Process of Science

Problems/Case Studies

"Thinking Inside the Box" Christopher T. Bailey, Wells College. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching.
In this particular take on the classic "Black Box Experiment," students working in groups are given sealed boxes containing objects that they must make indirect observations about and then report their observations to the class in a simulated conference setting. An effective lead-in exercise to a discussion of the scientific method, it can also be used in a general chemistry course to teach students about atomic structure and how experimental evidence can be used to infer structure.
Appropriate for high school and college undergraduate classes.

"Is a Mars Sample Return Mission Too Risky?" Troy D. Wood, University at Buffalo.State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching.
Following a public hearing format, this case study allows students to explore the scientific and public policy issues surrounding the advisability of a return mission to Mars for further sampling and, more generally, the question of whether or not there is life on that planet. The case was developed for a non-science majors course called "Great Discoveries in Science" and serves to illustrate the scientific method and the importance of interdisciplinary efforts in scientific research.
Appropriate for high school astronomy classes and college undergraduate astronomy courses.

"Nanobacteria: Are They or Aren't They Alive?" Merri Lynn Casem, California State University, Fullerton. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching.
This case study draws upon two recently published conflicting research reports on the status of nanobacteria as living organisms to explore basic concepts related to the biological definition of life and the process of scientific investigation.
Appropriate for high school and college undergraduate biology classes.

"Mom Always Liked You Best: Examining the Hypothesis of Parental Favoritism". Clyde F. Herreid, University at Buffalo. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
This case study is based on a journal article on the parenting behavior of American coots. Working through the case, students develop hypotheses and design experiments to test their hypotheses as they are given pieces of the case in an interrupted case format. A "prologue" to the case describes the interrupted case format in detail.
Appropriate for high school general science classes, and college undergraduate evolutionary biology, zoology, or ecology courses.


"The Raelians: Visionary Science or Quackery? A Case Study Exploring the Scientific Method and Human Cloning" Scott D. Zimmerman, University of Wisconsin—Stout. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching.
The topics of human cloning and pseudoscience are introduced in this case through the story of Claude Vorilhon, a French auto racing journalist who makes some unusual claims regarding the influence of extraterrestrials on human history and purpose. The case describes Vorilhon’s establishment of a company, Clonaid, whose goal is to produce the first human clone. Students read about the company’s claims of success and consider the evidence as well as the ethics involved.
Appropriate for high school and college undergraduate general science classes.


"Extrasensory Perception—Pseudoscience? A Battle at the Edge of Science" Sarah G. Stonefoot and Clyde F. Herreid, University at Buffalo. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching.
The overall purpose of this case study is to teach students to be skeptical of scientific claims, particularly those that are sensational and fall outside the boundaries of normal scientific explanation. Students read the case and then evaluate information to determine whether they believe there is enough scientific evidence to confirm the existence of extrasensory perception. The case was developed for for use in an introductory science or psychology course, but would also be appropriate for courses in human biology in which the nervous system is explored.

Appropriate for high school and college undergraduate general science classes.

"Love Potion #10". Susan Holt, New York State Biology Mentor Network. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
In this case, students are asked to consider whether there is evidence to adequately support a series of scientific claims made in an advertisement for pheromones. The case teaches students about the scientific method and the process of science.
The case was designed for use in advanced, average, and below average high school (grades 9-12) biology classes. It could also be used in AP Biology or in an introductory college biology course.


"Mother's Milk Cures Cancer? Researchers Deliberate Over Whether to Publish" Linda Tichenor, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
This case study on the immune system, cell cycle regulation, and cancer biology explores the role that serendipity plays in new discoveries in science, how scientific research is funded, and the personal and professional implications of unexpectedly finding one's self on the "cutting-edge."
Appropriate for high school general science and general biology classes, and college undergraduate biology and pharmacology classes.


"How a Cancer Trial Ended in Betrayal". Ye Chen-Izu, University of Maryland School of Medicine. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
In this case study, students learn about the complexities and issues associated with clinical trials. After reading a newspaper story about a fraudulently conducted clinical trial involving a treatment for skin cancer, students simulate their own small-scale "clinical trial" in class. The simulation involves a secret breaching of a blind test and manipulation of data to favor a positive effect for a particular proprietary drug. As part of the simulation, students examine "before" and "after" photographs of skin lesions from "patients."
Appropriate for high school general science and general biology classes, and college undergraduate biology, pharmacy, and medicine classes.


"A Case Study of Memory Loss in Mice". Michael S. Hudecki, University at Buffalo. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
This discussion case explores the scientific process involved in implementing an animal model in the study of Alzheimer's disease. Students read a short paragraph describing a study in which the brains of "trained" mice were injected with beta-amyloid fragments, which subsequently caused them to forget their tasks. The paragraph is a very short New York Times story reporting on an experimental study originally published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Based on the short description provided, students are asked to identify relevant components of the scientific method (problem, method, results, and conclusions).
The case is suitable for a wide variety of science majors and non-majors courses.


"The Case of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker: The Scientific Process and How It Relates to Everyday Life". Kathrin Stanger-Hall, University of Georgia: Athens, Jennifer Merriam, SUNY Orange, and Ruth Ann Greuling, Northern New Mexico College. The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. Based on the disputed rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in April 2005, this interrupted case study tells the story of Brad Murky, a student and research assistant who must decide whether the current evidence is sufficient for him to accept the bird’s existence. Brad and his sister debate the issue through a series of emails leaving him to wonder whether the press conference to announce the rediscovery of the bird was scheduled in haste. Designed for an introductory biology course, this case would also work well in an ecology, environmental science, ornithology or science and society course.
Appropriate for high school general biology classes, and college undergraduate ecology and environmental science classes.

 
"Don tries to culture fish cells".  Thinking Toward Solutions:  Problem-Based Learning Activities for General Biology .  Allen, D. E. and Duch, B. J. (1998).   New YorkSaunders College Publishing

Stage 1: Don attempts to design an experiment using biomarkers for heavy metal toxins.  His experiment goes wrong.  It is up to the students to determine why, teaching experimental design techniques.  

Stage 2:  Students analyze the results of application of ringers solution on three types of fish and tell why the ringers solution did not function to keep the angel shark cells physiologically active.  

Stage 3:  This provides an overview of the entire fish culture experiment.  Students will examine osmolarity, aeration, composition of ringers solution, and other variables for the cells to flourish.

Teaching Resources - Located in resource cabinet outside of SCIC 207.  Filed under this subject heading.

"Spontaneously generating life in your classroom?  Pasteur, Spallanzani, and Science Process".  The American Biology Teacher, 67, 2005, p. 340.
This activity allows students to recreate past scientific work involving spontaneous generation.  After preparing nutrient broth flasks and nutrient agar plates in multiple environments, the students examine if “life” exists on the plates.  The students then test their conjecture with outlined questions and debate whether spontaneous generation has occurred.

"Modeling the classic Meselson and Stahl experiment."
  D’Agostino, J.   The American Biology Teacher, 67, 2005, p. 358.
This activity can be used with the book The Double Helix (Watson, 1969) and The Structure of DNA (Crick, 1957).  Meselson and Stahl developed the experiment that proved the double helix structure of DNA.  The experiment with students uses yarn and a simulated CsCl gradient to display the varying densities of DNA.

Articles - Located in resource cabinet outside of SCIC 207.  Filed by subject heading and topic.

 "The species problem and the value of teaching the complexities of species. Chung, C. The American Biology Teacher, 66, 2004, p. 413
The article discusses the meaning of the term “species” and the definitions that can be applied to define it as a teaching model in the biology classroom.  Species exist, change, and then cease to exist, a measure of evolutionary processes.  Students must understand concepts such as species because of the interrelatedness of biological concepts.

"Technology instead of a textbook."  Simon, E. J. The American Biology Teacher, 63, 2001, p. 89. 
In order to reach non-majors, current events in biology may be of interest (e.g. cloning, DNA fingerprinting, AIDS).  Multimedia can also enhance understanding.  The article describes how Fordham University expanded their non-majors biology class into a web-site based curriculum. 

"Improving students’ questions in inquiry labs."
   Marbach-Ad, G., and Claasen, L. A.The American Biology Teacher, 67, 2005, p. 410.
The article shows how to gear the class to a more student-centered investigative learning approach and how to get students to ask more intelligent, thought-provoking questions.  The conclusion to improve student questioning is to combine direct instruction in questioning with increased background knowledge.  Therefore, before beginning student-investigative techniques, adequate factual knowledge must be present for the questions that are asked to be meaningful and actually help to clarify the subject being discussed.

"Nearing Zero" - Strange Matter Cartoons
Cartoon Freeware on a variety of science topics.

"Beyond Discovery" National Academy of Sciences.
"The Path from Research to Human Benefit is a series of articles that trace the origins of important recent technological and medical advances. Each story reveals the crucial role played by basic science, the applications of which could not have been anticipated at the time the original research was conducted."


Videos

Topic:  "History of artificial hearts":  Biology 5th Ed. CNN Ed 2001 (2:25).

The history of artificial hearts is reviewed, with video of the 1969 implantation of the first such device by Denton Cooley and the Jarvik 7 used on Barney Clarke in 1982.  The drawbacks of these devices led researchers to turn toward devices that are not designed to replace the heart but rather to assist a failing ventricle.  The most recent product, the fully implantable AbioCor artificial heart, is shown and its function is described. The worksheet includes the URL for AbioMed, the company that manufacturers and is currently testing the AbioCor heart.   This video could be used to challenge students conceptions of the relationship between science and medical technology.

PBS Evolution - short videos to spur classroom discussion about the nature of science and evolution.