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Records returned 494
“All Sorts of People”
This historical case study is based upon events surrounding the deadly 1721 smallpox epidemic in Boston. It recounts the story of Cotton Mather, hi ...
En Garde! Animal Structures and What They Mean
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. ...
A “Deafinite” Cause for Alarm
“Henry” is not the best of patients. He has been admitted into the hospital with bacterial pneumonia, but he soon becomes bored and fru ...
A Botched Botox Party in the Hamptons
This flipped case study explores how the topics of membrane structure, transport, and signaling via membrane-bound receptors are intimately associa ...
A Can of Bull
This case study is designed to teach students at various levels about large biomolecules, nutrition, and product analysis. Students conduct a bioch ...
A Case in Point: From Active Learning to the Job Market
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 ...
A Case of Acute Pancreatitis
The pancreas is the source of the bulk of digestive enzymes that act upon the contents of the small intestine. The normal function of the pancreas ...
A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
This interrupted case study presents a discussion about the benefits of the influenza vaccine between Mary, a nursing student, and her coworker, Ka ...
A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice
This discussion case explores the scientific process involved in implementing an animal model in the study of Alzheimer’s disease. Students r ...
A Colorful Picnic with Photosynthetic Pathways and RuBisCO on the Menu
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 ...
A Cure for Cancer?
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 ...
A Curious Mission: An Analysis of Martian Molecules
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 ...
A Deadly Passion
This "clicker case" teaches students about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes of behavior using the fascinating courtship and ma ...
A Devil of a Disease
Since its first recorded appearance in 1996, Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) has wiped out an estimated 70 percent of the Tasmanian dev ...
A Diet to Die For
This clicker case is designed to lead students to a conceptual understanding of oxidative phosphorylation (and, by analogy, photosynthesis). Studen ...
A Different Kind of Stress
Protein folding and trafficking is essential for normal cell function, and when it goes awry it can lead to various chronic conditions, including f ...
A Family in Need: In-Class Case Study on Cancer Genetics
This case is designed as an in-class, problem-based learning activity for students to learn about several innovative medical applications of molecu ...
A Family in Need: Internet-Enhanced Case Study on Cancer Genetics
This problem-based learning case was designed for students to learn about several innovative medical applications of molecular biology. Students as ...
A Genetic Defense for Murder?
This case study presents the mock trial of "Martin Miller." There is no question that Martin killed his girlfriend; he admitted to stabbing her in ...
A Healthy Retirement?
Nancy has been looking forward to her retirement and a chance to entertain and travel with her husband Jim. But she hasn’t been feeling well. ...
A Metabolic Storm
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 ...
A Need for Needles - Acupuncture
In this case study, students evaluate information about the use of acupuncture and consider the possibilities of alternative therapies while at the ...
A Pain in the Gut
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 ...
A Perfect Storm in the Operating Room
In this interrupted case study, a high school biology student shadows her uncle, an anesthesiologist, at a hospital for a school assignment. She wi ...
A Rainbow of Sepia
This flipped case study examines the selective pressures that have affected the evolution of diverse human skin pigmentations. To prepare for the c ...
A Recipe for Invention
In this case study, designed to help break down stereotypes about scientists and engineers, students research the personal and professional lives o ...
A Right to Her Genes
In this true story, students examine the case of a woman with a family predisposition to cancer who is considering genetic testing. Students learn ...
A Rigorous Investigation
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 ...
A Search for the Right Answer
In this role-playing case study on Parkinson’s disease, students learn about brain injury and brain repair mechanisms, the physical and psych ...
A Shot in the Arm or a Hard Pill to Swallow?
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 ...
A Sickeningly Sweet Baby Boy
When a newborn develops symptoms eerily similar to those of an older sibling who died shortly after birth, his Mennonite parents are understandably ...
A Simple Plan
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 ...
A Struggle for Power in China: The Three Gorges Dam
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 ...
A Tale of Three Lice
This “clicker case” explores the questions of when hominins lost their body hair and began wearing clothing by examining the surprising ...
A Trip to the Beach
This interrupted case study, designed for an introductory biology or environmental science course, introduces students to the complexity of ecosyst ...
A Whale of a Tale?
For years whale evolution was characterized by speculation and limited evidence. Evolution critics even focused on whales as a means to criticize e ...
A Yellow-Bellied Lawyer?
This interrupted case study tells the story of Michael, a Harvard law graduate with a stressful job and a seemingly heavy drinking problem. Student ...
Abracadabra
This case introduces students to HIV, its life cycle, treatment, and problems associated with treatment options. The case, which incorporates criti ...
Acids, pH, and Buffers
In this “clicker case,” a three-year-old girl gets into the medicine cabinet and ingests an unknown number of aspirin tablets. Her brot ...
African Illness: A Case of Parasites?
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 ...
Agony and Ecstasy: Cell Membrane Structure and Function
This “clicker case” follows Susan, an intern at a local hospital, who has admitted a patient she discovers has used the drug Ecstasy. T ...
AH-CHOO!
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 ...
AIDS and the Duesberg Phenomenon
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 ...
Aisles of Confusion
In addition to traditional nutrition facts and ingredients, current food packaging frequently includes a wide variety of additional labels includin ...
Aliens on Earth?
The discovery of a bacterium capable of substituting arsenic for phosphorus in its DNA was announced with much fanfare in 2010. It was immediately ...
All or Nothing
In this interrupted case study, students pose as an intern of a neuromuscular/skeletal specialist and discover how sarin and myasthenia gravis infl ...
Am I a Girl, or a Boy?
A baby is born with ambiguous genitalia to parents from the Dominican Republic and is determined to be a female based on general appearance. ...
Amanda's Absence
When chronic pain forces a top student to withdraw from college, biology instructor Dr. Sharpe learns that medications (in this case, Vioxx) may be ...
Amber's Secret
This problem-based case focuses on the female menstrual cycle and early stages of pregnancy of an unwed teenager. Working in small groups, students ...
An Antipodal Mystery
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 ...
An End to Ulcers?
This “clicker case” teaches students about the scientific method by following the story of the discovery of the cause of human gastric ...
An Infectious Cure
This four-part interrupted case on phage therapy was developed for a freshmen non-majors course in molecular biology. The case begins with a story ...
An Unusual Case of Animal Reproduction
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 ...
Analyzing Clinical Literature
Reading and understanding scientific literature can be a daunting task for students in introductory science courses. This decision/dilemma case stu ...
And Baby Makes Four
This case study is based on stories reported in the media and is used to examine biological and ethical dimensions of assisted reproductive technol ...
And Now What, Ms. Ranger?
Intelligent Design continues to be a hot political and educational topic in some parts of the country. This discussion case study uses the dramatic ...
Andrea: The Death of a Diabetic
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 ...
Anencephaly in Yakima
This case study explores the recent (2010 - 2016) outbreak of neural tube defects, specifically anencephaly, in a rural three-county region of Wash ...
Animals Can Run Away, but Plants Must Stay
In this PowerPoint-driven case study, students consider the many challenges faced by plants and discuss which of these might induce a morphological ...
Animals on Treadmills
This group-based, interrupted case study challenges students' perceptions of "useful" scientific research. We present student groups with the metho ...
Another Can of Bull?
This case is a “clicker” adaptation of a similarly titled case by Merle Heidemann and Gerald Urquhart of Michigan State University, &ld ...
Anthrax Attack!
This case study presents a fictitious bio-terrorist plan to release anthrax in the United States. Students are assigned character roles and, throug ...
Antibiotic Resistance
Resistance to antibiotics arose very shortly after these "wonder drugs" were first introduced. This case study examines resistance to the mos ...
Antibiotic Resistance in a Russian Prison
In this case study, students will have the opportunity to model the spread of tuberculosis and development of antibiotic resistance in a hypothetic ...
Anyone Who Had a Heart
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 ...
Apple and Linguine
This flipped case study is suited for general education undergraduate level biology. Students prepare ahead of time for class by viewing a video cr ...
Applying High-Throughput Analysis to Biofilms
This case study describes a hypothetical scenario in which a dental practice is contaminated from an unknown source resulting in multiple patients ...
Are Vaccines and Autism Linked?
This case study was written to reinforce the understanding that a successful hypothesis accounts for all relevant observations and is falsifiable t ...
Are We Too Clean?
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 ...
Atkins or Fadkins?
When Mitchell reveals that he is going on a low-carb diet, Janine tries to talk him out of it, telling him that he’s too thin as it is and do ...
Baby Doe v. The Prenatal Clinic
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 ...
Bad Blood
The ethics of human experimentation are explored in this case about the infamous syphilis studies performed at the Tuskegee Institute from the 1930 ...
Bad Fish, Bad Bird
This "clicker case" is based on the General Biology edition of James Hewlett’s “Bad Fish” case in our collection. The case follow ...
Bad Fish: General Biology Edition
In this version, developed for a course in general biology, the protagonist of the case, Dr. Westwood, survives an accidental poisoning-not once, b ...
Banana Split: To Eat or Not to Eat
This case focuses on the banana, the most popular fruit in the world. In the first part of the case, students are introduced to the history o ...
Between the Living and the Dead
As Jen pores over her introductory biology textbook, she falls asleep and enters a nightmarish world in which bacteria and viruses dwarf human bein ...
Bioengineering the Pancreas
This case study applies problem-based learning to the field of biotechnology. Students assume the role of newly-hired bioengineers at a fictitious ...
Bioluminescence and 16th-century Caravaggism
This case study looks at the probable connection between bioluminescence and Caravaggio's painting style in the 16th century in order to explore th ...
Blood Suckers! A Case Study on Evolution and Speciation
This directed case study in PowerPoint format focuses on the London Underground Mosquito, Culex molestus, and its potential relationship t ...
Bloodline: A Human Genetics Case
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 ...
Bonding with the Tutor: How to Stick Together in Chemistry
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 ...
Brain Workouts
This directed case study follows two college roommates, Darrell and Anthony, who have just returned to school after winter vacation. They share tha ...
Breakfast of Champions
This case study was developed for an upper-level undergraduate evolution course in order to provide an example of natural selection in hominids and ...
Bringing Back Baby Jason
This dilemma case, designed for use in an undergraduate genetics course, explores the basic genetic concepts underlying the cloning process as well ...
Bringing Home More than a Medal
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 ...
BSL-4: Authorized Personnel Only
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 ...
Building a More Intricate Web
This case study follows two beginning undergraduate researchers on a quest for a summer research project related to food web ecology. While writing ...
But I'm Too Young!
In this “clicker case,” students are introduced to Abby, a college student who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. As they follow A ...
Butterflies in the Stomach
Why is the North American population of monarch butterflies declining? In 1999, a study published in the journal Nature suggested that a v ...
Butterfly Hunt
This case study uses an interactive activity to illustrate density dependence in ecology classes. We developed a "hunt" using paper butterflies wit ...
CAMEL Question: Can Applied Math Extend Life?
This directed case study examines differences between the exponential and logistic growth models in biology and how they are applied to solve real ...
Campus Outbreak!
This PowerPoint-driven case study follows the progress of three undergraduate students as they attempt to model the rapid spread of an influenza ou ...
Can a Genetic Disease Be Cured?
In this discussion case, parents must decide whether or not to enroll their sons in an experimental treatment program designed to alleviate the sym ...
Cancer Cure or Conservation
This case is based on the controversy that surrounded harvesting of the Pacific yew from 1989 to 1997 to develop paclitaxel (Taxol), a revolutionar ...
CAR T Immunotherapy
This directed case study was written to help students learn about an innovative cancer therapy that harnesses a patient's immune system to recogniz ...
Caribou Conservation Conundrum
As a Government of Canada biologist, "Rachael Mercer" faces the task of advising the Environment Minister on whether a proposed wolf cull should be ...
Cat vs. Bird: Another Look at Complexity in Conservation
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 ...
Caught Red-Handed
Was the "Brooklyn Butcher" of 1926 a cold-blooded killer or was something less sinister at play? This interrupted case study introduces students to ...
Cauldron of Democracy
This case study explores the controversy surrounding Yellowstone bison (Bison bison) and the relationship between wildlife management and ...
Cell Phone Use and Cancer
In this case study, students analyze a scientific study, first by analyzing news articles reporting on the research and then by reading the origina ...
Chemical Eric
This case study is designed to teach introductory biology majors about the role of the pituitary in controlling hormones. It could easily be applie ...
Chemical Eric - The Clicker Version
This “clicker case” is a modified version of a case originally published in the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science cas ...
Chemical Eric Can't See
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 ...
Chickens and Humans and Pigs, Oh My!
Influenza is a common topic in the popular press and a point of interest for many students. This case study was written to promote interdisci ...
Childbed Fever
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 ...
Chimpanzee Droppings Lead Scientists to Evolutionary Discovery
This interrupted case study focuses on the research of Dr. Beatrice Hahn, who investigates DNA sequences in chimpanzee droppings in order to explor ...
Cholera and Conflict in Yemen
This case study explores the 2016–2018 cholera outbreak in Yemen and how political and financial circumstances impacted relief efforts. Stude ...
Ciara’s Struggle
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 ...
Classic Experiments in Molecular Biology
All introductory biology textbooks, and many sophomore-level genetics textbooks as well, describe several classic experiments in molecular biology. ...
Cloning Man's Best Friend
The Cleaver family of television fame faces a dilemma—whether or not to clone their recently deceased dog Spot. Written for a high school int ...
Closing the Gap
In this problem-based learning/role playing case, students apply their knowledge of the biology of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy to developin ...
Coffee and Cigarettes
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 ...
Conversations with Fireflies
This case explores the aggressive mimicry behavior of the femme fatale firefly - female fireflies in the genus Photuris that mimic the fla ...
Coping with Infection
This interrupted case study introduces two distinct, but not mutually exclusive, strategies for defending against parasites: resistance and toleran ...
Could Grazing Be Dangerous? Ask the Cows!
This case study introduces important issues related to invasive species and noxious weeds that have particular ecological and agricultural importan ...
Counting Keratinocytes
This case study was developed for teaching metric length measurement in a non-majors biology laboratory setting. The case is suitable for lower-lev ...
Cow of the Future
In this case developed for an introductory general microbiology course, students consider concepts of bacterial genetics as they act as consultants ...
Cracking the Case
In this directed case study, students shadow Dr. Lee in diagnosing two patients with osteoporosis. The students are given patient history and an in ...
Crazy About Cryptids! An Ecological Hunt for Nessie and Other Legendary Creatures
Who wouldn't want to go in search of a creature like Bigfoot, Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster? Using the science of ecology, students do exact ...
Cross-Dressing or Crossing-Over?
In this “clicker case,” students learn about sex determination, meiosis, and chromosomal “crossing over” through the story ...
Cross-Dressing Salmon
This "clicker case" about female mimicry in spawning salmon was developed for an introductory-level, non-majors biology course to help address one ...
Cystic Fibrosis
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 ...
Danielle's Difficulty
The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), including severe infection, has increased in both institutional settings and the g ...
Dark Skin, Blond Hair
This interrupted case is based on a genome wide association study (GWAS) that identified the genetic variation causing some inhabitants of the Solo ...
Darwin's Finches and Natural Selection
In this "clicker case," students learn about natural selection through the research of Peter and Rosemary Grant and colleagues on the finches of th ...
Dead Fish in Bear Pond
This interrupted case study introduces students to the complexity of understanding natural variation in ecosystems through time in the absence of l ...
DeafBlind Cajuns
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 ...
Death Becomes Us
This interrupted case study reviews the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and how it may be used i ...
Decoding the Flu
This "clicker case" was designed to develop students' ability to read and interpret information stored in DNA. Making use of personal response syst ...
Dem Bones
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 ...
Diabetes and Insulin Signaling
Cellular signaling, otherwise known as signal transduction, is the mechanism by which cellular context and environmental situation are used to regu ...
Diagnosing and Treating Charlie’s Strange Spots
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. ...
Diagnosis of a Congenital Disorder
This progressive disclosure case study explores the medically-related issues of a female infant born with the congenital disorder Sirenomelia, more ...
Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of an Autoimmune Response
There are a number of medical disorders that mimic each other and accordingly prove problematic for diagnosis, including autoimmune disorders (rheu ...
Disappearing Marine Iguanas
In this interrupted case study, students apply the scientific method to probe possible reasons behind declining marine iguana populations in the Ga ...
Disease Along the River: A Case Study and Cholera Outbreak Game
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 ...
Do Corridors Have Value in Conservation?
This case study discusses conservation corridors as a means to reduce the problems of population size and isolation in a fragmented habitat. In an ...
Do Grasshoppers Sweat?
There are many adaptive and evolutionary behaviors displayed in an organism's use of water. Although students generally have a superficial understa ...
Does the Matrix Matter?
In this case study, students apply principles of landscape ecology, experimental design, and data interpretation to examine alternative explanation ...
Dolphin Deaths: A Case Study in Environmental Toxicology
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 ...
Don’t Lose Your Head!
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 ...
Dr. Collins and the Case of the Mysterious Infection
In this case study, Dr. Collins must diagnose and prescribe treatment for a young patient with a serious infection. Students receive pieces of the ...
Driving Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
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 ...
Dust to Dust
Tom and his grandfather, a retired high school chemistry teacher, are talking about a National Geographic television documentary titled “Waki ...
Earthquakes Damage Cells, Too
Cholera is a commonly explored disorder when teaching transmembrane transport. Expanding on this theme, this case study also introduces intracellul ...
Eating Himself to Death
This case study was developed for an introductory biology course with the goal of integrating content (specifically, structure/function, signaling ...
Eating PCBs from Lake Ontario - The Clicker Version
This is a “clicker” adaptation of another case in our collection, “Eating PCBs from Lake Ontario: Is There an Effect or Not?&rdqu ...
Ecology of Individuals: Using Game Theory to Understand Animal Behavior
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 ...
Ellen's Choice
This case encourages students to explore various aspects of alternative and complementary medicine that might be helpful in treating a woman who is ...
Energy Up, Weight Down?
When Jill’s roommate Nancy starts using a nutritional product to improve her energy and lose weight, Jill goes searching for information abou ...
Equal Time for Intelligent Design?
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 ...
Escape from Planet Soma
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 ...
Everyone Knows Girls Are Bad at Math, Right?!
This case study explores the biology and culture of sex and gender, and focuses on the science and pseudoscience that surrounds this topic, especia ...
Evolution and Plasticity in Guppies
This case study focuses on the relationship between evolution and plasticity using a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. Students view examples from ...
Evolution by Natural Selection in Oldfield Mice
The theory of evolution by natural selection is simple, elegant, and profound. Yet, a large number of undergraduate students including biology majo ...
Evolution in Action
This case study is based on Dr. Richard Lenski’s ongoing studies of evolution in E. coli. Students are introduced to prokaryotic bio ...
Exotics
This case examines the biological, ecological, social, political, and economic factors surrounding exotic species as well as the role of resource m ...
Eyes Without a Face
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 ...
Face the Fats
This clicker case introduces students to the biochemistry of lipids through the story of Pete, a college student who begins to consider his nutriti ...
Fannie’s Fix
This case study is targeted to the middle school science student and written especially with female students in mind. Using an interdisciplinary ap ...
Farmville Future?
Life has changed for the rural residents of Farmville County since the arrival of four concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs); the air has ...
Fat Facts
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 ...
Fecal Coliforms in Antarctica
In this interrupted case study, students explore the environmental consequences of Antarctic research as they design experiments to assess the impa ...
Feeling Detoxified
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 ...
Fields of Gold
Can plants be used to “strike it rich”? In this journal case study, students examine published research on the use of trees to search f ...
Fish Out of (Salt) Water
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 ...
Fishing for Answers in the Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone
This “clicker case” addresses the eutrophication of aquatic systems caused by human activities. "Susan" is a biology student working at ...
Fluid in the Ear
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 and Speech
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 ...
From Cow Juice to a Billion Dollar Drug, With Some Breakthroughs in Between
Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. Despite the successful management of diabetes w ...
From Gummy Bears to Celery Stalks: Diffusion and Osmosis
This is an interrupted case study that intersperses information about diffusion and osmosis with content review and knowledge application questions ...
From Prairies to Corn Fields for Fuel
With increasing U.S. government support for biofuel production in the late 2000s came increased pressure to convert more land to cornfields for eth ...
From Twiggy to Tubby
This case study explores the topics of diffusion, osmosis, membrane transport, and the physiological significance of glucose and insulin in the hum ...
Gender: In the Genes or in the Jeans?
How are males and females different? Most people have a sex that is consistent on all levels: genetic, gonadal, internal genitals, external genital ...
Genetic Testing and Breast Cancer
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 ...
Genetics and a Transcontinental Romance
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 ...
Giant Pandas, Hormones, and the Evolution of a Lazy Bear
This clicker case study looks at the role of hormone cascades in homeostatic control of metabolism in a charismatic organism, the Giant Panda. ...
Giving Birth to Someone Else's Children?
Most students have heard about situations in which the paternity of a child is questioned, but maternity? This case was designed for intro ...
Global Climate Change: Evidence and Causes
This “clicker case” begins by assessing students’ impressions of global climate change and the role that human activities play in ...
Global Climate Change: Impact and Remediation
This “clicker case” is a continuation of another case in our collection, “Global Climate Change: Evidence and Causes,” in w ...
Global Climate Change: What Does it Look Like?
In this interrupted case study, Ph.D.-paleoclimatologist-turned-TV-meteorologist Sara Fahrenheit finds herself projected into a future climate that ...
Glowing Plants on Kickstarter
This case study is centered on a real scenario from 2013 in which the Kickstarter fundraising platform included a fundraising proposal from a group ...
Going for Gold
This case study introduces students to the true story of Caster Semenya, an outstanding female mid-distance runner from South Africa. Caster ...
Got Blood?
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the major vector for transmission of numerous viral diseases, including yellow fever, dengue, and now, Zika. ...
Grandma's TUM-my Trouble
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 ...
Grazing in Vernal Pools
This case study in restoration ecology utilizes two peer reviewed articles that ask a similar question about the effects of grazing in temporary we ...
Helicobacter pylori and the Bacterial Theory of Ulcers
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 ...
Hemophilia
This case deals with the genetics of the hemophilic condition that afflicted the royal families of Europe. Students trace the pedigrees of th ...
Hidden in Plain Sight
As nonliving entities, viruses face specific challenges when replicating in a host. Avoiding the host immune system is something that every v ...
Hidden in Plain Sight: Analysis of Biodiversity
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 ...
Holes in the Matter
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 ...
Honeymoon Havoc
In this interrupted case study, students meet a pair of fictional newlyweds on their way to Australia for their honeymoon. Initially eager to enjoy ...
Host-Pathogen Interactions
This case study introduces students to the complex field of immunology and the wide variety of host-pathogen interactions that drive evolutionary c ...
Hot and Bothered
This interrupted case study is a story about Carrie and her infant daughter Hayden who share similar symptoms: weight loss, metabolic abnormalities ...
How a Cancer Trial Ended in Betrayal
In this case study, students learn about the complexities and issues associated with clinical trials. After reading a newspaper story about a fraud ...
How Do Scallops Swim?
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 ...
How Many More Thymes? A Case of Phytochemical Defense
This clicker case addresses several concepts related to the evolutionary ecology of herbivore defenses. A survey of several different studies that ...
How to Make ATP
This case study for the flipped classroom introduces the discovery process used to elucidate how cells make ATP. Data from three seminal primary li ...
How to Remove Makeup
This case study explores how intermolecular forces affect the solubility of substances. The story line presents a scenario in which specialists in ...
Hunting the Black Rhino
This case study was developed to teach students the importance of understanding the behavior of wildlife, explore the difficulty in making manageme ...
Hunting the Ebola Reservoir Host
This one-hour introduction to the study of infectious diseases uses recent research on the Ebola reservoir host to motivate students to consider th ...
I Can Quit Anytime I Want
This “clicker case” explores the biological basis for the temporary euphoria that accompanies drug use as well as certain aspects of th ...
I Don't Need a Flu Shot!
In this “clicker case,” Ryan, a college student, receives an email from the campus health education office urging students to get a flu ...
I Hate Running!
This interrupted worksheet case study, developed for introductory or intermediate undergraduate physiology courses, aims to eliminate misconception ...
I Heart Running: A Case Study on Tachycardia in Sam the Runner
"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. ...
I Scream for Ice Cream
Lactose intolerance, caused by a lack of persistent lactase enzyme expression, is a trait commonly observed in adult humans, with varying geographi ...
I'm Looking Over a White-Striped Clover
This case is an exploration of the process of natural selection using white clover (Trifolium repens) as an example. In general, two forms ...
I've Fallen Over and I Can't Get Up
Greg Myron is playing the last football game of his career as the high school’s star running back. As the clock counts down the final seconds ...
Identical Twins, Identical Fates?
This case tells the story of Elise, a college freshman whose identical twin sister has recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Elise is concern ...
Impacts of Climate Change on Pinyon Pine Cone Production
In this interrupted case study, students explore how changing climate may affect cone production in pinyon pine (Pinus edulis). Students b ...
Improving on Nature?
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 Sickness and in Health
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 ...
Inside the Opioid Crisis
This case study follows the struggles of "James" as he copes with extreme pain resulting from an automobile accident. Unable to manage his sy ...
Is Iron Fertilization Good for the Sea?
This case study describes experiments to seed the ocean with iron to encourage algae growth. It explores how human activities contribute to greenho ...
Is That Pill You're Taking Safe?
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 ...
Is the Data Dirty or Clean?
This case study challenges students to differentiate between anecdotal evidence and science-based evidence related to human health. The case uses a ...
It Takes a Lot of Nerve
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 ...
It's All Greek to Me: Physiology Edition
Stephania and Nikolaus Stamos are concerned about their baby daughter. They take her to her pediatrician, who immediately notices that the onc ...
It's Just Stress, Right?
Ellie is a struggling college student on the brink of failing her physiology course; not surprisingly, she exhibits many classic signs of stress. H ...
It's Like Pulling Teeth
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’s a Crocodile! No, a Fish! No, a Dolphin!
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 ...
It’s All Greek to Me: Genetics Edition
Stephania and Nikolaus Stamos are concerned about their baby daughter. They take her to her pediatrician, who immediately notices that the once bri ...
Jim and the Forgotten Embryos
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 ...
Joel E. Greengiant Learns About Peas
This case study follows purveyors of peas, Joel E. and Jolene Greengiant, as they learn about the origin, biochemistry, genetics and eventual artif ...
Josie
In this interdisciplinary case, students meet Josie, the main character, who suffers from a variety of symptoms. Students must grapple with the con ...
Just a Spider Bite?
This case relates the story of two fictional college students, Kristen and Brent, who discover that they are infected with Staphylococcus aureu ...
In this interrupted case, students examine the concept of unconsciousness and develop an understanding of how clinicians diagnose death. Developed ...
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 ...
The majority of people in the world interact with nature in an urban setting. Management issues in urban parks tend to be more challenging than in ...
This case study takes place at a fictional biotechnology company developing herbicides against invasive plant species. The case study focuses on fi ...
This "clicker case" is based on several articles published in 2010 that determined the genealogy of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun based ...
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is an invasive plant that can be very hard to eliminate. This PowerPoint-driven case study briefly d ...
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 ...
It is now well known that non-native species have the potential to be harmful to an ecosystem, but that wasn't always the case, and getting rid of ...
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 study uses Darwin’s finches to teach students about life tables. Life tables are tables of statistics that relate to life expectanc ...
Designed for high school and college-level introductory biology courses, the goal of this "clicker case" is to get students to think about what it ...
This case study introduces students to the structure and function of cellular organelles and seeks to show their importance by discussing diseases ...
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 ...
In this directed case study, students help “Dr. Gupta” diagnose three patients in an endocrinology clinic who are having problems with ...
When a 30-year-old genetic counselor learns that her 38-year-old sister has developed early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (EOFAD), a dom ...
Students learn about the interconnectedness of the body, with a particular focus on the skin as one of the most important homeostatic organ systems ...
In this directed case study, translated from the original English into Hebrew, students read about a man who sets out on a three-hour drive across ...
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 ...
This clicker case was designed to teach students about basic enzyme structure, mechanisms of enzyme inhibition, and mechanisms of drug resistance. ...
In this “clicker case,” students learn about meiosis through the real-life story of a couple who used pre-implantation genetic screenin ...
This case study introduces students to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and its underlying genetics, cell biology, and some of the associated ...
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 ...
The Emergency Room seems busier than usual, and the cases coming in are all too similar. Everyone seems to be suffering from the same symptom ...
The format for this case is unusual. The PowerPoint of the "case" provides an in-class framework for working through all of the activities as ...
Designed for an upper-level psychology class titled Brain & Behavior, this series of mini-cases can be used in any undergraduate cours ...
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 ...
This clicker case study follows a dialogue between two college students, Lucy and Dan, as they discover how alternative splicing of mRNA molecules ...
DNA sequencing and analysis (bioinformatics) is an increasingly important tool for understanding biological data, including medical data. In this c ...
This case study gives students an opportunity to draw a conclusion about an actual crime that was prosecuted in Louisiana. A physician was accused ...
This case study gives students an opportunity to draw a conclusion about an actual crime that was prosecuted in Louisiana. A physician was accused ...
This case study gives students an opportunity to draw a conclusion about an actual crime that was prosecuted in Louisiana. A physician was accused ...
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 case explores two-species interactions, especially mutualism, and presents students with a problem, namely, the inconsistent treatment of the ...
In this interrupted case study, students work in teams to interpret behavioral data with respect to evolutionary biology. Specifically, the c ...
Cell signaling is one of the more difficult concepts for students to understand in their study of cell biology. To help students better understand ...
This interrupted case study highlights the importance of energy considerations within food chains by examining the population decline of Steller se ...
This case study was developed for a first-semester foundations course for biology majors. It is based on two conflicting reports in the scientific ...
This case explores the question of whether gender identity is determined strictly by genetics (nature) or social variables (nurture). It is b ...
This role-play case study teaches students about plasma membrane transport and the functions of transport proteins in the phospholipid bilayer. Stu ...
This case study is based on the identification of 50 children who were displaced during Argentina’s Dirty War of the 1970s, subjected to DNA ...
This interrupted case study investigates the geographic origin of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus). WNS i ...
In this interrupted case study, students will help “Dr. Gupta” investigate and assess complications arising in one of her long-term pat ...
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 ...
In this “clicker case,” students learn about evolution, speciation, and natural selection as well as interpret phylogenies as they appl ...
This “clicker case” introduces students to the basics of nutrient cycling using a recent example of the expansion of a refinery on Lake ...
Topamax®, developed to treat epilepsy, is also used as a preventative for migraine. In this case study, students read about a woman experiencin ...
Topamax®, developed to treat epilepsy, is also used as a preventative for migraine. In this case study, students read about a woman experiencin ...
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 focuses on the intersection of defining a scientific species and defining a legal species. The compelling story of Lolita, an orca ...
Students who work through this case study will follow the progress of “Sam” as he explores the microbiological mechanism of oral allerg ...
This directed case study involves two “stories,” each one concerned with some aspect of osmosis in living cells. Part I is centered aro ...
This directed case study, translated from the original English into Hebrew, involves two “stories,” each concerned with some aspect of ...
This directed case study focuses on the physiology of bone homeostasis and methods of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. One of the overall ...
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 interrupted case study is based on current research involving the global transport of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Students are asked to ...
This case study was written for an introductory course for biology majors who are first learning about embryonic development. The case is composed ...
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 ...
In this interrupted case study, students read about a college student with phenylketonuria (PKU). Students learn how diet affects a person wi ...
This flipped case study is formatted as a PowerPoint presentation that uses group experimentation to encourage active learning in a large science c ...
A longstanding belief that has it roots in Native American folklore is that the crushed leaves of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) relieve t ...
Cancer is usually thought to be a disease that affects individuals. But could cancer evolve to become infectious? This case follows the research on ...
This "clicker case" was developed for a general biology course for non-majors. It focuses on prairie habitat ecology and restoration. Jim, a young ...
In this case, students read a news article about a study of the effects of intercessory prayer on cardiac patients published in the Archives of ...
This case study synthesizes students' knowledge of the central dogma and cell structure by examining a rare health disorder in order to understand ...
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 ...
While the majority of people are prone to HIV infection, some individuals remain uninfected despite repeated exposure. This case study is based on ...
This clicker case is an adaptation of a case by Annie Prud'homme-Généreux that was originally published by the National Center for Ca ...
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 ...
This directed case study focuses on exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis (exRML). Students are guided though skeletal muscle cell membrane transpo ...
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 ...
This flipped case study was written to provide foundational understanding of woody stem (tree) anatomy and to illustrate how scientific support is ...
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 ...
Using a combination of directed case method and role-playing in which students learn about their roles using the jigsaw technique, this case study ...
This case explores the political and ethical issues associated with stem cell research. Students read the case describing Christopher Reeve’s ...
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 dilemma case is based on the true story of Jack and Lisa Nash, whose daughter Molly was born with a rare genetic disorder, Fanconi anemia. By ...
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 ...
This case study focuses on the controversy surrounding the decision by Texas Governor Rick Perry to mandate the compulsory vaccination of girls in ...
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 ...
Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, as a novel and then a blockbuster movie, reawakened the public's fascination with dinosaurs. Although di ...
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 case study introduces Megi, an active teenager who has recovered from anorexia nervosa. The method of progressive disclosure is used to ...
In this interrupted case study, students follow “Joseph Summers” as he attempts to do a late-night relocation of a snake exhibit as a r ...
The protagonist of this two-day flipped case study, “Maria,” has two problems. She doesn’t like it when the apple slices in her l ...
In this case on genome privacy, students work together to research one of six assigned lobbying groups’ views in this area and then present t ...
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 ...
This clicker case is based upon the case "Stem Cells: Promises to Keep" written by Lauren E. Yaich and published by the National Center for Case S ...
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 ...
These days it seems like everyone is counting carbs. About 24 million Americans report they have cut carbohydrates from their diet, and 44 million ...
This case reviews concepts of monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide and contrasts the structures of different pairs of carbohydrates as ...
This interrupted case study tells the story of “Callie,” a 26-year-old baker from San Francisco who runs a successful new cupcake busin ...
In this “clicker case,” students read about a college student who becomes sick. As they set out to identify the cause of the illness, s ...
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 ...
This interrupted case study examines basic concepts of chemical bonding by telling the story of “Madison,” who is learning about the te ...
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 ...
This case is based on Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby,” a tragic tale of race and gender in antebellum Louisiana ...
Thirty-one-year-old Eric has begun to show signs of the debilitating and fatal neuromuscular disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ...
The Honorable Judge Cellular is presiding over the case of The State vs.Egg Cell Number 6624223. As the prosecuting attorney calls each wi ...
This case is based on a lurid crime featured on the BBC program Crimewatch in December 2001 that was solved thanks to forensic DNA analysi ...
This “clicker case” is a modified version of another case in our collection by the same name. It uses a PowerPoint presentation (~3MB) ...
Based on the disputed rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in April 2005, this interrupted case study tells the story of a fictional characte ...
Designed for a first- or second-semester Anatomy & Physiology course, this directed case study involves a 48-year-old Jamaican fisherman who su ...
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 ...
This "clicker case" is a redesign of a case, also in our collection, by Robert H. Grant titled "A Strange Fish Indeed: The 'Discovery' of a Living ...
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 directed case study on a genetic disorder was developed for an exam on genetics for a general biology course. The case is based on an ar ...
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 ...
Is it better to have a new parking lot on campus or use that space to develop a community garden? This is the issue presented in this "clicker cas ...
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 ...
In this case study, students speculate on what may have caused a major fish kill in an estuary in North Carolina. In the process, they explore how ...
When covering the process of cellular respiration, advanced high school and undergraduate biology classes present fermentation as a means of anaero ...
Using problem-based learning and role-playing, students analyze the geological origins of the Galapagos Islands, their colonization, species forma ...
This case study examines the population dynamics of the horseshoe crab, which is sometimes described as a “living fossil.” Students are ...
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 ...
This case study follows a drama that unfolded around a stand of Sitka spruce trees (Picea sitchensis) on Vancouver Island, British Columbi ...
Whether marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes has been contested for decades. The claims, counter-claims, issues, and judgments in t ...
During the Paleolithic era, human life expectancy was only 33 years—roughly half of what it is today. We owe our more extended lives in part ...
This case explores both the evidence and inconsistencies in the two major hypotheses for the origins of life on Earth: Replication-First or Metabol ...
This case study details the historical discovery of the structure of DNA. Images of this key molecule are as iconic as those of the Mona Lisa, and ...
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 ...
The goal of this dilemma case study is to teach students about global climate change. The setting is a faculty meeting where the discussion h ...
This directed case study follows the story of “Pauline,” a 20-year-old college student who has just received results from a personal ge ...
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 ...
Although gray wolves once freely roamed North America, the gradual loss of their habitat from westward expansion and extermination programs led to ...
This case study introduces students to the "Red Queen Hypothesis." The hypothesis states that when two species compete for a limited resource or ex ...
This case explores conservation and social issues associated with the destruction of vast tracts of farmland in the Great Plains in the late 1800s ...
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 this case study, translated from the original English into Hebrew, students read and interpret the signs and symptoms of a woman suffering from ...
The steps involved in transcription and translation can be difficult for students to comprehend. Relating popular culture references (such as song ...
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 case study, students write their own “evolution stories” based on information taken from a review article by Paul Sereno on the ...
Dengue (pronounced "deng-ee") is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, usually Aedes aegypti. It is common in ...
In this interrupted case study, students examine the cooperative courtship behavior of long-tailed manakins. Males of the long-tailed form leks, ar ...
This “clicker case” tells the story of Danny Gomez, a Mexican circus performer, and his family in order to teach basic principles of ge ...
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 ...
Did Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, have children with his slave Sally Hemings? This PowerPoint clicker case explores this ...
This interrupted case study begins with the construction of a pedigree following an initial encounter with a clan of “blue people.” Aft ...
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 ...
The case was prompted by a newspaper story about a couple who refused on religious grounds to have their son vaccinated even though vaccination is ...
Taylor's doctor notices she has swollen lymph nodes and an elevated white blood cell count on her routine annual exam and asks her to return for a ...
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 ...
While the "vaccine controversy" has made headlines since the late 1990s, the emergence and popularity of social media has created a public opinion ...
Three experiments carried out by the Mars Viking landers in 1976 remain, to this day, our only attempt to detect life on another planet. All other ...
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 ...
When "Jeff," a fictionalized drug representative, is placed on the Vioxx® account in 2001, he finds himself pulled between sales and science as ...
This interrupted case study was designed for an upper level course in immunology where the topic of autoimmunity is discussed in detail. The ...
This case study addresses several concepts related to water hypoxia including physical laws governing dissolved oxygen levels and impacts to living ...
In many physiology classes the frog neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is presented as the classic example of a chemical synapse, but many synapses show ...
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 case study was inspired by a real-life scenario, and follows the story of Roberto, a migrant farmworker whose health is impacted by the usage ...
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 ...
Many biology courses are designed to develop student understanding and application of the scientific method, but few seriously examine the various ...
The purpose of this case is to teach introductory college biology students the basic process of mitosis, focusing on the fundamental cellular proce ...
This “clicker case” focuses on the food web of the riparian bird communities of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystemand how community stru ...
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 ...
This “clicker case” introduces students to a rare genetic disease in which an enzyme is deficient in a critical metabolic pathway&mdash ...
This interrupted case is based on a 2005 article in Nature written by three scientists from the Imperial College London that deals with th ...
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 ...
Alvin’s parents are worried about him. He has had a cough for almost a week, and he’s wheezing a lot more than they think is normal for ...
In this interrupted case study, a young wrestler considers purchasing 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) online as a means to drop weight quickly. However, a ...
This "clicker case" focuses on the use of molecular biology concepts and techniques to protect the property of a fictional bread company. Students ...
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 "clicker case" focuses on the invasive aquarium strain of Caulerpa taxifolia as a way of introducing students to issues about invasiv ...
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 ...
Kate-tastrophy
Katrina's Troubled Waters
Keeping up with the Joneses
Kill the Aliens: Controlling Leafy Spurge
Killing Chloroplasts
King Tut's Family Secrets
Knot Your Typical Weed
Know Your Enemy, Know Yourself
Kudz-who? and Other Questions of Invasive Species
Lady Tasting Coffee
Las alas del Diablo
Let's Get This Course Started
Lewis and Clark Reloaded
Life on Mars
Life Tables, Darwin’s Finches, and the Dynamics of Small Island Populations
Life, The Final Frontier
Little Girl Lost: A Case Study on Defective Cellular Organelles
Little Mito
Living in a Genomic World
Living on the Edge
Living the Sweet Life
Living With Her Genes
Lost in the Desert!
Lost in the Desert! Hebrew Translation
Lost? Ask a Turtle
Love Potion #10
Magic Bullets
Make a Life to Save a Life
Making Connections
Making It Fit: Using Excel to Analyze Biological Systems
Mathematics in Conservation
MDR Tuberculosis
Mendel Dreams
Michael's Story
Microbial Pie, or What Did You Feed the Neighbors?
Mildred Using Plants
Mini Cases in Psychoactive Drugs and Their Effects on the Brain
Mini Cases on Choosing Appropriate Statistical Tests for Ecological Data
Modern Frankenstein?
Mom Always Liked You Best
Monarchs and Milkweed
Monday on the Metabolic Ward
Monkey Brains
More Than Just a Cough: Exploring the Role of the Cytoskeleton in Fertility
More Than Meets the Eye
Mother's Milk Cures Cancer?
mRNA Processing
MRSA in the NICU
Murder by HIV? Grades 5-8 Edition
Murder by HIV? Grades 9-12 Edition
Murder by HIV? Undergraduate Edition
Murder or Medical Mishap?
Muscleman
Mutualism
My Brother's Keeper
My Dog is Broken!
Mystery in Alaska
Nanobacteria
Nature or Nurture
Newsflash! Transport Proteins on Strike!
Niños Desaparecidos: A Case Study about Genetics and Human Rights
No Bats in the Belfry
No Longer Living the Sweet Life
No Matter If You’re Black or White
Not an Old Person's Disease
Not Exactly...
Not Just Another Day at the Beach
Not Necessarily on Purpose
Nutrient Cycles and Pollution, Lake Michigan Style
One Headache After Another: Biochemistry Edition
One Headache After Another: Physiology Edition
One Tablet a Day May Keep Cancer Away
One Whale or Two or … ?
Oral Allergy Syndrome
Osmosis is Serious Business!
Osmosis is Serious Business! Hebrew Translation
Osteoporosis
Outbreak!
Patient Zero
PCBs in the Last Frontier
Peek-a-Bamboo!
Penicillin
Peppered Moths and the Industrial Revolution
Pharmacogenetics: How Genetic Information Is Used to Treat Disease
Pharmacogenetics: Using Genetics to Treat Disease
PKU Carriers
Plant Transpiration
Poison Ivy
Poor Devils
Prairie Garden of Troubles
Prayer Study
Protein Targeting Gone Awry
Putting the Pieces Together: The Discovery of DNA Structure and Replication
Reproductive Isolation in Columbines
Resistance is Futile - Or Is It?
Resistance Is Futile, Or is It? The Clicker Version
Response to Plant Invasion
Resurrection
Retro Goes Modern
Return of the Whoop!
Revolt of the Fungus People
Rhabdomyolysis
Rice ’n Beans or Ricin Beans?
Rings as Keys to the Past
Rough Games and the Brain
Running Off Track
Salamander Superpowers
Salem's Secrets
Saving Superman
Saving Superman: Ethics and Stem Cell Research
Scorpion vs. Mouse
Search for the Missing Sea Otters
Selecting the Perfect Baby
Selection and the Blond Beach Mouse
Selection on a Case by Case Basis
Sex and the Komodo Dragon
Sex and Vaccination
Should Bill Buy Sammy?
Should Dinosaurs Be Cloned from Ancient DNA?
Si el Norte Fuera el Sur
Sick on a South American Sugarcane Plantation
Sickle Cell Anemia
Skinny Genes?
Snakes in a Storm!
Snow White Apples?
SNPs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails, and That's What People Are Made Of
Solving a Medical Mystery with Bioinformatics
Something’s Fishy in Paxton Lake
Sometimes It Is All in the Genes
Speciation and the Threespine Stickleback
Stem Cells: Promises to Keep? Clicker Case Version
Super Bug
Sweet Beets: Making Sugar Out of Thin Air
Sweet Indigestion
Sweet Truth
Take a Deep Breath
Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
Taking the Time to Understand the Uptick in Lyme
Testing for Grazer Adaptation to Toxic Algae
The Art of a Deal
The Big Bad Wolf or Symbol of the American Wilderness?
The Biochemistry of Curly and Straight Hair
The Buzz about Colony Collapse Disorder
The Canadian Canola Controversy
The Case of Baby Joe
The Case of Desiree's Baby
The Case of Eric, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and Stem Cell Research
The Case of the Dividing Cell
The Case of the Druid Dracula
The Case of the Druid Dracula: Clicker Case Version
The Case of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
The Case of the Jamaican Fisherman
The Case of the Malfunctioning Neuron
The Case of the Missing Bees
The Case of the Tainted Taco Shells: General Edition
The Challenge of Epilepsy
The Coelacanth: An Odd Fish
The Curious Case of the Carbon Copy Kitty
The Dangers of Deicing
The Dating Game
The Death of Baby Pierre
The Deep
The Ebola Wars: Advanced Edition
The Ebola Wars: General Edition
The Ebola Wars: Mission Immune Evasion
The Ecological Footprint Dilemma
The Evolution of Color Vision in Monkeys
The Evolution of Creationism
The Evolution of Human Skin Color
The Evolving Genetics of Disease Resistance
The Fish Kill Mystery
The Fun in Fermentation
The Galapagos
The Horseshoe Crab
The Hunger Pains
The Interview: Hemoglobin vs. Myoglobin
The Lady of Charleston?
The Last Spruce Grove
The Medicinal Use of Marijuana
The Modern Caveman’s Dilemma
The Molecular Origin of Life: Replication or Metabolism-First? Introductory Version
The Mona Lisa Molecule: Mysteries of DNA Unraveled
The Mystery of the Seven Deaths
The Path of a Pathogen
The Perilous Plight of the Pika
The Petition: A Global Warming Case
The Potential Perils of Pauline
The Power of Communication
The Purple Pill
The Raelians
The Return of Canis lupus?
The Riddle of the Red Queen
The Rocky Mountain Locust
The Sad But True Case of Earl Washington
The Secret of Popcorn Popping
The Soccer Mom
The Soccer Mom: Hebrew Translation
The Sound of DNA
The Spark of Life
The Story of Dinosaur Evolution
The Unfortunate Nurse
The Waiting Game
The Wolfman and the Chromosomal Basis of Heredity
The Write Weight
Thomas and Sally
Those Old Kentucky Blues
Threats to Biodiversity
Three Cases from the Membrane Files
Thyroid Troubles
To List or Not to List?
To Spray or Not to Spray
To the Bitter End
To Vaccinate, or Not to Vaccinate
Too Many B Cells
Too Many Deer!
Tougher Plants
Toxic Circumstances
Tragic Choices: Autism, Measles, and the MMR Vaccine
Treating Ed
Trouble in Paradise
Tuna for Lunch?
Two Peas in a Pod
Under the Knife and Completely Aware
Unintended Consequences of Plant Domestication on Plant-Insect Interactions
Unlucky Chucky and Toxins of the Neuromuscular Junction
Unsustainable Use of the High Plains Aquifer
Up All Night
Uretero What?
Vaccines, Social Media, and the Public Health
Vikings on Mars
Wake-Up Call
Watch Your Step
Water Can Kill?
We Are Not Alone
Wearing on Her Nerves
What Happened to 28 Days?
What Happened to Beau?
What is a Species?
What Killed Leah Miller
What Should the Victor Do with the Vanquished?
What's in My Water Bottle?
When a Gene Turned Off Is a Matter of Life or Death
When Drug Sales and Science Collide
When Good Antibodies Go Bad
When Harry Met Gabby
When Jenn Lost Her Nerve
When Wilma Met Fred
When Work Makes You Sick
Which Came First, the Mutation or the Antibiotic?
Which Elephant Population Would You Protect?
Which of These is True? Validity and Ethics in Scientific Experimentation
Who Killed Yew?
Who Set the Moose Loose?
Why Can’t We Build a Biosphere?
Why Homeostasis Is Important to Everyday Activities
Why Is He Different from Both Parents?
Why is Patrick Paralyzed?
Why Sex is Good
Why Was the 1918 Influenza So Deadly?
Winning by a Neck
Woe Is Me
Woe to That Child
Wrestling with Weight Loss
Yeast Cryptography
You Are Not the Mother of Your Children
You Poured it Where?
Yvette's Brave Battle
Zombie Attack!