Resumen de Fatty acid-containing lipid puzzle: a teaching tool for biochemistry
A combination puzzle was developed to assist with the teaching of fatty acid-containing lipids. The puzzle is a two-sided match-and-flip puzzle; the front side of a puzzle piece bears the names of building blocks, whereas the back of each puzzle piece reveals the corresponding chemical structure. The puzzle promotes intellectual exploration by alleviating the tedious task of memorizing. Finding solutions to the puzzle broadens the understanding of basic concepts such as the structure-function relationship of lipids while highlighting specific molecular details such as functional groups, saturated versus unsaturated fatty acids, and polarity. The strength of the puzzle is its flexibility; it allows the instructor to shift attention from the general building block level to a particular detail of choice without losing focus. The use of the puzzle is intended for nonscience major students and introductory level biochemistry students. Informal feedback from arts-and-media majors showed that students using the puzzle considered it a helpful and enjoyable aid.
