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Concept maps are tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts or propositions, (indicated by a connecting line and linking word) between two concepts. Linking words on the line specify the relationship between the two concepts. Joe Novak defines "concept" as a perceived regularity in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label. Think of the concept "Dog" in your mind, what do you see? You might see a prototype shape (head, four legs etc) and typical examples (terrier, collie, sheepdog) and even be able to explain it (give a definition) in words. The label for most concepts is a word, although sometimes we use symbols such as + or %. Propositions are statements about some object or event in the universe, either naturally occurring or constructed. Propositions contain two or more concepts connected with other words to form a meaningful statement. Sometimes these are called semantic units,or units of meaning. Figure 1 shows an example of a concept map that describes the structure of concept maps and illustrates the above characteristics.

This hands-on activity, used in conjunction with the film The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans, teaches students about population genetics, the Hardy-Weinberg principle, and how natural selection alters the frequency distribution of heritable traits. It uses simple simulations to illustrate these complex concepts and includes exercises such as calculating allele and genotype frequencies, graphing and interpretation of data, and designing experiments to reinforce key concepts in population genetics.

The virtual lab includes four modules that investigate different concepts in evolutionary biology, including adaptation, convergent evolution, phylogenetic analysis, reproductive isolation, and speciation. Each module involves data collection, calculations, analysis and answering questions. The "Educators" tab includes lists of key concepts and learning objectives and detailed suggestions for incorporating the lab in your instruction.

In order to develop complex scientific explanations, students need to have many opportunities to grapple with a concept, look at it from various points of view, and analyze data representing different relationships. I plan the sequence and flow of my AP Environmental Science course strategically to ensure I am making these connections using a concept called "curriculum spiraling."

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.

UCLA researchers now have the first evidence that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function in humans. In an early proof-of-concept study of healthy women, they found that women who regularly consumed beneficial bacteria known as probiotics through yogurt showed altered brain function, both while in a resting state and in response to an emotion-recognition task.

Students begin by watching the online video clip and completing a worksheet. After that assignment, instructors can decide which of the two activities (or both!) to use in class. In Activity 1, students identify the locations on chromosomes of genes involved in cancer, using a set of 139 "Cancer Gene Cards" and associated posters. In Activity 2, students explore the genetic basis of cancer by examining cards that list genetic mutations found in the DNA of actual cancer patients. Small-group work spurs discussion about the genes that are mutated in different types of cancers and the cellular processes that the affected genes control. The Activity 1 and 2 Overview document provides short summaries of the two activities along with key concepts and learning objectives, background information, references and rubrics, and answers to students' questions. Both cancer discovery activities are appropriate for first-year high school biology (honors or regular), AP and IB Biology. Activity 2 is also appropriate for an undergraduate freshman biology class.

Steps in Cloning a Gene View the animation below, then complete the quiz to test your knowledge of the concept.

This case study was developed for an introductory biology course with the goal of integrating content (specifically, structure/function, signaling pathways, and homeostasis) while reinforcing general critical thinking skills and the scientific method (generating hypotheses, evaluating evidence, and making predictions). The case is suitable for a flipped classroom and there are several videos associated with it. The case revolves around an obese two-and-a-half-year-old boy who won't stop eating. Students become familiar with some basic concepts related to obesity and leptin signaling through the videos that they watch before class. They then use class time to work through the case (delivered as an interactive slide show, including several clicker questions) to determine the genetic basis for this child's obesity and possible therapies to manage his weight. The case could also be adapted and expanded to be used in a physiology course to explore the interaction of various hormones that regulate appetite and metabolic rate or in a cell biology class to explore JAK-STAT signaling.

Massive vines that blanket the southern United States, climbing high as they uproot trees and swallow buildings. A ravenous snake that is capable of devouring an alligator. Rabbit populations that eat themselves into starvation. These aren't horror movie concepts - they're real stories. But how could such situations exist in nature? Jennifer Klos gives the facts on invasive species.

In this case study students are provided with information for piecing together the story of how forest fragmentation and biodiversity loss can affect the risk of Lyme disease transmission to humans. The case introduces the dilution effect, a widely accepted theory-and one of the most important ideas in disease ecology-which suggests that disease risk for humans decreases as the diversity of species in an area increases. It also explains how landscape fragmentation, one of the most common threats to biodiversity, can influence the risk of Lyme disease for humans. Students interpret and discuss various figures to develop a concept map that connects all the individual results of the story. Students gain an appreciation for the complexity of species interactions in an ecosystem, the effects of forest fragmentation on these interactions and the possible consequences for human health. This activity was developed for an undergraduate introduction to environmental sciences course under the topic of biodiversity and conservation, but would also be suitable for interdisciplinary studies interested in examining the connections between conservation and public health.

This case study explores the recent (2010 - 2016) outbreak of neural tube defects, specifically anencephaly, in a rural three-county region of Washington state, particularly Yakima, WA. The case study focuses on the biological aspects of teratogens that may cause birth defects as well as epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks. By the end of the case, students will have explored how our environment may have severe biological consequences on the human body during pregnancy and will have evaluated governmental and scientific investigations of a rare outbreak of birth defects. This clicker case study was developed for a non-majors biology course entitled "Human Development: Conception to Birth," although it could be taught in any introductory biology course for majors or non-majors during a unit on human reproductive biology or developmental biology. The case assumes that students have no prior knowledge of developmental biology or birth defects. The case study could also be adapted for upper-division courses by getting more in-depth on the specifics of teratogen mechanisms, the developmental biology and physiology of neural tube defects, or more complex epidemiological analyses.

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.

This case study focuses on the relationship between evolution and plasticity using a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. Students view examples from the literature that illustrate the difference between nature and nurture, or the relative contributions of genes and the environment in shaping phenotypes. Using the Trinidadian guppy system as an example, students learn about seminal work in the field in addition to exploring quantitative genetic techniques used to partition phenotypic variance between genes (G) and the environment (E). They use real data from one of the publications cited in the case to graph reaction norms illustrating GxE interactions at the family and population level. The inquiry-based approach means that students are introduced to new concepts in a stepwise fashion, and asked to develop and build their understanding using causal, explanatory evidence. The case concludes with an exercise in which students apply their knowledge to a real conservation problem in Trinidad and Tobago, where guppies are native. This case would be appropriate for an upper level biology, genetics, or evolution course.

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.

Loss of species richness is often due to anthropogenic activity. The global decline of amphibians is one such example. This case study examines the impact of road deicing agents on amphibians living near bridges and roads treated heavily with salt during the winter months. Concepts explored in this case include changes to the aquatic environment as a result of road deicing applications, bioaccumulation, osmoregulation in amphibians living in clean freshwater, and the impact of increased aquatic salinity levels on the ability of amphibians to adequately osmoregulate in an environment for which they are not adapted. Three short videos created by the author can be shown in class or assigned for viewing in advance for a "flipped" classroom approach. Originally developed for a general education/introductory biology course, the case could also be used with introductory level animal anatomy and physiology courses as part of a deeper exploration of the renal system.

With its famous opening scene at a Harvard graduation, this classic of education research brings into sharp focus the dilemma facing all educators: Why don't even the brightest students truly grasp basic science concepts? This award-winning program traces the problem through interviews with Harvard graduates and their professors, as well as with a bright ninth-grader who has some confused ideas about the orbits of the planets.

great creative homework assignments for key concepts/broad topics

 This session will showcase several PBL lessons and units that incorporate multiple Common Instructional Framework Strategies and authentic inquiry experiences in order to facilitate mastery of science concepts.  

The external environment's effects upon genes can influence disease, and some of these effects can be inherited in humans. Studies investigating how environmental factors impact the genetics of an individual's offspring are difficult to design. However, in certain parts of the world in which social systems are highly centralized, environmental information that might have influenced families can be obtained. For example, Swedish scientists recently conducted investigations examining whether nutrition affected the death rate associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes and whether these effects were passed from parents to their children and grandchildren (Kaati et al., 2002). These researchers estimated how much access individuals had to food by examining records of annual harvests and food prices in Sweden across three generations of families, starting as far back as the 1890s. These researchers found that if a father did not have enough food available to him during a critical period in his development just before puberty, his sons were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Remarkably, death related to diabetes increased for children if food was plentiful during this critical period for the paternal grandfather, but it decreased when excess food was available to the father. These findings suggest that diet can cause changes to genes that are passed down though generations by the males in a family, and that these alterations can affect susceptibility to certain diseases. But what are these changes, and how are they remembered? The answers to questions such as these lie in the concept of epigenetics.