CourseSource: Resources

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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Graphical Organizers as Course Road Maps: Using a geologic timescale in a history of life course

Both major and non-major biology students lack understanding of important evolutionary events, how they are spaced in time, and how they relate back to the earth system. Graphical organizers like concept maps and timescales are popular tools that...

Courses: Evolution

Evolutionecologyextinctionadaptive radiationdiversification

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Is Earth Currently Undergoing a Sixth Mass Extinction?

The five Phanerozoic mass extinctions were central in shaping biodiversity on Earth today. Due to increasing biodiversity losses, there is debate about whether we are currently undergoing a sixth mass extinction. To help students better understand...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Evolution Introductory Biology

conservationBiodiversityextinctionMass ExtinctionDeep Time

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Escape Zoom!: Reviewing Introductory Evolution Content Using an Escape Room Format

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...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Evolution Genetics

Evolutionartificial selectionSpeciationextinctionsexual selectionphylogenetic treesmechanisms of evolution

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Teaching the Photoelectric Effect Using an Open-Source Interactive Simulation

The photoelectric effect is one of the fundamental experiments that established the basis of quantum mechanics. Students studying this experiment in modern physics courses struggle to understand what it actually measured and why it is significant....

Courses: Introductory Physics: Calculus-Based

photoelectric effectquantum mechanicsquantalight-matter interactions

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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In-class peer grading of daily quizzes increases feedback opportunities

Educators are familiar with evidence of the benefit that frequent and immediate feedback provides to our students, regardless of class size. We also often find ourselves in a situation where we do not have enough time planned or TA support...

Courses: Introductory Biology

foundational knowledgegraphical interpretationtechnical terms

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Garden Variety Mutations: Using Primary Data to Understand the Central Dogma in Large-Lecture Introductory Biology

The ability to interpret and create an argument from data is a crucial skill for budding scientists, yet one that is seldom practiced in introductory courses. During this argumentation module, students in a large lecture class will work in groups...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

mutationtranscriptiongene expressioncentral dogmatranslationgel electrophoresisGenotype/Phenotype

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A Muscular Dystrophy Case Study Illustrating the Phenotypic Effects of Mutation

Mutations in genes can lead to a variety of phenotypes, including various human diseases. Students often understand that a particular mutation in a single gene causes a disease phenotype, but it is more challenging to illustrate complex genetic...

Courses: Developmental Biology Genetics

mutationProtein Structureethicscentral dogmahuman disease

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Understanding Gastric Acid Secretion: An Active Learning Approach

The human digestive system is a diverse network of cells, tissues, and organs that is regulated by systemic (e.g., nervous and endocrine systems) and local factors (e.g., secretions, pH, and the microbiome). Given the volume of content and the...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology

diseasesignal transductionAcid SecretionAutonomic Nervous SystemEndocrineGastric PhysiologyGPCRHistology of Gastric Pit

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Life Is Just a Game: An Active Learning Activity to Teach Life History Evolution

A novel activity was designed to introduce students to the concepts of natural selection and life history using an active-learning, constructivist format. It consisted of two parts: 1) a brief introduction to the basic mechanism of natural...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Evolution

Evolutionlife historytrade-offsdiversityNatural Selection

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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Biology from Molecules to Embryos, Interactive Animated Lessons

Visualizing kinetic processes can be an impediment to student mastery of basic science coursework. To remedy this obstacle, I created an educational program called Biology from Molecules to Embryos© (BioME), which provides 28 animated lessons...

Courses: Developmental Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

geneticsBIOMEEmbryologycomputer assisted instructioneducational programeducational videosonline lessonsanimated lessonseducational website

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Mice, Acorns, and Lyme Disease: a Case Study to Teach the Ecology of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Ebola, Zika, the recall of contaminated lettuce - these are just a few recent outbreaks making headlines. Students should be able to connect what they learn in their biology courses to explain these events happening around them. Unfortunately,...

Courses: Microbiology

epidemiologyEcological changeInfectious disease ecologyReservoirsTransmission cycle

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Bad Cell Reception? Using a cell part activity to help students appreciate cell biology, with an improved data plan and no loss in coverage

With a veritable myriad of cell parts to cover, it is easy for educators to become locked into marathon presentations that become taxing for both the instructor and the students. While we hope and expect that students master this material, the...

Courses: Cell Biology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

primary literatureprokaryotesCell partsEukaryotesOrganelle functionOrganelles

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Grow the Gradient: An interactive countercurrent multiplier game

The countercurrent multiplier of the loop of Henle in a mammalian kidney is a challenging concept for instructors to teach and for students to learn. We developed an interactive game to support student learning of this dynamic process with a team...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Introductory Biology

countercurrent multiplierexcretory systemkidneyloop of Henlemembrane transport

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Space Mission Ecology: Making Connections Among Science Disciplines Through the Lens of a Unique Plant

With this case study, we aim to increase awareness of essential services plants provide to society, as well as the importance of fundamental aspects of ecology for other disciplines and the interconnectedness among different fields of science in...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Plant Biology Science Process Skills

ecologycollaborationplant biologyScience CommunicationBioregenerative Life SupportInterdisciplinary Connections

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Using Synthetic Biology and pClone Red for Authentic Research on Promoter Function: Genetics (analyzing mutant promoters)

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 characterizing...

Courses: Genetics Science Process Skills

bacteriasynthetic biologygene regulationtranscriptionstudent researchcentral dogmacloningpromoterreporter gene/protein

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Teaching Biodiversity with Museum Specimens in an Inquiry-Based Lab

In response to the growth of biology datasets and broad efforts to digitize data, an increasingly important skill for science students is the management and analysis of large datasets. We designed an inquiry-based lab module to introduce students...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Evolution Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

data analysisnatural historyphylogenyBiodiversitymammalsAllen's RuleBergmann's Ruleecogeographymuseum research

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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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Teaching Advanced Concepts in Regulation of the Lac Operon With Modeling and Simulation

Success in biochemistry and other life science courses requires that students understand important biological concepts. One of these concepts is how gene regulation ensures that homeostasis is maintained in an organism. The lac operon is a...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

gene regulationinducible operonProkaryotic cellPhosphoenolpyruvate transferase system (PTS)

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Cutthroat trout in Colorado: A case study connecting evolution and conservation

Evaluation of evidence is a key process skill for the core competencies of applying the process of science and using quantitative reasoning. This case study enables upper-division biology students to practice these skills by applying evolutionary...

Courses: Evolution Genetics Science Process Skills

population geneticsphylogeneticsSpeciationdivergencegene flow

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Using Gamification to Teach Undergraduate Students about Scientific Writing

Despite its importance, scientific writing is often deprioritized in undergraduate biology classes. Reasons include assumed prior knowledge, lack of class time, tedious grading, and the complexity and challenges associated with quality writing. To...

Courses: Science Process Skills