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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.
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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.
Additional Resources
Main
URL:
Related Resources
Related Lessons
Copyright © 1997-2003
Career Connection to Teaching with Technology
USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Marshall Ransom, Project Manager
All rights reserved.
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