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
    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

    1106

    views

    224

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Workshop Report: Summer 2020 Virtual CRISPR in the Classroom
    As innovations and developments in genome editing technologies using CRISPR-Cas systems progress, the need to disseminate relevant knowledge and build skills among the next generation of young...

    Keywords: geneticscrisprGenome Analysisgene editingbacterial immunity

    1428

    views

    192

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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

    1173

    views

    86

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: geneticsbioinformaticsdrosophilachi-square analysiscomplementation mappingmode of inheritancethree-point mapping

    6112

    views

    1014

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: concept mapmetacognitionfirst-year studenttransfer

    1126

    views

    144

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: cell functionCell StructureCellular diversityDynamic cellular functionOrganelle function

    3127

    views

    1259

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Visits to the writing center and office hours provide students structured reflection and low-stakes feedback on scientific writing in an Introductory Biology course
    Effective written communication of scientific concepts is a critical, but difficult skill for undergraduate STEM majors to acquire. Oftentimes, the grades of lab reports are negatively impacted by...

    Keywords: scientific writingwater qualityanalysis of results

    544

    views

    107

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: protein structure and functionhuman genetic variationskeletal muscle physiology

    1281

    views

    173

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Teaching the Biological Relevance of Chemical Kinetics Using Cold-Blooded Animal Biology
    This lesson plan was created to support non-chemistry major students in making connections between chemical kinetics and biological systems. Chemical kinetics is often viewed by students as an...

    Keywords: kineticsMetabolismEctothermPoikilotherm

    1205

    views

    400

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: bioinformaticsDNA sequenceRNAseqgene expression

    4739

    views

    877

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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

    2054

    views

    459

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Building a Model of Tumorigenesis: A small group activity for a cancer biology/cell biology course
    The multistep nature of tumorigenesis is a foundational concept in the context of Cancer Biology. Many students do not appreciate the complex nature of cancer development nor do they understand how...

    Keywords: pathwayscancerMolecular AlterationsRetrospective dataTumorigenesis

    1357

    views

    494

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    The Power of Place: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Studying Urban Ecology, Local Apple Trees and Disease Susceptibility
    Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) offered early in an undergraduate student’s career have the potential to include a greater number and diversity of students than...

    Keywords: Disease ecologyurban ecologyUrban food forestsUrban heat islandsGenetic resistance

    1948

    views

    130

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Exploring Indigenous Viewpoints in the Undergraduate Biology Classroom: An Environmental Case Study Incorporating Hawaiian Traditional Ecological Knowledge
    Changing science education to foster greater equity and inclusion for Indigenous students will require effort from instructors and institutions. Instructors can help by including Traditional...

    Keywords: ecologycase studyenvironmentsystems thinkingTraditional ecological knowledgeindigenous knowledgehawai'idecolonizing scienceNative knowledgeFish ponds

    2187

    views

    46

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: structure-functioninjuryAnisotropyHysteresisSkeletal SystemViscoelasticity

    933

    views

    133

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Discovering Prokaryotic Gene Regulation with Simulations of the trp Operon
    The trp operon exemplifies important biological concepts, including the central dogma of molecular biology, feedback inhibition, and gene regulation. For this reason, regulation of the trp operon...

    Keywords: prokaryotesgene regulationattenuationfeedback inhibitionrepressible operontrp operon

    3577

    views

    375

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    The Great Petunia Carnage of 2017: A Clicker Case Study Using Petunias to Describe the Effect of Genetic Modification on the Biochemistry of Flower Color and Phenotype in Plants
    In this single class period case study, students examine the difference between genotype and phenotype by studying the mechanisms by which commercially available petunias have been bred to have...

    Keywords: case studyGenetic ModificationsBiochemistry of Flower ColorGMO regulationsGenotype-Phenotype Connections

    1628

    views

    16

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: bacteriaBiofilmsquorum sensing

    6050

    views

    197

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Fragile States: A Case Study Exploring Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry Through the Lens of Fragile X Syndrome
    This case aims to strengthen students’ understanding of molecular biology concepts through study of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Students begin by learning the cause and phenotypes of FXS and...

    Keywords: gene regulationtranscriptiontranslationFragile X syndrometriplet repeat expansionsex linkagemetabolic pathway

    3475

    views

    214

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    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...

    Keywords: demographyCommunity Ecologypopulation ecologyconservation biologylife tables

    821

    views

    207

    downloads

    0

    comments

    0

    adaptations

    Close

    Home

    Search