This historical case study is based upon events surrounding the deadly 1721 smallpox epidemic in Boston. It recounts the story of Cotton Mather, hi ...
In most animals, the drive to breed and produce offspring is strong. However, most males live their whole lives without having the chance to breed. ...
This flipped case study explores how the topics of membrane structure, transport, and signaling via membrane-bound receptors are intimately associa ...
This case study is designed to teach students at various levels about large biomolecules, nutrition, and product analysis. Students conduct a bioch ...
This case was developed for use in the first weeks of a course in order to show students how participating in active learning exercises in their cl ...
This interrupted case study presents a discussion about the benefits of the influenza vaccine between Mary, a nursing student, and her coworker, Ka ...
In this interrupted case study developed for use in a flipped classroom, students read about a picnic that takes place in autumn during the peak of ...
This flipped case study begins with a video in which a student reveals a family member's diagnosis with breast cancer and then considers the whirlw ...
In this case study, students play the role of a NASA scientist tasked with analyzing samples of atmosphere and soil collected on Mars as part of th ...
This "clicker case" teaches students about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes of behavior using the fascinating courtship and ma ...
Since its first recorded appearance in 1996, Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) has wiped out an estimated 70 percent of the Tasmanian dev ...
This clicker case is designed to lead students to a conceptual understanding of oxidative phosphorylation (and, by analogy, photosynthesis). Studen ...
Protein folding and trafficking is essential for normal cell function, and when it goes awry it can lead to various chronic conditions, including f ...
This case is designed as an in-class, problem-based learning activity for students to learn about several innovative medical applications of molecu ...
This problem-based learning case was designed for students to learn about several innovative medical applications of molecular biology. Students as ...
This "clicker" case presents the true story of a 20-year-old athlete who developed a life threatening reaction to anesthesia during a simple electi ...
Something is killing organisms from dolphins to dogs to humans on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What is it? How did it get to the island? How ...
In this case study, students evaluate information about the use of acupuncture and consider the possibilities of alternative therapies while at the ...
This interrupted case study in gastric physiology follows the story of Frank, a businessman under a lot of stress who has a car accident while driv ...
In this interrupted case study, a high school biology student shadows her uncle, an anesthesiologist, at a hospital for a school assignment. She wi ...
This flipped case study examines the selective pressures that have affected the evolution of diverse human skin pigmentations. To prepare for the c ...
In this case study, designed to help break down stereotypes about scientists and engineers, students research the personal and professional lives o ...
In this directed case study, students investigate the cause of death in an incident that occurs late at night in a research lab. The overall goal o ...
The immune response to a vaccine is influenced by the nature of the vaccine and the delivery method. In this interrupted case study, students trave ...
When a newborn develops symptoms eerily similar to those of an older sibling who died shortly after birth, his Mennonite parents are understandably ...
This case study introduces students to Dr. E.L. Trudeau, who performed a seminal early experiment validating the germ theory of infection. Part I i ...
The Three Gorges Dam in China is one of the world's largest hydroelectric dams, providing energy for millions of people. However, the dam's constru ...
This interrupted case study, designed for an introductory biology or environmental science course, introduces students to the complexity of ecosyst ...
For years whale evolution was characterized by speculation and limited evidence. Evolution critics even focused on whales as a means to criticize e ...
This interrupted case study tells the story of Michael, a Harvard law graduate with a stressful job and a seemingly heavy drinking problem. Student ...
This case introduces students to HIV, its life cycle, treatment, and problems associated with treatment options. The case, which incorporates criti ...
This case is based on a British patient presenting to a hospital with an array of symptoms after returning from an African safari. Students learn a ...
As the carbon dioxide concentration of our atmosphere increases and our climate warms, the hay fever season seems to be getting longer and more sev ...
Renowned virologist and member of the prestigious National Academy of Science, Peter Duesberg has argued that AIDS is not caused by HIV, but is the ...
In addition to traditional nutrition facts and ingredients, current food packaging frequently includes a wide variety of additional labels includin ...
In this interrupted case study, students pose as an intern of a neuromuscular/skeletal specialist and discover how sarin and myasthenia gravis infl ...
When chronic pain forces a top student to withdraw from college, biology instructor Dr. Sharpe learns that medications (in this case, Vioxx) may be ...
This problem-based case focuses on the female menstrual cycle and early stages of pregnancy of an unwed teenager. Working in small groups, students ...
The discovery of the platypus had the scientific world in an uproar and kept it tantalized for decades. Here was the strangest animal ever seen. Ho ...
This directed case study covers fundamental information about ocean acidification using relevant examples from general science news articles as wel ...
This case study in human reproduction follows Andrea, a college biology student who discovers she is pregnant with twins, but is not sure who the f ...
Reading and understanding scientific literature can be a daunting task for students in introductory science courses. This decision/dilemma case stu ...
This case study is based on stories reported in the media and is used to examine biological and ethical dimensions of assisted reproductive technol ...
Intelligent Design continues to be a hot political and educational topic in some parts of the country. This discussion case study uses the dramatic ...
In chronicling the life and death of a woman who developed diabetes as a teenager, this case study explores such basic science topics as metabolism ...
This case study explores the recent (2010 - 2016) outbreak of neural tube defects, specifically anencephaly, in a rural three-county region of Wash ...
In this PowerPoint-driven case study, students consider the many challenges faced by plants and discuss which of these might induce a morphological ...
This group-based, interrupted case study challenges students' perceptions of "useful" scientific research. We present student groups with the metho ...
This case study presents a fictitious bio-terrorist plan to release anthrax in the United States. Students are assigned character roles and, throug ...
In this case study, students will have the opportunity to model the spread of tuberculosis and development of antibiotic resistance in a hypothetic ...
After undergoing a fertility procedure, a 37-year-old woman and her husband are expecting twins. The delivery goes smoothly, but it soon becomes ap ...
This flipped case study is suited for general education undergraduate level biology. Students prepare ahead of time for class by viewing a video cr ...
This case study was written to reinforce the understanding that a successful hypothesis accounts for all relevant observations and is falsifiable t ...
This case study focuses on the relationship between the microbiome (the suite of species that live in or on the human body) and autoimmune and alle ...
This "clicker case" presents a fictionalized story about a couple ("John" and "Jane") whose new baby is born with Down syndrome; the parents are su ...
The ethics of human experimentation are explored in this case about the infamous syphilis studies performed at the Tuskegee Institute from the 1930 ...
In this version, developed for a course in general biology, the protagonist of the case, Dr. Westwood, survives an accidental poisoning-not once, b ...
As Jen pores over her introductory biology textbook, she falls asleep and enters a nightmarish world in which bacteria and viruses dwarf human bein ...
This case study looks at the probable connection between bioluminescence and Caravaggio's painting style in the 16th century in order to explore th ...
In this "clicker" case, based on a TV drama about a family secret that only knowledge of genetics can solve, students apply what they have read and ...
This case study presents the story of "Nick," a student who has been assigned the task of writing a research paper describing the fundamentals of c ...
This directed case study follows two college roommates, Darrell and Anthony, who have just returned to school after winter vacation. They share tha ...
This case study was developed for an upper-level undergraduate evolution course in order to provide an example of natural selection in hominids and ...
This dilemma case, designed for use in an undergraduate genetics course, explores the basic genetic concepts underlying the cloning process as well ...
This case study was inspired by the Zika virus outbreak that occurred around the time of the 2016 Olympic Games. Many athletes were fearful of atte ...
This case study is based on the 2014 Ebola epidemic that spread to multiple highly populated countries in West Africa, making it the largest and mo ...
This case study follows two beginning undergraduate researchers on a quest for a summer research project related to food web ecology. While writing ...
This case study uses an interactive activity to illustrate density dependence in ecology classes. We developed a "hunt" using paper butterflies wit ...
This PowerPoint-driven case study follows the progress of three undergraduate students as they attempt to model the rapid spread of an influenza ou ...
In this discussion case, parents must decide whether or not to enroll their sons in an experimental treatment program designed to alleviate the sym ...
This case is based on the controversy that surrounded harvesting of the Pacific yew from 1989 to 1997 to develop paclitaxel (Taxol), a revolutionar ...
This directed case study was written to help students learn about an innovative cancer therapy that harnesses a patient's immune system to recogniz ...
As a Government of Canada biologist, "Rachael Mercer" faces the task of advising the Environment Minister on whether a proposed wolf cull should be ...
This clicker case is an adaptation of a case by Loren Byrne that told the true story of a Texas man who killed a cat that was killing piping plover ...
Was the "Brooklyn Butcher" of 1926 a cold-blooded killer or was something less sinister at play? This interrupted case study introduces students to ...
In this case study, students analyze a scientific study, first by analyzing news articles reporting on the research and then by reading the origina ...
This case study is designed to teach introductory biology majors about the role of the pituitary in controlling hormones. It could easily be applie ...
This autobiographical case study presents the story of Eric as he learns that he has a genetic eye disease, which progresses to the point that he b ...
This case describes the pioneering work of Ignaz Semmelweis and his efforts to remedy the problem of childbed fever in mid-19th century Europe.&nbs ...
This interrupted case study focuses on the research of Dr. Beatrice Hahn, who investigates DNA sequences in chimpanzee droppings in order to explor ...
This interrupted case study follows Abby and her husband Jim who have recently adopted a young girl, Ciara. Ciara was homeless prior to the adoptio ...
All introductory biology textbooks, and many sophomore-level genetics textbooks as well, describe several classic experiments in molecular biology. ...
In this problem-based learning/role playing case, students apply their knowledge of the biology of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy to developin ...
This analysis case explores second-hand smoke and its impact on the decision to institute a smoking ban in the outdoor seating area of a popular co ...
This interrupted case study introduces two distinct, but not mutually exclusive, strategies for defending against parasites: resistance and toleran ...
This case study introduces important issues related to invasive species and noxious weeds that have particular ecological and agricultural importan ...
This case study was developed for teaching metric length measurement in a non-majors biology laboratory setting. The case is suitable for lower-lev ...
In this directed case study, students assume the role of investigators for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as they examine and ...
In this case developed for an introductory general microbiology course, students consider concepts of bacterial genetics as they act as consultants ...
In this directed case study, students shadow Dr. Lee in diagnosing two patients with osteoporosis. The students are given patient history and an in ...
This PowerPoint-driven, flipped case study begins with a short video about a woman suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) in the 1970s, a friend of th ...
This interrupted case is based on a genome wide association study (GWAS) that identified the genetic variation causing some inhabitants of the Solo ...
In this "clicker case," students learn about natural selection through the research of Peter and Rosemary Grant and colleagues on the finches of th ...
This interrupted case study introduces students to the complexity of understanding natural variation in ecosystems through time in the absence of l ...
This modular case study tells the story of Dan and Annie, a married couple of Acadian ancestry who have a genetic form of deafblindness called Ushe ...
This interrupted case study reviews the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and how it may be used i ...
This "clicker case" was designed to develop students' ability to read and interpret information stored in DNA. Making use of personal response syst ...
In this case study, a forensic anthropologist must determine the age and sex as well as look for signs of trauma to a skeleton found in a shallow g ...
Cellular signaling, otherwise known as signal transduction, is the mechanism by which cellular context and environmental situation are used to regu ...
This case study introduces a patient who comes into a doctor's office with an interesting set of symptoms that leads to an exotic cancer diagnosis. ...
This progressive disclosure case study explores the medically-related issues of a female infant born with the congenital disorder Sirenomelia, more ...
There are a number of medical disorders that mimic each other and accordingly prove problematic for diagnosis, including autoimmune disorders (rheu ...
In this interrupted case study, students apply the scientific method to probe possible reasons behind declining marine iguana populations in the Ga ...
This case study centers on an active teaching game that simulates a cholera outbreak among five villages along a river, similar to the Haitian outb ...
There are many adaptive and evolutionary behaviors displayed in an organism's use of water. Although students generally have a superficial understa ...
In this case study, students apply principles of landscape ecology, experimental design, and data interpretation to examine alternative explanation ...
This case study examines a variety of biological factors that may have been involved in the 2013 dolphin "unusual mortality event" (UME) on the Eas ...
This whimsical case introduces students to the topic of dorsal/ventral (DV) axis formation in amphibians. After the recent birth of a good-sized cl ...
In this interrupted case study, students read about an older woman named Barbara who becomes ill after driving with her husband 19 hours from Flori ...
Cholera is a commonly explored disorder when teaching transmembrane transport. Expanding on this theme, this case study also introduces intracellul ...
This case study is based on the game theory developed by John Maynard Smith where two behavioral strategies ("Hawks" and "Doves") compete over a co ...
This case encourages students to explore various aspects of alternative and complementary medicine that might be helpful in treating a woman who is ...
Whether Intelligent Design should be taught in a science classroom is a serious problem. This case study tackles the issue head-on by using intimat ...
In this case, students assume the role of a fictitious space explorer captured by aliens. To win their release, they must correctly explain the neu ...
This case study explores the biology and culture of sex and gender, and focuses on the science and pseudoscience that surrounds this topic, especia ...
The theory of evolution by natural selection is simple, elegant, and profound. Yet, a large number of undergraduate students including biology majo ...
This case examines the biological, ecological, social, political, and economic factors surrounding exotic species as well as the role of resource m ...
Although blind since childhood as the result of an accident, Lucy has never given up hope that one day she might see again. So, when her ophthalmol ...
This clicker case introduces students to the biochemistry of lipids through the story of Pete, a college student who begins to consider his nutriti ...
This case study is targeted to the middle school science student and written especially with female students in mind. Using an interdisciplinary ap ...
It's Mother's Day and Dolly, a high school senior, is making a Mediterranean salad for her mom, who is a college chemistry major and who likes to t ...
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, was first detected in China in late 2019 and rapidly spread thro ...
In this interrupted case study, students explore the environmental consequences of Antarctic research as they design experiments to assess the impa ...
This PowerPoint-driven case study follows a young woman who acquires a third-degree burn and receives a skin graft. As the graft becomes inflamed a ...
This case study uses the example of ionic foot baths to examine how placebo treatments can affect our health and wellness. Inspired by a student&rs ...
This interrupted case study is based on a journal article that describes the rapid adaptation of a population (in this case, steelhead trout) in re ...
This interrupted case study follows the progress of Julius, a singer in a rock band who suffers from severe headaches and pressure in his ears. Whi ...
FOXP2 was first identified as a human language gene when a mutated version of the gene was found to cause speech problems in the KE family in Londo ...
Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. Despite the successful management of diabetes w ...
This is an interrupted case study that intersperses information about diffusion and osmosis with content review and knowledge application questions ...
With increasing U.S. government support for biofuel production in the late 2000s came increased pressure to convert more land to cornfields for eth ...
This case study explores the topics of diffusion, osmosis, membrane transport, and the physiological significance of glucose and insulin in the hum ...
How are males and females different? Most people have a sex that is consistent on all levels: genetic, gonadal, internal genitals, external genital ...
In this dilemma case, the central character, Kathy, must decide whether or not to be tested for known mutations in the breast cancer genes. Student ...
Annika is a PhD student from Sweden who spends two years in the Solomon Islands to complete her fieldwork. During her stay in the South Pacific she ...
In this interrupted case study, Ph.D.-paleoclimatologist-turned-TV-meteorologist Sara Fahrenheit finds herself projected into a future climate that ...
This case study is centered on a real scenario from 2013 in which the Kickstarter fundraising platform included a fundraising proposal from a group ...
An elderly woman living independently with some help from her family is brought to the local emergency room because she is confused and vomiting.&n ...
This case study in restoration ecology utilizes two peer reviewed articles that ask a similar question about the effects of grazing in temporary we ...
This case is an account of the events that led Drs. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall to the bacterial theory of ulcers. The two physicians refused t ...
This case study tells the story of John and Mary, two first-year college students learning about biodiversity while on a trip to Costa Rica where t ...
This case centers on a fictional group of young adults who studied abroad together in Scotland as college students. A number of them develop diseas ...
In this interrupted case study, students meet a pair of fictional newlyweds on their way to Australia for their honeymoon. Initially eager to enjoy ...
This case study introduces students to the complex field of immunology and the wide variety of host-pathogen interactions that drive evolutionary c ...
This interrupted case study is a story about Carrie and her infant daughter Hayden who share similar symptoms: weight loss, metabolic abnormalities ...
In this case study, students learn about the complexities and issues associated with clinical trials. After reading a newspaper story about a fraud ...
Scallops are bivalve mollusks that live on the seabed. This way of life makes them susceptible to predation and so they have evolved the ability to ...
This case study for the flipped classroom introduces the discovery process used to elucidate how cells make ATP. Data from three seminal primary li ...
This case study was developed to teach students the importance of understanding the behavior of wildlife, explore the difficulty in making manageme ...
This one-hour introduction to the study of infectious diseases uses recent research on the Ebola reservoir host to motivate students to consider th ...
This interrupted worksheet case study, developed for introductory or intermediate undergraduate physiology courses, aims to eliminate misconception ...
"I Heart Running" is a case study in which students diagnose the cause of exercise-induced tachycardia in an otherwise healthy, 27-year-old female. ...
Lactose intolerance, caused by a lack of persistent lactase enzyme expression, is a trait commonly observed in adult humans, with varying geographi ...
This case tells the story of Elise, a college freshman whose identical twin sister has recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Elise is concern ...
This directed case study explores the topic of color vision and its variations as experienced in humans. The case begins with a review of visual tr ...
In 1958, black bass were introduced into Lake Atitlan in the highlands of western Guatemala as a way to attract tourism and boost the local economy ...
In this interrupted case study, Greg and Olga, a young couple planning a family, have decided to see a genetic counselor because of a family histor ...
This case study describes experiments to seed the ocean with iron to encourage algae growth. It explores how human activities contribute to greenho ...
This dilemma cased is based on the actual development, FDA approval, and market withdrawal of dexfenfluramine, a drug used in the late 1990s in com ...
This case study challenges students to differentiate between anecdotal evidence and science-based evidence related to human health. The case uses a ...
This directed case study places students in the role of committee members tasked with developing a strategic long-term plan for building up herd im ...
In this two-part case study on the nervous system, students learn about neural pathways. The case scenarios are drawn from real life and require st ...
Ellie is a struggling college student on the brink of failing her physiology course; not surprisingly, she exhibits many classic signs of stress. H ...
In this interrupted case study, a middle-aged man is having his wisdom teeth surgically removed. He decides to have a general anesthetic, but is un ...
It is not uncommon to hear creationists argue that evolution is not science because no one saw it happen, or for students to wonder how we can know ...
Stephania and Nikolaus Stamos are concerned about their baby daughter. They take her to her pediatrician, who immediately notices that the once bri ...
The goal of this case study is to expose students to the basics of embryonic stem cells, their therapeutic uses, and the controversy surrounding em ...
This case study follows purveyors of peas, Joel E. and Jolene Greengiant, as they learn about the origin, biochemistry, genetics and eventual artif ...
In this interdisciplinary case, students meet Josie, the main character, who suffers from a variety of symptoms. Students must grapple with the con ...
This case study explores some of the health issues brought to light during the flooding in New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina. The case encour ...
This interrupted case study in cardiovascular physiology focuses on Suzie, a determined young woman who is training hard for the upcoming figure sk ...
This case study takes place at a fictional biotechnology company developing herbicides against invasive plant species. The case study focuses on fi ...
This case study relates the actual experiences of a woman with breast cancer as she shares her experiences through a series of blog posts at variou ...
In the 1920s, biologist and statistician Ronald Fisher met a woman who claimed she could taste whether a cup of tea was prepared by adding milk bef ...
Why are chilies so hot? This case study begins with a story about an undergraduate student who is inspired to learn about capsaicin production in c ...
The first day of class is often a reading of the syllabus, even when active learning approaches are used throughout the rest of the term. This inte ...
Frank and Joe are 24-year-old fraternal twins who share similar interests, including cycling. The brothers decide to attempt their first long-dista ...
This case explores the question of whether there was ever life on Mars and in doing so explores how we define life. The backdrop for the case is th ...
This case presents a fanciful story about the origin of the eukaryotic cell, a major milestone in the evolution of life. The characters of the stor ...
This directed case study was developed in order to present genomic data to students, allow them to interpret the impact of genetic variations on ph ...
This case study describes the daily osmotic struggle for survival faced by hummingbirds. The narrative is written from the viewpoint of a human obs ...
Students learn about the interconnectedness of the body, with a particular focus on the skin as one of the most important homeostatic organ systems ...
This case study examines the events surrounding the hatching and migration of loggerhead sea turtles, specifically what mechanisms they use to head ...
In this case study, students are asked to consider whether there is evidence to adequately support a series of scientific claims made in an adverti ...
In this case, students read about a biologist who needs to determine how to analyze age-at-length data, a common situation in fisheries biology. Th ...
This interrupted case study teaches probability theory and transmission genetics through their application to the conservation of the endangered Fl ...
In this case study on multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, students consider ways in which to preserve health as a human right without subjecti ...
In this PowerPoint-based clicker case, developed for use in either a general biology or general genetics class, students are introduced to the life ...
This interdisciplinary case study introduces us to the Greens, a family with a recently diagnosed autistic child. Autism is one of several disorder ...
This set of mini cases on the ecology of eastern cottontail rabbits is designed to give students practical experience using statistics in a scienti ...
This interdisciplinary case study uses the format of a progressive disclosure to explore certain advances in biotechnology and evaluate them within ...
This interrupted case study is based on a journal article on the parenting behavior of American coots. Working through the case, students develop h ...
This interrupted case study was written to help students understand the interplay and relatedness of metabolism in producers and consumers. The sto ...
This case is a variation of a longer case in our collection titled "Murder or Medical Mishap? Death on the Metabolic Ward," which has a "murder-mys ...
This case study in comparative physiology explores the connections between physiology, evolution and behavior. Students assume the role of research ...
This interrupted case study explores the role of cytoskeletal structures on human health, specifically on respiratory function, sperm motility, and ...
The classic example of a human trait that behaves in a clear Mendelian fashion is human eye color. The gene that controls it exists in two forms: a ...
This case study on the immune system, cell cycle regulation, and cancer biology explores the role that serendipity plays in new discoveries in scie ...
DNA sequencing and analysis (bioinformatics) is an increasingly important tool for understanding biological data, including medical data. In this c ...
In this "clicker case," students assume the role of pre-med students participating in a summer internship. As interns, they diagnose several differ ...
This case is designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of negative feedback regulation. Basic principles of negative feedback system ...
This interrupted case study highlights the importance of energy considerations within food chains by examining the population decline of Steller se ...
This role-play case study teaches students about plasma membrane transport and the functions of transport proteins in the phospholipid bilayer. Stu ...
Human populations have adapted to varying intensities of sunlight with varying tones of skin coloration. The balanced interplay between melanin con ...
The overall goal of this case is to introduce students to the genetic basis of cancer while teaching them about melanoma. The fictional protagonist ...
This case study follows a young couple that is consulting with a genetic counselor about their plans to have a child. Because of their family histo ...
Students read about a case of melanoma that occurred over 10 years ago and then discuss issues faced by cancer patients and their families in makin ...
This dilemma/decision case study is intended to demonstrate how knowledge of signal transduction pathways can be applied to the pharmaceutical indu ...
This case study uses a PowerPoint presentation to guide students through two activities designed to teach them about the basics of coronavirus diag ...
Emerging diseases and potential pandemics make the news nearly every year. Students (and everyone else) may wonder where new infectious diseases co ...
This case study uses the discovery and molecular structure of penicillin to teach basic chemistry concepts as they apply to biological and biologic ...
This interrupted case study was written for students to gain a better understanding of evolutionary concepts and principles as they develop their s ...
In this clicker case, two teenagers are diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the bone marrow where there is an abnormal o ...
This case study investigates the applications of genetics to medicine by exploring one of the first examples of a pharmacogenetic test to enter mai ...
This flipped case study is formatted as a PowerPoint presentation that uses group experimentation to encourage active learning in a large science c ...
Cancer is usually thought to be a disease that affects individuals. But could cancer evolve to become infectious? This case follows the research on ...
In this case study, students assume the role of health officials tasked with communicating to the public about the COVID-19 pandemic caused by seve ...
This directed case study follows the fictional story of an emergency room physician as he treats multiple patients being admitted to the hospital w ...
This case study provides an overview of the seminal experimental work that led to the discovery of DNA structure and the confirmation of the semi-c ...
This clicker case uses plant-pollinator interactions in columbines as a biological scenario to teach students about evolution, reproductive isolati ...
This interrupted case study provides students with an opportunity to compare and contrast methods for controlling spotted knapweed, an invasive spe ...
This case study examines the molecular methods that were used to reverse engineer the 1918 influenza virus strain in order to try and solve the mys ...
This case study considers the evolution of HIV from SIV, as well as the evolution of HIV within humans by mutation rate. It also discusses the immu ...
This interrupted case study outlines the history of pertussis or whooping cough, a disease that in the early 1900s claimed the lives of more people ...
This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom examines the interaction of plants and their mycorrhizal partners. The latter is one of the m ...
Taylor must write a report about a natural toxin while she is home from college on break. After a family dinner conversation about the latest attem ...
In this "clicker case study," students learn about the chemical nature of protein molecules-in particular, how the constituent parts of proteins (a ...
This interrupted case study follows the course of Cara, a high school athlete training for the state championships in cross country. She suffers fr ...
This case, developed for a course in human biology, provides students with a context for discussing stem cells and cloning by exploring regeneratio ...
This case study examines the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1600s. It is designed to provide students with ...
This flipped clicker case study explores the fascinating relationship between the Arizona Bark Scorpion (the most venomous scorpion in North Americ ...
Using a progressive disclosure format, this case study teaches students how to apply ecological principles to a real-life ecological problem, namel ...
This "clicker" case study explores ultimate and proximate explanations for cryptic coloration in animals through the work of Dr. Hopi Hoekstra of H ...
This "clicker case" gives students an opportunity to apply their understanding of three different types of selection (directional, stabilizing, and ...
In this clicker case study for a flipped classroom, students familiar with the stages of meiosis work in small groups to determine the predicted ge ...
In this case, students are shown the relevance of chemistry in daily decision-making by taking a look at the popular dietary supplement, s-adenosyl ...
In this case study, students are given the task of developing a recovery plan to protect a recently discovered population of Central American squir ...
This case study familiarizes readers with a disease that affects millions of people in Central and South America while illustrating a relatively un ...
In this case study on sickle cell anemia, students are introduced to some of the key researchers responsible for determining the molecular basis of ...
This directed case study is intended to give students insight into why social distancing is used to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. Stu ...
This computer-based case study guides students through publically available bioinformatics databases to solve a medical mystery. The case relates t ...
In this interrupted case study, students explore the mechanisms of speciation while working in groups to design a series of experiments to determin ...
Nancy, five months pregnant, agrees to a routine genetic test that indicates she carries the mutation for the fatal disease, cystic fibrosis. She c ...
This case study teaches students about allopatric speciation through an investigation of the benthic and limnetic sticklebacks of Paxton Lake, whic ...
Sam, a pre-med college student, routinely gets dialysis and develops a urinary tract infection. The infection is from a bacterium that the news med ...
This directed case study introduces students to photosynthesis and illustrates how biology plays a vital role in the carbon cycle and the conversio ...
This clicker case study is based on the true story of Ella Buss, a young girl diagnosed with Lyme borreliosis (Lyme disease), one of the most frequ ...
The intent of this interrupted case study is to present a clear example of both the scientific method and evolutionary adaptation in a model system ...
This case is a classroom simulation of the types of negotiations that went into the Kyoto Protocol agreement on limiting global greenhouse gas emis ...
Students enrolled in natural resource programs typically have classroom experience in science-based curricula with little exposure as to how to app ...
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the widespread loss of honeybees, has devastating repercussions for the environment, industry, and the economy. Thi ...
This case study reviews a controversial court case that took place in Canada in 2002 concerning an allegation of patent infringement and a genetica ...
This interrupted case study follows the declining health of an infant who suffers from recurrent infections and finally is diagnosed with severe co ...
Based on the disputed rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in April 2005, this interrupted case study tells the story of a fictional characte ...
This flipped case study tells the story of Joyce, a biology student who notices the development of some unusual symptoms (foot slapping and slurred ...
Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has claimed approximately one-third of the commercial honeybee population in recent years. A number of causes have b ...
This case discusses some of the issues associated with the use of genetically modified plants, including ecological risks, resistance, and allergen ...
This case study was originally developed for undergraduate science students as part of an extracurricular competition, but it could also be deliver ...
After the media coverage of Dolly the sheep and pet cloning, most students in a general biology or general genetics course will have heard of anima ...
Loss of species richness is often due to anthropogenic activity. The global decline of amphibians is one such example. This case study examines the ...
In this role-playing case study, students attempt to determine the identity of a variety of human fossils based on characteristics described during ...
This case study presents a fictional story in a realistic setting to teach aspects of human cardiovascular and respiratory physiology as they perta ...
This case study was written for upper level undergraduate and graduate students to review foundational aspects of virology and to examine Ebola vir ...
This case study introduces students to viruses and is suitable for a general biology course. Terry is a college student who travels to a West Afric ...
Through a unique anthropomorphic view and the integration of game-based learning, this case study explores how the Ebola virus can evade the immune ...
This case study examines the evolution color vision in Old World and New World monkeys from multiple biological perspectives. This integrative appr ...
This PBL case on Intelligent Design was written for freshman biology majors at a Christian liberal arts college. Students read about the claims and ...
While the concept of evolution by natural selection is very simple, it is often misunderstood by students. This is partly due to preconceptions the ...
This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom applies evolutionary genetics research to human health. Students learn about a naturally occu ...
When covering the process of cellular respiration, advanced high school and undergraduate biology classes present fermentation as a means of anaero ...
In this interrupted case study, good friends Sara and Mallory discuss Sara's recent healthy weight loss and her difficulty in maintaining her desir ...
This case study examines the structure of hemoglobin and myoglobin and how the structure of these molecules dictates their function. The case is wr ...
This case uses the real story of Dawn Langley Simmons, who may have been misidentified as male at birth, to illustrate the developmental basis of h ...
Whether marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes has been contested for decades. The claims, counter-claims, issues, and judgments in t ...
This case explores both the evidence and inconsistencies in the two major hypotheses for the origins of life on Earth: Replication-First or Metabol ...
In this interrupted case study, students learn about the function of cellular respiration and the electron transport chain and what happens when th ...
Scientists and healthcare professionals initially exhibited little concern over the Zika virus even after evidence of human infection was first ide ...
This interrupted case study addresses several concepts related to climate change and its effect on the American pika. Often called an indicator spe ...
This directed case study begins with an intentionally ambiguous story: Q suddenly realizes that it is time to relay a message to Z (another inhabit ...
This interrupted case study is designed to teach students about chirality and the pH scale in the context of medicinal chemistry. Students read abo ...
The topics of human cloning and pseudoscience are introduced in this case through the story of Claude Vorilhon, a French auto racing journalist who ...
This case study introduces students to the "Red Queen Hypothesis." The hypothesis states that when two species compete for a limited resource or ex ...
In 1983, Earl Washington "confessed" to a violent crime that he did not commit and was sentenced to death row. After spending seventeen years in pr ...
Focusing on the important role of water in living cellular chemistry, this case emphasizes the general solubility rule, "like dissolves like," whic ...
Phyllis Jackson has fainted on the soccer field. She thinks she is just dehydrated, but her husband is worried. He has noticed that she has been ha ...
In biology classes, students are typically taught that spontaneous generation does not take place. And yet, at the origin of life, life had to aris ...
In this interrupted case study, students examine the cooperative courtship behavior of long-tailed manakins. Males of the long-tailed form leks, ar ...
Kasey is a busy undergraduate student who is struggling with her body image and wants to lose weight. To aid in this process, Kasey keeps a food an ...
In this case study, students learn about introduced species and how they pose a threat to biodiversity by analyzing the impact of introduced specie ...
This PowerPoint-driven case study presents three different stories, each of which explores an aspect of membranes. The first (The Exploding Fish) c ...
In this interrupted case study, students shadow an endocrinologist as she tries to determine what is wrong with Angela Barber. Angela is a middle-a ...
The federal governments in Canada and the United States have adopted vastly different positions regarding the conservation status of the greater sa ...
In this case study, students grapple with the complex issues surrounding the use of DDT to control malaria in the developing world. In their examin ...
This interrupted case dramatizes the discovery of a Mendelian trait in humans, namely the variation in the ability to taste the chemical phenylthio ...
A town meeting is the setting for this case study in which students explore the topics of overpopulation, bioethics, and management of urban wildli ...
This "clicker case" follows two recent college graduates as they look for scientific answers to explain why the plants on their new tomato farm are ...
This interrupted case study tells the true story of Karl P. Schmidt, a herpetologist and museum curator who was bitten by a venomous snake in 1957. ...
This case explores the purported connection between vaccines in general, and the MMR vaccine specifically, and autism. Students examine results fro ...
Ed is dying. How should his wishes for medical treatment be carried out? As the case unfolds, students explore the rights and responsibilities of d ...
In this case study, students apply principles of evolution they have learned in class to create their own story explaining the evolutionary history ...
This case examines mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification within the context of the human health impacts of ingesting food (specifically, fis ...
Based on an actual event, this case study focuses on some of the problems associated with reproductive technologies. It tells the story of the "Jon ...
This case study is based on a newspaper article about the suicide of Sherman Sizemore shortly after he underwent an exploratory laparotomy (abdomin ...
This case study investigates how plant domestication sometimes produces unintended consequences for plant-insect interactions. The narrative follow ...
Signaling at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a complex process that is required for many actions that sustain life within humans. Toxins that a ...
This case spotlights Great Plains water shortages by focusing on the High Plains Aquifer. This groundwater reservoir provides nearly a third of gro ...
In this clicker case, students are introduced to George, an undergraduate student who has been experiencing some odd symptoms. His roommate convinc ...
This case study follows a woman faced with a series of difficult medical decisions. Students apply systems-level physiology as they explore a pregn ...
The main character of this case is Denise, who we first meet in the early morning hours as she wakes up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. But it ...
This case makes use of the concept of the "ecological footprint," developed by Wackernagel and colleagues to quantify the amount of land area requi ...
This case study presents three true stories of people who suffered fatal hyponatremia (low sodium concentration in their body fluids) after consumi ...
This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom introduces the human microbiome from the perspective of one of its occupants, Heidi Helicobac ...
This case study is designed to integrate important aspects of the nervous and muscular system portions of an anatomy and physiology course. Student ...
This clicker case introduces the human menstrual cycle and its associated misconceptions by following the story of Ann, a newlywed college student. ...
This flipped case was designed to introduce students in a general introductory biology course to basic protein structure. The two videos and interr ...
This "clicker case" is modified from Martin Kelly's case study "As the Worm Turns: Speciation and the Apple Maggot Fly," also in our collection. Cl ...
An Amish infant suddenly dies and law enforcement officials suspect the parents of child abuse. But experts who advocate for the parents argue that ...
Smallpox, the worst infectious disease mankind has known, represents a major triumph as the first disease to be intentionally and completely remove ...
In this interrupted case study, two students explore evidence suggesting that environmental estrogens leach out of some plastic containers and that ...
When Jordan is diagnosed with brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme), his college plans are unexpectedly put on hold. This scenario is presented in ...
This case study addresses several concepts related to water hypoxia including physical laws governing dissolved oxygen levels and impacts to living ...
This "clicker case" follows a professor and his students in a study abroad course in Tanzania who are searching for human fossils in an effort to b ...
This analysis case study uses a jigsaw activity in which students learn about characteristics of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 ...
This case study presents the story of Phil, an undergraduate majoring in biology, whose Russian cousin Dimitri has contracted tuberculosis (TB) fro ...
This case study has students analyze real population and climate data to address a problem in conservation. Many elephant populations exist in Afri ...
The purpose of this case is to teach introductory college biology students the basic process of mitosis, focusing on the fundamental cellular proce ...
This case study is designed to help students learn about the ecosystem services of Earth (Biosphere 1) by examining the challenges faced by the des ...
In this case study, a college student named "Blake" winds up in the emergency room after he experiences a panic attack brought on by drinking a mix ...
This case study was developed to teach the topic of human ABO blood type and genetic inheritance in biology courses at the lower undergraduate leve ...
In this intimate debate, students examine the causes of the devastation wrought by the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic. Students consider whether t ...
This interrupted case study is designed to introduce beginning biology students to the process of science by exploring a question that is accessibl ...
This case study tells the story of a 30-year-old man with intractable peptic ulcer disease. The persistence of the ailment, despite medical treatme ...
This case is based on a true story of a woman whose children were almost taken from her because her DNA profile indicated that she was not the moth ...
This case is based on the true story of a woman with choriocarcinoma, a rare type of rapidly dividing and metastatic cancer derived from cells of t ...
Students assume the roles of CDC researchers who must determine how to most effectively stop an impending Zombie apocalypse. The story line leads s ...