This paper presents a novel approach to teaching how vaccines work in the body, and introduces a community outreach project and activity we piloted with youth. Our Nuestra Ciencia program addresses scientific misconceptions among bilingual elementary school children in engaging and scientifically accurate ways. Utilizing analogies and storytelling, one of our lessons simplifies the complex microbiology concept of the mechanism of action of vaccines. We underscore the issue with conveying this concept through accurate visuals, supported by our research that revealed that less than 1% of cartoons available online accurately depict how vaccines work. The analogy we developed and showcase in this paper employs relatable characters: the virus as a robber, the immune system as a superhero, and the vaccine as a “most wanted” poster. The activities include a skit and storyboard session, enabling students to act out the analogy and create their own imaginative scenarios. By targeting young learners, this lesson aims to prevent long-standing misconceptions and empower future generations to make informed decisions about vaccination. Nuestra Ciencia offers a promising model for combating vaccine hesitancy and promoting public health through effective science communication.

Out-of-school science education is important for students' emotional outcomes, such as their interest in science. Not all students, however, have access to real outdoor environments for hands-on learning. To address this issue, live streaming technology allows for real-time interaction and video-based instruction, which can enhance students' interest in science and connect in-school and out-of-school learning. The effects of live streaming programs, however, are not well understood. In this study, we used the experiential learning theory to design and implement an activity on seed dispersal and conservation using live streaming technology at a botanical garden. The combined findings from both quantitative and qualitative data showed that primary school students in the urban area significantly increased their situational interest in science through triggering by question-evoked information gaps and engaging with vicarious interactive experiences based on the live streaming technology, indicating the effectiveness of the live streaming activity in the botanical garden. This case study demonstrates the potential of live streaming technology as a remote strategy to share educational resources beyond traditional classrooms and support high-quality education.

The central dogma of molecular biology describes the transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins and stipulates that the system cannot work in the reverse direction. As a fundamental principle in biology, the dogma is as influential as it is controversial. Some commentators have debated the central dogma's empirical accuracy because they believe that some exceptions are incompatible with the central dogma. We investigated these exceptions challenging the central dogma and conclude that they do not violate the central dogma. The central dogma is still a common model used to describe and study the relationship between genes and proteins. This is one of the greatest established achievements in modern biology.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a course taught with worksheets on the subject of blood circulation. The study was conducted with students aged 12–13 in a single class at a public middle school. This worksheet has seven questions in total. At the end of the lesson, the students' opinions about the lesson were obtained through an open-ended interview form. The data obtained from these open-ended interviews were analyzed via content analysis. According to the analysis results, the students learned the subject meaningfully. Students learned better thanks to teaching with worksheets. Therefore, it has been stated that such studies, as in this study, can be useful in terms of science teaching and that it would be appropriate to use them in teaching other subjects as well.

Most introductory biology laboratories are taught using direct instruction. An alternative to the direct instruction laboratory course is the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). CURE courses have been reported to positively impact undergraduate students, increasing self-efficacy, enhancing science identity, improving preparation and persistence for STEM careers, and increasing inclusion of underrepresented minorities in undergraduate research. While there are several affective benefits of CUREs, our literature review reveals an absence of studies assessing pre-health students' science identity, self-efficacy, and perceptions after participating in a community-engaged CURE laboratory. We found that students agreed that their community-engaged laboratory course had CURE design features, Discovery and Relevance had the highest rating. Overall, our results indicate that self-efficacy improved from the beginning to the end of the semester. Students in the community-engaged CURE showed gains in science identity. Understanding student affective domain is critical for improving student learning in gateway biology laboratory courses since they play very important roles in determining whether students can complete their degrees in the STEM fields. Future research should examine the relationships between self-efficacy, science identity, student perceptions of the community-engaged CURE laboratories, and gender, major, and race/ethnicity.

At many undergraduate institutions it is not possible for every student to participate in one-on-one student-faculty research experiences. However, large numbers of undergraduates could gain research experience through the use of course-based undergraduate research (CURE) in laboratory courses. Here we present a CURE using a viral emerging infection in amphibians that is suitable for undergraduate-level students and will permit them to develop an understanding of how to calculate epidemiologically relevant sample sizes, genomic DNA extraction procedures, traditional or quantitative PCR use, and associated techniques.

Disney's Strange World offers an accessible and engaging entry point for students to interact with biological concepts and processes. This article will discuss some of the analogs represented in the film, educator tips for using audiovisual media in the science classroom, and questions that teachers can use to allow students to critique the film's representations of scientific concepts. Strange World is a treasure trove for biology teachers and students of all ages and deserves its place among the educational media for this generation in the same way that The Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy have served as learning tools for former generations.

Student-centered learning of biology concepts through hands-on tactile approaches is one of the important themes in inclusive and equitable STEM teaching. In our article, we describe the development of clay Velcro origami models for students to explore the molecular and cellular process of muscle fiber formation. We repurposed dollar store items and recyclable items used to construct a variety of textures in the clay Velcro model of early and late stages of muscle fiber formation. These hands-on activities are linked to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on using a model to explore the cell and structure changes to form a multinucleated muscle fiber or the formation of a syncytium. Finally, we also illustrate how students can utilize the clay Velcro model to make predictions if key molecules in cell fusion do not work during the process of syncytial formation during muscle fiber development.

Understanding how the process of gene expression can be engineered to bio-manufacture proteins for medical, agricultural, and industrial applications provides an opportunity to link basic concepts of molecular biology with applications. Here we present a simple activity that uses commonly available materials to simulate the process by which the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers genes to plants and allows students to visualize the expressed protein of interest. The activity provides an overview of transcription and translation, and how recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized the manufacturing of biological molecules. After students work through the overview worksheet and complete the hands-on activity, they will be able to summarize the roles of transcription and translation in plant gene expression. Students will also be able to explain the process of Agrobacterium-mediated gene expression and describe applications in plant biotechnology. This simulation activity is accessible to a wide range of students, easily adaptable to different proficiency levels, and provides a straightforward approach for students to explore the practical applications of biotechnology.