7th Grade Life Science Unit Plan: Plant and Animal Cells
Science Standards: 1a. Students know cells function similarly in all living organisms. 1b. Students know the characteristics that
distinguish plant cells from animal cells, including chloroplasts and cell walls.
Learning Objectives: Student will know how to distinguish animal cells from plant cells and describe the functions of organelles that
are both similar and different in each.
Vocabulary: cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplast, mitochondria, organelle, ER, golgi body, ribosomes, lysosomes, cytoplasm
Marzano’s Strategy Writing Component
Activities and Assessments
Resources and Technology
Day 1
Warm Up (5min): List 5 facts that
Prentice Hall Textbook
Critical Input
One paragraph
you know about cells.
Elmo
Small chunks of reflection of
Input (20 min): Students will take
information
today’s activities
notes on the differences between
Writng about
plant and animal cells. Teacher will
learning
ask questions throughout the lesson
to check for understanding and
reinforce prior knowledge.
Nonlinguistic Representation
(15min): Students will be assigned
to draw and label a plant cell or an
animal cell identifying each part and
its function.
Reflection (5min): Students will
write a one paragraph reflection
about the days notes and activities.
Day 2
Warm Up (5min): Explain the
Labeled drawings of cells from Day Cooperative
Warm up
difference between a cell wall and a 1.
Learning
response
cell membrane? (students would
have received this information from
the day 1 notes)
Cooperative Learning (10min):
Students will pair up with another
student that draw and labeled a cell
different from what they did day 1.
The pairs will identify the
Day 3
similarities and differences of plant
and animal cells using the labeled
drawings they each completed on
day 1.
Class Discussion (10min): The
teacher will lead a discussion
regarding what the students
discovered about the similarities and
differences of the drawings. The
teacher will help t clarify any
misconceptions.
Students Practice (20min):
Students will create a Venn diagram
comparing and contrasting plant and
animal cells.
Warm Up (5min): Explain the
differences between plant and
animal cells.
Game (30 min): The students will
use the quizdom remotes in order to
answer questions in a friendly
competitive game. The game will
reflect information that has been
learned in the previous 2 lessons.
Closing Conversation (10min):
Students and teacher will engage in
open dialogue about the game, the
friendly competition, and about the
content that has been learned over
the last 3 lessons.
Quizdom
Cooperative
Learning