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    Chilling in the Cold: Using Thermal Acclimation to Demonstrate Phenotypic Plasticity in Animals
    The lesson plan described here provides students hands-on, scientific experiences that relate to the globally important issue of climate change and its impacts on animals. Students use the...

    Keywords: scientific methodclimate changephenotypic plasticityfruit fliesaccclimationcold tolerancethink-pair-share

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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...

    Keywords: data analysisnatural historyphylogenyBiodiversitymammalsAllen's RuleBergmann's Ruleecogeographymuseum research

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    The Avocado Lab: An Inquiry-Driven Exploration of an Enzymatic Browning Reaction
    Typical biochemistry labs exploring basic enzyme activity rely on costly, time-consuming protein purification and rarely explore enzyme function in situ. Further, complex purification procedures...

    Keywords: enzymescontrolsenzyme inhibition

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    Differential Gene Expression during Xenopus laevis Development
    In Developmental Biology classes, students are challenged with understanding how differential gene expression guides embryonic development. It can be difficult for students to realize that genes...

    Keywords: gene expressionXenopusearly developmentembryofertilizationin situ hybridization

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    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...

    Keywords: EvolutionphylogeneticsTree thinkingbiogeography

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    Inexpensive Cell Migration Inquiry Lab using Zebrafish
    Cell migration is an important and interesting topic that has the potential to engage students in cell biology by its intrinsically active nature. However, most ways to investigate cell migration...

    Keywords: CytoskeletonCell migrationmodel organisms

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    Out of Your Seat and on Your Feet! An adaptable course-based research project in plant ecology for advanced students
    University capstone projects can offer science students a rich research experience that illustrates the process of doing scientific research, and can also help students better choose future...

    Keywords: statisticsactive learningecologyinterdisciplinaryplantscommunicating sciencegroup workfield workproces of science

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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...

    Keywords: bacteriasynthetic biologygene regulationtranscriptionstudent researchcentral dogmacloningpromoterreporter gene/protein

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    Using Collaborative Projects to Promote Active Learning of Microbial Skin Diseases and Their Impact on Everyday Lives
    One of the most daunting aspects of introductory clinical microbiology is learning details about a vast number of different microbial diseases that can infect humans. Each of these diseases has...

    Keywords: infectious diseasecollaborationpathogenesisTreatment of diseasesReal-life Microbiology

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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,...

    Keywords: nucleotidessequencingDNAgel electrophoresisChain Termination

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    Gratitude Interventions in a Biology Course to Foster Student Persistence and Success
    College students are experiencing a mental health crisis, which has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is problematic because stress and anxiety impede learning. One way to...

    Keywords: mental healthgratitudepositive psychologydegree commitment

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    A Pandemic Pivot: Podcast as an Active Engagement Tool in the Classroom and Beyond
    Higher education in STEM undoubtedly integrates the use of technology as a primary mode for content delivery to undergraduate students. This became especially salient throughout the shift to online...

    Keywords: VaccinesReplication of virusesCOVID-19 transmission

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    Gender and Classroom Participation: A Case for Quantitative Analysis
    Teaching statistics to students using authentic research is one way to highlight the transferability and value of the material taught in the class. Below we describe an activity in Statistics for...

    Keywords: statisticsgenderpopulationProportionSampleEquality

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    Drawing flowcharts of lab protocols helps students prepare for biology labs
    With the publishing of the Vision and Change report, we know it is best practice to include authentic research experiences in our undergraduate science lab classes. One big challenge in teaching...

    Keywords: laboratorymolecular biologyUndergraduateprotocolflowchart

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    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...

    Keywords: waterMarsmicroorganismsproperties of life

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    Learning to Pipet Correctly by Pipetting Incorrectly?
    Beginning undergraduate students in biology need basic laboratory, data analysis, and science process skills to pursue more complex questions in course-based undergraduate research experiences...

    Keywords: statisticslaboratorypipetting

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    Dynamic Daphnia: An inquiry-based research experience in ecology that teaches the scientific process to first-year biologists
    This authentic research experience lesson teaches the core concept of systems and the competencies of quantitative reasoning, communication, and the ability to apply science. The research is...

    Keywords: statisticsecologyscientific methodexperimental designAbiotic and Biotic FactorsDependent and Independent Variables

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    Sex and gender: What does it mean to be female or male?
    This lesson provides three activities to engage non-science major students in a discussion about sex, gender, gender identity, and sex determination. Students prepare for the lesson by reading a...

    Keywords: gendersex determinationgender identitysex

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    Air Quality Data Mining: Mining the US EPA AirData website for student-led evaluation of air quality issues
    Air pollution directly affects human health endpoints including growth, respiratory processes, cardiovascular health, fertility, pregnancy outcomes, and cancer. Therefore, the distribution of air...

    Keywords: data miningenvironmental justiceair qualityairpollutionspatial reasoning

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    Keep It Shrimple: An Adaptable Student-Driven Research Project for the Introductory Biology Laboratory
    A challenge in introductory biology laboratory courses is to provide students with authentic, engaging research opportunities that allow them to take ownership of their experiments. We present a...

    Keywords: hypothesis testingexperimental designanimal behaviorbrine shrimp

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