Instruction and Management Plan

The cell unit consists of three main topic components covered in a 6week time period. The first portion of this unit consists of students
understanding the levels of organization in a body. This will be accomplished
by a student getting an envelope with the different levels of organization on
slips of paper, as well as images to match the words. Students must organize
the words in order and match the pictures accordingly. This will allow
students to understand that cells are the smallest functional unit of life. Once
students understand what a cell is, and the timeline for the discovery of
cells, then students can begin observing the structures of cells. This includes
looking at the different organelles inside a cell, and why these are important.
Main organelles include the nucleus that controls the activities of the cell, the
mitochondria that produces energy for the cell, the cell membrane that
allows certain materials to move in and out, and the ribosomes that make
protein. To understand the function of the different organelles, students will
watch a Tour of a Cell video and create flaps to fill in the functions of each
different structure. Students will also color code the flaps to match a cell
diagram, so that they can understand how location affects function. After
students understand the basic structures of an animal cell, then they will use
a plant cell diagram in order to see the structures that are only in plants.
These include the cell wall in order to provide structural support and the
chloroplast, which is where photosynthesis takes place. Students will also be
observing cheek cells and spinach cells under a microscope in order to see
the similarities and differences. This will also enforce the idea that all living
things are composed of cells.
The second section of this unit focuses on the processes of
photosynthesis and respiration, which are necessary for life. Since students
have already looked at the function of the mitochondria and chloroplasts,
then this section relates directly to what students had been learning
previously. For this portion of the unit, students begin by completing an
inquiry lab. Students put spinach leaves into cups with carbon dioxide and
without, then place them under a lamp. Students have to determine why the
leaves in the cup with carbon dioxide would float, and why the ones in the
cup without carbon dioxide would not. The goal is for students to understand
that the reactants for photosynthesis include water, carbon dioxide, and light
while the products of photosynthesis include oxygen. If carbon dioxide is
present in the water and exposed to light, then the chloroplasts in the
spinach will perform photosynthesis and oxygen will be released, allowing
the spinach to rise to the top of the water. Students will then complete
another lab in order to understand respiration. Students will be building the
respiration and photosynthesis equations, using different colored skittles to

represent the different molecules. The goal for this is for students to
understand that photosynthesis and respiration are opposite equations, and
that the products of one are the reactants for the other. Life could not exist
without both of these processes.
For the final section of this unit, students looked at the processes of
cell division. To begin, students read an article about stem cells and then
were asked to create signs that could be used to support stem cell research,
and then another sign that would be used to protest stem cell research. This
allowed students to have the opportunity to research the topic and develop
an opinion, while understanding both sides. Students later used pipe
cleaners to demonstrate the process of mitosis, so that students could
understand how cells divide to allow for growth and repair. This also related
back to discussions about the DNA that is held in the nucleus from earlier in
the unit. After students understand the process of mitosis, then they
demonstrated the process of meiosis with pipe cleaners. They then had to
compare and contrast the two processes, understanding that meiosis
consists of two divisions to create sperm and egg cells needed for
fertilization and reproduction.
Throughout this unit students completed many different activities,
working individually or in groups. They had opportunities to complete handson modeling activities, inquiry labs, quizzes, written activities, and group
work. All of these allowed for students to experience different ways to
ultimately understand all of the processes that the basic units of life (cells)
go through in order to work properly.