Students often find it challenging to create images of complex, abstract biological processes. Using modified storyboards, which contain predrawn images, students can visualize the process and anchor ideas from activities, labs, and lectures. Storyboards are useful in assessing students' understanding of content in larger contexts. They enable…

Epigenetics involves heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. I developed an active-learning approach to convey this topic to students in a college genetics course. I posted a brief summary of the topic before class to stimulate exchange in cooperative groups. During class, we discussed the…

DEVELOPED AND SUBJECTIVELY EVALUATED ARE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN AN INTRODUCTORY COLLEGE LEVEL GENERAL EDUCATION BIOLOGY COURSE, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE DYNAMIC AND INVESTIGATIVE ASPECTS OF SCIENCE. THE MATERIALS, WHICH USE A CASE HISTORY APPROACH, WERE DEVELOPED BY EDITING EXCERPTS FROM CLASSICAL SCIENTIFIC PAPERS WITH ADEQUATE EDITORIAL…

This laboratory provides an easy and rapid way to introduce students to some of the exciting principles of gene regulation by analyzing expression of the lac operon of Escherichia coli. (PR)

Discusses the advantages of basing computer simulations on analogues of nature rather than mathematical models. Explains the concept of heritability and describes how a computer simulation can help undergraduate students understand this concept. (ML)

Data sharing among multiple lab sections increases statistical power of data analyses and informs student-generated hypotheses. We describe how to collect, organize, and manage data to support replicate and rolling inquiry models, with three illustrative examples of activities from a population-level biology course for science majors. (Contains 1…

Shows how fruit flies can be used in the teaching genetics laboratory to correlate the principles of heredity with the modern understanding of enzymes. (Contains 16 references.) (MDH)

Presented are arguments for the use of a case study approach for the teaching of human heredity. The design of case studies and related exercises is discussed. Five examples are given. A list of eight resources for case study samples is included. (CW)

Described is a laboratory experiment that can be used to investigate bacterial survival in soil or water as well as the study of genetic transfer via conjugation. Discussed are materials, laboratory procedures, typical results, and a list of six references. (CW)

An activity in which students transform an ampicillin-sensitive strain of E. coli with a plasmid containing a gene for ampicillin resistance is described. The procedure for the preparation of competent cells and the transformation of competent E. coli is provided. (KR)

An activity that introduces students to the concepts of independent assortment of alleles during meiosis and gametogenesis, the richness of the variation that occurs as a result of allele recombination, and the unique phenotypes of offspring. Reproducible handouts with the directions and model chromosomes are provided. (KR)