TALKING HEADS:
THE CELL THEORY AND THREE GERMAN SCIENTISTS
Essential question: How do parts shape the whole?
Guiding questions: How did three German scientists shape the cell theory?
How does cell theory shape our understanding of life?
Your assignment:
You will answer our guiding questions by writing three informational paragraphs
about the three German scientists that developed the cell theory.
Role: You will become each of the three German scientists and write from
their perspectives
Audience: Classmates and teachers
Task: Three informational paragraphs
Purpose: To describe contributions of each scientist to the cell theory
Please answer the following questions first, using the textbook (pgs. 54-55) and
the documents provided as sources of information. These will be important
supporting details that you include in your paragraphs:
1. What are the three parts of the cell theory?
2. Who are the three German scientists that developed the cell theory?
3. What part did each scientist contribute to cell theory?
Next, search through the documents for other supporting details to help you
understand who each scientist was and what else they contributed to our
knowledge of cells and life science in general.
Please use the following format for your paragraphs:
- Topic sentence (Who/what are you going to be telling us about?)
- What did the scientist contribute to cell theory?
- Other supporting details (What else do we need to know about this person
and his contributions to our knowledge about cells/life? Appx. 2-3 details.)
- Concluding statement (How does this person’s contribution shape our
understanding of life?)
For your clean copy paragraphs, please create or trace three talking heads cutouts and tape/hinge them together like the sample on the whiteboard.
Rubric:
Topic
For
each
scientist
(x3):
-
-
-
5 points
Names the part(s)
of cell theory the
scientist was
responsible for
Describes other
important
information about
the scientist
Explains how the
scientist’s
contribution(s) to
cell theory shapes
our understanding
of life
-
-
-
4 points
Mostly names the
part(s) of cell theory
the scientist was
responsible for
Mostly describes
basic information
about the scientist
Mostly explains how
the scientist’s
contribution(s) to cell
theory shapes our
understanding of life
-
-
-
3 points
Somewhat names the
part(s) of cell theory
the scientist was
responsible for
Somewhat describes
basic information
about the scientist
Somewhat explains
how the scientist’s
contribution(s) to cell
theory shapes our
understanding of life