Biology WorkshopA workshop in understanding concept

science

Memorize facts Highlight text Reread lecture notesThis type of learning helps you to recognize

ideas but does not give you the big picture or show you how things go together

Typical study habits

Has no shortcuts or tricks Requires hard work and a commitment of

time Involves seeing the big idea or concept, not

just the pieces Means being organized Involves active learning Requires monitoring your understanding

Biology

What is quality of time?

Low Quality High Quality-labor intensive

Reading to get assignment out of the way

Going over and over class notes repeatedly (recall and repeat)

Sitting in class and just taking notes (passive)

• Reading critically and asking questions about things you don’t understand

• Organizing information in such a way that it helps you understand the way concepts are related

• Asking for explanations when you don’t understand or “how do we know that,” “Why does it work that way?” “How does this relate?”

Learning the tremendous amount of new vocabulary

Understanding the principles and concepts . Understanding does not mean memorizing; it means taking the time to understand the concepts that make up each chapter

Because biology builds on each new concept you need to study after every lecture to make sure you understand each new concept and how they fit into the overall framework.

Biology consists of two major tasks

Biology is built around a conceptual framework. Think of the conceptual framework as the house.1. Blueprints are the major concepts2. The components (doors, windows, walls)

are the supporting concepts3. The materials (wood, concrete, nails) are

the facts and details

Think of studying biology as the process of building a house

Chapter 4 Cell Organization and Structure is the concept

The components of the study of cellular organization and structure are two fold: eurkaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells

The materials are the parts of the cell such as the golgi bodies, the cell membrane, the ribosomes, the nuclear envelope, etc

Example

How to Approach LearningBiology

A concept science

Text book structure Read the assigned textbook chapters prior to the lecture. This will give you an overview of the subject matter as well as prepare you to recognize the conceptual elements of the subject.

Part 1 – Cell Part 2 –Genetic basis of life Part 3 – Evolution

◦ Part 4 – Microbiology and evolution◦ Part 5 – Plant evolution and Biology◦ Part 6 – Animal Evolution

• Part 7 - Comparative Animal Biology Part 8 - Behavior and Ecology

Note how your text is organized(overall set up of chapters)

The Big Picture

The text moves overall from the smallest parts of life (such as the cell) to the largest parts of life (different populations and ecology)

However each chapter moves from introducing the big idea or concept of the chapter into the small parts that make up the concept

A good way to look at each chapter is to use something called a concept map

Each chapter is split into sections labeled 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, etc (4 being the chapter number and 1, 2, 3 the sections) Note that each of these sections is also printed in blue, which helps it to stand out. These are the blueprints.

Each section represents a concept or idea. This particular text begins with the big idea and moves to the smaller ones.

For example◦ Section 4.1 is called “cellular organization of life”◦ Section 4.2 is called “procaryotic cells”◦ Section 4.3 is called “eukaryotic cells”

How to use your text to make a concept map

Under each blue chapter section are subheadings printed in black bold face. These are the main features (or components) of the cell. Under prokaryotic cell there are two subheadings◦ The structure of Bacteria ◦ The structure of ArcheaIf you read the section you recognize that these are

two forms of prokaryotic cells. The main point of the reading is to recognize the features of prokaryotic cells. This is summarized in the table at the end of the reading.

The second major heading is Eukaryotic Cells. Under this heading are the following subheadings◦ Structure of Eukarytic cells◦ Nucleus and Ribosomes◦ Endomembrane Structure◦ Perioxisomes and Vacuoles◦ Energy Related Organelles◦ CytoskeletonThe first subheading is an introduction to the parts of

a cell and the the rest of the headings talk about cell parts by function

Under each subheading is a list of specific structure. For example under endomembrane structure the following parts are listed◦ Endoplastic reticulum◦ Golgi apparatus◦ LysosomesEach subheading has similar lists of parts

Cell Structure

Prokaryotic

Cell Envelope

Cytoplasm

AppendagesGo to handout of Concept Maps

Classroom Strategies

Read the text to prepare for and understand what is going to be discussed in class

SQ3R strategy for reading Note new vocabulary words Pay attention to diagrams and figures Pay attention to what you understand and

what you find difficult so you know what to ask questions about or look to the lecture to clarify.

Before Class

• Attend all lectures. Instructors emphasize what they think is important (and usually on the tests) in lectures. Also gives you visual and auditory learning experiences

• Take notes. Use what ever method works best for you–Outlines– Bullets– Cornell notes

During Class

• Be organized. Have a note taking system, appropriate supplies, notebooks and folders. (binders often work best because you can add and remove pages)

• Engage your brain in the lecture. Don’t just take notes. Think, be critical, ask questions! Know what you understand and what you don’t. If you have a difficult time asking questions in class, write them down and see the instructor after class.

• Pay attention to the big picture and how all the smaller parts fit into the overall concept

• Reread lecture notes and lab notes everyday after class – at least within 24 hours after class. Research shows that people who go over notes after class do better on tests.

• Identify what you do not understand, go over the concept in the book and if it is still unclear ask the instructor to clarify

• Use any method that works for you to review the material– Recite out loud– Draw pictures– Rewrite notes– Pretend to teach to someone– Summarize– Look at pictures and notes together to help you understand– Use concept maps

After Class

Three column Cornell NotesConcept mapsFact sheetsDiagrams3 x 5 cardsChartsDiagrams

Examples of organizational techniques

Always make sure that you are looking at and understanding the big idea and how the smaller concepts fit into the big idea. Your organizational notes should reflect this

Recommend making a concept map of each chapter and then smaller concept maps and diagrams, pictures, charts of the concepts that make up the big idea

Also make up vocabulary cards to go with each major concept. Keep the cards with the notes on that concept so you are associating them with ideas

Remembering that Biology is a concept oriented class

Surviving Biology Tests and Succeeding

Testing in Biology

PARTS OF A QUESTION

Stem – the part of the question that states the question itself or presents the situation

Key words – you need to identify the most important words in the stem in order to understand what the question is asking

Client – who is the focus of the question Options – choices of answers

A model for success in taking multiple choice tests

The RACE model

The RACE model

R – Recognize what information is in the stem◦ Key words◦ Who is the client◦ What is the topic

A – ask what is the questions asking◦ What key words in

stem indicate a need for a response

◦ What is the question asking me to do

C- Critically analyze the options in relation to the question asked in the stem Scrutinize each option

in relation to the information in the stem

Identify a rationale for each option

Compare and contrast the options in relation to the information in the the stem and their relationships to one another

E- eliminate◦ Eliminate as many

options as possible

◦ Eliminate one option at a time

Cognitive Levels of Questions

Knowledge, comprehension, appliction analysis, synthesis and evaluation

Cognitive levels of questions Knowledge - the emphasis is on recalling

information Comprehension – the emphasis is on

understanding the meaning and intent of information

Application – the emphasis is on remembering understood information and using the information in new situations

Analysis – emphasis is on comparing and contrasting a variety of elements of information

KNOWLEDGE

observation and recall of information knowledge of dates, events, places knowledge of major ideas Question Cues:

list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc.

Example Knowledge questions

Vacuoles function in◦ Food storage◦ Waste storage◦ Water regulation◦ a and b◦ All of these

Last one correct

R ◦ Key words –

vacuoles function◦ Topic Vacuoles in

cells A - What do

vacuoles do? C – Critically

analyze E - evaluate

COMPREHENSION

understanding information grasp meaning translate knowledge into new context interpret facts, compare, contrast order, group, infer causes predict consequences Question Cues:

summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend

Example – How do diuretics work?

Which of these allows amino acids to cross the cell membrane◦ Simple diffusion◦ Transport proteins◦ Cholesterol◦ Glycoproteins◦ PhospholipidsCorrect answer # 1

R key words allow amino acids, cross, cell membrane

A What substance or process allows amino acids to cross cell membrane

C You need to know what amino acids are and you also need to understand the system by which they are transported

E

APPLICATION

use information use methods, concepts, theories in new

situations solve problems using required skills or

knowledge Questions Cues:

apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover

Potatoes are nutritious because of the _________they contain.◦ Mitochondria◦ Vacuoles◦ ER◦ Nuclei◦ Ribosomes

You discover a Parmecium that can not move. Which of the following is NOT a logical hypothesis as to why it is immobile?◦ It has failed to produce cilia◦ It is lacking basal bodies◦ It has low numbers of mitochondria◦ Its microtubule organizing centers are not

functioning◦ It has very few golgi bodies◦ e3