Reference no: EM133261421

Rationale: Currently in undergraduate science courses there is a gap in what students learn in class and how this knowledge is applied to build readiness for a career. This activity builds upon the discussion we had about the "A Case In Point" article and is an opportunity to add to your skills portfolio. This assignment is expected to benefit those who are interested in a career in K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education as well as those who want to develop critical thinking skills that are applicable to all careers. This activity integrates development of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies that are critical for preparing students for careers in medicine, allied health and scientific research. These competencies include critical thinking/ problem solving, and written communication. In a 2019 NACE survey of employers, 100% of employers deemed critical thinking/ problem solving as very to extremely essential in new hires. At the completion of this activity it is expected that you will gain new competencies in these areas, and create new learning resources that can be used by your peers and future students who enroll in this course.

Methods/ Approach: The most challenging topics for students in BIO 201, General Biology I, include:

distinguishing characteristics of animal cells versus plants cells

distinguishing characteristics of prokaryotes versus eukaryotes

distinguishing characteristics between various types of biologically-relevant macromolecules.