View the Conference Schedule at a Glance here

INFORMATION FOR PRESENTERS

WORKSHOPS

This session format is designed to give participants hands-on experience to implement a particular technique or activity or develop innovative approaches to curriculum design. There is one pre-conference workshop on Thursday and 10 Hands-on Workshops on Friday and Saturday to choose from.

Pre-registration is required for all workshops. There is an additional $20 fee for the Thursday pre-conference workshop.  Workshops on Friday and Saturday are included in your conference registration fee.

 

	Evolution in Action		Ecology and Earth Systems Dynamics
	Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services		Structure and Function
	Human Dimension

 

 

Thursday Preconference Workshop

Additional Fee: $20

Thursday	Room A3
2:00 PM	Hupp: Bringing Lecture to Life: The Use of Modern Research Instrumentation in the Classroom and Lab

 

Friday Workshop

Friday	Room A3	Room A5	Room A6	Room A
	Workshop 1	Workshop 2	Workshop 3	Workshop 4
1:30 PM	Bonner: Are you sick? Introducing quantitative skills through hands-on infectious disease simulation games	Csikari: The Nuts and Bolts of Data Analysis using HHMI BioInteractive Resources	Monfils: Using Natural History Collections to Increase Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education	Schultheis: Best practices for using authentic research data to teach core concepts

 

Saturday Workshop

Saturday	Room A3	Room A5	Room A
	Workshop 5	Workshop 6	Workshop 7
11:00 AM	Jenkins: Getting a Feel for Tree Thinking: Activities to Teach Phylogenetics	Goodner: Guiding Education through Novel Investigation (GENI) – Virtual and Wet Lab Explorations of Genomes	Jones: Using NEON Data and Educational Materials in Your Classroom
	Workshop 8	Workshop 9	Workshop 10
1:30 PM	Grayson: Teaching Coral Bleaching with HHMI BioInteracitve Tools and Research Data	Berkowitz: Exploring Data Literacy Using Local Environmental Data for NGSS-aligned Curricula	Hamerlinck: Infusing quantitative skills into the Biology classroom

 

 

Preconference Workshop

 

Thursday, October 19th  2:00 PM – 5:00 PM 

Bringing Lecture to Life: The Use of Modern Research Instrumentation in the Classroom and Lab

Additional fee applies: $20 includes refreshments 

Jason Hupp, LI-COR Biosciences; Kayla Kemp-Smith, LI-COR Biosciences

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

The tools used to do modern science have a role beyond the research lab and can serve as valuable teaching tools in undergraduate education. Application of modern research instrumentation at the undergraduate level provides not only a means of exploring biological systems in a quantitative manner but exposes students to methods used in current scientific research and can better prepare them for a future in the sciences.

In this workshop, participants will be lead through an undergraduate styled example laboratory exercise exploring photochemistry using the LI-6800 Photosynthesis System. The lab will include hands-on data collection and discussion. Following the exercise, information will be presented from the LI-COR Environmental Education Fund (LEEF) Program demonstrating the impact of incorporating research instrumentation at the undergraduate level. For over ten years, the LEEF program has been a resource for Primarily Undergraduate Institutes (PUI) to obtain research-grade instrumentation for use in the classroom.  Over 100 educational institutions have benefited from the program, allowing them to impact the lives of numerous undergraduate students.  More on LEEF can be found at www.licor.com/leef.

This workshop is relevant to attendees from PUIs with an interest in using instrumentation for teaching or research at the undergraduate level or learning more about opportunities to acquire instrumentation. Discussion from participants on programs similar to LEEF, or from those who have incorporated research instruments in the classroom would be welcomed.

 

Conference Workshops

Friday, October 20th 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Are you sick? Introducing quantitative skills through hands-on infectious disease simulation games.

Kaitlin Bonner, St. John Fisher College; Arietta Fleming-Davies, Radford University

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

Models and simulated data are essential to understanding biological processes.  Although models are ubiquitous in biology, many students in fail to see the relevance of math and mathematical modeling in biology, even in higher level courses.  Mathematical models are introduced throughout introductory courses (Hardy-Weinberg, Mark-recapture, etc), but students do not recognize them as models nor do they appreciate the significance of their predictive power.

Our goal is to introduce modeling and the utility of simulated data through two different infectious disease-related games.  Diseases are inherently interesting to students because of the potential for personal impact and prevalence in today’s news (Ebola, Zika, Malaria, etc…).  Therefore, they represent an optimal topic to engage students in discussing the relevance of modeling in biology and the development of important quantitative skills.  Both games involve students directly producing simulated data on disease transmission through the classroom population.  Students can decide how to collect data, generate their own summary figures of the epidemic, make predictions about drug and vaccine development, and apply their knowledge from the simulations in class to authentic outbreak data from primary literature.  By simulating models with hands-on games, students get a deeper understanding of how the models work and develop important quantitative skills.

Faculty attending this workshop will play both games and leave with teaching tools to introduce modeling through each of the games.  We will compare and contrast the two activities, demonstrate the quantitative skills gained through each activity, describe extensions to challenge student perceptions about disease life-history traits (trade-offs between virulence and transmission), incorporate vaccine prevention into the models, and present data from primary literature to support the models.  The materials have been used with introductory undergraduate and upper division biology courses and high school outreach, and we will discuss how to modify the materials for different courses.

 

Friday, October 20th 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

The Nuts and Bolts of Data Analysis using HHMI BioInteractive Resources 

Melissa Csikari, Fairview High School; Paul Strode, Fairview High School

Thematic Track: Discover Data, Investigate Data, Inform with Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division

Practice 4 of the NGSS is Analyzing and Interpreting Data. Indeed, among other data and error analysis skills, the Framework for K12 Science Educations stresses that by Grade 12 students should be able to: 1) analyze data systematically; 2) recognize patterns in data that suggest relationships; 3) distinguish between causal and correlational relationships; and 4) collect data from physical models and analyze the performance of a design under a range of conditions. Most students are able to easily perform tasks related to data analysis using online calculators, graphing calculators, and spreadsheets. However, most of the operations that produce the statistical output take place in a black box,’ and so the mathematical operations for how each test is performed, and why it is performed this way, are unavailable. In this hands-on workshop, we will dissect two of the most common statistical tests students are likely to use with life science data: the T-test and regression analysis. We will do this in the context of a few of HHMI BioInteractive’s data analysis resources. Participants will be able to return to their classrooms with a deeper understanding of how these tests work, how to help students use them and understand them, and how BioInteractive resources can be used to support building data and error analysis skills in our students.

  

 

Friday, October 20th 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Using Natural History Collections to Increase Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education

Anna K. Monfils, Central Michigan University; Debra Linton, Central Michigan University; Molly Phillips, Florida Museum of Natural History

Thematic Track: Discover Data, Investigate Data, Inform with Data

Intended Audience Undergraduate: Lower Division

A new initiative entitled Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education (BLUE) aims to bring together communities of biodiversity, data, and education specialists to identify core undergraduate data competencies and standards, delineate learning progressions and develop effective strategies for sustained development and implementation of biodiversity and data literacy education. BLUE participants have also brought some of these strategies into practice by developing example activities.

In this workshop, we will present a completed BLUE resource, Angiosperm Reproduction, and Coevolution, in which students use publicly available digitized natural history collections data to analyze spatial co-occurrence of pollinators and the plants they pollinate. Using various data layers and digital resources, students explore the global patterns of species occurrence in a geographic context and form hypotheses related to the interdependence of bats and agave. Specific questions are asked regarding the ecology, distribution, and conservation of both the plant and animal species. Students are asked to propose research questions in a geographic context. The lab is currently being evaluated at Central Michigan University as part of the introductory biology curricula.

This module, along with others, is part of a QUBES-Hub Faculty Mentoring Network (FMN). We will also introduce other modules under development, demonstrate the module’s design process, and talk about the ongoing evaluation. Finally, the presenters will explain how participants can get involved in both BLUE and FMNs (https://qubeshub.org/groups/nhc_fmn/overview).

 

Friday, October 20th  1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Best practices for using authentic research data to teach core concepts

Elizabeth Schultheis, Michigan State University; Kristine Grayson, University of Richmond; Melissa K. Kjelvik, Michigan State University; Kaitlin Bonner, St. John Fisher College; Arietta Fleming-Davies, Radford University

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

Observations of nature and experimental research often yield datasets that are complicated, messy, and full of variation. Students may be exposed to authentic data for the first time when they perform their own inquiry projects, leaving them underprepared. We argue it is important for students to frequently engage with authentic datasets to build a foundation to properly analyze and interpret their own data from inquiry investigations. Helping students understand variation and messiness in data is a key life skill and will build their confidence for interacting with complex datasets during their careers or as informed citizens. While the value of bringing real data into the classroom is recognized, classroom implementation can seem overwhelming. For example, how do you help students go from developing their own scientific question to actually finding, utilizing, and interpreting relevant data?

In this workshop, we will discuss best practices for bringing real data into the classroom to improve student quantitative reasoning abilities. We will introduce Data Nuggets, DryadLab, and Teaching Experiments in Ecology and Evolution (TIEE) as effective classroom resources to help scaffold student abilities when working with data, as well as the process of developing new classroom resources based on publically available research data. We will focus on the steps necessary to build student proficiency in practices that scientists employ when asking and answering scientific questions. We will identify learning objectives necessary for a scientifically literate citizenry, and how the use of real data can uniquely help achieve these learning objectives.

Workshop participants will discuss steps from finding data from reputable sources, identifying learning objectives, helping students ask and test their own scientific questions, data analysis and interpretation, and eventually turning classroom materials into publishable teaching resources.

  

Saturday, October 21^st 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Getting a Feel for Tree Thinking: Activities to teach phylogenetics

Kristin Jenkins, BioQUEST; Phil Gibson, University of Oklahoma; Andrew Hasley, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division

Phylogenetic trees are visual representations of biological theories of evolutionary relationships  The ability to read and interpret phylogenetic trees is integral to understanding evolutionary biology, however, reading trees is not intuitive and there are a number of common misconceptions that interfere with students’ understanding of phylogenetic trees.  For example, many students read across the tips of the tree or count nodes between tips to determine relatedness.  These errors obscure the evolutionary relationships and shared common ancestry demonstrated in trees.

In this session, we will present a combination of resources, including a validated concept inventory that will allow faculty to provide a solid foundation in tree reading in one to two class sessions using simple materials, such as paper and pens and pipe cleaners. The core activity was adapted from Goldsmith (2003) and has students reconstruct the route for a foot race based on stamps collected by runners at checkpoints.  The phylogenetic trees represent an evolutionary tree, and the runners are replaced by species after the tree is drawn.  This activity has been modified to make it accessible to visually impaired students as well as sighted students.  This activity is supplemented with a 3D version of the race adapted from Halverson (2010).  A concept inventory of basic tree reading skills will be introduced for use as a pre/post assessment of student understanding.

This activity engages students in group work, hands-on learning to address the core concept of evolution from Vision and Change, AP Biology, and NGSS.  This activity allows students to use trees correctly in their study of evolution, laying out common ancestry, evolution of traits and relationships between species.

Goldsmith, D. 2003. The Great Clade Race. American Biology Teacher, Vol 65(9) pp679-682

Halverson, K. 2010. Using Pipe Cleaners to Bring the Tree of Life to Life. American Biology Teacher,

Vol 72 (4) pp223-224. DOI: 10.1525/abt.2010.72.4.4

 

Saturday, October 21^st 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Guiding Education through Novel Investigation (GENI) – Virtual and Wet Lab Explorations of Genomes

Brad Goodner, Hiram College; Derek Wood,

Thematic Track: Discover Data, Investigate Data, Inform with Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

Publicly accessible genome sequences from 48,000 different organisms have changed biology and its applications in medicine, agriculture, bioenergy, and environmental remediation. Most called putative genes in those genomes will never be looked at by human eyes, we just assume each gene and its functional name are real. These questions can be explored by high school and undergraduate students while they learn the basics of molecular genetics. The GENI platform allows for collaborative student research to connect genes to cellular/organismal functions. Virtual explorations occur through GENI-ACT (Annotation Collaboration Toolkit; geni-act.org) where faculty can assign 1 putative genes from a genome of interest for a student to explore deeply. Does a putative gene have homologs in closely related organisms and/or more distant relatives? Evidence for horizontal gene transfer? Do homologs in other organisms have the same functional call? Is entire gene present or does start codon need to be changed? Does the encoded protein have functional domains expected given its initial functional call? Students bring together data from different analyses to answer these questions and summarize their findings in a proposed functional name for an assigned gene and whether any other changes are required. Examples will be shown of conclusive evidence for new functional names, new start codon positions, and rare cases of assigned genes not being real. Wet lab tests of genomic hypotheses can be organized and shared through GENI-SCIENCE (geni-science.org), including background readings, protocols, data, analyses, and conclusions. Current projects include functional complementation of known E. coli mutants with putative genes from a genome of interest, overexpression of putative genes and test for enzymatic function, and Mendelian analyses of mutations in the roundworm C. elegans. GENI-ACT and GENI-SCIENCE have been used for research projects embedded in a wide variety of introductory and advanced courses as well as in independent projects.

  

Saturday, October 21^st 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Using NEON Data and Educational Materials in Your Classroom

Megan Jones, Battelle- National Ecological Observatory Network; Wendy Gram, Battelle – National Ecological Observatory Network

Thematic Track: Discover Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

Data discovery is a crucial step to bolstering lessons with data and for students to be comfortable asking questions using data. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) collects data at 81 sites across the United States and freely provides this data that can be used to ask questions about the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. Participants in this workshop will explore how to directly access the full NEON database to get the data they want for use in the classroom. Participants will also explore already curated teaching data subsets that are available for download and classroom use. 

The learning objectives of the workshop are for educators to have the tools and comfort level to discover and access data from the NEON database (data.neonscience.org), to be aware of the increasing number of data visualization tools that NEON will be offering through their website (www.neonscience.org), and to be able to use the curated teaching data subsets (neondataskills.org/teaching-data-subsets/) with or without the associated activities in their own educational setting. 

The workshop will be presented as a guided navigation through the resources available, therefore, workshop participants should bring a laptop or tablet (phones are not ideal) to be able to participate fully in the workshop. The workshop instructors will model how educators can present the data discovery tools in their own classrooms. Each participant will have the opportunity to leave the workshop with a downloaded data set that they may use for a classroom lesson.

 

Saturday, October 21^st 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Teaching Coral Bleaching with HHMI BioInteractive Tools and Research Data

Kristine Grayson, University of Richmond; Melissa Csikari, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division

We will present classroom-ready data investigation tools centered around coral bleaching. In a sea surface temperature mapping module, students graph and analyze satellite temperature data for coral reef sites around the world to observe global trends in temperature data and evaluate the threat to coral reefs from heat stress. This investigation teaches data visualization and summation using large temperature data sets. Students reach conclusions about increases in the intensity and frequency of coral bleaching events.

Students can then apply this knowledge to interpreting research data on the resistance of corals to bleaching. A series of video resources are available that introduce the process of coral bleaching and the research of Steve Palumbi on how corals can respond to warmer ocean temperatures. The resources for discussing and interpreting the research findings are available at multiple curriculum levels and are enhanced by the availability of a Science in the Classroom annotated of the original research paper.

These curriculum materials are centered around HHMI BioInteractive resources, but we also highlight connections with other research data sets, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch, and the bleaching events occurring in oceans today. Instructors will gain familiarity with these resources and will conceptualize how they can be implemented in their classrooms. We ask that participants bring their computers to participate in the data exploration.

Sea surface temperature mapping:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/coral-bleaching-activity

NOAA Coral Reef Watch:

http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/index.php

Coral bleaching video explanation:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/coral-bleaching

Spotlight on coral research in American Samoa:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/steve-palumbi-megan-morikawa-study-coral-reef-damage-american-samoa

Lecture by Steve Palumbi on threats to coral reefs and research on their responses:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/ocean-species-respond-climate-change

Science in the Classroom annotated research paper: http://scienceintheclassroom.org/research-papers/take-heat/university

Resistance to Bleaching data interpretation: http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/resistance-coral-bleaching

  

Saturday, October 21^st 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Exploring Data Literacy Using Local Environmental Data for NGSS-aligned Curricula

Alan Berkowitz, Cary Institute

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Grades 9-12

We present a case study of how local data can be incorporated into NGSS-aligned curricula by exploring data on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Hudson River fish. The Hudson River is one of the largest US Superfund sites because of PCB pollution, and the Hudson River fish dataset is among the largest datasets on fish contamination in the world. During this interactive workshop, we will create a conceptual diagram of what we need to know to understand the movement of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, provide background information on PCBs in the Hudson River Superfund Site, explore PCB data from Hudson River fish, and outline insights from classroom implementation of PCB data in Hudson Valley schools. Our data exploration framework is applicable to many different datasets beyond PCBs, and the underlying ecological concepts have broad applications.

Participants in the workshop will: 1) Learn about the complex ways in which pollutants enter, persist in, and leave aquatic ecosystems and impact ecosystem functions; 2) Explore PCB contamination using Hudson River fisheries data, and be able to explain why different fish, and fish from different parts of the estuary, have varying levels of PCBs; 3) Develop skills and confidence in a) manipulating data (calculating means, ranges, minima and maxima, indices and other variables to address questions of interest), b) different types of summary or representation (based on their strengths and limitations), and c) using statistics to determine the significance of patterns or differences, and to qualify confidence in claims; 4) Gain insights into student thinking and ways to assess and respond to it, with regards to food-chains, food-webs,  biomagnifications, and data exploration; and 5) Gain confidence, motivation and practical ideas for combining data exploration with hands-on experiences with real phenomena using local environmental data for NGSS-aligned instruction.

Saturday, October 21^st 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Infusing quantitative skills into the biology classroom

Gabriela Hamerlinck, BioQUEST; QUBES; Kristin Jenkins, BioQUEST

Thematic Track: Investigate Data

Intended Audience Undergraduate: Lower Division

Quantitative skills have been identified as a core competency for bioscience curricula (Vision and Change) at all academic levels and are crucial for our students in any biology class. However, the incorporation of quantitative skills into classrooms can be challenging as students are often underprepared and less than enthusiastic about quantitative approaches. Additionally, biology instructors may not be aware of high quality and readily accessible quantitatively focused resources. The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium has a 30-year history of helping teachers incorporate quantitative skills in biology classrooms and our latest project, QUBES (qubeshub.org), focuses on providing resources and evidence-based pedagogical approaches to promote student success with quantitative skills in biology classes. This workshop will focus on accessible resources to strengthen basic quantitative skills (i.e. graphing, data interpretation, working with authentic data). We will also discuss strategies for overcoming potential anxiety your students may have when encountering mathematics in the classroom. The goal is to have students be comfortable with and able to use appropriate mathematical tools for better understanding of scientific phenomena. Participants will work with open resource materials (MathBench mathbench.umd.edu; DataNuggets datanuggets.org; DryadLab qubeshub.org/groups/dryadlab) designed to help students understand how to use mathematical tools in a biological context and engage in discussion of the effective implementation of these resources in the classroom.

 

 

View the Conference Schedule at a Glance here

Hands-on Workshop Presentations

In addition to the 8 workshops being offered during the conference, we are also holding a pre-conference workshop on Thursday October 2nd . This will be a 4 hour introduction to teaching topics in bioinformatics.  There will be a $35 fee for the pre-conference workshop.

 

Use the conference topic icons to quickly identify relevant sessions!

	Evolution in Action		Ecology and Earth Systems Dynamics
	Other		Structure and Function

 

Pre-Conference Workshop Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Library, SJSU at the northwest corner of campus, Room 217 Thursday, October 2, 2014    1:00pm – 5:00pm (4 hour workshop) ($35) Teaching about Topics in Bioinformatics  Joshua Mackie, San Jose State University; Intended Audience:  Grades 9-12, Undergraduate Lower Division Bioinformatics has influenced the way we study biodiversity – for example in the phylogenetic recognition of species (all Kingdoms), and in studying bacteria and viruses which cannot be grown in the lab. And still, the scope of bioinformatics is increasing. The future may well involve personalized genome medicine. The bioinformatic concepts central to biological exploration complement teaching and research in ecology, and genetics, and foster many generally useful proficiencies (e.g. computer literacy, report writing, project planning, hypothesis testing, or group work). The resource pool for teaching bio-informatics is vast (and software and data sets are very often free!).  Assuming computers are available, students can easily become involved in ‘data mining’, perhaps setting their own biological questions within a biology class. This workshop will provide hand-on experience in the tools used to explore biodiversity using DNA sequence data. The concepts covered are: A. ‘Gene barcoding’ B. Generation and assembly of genomic sequence data (DNA sequencing methods) C. ‘Metagenomic’ studies of organisms in real environments D. Phylogenetic trees Materials used: The workshop will be run as a computer lab. Computers can be provided. Alternatively, please let me know if you would like to bring your personal laptop (and if so the system you use – Windows, or Mac and version). 1. We will conduct an alignment of the DNA sequences (using the freely available genetic data analysis Package, MEGA. This program is free to download: http://www.megasoftware.net/ 2. We will select versions of the COI gene from different organisms from GenBank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/) We aim to further explain and expand on some broad themes: -Sources of useful, real life data for teaching -Experiences of group-based and self-motivated research approaches in bioinformatics teaching. To conclude, our goal is to share a draft set of learning objectives as a basis for a discussion, developing ideas and a rubric to assist in teaching.

 

Friday, October 3, 2014    1:30pm – 2:30pm ( 1 hour workshops)

Using Google Geo Tools For Education 

Student Union Ballroom 1

Friday, October 3, 2014   1:30pm – 2:30pm John Bailey, Google Inc.; Emily Henderson, Google Inc., Conference Track: Hands On/Minds Engaged;

Intended Audience:  All levels

Recently Google released several new geo tools designed to help connect people to place. These new tools have the potential to change how teachers teach and students learn about their communities and the world as a whole. This workshop will introduce and reinforce how the suite of Google Geo applications, such as Maps Engine Lite, Google Earth Tour Builder, and Earth Engine Timelapse, that can be used to create powerful and engaging opportunities for students of all ages. The Google Geo Edu Team will lead participants through a series of hands-on, content relevant tasks that will help to build your understanding and skill with these tools using content relevant to biology students.

 

Evolution in Action in the Classroom with Avida-ED Digital Evolution Software 

Student Union Ballroom 3

Friday, October 3, 2014   1:30pm – 2:30pm Wendy Johnson, Michigan State University; Robert Pennock, Michigan State University

Conference Track: Dynamic Teaching/Active Learning, Hands On/Minds Engaged

Intended Audience:  All levels

Avida-Ed is a free software program that provides an instance of evolution allowing students to develop and test questions about the mechanisms of natural selection. Software and lesson plans provided.  The process of biological natural selection is difficult to observe in the classroom for a number of reasons, but digital evolution provides an instance of evolution in a modeled software environment that is readily observable in the classroom. Researchers at Michigan State University are studying the processes of evolution using self-replicating digital organisms similar to computer viruses. Their research platform, Avida, has been simplified into an educational version called Avida-ED for use in undergraduate and high school biology classes. Avida-ED provides a user-friendly interface that likens the digital organisms to bacteria growing in a virtual petri dish. Observing the evolution of digital organisms allows students to participate in scientific inquiry to investigate the process of natural selection in engaging and relevant ways that overcomes the time and resource barriers to observing natural selection in biological organisms in the classroom. Introductory lessons utilizing Avida-ED have been developed that provide guided inquiry highlighting the concepts of random mutation, fitness, and selection and allow students to examine variation at the organismal and population levels while learning to use the software. This workshop will introduce the Avida-ED software and allow participants the opportunity to gain hands-on experience using it with the lessons that we have developed. We will share the teaching materials we have developed and discuss the benefits of the guided inquiry approach as well as how to adapt the lessons to varied student populations and learning goals.  Participants may wish to bring a laptop.

The Celery Challenge    WITHDRAWN

Friday, October 3, 2014   1:30pm – 2:30pm Marshall Sundberg, Emporia State University

Conference Track: Hands On/Minds Engaged

Intended Audience:  Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division

This activity challenges students to integrate their understanding of the structure of a celery petiole, the physical properties of plant cells, and the process of osmosis to achieve maximum bending of a 6 cm long segment of celery petiole.

Plant Tissues, such as potato, are commonly used to demonstrate the effect of osmosis and verify expectations. The celery challenge can be used as a first experiment demonstrating osmosis, but more interestingly as a challenge for students to integrate their understanding of osmosis, the structure of a celery petiole, and the physical properties of plant cells to maximize bending of a section of celery stalk. The main objective of the activity is to encourage students to integrate different aspects of plant biology, which are traditionally taught individually, to achieve a visible and quantifiable result. A secondary objective is to encourage students to modify their experimental design based on analysis of initial results. At this level the activity is set up as a team challenge to achieve the greatest natural curvature from a six cm long section of celery stalk. Each group begins with an entire stalk of celery and can vary the shape of the section they use, its location along the length of the stalk, and the solution for soaking the celery. Relevant plant variables include: tensile strength of vascular bundles, collenchyma bundles, and epidermis, as well as osmotic potential of parenchyma cells and the shape of the segment containing one or more of these cell types. Other variables include position of the segment along the length of the stalk, concentration of the soaking solution, and application of a diffusion barrier (e.g., Vaseline). In the end, each group must explain the rationale for their experiment. The group producing the greatest curvature “wins”.

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Friday, October 3, 2014   1:30 pm-3:30 pm (2 hour workshop)

 

Connecting Scientists and K-12 Students with The GLOBE Program 

ENG 301

Friday, October 3, 2014 1:30pm – 3:30pm Peggy Foletta, The GLOBE Program

Conference Track: Hands On/Minds Engaged

Intended Audience:  Grades 9-12;

The GLOBE Program (www.globe.gov) is a science and education program that connects a network of students, teachers and scientists from around the world to better understand, sustain and improve Earth’s environment at local, regional and global scales. By engaging students in hands-on learning of Earth system science, GLOBE is an innovative way for teachers to get students of all ages excited about scientific discovery. To date, more than 100 million measurements have been contributed to the GLOBE database, creating meaningful, standardized, global research-quality data sets that can be used in support of student and professional scientific research. Since beginning operations in 1995, over 58,000 trained teachers and 1.5 million students in 112 countries have participated in GLOBE. This workshop will present various components of its program, including the GLOBE International Scientist Network (GISN), which helps bridge scientists with K-12 students to conduct scientific research investigations. GLOBE will present examples of data collection protocols and learning activities in its five investigation areas (Atmosphere, Earth as a System, Hydrology, Land Cover/Biology, and Soil), data entry, the GLOBE data visualization system, and examples of student research investigations. Participants will learn about the manual mapping protocols, LandSat images, and the application of MultiSpec software as it relates to GLOBE’s Land Cover investigation and its Earth System Poster Activity along with its Carbon Cycle and Seasons curricula. Additionally, this presentation will discuss benefits and pitfalls scientists may face when working with K-12 students, as well as provide best practices and examples of how GLOBE scientists overcome these challenges to successfully work with students internationally. Participants will receive GLOBE Earth System Poster booklets (activity guide and satellite images guide) as well as one-pager on GLOBE.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014   1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (1 hour workshops)

 

Dyeing to Learn Objectives: Developing learning objectives for a lab on making natural dyes from plants 

Student Union Ballroom 2

Saturday, October 4, 2014 1:30pm – 2:30pm 

Sunshine Brosi, Frostburg State University; Karen Hall, Botanical Research Institute of Texas

Conference Track: Assess Learning/Adapt Teaching;

Cross Cutting Topic: Ethnobiology

Intended Audience:  Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division, Other: informal education

This is a participant-driven, active-learning workshop designed to allow participants to experience team-based learning, a form of active learning, and share practical ideas concerning how to implement team-based learning successfully in their classes.  In this workshop, we will use the activity of making dyes from plants and each participant will create a handkerchief using natural dyes. We will discuss how to take an activity and identify objectives from that activity. Objectives will be written from the student’s perspective as an overt and measurable action verb that is aligned with Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. The learning objectives will be evaluated as being SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Focused, and Time-Focused). Participants will then align the learning objectives to core concepts and competencies identified in the National Science Foundation’s document Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education (visionandchange.org) and the Open Science Network’s Vision and Change in Ethnobiology Education (opensciencenetwork.org). Participants will also develop assessments that are linked to both the appropriate level of Bloom’s Taxonomy and the specific concept or competency. Participants will have the opportunity to access and evaluate the activity on the Life Discovery Ed Digital Library (lifediscoveryed.org). The intended audience for the workshop includes educators and researchers who teach, or graduate students who plan to teach courses. The outcomes of the workshop will be practice in writing and peer-reviewing course objectives and aligning these objectives to Vision and Change concepts and competencies. The workshop will focus on access to a network of educators interested in promoting and enhancing ethnobotany education, training, and dissemination of ethnobiological knowledge through the Open Science Network and the Life Discovery Ed Digital Library.

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Saturday, October 4, 2014   1:30pm – 2:30pm

 

Teaching Biology Using Team-Based Learning 

ENG 301

Saturday, October 4, 2014 1:30pm – 2:30pm 

David Grise, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Conference Track: Dynamic Teaching/Active Learning

Intended Audience:  Undergraduate: Lower Division

Science is a collaborative effort, but until recently science was rarely taught in a collaborative manner.  This workshop focuses on “team-based learning,” a form of active learning that can also help students experience the collaborative nature of science. It is designed to not only introduce team-based learning to participants, but also give them experience as a student and the opportunity to discuss issues relating to implementing it in their own classrooms using team-based learning techniques.  In this workshop, I will briefly introduce participants to the basics of team-learning and then arrange them into groups for a “hands on” team-based learning assignment. The assignment is one that I have used to “teach” community ecology in my large-lecture introductory biology course.  Participants will then be divided into groups to discuss, various aspects of the experience including: 1) Formation of groups (including size of group) 2) What activities do you want students to accomplish? 3) Evaluation – how instructor counts points for group work 3)  Peer evaluation of the group members 4) Frequency of group work in the course 5) Product produced by group work 6) Increasing buy-in among students 7) How to help students prepare for assignments and work effectively in groups

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 Saturday, October 4, 2014  1:30 pm – 3:30 pm (2 hour workshops)

Natural History Collections as Resources for Vision and Change in Undergraduate Education  

Student Union Ballroom 1

Saturday, October 4, 2014 1:30pm – 3:30pm 

Eileen Lacey, UC Berkeley; Joseph A. Cook, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico; Kayce Bell, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico; Corey Welch, Biology Scholars Program, UC Berkeley

Conference Track: Dynamic Teaching/Active Learning, Hands On/Minds Engaged

Intended Audience:  Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

The goal of this workshop is to outline the multiple ways in which the vast physical and digital resources associated with natural history collections can be used to promote the critical modifications to undergraduate education outlined in the AAAS Vision and Change document published in 2011. The organizers of the workshop are members of AIM-UP!, an NSF-funded Research Coordinating Network (aim-up.org) established to explore the use of natural history collections and collections data in undergraduate education. Through a combination of short presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, the workshop will introduce attendees to the significant role that natural history collections can play in reforming undergraduate biology education. Natural history collections and digital collections data have the potential to significantly improve undergraduate education in biology in multiple ways (Cook et al., in review). In particular, ongoing efforts to digitize the extensive and diverse forms of information associated with natural history specimens are creating exciting new opportunities to incorporate these resources into undergraduate learning experiences. For all students – those who will enter academia as well as those who will move into the private sector or state and federal agency workforces – there is an acute need to understand interactions with the natural world. By engaging in inquiry-driven, hands-on activities built around natural history collections data, students are exposed to real-world examples of fundamental concepts in evolutionary biology. In the process, students gain critical skills associated with implementation of the scientific method, data analysis, and digital literacy. Because nearly all aspects of biodiversity and biotic change have implications for human biology, these learning experiences have direct relevance to many of our most pressing societal issues, including preservation of biodiversity, development of biosecurity guidelines, and response to emerging global pathogens.

 

Teaching Statistics in the High School and College life science courses using free Biointeractive resources    

Student Union Ballroom 3

Saturday, October 4, 2014 1:30pm – 3:30pm   

Paul Strode, Fairview High School; Peter Szameitat, Fariview High School

Conference Track: Dynamic Teaching/Active Learning, Hands On/Minds Engaged

Intended Audience:  Grades 9-12, Undergraduate: Lower Division, Undergraduate: Upper Division

Most students entering our college and university life sciences programs have few statistical skills for data analysis. However, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the redesign of the AP Biology curriculum call, in large part, for more data analysis instruction and practice. In addition, Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education calls for an increased focus on biological literacy and argues that “the application of quantitative approaches (statistics, quantitative analysis of dynamic systems, and mathematical modeling) is an increasingly important basic skill utilized in describing biological systems.” First, we will present the argument for more data and error analysis from the NGSS and describe the statistics curriculum that we have woven throughout our middle and high school science curricula and stress the need for a more vertical strategy for preparing students for college science courses. Second, participants will analyze finch data from Peter and Rosemary Grant that are available in two HHMI Biointeractive graphing and statistics activities that accompany the HHMI short film, The Beak of the Finch. We will also use the recently published free HHMI teachers’ guide titled Math and Statistics in Biology that is designed to help with all of the HHMI data analysis activities. Participants will learn several components of data and error analysis: (i) the difference between a hypothesis and a prediction, (ii) the meanings of the alpha level, p-value, and degrees of freedom, (iii) how to calculate variance and standard deviation, and (iv) how to perform a t-Test and interpret the results. Activities like this coupled with more sophisticated statistical analysis skills will give our students authentic practice of scientific methodology in general and real life science research in particular.

 

	Friday Workshops		Saturday Workshops
10:00 AM	Place-based environmental education: Creating a professional learning community		Engaging Students as Scientists
1:15 PM	Statistics in the High School Biology Classroom: Going Beyond the Mean		What Lives Where, and Why? Understanding Biodiversity Through Geospatial Exploration
3:00 PM	Using Online Natural History Databases to Support Innovation in Undergraduate Education		Cloud Forest Immersion: Engaging Students in Exploration through Web-Based Learning Environments

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Friday Workshops

Place-based environmental education: Creating a professional learning community

Friday, March 15, 2013: 10:00 – 11:30 AM, Room 32

Authors:
April Sawey, Botanical Research Institute of Texas; Tracy Friday, Botanical Research Institute of Texas; Michael Sawey, Texas Christian University

Abstract:
Workshop participants will learn about strategies, models and resources to provide engaging opportunities for their students to study the world as scientists on topics with real world application and relevance to ecology and earth systems dynamics.

Description:
The 21st century learner spends a great deal of time interfacing with digital information technologies and is more globally connected than previous generations. But experts (Louv, 2008; Sobel, 2004) suggest that this may leave them with a disconnect to their local environment, especially the natural parts of this essential system. At a time when our world is changing faster each day, greater understanding of challenges associated with population growth are essential. These include issues related to our water supply, food and agriculture, energy use, and overall carrying capacity of our earth system.

This workshop will introduce participants to a model which re-introduces adult learners to their natural environment and their local place, while also relating their experiences to these significant areas of environmental concern. This model employs place-based and project based learning as well as a focus on connecting teachers and laypersons with practicing scientists in the fields of organismal biology, and environmental science. Participants in this program are first re-introduced to their local place though the use of the most current technologies in digital imaging. Satellite images are combined with the latest mapping technologies to help participants become situated in their place from a digital perspective. Members of the community of practice then physically explore their natural environment in order to create a more natural hands-on experience that makes the digital information more meaningful and long-lasting. Quantitative and qualitative assessment measures utilized throughout the program will be discussed as well as the results of this assessment. These assessments include analyses of journal entries, photo-ethnography, pre and post-test results covering place-based knowledge, and facilitator observations.

Louv. (2008). Last Child in the Woods. North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Sobel, D. (2004). Place-based education. Great Barrington, MA: Orion Society Press.

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Statistics in the High School Biology Classroom: Going Beyond the Mean

Friday, March 15, 2013: 1:15 – 2:45 PM, Room 32

Authors:
Paul Strode, Fairview High School, Boulder Valley School District

Abstract:
The presenter will clarify the difference between the experimental hypothesis and the null statistical hypothesis and participants will generate and analyze data with various statistical tests to help students deal with messy biological data and support their conclusions.

Description:
Students are taught in middle school to conclude that if mean A is greater than mean B, then that is enough to provide support for their hypotheses. If an increase in X results in an increase in Y, then there must be a relationship between X and Y. Allowing students to make conclusions based only on means or trends is irresponsible science pedagogy and stops far short of real science literacy.

In this workshop, I will argue that the average high school sophomore already has the math skills to perform the calculations required by many statistical tests. I will delineate between experimental hypotheses and statistical hypothesis testing. I will provide participants with general instruction on when and how to use the t-Test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Chi-square test (beyond genetics problems!), and how to show uncertainty with error bars (95% confidence intervals). I will clarify the meaning of the null hypothesis (H0), the p-value, and rejection levels. Participants will also receive instruction on how to interpret the results of each test.

Finally, I will show teachers how to choose investigations whose data may be messy and whose outcomes may not fit predictions or confirm hypotheses. I will argue that teachers should frequently choose investigations that require statistics to support conclusions and that require alternative hypotheses to explain surprising outcomes. Activities like this will give students a taste of real biology research.

Participants will be provided the handouts I have designed for my students for each statistical test and I will show participants how we use EXCEL and graphing calculators to shortcut the statistical calculations once students learn to do the tests by hand. Participants should provide their own lap tops and calculators during the workshop.

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Using Online Natural History Databases to Support Innovation in Undergraduate Education

Friday, March 15, 2013: 3:00 – 4:30PM, Room 32

Authors:
Tanya Dewey, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; Tracy Barbaro, Encyclopedia of Life.

Abstract:
This workshop will introduce two natural history databases, the Animal Diversity Web and the Encyclopedia of Life. Participants will learn how these online natural history databases and their associated tools have been used to enhance undergraduate education.

Description:
This workshop will introduce two natural history databases, the Animal Diversity Web (www.animaldiversity.org) and the Encyclopedia of Life (www.eol.org). Representatives of these projects will introduce the databases and share tools they have developed to enhance undergraduate education.

Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is a large database with a wide audience and a rich resource for authentic inquiry. ADW provides structured data to support flexible querying so students can discover patterns in natural history on their own. Undergraduate students help build the database through contributions of taxon accounts at institutions across North America, providing a valuable experience in synthesizing literature and scientific writing. The ADW query tool (animaldiversity.org/q) is used by faculty at over 20 institutions to enhance active learning experiences in biology courses.

Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) aggregates data from ADW and hundreds of other partners to share natural history content freely online. EOL serves data through taxon pages and provides features and tools such as templates for student contributions, alternate classifications, and a field guide authoring tool. EOL has been utilized in a variety of ways in undergraduate education from students contributing content to taxon pages, developing customizable field guides for use in the field, or accessing the database for species and taxonomic information.

In this workshop, participants will learn about contributing to these databases, using ADW’s query tool to discover patterns in the natural world, and using EOL’s features and tools in undergraduate education. They will also interact with EOL’s classification trees, tree visualizations, and content authoring tools.

Participants will come away with tools and resources that can be used to enhance their teaching in undergraduate biology. The workshop will include a brief overview of the databases, hands on time with selected tools, and time for brainstorming ways to integrate natural history databases in undergraduate education.

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Saturday Workshops

Engaging Students as Scientists

Saturday, March 16, 2013: 10:00 – 11:30 AM, Room 32

Authors:
Erin Sikes-Thurston, FCPS Herndon High School; LouEllen Brademan Ph.D, FCPS Instructional Services.

Abstract:
Workshop participants will learn about strategies, models and resources to provide engaging opportunities for their students to study the world as scientists on topics with real world application and relevance to ecology and earth systems dynamics.

Description:
Purpose: In order for students to progress on a continuum from novice to expert in science they must be engaged with the curriculum through guided practice, process skills, strategies that can be internalized, and independent research (Ascending Intellectual Demand in the Parallel Curriculum Model, page 247). The purpose of this workshop is to demonstrate how a water quality monitoring experience can be used to provide ongoing opportunities for students to collect and analyze data for patterns and trends, interpret evidence, make interdisciplinary connections, and draw conclusions on topics with real world application and relevance to our complex and changing world.

Learning Objectives, Concepts and Skills:

• Learn how to collect macro-invertebrates, test for water chemistry * Access a state/federal database to input data
• Use databases as sources of data in conjunction with collected data to make decisions about stream health
• Analyze data for patterns and trends, interpret evidence, and draw conclusions to allow diverse students to understand parameters as indicators of water quality
• Design an experiment utilizing data collection protocols

Methodology:

1. Participants will learn about the novice to expert continuum in science along with models and strategies to help students move along this continuum toward expertise.
2. Participants will be instructed on stream monitoring data collection protocols. Materials: nets, trays, tweezers, ID cards, water quality test kits, volumetric tools, laptop, and LCD projector.
3. Participants will learn about different data bases available for students to input data, access data, and how to use them to guide students through data based decisions.
4. Participants will learn how to design an experiment using protocols and databases as well as how data is generated and incorporated into instruction, using: 2012 Draft Water Quality Assessment GIS Applications
5. Participants will learn what types of human resources to search for that could provide support in inquiry based learning efforts.

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What Lives Where, and Why? Understanding Biodiversity Through Geospatial Exploration

Saturday, March 16, 2013: 1:15 – 2:45 PM, Room 32

Authors:
Nancy Trautmann, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; James MaKinster, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Abstract:
Three technology-based lessons introduce students to biodiversity through geospatial analysis. Using interactive map-based PDFs, students interpret spatial data, create bar graphs, and compare across ecoregions. With Google Earth and satellite imagery, they assess landscape change and predict ecological impacts.

Description:
We will introduce three downloadable, technology-based lessons that have been embraced by high school teachers as a way of introducing students to key biodiversity concepts through data analysis and discovery (http://www.crossingboundaries.org/curriculum-resources-692.php).

In the “Bird Island” lesson, students explore the question “What lives where, and why?” Using an interactive map-based Geo-PDF, students interpret spatial bird population data, create bar graphs, and compare across ecoregions on a fictional island to develop understanding of biodiversity concepts. The Geo-PDF makes it possible to manipulate map layers without GIS software. In a second lesson that uses real bird data for Puerto Rico, students explore distribution of selected bird species and make connections between adaptations, habitat requirements, and distribution across the island. This lesson provides the opportunity for students to further explore key biodiversity concepts while developing data analysis and critical thinking skills. These lessons can serve as a jumping off point for field and web-based biodiversity investigations.

The third lesson, “A Birds-Eye View of Changing Landscapes,” addresses the theme of landscape change, either human-induced or triggered by natural events such as landslides and volcanic eruptions. High school biodiversity lessons commonly focus either on sampling and analyzing an aspect of local ecological communities or on learning about an international issue such as rainforest destruction or coral reef degradation. Drawing connections between these geographical extremes is challenging, especially for students who have never traveled far from home. Using Google Earth and paired current and historic satellite imagery, students investigate landscape change and predict potential ecological impacts. This experience frames their thinking about environmental change agents and potential impacts on biodiversity.

We will provide time to download and try the activities, so please try to bring a laptop with Google Earth and Adobe Acrobat installed. Discussion will focus on ways to weave together simple computer and field activities to help students develop awareness and understanding of key ecological concepts related to biodiversity.

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Cloud Forest Immersion: Engaging Students in Exploration through Web-Based Learning Environments

Saturday, March 16, 2013: 3:00 – 4:30PM, Room 32

Authors:
Greg Goldsmith, University of California, Berkeley; Maia Willcox, University of California, Berkeley; Drew Fulton, Drew Fulton Photography.

Abstract:
Use an interactive web-based learning environment to take a virtual visit to a tropical montane cloud forest, one of the world’s rarest and most endangered ecosystems, where you will learn about strategies for engaging students in active and participatory learning

Description:
How do we use web-based resources as active learning tools for engaging our students in ecology? Tropical montane cloud forests, one of the world’s most rare and endangered ecosystems, offer a wide array of opportunities to introduce students to the interactions between living organisms and their environment. Participants will use Canopy in the Clouds, a free, web-based learning environment that uses innovative and immersive media to offer a scientist’s perspective on cloud forests, to practice multiple methodologies for engaging students in dynamic, interactive, and exploratory learning. The workshop will include an introduction to the ecology of tropical montane cloud forests from a tropical biologist, a participatory discussion of interactive use of technology in the classroom, followed by an introduction to the tools provided by Canopy in the Clouds and the successful implementation of inquiry-based lesson plans using the website. Tools offered through the workshop will enable participants to provide their students with the opportunity to actively practice science by exploring an environment, asking questions, gathering data, and ultimately drawing conclusions that leads to understanding of basic ecological concepts. All curriculum materials will be made available on the web (www.canopyintheclouds.com).

Participants are asked to bring laptop computers (tablet devices such as iPads are not compatible). Several spare laptops will be made available.

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