Cells

Developed by Stacey Reed at Wayland Middle School

Standards covered:  

• Develop and use a model to describe the ways parts of cells contribute to key cellular functions of obtaining nutrients and water from its environment, disposing of waste, and producing energy: a. the nucleus contains genetic information (DNA) which regulates a cell's activities; b. chloroplasts are the site of photosynthesis which produces necessary glucose and oxygen; c. mitochondria facilitate cellular respiration (energy production); d. vacuoles store materials, including water, nutrients, and waste; e. the cell membrane is a protective barrier that enables nutrients to enter the cell and wastes to be expelled; and f. the cell wall provides structural support to some kinds of cells [MS-LS1-2].

We introduced the unit using standards-based learning, including a standard tracker for each student: 

Student Sample

Lesson 1 was on cell size and measurements of very small things. The assessment was a card-sorting activity based on measurements and ordering known objects from smallest to largest. 

Size Line Activity:

Video:

Size Line Practice Website:

 

Size Line Textbook HW (From Prentice Hall "Life Science" textbook; ISSBN: 0-13-201243-X)

Standard 1 Card Sort Assessment:

Lesson 2 was about cell theory. The assessment was a timeline based on the history of cell theory.

Video:

Cell Theory Textbook HW (From Prentice Hall "Life Science" textbook; ISSBN: 0-13-201243-X)

 Timeline assignment:

Timeline generating website (ReadWriteThink):

Student Timelines:

Lesson 3 was about osmosis, diffusion, and the plasma membrane. We did a lab with gummy bears and the assessment was a differentiated lab report.

Transport within Cell Membrane Textbook Assignment (From Prentice Hall "Life Science" textbook; ISSBN: 0-13-201243-X):

Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab:

Lab Report:

Student Writing Samples

BrainPop Video:

Lesson 4  was about chloroplasts and photosynthesis and introduced the CellCraft game and logbook to the class.

Chloroplast Video:

Chloroplast Practice HW:

Cell Craft:

Lesson 5  was about mitochondria and cellular respiration. There was a card-sorting assessment after this lesson about photosynthesis and respiration.

Mitochondria video:

Mitochondria Practice HW:

Card Sort Assessment for Standard 4:

Lesson 6  was on storage and movement in the cell and covered the endoplasmic reticulum, golgi bodies, vacuoles, and vesicles.

Storage and Movement Practice HW:

Storage Assessment (students draw vacuoles on plant and animal; used page protectors and expo markers):

Protein movement assessment (students used cards to tell the story of protein movement in the cell):

Lesson 7 was on the nucleus, ribosomes, DNA, and RNA.

Nucleus video:

Protein Synthesis Video:

DNA/RNA Practice HW:

DNA/RNA Card Sort Assessment (students put cards in order and told the story of how proteins are made):

Lesson 8  was about mitosis. We used the school's iPads to explore the mitosis app and then fill in the screen shot captions for the app. As an assessment, they will do a card sorting activity showing the sequence of mitosis.

Screenshot Slideshow:

Mitosis Practice HW:

Mitosis Card Sort Assessment (students put cards in order to show the cell cycle):

Lesson 9 was on mammal cell types.

Red Blood Cell Video:

White Blood Cell Video:

Fertilization Video:

Animal Cell Types Practice  HW:

Animal Cell Types Card Matching Assessment (cards have velcro to attach to poster):

Cell Review Flipper: 

Cell Writing Prompts: 

Student Writing Samples