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Units of Practice

Structure and Function of Cells

Unit Details


Subject: Science
Learning Level: Middle School
Author(s): Michelle Gex, Betty Howell, Lisa Rizzuto O'Keefe
Submitted by:

Abstract

This unit is designed to introduce students to the concept that structure and function are fundamentally linked, even at a cellular level. The students begin by aquiring a basic understanding of what the structure and fuction of key organelles are. They then relate those functions to everyday things to gain a better understanding of their importance to the cell's existance. The class then explores how a change in structure would affect the cell's function. For the students' summative assessment, they prepare wet mounts of both Elodea leaves and epithelial cheek cells. An illustrated journal entry is created that compares and contrasts the two types of tissues.

*There is a bit of a conflict between the national and state standards and our local standards. The national and state standards stress structure vs. function, whereas our local standards force us to focus on the differences between plant and animal cells. We have tried to satisfy all of the standards with these lessons.

Invitation/Fundamental Understandings:
Essential Questions:
Knowledge and skills:

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
"Structure" is how something is built. "Function" is how something works. How something is built affects how it works. Likewise, how something works affects how it is built. This is true with all living things.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
- How would the function of a cell change if the structure was altered?
- What would happen to the structure of a cell if it began to function differently?
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
The events leading up to the discovery of cells and the history of the invention of the microscope are worth being familiar with. The components of the Cell Theory and the proper use of the microscope are important to know and do. The fact that the structure and function of living things is forever linked is an enduring understanding.

Standards

National Standards

CONTENT STANDARD C: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION:

Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. Important levels of organization for structure and function include cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, whole organisms and ecosystems.

Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life. They grow and divide, thereby producing more cells. This requires that they take in nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the materials that a cell or an organism needs.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS --
Social, ethical and human issues:
Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits and productivity.

Technology productivity tools:
Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity and promote creativity.
Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications and producing other creative works.

INFORMATION LITERACY STANDARDS:
The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

State Standards

CONTENT STANDARD 6.0 -- STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION: Students understand that all life forms, at all levels of an organism, use specialized structures and similar processes to meet life's needs. 6.5.2 -- STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION: Investigate, compare and contrast the different structures of organisms that serve different functions for growth, reproduction and survival. 6.8.3 -- STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION: Investigate and describe how cells grow, divide and take in nutrients, which they use to provide energy for cellular function. 6.8.5 -- STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION: Investigate and describe how plants have specialized structures and systems for a variety of functions.

Workforce Competencies:

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKERS (3.4) Students use creative thinking skills to generate new ideas, make the best decisions, recognize and solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong learning. COOPERATIVE WORKERS (3.8) Students work cooperatively to successfully complete a project or activity.   EFFECTIVE LEADERS (3.9) Students establish credibility with their colleagues through competence and integrity, and help their peers achieve their goals by communicating their feelings and ideas to justify or successfully negotiate a position, which advances goal attainment.


Unit of Practice

Relevance:

Cells are the basic unit of all living things, therefore the study of cells is an integral part of the biological sciences. Furthermore, the study of cells allows the student entry into the microscopic world.

Context

Prior to beginning this unit, students should be familiar with the following concepts:    - two-column note taking    - microscope use and care    - components of the Cell Theory    - rules of scientific naming (binomial nomenclature)    - proper use of spelling and grammar - use of a drawing or paint program Each student can spend an undetermined time on completing each activity, however, they must work on the unit's activities in the following order:    - Two-Column Notes on Cell Organelles    - The Home as a Cell Activity    - "What if?" Jigsaw Activity    - Journal Entry (summative assessment)

Assessment

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Continual observation and questioning throughout the unit will provide some means of assessment. As each student successfully completes an activity, they are encouraged to move on to the next activity. How much time each student spends on each activity is flexible, but the order of the activities is not. The mastery of each activity provides both the teacher and the student with an opportunity to assess their current progress. Daily learning logs also allow the teacher to determine the level of the students' understanding. All of the activities within this unit will be assessed, and some will be given a grade.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Summative assessment will take the form of a journal entry that the students prepare after completing a laboratory exercise. In this exercise, the students will prepare wet mounts of both Elodea leaves and epithelial cheek cells. The students will make drawings of these cells (which are to be included in their journal entry) as well as writing an entry that compares and contrasts the structure and function of plant and animal cells.

Components:

In the first activity, students take notes (using the two-column notetaking format) on the essential cell organelles. The illustrated notes focus on the structure and function of these organelles. The notes are presented using a Power Point presentation (attached). The organelles discussed are: cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, vacuole, lysosome, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, cell wall and chloroplast. The second activity involves both whole class instruction and individual practice. The teachers and the class decide together on a series of items within a school that correlated with the organelles of a cell (the main office is the control center of the school; the nucleus is the control center of the school). When the class as a whole has agreed on an item to represent each of the cell organelles, they begin their independent practice. The students repeat the activity, this time comparing a cell to their home environment. The third lesson is a jigsaw activity. Students in the Home Group are presented with scenarios where the structure of a particular organelle has been changed. As a group, they need to decide how this changes the cells function. Upon determining that, they need to create a visual aid to help them present their resulting decisions. Students are then re-grouped and present their ideas to the members of their Learning Group, ensuring that all students become familiar with all of the scenarios. In the summative assessments, students create wet mounts of Elodea leaves and epithelial cells. Students create a journal entry that compares and contrasts the two specimens, discusses the effect of those differences on the structure and function of the cell and includes properly captioned drawings of both the plant and animal tissues.


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