Muhsinah Morris, Ph.D

Virtual reality (VR) is one of the major contemporary technologies being implemented in teaching today; however, in 2021, VR went from a learning experience to a subtle yet groundbreaking transition: rather than trying VR in a classroom, virtual reality became the classroom at Morehouse College, a private historically Black liberal arts college for men. We focus on how the mission of our college motivated collaboration with a corporate partner to design, build, and deliver courses fully… Show more

Virtual reality (VR) is one of the major contemporary technologies being implemented in teaching today; however, in 2021, VR went from a learning experience to a subtle yet groundbreaking transition: rather than trying VR in a classroom, virtual reality became the classroom at Morehouse College, a private historically Black liberal arts college for men. We focus on how the mission of our college motivated collaboration with a corporate partner to design, build, and deliver courses fully immersed in VR, as well as the utility of VR as an experiential learning tool across disciplines. Surveys and student performance data were also used to explore the potential of VR to enhance instructors’ capacity to meet student learning outcomes while improving student engagement. While promising, the value of long-term adoption of VR for learning into the future remains unknown. Show less

Chemical analysis relies on calibrated glassware and sophisticated instrumentation. This chapter describes three approaches to student-built models of these tools. In the first, students participate in a semester-long activity to develop quantitative chemical containers (QCCs) to allow those with autism spectrum disorder to work in a laboratory setting. Students determine accuracy, precision, and uncertainty for each container and create technical specifications documents that describe the… Show more

Chemical analysis relies on calibrated glassware and sophisticated instrumentation. This chapter describes three approaches to student-built models of these tools. In the first, students participate in a semester-long activity to develop quantitative chemical containers (QCCs) to allow those with autism spectrum disorder to work in a laboratory setting. Students determine accuracy, precision, and uncertainty for each container and create technical specifications documents that describe the prototype and its ability to maintain its structure and its volume. Students pitch their designs, use Tinkercad and other software to create their QCCs, print the prototypes on 3D printers, and troubleshoot the robustness of their container. In the second approach, students receive a parts kit for a home-built spectrophotometer. The kit allows for construction of different instruments at varying degrees of sophistication. After design and construction, students characterize the performance of their instrument and/or demonstrate its applicability in an analysis problem. In the third approach, students develop, evaluate, and revise scientific models to explain and predict physical-chemical phenomena in instrumental analysis. The activity promotes understanding at the macroscopic and molecular levels. Different strategies to implement model-based learning are presented, including hand-made models, animated videos, and do-it-yourself instrument prototypes. The flexible activities presented in this chapter may be implemented in classroom or laboratory sections, using different levels of inquiry according to the time and resources available. Additionally, these strategies actively engage students in group work and social interactions that improve motivation and appreciation for the chemical sciences. Show less

Seventeen-year-old Jamila is on the fast track to college, with her eye on a career in medicine, but recently she's started feeling strange: headaches, sick to her stomach and really tired. Plus, she's stopped menstruating. She could just have the flu, but a little voice inside her suggests otherwise.

Marie finds a sultry note from another girl in her boyfriend's textbook, but the only signature on the note is a dark pink lipstick kiss! How can she figure out who the mystery girl is; worse, could it be one of her friends?

Ms. Donally's "Fun Fact Friday" this week had an article about a SCUBA diver that drowned in Hawaii. And just as my family vacation to Hawaii is approaching. How will this affect my snorkeling and SCUBA diving activities? And how does one drown while SCUBA diving?

Potential irreversible ligands were prepared, based on a series of 3-(1-piperazinyl)propyl-N,N-bis(4-fluorophenyl)amines, as molecular probes for the dopamine transporter (DAT). Both azido- and isothiocyanato-substituted phenylalkyl analogues were synthesized and evaluated for displacement of [(3)H]WIN 35 428 in rat caudate putamen tissue. All of the analogues showed moderate binding potencies at the DAT. The azido analogue, 16b, was radioiodinated and used to photolabel human DAT-transfected… Show more

Potential irreversible ligands were prepared, based on a series of 3-(1-piperazinyl)propyl-N,N-bis(4-fluorophenyl)amines, as molecular probes for the dopamine transporter (DAT). Both azido- and isothiocyanato-substituted phenylalkyl analogues were synthesized and evaluated for displacement of [(3)H]WIN 35 428 in rat caudate putamen tissue. All of the analogues showed moderate binding potencies at the DAT. The azido analogue, 16b, was radioiodinated and used to photolabel human DAT-transfected HEK 293 cell membranes.[(125)I]16b irreversibly labeled an approximately 80 kDa band corresponding to the DAT detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This radioligand provides a novel addition to the growing arsenal of structurally diverse irreversible ligands that are being used to identify binding domains on the DAT. Characterizing points of attachment of these irreversible probes to the DAT protein will ultimately help elucidate the three-dimensional arrangement of the transmembrane domains, identify individual binding sites of the DAT inhibitors, and direct future drug design. Show less

To foster student driven learning I developed a Web Quest that can teach atomic theory to a high school chemistry class. This Web Quest allows students the opportunity to examine the worlds of notable scientists that have contributed throughout time to the foundation of chemistry with their theories of atomic structure. The students’ job is to defend the work of these
scientists, keeping them a part of science history. The Web Quest itself not only gives the student the assignment but also… Show more

To foster student driven learning I developed a Web Quest that can teach atomic theory to a high school chemistry class. This Web Quest allows students the opportunity to examine the worlds of notable scientists that have contributed throughout time to the foundation of chemistry with their theories of atomic structure. The students’ job is to defend the work of these
scientists, keeping them a part of science history. The Web Quest itself not only gives the student the assignment but also takes them through a brief introduction to Atomic Theory. This independent activity can harbor serious challenges for the teacher and/or facilitator of this case, but the results are well worth the effort. Technological difficulties are one of the limiting factors that hinder this particular type of case. Internet ready computers are a precious resource that few students may have access to, especially at home. This project permits the students to defend the scientific ideas and beliefs based on concrete evidence and principles. It explores ethical standards of
performing research and allows the students to become knowledgeable about government agencies that regulate scientific research. Proper network support at the schools, availability of an internet ready computer at home, supplies for each student to complete all student products would make implementing this case easier but there are more unexpected hurdles to overcome than this. Ways to implement this case smoothly in your classroom will be outlined and examples will be shared. Show less

While working on his Chemistry homework alone in the classroom, Shawn sees a ghost-like figure across the room. With the help of the ghost, Shawn is able to understand his homework before his teacher returns.