

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2436

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259

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The Leaky Neuron: Understanding synaptic integration using an analogy involving leaky cups

Students have difficulty understanding synaptic integration in neural circuits, and how spatial and temporal summation combine in a target neuron to reach threshold. This Lesson uses small cups of water to represent excitatory postsynaptic...

Courses: Neurobiology

neuron physiologyspatial summationsynaptic integrationtemporal summationthreshold

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1869

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305

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Discovery Poster Project

Engaging in undergraduate research can be exciting yet intimidating to first-year students at large research universities. For first-generation college students, whose pre-college exposure to research may be limited compared to their continuing...

Courses: Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

researchprimary literaturePostercore concepts

Teaching Tools and Strategies

2299

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92

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How to Design a Classroom Activity that Integrates 3D Print Models with Active Learning

Student exploration of relevant physical models can deepen knowledge of course material. In this guide we describe a method by which instructors can integrate 3D printing technology with an established teaching strategy, the classroom jigsaw, to...

Courses: Introductory Biology

active learning3D print modelsclassroom jigsaw

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Discovering Prokaryotic Gene Regulation with Simulations of the trp Operon

The trp operon exemplifies important biological concepts, including the central dogma of molecular biology, feedback inhibition, and gene regulation. For this reason, regulation of the trp operon is a common theme in introductory biology,...

Courses: Genetics Introductory Biology Microbiology

prokaryotesgene regulationattenuationfeedback inhibitionrepressible operontrp operon

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1694

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208

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Using a Sequential Interpretation of Data in Envelopes (SIDE) approach to identify a mystery TRP channel

This lesson sought to engage students in data interpretation and to encourage critical thinking about neurophysiology in the context of temperature sensation. A family of receptors called Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are activated...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Cell Biology Neurobiology

Cell communicationChannel specificity and activationLimitations of tools of Cell BiologyNeuronal Signaling

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2361

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Bad Science: Exploring the unethical research behind a putative memory supplement

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...

Courses: Science Process Skills

bioethicsevaluationPseudoscienceRecognizing bad scienceScience process skills

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273

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Priority Setting in Public Health: A lesson in ethics and hard choices

Undergraduate life sciences majors, many of whom aspire to work in healthcare and health research, can benefit from early exposure to ethical issues that they may encounter in these careers. This lesson plan introduces students to the tensions...

Courses: Science Process Skills

public health ethicsramifications of one's decisionsrole of science in society

Teaching Tools and Strategies

779

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A Team-Based Approach to Course Development Involving Undergraduate Researchers

Development of an undergraduate laboratory course can be a challenge, because of the need to balance both logistical and pedagogical considerations. We piloted a team-based approach to developing this type of course and found it to be advantageous...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Genetics Microbiology Science Process Skills