Models in the Biology Classroom: An in-Class Modeling Activity on Meiosis

National STEM education reform efforts call for increased emphasis on science practices, such as modeling. We describe an activity where students read a scientific blog post relating human gametogenesis to disease and then during class develop a model explaining why defects in meiotic machinery cause this disease. This interactive activity was implemented in two sections of an introductory biology course, each exceeding 150 students. Overall, students responded positively to the activity, and based on follow-up exam questions addressing the main learning goals of the modeling activity, about 70 percent of students mastered the learning objectives associated with the modeling activity.