Incorporating lessons from women naturalists to support biodiversity education and under-represented students.

Contributions of women naturalists have enriched our scientific understanding of the natural world since the seventeenth century. However, this analysis of natural history compilations shows far more entries from and about men rather than naturalists while often including none or no more than two or three contributions from women naturalists. For life science education, lack of such information limits student exposure to a diversity of naturalists at a time when greater emphasis is placed on reaching under-represented students, with increasingly diversified backgrounds and perspectives.

Exploring the nature of science through courage and purpose: a case study of Charles Darwin's way of knowing.

Introduction: In 1836, Charles Darwin returned to England with finches classified and seemingly showing little resemblance. However, subsequent examination by John Gould revealed 13 closely related species endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Despite initial confusion, and Darwin's overlooking to label these birds by island, some 100 years later they had become evolution's icon.

Exploring the nature of science through courage and purpose: a case study of Nikolai Vavilov and plant biodiversity.

Introduction: Historical biographies facilitate teaching the 'nature of science'. This case study focuses on how Nikolai Vavilov's unrelenting sense of purpose, courage, and charismatic personality was maintained during violent revolutionary change in Russia.

Case Description: The rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's laws of inheritance provided Vavilov with a scientific foundation for crop improvement, this foundation was later bolstered by Vavilov's personal drive to conserve plant biodiversity.

Guided inquiry and consensus-building used to construct cellular models.

Using models helps students learn from a "whole systems" perspective when studying the cell. This paper describes a model that employs guided inquiry and requires consensus building among students for its completion. The model is interactive, meaning that it expands upon a static model which, once completed, cannot be altered and additionally relates various levels of biological organization (molecular, organelle, and cellular) to define cell and organelle function and interaction.