Curricular and Instructional Materials

The list of materials below is neither exhaustive nor comprehensive. Rather, these selections are meant to illustrate the diverse activities of professional societies in providing curricular and instructional materials for undergraduate students in the life sciences.

The American Society of Mammologists maintains an extensive mammal slide library, which is used widely for undergraduate education. The collection now includes more than 1,300 slides representing nearly 800 species of mammals.

The journals and newsletters of professional societies can provide a repository for innovative instructional materials (as shown in the companion section, "Peer Review of Teaching," on pp. 29-30). With the widespread use of the Internet, many professional societies are providing access to curricular and instructional resources from their web sites. In some cases, the professional societies maintain "virtual libraries" of instructional resources in some disciplines. Scientific societies such as the American Microscopical Society, the Botanical Society of America, the Society for Developmental Biology and the Society for In Vitro Biology have compiled extensive indexes for instructional materials; their indexes link to web sites maintained by other organizations.

Undergraduate educational resources have been produced by several national programs; frequently, partnerships with professional societies have aided in the development and dissemination of these resources. Notably, several professional societies have contributed materials, hosted workshops, and provided valuable services to the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium. These societies include: the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the Association of College and University Biology Educators, the Ecological Society of America, the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology, and the Society for Mathematical Biology. The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium is committed to the extensive use of research and research-like experiences in biology education. BioQUEST Notes, a quarterly newsletter, highlights selections from its compendium of over 60 computer simulations and tools. The BioQUEST Library, a peer-reviewed academic journal of instructional technology resources for learning long-term research strategies, supports collaborative, research-like investigations for biology students.

A number of professional societies have produced precollege instructional materials, which can be adapted to college classrooms. Outstanding precollege materials are available from the American Association of Immunologists, the American Physiological Society, the Entomological Society of America, the National Association of Biology Teachers, the National Science Teachers Association, the Paleontological Society, and the Society for Neuroscience.

The policy and position statements drafted by professional societies are often excellent additions to the undergraduate classroom. These may be particularly germane to discussions of the social, ethical, behavioral, and legal issues associated with biological applications. Position statements on the use of animals in research and education, for example, have been put forward by the American Physiological Society, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, and Sigma Xi. The American Physiological Society has also developed a resource list for educators, organized by curriculum materials, animals in research, and animals in the classroom. The National Association of Biology Teachers has issued several position statements to promote professional conduct by biology educators. These include a "Statement on Teaching Evolution" and "Scientific Integrity." The American Society for Human Genetics has issued a series of statements on human genetics. The American Society for Investigative Pathology has announced its "Position on Human Tissues in Genetic Research."

Contemporary issues in agriculture have prompted the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology to produce a series of scientific reports, including "Naturally Occurring Microbials in Foods," "Grazing on Public Lands," and "Radiation Pasteurization of Food." The Entomological Society of America has issued position statements on "Endangered Species," "Transgenic Insect-Resistant Crops," and "Insecticides." Each of these documents can contribute to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of students in undergraduate biology classrooms.

APS Press, the publishing arm of the American Phytopathological Society, produces textbooks, supplemental course books, laboratory exercises, interactive CD-ROMs, electronic photo collections, slide sets, and educational videotapes. Plant Diseases: Their Biology and Social Impact, a text designed for undergraduate faculty, teaches basic plant and microbial biology to undergraduate students in general biology and introductory plant pathology courses. A teacher's guide for introductory undergraduate plant pathology courses, called Laboratory Exercises in Plant Pathology: An Instructional Kit, is also available through APS Press.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology recommends an undergraduate biochemistry curriculum, listing the types of courses that should be completed by undergraduate students pursuing a degree in biochemistry.

A teaching videotape called CELLebration was commissioned by the American Society for Cell Biology and is marketed commercially. The society has also compiled a manual of Exercises in Cell Biology for the Undergraduate Laboratory.

The American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology coordinates the collection of curricular materials appropriate for "Space Biology 101" and posts it on the society's web site. This is a diverse collection of course materials, including syllabi, outlines, and reading lists, submitted by faculty representing various colleges and universities that offer space biology courses.

Arising from its annual Undergraduate Microbiology Education Conferences, the American Society for Microbiology has articulated concepts and identified overarching themes in introductory microbiology, fostered teaching practices to enhance learning based on these guidelines, and stimulated the development of curricular materials integral to these courses. The society's Laboratory Core Curriculum, for example, includes topics and themes considered essential for all introductory microbiology laboratories. Rather than a syllabus or a course outline, the overarching themes are meant to frame objectives for the laboratory course.

The Microbial Literacy Collaborative, a public communication project led by the American Society for Microbiology and co-sponsored by several partners, includes the television series "Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth," a four-part public broadcast documentary. The project provides a broad-based view of the microbial world, its impact, and the scientists who study it. A related component of the project is the production of multimedia resources for undergraduate microbiology education. The National Association of Biology Teachers, a member of the Microbial Literacy Collaborative, is creating hands-on activities for the community outreach audience to bring the major themes and scientific content of the television series to life for students of all ages.

The American Society for Microbiology is a partner in the Biofilm Image Collection, a digitized archive of biofilm images provided by scientists from around the world for educational and nonprofit use. The collection contains medical, environmental, and industrial sections. Each image is accompanied by a legend describing the biofilm, including what organisms are present, as well as how and where the biofilm was formed.

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics has compiled a large directory of educational resources in pharmacology which can be used by undergraduate teachers and their students.

A mammal slide library, which is used widely in undergraduate classrooms, is maintained by the American Society of Mammalogists.

An extensive index of slides, photographs, and digitized images of parasites has been compiled by the American Society of Parasitologists. These can enhance teaching and learning about parasites, especially with respect to their effects on medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and wildlife ecology.

The American Society of Plant Physiologists has developed Principles of Plant Biology: Concepts for Science Education, a list to which all students should be introduced. Members of the society's education committee have compiled Topical Reviews in Plant Physiology, a list of literature citations for instructors and students who want current information on a special topic. They have also produced a brochure for faculty entitled Teaching a Plant Physiology Laboratory Course for the First Time?

The Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs has worked with Academic Press to produce a comprehensive, multi-authored textbook, Fundamental Neuroscience, designed for graduate and undergraduate courses in neuroscience.

Members of the Biophysical Society are contributing chapters and teaching articles to the Biophysics Textbook On-Line, which draws on the society's widespread expertise and provides ready accessibility for teaching faculty.

The Council on Undergraduate Research sponsors "Research Link 2000," a project to bring together biology faculty from colleges and universities to develop and disseminate field-tested, experimental systems and instructional materials. These support the introduction of research-based experiments in introductory biology courses and promote research activities by students and faculty at all levels of the undergraduate biology curriculum.

The Crop Science Society of America has produced "Microbiology of Turf Soils," a narrated slide presentation that displays the vast numbers, kinds, and activities of organisms that live in turf soils. It is designed for high schools, junior colleges, and university plant production and plant science classes. The society also produced the Agronomic Sciences Videotape Index Guide, which lists almost 1,000 videotape titles. A collection called "Experiments in Crop Science" demonstrates applications of basic plant biology to field crop growth, development, and production. Designed specifically for high-school biology/science classes (and transferable to undergraduate classrooms), the experiments help teachers relate basic plant biology to agriculture via demonstrations and laboratory experiments.

The Ecological Society of America provides two sets of materials that can be useful in the undergraduate classroom and elsewhere. Experiments to Teach Ecology is a collection of investigative laboratories suitable for college courses. Issues in Ecology is a collection of reports on pressing environmental topics; the reports are scientifically sound, easily understood, and readily applicable for undergraduate classrooms.

The Entomological Society of America houses the Ries Memorial Slide Collection. This library of more than 1,000 color slides of insects and related arthropods can be duplicated for a nominal fee for use in undergraduate courses.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology produces "Breakthroughs in BioScience," a series of articles for general audiences to showcase advances in fundamental biomedical research and how they lead to scientific progress, improved health, and economic well-being.

The Human Anatomy and Physiology Society has developed course guidelines that identify the minimum standards appropriate for an introductory undergraduate-level learning experience in human anatomy and physiology. The suggested course is a two-semester, or three-quarter, sequence in which students will gain an extensive knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and related topics. In addition, the society has compiled a list of instructional software appropriate for undergraduate anatomy and physiology instruction.

Coordinated by the National Association of Biology Teachers, "Shoestring Biotechnology for that Disappearing Budget" is an innovative educational model that adapts advanced techniques and sophisticated equipment of modern biotechnology to inexpensive, hands-on, and investigative classroom activities. This model allows colleges and high schools with limited budgets to provide future technicians and scientists with an excellent scientific background in the concepts and techniques of biotechnology. The association publishes a wide variety of educational materials, including Biology Labs That Work: The Best of How-To-Do-Its. This monograph is a compilation of some of the best ready-to-use classroom and laboratory activities that have appeared in the association's refereed journal, The American Biology Teacher.

The "NSTA Science Store" is an online educational materials shopping resource maintained by the National Science Teachers Association. It contains an abundance of educational literature, videos, and computer software, either produced or approved by the association for use in science teaching. A resource book and video package, the Science of HIV, contains newly developed curriculum and student activities on the biological nature of HIV and AIDS and is suitable for college classrooms. The resource book, Explore the World Using Protozoa, represents a cooperative project with the Society of Protozoologists and provides manageable ways to teach undergraduate students using easy-to-obtain and easy-to-maintain microscopic organisms.

Dr. Richard Nuccitelli, chair of the Society for Developmental Biology’s education committee, spearheaded the creation of “Ask a Developmental Biology Question,” a feature of the society’s web site. The developmental biology questions submitted by students are answered by experts in the society. Here, Dr. Nuccitelli, a professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California at Davis, and student Viviane Nguyen use this web-based instructional tool.

The North American Association for Environmental Education produces a diverse array of materials for practitioners, researchers, educators, and students involved in environmental education.

A "Lake and Water Word" glossary has been compiled by the North American Lake Management Society and is a useful resource for college instruction.

Joining with a commercial partner, the Society for Developmental Biology commissioned a videotape called A Dozen Eggs: Time-Lapse Microscopy of Normal Development to display comparative embryology for undergraduate classrooms. The society's web site provides access to educational resources, such as textbooks, videotapes, computer software, CD-ROMs, and web animations that have been developed by its members and targeted to undergraduate students. "Ask a Developmental Biology Question," another feature of the society's web site, encourages students to submit questions about developmental biology to experts in the society.

In cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology produced the videotape Cryptic Fauna of Marine Sand. This tape was designed for classroom use, particularly for general zoology and invertebrate zoology classes.

The Society for In Vitro Biology has published a glossary to increase communication among scientists and between scientists and the lay community. The glossary's focus is on terminology associated with cell, tissue, and organ culture, molecular biology, and molecular genetics. It is a valuable aid for college classrooms.

Slides of nematodes and other biological control agents are available through the Society of Nematologists and can enhance undergraduate instruction.

The Society of Protozoologists publishes resource materials that are excellent for secondary school and college instructors. These include The Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa (second edition) and Protocols in Protozoology, a practical lab manual.

To introduce students and the general public to the science of toxicology, the Society of Toxicology maintains and distributes copies of its slide collection.

A reference slide collection of images and accompanying documents have been prepared by the Soil Science Society of America for the benefit of teachers and researchers who employ soil micromorphological techniques.