Inquiry methods have been successful in improving science literacy in students of all ages. Model-Based Inquiry (MBI) is an instructional model that engages students in the practices of science through the collaborative development of scientific models to explain an anchoring phenomenon. Student ideas are tested through engagement in content-rich…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States, 2013) recommend that science courses engage communities of students in scientific practices that include building accurate conceptual models of phenomena central to the understanding of scientific disciplines. We offer a set of activities, implemented successfully at both the…

Mutation is the key molecular mechanism generating phenotypic variation, which is the basis for evolution. In an introductory biology course, we used a model-based pedagogy that enabled students to integrate their understanding of genetics and evolution within multiple case studies. We used student-generated conceptual models to assess…

Research in contemporary biology has become increasingly complex and organized around understanding biological processes in the context of systems. To better reflect the ways of thinking required for learning about systems, we developed and implemented a pedagogical approach using box-and-arrow models (similar to concept maps) as a foundational…

The understanding of core concepts and processes of science in solving problems is important to successful learning in biology. We have designed and developed a Web-based, self-directed tutorial program, "SOLVEIT," that provides various scaffolds (e.g., prompts, expert models, visual guidance) to help college students enhance their…

Although molecular clock theory is a commonly discussed facet of evolutionary biology, undergraduates are rarely presented with the underlying information of how this theory is examined relative to empirical data. Here a simple contextual exercise is presented that not only provides insight into molecular clocks, but is also a useful exercise for…

Offers an opposing view to Darwin's statement that evolution occurs through gradual change, using fossil species and modes of evolution to lend support to the author's model of "punctuated equilibria," in which... "Lineages change little during most of their history, but events of rapid speciation occasionally punctuate this…

Provides examples of the teaching of hypothesis generation and scientific inquiry in biology. Specifically, the author applies the selection paradigm to considerations of the human nutrient-handling apparatus, finally suggesting a model of the selective forces that may have operated on the human genome since hunting-gathering and primitive…

Outlines the proteinoid theory of the origin of life and examines competing or alternative concepts in the light of a sequential experimental model. (JR)

Describes a simple model to illustrate several aspects of the biochemical origin of life and the process of evolution through natural selection. The model has students predict the outcome of evolution in populations of beads. Instructional strategies using the model are also discussed. (Author/JN)

Presents a model for teaching the principles of evolution. The model presents three major factors that direct changes and affect an individual's fitness. Uses and adaptations of the model are suggested. (Author/SA)

Describes an approach to teaching population genetics and evolution and some of the ways models can be used to enhance understanding of the processes being studied. Discusses the instructional plan, and the use of models including utility programs and analysis with models. Provided are a basic program and sample program outputs. (CW)

Presents a simple model that can help students think about evolution and better understand the gradualist and punctuationist macroevolution approaches. The model also improves instruction for concepts of mutation, selection, fitness, extinction, and origin of life. Describes an IBM computer program for instruction in these areas. (PR)

These materials were designed to be used by life science students for instruction in the application of physical theory to ecosystem operation. Most modules contain computer programs which are built around a particular application of a physical process. This report introduces two models of the thermal energy budget of a leaf. Typical values for…