Biological Demonstrations

 

 

“Garage Demos:” Physical models of Biological Processes

2010-2011 marks our sixth year creating large-scale demonstrations for introductory biology lectures. As you can see from the photo to the left, students in the back need the demonstrations to be physically large in order to see them. These are called “Garage Demos” because we make them from standard materials found in our garages. Short videos of the demonstrations done in class are posted on YouTube for students to re-view.

We found the demonstrations helpful not only for teaching but also for increasing the creator’s understanding of the processes modeled. Therefore we have begun generating resources to encourage faculty, graduate student TAs, and undergraduates to create and use physical materials to teach and learn basic concepts in biology with links posted below.

 

Introductory Biology Demonstrations on YouTube (with Instructions for Faculty):

Exocytosis

• Instructor Video:

  YouTube link for students

Blood Types

Instructor Video:

Oxidative Phosphorylation:”Student and tennis ball molecules”

Instructor Video:

Intracellular transport: “Giant Cell”

Instructor Video:

YouTube link for students

Cardiac cycle: “Lecture Hall Heart Contraction”

Instructor Video:

Blood buffers: “Tennis Ball Buffer”

Instructor Video:

YouTube link for students

Protein degradation: “Pipe Insulation Protein and Garbage Bag Proteasome”

Instructor Video:

YouTube link for students

Actin – myosin crossbridge cycling: “Paper Plate and Jumprope Contractions”

Instructor Video:

Chromosome replication and division: “Dirty Sock Chromosomes”

Instructor Video:

Chromosome Replication and Division

Extended video for instructors:

Plasmids, Restriction Enzymes and Cloning

Extended video for instructors:

YouTube link for students

 

Membrane fluidity: Pop toob hydrocarbon tails : YouTube link for students

Sickle cell anemia: Rubber band RBC: YouTube link for students

Bound vs free ribosomes: Flower pot ribosome: YouTube link for students

Pseudopodia: Meshball WBC: YouTube link for students

 

More Biological Demonstrations:

1. Demonstrations by Faculty at other Universities
2. In addition to creating demonstrations for our own lectures, we have worked on these demonstration projects:

• “Build a Demo” faculty workshop at ASMCUE 2008
• Undergrads building demos for class
• Digital demos with undergraduates