Group items tagged

This case study is used to teach undergraduate students about hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking), a controversial method for extracting methane from shale. The controversy arises from claims that chemicals used in the fracking process and the methane itself find their way into drinking water and are also sometimes found at dangerous levels in the air. The case study begins in a college chemistry class where a student inquires about a news item he saw about residents setting their tap water on fire. The instructor uses this as an opportunity for the students to research hydrofracking and natural gas, and she then integrate these topics into their present study of isotopes. The class first examines what isotopes are by using a guided inquiry based activity. The students then learn how mass spectrometry, which uses the principles just learned about isotopes, is employed to determine the source of methane in contaminated wells. This case study is designed for freshman chemistry students and students in environmental studies.

"I Heart Running" is a case study in which students diagnose the cause of exercise-induced tachycardia in an otherwise healthy, 27-year-old female. The patient, Sam, is a long-distance runner and realizes that her exercising heart rate reaches over 200 beats per minute. As the story of Sam's encounters with her physician develops, students are given results from multiple laboratory tests and detailed patient background information.  Students are guided through the material with a series of questions with the ultimate goal of determining the cause of the exercise-induced tachycardia that Sam experiences. The case study is based on actual laboratory results and was designed for students in an upper-level undergraduate Human Physiology course. In this activity students will learn about heart rate, cardiovascular physiology, and oxygen carrying capacity, and factors which influence these concepts, as they try to diagnose Sam.

Sheep ranching has destroyed habitat and decimated species in many areas of the world, but in Patagonia declining wool prices provide an opportunity to turn the tide. This case study places students in the role of advisor to an international NGO that has funds to advance conservation goals. A PowerPoint slideshow is used to present the Patagonian landscape, species, and variables that should be considered in conservation decisions.  After the presentation, students are given two maps: the first shows park boundaries, topography, roads, and major land forms; the second includes land prices overlaid on the first. Student groups are assigned a budget, and with the help of a set of guiding questions, students identify and defend a potential land purchase to develop as a protected area. The case is intended for use in an undergraduate class in conservation biology, environmental science or ecology, and presupposes another case in our collection, "The Great Patagonia Land Grab" by C.E. Quinn and J.E. Quinn

"This case study uses a PowerPoint presentation to guide students through two activities designed to teach them about the basics of coronavirus diagnosis and transmission. The first activity involves a set of five "clicker questions" that students answer using either a personal response system, online polling application, or show of hands as they consider symptoms and test results of a hypothetical patient. The second activity is an outbreak simulation in which students consider the spread of a pathogen in various geographical settings and from different perspectives. Students work together to draft a list of precautions that could be taken to limit the spread of the disease and minimize healthy individuals' risk of contracting it. The simulation is designed for a biology lesson pertaining to outbreaks. Although coronavirus is used as the model, the concepts of disease transmission and prevention covered in this case are relevant to many diseases."

Flinn Scientific has launched a website with an extensive amount of resources specifically developed to help teachers, students and parents continue their science education journey - even if that learning is taking place outside the classroom or laboratory environment. Examples of some of the resources we have developed: Free video labs with related teacher and student guides to help students at home continue making progress on key science topics More than 40 free, easy and fun-to-do activities that use commonly available materials to encourage science investigation in the home Flinn's unique digital learning solutions to facilitate seamless science learning. These online solutions are the perfect way to efficiently scale curriculum in an at-home setting - also free of charge On call scientists: over the coming days, we will be releasing video based lab experiments conducted by our scientific staff and broadcast from our studio with live events. As part of each live event, we will have our full team of scientists available to answer questions from teachers and students participating online - also free of charge and highly interactive and engaging. Be sure to check out our online calendar indicating the live schedule

This interrupted case study is designed to introduce beginning biology students to the process of science by exploring a question that is accessible to students with limited scientific background. The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardialis) is the tallest terrestrial mammal and has a disproportionally long neck. Historically, this trait has been hypothesized to be an adaptation for competition between the giraffe and other herbivore species. Guided by a PowerPoint presentation and (optional) worksheet, students will propose hypotheses to explain the giraffe's uniquely long neck and will examine the results of field experiments to test the prevalent historical hypothesis that the long neck allows the giraffe to exploit high food sources. They will find that the data do not support this initial hypothesis and will use other field observations to propose and examine an alternative hypothesis. Throughout the activity students will engage in the process of science; they will propose hypotheses, design experiments, make predictions, and draw conclusions from published field observations.

Our students will face decisions about health, science, and medicine that we can hardly imagine.   How can we keep student needs and science first, yet still create a safe and affirming space for intellectual curiosity? Teaching biology creates many opportunities to authentically incorporate student curiosity. The Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) expect students to ask questions about natural phenomena and then explain their answers using models. This website offers examples of adapting curriculum to NGSS and gender-inclusive standards, as well as resources for advocating to administration and others.

This interrupted case study tells the story of Michael, a Harvard law graduate with a stressful job and a seemingly heavy drinking problem. Students are provided with background information, medical history, and lab results in order to guide them towards determining what is wrong with Michael. This study highlights cirrhosis and the effects of alcohol abuse on the liver. Before beginning the case study, students should have a background in the physiological role of the liver and the breakdown of hemoglobin. Students are asked to use the information provided for them in the case study to gather more information about liver cells and their functions, alcohol, and alcoholic liver damage. Ultimately, using multiple blood tests, the Maddrey's discriminant function (DF) score, and results from a magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), they will diagnose Michael with alcoholic cirrhosis. This case was developed for use in a non-majors physiology course, but could easily be used for a majors class.

his resource describes an inquiry-based, in-class exercise designed for students working in small groups. It is designed to review and enrich student understanding of probability, how probabilities of individual events can be combined to make predictions about more complex outcomes, and how observed data can be compared to a null model based on probabilities using a chi-squared test. These skills are used extensively for classical genetic analysis. Throughout the activity, peers and instructors guide students through the process of developing and solving problems using probabilities and chi-squared tests in small groups.

CASES Online is a collection of investigative lessons, or "cases," for K-12 and undergraduate science education. Using principles of Problem-Based Learning and Investigative Case-Based Learning (and related student-centered pedagogies), our cases are designed to engage students in exploring the science behind real-world problems. Our cases address a variety of learning objectives across the sciences and mathematics. Although our K-12 cases were designed for use in Georgia and meet our state education standards, we have also included the relevant National Science Education Standards. CASES Online is designed to be used by K-12 and undergraduate science educators. By searching our collection, educators can find cases appropriate to their grade levels, subjects, and topics of interest. In order to download case materials for use in the classroom, educators must first register. While there is no charge to register, download, or use these cases -- we request that all users follow the guidelines outlined under our Terms of Use. Educators are also encouraged to submit cases of their own to our collection. To learn how best to use CASES Online, explore the User Guide; otherwise, begin to transform your classroom by searching for cases.

In this clicker case study for a flipped classroom, students familiar with the stages of meiosis work in small groups to determine the predicted genetic makeup of the parthenogenetic offspring of a Komodo dragon, based on four different types of parthenogenesis. Students then learn about the actual genetic makeup of the offspring and determine how meiosis was modified to allow parthenogenesis in this fascinating lizard. The sex of the offspring is explained, based on ZW/ZZ sex determination. A video specifically made for this case prepares students for the in-class activities, which are guided by a PowerPoint presentation. The case also examines how facultative parthogenesis may be adaptive in Komodo dragons and the implications of facultative parthogenesis to conservation of these vulnerable lizards. The case was developed for a general biology class, but could also be used in an introductory course on conservation or cell biology.

This case study provides an overview of the seminal experimental work that led to the discovery of DNA structure and the confirmation of the semi-conservative model of DNA replication. By guiding students through a chronological series of historic experiments and discussing some of the collaborations and controversies involved in the original research, students learn about the history and nature of science in addition to several important biological concepts. A number of recommended videos, including one created by the author, enable instructors to use the "flipped-classroom" mode of instruction according to which students read primary literature and watch videos on their own before group discussions and activities. The case study was developed for use in an introductory undergraduate biology course, and would also be appropriate for use in a high school biology course. Some prior knowledge or instruction may be required, depending on the level and learning objectives of the course.

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!

 Protocol to guide examination of student work focused on student thought.

This interrupted case study examines molecular genetic evidence reported in scientific literature to determine the fate of Louis-Charles, son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette of France. Controversy and rumors surrounding the death of Louis-Charles suggested that either he died as a young boy while being held in captivity by the French revolutionaries or he escaped and was replaced by a substitute who died in his place. One individual claiming to be Louis-Charles was Karl Naundorff. Students begin the case by preparing pedigrees for the descendants of Maria Theresa and Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor, parents of Marie-Antoinette. The pedigrees can be used to introduce the concepts of alleles identical-by-descent and cytoplasmic inheritance patterns. Students then compare mitochondrial DNA sequences and XY chromosome sequences from hair, bone, heart, and blood samples taken from descendants of Marie Theresa, Karl Naundorff and the heart of the boy who died in captivity to determine if the latter was truly Louis-Charles. An optional PowerPoint presentation with clicker questions is available to help guide the classroom activities.

Amanda Briody describes two BioInteractive resources focused on Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. She uses the short film "The Guide: A Biologist in Gorongosa" to introduce students to the park and its scientists. The Gorongosa Interactive Timeline allows her to ask data-based questions on the park's history and ecology, and have students make evidence-based claims.

Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. Despite the successful management of diabetes with purified animal insulin, potentially severe side effects were abundant, and alternative ways to produce insulin were needed. This case study guides students through the history of using insulin to treat diabetes, focusing on the development of recombinant DNA technology and the world's first bioengineered drug, recombinant human insulin, which is now used worldwide to treat diabetes. Through the course of this case, students consider the central dogma of molecular biology, the development of recombinant DNA technology, drug design, the importance of recombinant proteins to our society, and the ethical analysis and debates that occur as a result of some scientific discoveries. This case was developed as an introduction to an upper-division biotechnology course focusing on recombinant protein design and production, but could also be used in molecular biology, biochemistry, or introductory biology courses to highlight recombinant DNA and biotechnology.

Over the years, many teachers have told us that these films seen on NATURAL HEROES offer a valuable resource for the classroom. To help more teachers and students take advantage of the rich content of these timely stories, we have developed a 46-page classroom guide consisting of 6 projects aligned to common core to accompany these films. We also have included interactive links to additional resources and short video selections from the films to use with your students.

The seashell phylogeny and evolution activity is an interactive online activity that can be done in class or assigned as homework. The Teacher's Guide describes supporting resources that can be used to teach students about seashells and a pre-activity exercise that uses the downloadable picture cards to familiarize students with the concept of sorting organisms.

In biology classes, students are typically taught that spontaneous generation does not take place. And yet, at the origin of life, life had to arise without parents from abiotic processes. What were those processes that gave rise to the first life?  This case study uses an interrupted format to guide students through the Miller-Urey experiment of 1953, which showed that organic molecules could be produced from abiotic precursors and conditions thought to be prevalent on the early Earth. The case also addresses the more speculative implications about where these reactions may have taken place to create the organic building blocks of life on this planet. The first three parts of the case, which explore the Miller-Urey experiment, are ideal for introductory biology courses and take about 45-50 minutes to complete. The remaining sections, which explore whether such chemical reactions took place in outer space, were used in a non-major astrobiology course and require a further hour to complete.