All resources in STEM

The Skeletal System: Crash Course A&P

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Crash Course AP Science: Today Hank explains the skeletal system and why astronauts Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko are out in space studying it. He talks about the anatomy of the skeletal system, including the flat, short, and irregular bones, and their individual arrangements of compact and spongy bone. He'll also cover the microanatomy of bones, particularly the osteons and their inner lamella. And finally he will introduce the process of bone remodeling, which is carried out by crews of osteocytes, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts.

Material Type: Lecture

Author: Denise Krefting

Can It Support You? No Bones about It!

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After completing the associated lesson and its first associated activity, students are familiar with the 20 major bones in the human body knowing their locations and relative densities. When those bones break, lose their densities or are destroyed, we look to biomedical engineers to provide replacements. In this activity, student pairs are challenged to choose materials and create prototypes that could replace specific bones. They follow the steps of the engineering design process, researching, brainstorming, prototyping and testing to find bone replacement solutions. Specifically, they focus on identifying substances that when combined into a creative design might provide the same density (and thus strength and support) as their natural counterparts. After iterations to improve their designs, they present their bone alternative solutions to the rest of the class. They refer to the measured and calculated densities for fabricated human bones calculated in the previous activity, and conduct Internet research to learn the densities of given fabrication materials (or measure/calculate those densities if not found online).

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Jeanne Hubelbank, Kristen Billiar, Michelle Gallagher, Terri Camesano

Hearing: How Do Our Ears Work?

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Students learn about the anatomy of the ear and how the ears work as a sound sensor. Ear anatomy parts and structures are explained in detail, as well as how sound is transmitted mechanically and then electrically through them to the brain. Students use LEGO® robots with sound sensors to measure sound intensities, learning how the NXT brick (computer) converts the intensity of sound measured by the sensor input into a number that transmits to a screen. They build on their experiences from the previous activities and establish a rich understanding of the sound sensor and its relationship to the TaskBot's computer.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Authors: Charlie Franklin, Marianne Catanho, Sachin Nair, Satish Nair

Pupil

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In this activity, learners explore their eye pupils and how they change. Learners use a magnifying glass, mirror, and flashlight to observe how their pupil changes size in response to changes in lighting. Learners also experiment to determine how light shining in one eye affects the size of the pupil in their other eye. This resource guide includes background information about pupils and why they change as well as information related to emotional stimuli, involuntary reflexes, and photography.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Anatomy and Physiology I & II (GHC)

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This Open Course is an adaptation of OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology and was created under a Round Nine ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Topics covered include: Chemical Organization Cellular Organization Tissue Organization Integumentary System Skeletal System Muscular System Nervous System Endocrine System Cardiovascular System Lymphatic System Respiratory System Digestive System Reproductive System

Material Type: Full Course

Genetics

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This activity begins with sections that help students to understand basic principles of genetics, including (1) how genotype influences phenotype via the effects of genes on protein structure and function and (2) how genes are transmitted from parents to offspring through the processes of meiosis and fertilization. Then, a coin flip activity models the probabilistic nature of inheritance and Punnett square predictions; this helps students understand why the characteristics of children in many real families deviate from Punnett square predictions. Additional concepts covered include polygenic inheritance, incomplete dominance, and how a new mutation can result in a genetic condition that was not inherited. This activity helps students meet the Next Generation Science Standards.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan, Simulation

Authors: Ingrid Waldron, Jennifer Doherty, Scott Poethig

Genetics

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This science resource covers a variety of topics; however, the specific URL is on Genetics. It has significant explanations on the basic Principles of Genetics, Co-dominance, Incomplete dominance, and Sex-Linked traits. The units have precise and manageable explanations, and there are numerous links and additional resources to support instructors and students to advance learning. The access to videos and online simulations enhances particular areas, and the diverse assessments support mastery of skills. This is a very purposeful resource on genetics; it is useful to make learning more effective either as an overall instructional method or as an individualized learning supplement.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Case Study, Diagram/Illustration, Game, Interactive, Lecture, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Primary Source, Reading, Simulation, Teaching/Learning Strategy, Textbook, Unit of Study

Biology, The Chemistry of Life, The Chemical Foundation of Life, Atoms, Isotopes, Ions, and Molecules: The Building Blocks

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By the end of this section, you will be able to:Define matter and elementsDescribe the interrelationship between protons, neutrons, and electronsCompare the ways in which electrons can be donated or shared between atomsExplain the ways in which naturally occurring elements combine to create molecules, cells, tissues, organ systems, and organisms

Material Type: Module

Human Growth and Development

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This course addresses essential learning outcomes in normal growth, development and nutrition across the lifespan, inclusive of aging. Its focus is on normal function rather than disease. Includes lectures, handouts, schedules, and student notes.

Material Type: Full Course, Lecture Notes, Lesson Plan, Student Guide

Medicines by Design

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Medicines By Design aims to explain how scientists unravel the many different ways medicines work in the body and how this information guides the hunt for drugs of the future. Pharmacology is a broad discipline encompassing every aspect of the study of drugs, including their discovery and development and the testing of their action in the body. Much of the most promising pharmacological research going on at universities across the country is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Working at the crossroads of chemistry, genetics, cell biology, physiology, and engineering, pharmacologists are fighting disease in the laboratory and at the bedside.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services

Activities for engaging students in Biology using animations

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This resource includes three classroom-tested activities that were created using the ideas outlined in the article “Getting more out of animations” by Pruneski and Donovan (in press). The driving idea is that animations can be a powerful tool for learning complex biological processes, but when students are passive viewers, it limits their usefulness and may become simply another source of content to be memorized. Engaging students with animations can greatly increase the amount of information that can be extracted and can help students develop important learning skills that can be useful in the future. These sample assignments help make the use of animations more effective and active by structuring student viewing using guiding questions. These questions focus on particular objects, features, or steps of the process to help students accomplish specific learning objectives for that topic. The assignments also help students think about animations as media objects that are created by scientists and animators using specific tools and conventions that affect how the process is depicted and the ways in which it should be viewed. Lastly, by comparing and contrasting multiple animations of the same process, students can extract more information, overcome the limitations of each individual animations, and generate a more complete view of the process.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Homework/Assignment

Authors: Stacey Kiser, Sam Donovan, Justin Pruneski