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This case study uses a jigsaw activity to introduce students to four specific plant responses to climate change: elevational range shifts, phenology shifts, community shifts, and changes in biodiversity. Students become "experts" on one of these responses by reading an article (from Nature, Science, or American Journal of Botany; not included with the case) on their assigned topic and then sharing their expertise with others in class. In order to hone their understanding and increase retention on these topics, students then learn about plant communities found in a specific system-vernal pools or seasonal wetlands typical of Mediterranean climates (a PowerPoint presentation on this topic is included). Students accomplish several small group tasks to assess how different vernal pool plant communities have responded to fluctuations in annual weather patterns and predict how these communities may respond to greater weather variability resulting from future climatic change. This case was written for mid- to upper-level ecology, plant ecology, botany, or environmental studies courses. The material covered may also be suitable for classes examining the role of weather variability/climate change in relation to plants.

With support from the National Science Foundation, we assisted in developing bioinformatics curriculum for high schools and popular bioinformatics tutorials that are used in both college and high school classes. We have shared these materials at several Bio-Link workshops, and at workshops sponsored by CCURI, Tulsa Community College (SEEDBed award), and DelMar College.  Digital World Biology is also partnering with the Amgen Biotech Experience at Shoreline Community College to assist in providing professional development opportunities for high school teachers.

Nanotechnology Center for Learning and Teaching (NCLT) is conceived to train a nano science and technology literate workforce that can solve global problems by implementing a three-pronged strategy: 1. Publish integrated STEM instructional modules with nano-based applications; 2. Offer professional training through workshops, lectures and seminars; 3. Develop a network of multi-sector nano education communities.

After her two children were diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, Sharon Terry dedicated her life to creating systems-level solutions that will alleviate burdens for consumers and build opportunities for them to be empowered in their own health care. She is the CEO of Genetic Alliance, an international non-profit organization, now in its 25th year, that is the world's largest network of health related organizations working from a consumer perspective. Genetic Alliance builds capacity within the genetics and health community by forging novel partnerships, promoting informed decision-making, and sharing individual, family, and community perspectives.

This case study tells the story of a group of ten men, recently released from federal penitentiaries, who are housed in a residential reentry center for the remainder of their sentences. Their stay is intended to bridge the gap between incarceration and return to life in the community. Due to the length of time served, the men are poorly skilled in healthy behaviors and self-reliance in the areas of food and activity. Although a work of fiction, the narrative realistically portrays a variety of challenges that the men face including a chronic health issue, menu planning, tight budgets, hunger, boredom, lack of cooking skills, and life without a local supermarket. Innovation, trial and error, and collaboration result in a story of resilience and health behavior change in a sparsely populated area of Northern Michigan. The case was originally developed for a college-level nutrition course, but could also be used in social work, community health, and health education, nursing, and dietetics classes.

This case study presents a realistic example of drinking water contamination within a fictional local community and leads students through an abbreviated human health risk assessment. Students are provided background information about the extent of the contamination and a description of the contaminated site and are then required to calculate both the cancer and non-cancer risks to the community. This exercise is appropriate for an environmental toxicology or environmental risk assessment course. It works well after a lecture on the basics of risk assessment including how to calculate exposure intakes and risk estimates.

Bonnie Bassler discovered that bacteria "talk" to each other, using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry -- and our understanding of ourselves. Bonnie Bassler studies how bacteria can communicate with one another, through chemical signals, to act as a unit. Her work could pave the way for new, more potent medicine.

We hear anywhere from 10 to 200 lies a day. And although we've spent much of our history coming up with ways to detect these lies by tracking physiological changes in their tellers, these methods have proved unreliable. Is there a more direct approach? Noah Zandan uses some famous examples of lying to illustrate how we might use communications science to analyze the lies themselves.

You may remember neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis - he built the brain-controlled exoskeleton that allowed a paralyzed man to kick the first ball of the 2014 World Cup. What's he working on now? Building ways for two minds (rats and monkeys, for now) to send messages brain to brain. Watch to the end for an experiment that, as he says, will go to "the limit of your imagination."

Students use DNA profiling to determine who robbed a bank. After they learn how the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is used to match crime scene DNA with tissue sample DNA, students use CODIS principles and sample DNA fragments to determine which of three suspects matches evidence obtain at a crime location. They communicate their results as if they were biomedical engineers reporting to a police crime scene investigation.

Whether you call it textspeak, techspeak, or a reason for Shakespeare to spin madly in his grave, technology is impacting the way we think, connect, and communicate.

What effects will the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology have on the conservation of nature? The ecological and ethical challenges stemming from this question will require a new and continuing dialogue between members of the synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation communities, according to authors of a new paper.

Subject Guides. Longview - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Common Reading Project. Lesson Plans/Study Guides.

Subject Guides. Longview - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Common Reading Project. Lesson Plans/Study Guides.

3:45 video, From the microbes in our stomachs to the ones on our teeth, we are homes to millions of unique and diverse communities which help our bodies function. Jessica Green and Karen Guillemin emphasize the importance of understanding the many organisms that make up each and every organism.

Geneticist Jennifer Doudna co-invented a groundbreaking new technology for editing genes, called CRISPR-Cas9. The tool allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA strands, which could lead to treatments for genetic diseases … but could also be used to create so-called "designer babies." Doudna reviews how CRISPR-Cas9 works - and asks the scientific community to pause and discuss the ethics of this new tool.

In this interrupted case study students analyze the complexities surrounding identification and confirmation of cancer clusters. The case challenges students to consider the evidence from two different perspectives; a local family physician representing the community, and a cluster investigation officer who has worked on several cancer cluster investigations. This case was inspired by the discussion about a possible cancer cluster in Clyde, Ohio, where around 20 cases of childhood cancer since 2001 fueled public concern, leading to an investigation by the Ohio department of health in 2006. This case was designed for introductory courses in biology and environmental sciences, taken by both science majors and non-science majors. In addition to introductory college classes, this case could also be used in advanced high school biology classes.

Children from an Amish community in Indiana had an even lower prevalence of allergies than European farmers, making them among the least allergic subgroup ever measured in the developed world.

"Teachers' Domain is a free digital media service for educational use from public broadcasting and its partners. You'll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities."

Introducing your students to Scratch will provide your students with hands-on opportunities to think creatively, solve problems and work collaboratively.  Scratch is a visual programming platform created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab and is available to all users free of charge. This web-based tool is designed for students ages 8 to 16 but used by people of all ages.  With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations - and share your creations with others in the online community.

Yahoo News article 4/30 Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study claims to provide strong evidence that a mother's diet before pregnancy can permanently affect her child's lifelong health by silencing certain genes.