Lesson Plan for the chemistry of life: Lipids—Cholesterol
Instructor’s Name: Dr. Irukere
Course Title: Anatomy and Physiology
Unit: 2b
Topic: The truth behind cholesterol
Grade Level: 12
Rationale:
More and more people are concerned with their health and diet these days. Unfortunately, more and
more people are developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. People
are becoming aware that what they eat influences the development of many of these diseases.
Nearly two-thirds to three-quarters of people over the age of 65 have either heart disease or
hardening of their arteries. One major contributing factor to heart disease is high blood cholesterol.
Doctors agree that a diet low in saturated fats, trans-fats, and cholesterol help prevent high blood
cholesterol. So, what can we do to lower blood cholesterol? We can start by lowering the amount of
cholesterol we eat. Even if you have high cholesterol now, it’s never too late to change. In food we
consume, cholesterol is found in substances from animals, such as meat, fish, poultry, egg yolks,
butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole milk. Saturated fats are also found in foods
from animals, especially meat, lard, poultry fat, butter, cheeses and other whole-milk products. Transfats are used in commercial baking goods and stick margarines made with partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils. Moreover students are informed to decrease or avoid foods that have in their
ingredient label words such as “hydrogenated fat” or “hydrogenated vegetable oil.”
Instructional Goal(s):
1. Describe the molecular structure of cholesterol.
2. Describe cholesterol’s function in the human body.
3. Understand cholesterol’s inability to dissolve in blood and its need for substances called
lipoproteins to carry it through the blood.
4. Describe what is meant by the terms, “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol” and to dissolve the
myth, that “Cholesterol is bad for you.”
5. Compare and contrast the different types of fats found in different foods based on their labels. 6.
Experimentally test foods for fat content
7. Assess societal influences (media, etc.) on the intake of cholesterol-rich foods by teenagers and
adolescents.
Performance Objective:
The students will:
1. Understand what types of food contain cholesterol and how to identify foods that contain less
cholesterol.
2. Know how to modify a diet to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Lesson Content:
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is needed by the body in small amounts and is already
made by the body’s liver but is also found in many foods. We will then consider the molecular ring-like
structure of cholesterol and its uses in the body.
After instruction on cholesterol’s molecular structure is provided, students are divided into groups of
four, with each group being given a chemistry molecular model set to build a cholesterol molecule.
Review of which atoms are bonded together and design of its ring structure will be analyzed.
Their responses concerning cholesterol’s structure will allow us to examine its hydrophobic property
of being practically insoluble in water. Students will be asked:”Do oil and water mix?” We will also
consider the fact that our blood is water-based, being about 40% water. Therefore, cholesterol needs
substances to help it to be transported through the blood, substances known as lipoproteins.
Students will view pictures of lipoprotein molecules, its integral parts and then attempt to sketch its
structure.Students will then be instructed on the production of cholesterol in the body. We will briefly
discuss that about 20-25% of cholesterol production in the body comes from the liver, with other
areas to include the reproductive organs, the intestines and the adrenal glands. The making of
cholesterol in the body is related to the amount already present and its current need in the body.
There are proteins that sense how much cholesterol is in the body already and can turn off its
production whenever necessary.
Vocabulary words that will be pre-discussed and pre-defined include: LDL, HDL atherosclerosis,
plaque, lipoprotein.
Laboratory Activity 1: Testing different foods for the presence of Lipids (fats)
Materials: test tubes, test tube racks, markers, samples of different foods, oil, water, brown paper
bags, cotton swab.
Testing for the presence of lipids: Grease spot test

Have students follow the simple directions on their hand-out. Students draw four squares onto
their brown paper bag, and then use a cotton swab to put samples of three lipids of their
choice and water as a control into the squares. Wipe off excess oil/fat and let sit for few
minutes to dry. Once dry, the fats will leave a translucent spot behind. This can best be seen
when you hold the paper up to a light source.

After lab activity is reviewed and discussed, students will culminate the cholesterol unit
engaging in a lesson devoted to society’s/ media’s view of these high cholesterol foods- such
as those described by picture #3 presented earlier in the unit (Homer Simpson eating a large
burger.) How do television, newspapers, internet, portray fast food? Do most people know that
there are good and bad forms of cholesterol?
Activity 2: How much cholesterol am I eating?
Now we are going to take a look at how much cholesterol is in our own diets.
1. Fill out the number of servings of each food you eat during a typical day.
2. Now multiply this number by the “Cholesterol per serving” of each food to calculate “Total
Cholesterol” you eat from each food.
3. Add up the numbers in the “Total Cholesterol” column to find out your daily total cholesterol
intake.
4. If your daily intake is greater than 300 mg, then substitute high-cholesterol food items with
foods lower in cholesterol. Write down these lower cholesterol foods as your “Cholesterol
Goals.” Add these new numbers together to make sure you get less than 300 mg per day or
200 mg per day if you are at high risk for heart disease.
How much Cholesterol am I Eating?
Everyone should eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
People at high risk for heart disease should eat less 200 mg cholesterol daily.
The Truth about cholesterol -Test
Name:
Please Circle your answers:
1. Cholesterol is found in these foods (circle all that apply):
a. Skinless chicken breast
b. Eggs
c. Vegetables
d. Cheddar cheese
2. The cholesterol intake of the average adult should be (circle one):
a. Around 500 mg
b. Less than 300 mg
c. It doesn’t matter
3. Instead of eating one large egg, a better choice would be (circle all
that apply):
a. ¼ cup egg substitute
b. one small egg
c. two egg whites
d. two egg yolks
4. I learned something from this lesson:
No
Yes
Instructional procedures:
a. Focusing event –Students will be asked to define the functional role of cholesterol and how
cholesterol is implicated in atherosclerosis (a homeostatic imbalance).
b. Bridge/ Connections – Students will be asked about what kind of food they consume and
how this determines the condition of their health.
c. Teaching procedures – The students will be introduced to the first simulation which shows
the effects of diet on health. Then they will be presented with a powerpoint presentation of the
topic, which is followed by an algodoo presentation of “cholesterol pathway” and
atherosclerosis. Next the students are going to perform their activity 2 which involves
discussing their daily intake in cholesterol. Note that during the lab, the teacher will provide
assistance by doing demonstrations, answer any questions, etc. After, the lab activity, the
students will be asked to answer questions as a group and there will be a class discussion.
d. Formative check – The teacher will be observing for independence of the student to perform
the experiment accurately. In addition, the teacher will question students while they are doing
the lab to see if they understand it. This way, it will help assess whether they understood the
lesson, and whether further emphasis needs to be made on key aspects of the lesson. Thus, if
majority of the students struggle, the teacher will have to go over the topics again but this time
more thoroughly.
e. Student participation- The students will be working in pairs and answering questions
together. The group will be getting participation grade if they answer questions during the
discussion.
f. Interdisciplinary connections – This activity integrates technology with science. The
students will learn to appreciate the ease of data collection.
g. Closure- After lab activity, there will be a discussion of the lab results and questions.
The student evaluations will be done based on in class discussions and their lab reports. If majority of
the class lacks the understanding of the concepts, the teacher needs to spend more time explaining
the topic and slowly re-demonstrating the experiment and its importance.
Materials and Aids:
The lab will require 2 laptops, algodoo software, brown bags, paper towels.