You are here: Home / Resources / Browse Resources

Open. Adaptable. Free.

Resources created by our members and partners.

The QUBES platform hosts hundreds of teaching materials, reference materials, and cloud-based software free to use and adapt using open Creative Commons licenses.

Text Search:
Applied Filters
    Distances in the Universe: An Inquiry Lab Sequence Taught in West Africa and North America
    Astronomy evokes deep curiosity for many people, making it a beautiful topic for supporting students to learn scientific practices and develop as scientists. We present an inquiry-based lab...

    Keywords: InquiryAstronomy labParallaxInverse-square law for lightCosmic distance ladderAsking investigable questions

    2863

    views

    395

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Diversifying and Humanizing Scientist Role Models Through Interviews and Constructing Slide Decks on Researchers’ Research and Life Experiences
    To maintain recruitment and retention, biology teachers face the challenge of finding relatable role models for their students. Our ever-increasing scientific knowledge has been facilitated by...

    Keywords: researchdiversityinclusionScientific ProcessRepresentationScientistRole Models

    2107

    views

    216

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    A Kinesthetic and Collaborative Activity to Improve Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium
    While teaching in large lecture halls, it is challenging even for experienced teachers to hold their students’ attention for the entire class period. Owing to the large enrollment in STEM...

    Keywords: collaborationdemonstrationchemistrykinesthetic learningequilibriumhands-on learning

    600

    views

    151

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Helping Students to Metacognitively Read Scientific Literature With Talking to the Text
    Reading primary scientific literature enhances students’ understanding of material, increases their self-efficacy, and critical thinking skills. However, scientific articles often present...

    Keywords: scientific literaturereading comprehensionmetacognitionScience process skillsTalking to the TextDense Scientific Texts

    945

    views

    234

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Why Do I Need a Lab Notebook? Teaching Responsible Conduct of Research with CURE Lab Notebooks
    There are few instructional tools about data acquisition and management available for undergraduate students. I created this lesson as a Fellow of the Ethics Network for Course-Based Opportunities...

    Keywords: lab notebookresponsible conduct of researchdata acquisition/ management

    942

    views

    384

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    The Three Sisters of Agriculture: An Active Learning Activity on Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation
    This active learning exercise introduces students to the plant microbiome and the contributions that bacteria make to plant growth and food production. The Three Sisters are an ancient indigenous...

    Keywords: SymbiosisPlant microbiomeNitrogen fixationNutritional content of foodElectron flowSociety impact of microorganisms

    2960

    views

    191

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    What's in this? Students Deliberate on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Found in Everyday Healthcare Items to Build Democratic Skills
    In helping our students become informed and active members of society, it is necessary that they develop certain skills that will empower them to improve their community and governance. These...

    Keywords: cellEndocrinehormones

    2375

    views

    133

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Integrating Community Ecology Into the Study of Parasites: Exploring the Effect of Host Behavior on Parasite Transmission Rates
    Organismal life cycles are often presented as a set of facts to memorize in undergraduate biology courses. This approach is cognitively demanding for students and fails to convey how central life...

    Keywords: statisticsspecies interactionsQuantitative reasoninggraphsCommunity EcologyParasitologyfood webs

    2625

    views

    216

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: collecting ductexcretionglomerular filtration rate (GFR)nephron tubulereabsorptionrenal corpusclesection

    4797

    views

    619

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: structure-functionEnzymeallosteric regulationcompetitive inhibitionfeedback inhibitionnoncompetitive inhibitionproductsubstrate

    4830

    views

    649

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    An Introduction to the Squirrel-Net Teaching Modules
    Although course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are gaining popularity in biology, most are designed for benchwork-based laboratory courses while few focus on field-based skills....

    Keywords: ecologybehaviortrade-offsScientific ProcessSquirrel-Net

    2657

    views

    254

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    "Reading groups" in an undergraduate biology course: A peer-based model to help students develop skills to evaluate primary literature
    Undergraduates who learn to evaluate primary literature demonstrate an enhanced ability to understand the process of science, weigh scientific evidence, and think critically (e.g. 6,8). Studies...

    Keywords: primary literaturecritical thinkingSelf-EfficacyDiscussionPeer-based Learning

    1921

    views

    316

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: pHdrug uptakeHenderson-Hasslbalch equationmedical applicationspKa

    1579

    views

    385

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Using Pathway Maps to Link Concepts, Peer Review, Primary Literature Searches and Data Assessment in Large Enrollment Classes: An example from teaching ecosystem ecology
    As with many other complex topics, teaching ecosystem ecology can be particularly difficult in terms of helping students understand the relationships between the various component parts. We...

    Keywords: energyecosystemNutrientsPathway

    1293

    views

    502

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    A Hybrid Virtual Kinesiology Laboratory Module for Human Anatomy and Physiology
    The integration of virtual technology is becoming a common trend in anatomy education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The incorporation of virtual 3D anatomical models into the classroom...

    Keywords: kinesiologyexercise physiologyAnaerobic RespirationMaximum Oxygen ConsumptionMuscular SystemVirtual AnatomyWingate Test

    1572

    views

    277

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Student-Driven Design-and-Improve Modules to Explore the Effect of Plant Bioactive Compounds in Three Model Organisms
    Engaging and supporting introductory level students in authentic research experiences during required coursework is challenging. Plant bioactive compounds attract students' natural curiosity as...

    Keywords: statisticsLabCUREInquiryresearch skillscaterpillardaphniadrugsscience process

    1628

    views

    595

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Breaking It Down: What Factors Control Microbial Decomposition Rates?
    Demonstrating and modeling changes in ecosystem processes in the laboratory classroom can be logistically difficult and expensive. This complexity often leaves little time for students to generate...

    Keywords: data analysishypothesis testingdata visualizationdata managementMicrobial RespirationDecompostionAbiotic ConditionsResults Communication

    684

    views

    42

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: urban ecologyPrescribed fireEcosystem Servicesecological restorationwoody encroachmentrangeland ecology

    461

    views

    76

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    An Inquiry-Based Project Added to Traditional Labs: Hands-On Fish Awareness Research in Freshwater Systems Conducted by First-Year Biology Students
    This project involves students in an inquiry-based project added to the introductory biology laboratory course for majors in fall 2019. Research has shown that student engagement in authentic...

    Keywords: Evolutionbehaviorichthyology

    2670

    views

    77

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Debating Conservation: Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Introductory Biology Classes
    Role-playing activities in the classroom promote students’ critical thinking, research, and communication skills. We present an activity where students debate a current controversy in...

    Keywords: Restorationtrophic cascadeecosystem function

    1991

    views

    291

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Close

    Home

    Search