The National Association of Biology Teachers would like to thank the individuals listed below for their thoughtful reviews of manuscripts submitted to the American Biology Teacher during the year 2013. It is through their efforts that ABT continues to be a valued and highly respected biology education journal.

Over the past 10 years, college textbooks in human anatomy and physiology have typically presented the events of the ovulatory menstrual cycle in a linear format, with time in days shown on the x-axis, and hormone levels, follicular development, and uterine lining on the y-axis. In addition, the various events are often shown over a 28-day cycle, when they can take place over 21–35 days and may not be regular at all. Here, we propose a circular diagram that is independent of a set cycle time and readily shows the cyclic nature of the events. This diagram can be presented sequentially in organized layers, and additional complexity can be added. In addition, we present questions here that can promote self-learning before and critical thinking after the discussion of the cycle to enhance understanding of the physiological events.

Formal professional development programs for biology graduate students interested in becoming faculty members have come far; however, programs that provide advanced teaching experience for seasoned graduate teaching assistants are scarce. We outline an advanced program that focuses on further training of graduate teaching assistants in pedagogy and mentoring opportunities within a biology department. The Graduate Teaching Scholars Program provides opportunities for individualized instruction and learning while working with a faculty mentor. Graduate teaching scholars attend workshops, have their teaching evaluated, and serve as mentors for new graduate teaching assistants in the department. Students in the program are able to contribute to departmental education initiatives while growing professionally as teachers and future faculty.

A look back at some famous discoveries in biology highlights the competitive nature of science, the trophy being priority by publication.

Interactive television is a type of distance education that uses streaming audio and video technology for real-time student—teacher interaction. Here, I discuss the design and logistics for developing a high school laboratory-based science course taught to students at a distance using interactive technologies. The goal is to share a successful model of science implementation that has the potential to alleviate financially induced stress on science programs.

Science content knowledge is a concern for educators in the United States because performance has stagnated for the past decade. Investigators designed this study to determine the current levels of scientific literacy among undergraduate students in a freshman-level biology course (a core requirement for majors and nonmajors), identify factors influencing levels of scientific literacy, and make recommendations for improving scientific literacy. Participants (n = 255) answered a one-time, 18-item life science questionnaire. A significant difference in content knowledge was found between participants who engaged in informal science learning weekly and participants who did not engage in informal science learning (i.e., learning outside the classroom).

Because of shrinking budgets and computerized virtual dissection programs, many large and small institutions are closing the door on traditional and expensive cadaver dissection classes. However, many health-care educators would argue there is still a place for cadaver dissection in higher education, so the continuing challenge is to provide the undergraduate, pre-allied health-care student with dissection experience as budgetary constraints lead institutions away from this valuable and time-honored teaching tool. I present a teaching model that looks to address those concerns and is taught in a unique way, with minimal overhead and with the potential to provide an effective and rewarding experience for students entering the medical, nursing, and physical rehabilitation fields.

The Mystery Soil Lab, a playful, inquiry-based laboratory project, is designed to develop students' skills of inquiry, soil analysis, and synthesis of foundational concepts in soil science and soil ecology. Student groups are given the charge to explore and identify a “Mystery Soil” collected from a unique landscape within a 10-mile radius of our university by determining its soil formation and development history, associated plant community, and official taxonomic designation. Student groups have 4 consecutive weeks to conduct the lab assignment using observation and laboratory techniques. After 4 weeks, students present their findings by describing their process of inquiry, soil analysis results, and the conceptual reasoning behind their hypotheses using key course concepts. This project enhances students' abilities to conduct iterative science using the scientific method, improves foundational knowledge of soil properties and processes, and builds students' skills and confidence for a subsequent, independent soil ecology research project later in the semester.

I present an activity to help students make the connection between meiosis and genetic variation. The students model meiosis in the first phase of the activity, and by that process they produce gametes of a fictitious reptilobird species, “Chromoseratops meiosus.” Later on, they will “mate” their gametes and produce a zygote and a resulting reptilobird. They will determine the phenotype of the resulting reptilobird and draw it. As they compare their reptilobirds, they will be able to see all the resulting variations and to discuss the sources of this variation. This activity can be easily used as a basis for sequel activities that will emphasize the implications of genetic variation on natural and sexual selection.