Download study methods for tactile learners

Strategies for Studying for the Cell Unit for
Tactile (Hands-on) Learners
Cell Theory
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Create your own flash cards that has a picture or name of the scientist
on one side and what they did or contributed on the other side. Quiz
yourself repeatedly by flipping the flashcards back and forth...
Cell Structures & Functions
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Create a simple model of the animal cell and another one for the plant cell made
out of plasticine or playdoh or other modelling material. Make labels and stick
them on toothpicks. Test your knowledge of the names and shapes of the cellular
organelles by repeatedly placing the label toothpicks in the correct organelle.
Make a second set of toothpick labels, but this time put a definition describing
what each organelle does for the cell. Study by repeatedly placing the correct
descriptions in the proper organelles.
Create a model of a plant and an animal cell using felt. Put tape or velcro on the back
of each of the organelles. Make felt labels and descriptions. Repeatedly place the
organelles into the correct cells in the proper location and/or cell outline (take note
of which organelles are common between the two cell types and which are only in
one type).
Print out pictures of cellular organelles, labels of the names and the functions. Attach
these pictures and labels on magnets. Draw an outline of the plant and animal cell on a
large sheet of paper. Place these on a fridge, washer, drier or cookie sheet using a
magnet. Add the correct organelles, labels and descriptions on the outlines. Do this
over and over again until you can do so without mistake.
Another way to test your knowledge of which organelles are only found in one cell
type, use a spinner from an old board game or create a large paper cube (templates
can be found on the Internet). Place the word "plant cell" and animal cell on 2
different pieces of paper. Tape each of these pages onto opposite walls in your room
or any other room. Stand in the middle of the room with a soft spongy ball or tennis
ball or bean bag. Roll your word cube or spin your spinner (that has cell structure
labels positioned around the spinner wheel). Whatever label is indicated, through the
ball at the wall of the cell type that contains that type of organelle. Do this over and
over again as quickly as possible until your accuracy is correct and your speed
increases and you feel confident about your understanding of the cellular
differences.
Coined the term
"Cell" by looking at
cork under a
microscope. Wrote
Micrographia...
Cell Membrane: Structures & Functions
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Create a simple model of plasma cell membrane using
pipe cleaners or other materials (Q-tips, dry pasta
shapes, straws, yarn, etc. Make labels and function
cards using post-it notes.
Osmosis and Diffusion
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Get a small cardboard box (shoe box, etc.) and create a plasticine ring in the middle (or use a pipe cleaner). Get
a bag or popcorn kernels or beans. These will represent "solute" molecules. Make 3 labels: hypertonic,
hypotonic & isotonic. Sprinkle the beans or kernels in the box. Add more outside the ring than inside. Place the
labels in the box: hypertonic outside the ring (representing the solution) and the hypotonic label inside the ring
(representing a cell). Create a few arrows by bending pipe cleaners into the shape of an arrow. Place the arrows
with the pointer indicating the direction of flow of the water. In this case, the arrows point out of the cell. The
arrows will ALWAYS point toward the hypertonic location. Dump out the beans or kernels out of the box and
then re-sprinkle the beans into the box. If the "concentration" of beans inside the ring and outside the ring
seem "the same", then place the label "isotonic". Then add arrows so that for every arrow pointing into the cell
another arrow points out of the ring. This represents "dynamic equilibrium" (when the water flows out of the
cell at the same rate that it enters the cell).
Write definitions of diffusion, osmosis, hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic on one side of an index card or slip of
paper and the name on the other side. Test yourself repeatedly by flipping over cards.
Write the terms and definitions on small squares of paper. Randomly place the
cards upside down on a table. Turn over 2 cards, if they are matches place them
off to the side. If they are not matches, turn them back over and turn two more
over. Keep doing this until you have made all the matches. This is like a modified
game of "Memory". Keep playing until you feel confident in your ability to
properly match the terms. (This can be used for the cell theory people, the
cellular structures and plasma cell membrane structures, too).
Cellular Respiration
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Create 4 sets of flash cards of all the names of the reactants and products of all the
steps of cellular respiration. Write the words "Reactants" and "Products" on
separate pieces of paper. Do this 4 times. Place one set of cards and a reactant
page and a product page on each of the 4 different tables or locations in a room.
Place the label "Glycolysis" on one table, the transition step on a second, the Kreb
cycle on a 3rd table and "the electron transport chain" on a forth. Add a shoe lace
or string or line of tape, etc. on the 4th table (this represents the inner wall of the
mitochondrial cristae). Start at the first table and write or say "cytoplasm", then
select the reactants and products that are needed or involved in
glycoysis. Move on to the next table (Transition step), select the
reactants and products involved in this step and place them on the
pieces of paper. Move through the Krebs Cycle table (call it
Mitochonrial Matrix) and place the appropriate cards on the reactant
and product pages. Finish up by simulating the movement of hydrogen
ions across the cristae and the role of oxygen in this step. Place the
reactants and products on the appropriate pages. When done walk
through the process again touching each substance involved in each
step to review. Reset the cards and repeat the process until you feel
confident in all the steps of the process.