Download Cell Unit Plan

CELLS ~ UNIT PLAN
Stage 1: Desired Results
Established Goals:
Vermont Standard 7.13: Students understand the characteristics of organisms, see the patterns of
similarity and differences among living organisms, understand the role of evolution, and recognize the
interdependence of all systems that support life.
Understandings:
Essential Questions:
Cells are the basic units of all living things, and
1. What are the parts of a cell? How do plant and
cells carry out the processes required for survival. animal cells differ? How do the different structures
of cells carry out survival functions?
2. How does the sun supply living things with the
energy they need?
3. What happens during the processes of
photosynthesis and cellular respiration?
Students will know:
Students will be able to:
GE 30:
GE 30:
 Cells contain structures that carry out
 Conduct experiments that investigate how
survival functions.
different concentrations of materials (inside
vs. outside of a cell) will cause water to
 Plant cells have a cell wall in addition to a
flow into or out of cells.
cell membrane. The cell wall provides
structural support for the cell. The cell
 Examine cells under a microscope and
membrane regulates the movement of
identify cell wall, chloroplasts, and compare
materials into and out of a cell.
the function of a common cell structure
such as a membrane in all cells with the
 Most plant cells contain chloroplasts where
functions of a unique structure such as
green pigment traps energy from sunlight
chloroplasts in plant cells.
and transforms it into chemical energy.
 Some materials can pass into and out of
cells as concentrations move toward
equilibrium (diffusion).
GE 33:
GE 33:
 Recognize that energy from the sun is
 Plant cells take in CO2 and H2O and use the
transferred and utilized in plant and animal
energy from sunlight to chemically change
cells through chemical changes and then
them to food (sugar) and O2.
transferred into other forms such as heat
 All cells chemically change sugar (food)
(e.g. using a word equation)
and O2 into the energy needed to survive.
 Energy is used by all cells to carry out
functions for survival and some energy is
transferred to the environment as heat.
Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Other Evidence:
 Quiz on cell structure, microscope work,
 Pre-assessments: Is it made of cells? Exit
and passive/active transport
Cards on what do you know?
 Final Assessment: Unit Test
 Check-in questions using choosing sticks
on cell shape and structures
 Creating a Cell model lab
 Organelle vocabulary unscramble
 Microscope Mania conclusions
 Wrap-up: Check-in questions on differences
between plant and animal cells
 White board check-in on organelles
 Questions in text on pg 37: 2b and 3a on
passive/active transport
 Two truths and a lie on passive/active
transport
 Conclusions on the Moneywort Mystery
 Conclusions on photosynthesis graphs
 Photosynthesis/Respiration vocabulary
unscramble
 Yeast lab conclusions
 RAFT on respiration
 Egg-speriment conclusions
 Partner review of photosynthesis/respiration
 Exit cards on respiration and cell transport
 Notebook test
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
1. Creating a Cell Model: Students will construct a model of a cell using a Ziploc bag and several
materials of their choice. Students will then explain why they used the materials that they used to
represent the cell parts. There will also be a section for homework stating the functions of each of the
parts in the model.
2. Microscope Mania: Students will observe several materials such as fabrics, cartoons and nylon as a
means to review microscope use. Students will then observe lettuce, celery and cheek cells to identify
the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, and chloroplast. Students will make scientific
drawings of each of these materials, and label what they see.
3. Egg-speriment: Students will investigate how different concentrations of materials will cause water
to flow into or out of a cell. In this activity, students will use an egg as a model of a cell. The egg will
be placed in a variety of liquids such as vinegar, water, salt water and corn syrup. Students will track
the movement of water into or out of the cell by measuring the mass of the egg, the circumference of
the egg, and by making observations. Students will be asked to explain the changes that occurred in the
eggs as a result of the movement of water into and out of the cell.
4. The Great Moneywort Mystery: Students will investigate photosynthesis in this lab activity. Each
group will have three test tubes. One test tube will have Moneywort (an aquatic plant) and
Bromothymol solution. One test tube will have Moneywort and Bromothymol and will be covered with
aluminum foil. The control test tube will have only Bromothymol solution. The test tubes will be in
sunlight for one day. Students will investigate what happens in each of the test tubes and make
conclusions about their data.
5. Graphing Photosynthesis: During this activity, students will to make graphs of bean growth under
differing light intensity. After making the graphs, students will answer questions about the data based
on their knowledge of photosynthesis.
6. Yeast Lab: Students will observe how organisms use sugar to create energy through the process of
respiration. Students will watch a demonstration of a soda bottle with water, sugar and yeast. The bottle
will have a balloon on it to record CO2 production. Students will answer questions about the
demonstration with a partner.
7. Human Models of Photosynthesis/Respiration: Students will demonstrate what happens during both
photosynthesis and respiration by creating a human equation in the front of the class. Each student in
the equation will represent a key ingredient or product in those equations. After this demonstration,
students will be challenged to remember what happens in each of the processes. Students will then
work with a partner to discuss what they know.
Appendix I: Summary of Adult Content Knowledge
Cells have two primary functions: to provide a framework that supports the complex chemical reactions
required to sustain life, and produce exact copies of them so that the organism of which they are a part
can go on living even after those cells die.
Appendix II: Summary of Research on Student Learning (Common Misconceptions)
 Research conducted by Arnold (1983) indicated that students have difficulty differentiating
between the concepts of “cell” and “molecule”. There is a tendency to over-apply the idea that
cells are smaller components of living things. Students identified any materials encounters in
biology class (carbohydrates, proteins, and water) as being made of smaller parts called cells.
 Many students think that only certain parts of the human body and other living things are made
up of cells (Driver et al 1994).
 Dreyfus and Jungworth (1988, 1989) reported that students might confuse orders of magnitude
with levels of organization in living systems. Responses from several 16 year old Israeli
students show that they think that biomolecules, such as proteins, are bigger than the size of
cells and that single-celled organisms contain replicas of organs like intestines and lungs.
 Students may have the notion that organisms “contain” cells as opposed to being “made up of”
cells (Driver et al 1994).
 Some students may think that different types of cells within an organism contain different
genetic material (Driver et al 1994).
 Some students may think that soil provides plants with food. However, plants do not take in
food; they produce all of their food through photosynthesis. From soil, plants obtain water and
minerals, which are needed for growth and development (Driver et al 1994).