JoinAll Case Studies
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Suggested Keywords, to help with your search (besides selecting subjects): clicker cases, directed cases, interrupted cases, discussion cases, intimate debate cases. As a reminder, all cases may be adjusted to meet the needs of your student level. See our case use guidelines.
Grade level filtering: enter desired grade levels in the Keywords box and click Apply.
The Unluckiest Man in the World?
By Michaela Gazdik Stofer
This directed case study examines the immune system by introducing students to the story of Mr. Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the “Berlin patient.” Mr. Brown was the first human cured of HIV through a bone marrow transplant, which he endured a...
By Anna K.S. Jozwick, Megan M. Lee
This interrupted case study follows two college freshmen as they learn about the origin and functioning of mitochondria within our cells. The case is divided into two modules that can be taught separately or together. The first considers the origin o...
By Christine R. Dahlin
The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields have traditionally lacked diversity as compared to non-STEM fields, and have had difficulty retaining students from diverse backgrounds....
If You Could See Through My Eyes
By Andrew M. Petzold
This directed case study explores the topic of color vision and its variations as experienced in humans. The case begins with a review of visual transduction from photons to recognition within the nervous system. The focus then shifts to an examinati...
The Mystery of the Massively Muscular Myostatin Bull
By Ernest Ricks, Jr., Shoshana D. Katzman
The central dogma of molecular biology is an essential topic in undergraduate biology, but transcription and translation are also some of the most difficult concepts for students to grasp, visualize, and apply to other biological concepts, e.g., phen...
By Tiara G. Pérez Morales, Cynthia L. Darnell, Jayashree Sarathy, Heinery Arevalo
This set of “mini cases” focuses on autoimmune diseases, which arise when the immune system is unable to recognize its own components. Students are presented with two patients, “Claudia” and “Anita,” who are introduced through the use of ...
By Holly A. Basta, Sheela Vemu
This PowerPoint-driven case study follows a young woman who acquires a third-degree burn and receives a skin graft. As the graft becomes inflamed and infected, students interpret results from diagnostic tests (gram stain, MSA plates, etc.) to diagnos...
By Kristine A. Garner, Amber L. Hall
This directed case study follows “John McKnight,” a high school athlete who has just returned from a previous injury to actively playing sports again. In his weakened condition, John sustains a new injury that affects his mobility. Upon examinati...
By Aggie Veld, Emilie R. Janes
This case study takes the reader deep into the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica. While searching for a destination for the best spring break ever, five students in an ecology class happen upon a story of sustainability that inspi...
What Causes the “Guilty Look” in Dogs?
By Jennifer J. Templeton
This interrupted case study explores the factors that might cause the “guilty look” in dogs, including the dog’s performance of a misdeed and the owner’s response. The case engages students in the scientific method, from making observations a...
A Mysterious Illness on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
By Catherine A. Mossman
Something is killing organisms from dolphins to dogs to humans on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What is it? How did it get to the island? How is it transmitted between organisms? This interrupted case study is designed to teach students at the ...
By Melissa R. Eslinger, Carl E. Lundell, Ryan E. Rodriguez
This directed case study provides an opportunity to apply stoichiometry to combustion reactions of commonly used explosive materials. Initially, students apply modified Kistiakowsky-Wilson (K-W) rules, developed during World War II, to predict the re...
By Jasmine S. Castillo, Alexander H. Cotter, Christiana A. Mejia, Andrew Nguyen, Aubrie J. Perry, Michael A. Pimentel, Alana T. Porat, Yasmine Yadollahi, Andrea C. Nicholas
This case study was written to teach students about malaria, an infectious disease transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquitoes that thrive in tropical and subtropical regions. The case is divided into two sections. The first familiarizes students ...
By Sarah Stokke, Jean Yockey
This PowerPoint-driven case study has students apply the “Steps of an Outbreak Investigation” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in 2019. The case begins with six patients of various ages who pres...
By Kathleen A. Nolan
In this PowerPoint-driven case study, students compare and contrast poliovirus and its effects with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. Before the class meeting, students watch a set of videos and read two research papers. In class, the presentation begins with the...
By Alison Kieffer, Emaly J. Piecuch, Christina Vallianatos, Sarah A. Wojiski
In this directed case study, students follow the story of “Marcus,” a recent college graduate who is working as a technician in a clinical laboratory to gain experience before applying to medical school. Marcus’ work duties suddenly shift when ...
Is There a Relationship Between Blood Type and Risk of Contracting COVID-19?
By Ashley E. Rhodes, Timothy G. Rozell
This directed case study introduces the basics of blood typing and discusses possible correlations for contracting COVID-19 by blood type. After students complete a set of activities designed to help them understand how blood type is determined at th...
By Stefanie H. Chen, Carlos C. Goller, Melissa C. Srougi
In this directed case study, students assume the role of investigators for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as they examine and compare different DNA sequences from human patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that cau...
By Adam J. Kleinschmit
This directed case study places students in the role of committee members tasked with developing a strategic long-term plan for building up herd immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the infectious agent responsibl...
By Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Lindsay Mehrmanesh, Jessie Cuomo, Kene N. Piasta
This directed case study follows the fictional story of an emergency room physician as he treats multiple patients being admitted to the hospital with symptoms of COVID-19. The case takes place in Boston and is based on the real-life Massachusetts ou...
By Amy C. Groth
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, was first detected in China in late 2019 and rapidly spread throughout the globe in the first few months of 2020. Efforts to slow the spread of the virus in the ...
Coronavirus Quandaries for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
By Janine Bartholomew
This directed case study tells the story of “Arie,” an anatomy and physiology student who has recently switched to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now home, her mother asks her opinion about the recent news articles about high blo...
By Laura Pickell
This analysis case study uses a jigsaw activity in which students learn about characteristics of the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2. The protagonist of the case, “Malik,” is a public health nurse who has been assigned to answer ph...
By Benjamin C. Davis
In this case study, students assume the role of health officials tasked with communicating to the public about the COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Topics covered include viral structure and li...
By Elaine B. Bohórquez
This case study explores the progression of COVID-19 from initial flu-like symptoms to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It details the story of a 32-year-old emergency department nurse who begins ...
By Melanie R. Nilsson
This discussion-based, modular case study provides students an opportunity to examine historical, political, and social issues that impact scientists and the publics they serve. It was designed with flexibility in mind, and can be easily tailored dep...
By Melissa Kosinski-Collins, Lindsay Mehrmanesh, Jessie Cuomo, Kene N. Piasta
This directed case study was designed for introductory level or mid-level biology students to serve as a capstone project incorporating aspects of nucleic acid, lipid and protein structure and function, central dogma, and virus life cycles. The story...
Social Distancing in the Midst of COVID-19
By Jason C. Cochrane
This directed case study is intended to give students insight into why social distancing is used to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. Students are provided with data from the state of Washington to determine whether there is a trend in tran...
By James R. Cronmiller, Daegan A. Keyes, MaryJo A. Vest
This directed case study centers on the story of a 65-year-old man with a weakened ventricle, resulting in reduced cardiac output. Students are provided with a description of the patient’s acute heart failure event and a hospital chart that include...
By John M. Baratta, Tracie M. Addy, Maura O. Stevenson
This clinical case study follows the progress of a diabetic patient, “Joe,” who develops an infection and ultimately undergoes a lower extremity amputation. While recovering and undergoing rehabilitation in the months following the surgery, Joe e...
By Kari Brossard Stoos, Chelsea Doig, Melissa K. Gilroy, Maura F. Benner, Michael H. Caruso
This case study consists of a role-play activity designed to simulate interactions between a patient and a health care provider. The patient, played by the instructor, describes symptoms associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephriti...
By Marilyn H. Moss
This case study tells the story of a 30-year-old man with intractable peptic ulcer disease. The persistence of the ailment, despite medical treatment, prompts his healthcare provider to evaluate him for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a rare disease char...
By Samuel C. Cohler, Dania V. Corrales, Nicholas E. Kreusser, Darin Ngo, Rishi S. Gadepally, Lesly I. Benitez, Sarah Ahmad, Janerys D.M. Munoz, Andrea C. Nicholas
This case study uses a PowerPoint presentation to guide students through two activities designed to teach them about the basics of coronavirus diagnosis and transmission. The first activity involves a set of five “clicker questions” that students...
By Hollie L. Leavitt
This interrupted case study tells the story of a middle-aged female, “Josie,” who receives a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. In a conversation with her cardiologist, Josie asks questions about heart anatomy, blood circulation, and the valv...
By Phyllis Baudoin Griffard
This modular case study tells the story of Dan and Annie, a married couple of Acadian ancestry who have a genetic form of deafblindness called Usher syndrome. They live in Southwest Louisiana, home of the largest population of DeafBlind citizens in t...
By Tracy J. Terry
This laboratory-based case study is designed to train students in using the scientific method to explore chemical equilibrium in the context of ocean acidification. Students are given information, based on which they are asked to develop hypotheses, ...
By Michael J. Wagner, John Hanna, Amy T. Hark
This case study introduces students to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and its underlying genetics, cell biology, and some of the associated biochemical pathways. DMD is an X-linked disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness an...
Taking the Time to Understand the Uptick in Lyme
By Suann Yang
This clicker case study is based on the true story of Ella Buss, a young girl diagnosed with Lyme borreliosis (Lyme disease), one of the most frequently reported tick-borne diseases in the United States and other temperate regions of the world. Ella�...
Failing to See the Forest for the Trees in Lyme Disease
By Travis J. Bailey
This clicker case study is based on the true story of Ella Buss, a young girl infected with the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Ella did not show the early signs of the disease, including the tell-tale bullseye r...
Breaking Bad: Real Science or Hollywood Science?
By Catherine S. Haslag
This two-part case study with a laboratory component uses a pop-cultural reference to engage students and takes the study of electrochemistry from the lecture hall into the lab....