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Data Nuggets are free classroom activities, co-designed by scientists and teachers, designed to bring contemporary research and authentic data into the classroom. Data Nuggets include a connection to the scientist behind the data and the true story of their research. Each activity gives students practice working with 'messy data' and interpreting quantitative information. Students are guided through the entire process of science, including identifying hypotheses and predictions, visualizing and interpreting data, making evidence based claims, and asking their own questions for future research. Because of their simplicity and flexibility, Data Nuggets can be used throughout the school year and across grades K-16, as students grow in their quantitative abilities and gain confidence." Sounds like real science to me!

This case study teaches students about allopatric speciation through an investigation of the benthic and limnetic sticklebacks of Paxton Lake, which are among the youngest species on Earth, diverging from each other after the Pleistocene glaciers melted and the Gulf Islands formed. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have carried out a variety of fascinating studies on these hardy little fish. Results from this research (formatted as data sheets included in the teaching notes) are provided to students who design experiments and then compare actual data to investigate why benthic and limnetic sticklebacks seldom interbreed in Paxton Lake. Developed for a first-year biology course for majors organized around the general theme of evolution and the history of life on Earth, this case study is an updated version of another case in the collection, "Something's Fishy in Paxton Lake" (Sharp, 2001). The current version is especially suited for a flipped classroom in which students prepare for class ahead of time with a reading assignment that also involves the viewing of a video by the case authors that introduces the mechanisms of allopatric speciation.

This interrupted case study addresses several concepts related to climate change and its effect on the American pika. Often called an indicator species for climate change, the pika has a unique set of variables specific to its environment. Factors such as temperature, snowpack, and vegetation can affect the distribution and ultimately the chances of survival. The case was designed for use in a "flipped" classroom in which students prepare in advance outside of class by filling out a worksheet while watching a video. The video, created by the author of the case, provides students with baseline information that they apply in class to come up with key ideas and predictions, followed by analysis of actual data to test the hypotheses they develop. The case study incorporates group discussion, analysis of experimental design, and data evaluation as central activities and can be taught in a single 50 minute class session. The case was designed for use in a large introductory-level class, but is also appropriate for smaller classes.

This case study takes place at a fictional biotechnology company developing herbicides against invasive plant species. The case study focuses on five herbicides with different effects on photosynthesis. Students play the role of lab interns and explore photosynthesis and the herbicide effects by engaging in concept mapping, experimental design, data manipulation, and data analysis. The goal is to use the experimental data to predict the steps in photosynthesis that are inhibited by each herbicide. Students should come away from the case study with a process-based understanding of photosynthesis. This case study is designed for the "flipped" classroom with suggested preparatory videos and associated assessment questions included. Videos can be supplemented with textbook readings or mini-lectures. This activity was developed for a non-majors introductory biology course but it could also be used in any general biology course, including majors' courses. It might also be used to establish foundational knowledge for more advanced discussions of photosynthesis in plant biology (botany) courses.

In this activity, students analyze scientific figures to understand principles of island biogeography theory that determine the number of species in an isolated habitat. This activity uses a jigsaw approach to explore the processes that determine the equilibrium number of species in a habitat and how they are affected by both area and isolation. Two "Student Handouts" are provided as options for the activity. The "Analyzing Graphical Data" handout engages students in graph interpretation and sensemaking from data. The "Building the Equilibrium Model" handout facilitates a scaffolded investigation of the dynamic equilibrium model of island biogeography; students construct immigration and extinction curves to demonstrate the effects of area and isolation on the equilibrium number of species. 

This flipped case study is formatted as a PowerPoint presentation that uses group experimentation to encourage active learning in a large science classroom. There are options for using either wet bench experimentation or an online simulation, depending on the class goals. Students learn about plant transpiration and how it affects normal plant processes (photosynthesis). The basics of transpiration are covered in an animated video viewed outside of class. The experiment and/or simulation of transpiration can be conducted in or out of class. If the class is very large, the instructor may choose to assign the experiment/simulation for outside of class (post-video) and have the students bring their data to class, or the instructor may choose to just present the students with a data set from which they can work with their groups in class. At the end, students should be able to define transpiration, explain climate effects on transpiration rates, and how transpiration rates affect the overall physiology of the plant itself, through their own hypothesis design and experimentation.

We're taking a systems approach to learning about the Earth using real scientific data. Our goal is to design easy-to-use curriculum activities and simple, intuitive computer interfaces for accessing online data. It's all part of a NOAA-supported effort called the NODE Project.

This directed case study was developed in order to present genomic data to students, allow them to interpret the impact of genetic variations on phenotype, and to explore precision medicine. Students are introduced to "Josie," a college sophomore who decides to have her genome sequenced after learning about genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in class. As students work  through the case, they learn about the different technologies that can be used in GWAS studies and interpret Josie's results for a subset of genetic markers that affect a range of traits from pharmacogenetics to disease risk alleles and non-pathogenic traits. Students are confronted with ethical issues such as duty to inform, actionable results, and variants of unknown significance (VUS). Students are also asked to reflect on their feelings about getting genomic testing for themselves. An optional activity for advanced students (included in the teaching notes) involves using the Gene database at NCBI to explore variants of the CYP2C9 gene. The case study is appropriate for use in undergraduate genetics or molecular biology classrooms.

"Survival of the Fittest: Variations in the Clam Species Clamys sweetus" is a guided inquiry. This series of hands-on activities complements the HHMI DVD Evolution: Constant Change and Common Threads and requires simple materials such as M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, food storage bags, and paper cups. This activity has been designed to engage students in thinking about the mechanism of natural selection by encouraging them to formulate questions that can be answered through scientific investigation, data collection, and pattern recognition.

This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom applies evolutionary genetics research to human health. Students learn about a naturally occurring, but rare, allele of the CCR5 gene, CCR5-Δ32, which provides resistance to HIV. They use data from primary literature sources to predict and interpret worldwide patterns of CCR5-Δ32 frequency distribution. They then discuss how these allele frequency patterns may have been driven by selection imposed by various diseases or by other evolutionary mechanisms. Next, they test published data using Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to examine if CCR5-Δ32 also provides genetic resistance to West Nile virus. Finally, they complete a jigsaw discussion of Nature News articles that report on how CCR5 research is being used to develop therapies to treat HIV. Originally written for the evolution portion of a yearlong biology series for undergraduate majors, the case is also appropriate for some non-majors biology courses or, with added complexity, upper-level evolution, genetics, or cell biology courses.

This activity complements the video Virus Hunter: Monitoring Nipah Virus in Bat Populations. Students explore cases of Nipah virus infection, analyze evidence, and make calculations and predictions based on data. Students assume the role of epidemiologists analyzing real data from an outbreak of Nipah virus in Malaysia, attempting to identify the reservoir of the virus and curtail the outbreak. Students will make predictions, perform calculations, adapt to new information, and make recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The article "Data back ban of artificial trans fats" (10.8 readability score) summarizes new research showing that banning artificial trans fats in foods could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Students can focus on details reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about trans fats research, engage in a classroom discussion of related scientific and government policy questions and make connections between the science of food and their health. Students can also conduct their own experiments to analyze foods for fats and then research the types of fats within different foods to make recommendations about dietary consumption.