BIOLOGY PERIOD 3 10.

20

GETTING YOURSELF READY

Materials:
Powerpoint
Guided Notes

Your Preparation:
Homework Written on Board
Objective Posted
Guided Notes
Powerpoint
GETTING YOUR STUDENTS READY

Agenda with times: 10:09-10:59

*Do Now: Everyone take 3 minutes to answer the following: 1. What is your favorite carbohydrate? 2. Think about what you ate fo
dinner last night. Classify the items as carbs, proteins, or fats.
Objective: Today you will be able to identify the difference
between polar and nonpolar molecules.
SWBAT identify the form and function of carbohydrates and lipids

Proving Behavior: By explaining the difference between po

and nonpolar molecules.
Recognizing the form of carbohydrates and lipids.
Explaining the function of carbohydrates and lipids.

Tues:
SWBAT identify the form and function of proteins and nucleic
acids
Purpose: We are doing this becausemacromolecules are the basis for our bodies
TEACHING (may be less or more than six steps)
Step 1
Polarity

Say: How many of you have ever played tug of war with an older sibling? What happened? Your older sibling
probably pulled harder on the rope, right? Well, the same thing happens with electrons in covalent bonds. Wha
the difference between ionic and covalent bonds? In ionic bonds the electrons are transferred from the giver to
the taker. In covalent bonds, the atoms share the electrons. Sometimes the atoms do not share the electrons
equally. Why do you think this may be? Usually one atom will have a slightly stronger pull on the electron. This
occurs because one atom has a slightly stronger nucleus The atom that pulls the electron closer will be slightly
negative. Why? Lets look at water. What is the chemical formula of water? H2O. Which atom do you think pulls
the electrons closer? The oxygen atoms pull the electrons slightly closer and become slightly negative. What do
you think will happen to the hydrogen atoms? The hydrogen atoms will become slightly positive. Lets talk wha
means to be polar versus nonpolar. Polar molecules are hydrophilic. Lets break down this word. What does hyd
mean? Hydro is the prefix for water. Philic is a tough one, but philic means liking. Polar molecules are hydrophil
which means they like water because water is also polar. When put into water, hydrophilic molecules are solubl
which means they will break down. To help you remember, you can recall that likes attract. Polar molecules like
water because it is also polar. Nonpolar molecules are hydrophobic. We have hydro, who can remind us what
hydro means? Hydro refers to water. What about phobic? Where have you heard that word before? Phobia is a
fear. Hydrophobic molecules are afraid of water. They do not like water. They are insoluble in water, which mea
they will not break down in water. Lets look at two examples of molecules. Here we have HF. This is a polar
molecule. Which molecule do you think will be slightly positive? Which one do you think will be slightly negative

What about O2. Do you think this molecule is polar? Why not?
See: Powerpoint; Physical demonstration of unequal pulling
Do: Take 2 minutes to explain to your partner the difference between polar and nonpolar molecules. Why do so
atoms pull the electron closer?

Step 2
Organic
Compounds
Step 3:
Carbohydrates

Say: We are going to now start talking about organic compounds. What does organic mean? Organic compound
are compounds that make up life. They must contain carbon. In this unit we are going to talk about 4 kinds of
organic compounds: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
See: Powerpoint (with images of the organic molecules)
Do: Everyone take two minutes to write down the four kinds of organic compounds and one example of each.
Say: The first organic compound we will discuss is carbohydrates. What do you know about them? What is an
example of carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are sugars. They are made of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. These
elements can be found in a 1:2:1 ratio. For example, lets look at glucose. The chemical formula of glucose is
C6H12O6. Note the ratio. The building blocks of carbohydrates are called monosaccharides. Lets break down t
word. What does mono mean? If you ever forget, mono means 1. Saccharide means sugar. Examples of
monosaccharides include glucose and fructose. Where have we heard of glucose before? Photosynthesis! When
two monosaccharides bond, they form a disaccharide. The process of these two molecules forming is called
dehydration synthesis. Lets break down this word. What does dehydration mean? Water is coming out. Synthes
is the formation of molecules. So, dehydration synthesis is the process of two monosaccharides bonding togeth
and water is being released in the process. Examples of disaccharides include sucrose, which is table sugar and
lactose. How many of you have heard of lactose before? Are any of you lactose intolerant? Lactose is the sugar
found in milk and dairy products. The opposite of dehydration synthesis is hydrolysis. Think back to when we
talked about polar vs. nonpolar molecules. What does hydro mean? What do you think the word lysis means?
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction that splits molecules by adding water. Instead of taking water out like in
dehydration synthesis, you are putting it back in and that splits the bond. For example, if we have sucrose, or
table sugar, and add water, the bonds will break and we will have glucose and fructose. When many
monosaccharides bond together, they form polysaccharides. Lets talk about this word. What does poly mean?
Poly is a lot. Polysaccharides are a lot of sugars bound together. Examples include starch, glycogen and cellulos
How many of you heard of starch? Starch is energy stored in plants. We find starch in potatoes and wheat. How
many of you have heard of glycogen? Glycogen stores energy in humans. Cellulose forms the cell wall in plants
Humans cannot digest cellulose, which is why sometimes if you eat too many vegetables you get a stomachach
The function of carbohydrates is to give the organism energy. There is a lot of energy stored in the bonds betwe
carbon and hydrogen, so when we break down glucose, or other sugars, energy is released. In what kinds of fo
do you think we can find carbohydrates? Fruits, vegetables and grains.
See: Powerpoint and Video
Do: Everyone take 2 minutes to circle the H2O that comes out in dehydration synthesis and fill out the chart on
the right.

Step 4
Lipids

Step 5
Proteins

Say: The second type of organic compound we will discuss is the lipid. What do you know about lipids? Can
anyone give us an example of a lipid? Lipids are fats. They are made of three fatty acids and one glycero l. Lipid
are Nonpolar, which means that are NOT soluble in water. What is the term we used to describe nonpolar
molecules? Does anyone remember? Lipids are hydrophobic. They do not like water. Some examples of lipids
include fats, phospholipids, steroids and waxe s. We will talk about the examples in a second, but first I want to
introduce the two different types of fatty acids. Does anyone know what they are called? We have saturated an
unsaturated fatty acids. Does anyone know what the difference is? Which one is better for you? Unsaturated fa
are actually better for us. If we look at the saturated fatty acid, you will see that every carbon is bound to two
hydrogens (except for the first and last). The bonds are saturated. The saturated fatty acid takes every
opportunity to bind with a carbon. Examples of saturated fats include animal fats. They are usually found as a
solid at room temperature. The unsaturated fatty acid looks different. Look at the picture. What do you notice?
How does it look different? The unsaturated fatty acid has at least one carbon double bonded to another carbon
Thus, not all of the bonds are tied up to hydrogen. Examples of unsaturated fatty acids include plant oils. They
usually liquid at room temperature. Who knows what the function of lipids is? The function is to store energy.
Lipids are a little different from carbohydrates because they are the energy reserves. Carbohydrates provide
energy that are generally used immediately, whereas lipids provide energy that will get stored up. Think about
bears that hibernate. They try to put on as much fat as possible in the winter to keep themselves warm. I want
go back to the examples of lipids. These include fats, phospholipids, steroids and waxes. Who has heard the ter
phospholipid before? Do you remember where you heard it? Phospholipids are found in the cell membrane.
Steroids, like cholesterol, are also lipids. How many of you have heard of cholesterol? Do you know what it does
Cholesterol does not dissolve in water, or blood, so it can clog your arteries and is often implicated in heart
attacks. The last example is waxes. Have you ever touched a leaf and it felt waxy? Or have you ever seen wate
droplets sit on leaves? That is because their outer layer is composed of a wax, which is a form of fat.
See: Powerpoint
Do: Everyone take three minutes to write, why do you think it is important that lipids are nonpolar given that th
make up the cell membrane?
Say: We are now moving on to proteins. Yum! We have actually already talked about a type of protein. How ma
of you remember? Enzymes are examples of proteins. What kinds of foods fall under the purview of proteins?
Chicken, turkey, meats, nuts. The building block of proteins is the amino acid. There are twenty different types
amino acids that bond together to form proteins. Lets quickly look at the amino acid. Amino acids are made up
three parts. First, we have the amino group (NH2), next we have the carboxyl group (COOH) and finally we hav
the R group. The R group changes for each of the twenty amino acids. Think of them as different flavors of ice
cream. All of the flavors have the amino group (or milk) and all of the flavors have the carboxyl group (sugar) an
then each has a slightly different ingredient, the R group. The R group is important because it allows for diversi
and complexity. Since not every amino acid is the same our bodies can create a large number of different
proteins. Proteins have many different functions. We already talked about one, enzymes. Proteins can also prov
the cell with structural support, antibodies, and hemoglobin. For example, proteins make up collagen, which is
part of our skin and bones. Who knows what antibodies are? Anitbodies help defend against infection. Does
anyone know what hemoglobin is? Hemoglobin is in our blood and it helps carry oxygen from our lungs to our
tissue.
See: Powerpoint and Video
Do: Everyone take 3 minutes to discuss the importance of the R group with your neighbor. Brief game on name
that molecule.

Step 6
Nucleic Acids

Say: Our last organic compound is nucleic acids. Who has heard of nucleic acids? What are they? Nucleic acids
are made of nucleotides. The nucleotide has three parts. We have the phosphate group, the sugar and the base
There are two different types of nucleic acids. We have DNA and RNA. Does anyone know one way in which the
molecules differ? DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is a double-stranded molecule with four nitrogenous
bases: adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine. RNA stands for ribonucleic acid. It is single-stranded and
contains uracil instead of thymine. The four nitrogenous bases in RNA are adenine, cytosine, guanine and uraci
DNA and RNA both have different functions. Who can tell me what DNA does? DNA is the blueprint, or the
hereditary information, for the cell. RNA helps with protein manufacturing. It plays a role in creating proteins in
the cell.
See: Powerpoint
Do: Everyone take four minutes to fill out the chart at the bottom of the page.

Step 7
ATP

Say: The last molecule I want to talk about today is ATP. We have talked about ATP before, does anyone
remember in what context? ATP is the chemical energy produced during respiration. It is a very important sourc
of energy for the body.
See: Powerpoint
Do: Everyone take two minutes to fill out the matching.

Step 8
Form and
Function

Say: We are now going to talk about the relationship between form and function. Lets all look at our hands. Wh
is the function of our hands? What do we expect them to be able to do? We use our hands to pick things up, mo
things, and touch things. We could not do all of these tasks if we had claws. If we did not have opposable thum
we would not be able to flush the toilet. The form of our hands help them function. The same can be said of our
organic molecules. The function of organic molecules is influenced by the form. For example, since carbohydrat
are polar, they can dissolve in water, or blood. They can provide us with ready energy. Conversely, since lipids
nonpolar, they do not break down in water. Instead, they can serve as the cell membrane because they do not
dissolve in water. The proteins have an R group, which allows for the construction of a variety of different
proteins. Lastly, the double-stranded DNA influences how or genetic information gets processed by the cell.

PRACTICE
*Structured Practice (3-4 additional examples led by teacher with gradually quickening pace, helping students approach
automaticity by manipulating, time, materials, group size)
Time:

Flashcards; 33 students; 12 and 21

Elements: NaCl, CO2, H2O, NH3, SiO4, MgO, F2
*Guided Practice (the proving behavior of the objective monitored by teacher)

Assignment:

Criteria for Mastery:

Explain Homework: M: 1. Which of the following molecules is polar: F2, HCl, or MgO? How do you know? 2. What is the building
block of carbohydrates? Name and explain the process by which they bond. 3. What is the difference between dehydration synthes
and hydrolysis? 4. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?
T: Complete the study guide. 1. How does the form of amino acids contribute to the function of proteins? 2. What is the difference
between DNA and RNA? 3. Compare the function of carbohydrates with the function of lipids. How do they differ?
W: Finish the worksheet and complete the study guide
R: Finish the review packet
F: Finish the review packet

*Closure: 1. Explain the difference between polar and nonpolar molecules. Name one way you can test to see if a molecule is pola
or nonpolar.

*Active Participation is required by all students at the same time.

My Notes
I wrote this lesson plan with every expectation that getting through the material would take two days. During this week, Jared was
in Madrid, so I had to make all of the executive decisions. When creating this lesson plan I did a few things. My first step was to lay out
the entire subunit. We labeled this section, on organic compounds, Unit 2.5. It was the second to last piece of our chemistry unit. I read
the textbook and took notes as if I were the student. With the information laid out in front of me, I started to determine what would be
most important for our learners. What are the takeaways? What do I want them to learn? From there I started to tease out the key words,
concepts, and objectives. Once I had the objectives for the section, I started envisioning what the rest of the week would look like. On
Monday and Tuesday I decided to present the new content to learners. I would prepare a powerpoint and walk the class through it in a
pretty traditional manner. Wednesday we would apply our knowledge to a fun lab and then Thursday the students would take their quiz.
With this rough outline, I started to focus on Monday and Tuesday, which is what this plan illustrates. Unfortunately, there is very
little inquiry involved. For the most part I am talking at the students, though as seen above, I tried to find any opportunity for engagement.
When constructing lesson plans, I usually create a strict time schedule. However, as you will notice, I did not do that for these two days. I
knew that I would get through the material, and wanted to move at a pace that felt good for the students. Having never lectured to them
before, I did not know exactly how fast or slow they would move, and opted to give myself some flexibility.
After I laid out the content, I created the powerpoint and guided notes. These all mirrored what Jared has been using, but also
contained my own twist. As seen above, I tried to create pockets in the lesson during which students could talk to their neighbors.
Instead of straight lecturing to them for 45 minutes, I build in opportunities for activity. The study guide contained questions to be
answered and charts to be completed. These brief pauses in discussion allowed me to check in with particular individuals as well as
assess their understanding. The students also seemed to appreciate the brief respite before we plowed through more material. Since
then, I have strayed away from the formal Say-See-Do cycle in order to adopt an approach that is a little smoother.
The other form of assessment I utilized was homework. While Jared does not usually do this, I had the students answer specific
questions based on that days lecture. The questions were not designed to trick students, rather force them to review their notes before
coming in the next day. Generally, I was pretty pleased with the number of students who completed the assignment. I hope to use similar
forms of assessment in the future, as it also allows me to identify misconceptions while encouraging students to solidify their
understanding of the material.
Overall, I was very happy with the way these two days played out. The students did a great job paying attention, and seemed to
have developed a solid understanding of the content. This was later proven by the quiz results on that Thursday. My initial goal for
Monday was to get through carbohydrates and lipids. In both third and sixth periods, I did just that. This left me with proteins and nucleic
acids to cover on Tuesday, which I felt comfortable with. Throughout my presentation, I made a very conscious effort to incorporate
nonscience-related analogies. For example, when discussing polarity I talked about the unequal sharing of electrons in terms of tug of
war. On multiple occasions I had students come up and help me physically demonstrate what it might look like to unequally share.
Though I probably did not execute the demonstration as well as I would have liked, the attempt at least got students out of their seats.
Another analogy that seemed to help students was comparing enzymes to utensils. Enzymes help speed up reactions in our cells, and
utensils help us eat faster. I gave the example of trying to eat soup with our hands. We could, but it would be very difficult. If we used a
spoon, the process would happen quicker.
Another way I tried to make the material more accessible to students was by giving them a lot of food-related examples. The
nature of this unit allowed for many food references, so I made sure to capitalize on this connection. With each type of macromolecule I
introduced at least one type of food that could help the students better remember the function of that particular organic compound. For
example, I talked about lactose, the sugar in milk and how some people cannot break down lactose thereby making them intolerant. We
also discussed olive oil, a nonpolar lipid, and how it does not mix with water. The biggest challenge I faced was addressing the widely
held misconception that proteins give our bodies energy. As a result of all the advertisements my students see about protein shakes and

bars, many of my students believe that these products are designed to only give us energy. In reality this is not the case. Trying to
correct this misconception proved to be very difficult.
Aside from the physical demonstration, I tried to engage kinesthetic learners by asking for volunteers to be my hands. I would
call on different learners to go to the Promethean board to point out certain images and help us determine at what exactly we were
looking. This practice allowed me to stay centered in the classroom, and give a more reticent student the opportunity to participate. Other
than these two practices, I do not think I did a particularly good job with differentiation. While I am not sure exactly what supports I could
have enacted to better assist my students, there are definitely strategies to make sure nobody got left behind that I did not implement. In
my sixth period class, where we have a few learners with IEPs, I knew there were specific individuals whom I was not reaching. During
both Monday and Tuesday I watched them fall behind, but could not find pockets of time to check in with them. Moving forward, this is
something I would like to work on. I need to find ways to better support all learners whether this means providing them with a different set
of notes or giving them specific parts of the material to focus on exclusively.
Something I set out to do with this unit was to help establish the relationship between form and function. This is a common theme
that runs throughout the biology curriculum. I wanted the students to understand how the structures shape and characteristics influences
what it does for our bodies. For example, the lipid-based cell membrane does not dissolve in water because lipids are nonpolar and not
soluble. Similarly, the existence of 20 amino acids allows us to create many different proteins. Instead of having a uniform building block,
we can construct large polypeptides that have unique structures and functions. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the students really
struggle with this concept. Third period did better than sixth period, which given the class composition is not surprising. I included a
question on the quiz about the relationship between form and function, and ultimately threw it out for sixth period since only one
individual answered it correctly.