CourseSource: Resources

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Using an Interactive Game, Gutsy, to Examine the Impacts of Pathogens and Everyday Events on the Human Gut Microbiome

The human gut microbiome is often associated with ‘good bacteria’ in marketing campaigns for dietary supplements, probiotic drinks, and fermented foods. Yet, the dynamic and complex community of microbes that make up the gut microbiome...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Immunology Microbiology

bacteriaGamepathogenhealthmicrobiomediversity

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1150

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165

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0

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Using Musical Instruments to Model Negative Feedback in the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Target Gland Axes

Homeostasis and negative feedback are crucial, yet difficult, concepts for undergraduates, particularly in the context of the hypothalamo-pituitary axes. This interactive activity was designed to (1) reveal how negative feedback can restore...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology

cell-cell communicationhomeostasisnegative feedback

Lesson

3287

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547

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0

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A Student-Led Hearing on the Use of HeLa Cells in Research

In this role-playing case study, students will learn about the HeLa cell line and its origins while examining multiple perspectives surrounding the cell line and its uses. The goal of this case study is for students to use guided questions to...

Courses: Cell Biology Science Process Skills

bioethicsscience policycell culturedebateHeLa cellsinformed consentrole playsocial justice issues

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2229

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445

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0

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Metastatic Mastery: A Case and Game-Based Approach to Learning About Cancer Mechanisms

Mechanisms that contribute to the development of cancer are numerous and complicated, though most can be traced to a set of mutations in cell cycle regulatory genes that throw the process of cell division off balance. Communication of these...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

mutationcancertranscriptioncell cycletranslationOncogenesTumor-suppressorp53Transcription factor

Teaching Tools and Strategies

5662

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820

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0

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Science “Fails”: A Bank of Historical Examples for Learning From Failure in Science

Learning from failure is critically important to the processes of scientific inquiry, discovery, and invention. However, students are not routinely taught how to reflect on, learn from, and ultimately embrace failure, and relatively few curricular...

Courses: Introductory Physics: Calculus-Based Introductory Biology Professional Development and Career Planning Science Process Skills

metacognitionScience process skillsLearning from failurepower and privilegestudent wellbeing

Science Behind the Lesson

1482

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202

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The Science Behind the ACTN3 Polymorphism

A common polymorphism in the alpha-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene results in the lack of ACTN3 protein expression in fast twitch muscle fibers in ~16% of the human population (1). This genetic change has been linked with muscle performance in humans (2)...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Genetics

protein structure and functionhuman genetic variationskeletal muscle physiology

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4062

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482

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A Classroom Intervention to Reduce Confirmation Bias

STEM students are often unable to recognize cognitive bias in their own disciplines, and simply describing cognitive bias to students has shown to be insufficient to improve critical thinking. However, habitual metacognitive techniques show...

Courses: Science Process Skills

biasprocess of sciencemetacognitionConfirmation BiasCognitive Bias

Lesson

6736

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264

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Exploring the City of Biofilms: An Engaging Analogy-Based Activity for Students to Learn Biofilms

Multicellular biofilms constructed by microbes are key aspects of microbiology with significant implications in various fields, including medicine, environmental science, and biotechnology. While bacteria spend nearly all their lives in biofilms,...

Courses: Microbiology

bacteriaBiofilmsquorum sensing

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5649

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1168

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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 Biology Genetics Introductory Biology

recombinationmeiosisDNA sequenceCrossingoverchromosome structureHolliday junctionhomology

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1522

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393

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0

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Learning How to Make “Good Enough” Estimations

The ability to estimate physical quantities is a useful skill that can help develop critical thinking and scientific literacy. This lesson provides an accessible way to teach students how to estimate physical quantities by focusing on three key...

Courses: Introductory Physics: Calculus-Based Astronomy Introductory Physics: Algebra-Based

MeasurementestimationcommunicationProblem Solvinggroup workUnit conversion

Teaching Tools and Strategies

3637

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1718

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0

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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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3023

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405

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It's a Substrate... It's a Protein...No - It's an Enzyme! Teaching Using 3D Serine Protease Physical Modeling Activities to Confront Misconceptions.

Reported misconceptions of enzyme-substrate interactions highlight the necessity for better, targeted instructional tools and assessments. A series of active learning activities with corresponding three-dimensional (3D) physical models were...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Protein StructureEnzymes-Substrate InteractionsNoncovalent InteractionsGeometric ComplementaryElectronicsStereochemistrySerine Proteases

Lesson

527

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105

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An Interrupted Case Study on Urban Prairie Restoration

Engaging students in meaningful discussions can be a challenging task for science instructors, especially in introductory courses. The story-telling approach used in case studies can increase student participation by demonstrating the relevance of...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

urban ecologyPrescribed fireEcosystem Servicesecological restorationwoody encroachmentrangeland ecology

Lesson

3930

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454

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0

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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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2801

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703

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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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2818

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772

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Unwrapping Enzyme Kinetics

Enzyme rates and kinetics are key components used by biochemists to understand how enzymes function. However, students often find it difficult to understand how these experiments are performed and how they reflect enzyme behavior in solution. The...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

kineticsstructure-functionenzymescatalysis

Lesson

1684

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394

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Taking the Hassle out of Hasselbalch

Mention pH in a classroom and you can almost see the inner yawn on the faces of your students. The definition may even roll easily from their lips. However, despite multiple exposures to the relationship of pH and pKa throughout a typical...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Science Process Skills

pHdrug uptakeHenderson-Hasslbalch equationmedical applicationspKa

Lesson

3168

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1094

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Squirreling Around for Science: Observing Sciurid Rodents to Investigate Animal Behavior

Hands-on research experiences are important opportunities for students to learn about the nature of inquiry and gain confidence in solving problems. Here, we present an inquiry-based lesson plan that investigates the foraging behavior of sciurid...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

foragingbehaviorbehavioral ecologySciuridSquirrelSquirrel-NetTrade-offVigilance

Teaching Tools and Strategies

1190

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148

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Lateral Transfer Maps as a Metacognitive Tool in First Year STEM Courses

We introduce the Lateral Transfer Map (LTM), a tool for students to actively and visually explore the transfer of ideas, skills, and concepts across concurrent coursework. The LTM is an extension of a concept map, replacing interconnected concepts...

Courses: Professional Development and Career Planning Science Process Skills

concept mapmetacognitionfirst-year studenttransfer

Teaching Tools and Strategies

2994

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473

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A Strategy for Teaching Undergraduates to Write Effective Scientific Results Sections

Most undergraduate instructors would agree that learning to write about data in the style of a scientific research paper is a worthy goal for their students. However, many hesitate to tackle the challenge of teaching scientific writing in...

Courses: Science Process Skills

data analysisprimary literaturescientific writingcommunicating science