Using BioInteractive Resources To Explore The World of Viruses

Although viruses are a major part of every current news cycle and pictures of viruses are everywhere, visualizing how viruses work can be a challenge. During this workshop, participants will explore free BioInteractive resources for investigating the structure, function, and evolution of viruses that make the world of viruses accessible and relevant. Participants will explore the diverse nature of viruses and virus replication cycles, including how viruses evolve and how viral evolution can be used to track the source of an outbreak. At the completion of this workshop, participants will see how to scaffold learning by pairing multimedia, hands-on classroom activities and primary literature to improve student understanding and engagement.

This workshop is for high school educators who teach advanced biology courses (AP, IB, etc.) and undergraduate educators who teach at 2- or 4-year institutions. Strategies for using resources in a synchronous, online environment will be demonstrated and suggestions for other contexts discussed. This workshop will be facilitated by Dave Westenberg and Mark Randa, and is being offered on the following date:

• Tuesday, August 16, 6:00–8:00 PM ET

Cell Cycle, Cancer, and Guardian Genes: Constructing Scientific Arguments with HHMI BioInteractive Resources

What factors cause cells to become cancerous and form tumors? During this workshop, we will explore a series of lessons that guides students through a set of free, classroom-ready HHMI BioInteractive resources, including how to generate observations and questions using an anchoring phenomenon, explore the The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer Click & Learn to gather evidence, and use the Identify and Interpret (I2) method for data analysis. Educators will also engage with structured argumentation to help their students explain how cancer results from a disruption in the cell cycle and the events that cause a cell to become cancerous. Participants will leave the workshop with a lesson sequence to support their students in achieving these goals, as well as extension activities for advanced (AP) biology.

This workshop is for high school educators who teach introductory or advanced biology courses (AP, IB, etc.) and undergraduate educators who teach at 2- or 4-year institutions. This workshop will be facilitated by Sherry Annee and Dana Navarro, and is being offered on the following date:

• Wednesday, August 17, 7:00–8:30 PM ET

Interactive Videos with Embedded Questions: Tools for Engaging Learners to Think Scientifically

Interested in using classroom videos with embedded quizzes? Using such videos leads to increased learner engagement and understanding of how to think scientifically. BioInteractive currently has a collection of fifteen interactive videos showing scientists conducting research in the field or a laboratory, or describing important scientific discoveries. Each video contains embedded questions to drive learners to think scientifically by predicting what a scientist would do in real-life situations. During this workshop, we will discuss how to implement these videos as part of your classroom practice and review the evidence of their effectiveness in learning. You will also have the opportunity to discuss when and how to use these resources in online and in-person classes, and design a lesson plan so that you can leave ready to integrate an interactive video activity in one of your classes.

This workshop is for high school educators who teach introductory or advanced biology courses (AP, IB, etc.) and undergraduate educators who teach at 2- or 4-year institutions. Strategies for in-person and online instruction will be modeled. This workshop will be facilitated by Annie Prud'homme-Genereux and Kathryn Jones, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Monday, August 22, 4:00–5:30 PM ET
• Saturday, September 17, 12:00–1:30 PM ET

Exploring Metabolism Using HHMI BioInteractive Resources

Students consistently wrestle with how to visualize metabolic processes. During this workshop, we will engage participants with teaching and learning techniques intended to broaden the options for teaching metabolism. We will utilize BioInteractive’s Scientists at Work videos and respiration animations, including animations of chemical structures involved in the metabolic pathways of the citric acid cycle, electron transport chain, and the synthesis of ATP. Participants will engage in best practices on how to link these processes to facilitate student comprehension such as pairing multimedia with hands-on learning activities.

This workshop is for teachers of all levels of high school biology including introductory and advanced (AP, IB, etc.) courses, and undergraduate undergraduate educators who teach biology, microbiology, or other life science at 2- or 4-year institutions. Strategies for synchronous online instruction will be modeled. This workshop will be facilitated by Nilo Marin and Mark Randa, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Thursday, September 1, 7:00–8:30 PM ET
• Wednesday, September 21, 7:00–8:30 PM ET

Using HHMI BioInteractive's Data Explorer to Examine Impacts of Poaching on Elephant Populations

Incorporating exploration into the classroom using data from authentic research allows students to think and act like scientists. These activities promote student quantitative skill development through learning experiences contextualized by current scientific research. Participants in this workshop will explore HHMI BioInteractive’s new Data Explorer tool, investigate the impact of poaching on tusk size within elephant populations using authentic data, and engage in discussions about teaching with data in the classroom. Participants will leave the session with an understanding of best practices in teaching with data and their own plan for using and/or adapting the featured activity or developing other activities to use in Data Explorer.

This workshop is designed for AP/IB high school instructors and undergraduate instructors interested in using data in the classroom. The sample activity is focused on ecology and evolution, but the Data Explorer tool can be used to analyze data from any discipline. This workshop will be facilitated by Rosie Bolen and Kaitlin Bonner, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Monday, September 12, 5:00–7:00 PM ET
• Thursday, October 13, 5:00–7:00 PM ET

Using Gene Therapy to Teach The Central Dogma and Genetics

In order to understand gene therapy, students need to understand both the central dogma and classical genetics. During this workshop, participants will investigate free, classroom-ready HHMI BioInteractive resources that help students understand how a genetic disease can be treated with gene therapy. Using best practices in online instruction, we will practice using patterns to understand inheritance and the central dogma. Participants will be able to incorporate these real-life resources into their classes to deepen student understanding of the central dogma, including how gene therapy and other novel treatments can impact lives.

This workshop is intended for educators who teach all levels of high school biology, including introductory and advanced (AP, IB, etc.) courses. Strategies for synchronous online instruction will be modeled. This workshop will be facilitated by Karen Lucci and Valerie May, and is being offered on the following date:

• Saturday, September 17, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM ET

Making Sense of Ecology Phenomena Through The Lens of Science Concepts

Come explore the Serengeti with us as we explore ways to authentically integrate crosscutting concepts into your classroom. We will engage with free classroom-ready BioInteractive resources that tell a story about the organisms of this fascinating ecosystem. Throughout the lesson sequence, you will practice strategies that utilize one or more of the crosscutting concepts — concepts and ideas integral across all scientific disciplines — to help you support your students in broadening their perspective and deepening their understanding of topics like trophic cascades, population dynamics, and limiting factors. Participants will leave with strategies and resources for deepening students’ understanding of phenomena through the lens of science concepts. 

This workshop is intended for educators who teach all levels of high school biology, including introductory and advanced (AP, IB, etc.) courses. We will share strategies designed for in-person learning while also modeling some best practices for synchronous online instruction. This workshop will be facilitated by Natalie Dutrow and Helen Snodgrass, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Tuesday, September 20, 7:00–8:30 PM ET
• Monday, October 3, 7:00–8:30 PM ET

Explore Population Dynamics and Invasive Species with BioInteractive

Help students learn about population dynamics by studying the recent growth of the invasive lionfish population in the western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea, using BioInteractive’s Lionfish Invasion Click & Learn. We will explore the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems and use case studies drawn from primary sources to learn about density-dependent factors that regulate populations, such as competition, predation, disease and parasites, and social behaviors. By the end of the workshop, participants will be prepared to help students engage in mathematical modeling and data analysis as they use this resource.

This workshop is intended for educators who teach all levels of high school biology and environmental science, including introductory and advanced (AP, IB, etc.) courses. This workshop will be facilitated by David Hong and Perri Carr, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Thursday, September 22, 7:00–8:30 PM ET
• Thursday, October 20, 7:00–8:30 PM ET

Using the HHMI BioInteractive Immune System Interactive to Teach About Cancer and Immunotherapy

How can we use a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer? This workshop will introduce you to the HHMI BioInteractive Immune System Interactive and how it can be used to teach about the immune system and immunotherapies that are being developed to treat various types of cancers. Explore implementation strategies that support students in the science practices of analyzing and interpreting data as well as engaging in argument from evidence. Through this lesson sequence, we will explore how students will gain data literacy skills necessary for critically evaluating claims about how various immunotherapies work. Participants will leave the workshop with ideas on how to implement this interactive in a variety of high school and undergraduate life science courses.

This workshop is intended for educators who teach any level of high school biology, including introductory and advanced (AP, IB, etc.) courses, and undergraduate educators who teach at 2- or 4-year institutions. This workshop will be facilitated by Kathy Van Hoeck and Dawn Norton, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Friday, September 28, 7:00–8:30 PM ET
• Tuesday, October 11, 7:00–8:30 PM ET

Shine a Light on Photosynthesis Using BioInteractive Resources

Students often struggle with how to visualize photosynthesis at the molecular, cellular and ecosystem levels. In this workshop, participants will investigate free, classroom-ready BioInteractive resources including animations, data visualizations, and compelling images. Using best practices, we will explore strategies to construct and revise photosynthesis models to make student thinking visible. These resources and strategies will help build a deeper understanding of photosynthesis for your students.

This workshop is for educators who teach any level of high school biology, including introductory and advanced courses (AP, IB, etc.) and undergraduate educators who teach at 2- or 4-year institutions. Facilitators will model strategies for synchronous online and in-person instruction. This workshop will be facilitated by Ann Brokaw and Katherine Ward, and is being offered on the following dates:

• Thursday, September 29, 7:00–9:00 PM ET
• Wednesday, October 12, 7:00–9:00 PM ET