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Peer Review

Winging It: Analyzing a Scientific Paper

Reviewed:
Feb 22, 2023 by Biology
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Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Content Quality: 4.5 stars
Effectiveness: 4.5 stars
Ease of Use: 4.8 stars
Overview:

In this activity, students analyze aspects of a scientific paper that investigates genes involved in the colors and patterns of butterfly wings.

The activity provides informational, sequential and conceptual material to understand how to read a scientific article, analyse the scientific information, tools & techniques to explore to explore nature of gene and making connections between scientific research & biological processes .

Type of Material:

Assignment

Recommended Uses:
  • Homework - Students can read and come prepared in classroom for discussions. Also the worksheet can be completed partially in classroom and homework.
  • Team work- Project Based Learning to explore the connections between ecology, evolution and  genetics.
Technical Requirements:

Web browser.

Identify Major Learning Goals:
  • Analyze the abstract and introduction of a scientific paper to identify the authors’ argument structure.
  • Describe how CRISPR-Cas9 was used to explore the genetic basis of coloration and spot formation in butterfly wings.
  • Interpret the results of CRISPR-Cas9 experiments by annotating figures from the results section of a scientific paper.
  • Interpret the experimental design used in a CRISPR-Cas9 experiment.
Target Student Population:

College General Ed, Graduate School

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

 

Students should be familiar with:

  • the connection between genotype and phenotype
  • the process of gene expression
  • the role of gene inactivation, or “knockouts,” in genetic analyses
  • CRISPR-Cas9 technology

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Content uses an accessible and important, high quality paper as a focus
  • The activity covers both key genetics concepts and research techniques, and concepts related to interpreting the scientific literature
  • Conceptual flow of information in both article and worksheet.
Concerns:
  • None

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:
  • Includes an educator's guide with tips, resources, and an overview of the concepts in the activity
  • Includes a fillable PDF for student responses
  • Questions are high quality
  • Includes related resources and extensions of the main focus of the activity
Concerns:
  • None

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:
  • This activity includes a PDF document for students with a PDF for educators as well. The activity requires downloading or viewing a paper in PNAS. All of these resources are easily accessible.
Concerns:
  • None.
Creative Commons:
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