CourseSource: Resources

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Exploration of the Human Genome by Investigation of Personalized SNPs

Students often shy away from tedious bioinformatics approaches to exploring their genomes. However, in our expanding digital world these skills are some of the most relevant and valuable. To increase students' interest in their own genomes, I...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

UCSC genome browsersingle nucleotide polymorphismGenome wide association studiesGenomic organization

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2104

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544

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Using computational molecular modeling software to demonstrate how DNA mutations cause phenotypes

Students require a deep understanding of the central dogma before they can understand complex topics such as evolution and biochemical disorders. However, getting undergraduate biology students to apply higher-order thinking skills to the central...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

Protein Structurecomputational modelingcentral dogmaplant leaf structurePhenotype/Genotype

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2561

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641

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Follow the Sulfur: Using Yeast Mutants to Study a Metabolic Pathway

Students are frequently overwhelmed by the complexity of metabolic pathways and they think they have "learned" the pathway when they have memorized the individual reactions. This laboratory lesson helps students to understand the...

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

SelectionyeastMetabolismcysteinemediamethioninemutantPathwaysulfur

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2818

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683

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The Case of the Missing Strawberries: RFLP analysis

While solving the fictional mystery of the missing strawberries, students are engaged in a guided-inquiry lesson featuring small-group and class discussions, hands-on activities, and laboratory exercises related to molecular genotyping by...

Courses: Genetics Science Process Skills

process of scienceDNAforensicsgel electrophoresisMolecular genotypingRestriction endonucleaseRestriction enzymeRestriction fragment length polymorphismRFLP

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3680

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679

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A Hands-on Introduction to Hidden Markov Models

In this Lesson, we describe a classroom activity that demonstrates how a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is applied to predict a eukaryotic gene, focusing on predicting one exon-intron boundary. This HMM lesson is part of the BIOL/CS 370...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

transcriptionexonintronsplicing

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6526

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1119

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Mapping a Mutation to its Gene: The "Fly Lab" as a Modern Research Experience

Although genetics is an invaluable part of the undergraduate biology curriculum, it can be intimidating to students as well as instructors: Students must reduce their reliance on memorization and dive deep into quantitative analysis, and...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

geneticsbioinformaticsdrosophilachi-square analysiscomplementation mappingmode of inheritancethree-point mapping

Teaching Tools and Strategies

3637

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1718

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A 360˚ View of COVID-19

In March 2020, institutions underwent a massive transition to distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With so little time to devise new materials to maximize learning in the new virtual environment, instructors devised a variety of...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Cell Biology Evolution Genetics Immunology Introductory Biology Microbiology Science Process Skills

geneticsImmunologyBiochemistrybioinformaticsmolecular evolutionpublic healthvirusCOVID19

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4871

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1862

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Teaching Genetic Linkage and Recombination through Mapping with Molecular Markers

Most introductory genetics courses cover genetic linkage, a core concept in the CourseSource genetics learning outcome framework. Although it is a classical genetics topic, genetic linkage remains an important concept to understand in order to...

Courses: Genetics Plant Biology Science Process Skills

meiosisphenotypegel electrophoresismicrosatellitesBanding PatternGenetic linkageInheritanceMolecular MarkersPhysical Linkage

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3345

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618

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Predicting and classifying effects of insertion and deletion mutations on protein coding regions

Mutations in genes can affect the encoded proteins in multiple ways, and some of these effects are counterintuitive. As for any other knowledge, students must create their own deep understanding of the Central Dogma. Students may not develop this...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

mutationcentral dogmatranslationframeshift

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2013

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573

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Using Undergraduate Molecular Biology Labs to Discover Targets of miRNAs in Humans

Incorporating authentic research experiences into undergraduate labs, while shown to be particularly effective at engaging and retaining students in STEM majors, can be difficult to accomplish within the constraints of resource availability or...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

gene regulationmicroRNAsgene expression

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3471

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725

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Homologous chromosomes? Exploring human sex chromosomes, sex determination and sex reversal using bioinformatics approaches

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...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

bioinformaticsautosomehomologous chromosomeshomologous recombinationsex chromosomesex determinationsex reversal mutations

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9297

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1205

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Why Meiosis Matters: The case of the fatherless snake

A compelling reason to learn something can make all the difference in students’ motivation to learn it. Motivation, in turn, is one of the key attitudes that drives learning. This story presents students with a compelling puzzle of a...

Courses: Genetics Science Process Skills

meiosismitosissex determinationAsexual reproductionParthenogenesis

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2261

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480

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Air Quality Data Mining: Mining the US EPA AirData website for student-led evaluation of air quality issues

Air pollution directly affects human health endpoints including growth, respiratory processes, cardiovascular health, fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and cancer. Therefore, the distribution of air pollution is a topic that is relevant to all, and...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

data miningenvironmental justiceair qualityairpollutionspatial reasoning

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3075

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453

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Moths and Frogs and E. coli, Oh My!: Agent-based Modeling of Evolutionary Systems

In evolution classrooms, introducing and reinforcing the idea of genetic drift and random selection can be challenging, as can be reinforcing appropriate mental models of evolution. Agent-based models offer students the opportunity to conduct a...

Courses: Bioinformatics Ecology Ecology Evolution Science Process Skills

modelingEvolutionecologyagent-based modelingGenetic Driftenvironmental scienceNatural Selectioncompetitive coevolutionsimulation modelingevolutionary reasoning

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Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs) to Help Students Learn Genetics Concepts

Many video resources exist to teach Mendelian genetics, but most consist of passive delivery of information rather than active construction of knowledge by users. We have created two interactive video vignettes (IVVs) that can be used together or...

Courses: Genetics Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

genotypephenotypeallelespedigreedominanceHardy-Weinberg equilibriumInheritance

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You and Your Oral Microflora: Introducing non-biology majors to their “forgotten organ”

With limited time available for laboratory activities, introductory science courses for non-science majors typically use the laboratory period to reinforce material that was previously presented during lecture. This practice was true of a human...

Courses: Genetics Introductory Biology Microbiology Science Process Skills

bacteriamicrobiomeBLASTmicrobesDNA replicationPolymerase chain reaction (PCR)

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Sex-specific differences in Meiosis: Real-world applications

In traditional classrooms, students are typically presented with facts that they are asked to memorize and recall during an exam. The rapid explosion of available scientific facts in recent years has made this model of teaching...

Courses: Cell Biology Genetics Science Process Skills

meiosisReproductionAneuploidyGameteNon-disjunctionOocyteSpermTrisomy

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Using Images of Foraging Leaf-Cutter Ants to Teach Linear Regression

This lesson offers students a realistic, open-inquiry research experience, even when lab or field research is not possible. We first introduce students to leaf-cutter ants and how they forage. Then we provide images and videos of foraging...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

linear regressionexperimental designPlant-insect interactionsSymbiosisForaging behavior

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A virtual laboratory on cell division using a publicly-available image database

Cell division is a key concept in cell biology. While there are many popular activities to teach students the stages of mitosis, most make use of simple schematics, cartoons, or textbook diagrams. Others engage students in acting out the stages,...

Courses: Cell Biology Science Process Skills

image analysismicroscopymitosisCellular Processes

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2270

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A Short Laboratory Module to Help Infuse Metacognition during an Introductory Course-based Research Experience

A core competency identified in Vision and Change for undergraduate biology students is the Ability to Apply the Process of Science. Here, we describe a three-week laboratory module for students in an Introductory Cell and Molecular Biology...

Courses: Science Process Skills

metacognitiongene expressionScientific ProcessExperimenal DesignHypothesis Generationmodel organisms