Lesson Plan : Cell Organelle WebQuest
Teacher Name: | Mr. Schaper |
Grade: | Grade 9-10 |
Subject: | Science |
Topic: | Introduction to cells |
Content: | CONTENT STANDARD A: SCIENCE AS INQUIRY As a result of activities, all students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understandings about scientific inquiry. CONTENT STANDARD E: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding about science and technology. CONTENT STANDARD G: HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of science as a human endeaver, nature of scientific knowledge and historical perspectives. NEW YORK STATE MATH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS MST 1: ANALYSIS, INQUIRY AND DESIGN KEY IDEA 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop scientific explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR: Students question the explanations they hear from othersand read about, seeking clarification and comparing them with their won observations and understandings. MST 2: INFORMATION SYSTEMS KEY IDEA 1: Information technology is used to retrieve, process and communicate information and as a tool to enhance learning. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR: Students access the needed information from printed media, electronic data bases and community resources. KEY IDEA 2: Knowledge of the impacts and limitations of information systems is essential to its effective and ethical use. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR: Students demonstrate the ability to evaluate information. MST 4: SIMILARITY AND DIVERSITY AMONG LIVING THINGS KEY IDEA 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR: Students describe and explain the structures and functions of the human body at different organizational levels. |
Goals: | The goals of this ninth-grade Biology lesson are for the students to understand plant and animal cells and to acquire technology skills to complete an assigned task. |
Objectives: | Given a computer, Internet access, and a list of websites, students will research and answer questions about plant and animal cells. Given poster board, markers, and colored pencils, students will make a poster of either a plant or animal cell. Given access to a computer with PowerPoint, students will create 1-2 slides about an assigned cellular organelle. |
Materials: | computer with PowerPoint, Internet access, cell question sheet containing websites, poster board, markers, and colored pencils. |
Introduction: | The lesson will start by having the class complete a brainstorming activity. Ask the class to think of many different words that contain the word cell and record the student responses on the chalkboard. Examples of student responses may include jail cell, terror cell, fuel cell, cell battery, and cellular phone. Then ask the students to come up with a definition of the word cell from thinking about the meanings of the words that contain the word cell. |
Development: | The instructional strategies used are guided practice and cooperative learning. Explain to the students that they will be learning about cells. Provide background information about cells by discussing the Cell theory. (CELL THEORY STATES THAT ALL LIVING THINGS ARE MADE UP OF CELLS, CELLS ARE THE BASIC UNIT OF LIFE, AND ALL CELLS COME FROM PREEXISTING CELLS). During this part of the lesson, students will learn the basic characteristics of plant and animal cells using the computer. Students will be provided questions about plant and animal cells, and a list of websites to explore to find answers to the questions. QUESTIONS 1. What are the two types of cells and identify their major characteristics? 2. What are the shapes of a plant and animal cells? 3. What cellular organelles are found inside plant and animal cell and what do they look like? 4. What are the functions of all of the cellular organelles inside plant and animal cells? 5. How are plant and animal cells different? Cell Websites http://www.cellsalive.com/index.htm http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_main.html http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/index.htm http://www.winterwren.com/apbio/cellorganelles/cells.html http://vilenski.org/science/safari/menu/index.html http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/miramesa/Organelles/animal.html |
Practice: | The next activity is for the students to make posters of a cell. Half the class will make an animal cell, and the other half will make a plant cell. Students will use poster board, markers, and colored pencils to draw, color and label their diagrams. The posters must include all of the cellular organelles for the assigned cell. Upon completion, each student will present their poster to the class. The posters will be displayed around the classroom after everyone has presented their cellular artwork. During this activity the teacher will circulate to assist and evaluate the progress of the students. |
Accommodations: | For challenged learners: Students can complete the assignments in groups. This will help students that have special needs participate and complete the assigned task. Students can present their posters as a group. This will take some anxiety away from student that fear speaking in front of others. Students with motor control problems may be provided with a cell that is already drawn and labeled. These students would only have to color in the cell. For advanced learners: Those who finish the project quickly can be asked to create more PowerPoint slides. They may be able to create an entire presentation consisting of many cell organelles. Students who show early mastery can also be asked to create a plant and animal cell comparison using technological resources. |
Checking For Understanding: | Teacher circulates around the room to assist and evaluate students during the lesson, informal assessment. The questions about cellular organelles, the cell poster, and PowerPoint slides are graded according to the rubric. |
Closure: | Discuss the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. Students are asked to identify the differences between plant and animal cells (PLANTS HAVE CHLOROPLASTS AND A CELLWALL AND ANIMALS HAVE CENTRIOLOES). |
Evaluation: | Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate how well students conducted research, created and presented posters, and created their PowerPoint slides. 0-NOT MET: lacked research skills did no create poster did not present display did not make PowerPoint slides 1-PARTIALLY MET: showed weak research skills did not complete poster gave a brief report with some ereors to the class lacked technology skills in PowerPoint slides 2-MET: showed on-grade research skills adequately created poster developed competent ways to present poster displayed adequate amount of technology skills in PowerPoint slides 3-EXCEEDS: showed strong research skills developed creative and innovative ways to complete poster gave detailed and interesting presentation to class used many different technology skills in PowerPoint slides |
Teacher Reflections: | Were there too few websites to complete task or were there too many websites? Make adjustments in websites as needed. Did the students have difficulty with the content of the websites or were the websites to simplistic? It is important to have the content at the instructional reading level during class, because I am available to assist them with reading comprehension. Assess the overall project. Was the project motivating and engaging enough for the students? If it was not, try to find activities that will engage students more. |
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