Question Everything

Search and Replace

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive disease that leads to the deterioration of the retina and loss of vision. RP can be caused by mutations in one of several different genes. In this new video case study, students outline a strategy for using blood samples collected from relatives of patients with RP to identify potential disease-causing mutations and consider the effects of gene therapy on that patient’s vision.

Video Stars

See how some of our Ambassadors are using our resources with two new Educator Voices video posts. Phil Gibson, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, discusses how he uses BioInteractive's dog genomics resources with his students. And Colorado educator Paul Strode introduces the concepts of species richness and diversity through an outdoor data collection activity to help his students ask authentic scientific questions.

Join the Herd

The wildebeest herd in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, is the largest herbivore herd on Earth. Scientists began monitoring the sizes of the Serengeti’s large mammal populations in the 1960s. They noticed something unusual: the wildebeest population was increasing at an unprecedented rate. In this new Phenomenal Image activity, students explore how a comprehensive vaccination program in cattle led to this sudden population boom.

News Alert

Interested in incorporating relevant news articles that connect with BioInteractive resources into your classroom practice? We’ve recently added more articles to our “Science News” feature, including articles on climate change and infectious disease, from news outlets such as the Associated Press and The Atlantic.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish … Clear Fish?

My students love the "Icefish Blood Adaptations: Antifreeze Proteins" hands-on activity where they model antifreeze proteins. During the activity I have students complete a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning template. Students make a claim about how the notothenioid blood and regular fish blood will handle the super-cold temperatures of the rock salt and ice. Students then gather visual evidence after the movie and work on providing a scientific explanation as reasoning. Students research other examples of evolution in action where organisms lose traits, which helps to dispel the myth that evolution is goal oriented and always adding traits. Our next lesson focuses on cetacean evolution and the loss and gain of traits for an aquatic environment. —John Gibney (The American International School of Muscat, Oman)