Download Animal Cells And Plant Cells

Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
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Resource ID#: 75784
Animal Cells And Plant Cells: Just How Different Are We?
This resource provides students with a web based interactive animal cell and plant cell which they use to learn about the different parts of each cell.
Students will summarize information about the structure and function about the organelles required for this standard which are: cell wall, cell
membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplast, vacuole and mitochondria.
Subject(s): Science
Grade Level(s): 6, 7, 8
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD
Projector, Speakers/Headphones
Instructional Time: 1 Hour(s) 30 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: cell, cell organelles, plant cell, animal cell, cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts,
mitochondria, vacuoles
Resource Collection: FCR-STEMLearn Cell Biology
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
compare and contrast the structures of plant cells and animal cells.
explain how the structures in plant and animal cells are connected to the functions necessary in plants and animals.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students need to have a basic understanding that cells are the most basic unit of life, just as atoms are the basic building block of matter. Teachers may elicit
students' prior knowledge by asking the following and allowing the students to form groups of 4 to answer the following:
"Describe a cell."
(Acceptable answers: usually small, make up living organisms, essential to life, building blocks of life, carry out specific functions, smallest unit of life, etc.)
"What are two types of cells you have heard about?"
(Acceptable answers: white blood cells, red blood cells, epithelial, nerve cells, bone cells, skin cells, germ cells, etc. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic are also acceptable.)
"When we breathe, how does oxygen get to our brain and other organs?"
(Answer: Oxygenated blood cells travel in our blood to get to other locations in our body.)
Then one student from each pair will share what they came up with with the class. Discuss briefly to spark interest.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
How do plant cell organelles differ from organelles in animal cells?
Plant cells have organelles that animal cells do not. Plant cells have chloroplasts where photosynthesis takes place.
Plant cell vacuoles tend to be larger than in animal cells. The plant's vacuoles regulate turgor pressure of the cell. Turgor pressure is the pressure exerted on a
plant cell wall by water passing into the cells. (Also students may point out that plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall which is not present in animal cells.)
There are two structures present in plant cells that are not present in animal cells. Explain why this is the case.
page 1 of 4 Plant cells have chloroplasts which allows them to make their own food. This is the organelle where photosynthesis takes place.
Plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall, which gives them some rigidity and helps them maintain their shape.
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
The teacher will use the following link to present the material on plant and animal cells: http://cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
1. The teacher will open two windows in their internet browser with the above link. In the first window, click on the "Animal Cell" link (at the bottom of the big black
box) to open the interactive animal cell. Position the window on the screen so that it takes up the left half of the screen. For the second window, click on the "Plant
Cell" link (at the bottom of the big black box) to open the interactive plant cell. Position the window on the screen so that it takes up the right half of the screen.
2. Students will pair up with one other student and pull up the site as described in step one (in two browser windows).
3. The teacher will explain how to use the site. Highlight the following information:
a. mousing over an organelle displays the name of the organelle and
b. clicking on an organelle displays details about the organelle, and
c. Once in organelle detail view, to return to the cell diagram, click red link in the lower right corner that says "Return to Cell Diagram."
4. The teacher will say: "Imagine the house of your dreams. Tell me what rooms are in it."
Then, the teacher will say: "What is the purpose of that [insert room here] room?"
This will be repeated to display how the different rooms of a house have different purposes, like the garage that stores cars and items, and the home gym used for
fitness.
The teacher will say: "How is this like a cell?" (if students don't answer correctly, then teacher says: "Just like a home has rooms for different purposes, a cell has
different compartments or areas for specific purposes. These compartments are called organelles."
5. The teacher says: "Let's try to break this word down. What part of this word looks familiar?" (Answer: "organ")
6. The teacher says: "Ok, so our bodies have several organs. What do you think would happen if our heart stopped working?" (Answer: oxygen wouldn't get to our
brain and other parts of our body resulting in heart attack/death)
7. The teacher says: "And how about if your lungs failed, how long do you think you could function?" (Answer: not very long, just a few minutes, before dying)
8. The teacher says: "Would you agree that our organs have specific functions?" (Answer: yes)
9. The teacher says: "Just like our organs do specific things, cells have parts that do specific things. For example, just like our skin protects us, and keeps all our veins,
tissues, a cell has a sort of skin called a cell membrane. It holds the contents of a cell inside the cell. Raise your laptop covers, and make sure the left window is
active. (They may need to click on an empty part of that window to make sure it's selected.) Now, on the animal cell, place your mouse over the outer edge of the
cell. Notice the name of this structure appears. You have to be precise to place your mouse over the cell membrane since this is a thin structure that surrounds the
cell."
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
The teacher guides students to click on cell membrane and read the description quietly, as they think about what the most important pieces of information are.
The teacher says: "On your white boards, you will be summarizing the information about this organelle, including a brief description of the structure and the function
(what it does). As you read, roll your mouse over the words in yellow which will show you each part of the cell membrane. In four minutes, we will share what we
wrote. You may begin."
After several minutes, have the students raise their boards, and have each group share one thing from their boards until every pair has shared something, and
students will edit and add to or take away from what they have on their white boards as is appropriate. Then they will put the edited description and function on the
blank Animal Cell worksheet individually.
The teacher says: "Now we will repeat this process for the cell membrane on the plant cell. Click anywhere in a blank space on the window on the right that has the
plant cell. Roll your mouse over the outer edge of the cell. What structure label shows up?" (Answer: cell wall) "Roll your mouse over the thin pink line beneath the
cell wall. What is different about the placement of the cell membrane in a plant cell?" (Answer: it is located under, or inside of the cell wall.) "Was there a cell wall on
the animal cell?" (Answer: no)
The teacher says: "Only plant cells have cell walls. Cell walls help to give the plant strength in its structure, sort of like our skeletons do. Let's take a look at the cell
membrane now. What do you predict is the function of the cell membrane in a plant cell?" (Answer: protective layer, regulate what enters and exits the cell) Click on
the cell membrane, and read the information provided. Remember to mouse over the yellow words as you read, and the interactive diagram will show you where that
part of the membrane is in an actual plant cell membrane. Summarize a brief description of the plant's cell membrane and its function on your white board. We will
share in four minutes."
After most students are done, have them share out and edit the info on their white boards as needed. Explain that this the same procedure that they will follow for the
following organelles:
cell wall (plant cell only)
chloroplasts (plant cell only)
nucleus (animal, then plant cell)
cytoplasm (animal, then plant cell)
mitochondria (animal, then plant cell)
vacuoles (animal, then plant cell)
You will pause every four or five minutes to have them share and edit the info on their white boards before adding it to their Animal Cell Worksheet and Plant Cell
Worksheet Worksheet. Remind them to pay attention to how the plant and animal cells are similar and different as they work since they will finalize this exercise by
page 2 of 4 comparing the two.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Individually, students will complete the Animal Cell vs. Plant Cell: Let's Compare! Worksheet. An answer key has been provided.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Closure of this lesson will be as follows:
Place students into groups of 4 students. Assign roles for each student. Suggested roles are scribe, time keeper, task master (to keep conversation focused on the
task), and speaker.
Give each group a different question.
Sample questions may include the following:
1. Do both plant and animal cells need mitochondria? Explain your answer.
Yes, both plant and animal cells need mitochondria because they both need to convert food to energy.
2. If your celery was soft, what could you do to make them get firm again? Explain your answer.
If your celery was soft, you could spray them with water or soak them in water to make them get firm again. Low turgor pressure in the vacuole makes plants
wilt, so adding water could make my celery take in water and get firm.
3. What gives plants their green color?
Plant cells have organelles named chloroplasts. They contain a pigment called chlorophyll which gives plants their green color.
4. Why do plant cells need larger vacuoles than animal cells?
Plant cells need larger vacuoles than animal cells because the vacuoles maintain the turgor pressure and shape of the plant cell. This organelle is important in
helping the plant support structures like leaves, stems and branches. Since plants don't have skeletons for support, the vacuole is essential in playing the role of
support.
5. If you had to compare a nucleus to either a brain, arms, or eyes, which one is the nucleus most similar to? Explain your answer.
The nucleus is most like a brain because it communicates with other parts of the cell similar to how your brain communicates to other parts of your body.
(Answers may vary.)
Allow them to have 3 minutes to brainstorm an answer. Remind them to put their group number next to their answer.
On the teacher's signal, they will pass the paper to another group. Repeat this process until all groups have had a chance to brainstorm for every question.
Mix the groups so that there is at least one representative from each group at each table. The new groups will rank the answers to each question with the
following: "Most Accurate" and "Most Creative," providing explanation for their choices. The students in the role of "speakers" will share their rankings with the
class.
Summative Assessment
Students will complete the Animal vs. Plant Cells: Let's Compare Worksheet to compare and contrast the organelles in plant and animal cells.
Formative Assessment
After the students summarize information about each organelle on their white boards, each pair of students will show what information they wrote, by holding up their
white board. This will be done one organelle at a time to spot check how well the students are describing the organelle structure and function.
(see Guided Practice)
Feedback to Students
The teacher will provide feedback when the students hold up their whiteboards with info on each organelle. This will take place about every 4 minutes, one organelle
at a time.
After they have a few minutes to write info on an organelle's structure, each pair of students will show what they wrote, and as a class we will discuss what the main
function is and a brief description of the structure.
This will ensure that what they transfer to their diagrams is accurate and concise.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
The teacher may differentiate and provide accommodations as follows:
For the Teaching/Teacher Guided portion of the lesson:
For students with special needs, the teacher may need to set up the two windows on the student computers. Also, a special needs or lower level student may be
paired with a higher level student to maximize learning in a diverse student population. To differentiate for students who need more assistance using technology,
the teacher can model how to set up the windows, and model mousing over each organelle and clicking on each organelle throughout the activity (one organelle at
a time). Teachers can also pair ELL's with native speakers. Native English speakers in such pairings should be reminded to not "give answers," but to explain what is
going on and to be patient with their partner whose understanding of the language and content may be very different from theirs.
For the Animal vs. Plant Cell: Let's Compare! Worksheet (Independent Practice) portion:
For students with special needs, the teacher may fill in 2 to 3 boxes with the student. The teacher will repeat or rephrase directions as necessary. To differentiate,
for higher level learners, the student could possibly choose the best type of graphic organizer rather than be handed the worksheet with the matrix on it. For ELL's:
The teacher can provide visual aids to convey the standard.
Extensions:
page 3 of 4 Students can create "What Am I" skits about the organelles. Students will receive the name of an organelle on a slip of paper. They can work in small groups to create
a short skit to act out what an organelle does, and then the class has to guess what the organelle is. (For example, students acting as a "cell membrane" may stand in
a circle holding hands while another student attempts to pass through the membrane.) A rubric has been provided.
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Speakers/Headphones
Special Materials Needed:
Teachers will make a copy of the Animal Cell Worksheet and the Plant Cell Worksheet. One is needed for each student.
Other supplies needed:
student white boards
markers for white boards
erasers (or paper towels) for white boards
timer
rulers (if students are drawing their own graphic organizers, instead of using the ones provided)
Further Recommendations:
If a computer or internet connection is not available, then the cell diagram on the student worksheets can be copied onto a transparency, and the teacher can use
transparency markers to highlight each organelle. The textbook can be used to locate information about the organelles or a printed paragraph about each organelle
can be provided.
Pacing:
The teaching/teacher guided phase will take about 60-80 minutes.
The independent practice will take 15-30 minutes.
The closure activity will take about 25 minutes.
If the extension activity is done, the timing can be very flexible. Plan for about 20 minutes total. To keep the extension short and simple, give student groups 5
minutes to come up with how they will act out an organelle, or the teacher may choose to make it more elaborate requiring a diagram summarizing what is going
on in their skit or requiring that the students use some sort of visual (or physical props) in the skit.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Note: Not all organelles are required at the sixth grade level for this standard.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Gillian Justice
Name of Author/Source: Gillian Justice
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Broward
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
SC.6.L.14.4:
Description
Compare and contrast the structure and function of major organelles of plant and animal cells, including cell wall, cell
membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and vacuoles.
Remarks/Examples:
Florida Standards Connections: MAFS.K12.MP.7: Look for and make use of structure.
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