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    Furry with a chance of evolution: Exploring genetic drift with tuco-tucos
    Genetic drift is an important mechanism of evolution, yet undergraduates often fail to understand how it leads to evolutionary change due in part to its random nature. This lesson plan describes a simulation-based activity that allows students to...

    Courses: EvolutionEvolution

    EvolutionGenetic DriftBottle neckFounder effectRandom evolutionary processes
    Lesson
    5354

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    702

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    Investigating Enzyme Structure and Function Through Model-Building and Peer Teaching in an Introductory Biology Course
    A foundational knowledge of the relationship between structure and function is critical to understanding how enzymes work. The seemingly invisible nature of these molecular interactions makes it challenging for undergraduate students to...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    structure-functionEnzymeallosteric regulationcompetitive inhibitionfeedback inhibitionnoncompetitive inhibitionproductsubstrate
    Lesson
    3066

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    521

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    A Kinesthetic Modeling Activity to Teach PCR Fundamentals
    Most molecular biology and biological sciences students understand that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify DNA. However, we have found that some students experience conceptual misunderstandings, a lack of detailed comprehension...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    PCR
    Lesson
    1493

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    161

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    Infectious Chocolate Joy with a Side of Poissonian Statistics: An activity connecting life science students with subtle physics concepts
    Introductory physics courses are required for many programs in the life sciences, yet traditional curricula fail to help students meaningfully connect physical concepts with biological systems.  In this lesson, we describe an activity taught...

    Courses: BioinformaticsBioinformatics MicrobiologyMicrobiology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    quantitative biologyHIVmultiplicity of infectionPoisson DistributionPhysics for biologists
    Lesson
    2617

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    489

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    A Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection using a Student-Created Bird Species
    Evolution-centered lessons at the undergraduate level can often be jargon-heavy, propagate misconceptions if taught ineffectively, and be uninteresting to students who may not see the relevancy of such concepts. This activity provides a fun and...

    Courses: EcologyEcology EvolutionEvolution Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    Evolutionfitnesssexual selectionNatural Selectionintersexual selectionmate choice
    Lesson
    2170

    views

    668

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    1

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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 BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology BioinformaticsBioinformatics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    BLASTmultiple sequence alignmentsequence similarityphylogramZika virusAlgorithmScoring Matrix
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
    1218

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    131

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    Undergraduates Learn Evolution Through Teaching Kindergartners About Blind Mexican Cavefish
    The development and implementation of a scientific outreach activity comes with a number of challenges. A successful outreach event must match the sophistication of content to the audience, be engaging, expand the knowledge base for participants,...

    Courses: EcologyEcology EvolutionEvolution GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    Evolutionecologymorphologysensory biologycave biologycomparative biologyenvironmental differencesregressive lossstructure and function
    Lesson
    5680

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    1171

    downloads

    3

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    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 BiologyCell Biology GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    recombinationmeiosisDNA sequenceCrossingoverchromosome structureHolliday junctionhomology
    Lesson
    1462

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    156

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    0

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    The Developmental Origins of Mythology: A Pandemic-Inspired Innovative Developmental Biology Laboratory Exercise
    From an experiential, hands-on perspective, the Developmental Biology Laboratory is easily amenable to a wide range of undergraduate-friendly experiments. Thus, pivoting to a virtual laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic required significant...

    Courses: Developmental BiologyDevelopmental Biology

    gastrulationaxis formationlimb developmentchimeramidline
    Lesson
    1621

    views

    547

    downloads

    1

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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-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    countercurrent multiplierexcretory systemkidneyloop of Henlemembrane transport
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
    1313

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    308

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    Sanger Sequencing by Hand: Using Paper Clips to Demonstrate Chain Termination
    Sanger sequencing is commonly taught with a hands-on approach. Sanger sequencing involves chain termination by dideoxynucleotides, because they are missing the oxygen on the 3’ carbon atom, which is required for the addition of subsequent...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics

    nucleotidessequencingDNAgel electrophoresisChain Termination
    Lesson
    1262

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    185

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    0

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    Simulating Cortical Rotation, Axis Induction, and Experimental Embryology in Amphibian Embryos Using Clay Models
    The study of development requires learners to understand spatially complex concepts like embryo anatomy. Embryo anatomy is dynamic over time, and it is often manipulated by researchers in experiments that are fundamental to the field. This spatial...

    Courses: Developmental BiologyDevelopmental Biology

    developmentXenopusfertilizationEmbryologyinductionSymmetry breakingOrganizerCortical rotationPatterning
    Lesson
    3408

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    1356

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    Using the Cell Engineer/Detective Approach to Explore Cell Structure and Function
    As instructors of introductory biology courses for majors and non-majors, we have struggled with teaching the concept of cell structure and function in an engaging way.  However, this is a foundational concept that most biology instructors...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    cell functionCell StructureCellular diversityDynamic cellular functionOrganelle function
    Lesson
    2158

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    409

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    Integrating Manipulatives and Animations to Visualize Holliday Junctions
    The complex molecular architecture of Holliday junctions is often challenging for undergraduate biochemistry students to conceptualize. In particular, they have difficulty translating from two-dimensional, linear representations shown in textbooks...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology GeneticsGenetics

    dna structureDNA damageDNA recombinationGene crossoverHolliday junction
    Lesson
    1908

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    644

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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 BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    PCRDNA replication
    Review
    3649

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    283

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    Active Learning: Developing Self-Directed Learners Through Strong Intellectual Engagement
    When they were students, many current science instructors learned through traditional lectures. This mode of passive knowledge transmission has been shown to be less effective for student learning than an approach that involves students in a...

    Courses: Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    active learningmetacognitionconstructivism
    Lesson
    6316

    views

    557

    downloads

    2

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    Meiosis Remodeled: Inclusion of New Parts to Poppit Bead Models Enhances Understanding of Meiosis
    A long-standing tradition uses strings of poppit beads of different colors to model meiosis, especially to show how segments of paired homologous chromosomes are recombined. Our use of orthodontic latex bands to model cohesion of sister...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    meiosischiasma formationchromosome recombination
    Lesson
    1688

    views

    314

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    Understanding Host-Pathogen Interactions With the Use of Galleria mellonella
    The Galleria mellonella; the larvae of the Greater Wax Moth, is a safe and effective means to study host-pathogen interactions in the undergraduate setting. The use of animal models in the teaching classroom provides an opportunity to discuss...

    Courses: ImmunologyImmunology MicrobiologyMicrobiology

    innate immunitybacterial pathogenesisHost-pathogen interactionsGalleria mellonellaVirulence