Search results for: “arab”
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Evolution of Caffeine
In this activity, students access a database called UniProt that provides information about protein sequences derived from genome sequencing. Students search for the protein sequences of three plants that produce caffeine, Camellia sinensis, Coffea arabica, and Theobroma cacao (tea, coffee, and cocoa). They compare the protein sequences to determine if the gene to create caffeine arose independently…
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Top 10 Classroom Pets
Many science teachers have classroom specimens (or pets) to serve as model organisms, to teach students how to care for animals, and to generally liven up the space. When I first started teaching, I inherited a room that had beautiful cabinets full of specimens preserved in formaldehyde. I wanted a pet in that space…
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Set the Class Tone on the First Day
This year I will have the exciting opportunity of teaching an introductory physics class to students on vocational tracks. For those not understanding ed-speak, this means that I will be taking a class of kids who have probably already failed in 8th grade, have poor test scores and may have already given up on school….