Build-a-Polypeptide: A Hands-On Worksheet to Enhance Student Learning in an Introductory Biology Course 

Abstract

Many introductory biology students have a weak (or nonexistent) chemistry background. Due to this apparent knowledge gap, many students struggle to understand the process of polypeptide formation via dehydration synthesis as well as the interactions between individual polypeptide chains. This inability to reason about how individual amino acids interact with one another prevents students from making the cognitive leap from primary to secondary structure. In turn, students do not fully understand how even higher levels of organizations (i.e., tertiary and quaternary interactions) form the final three-dimensional configurations of proteins. We designed Build-a-Polypeptide in an attempt to help fill the part of the knowledge gap. In this activity, students physically represent the process of polypeptide synthesis and R group interactions using a paper model. Essentially, this is a simple cut and paste project that allows students to build a beginner's (i.e., highly truncated and simplified) model of protein folding. Previous research has shown that physical modeling can aid student understanding of complex topics (1,2). With that in mind, we developed this interactive activity to improve student understanding of protein synthesis and structure formation. This activity requires no laboratory equipment and can be completed within one (50 minute) class. Our worksheets were designed for use in introductory college-level biology courses, but could easily be adapted for high school or AP biology classes.