Download FALL UNIT PLAN OUTLINE Jessica Najar

FALL UNIT PLAN OUTLINE
Venegas
WALT DISNEY MAGNET
FALL TERM 2011
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Jessica Najar-
Inquiry Questions
What is life?
What does it mean to be living?
Science Questions Lesson 1:
How would removing an organelle affect the overall functioning of a cell?
Visual Arts Questions Lesson 1:
How would removing elements of a work of art affect the composition or meaning of the
work?
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Objectives:
Lesson 1:
I can identify the organelles that make up a cell. I can understand the importance of each
organelle.
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Summary:
This unit will be an introduction and overview of plant and animal cells. Students will use
their questioning skills to create a path of inquiry for the course of the unit. The first
lesson, has been listed here, lays the foundation and tone for the rest of the unit. While
the entire unit will involve identifying cells, organelles, functions of organelles, history of
cells, advancements in technology, mitosis, meiosis, osmosis and diffusion, the first
lesson will serve as an introduction to the topic.
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Timeline:
Though the unit will take place over the course of 10 days, the art related lesson will take
place in the first day.
Day 1: I will use Thanksgiving in order to reinforce skills in observing and describing.
We will approach the work using our five senses and make judgments about what the
work is about. Once we have established the meaning of the work. I will have students
remove certain components from the art work in their minds. I want students to consider
the meaning of the work and how it has changed. The artist has chosen specific items to
create meaning. I will use this as a jumping off point to talk about the importance of each
organelle. Though incredibly small, each plays a particular role. We will discuss their
functions then, I will have students imagine one of the organelles goes missing, what will
happen to the cell? We will write about it.
Objective:
I can identify the organelles that make up a cell. I can understand the importance of each
organelle.
Materials:
Doris Lee, Thanksgiving, 1935, science books
E.Q.:
How would removing an organelle affect the overall functioning of a cell? How would removing
elements of a work of art affect the composition or meaning of the work?
Activities:
To begin the lesson I will have students open their books to page A8-A9. I will ask students to
identify the different parts of that make up animal and plant cells. We will describe each
organelle and I will write its function on the board. Students will be divided into two groups; one
group will be “animal cells” and the other “plant cells”. Though we are able to see the
differences, I would like a visual representation of the differences. I will begin listing organelles
and ask them to stand if their cells have the specific organelle. When differences do exist, I will
ask students to recall yesterday’s lesson and how knowing the needs of a plant or animal may
help us in understanding the functions and differences of the organelles. For example, what is the
function of a vacuole in a cell? What function does it provide within a cell? Why might there be
a difference in the sizes of the vacuoles? How are the needs of a plant different from those of an
animal? I will ask students to consider the importance of each organelle with the students sitting
at their table as I pass out Thanksgiving by Doris Less. Students will jot down notes of what is
discussed.
I will introduce the work of art for this lesson. I will explain to students for this particular work I
would like them to do something a bit different from what we did on the previous day when
considering Cycle, Tender and Benign, Bring Great Comfort. I will post the larger poster size on
the board as they regard their individual copies. I will explain that in order to consider this work
of art we are going to use our 5 senses to approach the work. Who can name one of the five
senses? Students will raise their hands, I will take suggestions, but begin with what we see.
SEEING: What do you see in this image? Possible Responses: Women in the kitchen, a woman
cooking, children, someone at the table, animals, pets, babies, food.
HEARING: Based on the things you just described, or saw in the work, what do you hear when
you consider this work? Possible Responses: Children laughing, Clanking pots, talking… What
elements make you hear children laughing? What do you note about the children that may
suggest they are laughing? What parts suggest the clanking or noise you have described?
SMELLING: What do you smell when you think about the people and objects in this painting?
Why would you suggest that it smells of bread?
TASTE: Thinking of the elements that you have mentioned that you see, hear and smell, now
what do you taste?
TOUCH: Now, pick a spot in the painting any where you would like, imagine you are touching
it. What does it feel like to touch the table? The pot of the turkey?
What time of year is this? What about this painting leads you to believe it is a special day? If you
had to tell someone what this painting was about, what would you say to them? Why do you
believe it is about ____________________?
Now that we have made our way through this work and we have created an understanding of
what we believe this is about, I would like you to consider the following. Look at your paintings
and think about what would happen to the painting if I removed the women in the background
from this scene and left only the children and the woman cooking. How would this change the
composition? If this change was made what would the context of this work be? What would
happen if I removed the children from the painting? What would the painting be about if I
removed the turkey? What symbolic meaning or importance does the turkey hold in this
composition? How does the turkey pull all the other elements together? How do the other
elements contribute to your understanding of what is occurring in this work?
I will ask students to put the work aside for a minute and go back to their textbooks on page A8A9. What organelle within the cell would be the equivalent of what the turkey is in the painting
by Doris Lee? Why do you believe so? Let us consider the other organelles. What is the function
of the cell membrane? IF I removed it from the cell, how would the cell as a whole be affected?
How do you know? Is there any other organelle that could take its place? Could the cell function
without the cell membrane? I will continue by selecting other organelles.
Students will write a small narrative about removing the organelle of their choice. This is a What
If story about cells.
Assessment:
Writing rubric