Lesson Plan

ACTIONS

Goals

Students will develop an understanding of how cellular organelles work, how their form follows their function, and the similarities between cells and organisms.

They will demonstrate this understanding by constructing a metaphor of the cell.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

demonstrate understanding of form and function by drawing or describing ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, vacuole, lysosome, and endoplasmic reticulum.
use their knowledge to develop a metaphor for the cell.

Connections

My goals relate to the Kentucky Learner Goals in the following ways:

2.4: Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other characteristics that might be observed. We will examine cells by using our understanding of the cellular organelles to describe and predict cellular function. Students will also deepen their understanding of the important biological concepts of the form/function relationship and emergent properties.
6.3: Students expand their understanding of existing knowledge by making connections with new knowledge, skills, and experiences. Students will have already heard of cells, but often do not know exactly what they are. By comparing cells to the human body, students will

This lesson directly addresses the following items from the Kentucky Core Content for Science Assessment, Grades 8-11. This standard is closely related to the National Content Standards.

SC-H-3.1.1 Structures in cells have specific functions. We will be talking about the structure and function of the cellular organelles.
SC-H-3.1.4 Cell functions are regulated. This concept is introduced in the nuclear material, and we will continue to explore this idea as we trace the path of proteins through the cellular organelles.

Context

This lesson continues our discussion of cells. Students will have already studied proteins and will have been introduced to the concepts of form following function and emergent properties. Understanding the cellular organelles is fundamental for students to comprehend cell structure and function.

This lesson also incorporates multicultural connections. I hope to convey our common humanity through an understanding of our biology.

Student Assessment

I will conduct an informal formative assessment as students work in groups on their metaphor projects. I will circulate around the room and make sure they understand the assignment and are implementing it correctly. Part of the students’ final grades will be their group participation. Students will also be asked to draw or describe three of the organelles we have learned about as an end-of-class activity.

As a summative assessment, students will be asked to work in groups of four to develop their own metaphor for a cell, similar to our class discussion of cells as the human body. Each group will design a poster or other visual representation of their metaphor and present it to the class.

Materials, Technology, & Resources

For homework the night before, the students will have read in their textbook the 2-3 pp about the organelles—this will aid students in participating in class discussions.

I will need to reserve the computer lab so students can access the online “Virtual Cell Tour”. Below is the link to a worksheet about this activity.

Procedures

v Opening Activity (10 minutes)

Ø Ask students what things does the human body need to do to survive? (Eat and digest food, move, eliminate waste, reproduce, etc.) What organ does that in the human body? Try to get every student to answer. Write answers on board or overhead. (5 minutes) This will segue into talking about how cells have to do all the same things, they do them through the organelles, which are similar to the organs of the human body. There are many different types of cells with many different functions (use examples from organs listed on board—liver cell, muscle cell, blood cell, etc). Give examples of what organs do on a cellular level. Relate this to emergent properties of cells-tissues-organs-organisms.

v Brief lecture (20 minutes)

Ø Quickly go over the functions of the organelles. Students will revisit this in the online activity “Virtual Cell Tour”.

v Go to computer lab for online activity. (30 minutes).

Ø Students will do the “Virtual Cell Tour”. http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/index.htm

Ø Students should complete this worksheet. http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/Worksheet2.htm

v Explain metaphor project and divide class into groups of four. Give students class time to work on their projects (due in two class periods). (20 minutes)

v End-of-class activity. (10 minutes)

Ø Ask students to draw and label or write a short paragraph (2-3 sentences) describing three of the organelles they learned about today.

Impact

Prepared after the lesson and post-observation conference

Refinement

Prepared after the lesson and post-observation conference

Randi Stearman	November 10, 2005	1-90 minute period
Central High School	17-18 year-old Seniors	25 students
Biology	Cellular Organelles	0 IEPs