Presents a laboratory in which students are provided with cultures of three bacterial strains. Using the results, students will determine which of the strains corresponds to a mutant lacking a particular functional gene. (DDR)

Outlines alternative approaches to the teaching of difficult concepts in A-level biology which may help student learning by making abstract ideas more concrete and accessible. Examples include models, posters, and poems for illustrating meiosis, mitosis, genetic mutations, and protein synthesis. (DDR)

Discusses the human trait of attempting to read minds in an attempt to make sense of the actions of others. The term Mindblind comes from the fact that this is difficult for people with autism to do. Mindreading appears to be encoded in the genes and adaptive. (PVD)

Influences of heredity and environment on educational and occupational choice in mid-life and elderly cohorts were studied using longitudinal twin data (413 pairs). For both education and occupation there is a trend toward increasing genetic variance for females in comparison to males in the younger cohort. (SLD)

Discusses strategies that enable students to learn ideas and concepts in the context of how modern communication technology is designed and operates. Describes a course that integrates the study of math, science, and technology into topics that are engaging to students. Presents an activity that introduces students to digital coding and compares…

This article describes two workshops that explained the use of prenatal testing and genetic information to inform choices in pregnancy to people with learning difficulties, explored the issues with them, and describe the contribution subsequently made by these people to a British national conference on this subject. (Contains references.)…

A study investigated 136 toddlers from 112 families with or without a history of specific language impairment (SLI). SLI was found to aggregate in families; the average rate in families affected with a family history of SLI was 32%, with significantly more boys reported as having SLI than girls. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Presented is a hand model which can be used to compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis. Features and procedures of the technique are detailed. Limitations of the models are discussed. (CW)

Reports on some potential teaching problems associated with children's scientific ideas about the concept of mutation. Provides information on the sample, methodology of study, and analysis. Concludes that in biology teaching the treatment of the concept must ensure that its genetic sense is specifically delineated. (RT)

Analyzes a "Time" article discussing genetics and bioethics to evoke the need of scientific literacy education. Suggests reform in teacher education programs. (YP)

The porphyrias are a family of genetic disorders whose genetics and biochemistry are largely identified. Background information on these diseases are discussed including porphyrins, gene expression, population genetics, and historical significance. (CW)

Presented is a study in which students' intellectual reasoning development was evaluated following instruction that emphasized formal operations in a traditional lecture format. Results indicated that formal-operational students had significantly more success in the three reasoning areas than transitional students and transitional students had…

Prescriptions for improving student understanding and problem-solving performance related to transmission genetics are discussed. Research on novice/expert problem-solving in transmission genetics is reviewed. (Author/CW)

Presented is a detailed look at some published materials showing the widespread nature of the misuse of genetics terminology. Suggests that similar problems can be found in any genetics text. Concludes with a plan for urgent action and suggestions for improvement. (Author/CW)

Discussed are some of the uncertainties in human genetic mechanisms that are often presented as dogma in Biology textbooks. Presented is a brief historical background and illustrations involving chromosome abnormality in humans and linkage studies in humans. (CW)