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    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

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    Learning the Landscape: An Active and Applied Lesson on Landscape Ecology for General Ecology Courses
    Landscape ecology is an important subtopic of ecology. As a field, it is inherently interdisciplinary and provides opportunities to teach not only content, but transferable ecological and...

    Keywords: landscape ecologyspatial scaleecosystem managementHabitat fragmentation

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    Implementing an online module about tropical seed dispersal and restoration in an undergraduate ecology course in the Pacific Northwest, USA
    This “Spreading Seeds” case study introduces students to ecology of seed dispersal mutualisms, and their importance for forest restoration. The implementation plan teaching notes, and associated...

    Keywords: mutualismRestoration Ecologyspecies interactionHabitat fragmentationSeed dispersalforest recovery

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    Using Constructed Response Questions on High-Stakes Assessments in Large Classes With Limited Support
    Large lecture courses often rely heavily, and sometimes exclusively, on Multiple Choice (MC) exams to assess student learning. Constructed Response (CR) questions, in which students generate their...

    Keywords: assessmenttestexamLarge classconstructed responseshort answerscoring

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    Using Raw Sequence Data to Analyze Tumor Suppressor Mutations
    Learning to identify DNA sequence variants from raw sequencing data (electropherograms) is a basic molecular biology skill with applications to basic research and clinical practice. Yet learning to...

    Keywords: bioinformaticsmutationDNAgenomic visualizationparts of a geneclinical consequencesraw data

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    Angiosperm Diversity in Pollination Systems
    This activity is designed for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students engaged in ecology and biodiversity sustainability studies. This activity will explore how plant-pollinator...

    Keywords: data visualizationBiodiversityplantsPlant-insect interactionsnetworkinsectsBLUEpollinators

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    Biting into "Science Cookies": Are seed fates determined by seed size or chemistry?
    By understanding how animals make seed dispersal decisions, we can predict how plant traits affect seed survival and plant recruitment. Using wild agoutis, we experimentally tested how seed...

    Keywords: predationplant animal interactionsSymbiosisTrophic interactionsTropical ecosystemsArtificial seedsSeed dispersalTerrestrial mammal

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    Climate Change Connections
    This module is composed of three related activities that introduce students to climate change's complexity from a conceptual standpoint. In the first activity, students work in small groups to...

    Keywords: interdisciplinaryclimate changeconcept mapping

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    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

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    Spreading seeds: How can a better understanding of seed dispersal improve tropical forest restoration?
    Learn about seed dispersal by animals and how this ecological process can be harnessed to facilitate forest recovery through a forest restoration experiment in Costa Rica. Apply what you learn to a...

    Keywords: conservationRestorationtropical forestsbiodiversity lossSeed dispersal

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    OpenLab - free project-sharing platform
    We're happy to share with you this new, free project-sharing platform created by a group of Wesleyan University teachers, students, and alums: https://openlab.studio/

    Keywords: Presentationdisseminationproject-sharing

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    Pennies to The Moon Data Byte Series
    This series of Rbyte activities explores the concept of debunking using Fermi Estimation, R, and ChatGPT.

    Keywords: RprogrammingOpen SourceOpen Sciencedata literacycalling bullProgramming practiceFermi EstimationChatGPTGoogle CoLab

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    Implementing an online module on microbe-plant interactions in the context of ecological disturbance for Microbiology and Biochemistry courses in India
    This module explores tropical forest gap dynamics and helps students develop hypotheses about climate-related changes in plant-microbial interactions and was implemented in Microbiology and...

    Keywords: data analysisscientific methoddata interpretationdisturbance ecologyexperiential learningCarbon sequestration in tropical rainforestPlant Microbial interactionsCanopy GapUndergraduate MicrobiologyNational Education Policy 2020

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    Student Activities to Accompany BioTA Podcast Episode 23: Chocolate Is Life
    This instructional resource provides three activities to accompany a podcast on chocolate, including critical reading of primary literature and a focus on social justice and equity issues. The...

    Keywords: ecologyPodcastsocial justicepollinationChocolateCacao

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    Implementing an online module about plant functional traits in the context of restoration ecology for an undergraduate class in Brazil.
    This resource describes my experience in implementing this OCELOTS module in a Functional Trait-based Restoration class for undergraduate majors in the Forest Sciences Department / Escola Superior...

    Keywords: tropical forestsbiodiversity structureAtlantic forestfunctional traitshybrid ecosystems

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    Student-Generated Analogies for Learning about Information Flow
    Using analogies is a standard practice for both teaching and communicating ideas in science. Here we upend the traditional lesson, where the instructor provides a fully constructed analogy and...

    Keywords: critical thinkingcentral dogmaanalogical reasoning

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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...

    Keywords: urban ecologyPrescribed fireEcosystem Servicesecological restorationwoody encroachmentrangeland ecology

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    Speed Data Science
    Data visualization is a foundational data science skill. One way to help students begin to learn about data visualization is to tap in to their innate creative instincts. This activity can be used...

    Keywords: data visualizationdata science educationlife sciences

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    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

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    Module 4: What Kind of Data Goes in a Field Notebook?
    The goal of this activity is to introduce students to biological field notebooks and how they are used by scientists during field work. Specifically, students will learn what a botanist collecting...

    Keywords: Herbarium digitizationField notebookTimothy Plowman

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