Download Comparing and Contrasting Plant and Animal Cells

Comparing and Contrasting Plant and Animal Cells Lesson Plan
Grade Level & Subject Area: ____5th grade___Science__
Standards/Framework:
AR Science Framework: LS.2.5.5 Compare and contrast plant and animal cells
Theme/Series of Lessons:
This is part of the unit on cells. This will be taught after students have been introduced
to both animal and plant cells and their parts.
Time (is this a 1 day 50 minute lesson, 5 day 1 hour lesson, once a week over a
month lesson….):
1 day 50 minute lesson
What do the students already know?:
The students can identify and model the different parts of both plant and animal cells.
Objective:
The students will be able to identify similarities and differences between plant and
animal cells.
Materials:
1. Play-dough models of plant and animal cells from previous lessons in the cell unit
2. Inspiration Compare and Contrast Template
Procedure:
The teacher should begin by reviewing the parts of plant and animal cells. After review,
the teacher will pull up the Comparing and Contrasting Plant and Animal Cells
Inspiration template (see Figure 1 at the end of lesson plan). The teacher can either
complete the document with the class or divide the class into small groups and have
each group complete a paper version of the document.
Assessment (How will the students’ show you that the objective has been met):
Each student should contribute to the building of the Inspiration compare and contrast
document. The assessment for this lesson will be based on participation.
A Brief Description of the Entire Lesson:
The teacher should review the parts of both plant and animal cells using the play-dough
models the class made in previous lessons of the cell unit. Students should be called
upon to identify a particular part of a cell and tell whether that part is in animal cells,
plant cells, or both (ex: “Mitchell, which type of cell has a cell wall: plant, animal, or
both? Can you point it out on the models?”). After reviewing animal and plant cells, the
teacher should open up and project the Inspiration compare and contrast document for
the entire class to see. The teacher can call on individual students to give one similarity
or one difference between plant and animal cells. As the students respond, the teacher
will type the information into the appropriate space on the Inspiration document until the
document is complete. If the teacher would rather use the Inspiration document in small
groups, copies can be printed off and the students divided into groups of 3 or 4 to
complete the compare and contrast sheet. If the sheet is completed in groups,
assessment should account for both participation and accuracy.
Figure 1 This is the Comparing and Contrasting Plant and Animal Cells Inspiration document.