"Garage Demos:" Physical models of Biological Processes
2010-2011 marks our sixth year creating large-scale demonstrations for introductory biology lectures. As you can see from the photo to the left, students in the back need the demonstrations to be physically large in order to see them. These are called "Garage Demos" because we make them from standard materials found in our garages. Short videos of the demonstrations done in class are posted on YouTube for students to re-view.
We found the demonstrations helpful not only for teaching but also for increasing the creator's understanding of the processes modeled. Therefore we have begun generating resources to encourage faculty, graduate student TAs, and undergraduates to create and use physical materials to teach and learn basic concepts in biology with links posted below.
Introductory Biology Demonstrations on YouTube (with Instructions for Faculty):