CourseSource: Resources

Lesson

3619

views

954

downloads

0

comments

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

Lesson

1142

views

148

downloads

1

comments

Exploring the March to Mars Using 3D Print Models

With the increased availability of 3D printers and open databases containing 3D print files, academic institutions are giving more thought into how such technology can be used in the classroom to further student learning. One way that 3D print...

Courses: Introductory Biology Microbiology Science Process Skills

waterMarsmicroorganismsproperties of life

Lesson

5040

views

914

downloads

0

comments

Tackling "Big Data" with Biology Undergrads: A Simple RNA-seq Data Analysis Tutorial Using Galaxy

Analyzing high-throughput DNA sequence data is a fundamental skill in modern biology. However, real and perceived barriers such as massive file sizes, substantial computational requirements, and lack of instructor background knowledge can...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics

bioinformaticsDNA sequenceRNAseqgene expression

Lesson

6535

views

1121

downloads

0

comments

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

Lesson

542

views

81

downloads

0

comments

Using Raw Sequence Data to Analyze Tumor Suppressor Mutations

Learning to identify DNA sequence variants from raw sequencing data (electropherograms) is a basic molecular biology skill with applications to basic research and clinical practice. Yet learning to map DNA sequence variants to functional regions...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics

bioinformaticsmutationDNAgenomic visualizationparts of a geneclinical consequencesraw data

Lesson

3580

views

505

downloads

0

comments

How Many Squirrels Are in the Shrubs? A Lesson Plan for Comparing Methods for Population Estimation

Estimating the population sizes of animals is a key skill for any student interested in ecology, conservation, or management. However, counting animals in natural habitats is difficult, and the many techniques that exist each rely on assumptions...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Professional Development and Career Planning Science Process Skills

population ecologywildlife managementpopulation estimationsciuridaeSquirrel-Net

Lesson

2879

views

1007

downloads

0

comments

Building Trees: Introducing evolutionary concepts by exploring Crassulaceae phylogeny and biogeography

Teaching evolutionary theory is foundational for all biological sciences and a key aspect of overall science literacy. The conceptual framework for understanding evolution relies on thinking clearly about evolutionary trees (phylogenetics) and how...

Courses: Evolution Introductory Biology

EvolutionphylogeneticsTree thinkingbiogeography

Lesson

1109

views

289

downloads

0

comments

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

1289

views

352

downloads

0

comments

A first lesson in mathematical modeling for biologists: Rocs

Using a fictitious population of Rocs, a mythical species of giant raptor, students accomplish two broad objectives: 1) they undertake the process of building a first mathematical model of a population, and 2) they begin to develop their...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

population ecologypopulation modelingdiscrete generationpopulation management

Lesson

2690

views

496

downloads

0

comments

Harnessing the Power of the Immune System: Influenza Vaccines

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...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Immunology Science Process Skills

VaccinesInfluenzaImmunizationVaccine efficacy

Lesson

1075

views

157

downloads

0

comments

What do Bone and Silly Putty® have in Common?: A Lesson on Bone Viscoelasticity

Without the use of real-life examples and models, actively instructing and engaging students in complex physiology topics related to bone biomechanics can be challenging. In our large-enrollment Human Physiology & Anatomy courses at the...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology

structure-functioninjuryAnisotropyHysteresisSkeletal SystemViscoelasticity

Teaching Tools and Strategies

989

views

201

downloads

0

comments

Making toast: Using analogies to explore concepts in bioinformatics

Contemporary biology is moving towards heavy reliance on computational methods to manage, find patterns, and derive meaning from large-scale data, such as genomic sequences. Biology teachers are increasingly compelled to prepare students with...

Courses: Bioinformatics

bioinformaticsworkflowgenome

Lesson

379

views

60

downloads

0

comments

Environmental Injustice: When the Grass is Greener on the Other Side

Environmental pollution is a global threat that is especially prevalent in heavily industrialized and urbanized areas. Pollution can be found in many forms, such as natural and synthetic pollutants from natural and anthropogenic processes. These...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills Toxicology

human healthenvironmental injusticeEnvironmental PollutionSystemic BiasesIdeological AwarenessUrban Ecology and Development

Teaching Tools and Strategies

2825

views

394

downloads

0

comments

The Flight Physics Concept Inventory: Reliably Evaluating Aerodynamic Lift, Drag and Associated (Naïve) Concepts of Flight in Class and In-Game

Students often struggle to transfer conceptual understanding from isolated instruction to a coherent mental model. This is especially true for the context of flight physics, fluid dynamics, or the concepts of aerodynamic lift, drag, stall, center...

Courses: Introductory Physics: Calculus-Based

active learninggamificationmisconceptionsaerodynamicsfluid dynamicsResearch-based assessment instrumentConceptual SurveyPRE-/POST-test

Lesson

925

views

275

downloads

0

comments

Population Ecology of the Northern Spotted Owl

The mathematical modeling of populations utilizing field-collected demographic data is an important component of lab curricula in a variety of undergraduate biology lab courses. During the global pandemic brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology

demographyCommunity Ecologypopulation ecologyconservation biologylife tables

Lesson

6126

views

1235

downloads

0

comments

A CURE for Salmonella: A Laboratory Course in Pathogen Microbiology and Genomics

Rapid advances in genomics and bioinformatics, the vast amount of data generated by next-generation sequencing, and the penetration of the ‘-omics’ into many areas of biology have created a need for students with hands-on experience with...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Ecology Ecology Microbiology

epidemiologyresearchbioinformaticsgenomicspublic healthAntibiotic Resistant BacteriaSalmonellaDNA sequencingpathogenic bacteria

Lesson

5074

views

668

downloads

0

comments

How Do Kidneys Make Urine From Blood? Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Filtration, Secretion, Reabsorption, and Excretion

The function of the kidneys is to help maintain a constant internal environment (homeostasis) by regulating the volume and chemical composition of the blood. This regulation occurs via three fundamental processes: filtration, secretion, and...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Introductory Biology

collecting ductexcretionglomerular filtration rate (GFR)nephron tubulereabsorptionrenal corpusclesection

Lesson

999

views

138

downloads

0

comments

Student-Generated Analogies for Learning about Information Flow

Using analogies is a standard practice for both teaching and communicating ideas in science. Here we upend the traditional lesson, where the instructor provides a fully constructed analogy and explains it, by having the students develop a complex...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

critical thinkingcentral dogmaanalogical reasoning

Lesson

5656

views

1169

downloads

3

comments

Meiosis: A Play in Three Acts, Starring DNA Sequence

Meiosis is well known for being a sticky topic that appears repeatedly in biology curricula. We observe that a typical undergraduate biology major cannot correctly identify haploid and diploid cells or explain how and why chromosomes pair before...

Courses: Cell Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

recombinationmeiosisDNA sequenceCrossingoverchromosome structureHolliday junctionhomology

Lesson

2043

views

370

downloads

0

comments

Drawing “Octo-Pines”: Ice-Breaker Active-Learning Activities to Introduce Drawing-to-Learn in Biology

Drawing has been advocated as a technique to develop visual literacy and observational skills in biology students. To increase student motivation and confidence to draw in our course, we developed an introductory active-learning lesson with a...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Evolution

Zoologydrawingdrawing-to-learnice breaker