BSC 307 5-E Model Lesson Plan Form
Title: Cell Division via Mitosis
Grade Level: 9th
Objectives:
1. Identify and describe the function of the centrosomes, centromere, sister
chromatids, and mitotic spindle.
2. Define metaphase plate and cytokinesis.
3. Identify the main events in each of the phases of mitosis.
Illinois Learning Standards:
Illinois State Learning Standards: ILS Stage H 12 A 2
Apply scientific inquiries or technological designs to correlate the basis of cellular
and organism reproductive processes, correlating possible genetic combinations
to the type of reproductive process, diagramming and comparing mitotic and
meiotic cell division, or distinguishing asexual and sexual (egg, sperm and zygote
formation) reproduction with examples.
Engagement:
Students will complete an activity that has them create a model of a cell with
construction paper, yarn, plastic silverware, and buttons. They will model what
happens during mitosis using these materials.
Exploration:
Students work together in groups of 2 or 3 to complete the activity and to
answer questions on the worksheet that goes with this activity. Students will also
be allowed to use their textbook to answer questions on the worksheet.
Explanation:
The class will come back together as a whole after completing the activity to go
over answers to the worksheet and to clear up any misconceptions. Then a
power point will be used to further explain mitosis in detail, emphasizing points
that students had issues with.
Extension:
The last few slides of the power point will contain a few questions to help the
students apply what they know about mitosis. I will have the students write
down their answers to these questions on a sheet of paper and turn them in
when they leave. An example question would be “What happens to the
separation of chromosomes if the mitotic spindle breaks down?” Then I can go
over the answers to these questions at the beginning of the next class period.
Evaluation(Assessment Strategies):
Answers to worksheet questions and class discussion.
Answers to the extension questions asked at the end of lecture.
Rationale:
Rather than start the lesson off with a lecture on mitosis, the lesson is started
with an activity that requires students to model the process of mitosis. It
requires them to learn about the cell structures involved in mitosis and their
functions through observing what happens in their model. This lesson is related
to ILS Stage H 12 A 2 in that it explores how cells reproduce and divide. As a
further extension to this learning standard, after students learn about meiosis
they will be asked to make a diagram comparing the similarities and differences
between mitosis and meiosis. This activity also makes the concept of mitosis
more concrete for students because it is requiring them to make a hands-on
model.
Resources:
Illinois State Board of Education. (1997). Illinois State Learning Standards. [Online]. Retrieved on February 27, 2010. Available:
http://www.isbe.net/ils/Default.htm.
Becvar, L., et al. (2009). Mitosis: Chromosome Replication & Division. [Online]. Retrieved on February 27, 2010. Available:
http://biology.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=biology&zu=http
%3A%2F%2Fwww.biologylessons.sdsu.edu%2Fclasses%2Flab8%2Findex.html
Mitotic Cell Division Activity Sheet
Introduction
You will work with a partner during this activity. Each group will be given a kit
that contains the necessary materials to build a model cell. Your particular cell
will contain six chromosomes that look like knives, forks, and spoons. You will
study mitosis in your model cell and work out each step of the process using
paper for cells, yarn for membranes, string for spindle fibers, and plastic knives,
forks, and spoons for chromosomes.
Go through the entire process (Steps 1-6) one time. Follow along with the
procedure below, and answer the questions about each stage as you go along.
You may also use your book to answer these questions.
Materials
1 piece of construction paper
1 piece of brown yarn
2 pieces of red yarn
6 pieces of green yarn
3 rubber bands
2 buttons
2 clear forks
2 white forks
2 clear spoons
2 white spoons
2 clear knives
2 white knives
Scissors
Step 1: Construction of the cell
1. Take your construction paper out and lay it flat on the table. This will
represent your cell.
2. Use your brown piece of yarn to make the cell membrane. Lay the yarn down
around the outside edges of the construction paper making a big circle.
3. Use one of your red pieces of yarn to make the nuclear membrane. Lay the
yarn down in a circular shape within the cell membrane.
4. Place one white fork, one white spoon, and one white knife inside your
nuclear membrane. These represent your chromosomes.
5. Place two buttons somewhere outside your nucleus, making sure they are
close to each other.
Step 2: Interphase
1. The 3 white knives, forks, and spoons in your nucleus represent unduplicated
chromosomes. Replicate each of the chromosomes by using three more
chromosomes that are in your kit. These will be a clear spoon, knife, and fork.
Attach a clear fork to your white fork, a clear spoon to your white spoon, and so
on with a rubber band. In this process, each chromosome has essentially made
an identical copy of itself.
2. Your nucleus should now contain three pairs of duplicated chromosomes.
3. Answer questions 1-4 on your worksheet.
Step 3: Prophase
1. The nuclear membrane starts to break down during prophase. Remove the
nuclear membrane from around the chromosomes in the nucleus of your cell.
2. Move your buttons so that they are on opposite ends of the cell.
3. Using the green yarn in your kit, attach three pieces to each button. Then
attach the other end of each piece of green yarn to the rubber band of a
duplicated chromosome. When you are finished, one green piece of yarn should
be touching a button and rubber band at the same time.
4. Answer questions 5-7 on your worksheet.
Step 4: Metaphase
1. Arrange your duplicated chromosomes so that their rubber bands are lined up
in the middle of the cell. Make sure that the green pieces of yarn are still
attached to the rubber bands and buttons. In a real cell undergoing mitotic
division, the duplicated chromosomes would be pulled to the middle of the cell
and lined up by these “green” fibers.
2. Answer questions 8-9
Step 5: Anaphase
1. Remove the rubber band and separate your duplicated chromosomes.
2. The duplicated chromosomes are moved toward opposite poles of the cell by
the green fibers. Move your chromosomes so that there is a knife, spoon, and
fork on each side of the cell.
3. By the end of this phase, each side of your cell should have equivalent
amounts of chromosomes.
4. Answer questions 10-11.
Step 6: Telophase & Cytokinesis
1. You can remove your green pieces of yarn from your cell because the
chromosomes have reached their final position.
2. Two new nuclear membranes form, one around each set of newly separated
chromosomes. Use the two pieces of red yarn to create two new nuclear
membranes in your cell
3. Pinch in the brown piece of yarn representing the cell membrane so it looks
like there are two indentations in the middle of the cell.
4. Cut your brown piece of yarn at the two indentations you have made. Attach
the brown ends of yarn you just cut so it looks like you have two cells on your
piece of construction paper.
5. Answer questions 12-15.
Mitotic Cell Division Worksheet
Interphase
1. What structure do the two buttons represent in your cell model? What is the
function of that structure?
2. What structure do the rubber bands represent in your cell model? What is the
function of that structure?
3. Your duplicated chromosomes contain two pieces that are clear and white.
What term do these two pieces represent in the duplicated chromosome?
4. What is the main event that occurs in interphase?
Prophase
5. Why does the nuclear membrane need to be broken down during prophase?
6. What does the green string represent in your cell model? What is the function
of that structure?
7. List two main events that occur in prophase.
Metaphase
8. What is the metaphase plate?
9. List two main events that occur in metaphase.
Anaphase
10. Are the chromosomes that are now at opposite ends of the cell still
duplicated? Explain your answer.
11. List two main events that occur in anaphase.
Telophase & Cytokinesis
12. List two main events that occur in telophase.
13. What is cytokinesis?
14. How are the two daughter cells that have now formed related to that original
cell?
15. Overall, what has been accomplished by mitosis?