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    Why Meiosis Matters: The case of the fatherless snake
    A compelling reason to learn something can make all the difference in students’ motivation to learn it.  Motivation, in turn, is one of the key attitudes that drives learning.  This story...

    Keywords: meiosismitosissex determinationAsexual reproductionParthenogenesis

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    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

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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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    Restoring Tropical Forests: Implementing a module in an undergraduate majors’ course in forest ecology in Costa Rica
    This publication describes implementation of a module on tropical forest restoration in Costa Rica for an upper-level undergraduate course in forest ecology at the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa...

    Keywords: forest ecologyRestorationfield course

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    4-060-CircuitTuner-ModelingScenario
    We present essential definitions and laws for the study of simple RLC electrical circuits and build a differential equation model using these notions. We describe how such a circuit can be used to...

    Keywords: resistanceciircuittuned mass tunerfrequencyKirchhoffvoltagegainfrequency responseamplitudes Voltage LawinductancecapacitorI am currently working in redesining an existing microbiology course. I would like to be part of ed

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    Malawian Aquaculture Pond Ecosystem Challenge
    This case study challenges students to design a pond that will provide supplemental food security to a rural Malawian village. In the process they apply concepts of primary and secondary...
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    Learning Frameworks Aid Goal-oriented Course Design
    As a new instructor it can be hard to know where to begin. Thankfully, CourseSource's learning frameworks (https://www.coursesource.org/courses) shaped my approach to teaching as a first year...

    Keywords: backward designlearning goalscourse design

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    Why do Some People Inherit a Predisposition to Cancer? A small group activity on cancer genetics
    Before undergraduate students take a genetics course they generally know cancer has a genetic basis and involves the proliferation of cells; however, many are uncertain about why only a subset of...

    Keywords: cancerInheritance patternsProbability calculationProto-oncogeneTumor Suppressor Gene

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    Adaptation and Facilitation of Small Group Activities in an Online Introductory Biology Class
    In spring 2020, the sudden mid-semester closure of my campus in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to emergency online learning. Consequently, I adapted the...

    Keywords: Cellular communicationNeuronal functionNeuronal structure

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    Discovering Prokaryotic Gene Regulation by Building and Investigating a Computational Model of the lac Operon
    The ability to construct and reason through a biological system is an important skill to develop in science education. This level of understanding forces students to recognize the interrelatedness...

    Keywords: prokaryotesgene regulationLac Operoninducible operon

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    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

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    An Original-Design Board Game to Increase Student Comprehension of Cellular Respiration Pathways
    Cellular respiration is a daunting topic for many students in introductory biology courses. Students are challenged at conceptual and factual levels, since instruction covers multiple metabolic...

    Keywords: GlycolysisCellular RespirationFermentationKrebs CycleOxidative phosphorylationpyruvate oxidation

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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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    How to Design a Classroom Activity that Integrates 3D Print Models with Active Learning
    Student exploration of relevant physical models can deepen knowledge of course material. In this guide we describe a method by which instructors can integrate 3D printing technology with an...

    Keywords: active learning3D print modelsclassroom jigsaw

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    Isolation and Functional Analysis of a Pancreatic Enzyme in an Introductory Student Lab
    Structure and function are correlated at all levels of biology. This topic is typically addressed early in an undergraduate class in general or molecular biology before students have gained much...

    Keywords: Protein StructureproteaseEnzymechemical bondscatalysissolubility

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    You and Your Oral Microflora: Introducing non-biology majors to their “forgotten organ”
    With limited time available for laboratory activities, introductory science courses for non-science majors typically use the laboratory period to reinforce material that was previously presented...

    Keywords: bacteriamicrobiomeBLASTmicrobesDNA replicationPolymerase chain reaction (PCR)

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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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    CURE-all: Large Scale Implementation of Authentic DNA Barcoding Research into First-Year Biology Curriculum
    Growing calls in science education reform have emphasized wide-scale engagement of first-year undergraduate students in authentic research experiences; however, large course enrollments, inadequate...

    Keywords: phylogeneticsbioinformaticsBiodiversityprocess of sciencetaxonomyPCRDNADNA sequencegel electrophoresis

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    Exam Reflective Writing Activities (4 different prompts)
    This is an extended version of Reflective Writing activities to use before 4 different exams.

    Keywords: reflective writing

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    A Hands-on Introduction to Hidden Markov Models
    In this Lesson, we describe a classroom activity that demonstrates how a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is applied to predict a eukaryotic gene, focusing on predicting one exon-intron boundary. This HMM...

    Keywords: transcriptionexonintronsplicing

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