Diffusion has often been taught in science courses as one of the primary ways by which molecules travel, particularly within organisms. For years, classroom teachers have used the same common demonstrations to illustrate this concept (e.g., placing drops of food coloring in a beaker of water). Most of the time, the main contributor to the motion…

We developed an interactive laboratory that allows students to identify and grade tissue samples from human breast biopsies, using techniques similar to those used by actual pathologists. This unique lab develops a practical and intellectual understanding of basic tissue structures that make up living systems, utilizing technology to bring…

In order to effectively teach evolution to all students, even those resistant to learning evolution, science teachers may question the extent to which religion can legally be discussed in the public high school science classroom. Evolution is taught from a variety of approaches, each of which has legal implications. Four approaches to teaching…

Science is a complex process, and we must not teach our students overly simplified versions of "the" scientific method. We propose that students can uncover the complex realities of scientific thinking by exploring the similarities and differences between solving the familiar crossword puzzles and scientific "puzzles."…

In this two-part activity, high school biology students examine human karyotyping, sex-chromosome-linked disorders, and the relationship between biological sex and gender. Through interactive simulations and a structured discussion lab, students create a human karyotype and diagnose chromosomal disorders in hypothetical patients, as well as…

To involve students in thinking about the problem of AIDS (which is important in the view of nondecreasing infection rates), we established a practical lab using a simplified adaptation of Thomas's (2004) method to determine the polymorphism of HIV co-receptor CCR5 from students' own epithelial cells. CCR5 is a receptor involved in…

In daily life, students are allowed to use words such as "more," "some," or "increase-decrease" to describe the relationship between two events. In science, concise description is necessary, which requires the contribution of math. In the summer component of the Science Research Institute program, students integrated…

This model-building activity provides a quick, visual, hands-on tool that allows students to examine more carefully the cloverleaf structure of a typical tRNA molecule. When used as a supplement to lessons that involve gene expression, this exercise reinforces several concepts in molecular genetics, including nucleotide base-pairing rules, the…

Obesity is the costliest preventable health problem in the United States. Understanding and applying the first law of thermodynamics will help students prevent and treat this all-too-common problem.

Genetics, one of the most influential fields, underlies all of biology and produces discoveries that are in the news daily. However, many students leave introductory biology and genetics courses lacking a coherent framework of knowledge to use in their daily lives. We identify substantial "missing links" in the teaching of foundational…

Biology courses have thousands of words to learn in order to intelligently discuss the subject and take tests over the material. Biological fluency is an important goal for students, and practical methods based on constructivist pedagogies can be employed to promote it. We present a method in which pairs of students write dialogues from…

Next-generation sequencing technologies have greatly reduced the cost of sequencing genomes. With the current sequencing technology, a genome is broken into fragments and sequenced, producing millions of "reads." A computer algorithm pieces these reads together in the genome assembly process. PHAST is a set of online modules…

An algorithm has been developed for the rapid determination of single-gene inheritance patterns from genetic pedigrees.

We present a collection of analogies that are intended to help students better understand the foreign and often nuanced vocabulary of the genetics curriculum. Why is it called the "wild type"? What is the difference between a locus, a gene, and an allele? What is the functional (versus a rule-based) distinction between dominant and…

A point mutation in the MC1R gene, a G-protein-coupled receptor, has been found that could have led to the formation of two subspecies of Solomon Island flycatcher from a single ancestral population. I discuss the many roles that G-protein-coupled receptors play in vertebrate physiology and how one particular point mutation can have enormous…