This article introduces and contextualizes the content of this theme issue of The American Biology Teacher (ABT), which focuses on integrating elements of the history of science (HOS) in biology instruction. Such orientations can enhance students' understanding of core biological concepts and the process of scientific discovery by associating them with appropriate historical narratives. This article introduces the range of ideas offered by a variety of authors regarding how to teach aspects of the history of science, most of which use the case study approach. The second purpose is to provide a research-based background in support of a history of science (HOS) teaching orientation with rationales for its inclusion in the curriculum. Therefor readers will find personal insights and a review of the use of historical techniques in biology instruction including discussion of seminal contributions such as the Harvard Case Studies in Experimental Science from HOS proponent James B. Conant and Leo Klopfer's adaptation of this approach for high school classrooms with the History of Science Cases (HOSC). The review continues with discussion of rationales for the inclusion of HOS approaches and a typology of such approaches. Throughout the article posits that even a modest incorporation of historical context into instruction can significantly enrich the educational experience, helping students gain a more profound appreciation of biology and the nature of scientific inquiry, ultimately making instruction more impactful and meaningful.

American Biology Teacher has published over seven dozen articles relevant to the history of biology in biology teaching. They are cataloged here and indexed by topic. As reflected in this archive, teachers adopt a historical approach for many pragmatic motivations: (1) to engage students, by contextualizing science culturally; (2) to foster student interest through storytelling; (3) to promote the human dimension of science and offer role models; (4) to exemplify and nurture scientific reasoning; and (5) to convey the ever elusive “nature of science.” Here, I summarize and comment on those aims and their relation to the Next Generation Science Standards, and consider briefly some of the practical dimensions for teachers who have not yet engaged with historical approaches.

Herbaria, collections of preserved plant specimens, have existed for 500 years as repositories of information about plants. Many of these collections are now being digitized, making them available to a much broader audience including students and teachers. Specimens can be used in a variety of different contexts in teaching biology, including from the viewpoint of the history of science. There are plants collected on Captain Cook's and Darwin's round-the-world voyages, as well as on early explorations of the western United States. Besides being tied to the history of science and culture, older specimens also document environmental variations over time, such as changes in flowering or fruiting times due to global warming. With access to digital images and information, teachers can design activities in which students test hypotheses and search for supporting evidence as they learn about collectors and the indigenous peoples who assisted them.

This article presents a historical and investigative narrative, “The Railway Workers' Disease,” to actively engage students in science. The case focuses on the research challenges encountered by Carlos Chagas in Brazil in the early twentieth century. Chagas eventually identified a new disease, the previously unknown protozoan that caused it, and the insect vector that transmitted it: a remarkable triple discovery. By situating inquiry in a historical scenario, teachers can place students in the shoes of actual historical scientists and pose inquiry questions in an authentic context. Our students expressed a sense of being active participants alongside Carlos in conducting a scientific investigation and reported a deeper understanding of scientific practices than in their regular classes. The interactive storytelling and discussion method also enables inquiry learning about the nature of science, in addition to the standard textbook concepts of infectious diseases, protozoa, and the ecology of parasitic insects.

This work presents a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) that aims to engage students in learning core biological knowledge and well-informed conceptions about the nature of science through a historical case study: Alfred Russel Wallace's (1823–1913) research on palm trees in the Amazon. He observed, illustrated, described, and collected several specimens to understand the region's biological diversity. We took it as a starting point for students to use a dichotomous identification key and develop a phylogenetic tree. We also mention an evaluation of the TLS applied in second-year high school classes involving sixty students from a public school in the city of São Paulo in 2013. The activity produced several positive effects, especially regarding motivation for learning phylogenetic classification from exemplary historical contexts. The experience illustrates in a more general way how the use of nature investigations carried out in the past can contribute to a more complete scientific education, as described in the new curricular standards.

Students possess many misconceptions about the nature of science and science practices that hinder robust understanding of science content, diminish interest in science learning, make science appear as an uninteresting career option, and exacerbate distrust of science. With National Science Foundation funding, freely and easily accessible historically accurate short stories have been created that bring science and scientists to life; accurately illustrating the work of scientists and how scientific knowledge is developed and becomes well established. This article presents the project's biology stories, and focuses on the classroom implementation of one story to illustrate mediation strategies that draw students' attention to targeted nature of science and science practices. Research supporting the efficacy of this approach is summarized.

In this contribution, the Flensburg approach toward storytelling in science education is described with possible applications. In this approach, a particular emphasis is placed on the oral narration in the classroom. As a result, we provide in this contribution both materials for developing a story to be told in the classroom as well as several recommendations how to develop the skills involved in narrating a science story.

I present an adaptable lesson format for integrating history of science and inquiry learning. Its features include: (1) motivating students by connecting science to its cultural and human contexts; (2) nurturing scientific ways of thinking through a historical case; (3) sustaining student engagement through storytelling; (4) inspiring students through the value of scientific discovery and potential role models; and (5) understanding the nature of science through authentic, fully contextualized examples.

We describe a historical inquiry case based on the investigations of hydra (H. viridissima) by the 18th-century naturalist Abraham Trembley, who ultimately received the Royal Society's prestigious Copley Medal for his work. Students are invited to participate in the research by working virtually alongside Trembley. They engage in many fully contextualized scientific practices and discuss reflective questions that help highlight aspects of the nature of science. Here, the dilemma of classifying zoophytes serves as an occasion to invigorate the often dry topic of classification by focusing on the distinction between plants and animals—not nearly as simple as it may seem to the novice.