Access to microorganisms in the classroom is essential for teaching fundamental concepts of life sciences, yet most are neither safe nor accessible for classroom instruction. Halobacterium NRC-1, a member of the Domain Archaea, is ideal for engaging students through inquiry-based teaching and learning in the classroom. We introduce this colorful model microbe and provide many ways in which it can be used for experiential learning, including life in extreme environments, basic microbiology skills, action of antibiotics, genotype-phenotype connection, genomics and bioinformatics, and applications in biotechnology.

Life science classrooms often emphasize the exception to the rule when it comes to teaching genetics, focusing heavily on rare single-gene and Mendelian traits. By contrast, the vast majority of human traits and diseases are caused by more complicated interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Research indicates that students have a deterministic view of genetics, generalize Mendelian inheritance patterns to all traits, and have unrealistic expectations of genetic technologies. The challenge lies in how to help students analyze complex disease risk with a lack of curriculum materials. Providing open access to both content resources and an engaging storyline can be achieved using a “serious game” model. “Touching Triton” was developed as a serious game in which students are asked to analyze data from a medical record, family history, and genomic report in order to develop an overall lifetime risk estimate of six common, complex diseases. Evaluation of student performance shows significant learning gains in key content areas along with a high level of engagement.

The common ancestor and evolution by natural selection, concepts introduced by Charles Darwin, constitute the central core of biology research and education. However, students generally struggle to understand these concepts and commonly form misconceptions about them. To help teachers select the most revelant portions of Darwin's work, I suggest some sentences from On the Origin of Species and briefly discuss their implications. I also suggest a teaching strategy that uses history of science and curriculum crosscutting concepts (cause and effect) that constitute the framework to explain the evolutionary history of ratites (flightless birds) as described by Darwin, starting in the Jurassic, with the breakup of Gondwanaland, as first described by Alfred Wegener in The Origin of Continents and Oceans.

Models are simplified representations of more complex systems that help scientists structure the knowledge they acquire. As such, they are ubiquitous and invaluable in scientific research and communication. Because science education strives to make classroom activities more closely reflect science in practice, models have become integral teaching and learning tools woven throughout the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Although model-based learning and curriculum are not novel in educational theory, only recently has modeling taken center stage in K-12 national standards for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes. We present a variety of examples to outline the importance of various types of models and the practice of modeling in biological research, as well as the emphasis of NGSS on their use in both classroom learning and assessment. We then suggest best practices for creating and modifying models in the context of student-driven inquiry and demonstrate that even subtle incorporation of modeling into existing science curricula can help achieve student learning outcomes, particularly for English-language learners. In closing, we express the value of models and modeling in life beyond the classroom and research laboratory, and highlight the critical importance of “model literacy” for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers.

This exploratory study examined the impacts of a student-centered, active-learning course on nonmajors' attitudes and perceptions of biology and biologists. Results revealed changes along various measured attitude variables. Most notably, participants saw significant positive shifts in their perceptions of biology as a scientific field that contrasted with their relatively stable perceptions of biologists as scientists. Implications are discussed in the context of the impacts of nonmajors biology courses on future K—12 science instructors and potential influxes of students into the science pipeline.

Given the importance of succinctly communicating complex information, proficiency in graphing is a central element of scientific literacy. Evidence indicates that learners of all ages and levels of expertise have difficulties in displaying and reading visual data. Numerous studies have investigated the enactment of various activities to improve graphing in the college science classroom, but most of this work has focused on graphing difficulties and the implications of general instructional strategies as part of a semester-long curriculum. Few studies have discussed how specific interventions can be implemented to effectively hone graphing abilities. We evaluated (1) five key instructional features of an inquiry-oriented stream-ecology unit that consisted of data collection and graphing and (2) the unit's impact on nonscience majors' analytical skills. Comparing pretest and posttest data, as well as a supplemental questionnaire, student responses demonstrated substantial positive impacts on graphing skills and attitudes toward graphing. The results also highlighted features of the unit that were considered successful. Although we a describe a particular stream-ecology activity, the framework and design features we present can be applied to other case studies and across disciplines.

Streams and stream macroinvertebrates are ideal natural systems for ecological inquiry. We present three simple experiments that students can use to conduct field-based investigations which illustrate the importance of algae-based food webs in streams and measure the effects of sediment pollution (scour and deposition) on stream ecological processes. Over the past 5 years, we have conducted these experiments 19 times with our students. We report on the results and reliability of these experiments and make suggestions for other educators who may want to conduct them.

Research into human eating behavior is complex. Innate preferences for sweet and aversions to bitter tastes may explain why we choose certain foods. Some segments of the population, called “supertasters,” are more sensitive to bitter-tasting foods because of a genetic polymorphism. These individuals may reject bitter vegetables like broccoli, potentially putting them at risk for obesity and chronic disease. However, learned associations with food, including rewards, social experiences, and modeling, have also been shown to explain food choice. The respective roles of taste and learning in food choice are explored here in a classroom investigation designed for undergraduates.

Students in the natural sciences should be prepared as undergraduates to read and apply concepts from the scientific literature. I describe a strategy that enforced the necessity to deliver high volumes of content while incorporating an active-learning technique. Students were assigned to read and discuss articles from the scientific literature that complemented content being delivered via traditional lecture. Students were encouraged to participate by coming to class prepared with written questions, and discussion was directed by instructor-prepared prompts. Students were assessed via low-stakes assignments based primarily on participation. This teaching method has proved effective, as verbally reported by past students who are currently enrolled in graduate programs. These students report feeling more prepared than their peers to discuss and learn from the scientific literature.

Photo and video microscopy expand the utility of microscopic observations in education, but attachments needed for this have been prohibitively expensive or too fragile to allow students individual access to these techniques. We describe a do-it-yourself method using inexpensive materials that allows students to build an adaptor that will allow them to turn their cell phones into “CellCams” that they can use to capture microscopic images and videos. Activities are presented that give students ways to learn about concepts of microscopy using their self-collected images.