CELLS
Grade 7
Life Science
Rinda Van Zuilen
Table of Contents
Standards
Rationale
Concept Map
Lesson Plans
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Ordering and Planning Dates
Reflections on Schedule of Lessons
Special Student Considerations
Assessment
Potential Safety Concerns
Lab Rules
Classroom Management
Teaching Resources
Self-Evaluation
Standards Covered in this Unit
National Standards
- Structure and Function in Living Systems
- All organisms are composed of cells--the fundamental unit of life. Most
organisms are single cells; other organisms, including humans, are
multicellular.
- Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life. They grow and
divide, thereby producing more cells. This requires that they take in
nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and
to make the materials that a cell or an organism needs.
State Standards
- The student will understand that all organisms are composed of cells that carry
on the many functions needed to sustain life.
Unifying Science Concepts
- Systems, Order, and Organization
- Evidence, Models, and Explanation
- Form and Function
Rationale
This unit covers these national and state standards. This unit would be the lead
into genetics and evolution. This would be because the students would need to
understand that cells contain genetic information. They would also need to understand
the process of cell division as a part of genetics and evolution prior to these units.
Parts of a microscope
How to use the microscope
Concept Map
to use the microscope you need to know
Robert Hooke
Microscope
using a
was discovered by
can be seen by using a
The cell
can be categorized into
Single celled and
multi celled organisms
which can be divided into
grows and repairs by
Cell Division
2 types of division are
Animal cells and
plant cells
Mitosis and Meiosis
which contain
Can be divided into
Nucleus, nucleolus, chromosomes,
RER, SER, ribosomes, Golgi
apparatus, centrioles,
mitochondrion, lysosome,
cytoplasm, cytosol, peroxisome,
plasma membrane, vacuoles,
chloroplast
Interphase, Prophase,
Metaphase, Anaphase,
Telophase
Day One
Objectives:
Students will be able to label the parts of a microscope.
Students will be able to use and carry a microscope properly.
Students will be able to create a wet mounted slide.
Key Concepts:
Microscope parts and usage
Wet mounting
Materials:
Microscope
Microscope worksheet
Slides
Slip Covers
Specimen – thread fibers
Lesson Activity
Microscope worksheet
Have an overhead of the same worksheet and fill in the worksheet with them.
Explain what each part of the microscope is and what it does. Explain the steps to using
a microscope properly and how to carry the microscopes safely.
Time: 20 minutes
Wet Mounting
Demonstrate to the students how to create a wet mount. Explain why you wet
mount slides. Then have the students try it using just water, then wet mount the thread
fibers. Allow the students to look at the water under the microscope so that they can
identify what a water bubble looks like. Then have them look at the thread fibers under
different magnifications.
http://www.greatscopes.com/act005.htm
Time: 30 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Lecture, Demonstration, Hands-on practice (laboratory)
Day Two
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the concept that larger objects are composed of
smaller units, like cells.
Students will be able to demonstrate how to carry a microscope.
Students will be able to label the parts of a microscope.
Key Concepts:
Larger objects are composed of smaller units.
Microscope usage
Materials:
Picture of a brick house from a distance
Picture of a brick house close enough to see windows and the door
Picture of a brick house from four feet away
Picture of an onion or a real onion
Picture of an onion cut in half or a real onion
Picture of the magnified cells of an onion
Lesson Activity:
KWL worksheet
Students will write down what they know about cells, what they want to know
about cells, and at the end of the unit they will write down what they have learned about
cells. Then discuss with the class the things that they know and want to know.
Time: 15 minutes
Picture Activity
Begin by having the students look at a picture of a brick house from a distance,
ask students to explain what they see and discuss how you can tell the shape of the house.
Then show a closed picture of the house, ask what is different from the previous picture
and discuss how you can notice more detail: walls, windows, doors, stairs, and chimney.
Then show the pictures of the bricks and explain how each brick forms part of the
structure of the building. Next ask if this can be related to plants and animals then
explain how animals and plants also have an overall structure as well as different parts.
Then show an onion in the same manner as the house. Explain how the bricks that make
up the house are like how plants and animals have cells, that are too small to see with the
naked eye but are visible under a microscope.
Time: 30 minutes
Microscope Review
Look at the worksheet on microscope parts, how to use and how to carry. Have
students recall wet mounting.
Time: 5 minutes
Reading Assignments:
Chapter 1 Section 1 pages 16 -22 in Science Explorer: Cells and Heredity (2000).
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Diagnostic Assessment, Inquiry, Discussion, Review
Day Three
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the history of cells.
Students will be able to explain the cell theory.
Key Concepts:
History of science
Cell theory
Materials:
Microscope, cork
Lesson Activity:
Lab – Have the students look at cork under the microscopes and have the lab
partners do a Think, Pair, Share about what they’ve seen. Then lead a class discussion
about what we’ve just observed.
Time: 10 minutes
Lecture – explaining how Robert Hooke discovered the cell. Why he named it the
way he did. Talk about the development of the microscope and how we are now able to
see things we’ve never seen before.
Time: 15 minutes
Use: http://www.cellsalive.com/ to show students the types of things that we can
see using microscopes.
Time: 5 minutes
Show: The Magic of Cells Video.
Time: 20 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Laboratory, Think-Pair-Share, Inquiry, Lecture, Video
Day Four
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the similarities and differences between bacteria,
plant, and animal cells.
Students will be able to identify differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells.
Students will be able to determine if bacteria, plant, and animal cells are
prokaryotic or eukaryotic.
Key Concepts:
Plant cell
Animal cell
Bacteria cell
Eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic cells
Materials:
Microscope
Bacteria slides
Plant cell slides
Animal cell slides
Lesson Activity:
Lab on bacteria, plant and animal cells
Time: 30 minutes
Collaboration of students’ similarities and differences they found as a class.
Time: 8 minutes
Lecture on prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes based on similarities and differences that they
found. Some concepts to mention:
Prokaryotes don’t have definite structures.
Eukaryotes have definite structures.
Time: 10 minutes
Mention that for the rest of the unit we will be concentrating on eukaryotes, plants and
animals, and their similarities and differences based on their structures.
Time: 2 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Laboratory, Lecture, Class Discussion, Grouping: lab/table partners
Bacteria, Plant, and Animal Lab
Part I.
Materials:
Microscope
Prepared slides of bacteria cells
Prepared slides of plant cells
Prepared slides of animal cells
Procedure:
In pairs obtain 1 of each of the 3 specimens.
View them under the microscope under low and high power.
Draw each of them under the power where there is most detail.
Make a detailed drawing of each and label which power was used.
Part II.
Label the drawings as prokaryotic and eukaryotic.
Day Five
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and explain function of the parts of the cell.
Key Concepts:
Cell organelles
Materials:
Textbook
Lesson Activity:
Introduction:
- Overview of yesterday’s activities and how we looked at similarities and
differences of bacteria, plant, and animal cells
- We noticed that within the eukaryotic cells there were various structures and
these structures are called organelles.
- In the jigsaw activity you will learn what these organelles are, where they are
located in the cell, if they are located in only plant or animal cells and their
function.
Time: 10 minutes
Jigsaw Activity:
- Students will be separated into groups of 5.
- Each person will then move to another group and become an expert on 2-3
organelles of the cell.
- Students will then gather into groups and begin sharing the information they
became an expert on.
Time: 40 minutes
Reading Assignment:
Pages 23-31 to obtain information
Homework Assignment:
Tell students about CELLO project and give them a list of items that will be needed next
week.
Teaching Strategies:
Jigsaw, Review
Jigsaw Activity
Expert Group #1
Cell Membrane
Cell Wall
Expert Group #2
Vacuole
Cytoplasm
Lysosome
Expert Group #3
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Ribosomes
Expert Group #4
Nucleus
Nucleolus
Chromatin
Expert Group #5
Mitochondria
Golgi Bodies
Chloroplast
Day Six
Objectives:
Students will be able to identify and explain function of the parts of the cell.
Key Concepts:
Cell organelles
Materials:
Textbook
Lesson Activity:
Continue the jigsaw activity until experts have shared their information.
Time: 25 minutes
Summarize the findings of the expert groups and make sure that everyone has accurate
and correct information regarding each of the organelles by discussing with the class
what they were told by their experts.
Time: 20 minutes
Explain the Analogy assignment and give an example.
How a cell is related to a school:
Nucleus=office, related by directing activities
Cell Membrane=walls, related by forming barrier
Lysosomes=janitors, related by cleaning
Vacuoles=storage rooms, related by storage
Etc.
Time: 5 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
Analogy Assignment
Reminder about the items that are needed in the CELLO project
Teaching Strategies:
Jigsaw, Class Discussion, Review
Cell Analogy Assignment
Directions:
Compare the cell and its organelles to something you are familiar with.
Possible themes: city, school, computer, human body, etc.
Requirements:
1. Make a picture/drawing/image of the theme you are using. Label the parts.
2. Make a picture/drawing/image of the type of cell you are comparing your theme
to (plant or animal).
3. Organelles must be included, labeled and described.
a. Relate the role of the organelle to your theme object.
b. Explain its function.
4. Include these organelles (choosing only the ones that relate to your type of cell
(plant or animal)
a. Cell Wall
b. Cell Membrane
c. Vacuole
d. Cytoplasm
e. Lysosome
f. Endoplasmic Reticulum
g. Ribosomes
h. Nucleus
i. Nucleolus
j. Mitochondria
k. Chloroplast
l. Golgi Bodies
Day Seven
Objectives:
Students will be able to draw and label the parts of plant cells and animal cells.
Students will be able to create their own wet mounted slides.
Key Concepts:
Plant cells vs Animal Cells
Materials:
Microscope slides and cover slips, Elodea, onion, toothpicks, iodine, methylene
blue, medicine droppers.
Lesson Activity:
Discuss some of the interesting and well-done analogy assignments to give more
examples to the students.
Time: 5 minutes
Introduction to Plant and Animal Lab
Overview of the information that they gathered about organelles of cell and their
functions.
Time: 5 minutes
Plant and Animal Lab
Introduction on how they are going to look at real plant and animal cells, draw
them, and label the parts.
Cheek Cells:
Procedure:
1. Before you begin, make sure your slide and coverslips are clean. You don’t
want lint or fingerprints on your slide. If the slide is dirty, rinse it off and dry it
well with a paper towel.
2. Put a drop of methylene blue on a clean slide. Caution: Methylene blue will
stain clothes and skin.
3. Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with the flat side of a toothpick. Scrape
lightly.
4. Stir the end of the toothpick into the stain and throw the toothpick away.
5. Place the coverslip at a 45-degree angle on the edge of the water/saliva mix.
Allow the liquid to spread down the edge of the coverslip. Once it has spread,
carefully lower the coverslip over the liquid.
—If you have a lot of air bubbles regardless of size, rinse of your
slide and start over. It’s important that you make a good slide.
6. Use the SCANNING objective to focus. You probably will not see the cells at
this power but you can eliminate blurriness by focusing now.
7. Switch to low power. Cells should be visible, but they will be small and look
like irregular shaped objects.
8. Once you think you have located a cell, switch to high power and refocus.
9. Draw what you see and label the parts.
Elodea:
Procedure:
1. Before you begin, make sure your slide and cover slips are clean. You don’t
want lint or fingerprints on your slide. If the slide is dirty, rinse it off and dry
it well with a paper towel.
2. Place a drop of water in the center of a clean glass slide.
3. Remove a leaf from the Elodea plant and place it on the drop of water on the
slide. Make sure the leaf is flat.
4. Carefully place a cover slip over the drop of water and Elodea leaf.
5. Place the slide on the stage of the microscope with the leaf directly over the
opening in the stage.
6. Using the SCANNING objective, locate the leaf under the microscope.
7. Switch to the low power. Adjust until the leaf is in focus.
8. Once you have located a cell, switch to high power.
9. Draw what you see and label the parts.
Onion:
Procedure:
1. Peel a translucent piece of tissue from the onion. The smaller the piece the
better. (Translucent means that you can see light through the specimen, but it is not
transparent.)
2. Place the piece of onion on a glass slide and add a drop or two of the iodine
solution.
3. Cover the slide with a cover slip using the same technique that you used for
your cheek cells.
4. Observe the onion cell under both low and high power.
5. Draw what you see and label the parts.
Time: 40 minutes
Reading Assignment:
None
Homework Assignment:
Bring the items needed for the CELLO project.
Create a table comparing the parts of plant and animal cells
Teaching Strategies:
Laboratory
Using your drawings from the lab. Create a table comparing Plant Cells and Animal
Cells.
PLANT CELLS
ANIMAL CELLS
Day Eight
Objectives:
Students will be able to describe the cell as a 3D object rather than the 2D object
they are accustomed to observing.
Students will be able to describe the appearance and location within the cell of the
various cell organelles.
Students will be able to compare and contrast their 3D plant cell and their 3D
animal cell.
Key Concepts:
Cell as a 3D object
Materials:
Teacher – plastic sacks, twist ties, jello, boiling water, gelatin, large mixing
bowls, spoons
Student – plastic “Tupperware” sandwich sized containers, canned fruits, paper,
pencil
Lesson Activity:
Review and complete the lab from Day Seven,
Time: 15 minutes
CELLO Project
1. Students, in lab partners, will select 2 plastic sacks. They will put one plastic sack in a
small square "tupperware" container so that the plastic sack completely lines the
container and the extra sits outside the container. The other sack should be open on the
desk.
2. Each student or group of students should then put similar amounts of "Knox Blox",
warm, lemon gelatin into the two sacks so that the container will be close to full. Then
fruits representing required cell organelles should be put into the gelatin: plums to
represent nuclei, mandarin oranges to represent mitochondria, grapes to represent
chloroplasts etc. The plastic sacks represent cell membranes while the plastic container
represents a cell wall.
3. The "cells" should then be closed using twist ties and refrigerated to set (several hours
or until next day).
http://www.cbv.ns.ca/sstudies/science/sci3.html
Time: 35 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Laboratory
Day Nine
Objectives:
Students will be able to make a table comparing plant and animal cells organelles.
Students will be able to determine organelles based on the type of cell and its
function.
Key Concepts:
Plant cell vs. Animal Cell
Materials:
10 pictures of plant and animal cells.
Lesson Activity:
Discuss our CELLO lab from yesterday.
Place plant cells together and show the relationship between one cell and forming
the plant.
Place animal cells together and show the relationship between one cell and forming
an animal.
Remind the students about how looked at the cork, cheek cell, Elodea, and onion.
Make comparisons to those drawings and the way the CELLO cells look all placed
together.
Time: 20 minutes
“Is it a Plant or Animal Cell” Exercise
In groups of 3, students will be given a picture of a cell and they will have to
determine if it is a plant or animal cell using the tables that they have created and give an
explanation of at least 2 reasons why.
Students will then present their picture to the class with their justification and the
class will determine if they agree or disagree and why.
Time: 30 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Class Discussion, Demonstration, Presentations, Debate,
Day Ten
Objectives:
Students will be able to use key cell concepts in context.
Key Concepts:
Microscope use, Cell Theory, Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic Cells
Cell Organelles, Plant cells vs. Animal cells, Cells as a 3D object
Materials:
Table, 3 chairs, 9 X’s cut-out of paper, 9 O’s cut-out of paper, 9 ½ pieces of paper,
yarn, hole punch
Lesson Activity:
Complete group presentations from “Is it a Plant or Animal Cell” exercise.
Time: 15 minutes
HOLLYWOOD CELLS (based on Hollywood Squares, TV game show)
To begin:
Have 9 students be #3’s and split the rest of the class into 1’s and 2’s. Number 3’s
are going to be celebrities and the rest of the students will be contestants.
Before the Game:
Have the celebrities choose who that want to be (or make it up ahead of time).
Write their names on the ½ sheet of paper, punch it and use the yarn to make a nametag.
Have 3 of them sit on the table, 3 sit on chairs in front of the table, and 3 sit on the floor
in front of the chairs.
Assign one group to be the O team and the other X team.
To Play:
Each group sends up a contestant. To see which team begins have a coin toss. The
team who wins picks a celebrity to answer the question from the teacher. The celebrity to
give an answer. (tell the celebrities before to give the correct answer if they can or to
bluff an answer, but at all times remain confident and try and fool the contestants if the
answer isn’t correct) The contestant then has to agree with the answer or disagree. If the
contestant is correct they give the celebrity their teams letter to hold. If they are incorrect
the other team gets a chance to answer a question and give their letter to the celebrity.
The teams alternate until one team gets 3 letters in a row.
Reading Assignments:
Pages 61 – 69 on Cell Division
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Group Presentations, Interactive games
Day Eleven
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain how cells grow, divide and die.
Students will be able to explain pertinent vocabulary words in their own words
Students will be able to explain the history of DNA.
Key Concepts:
Cell growth and reproduction
DNA
Materials:
Film: “The Intricate Cell” American Cancer Society
Lesson Activity:
Watch the film.
Time: 30 minutes
Do an overview of the new vocabulary words associated with cell division. Explain the
Watson and Crick discovery of the shape of DNA. Why it works, Base pairing, how we
are now able to determine different disease from DNA knowledge.
Time: 20 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Video, Lecture
Day Twelve
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the different phases of mitosis.
Key Concepts:
Cell Division
Materials:
Textbook
Computer Lab
Lesson Activity:
Introduction:
Explain that we are going to cover what happens during each stage of mitosis and
how we are going to do the jigsaw activity.
Time: 5 minutes
Jigsaw:
Students will be divided into 6 groups.
Each person will then move to another group and become and expert on a phase of
mitosis. Using textbook as well as Internet to learn about the phase assigned.
Students will then gather into groups and begin sharing the information they
became an expert on.
Time: 45 minutes
Reading Assignments:
Pages 61-68 for information
Homework Assignments;
None
Teaching Strategies:
Jigsaw
Group #1 – Interphase
Group #2 – Prophase
Group #3 – Metaphase
Group #4 – Anaphase
Group #5 – Telophase
Group #6 – Cytokinesis
Day Thirteen
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain the different phases of mitosis.
Students will be able to construct a model of DNA as a structure.
Key Concepts:
Cell Division
DNA
Materials:
None
Lesson Activities:
Complete Jigsaw activity from previous day.
Time: 15 minutes
Summarize the findings of the expert groups and make sure that everyone has accurate
and correct information regarding each of the organelles by discussing with the class
what they were told by their experts.
Time: 15 minutes
“Make a DNA Model using Candy”
1. Gather together red and black licorice sticks, colored marshmallows or gummy bears,
toothpicks and string.
2. Assign names to the colored marshmallows or gummy bears to represent nucleotide
bases. There should be four different colors each representing either adenine, cytosine,
guanine or thymine.
3. Assign names to the colored licorice pieces with one color representing the pentose
sugar molecule and the other representing the phosphate molecule.
4. Cut the licorice into 1 inch pieces.
5. String half of the licorice pieces together lengthwise alternating between the black and
red pieces.
6. Repeat the procedure for the remaining licorice pieces to create a total of two stands of
equal length.
7. Connect two different colored marshmallows or gummy bears together using the
toothpicks.
8. Connect the toothpicks with the candy to either the red licorice segments only or the
black licorice segments only, so that the candy pieces are between the two strands.
9. Holding the ends of the licorice sticks, twist the structure slightly.
Time: 20 minutes
Reading Assignments;
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Jigsaw, Lecture, Hands-on inqury
Day Fourteen
Objectives:
Students will be able to observe different phases of mitosis.
Students will be able to state why cells divide.
Students will be able to draw the different stages of mitosis and try to arrange them
in order of division.
Students will be able to demonstrate each phase of mitosis and the main
characteristics of each.
Key Concepts:
Cell Division
Materials:
Prepared onion root tip mitosis slides.
Microscope
Lesson Activity:
Explain that the stain to be used in this preparation is different because something
will be noticeable that could not be seen in past labs (chromosomes). Try to have the
students guess this by questioning them about the cells they are observing - i.e. dividing
cells - and how these are different than previous cells observed. Nuclei were observed
before but not the chromosomes.
Once the slide has been obtained, observe it and draw all the different views of cells
present under high power. Be careful to observe the nucleus and chromosomes since this
is what was not observed previously.
Time: 20 minutes
What the students are observing is an ordered process by which the cells divide the
chromosomes so that one copy of each goes to each new cell. Once they have drawn all
the different views of cells they have observed, they should share them with their lab
groups, the teacher and perhaps the class. Hopefully all the stages of mitosis have been
observed and drawn. These can be put on the board or overhead so that the entire class
can see all the phases/views and copy them onto their papers. It is not necessary to name
the observed cells with a phase of mitosis, but it may be easier so that students can more
easily differentiate them and relate them to a new vocabulary term. Once all the students
have drawings of all the phases of mitosis, ask them to arrange the pictures in a way that
would show a logical sequence of cell division. Have one member from each group
explain what order they put the drawings and why they did it that way.
Time: 30 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Laboratory, Group Discussion
Day Fifteen
Objectives:
Students will take an exam on unit thus far.
Students will be able to use cell concepts in problems.
Key Concepts:
All thus far
Materials:
Exam, KWL worksheet
Lesson Activities:
Exam
Time: 30-40 minutes
KWL Completion
Students will be asked to reflect on what they have learned in the unit thus far, how
that compares to what they knew before and what they wanted to learn. They will also be
asked what they did as a student to learn the information and how they might have done
things differently to learn more. What they liked most about the unit and what they liked
least. Should be at least half of a page in length.
Time: 10 minutes
Reading Assignments:
None
Homework Assignments:
None
Teaching Strategies:
Exam, KWL
Ordering and Planning Dates
All materials can be ordered at the beginning of the unit. Prepared slides of plant,
animal, and bacteria cells may need to be ordered earlier depending on delivery time.
This situation also applies to Elodea order, as it needs to be fresh when used in lab. Other
materials can be purchased at a grocery store or found in the school: onion, plastic sacks.
Jello, gelatin, bowls, spoons.
Reflections on Schedule of Lessons
Through the lessons that are present in my unit the nature of science is present in the fact
that I am teaching the history of science in my lesson about Watson and Crick
discovering the structure of DNA and in my lesson about the history of the microscope
and the discovery of cells by Hooke. It is also present in the orderliness of cell division.
As well as the study of natural objects such as cells. The exploration of the natural world
such as plant cells, animal cells and bacteria cells.
Inquiry is part of my unit in that I have 5 days devoted to looking at things under
the microscope and allowing the students to discover what they can.
The students will learn the relationship between science and math by having to determine
the correct magnification of the microscope when using the microscope with different
lenses.
The community is involved in the teaching of these lessons in that parents are expected to
provide the materials for the CELLO activity.
The lessons address gender equity in that when students are called upon to answer
questions they will be equally male and female. Make sure that all students are given an
equal chance to answer questions and not only call upon the boys that are eagerly raising
their hands. Do the same with multi-cultural students.
By using the Internet in the mitosis stages jigsaw students are using technology as well as
in all of the labs that are using microscopes.
The lessons are challenging to 7th grade students but they are not so difficult that they
will not be able to accomplish them. They are in the Zone of Proximal Development for
these students. They are also getting to learn using games, which is interesting to these
students in the review game. The CELLO project is interesting to these students and the
3D DNA model being made out of candy is interesting to these students because they are
getting to use things that are familiar to them.
Special Student Considerations
Emotional Behavior Disorder
Provide a structured classroom
Create a quiet cool down area
Establish cues as reminders for inappropriate behavior
Establish a positive relationship with the student
Provide positive feedback
Model positive behavior
Learning Disabilities
Altered tests
Extra time to complete assignments and tests
Peer tutoring
Provide outlines of lectures and discussions
Emphasize important information
Present information using multiple learning strategies
Allow students to show learning in multiple ways
Mild Mental Retardation
Break skills and assignments into smaller steps/segments
Peer tutoring
Group work
Activity-based instruction
Using real-life applications for skills
Attention Deficit Disorder
Provide a structured classroom
Help student organizing his/her materials
Provide brief and clear material/instructions
Provide positive feedback
Establish cues as reminders for attention
Emphasize important material
Keep distractions to a minimum
Visual Impairment
Speak all instructions
Have student seated close to the front of the room
Hearing Impairment
Have all instructions visual
Note takers
Assessment
Diagnostic Assessment
I would probably not have a formal diagnostic assessment, instead I would ask
questions during class. I would check for previous knowledge by a show of hands or by
questioning students individually. Depending on the response that I get from the in class
questioning I may give a quiz to find out the students’ prior knowledge.
Examples:
In a cell, where is the cell membrane located?
Do plant cells have cell membranes?
What structures do plant cells have that animal cells don’t?
Explain the cell theory.
What are the stages in cell division? What happens in each stage?
Formative Assessment
Questions that would be asked in this unit.
Knowledge
Label the parts of a microscope.
Tell the stages of cell division in order.
Comprehension
Explain the functions of cell organelles.
Explain what happens at each stage of cell division.
Application
Demonstrate wet mounting.
Application
Compare and contrast plant cells, animal cells, and
bacteria cells.
Synthesis
Why do different cell types require different organelles?
Evaluation
What would happen if cell division stopped?
Day 4 – Drawings and labeling of lab on bacteria, plant, and animal cells.
Day 7 – Compare and Contrast plant and animal cell table
Day 8 – CELLO project
Day 13 – Candy DNA model
No points will be given for these.
Summative Assessment
Day 6 – Analogy Assignment – 10 points
Day 15 – Test on unit – 50 points
Cell Analogy Assignment - 10 points
Directions:
Compare the cell and its organelles to something you are familiar with.
Possible themes: city, school, computer, human body, etc.
Requirements:
1. Make a picture/drawing/image of the theme you are using. Label the parts.
2. Make a picture/drawing/image of the type of cell you are comparing your theme
to (plant or animal).
3. Organelles must be included, labeled and described.
a. Relate the role of the organelle to your theme object.
b. Explain its function.
4. Include these organelles (choosing only the ones that relate to your type of cell
(plant or animal)
a. Cell Wall
b. Cell Membrane
c. Vacuole
d. Cytoplasm
e. Lysosome
f. Endoplasmic Reticulum
g. Ribosomes
h. Nucleus
i. Nucleolus
j. Mitochondria
k. Chloroplast
l. Golgi Bodies
Full credit will be given if the student has completed the requirements.
Test on Unit - 50 points
Matching (1 point each)
1. _____ Rigid structure in plant cells
2. _____ Jelly-like substance in the cell
3. _____ Powerhouse of the cell
4. _____ Gatekeeper of the cell
5. _____ Storage unit of the cell is larger in plants than in animals
6. _____ Where proteins are made
7. _____ DNA
8. _____ The stomach of the cell
9. _____ The control center of the cell
10. _____ Capture energy from the sun and use it to produce food for the cell
11. _____ Network of passageways
12. _____ Dark spot in the nucleus where ribosomes are made
A. Cell Membrane
B. Cell Wall
C. Nucleus
D. Mitochondria
E. Nucleolus
F. Ribosome
G. Vacuole
H. Lysosome
I. Chloroplast
J. Cytoplasm
K. Chromatin
L. Endoplasmic Reticulum
Short Answer (3 points each)
1. Explain the differences between a plant cell, animal cell and a bacteria cell.
2. Explain why cells divide. Give at least 2 reasons.
3. Explain the three parts to the cell theory.
4. Explain the correct way to carry a microscope.
5. Put the 6 stages of mitosis in order.
6. Name 3 discoveries that have been made using the microscope.
Multiple Choice (2 point each)
1. _____ This stage of mitosis the chromosomes line up across the center of the cell?
A. Prophase
B. Metaphase
C. Anaphase
D. Telophase
2. _____Who discovered the shape of DNA?
A. Watson and Crick
B. Robert Hooke
C. Charles Darwin
D. Alexander Fleming
3. _____ Which organelle makes energy usable for the cell?
A. Lysosome
B. Mitochondria
C. Golgi Body
D. Ribosome
4. _____ What is the cell wall of a plant made of?
A. Glucose
B. Cellulose
C. Chitin
D. Fructose
5. _____ During this stage the cell grows and copies its DNA.
A. Anaphase
B. Cytokinesis
C. Prophase
D. Interphase
6. _____ During this stage the cytoplasm divides and the organelles are distributed into
two cells.
A. Anaphase
B. Cytokinesis
C. Prophase
D. Interphase
7. _____ In DNA, what does adenine pair with?
A. Cytosine
B. Guanine
C. Thymine
D. Adenine
8. _____ This stage of mitosis the chromatin condenses to form chromosomes.
A. Telophase
B. Metaphase
C. Prophase
D. Anaphase
9. _____ This stage of mitosis the centromeres split and the chromatids move to opposite
ends of the cell.
A. Metaphase
B. Telophase
C. Anaphase
D. Prophase
10. _____ This stage of mitosis a new nuclear membrane is formed around each region of
chromosomes.
A. Anaphase
B. Prophase
C. Telophase
D. Metaphase
Safety
Potential Safety Concerns
Day 1, 2, 4, 7, 14 – Microscopes and Slides
Students must know the proper way to carry and handle the microscope. Walking
with one hand under the base and the other hand holding the arm. Students must know
how to properly handle slides. Carefully hold the slides and walk them to their lab
station. Students must listen to instructions carefully.
Day 8 – Hot water
To make the jello boiling water must be used. The students must be careful in
handling the boiling water, when moving the water the students must walk and listen to
directions carefully.
Day 13 – Scissors
Students must carry scissors correctly and must walk when carrying them from
one place to another.
Day 4 – Bacteria
Students must wear goggles and gloves when handling the bacteria slides.
Students must not wear loose clothing and have long hair tied back. Students must walk
when carrying bacteria and must listen to instructions carefully.
Lab Rules
1. Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you do not understand a
direction or part of a procedure, ASK YOUR TEACHER BEFORE
PROCEEDING WITH THE ACTIVITY.
2. Never work alone in the laboratory.
3. Do not eat food, drink beverages, or chew gum in the laboratory.
4. Be alert and proceed with caution at all times in the laboratory. Notify the teacher
immediately of any unsafe conditions you observe.
5. Keep hands away from face, eyes, mouth, and body while using chemicals or lab
equipment. Wash your hands with soap and water after performing all
experiments.
6. Know the locations and operating procedures of all safety equipment including: first
aid kit(s), and fire extinguisher. Know where the fire alarm and the exits are
located.
7. Any time chemicals, heat, or glassware are used, students will wear safety goggles. NO
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE!
8. Dress properly during a laboratory activity. Long hair, dangling jewelry, and loose or
baggy clothing are a hazard in the laboratory. Long hair must be tied back, and
dangling jewelry and baggy clothing must be secured. Shoes must completely
cover the foot. No sandals allowed on lab days.
9. Report and accident (spill, breakage, etc.) or injury (cut, burn, etc.) to the teacher
immediately, no matter how trivial it seems. Do not panic.
Classroom Management
Rules:
1. Raise hands to be recognized.
2. Stay seated until given permission to leave.
3. Leave all food and drink with the exception of water outside of classroom.
Procedures:
1. Entering the classroom
Stand at the door when students are entering the room.
2. Getting to work immediately
Have a “Do Now” prepared each day as part of the routine. Require that it is
handed in and give 3 daily work points for attempting the “Do Now”.
3. Tardiness
Don’t acknowledge that they came in late but talk with them about it during
“work time” or at the end of the hour. Tardy is determined by anyone that enters
the room after the bell rings, I will keep track by writing down the names of the
students that enter late. I will follow the school’s rules regarding tardiness.
4. Signaling attention from class
Raise my hand and as the students see me, each of them raises their hands until
entire class is paying attention. After the students catch on to looking for me it
will turn into me just raining my hand.
5. Ending class
Remain in seats until bell rings and the teacher has given permission to leave.
6. Handling minor disruptions
Use the Principle of Least Intervention when dealing with disruptions. First, use
non-verbals, such as eye contact with the student. Next, be positive and praise
good behavior of others. Use verbal reminders and continue to use these until it
becomes necessary to apply a consequence.
7. Handling late work
Late work will be accepted for 75% credit after 1 day, 50% credit after 2 days,
25% credit after 3 days, after 3 days no credit will be given. Have a “late work”
basket to hand in late work. Also give 5 late work coupons to be used whenever
they need one and they will receive a 3 day extension.
8. Handling missed work because of absences
Allow 2 days to make up work for every day the student is absent after 2 days the
late work procedure will take effect. Put in “late work” basket. There will also be
a basket for assignments to be picked up from the previous day. Speak with the
student during work time or after school about the work that they missed.
9. Collecting work
Pass work to front of room at the beginning of class or have a “today’s work”
basket to be used as the student finishes work or on the way out of the door at the
end of class.
10. Returning work
The teacher will return work while students are working the current days work.
11. Out of seat behavior
Allow “out of seat behavior” only during work time, this does not include chatting
with friends.
12. Out of room behavior
Have a hall pass next to the door and they can use it freely to use the bathroom
but it can only be used once a day by each student.
13. Dealing with students that forget pencils, paper, textbook
Require collateral for forgotten pencils, paper, or book to ensure the return of
items. Collateral can be anything of value to the student, they can choose it but it
must be approved by me.
14. Encouraging and leading class discussions so that all students participate
Have class discussions be a time when there is no need to raise you hand, allow
free discussion. The use of groups with a speaker for the group but they are given
time to discuss in their group what they want said.
15. Group work
In group work have roles for each group member to ensure participation, have
these roles change each time so that everyone gets a chance to be each role. I will
create groups randomly and groups will change after each grading period. The
students will be allowed to confidentially grade each other and themselves within
the group dynamic.
Extreme situations will be handled by removing the student from the room by
taking the student into the hall or my office and discussing the consequences of the
student’s actions outside of the room.
The classroom management strategies currently used in my apprenticeship site are:
Students raise hands to be recognized.
Students get 3 warnings by writing the first letter of their name on the board and
making a mark by it. After 3 the student is sent to the desk that is outside the door and
my cooperating teacher has a discussion with the student.
The principle of least intervention is used in my apprenticeship site. My
cooperating teacher uses eye contact to initially tell the student that they are behaving
inappropriately.
Teaching Resources
The display that I would use with this unit would have a poster of a diagram of an animal
cell and a poster of a diagram of a plant cell. I would also have pictures of single celled
organisms and posters of the different phases of cell division.
Audio-visual or software aids
The Magic of Cells Videotape
Cells: The Building Blocks of Life
Cell Biology CD-ROM
Internet Resources
www.middleschoolscience.com/life.htm
www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/biology.html
www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/
www.iit.edu/%7Esmile/biolinde.html
www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edsci.htm#biology
Print Resources
Alberts, Bruce. (2004). Essential Cell Biology. New York, NY: Garland Science Pub.
Campbell, Neil A. and Jane B. Reece. (2004) Biology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Cronkite, Donald, Ph.D. (2000). Science Explorer: Cells and Heredity. Needham, MA:
Prentice Hall.
Snustad, P.D. and M. J. Simmons. (2003). Principles of Genetics. New Jersey: Wiley and
Sons, Inc.