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Students will be able to:

• define different types of symbiotic interactions, with specific examples.
• summarize and critically evaluate contemporary primary literature relevant to ecological symbioses, in particular that between hermit crabs and Hydractinia spp.
• articulate a question, based on observations of a natural phenomenon (in this example, the hermit crab-Hydractinia interaction).
• articulate a testable hypothesis, based on their own observations and read of the literature.
• design appropriate experimental or observational studies to address their hypotheses.
• collect and interpret data in light of their hypotheses.
• problem-solve and troubleshoot issues that arise during their experiment.
• communicate scientific results, both orally and in written form.

Students will be able to:

• interpret figures such as maps, phylogenies, STRUCTURE plots, and networks for species delimitation

• identify sources of uncertainty and disagreement in real data sets

• propose research to address or remedy uncertainty

• construct an evidence-based argument for the management of a rare taxon

At the end of this activity, we expect students will be able to:

1. Use family pedigrees and additional genetic information to determine inheritance patterns for hereditary forms of cancer
2. Explain why a person with or without cancer can pass on a mutant allele to the next generation and how that impacts probability calculations
3. Distinguish between proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes

Students will be able to:

• conduct an authentic ecological inquiry including
  • generate a testable hypothesis based on observations,
  • design investigation with appropriate sampling selection and variables,
  • collect and analyze data following the design, and
  • interpret results and draw conclusions based on the evidence.
• write a research report with appropriate structure and style.
• evaluate the quality of inquiry reports using a rubric.
• conduct peer review to evaluate and provide feedback to others' work.
• revise the inquiry report based on peer feedback and self-assessment.

• Students can use the formula c1v1=c2v2 to calculate dilutions.
• Students can accurately set and use a micropipette.
• Students are able to prepare complex solutions such as enzyme reactions.

Students will be able to:

• Apply findings from each week's lesson to make predictions and informed hypotheses about the next week's lesson.
• Keep a detailed laboratory notebook.
• Write and peer-edit the sections of a scientific paper, and collaboratively write an entire lab report in the form of a scientific research paper.
• Search for, find, and read scientific research papers.
• Work together as a team to conduct experiments.
• Connect findings and ideas from each week's lesson to get a broader understanding of how plants will respond to higher levels of CO2 (e.g., stomatal density, photosynthetic/respiratory rates, foliar protein concentrations, growth, and resource allocation).

Note: Additional, more specific objectives are included with each of the four lessons (Supporting Files S1-S4)

At the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• Compare and contrast the mechanisms of simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport (both primary and secondary).
• Identify, and provide a rationale for, the mechanism(s) by which various substances cross the plasma membrane.
• Describe the steps involved in the transport of ions by the Na+/K+ pump, and explain the importance of electrogenic pumps to the generation and maintenance of membrane potentials.
• Explain the function of electrochemical gradients as potential energy sources specifically used in secondary active transport.
• Relate each molecule or ion transported by the Na+/glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) to its own concentration or electrochemical gradient, and describe which molecules travel with and against these gradients.

Students will be able to:

• Propose a testable, novel question contributing to a biological field of study.
• Formulate a study rationale.
• Describe relevant background information on a topic using the primary literature.
• Choose appropriate scientific, mathematical, and statistical methods to analyze a research question.
• Determine the financial costs of a research project.
• Present a proposal for peer review and compose a constructive peer review.
• Collaborate as a member of a scientific team.
• Articulate the review criteria and process used in NSF-style proposal review.

Students will be able to: Week 1-4: Fundamentals of Science and Biology

• List the major processes involved in scientific discovery
• List the different types of scientific studies and which types can establish causation
• Design experiments with appropriate controls
• Create and evaluate phylogenetic trees
• Define taxonomy and phylogeny and explain their relationship to each other
• Explain DNA sequence divergence and how it applies to evolutionary relationships and DNA barcoding

Week 5-6: Ecology

• Define and measure biodiversity and explain its importance
• Catalog organisms using the morphospecies concept
• Geographically map organisms using smartphones and an online mapping program
• Calculate metrics of species diversity using spreadsheet software
• Use spreadsheet software to quantify and graph biodiversity at forest edges vs. interiors
• Write a formal lab report

Week 7-11: Cellular and Molecular Biology

• Extract, amplify, visualize and sequence DNA using standard molecular techniques (PCR, gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing)
• Explain how DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and Sanger sequencing work at the molecular level

Week 12-13: Bioinformatics

• Trim and assemble raw DNA sequence data
• Taxonomically identify DNA sequences isolated from unknown organisms using BLAST
• Visualize sequence data relationships using sequence alignments and gene-based phylogenetic trees
• Map and report data in a publicly available online database
• Share data in a formal scientific poster

• Systematically develop a functioning, discrete, single-species model of an exponentially-growing or -declining population.
• Use the model to recommend appropriate action for population management.
• Communicate model output and recommendations to non-expert audiences.
• Generate a collaborative work product that most individuals could not generate on their own, given time and resource constraints.

Students will be able to:

• create criteria for evaluating information that is touted as scientific.
• apply those criteria to evaluate the claim that Prevagen® enhances memory.
• identify the misleading tactics used on the Prevagen® website and in their self-published reporting.
• decide whether to recommend taking Prevagen® and explain their decisions.

Topics within Playon Words are grouped into “mini-games.” The Learning Objectives for each mini-game are as follows: Sentence Sensei

• Identify the best sentence variant from a list of options
• Identify and eliminate needless words
• Identify where and when to use different types of punctuation marks
• Identify and correct common grammar mistakes

Organization Optimizer

• Organize sentences in a logical order
• Describe the components of different sections of a scientific paper
• Identify the section of a scientific paper where a given sentence belongs
• Eliminate sentences which do not belong in a given writing sample

Science Officer Training

• Classify statements as scientific or non-scientific
• Identify which statements support a particular hypothesis or position
• Classify provided sentences (e.g. hypotheses vs. predictions, problems vs. experiments, results vs. discussion)

Reference Referee

• Compare and contrast different types (e.g. primary literature, review articles, popular literature etc.) and sources (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar etc.) of scientific information
• Identify locations in texts where citations are needed
• Identify citations and/or references that are incorrect or missing key information
• Identify information that does not belong in the reference list (e.g. vendor information)

• Students will be able to identify sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes at different stages of meiosis.
• Students will be able to identify haploid and diploid cells, whether or not the chromosomes are replicated.
• Students will be able to explain why homologous chromosomes must pair during meiosis.
• Students will be able to relate DNA sequence similarity to chromosomal structures.
• Students will be able to identify crossing over as the key to proper pairing of homologous chromosomes during meiosis.
• Students will be able to predict the outcomes of meiosis for a particular individual or cell.

Students will be able to:

• Identify the major cell organelles
• List the major functions of the organelles
• Predict how changes in organelle/cell structure could alter cellular function
• Explain how overall cellular function is dependent upon organelles/cell structure
• Relate cell structure to everyday contexts

At the end of this lesson students will be able to...

• Describe the role of a primer in PCR
• Predict sequence and length of PCR product based on primer sequences
• Recognize that primers are incorporated into the final PCR products and explain why
• Identify covalent and hydrogen bonds formed and broken during PCR
• Predict the structure of PCR products after each cycle of the reaction
• Explain why amplification proceeds exponentially

• Students will be able to design targeting constructs.

• Students will be able to predict changes to the gene locus after homologous recombination.

• Students will be able to design experiments to answer a biological question (e.g., "Design an experiment to test if the expression of gene X is necessary for limb development").

• Use biological databases to generate and compare lists of predicted miR targets, and obtain the mRNA sequence of their selected candidate gene
• Use bioinformatics tools to design and optimize primer sets for qPCR

At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:

• Consider the potential advantages and disadvantages of widespread use of whole genome sequencing and direct-to-consumer genetic testing.
• Explore the critical need to maintain privacy of individual genetic test results to protect patient interests.
• Dissect the nuances of reporting whole genome sequencing results.
• Recognize the economic ramifications of precision medicine strategies.
• Formulate a deeper understanding of the ethical dimensions of emerging genetic testing technologies.