Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Cells, Systems, and Senses Name: Katherine Herrera

Content Area: Science Grade Level: 6-7
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

MS-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and
types of cells.
Performance Expectation

MS-LS1-2 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
Performance Expectation

MS-LS1-3 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
Performance Expectation

MS-LS1-8 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate
behavior or storage as memories.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Driving question: How do we remember things? (How do the bodys structures allow us to sense, process, and remember
information?)
Unit goals: Students will understand that our bodies help us to sense everything around us, and allow us to create memories.
Students will learn that cells are the building blocks of life, and that many cells combine to create specialized tissue and organs
that work together to carry out everyday functions.

Unit Summary:

Introduction to sensory systems/sensory system research. Students will begin the unit with an anchoring activity and a
model that they will continue to modify throughout the entire unit. Students will engage in a station lab and record their
observations as they interact with various external stimuli. Then, they will work in groups to research a specific sensory system
(vision, auditory, somatic, gustatory, olfaction, and vestibular). Students will research and gather data to make an argument that
their sensory system is the most important to human life. Students will present this information in a 60-second Data Blitz
presentation, using the CER format.
Cell Investigation Students will take a step back from sensory systems and look small very small at how cells contribute to
their ability to respond to external stimuli. Students will learn that every living thing is made of cells, and that cells work together to
create tissues and organs that help us function every day. Student will explore a lab simulation (gizmo) on cell structure and
function, gain a deeper understanding of what structure and function mean, and how the structure of something can
immediately impact its function.
Cells & the Human Body Students will use the sum of their knowledge acquired from the unit to explain how a single cell
contributes to how a human body responds to external stimuli. Student will demonstrate this knowledge by creating an zoom out
animation that focuses on the inside of a cell (MS LS1-2), the cell itself (MS LS1-1), the tissue, the organ, and the organ system (MS
LS1-3). The animation as a whole, and the entire unit, anchors back to the sensory system lab at the beginning of the unit (MS LS1-
8)

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Responses and observation Formative: Data blitz presentations. Summative: Animations will replace a
to Introduction to Sensory Systems lab Students will also continue to modify their final model.
activity. Initial model explaining how models
students think humans respond to
external stimuli.

Lesson 1 Introduction to Sensory Systems Lab and Sensory Systems Research Presentations
Student Learning Acceptable Lesson Activities:
Objective: Evidence
-Students will interact (Assessments):
with inquiry lab -Students will Lab activity (day 1): Give students a lab packet that has instructions and
stations and use the construct an initial questions for each station. Have students circulate in their lab groups among the
activities to connect model of how human five lab stations set up around the room and answer different questions at each
their prior knowledge bodies respond to station. Lab groups consist of three students; there should be about two lab
to their experiences. stimuli like smell, groups at each sensory station at a time. Allow students six minutes at each
-Students will touch, taste, etc. station, and place an alarm for when their time runs out. When alarm sounds,
construct an initial students will rotate clockwise to the next station.
explanation of how -Students will create a
they sense & 60 second 1. Touch Station - Students stick their hands in a bucket of dried beans.
remember external presentation to What does it feel like? How do you know?
stimuli. explain why their 2. Sight Station - Students view on a teacher laptop tablet. For ten
-Students will chosen sensory seconds, they view a picture of Starry Night. After ten seconds, students
understand how system is the most must recreate to the best of their ability a drawing of what they
sensory systems play important to human remember.
a role in responding to life. 3. Taste Station - Taste a slice of lemon. What physical responses does your
external stimuli and body have to the taste of the lemon?
creating memories. 4. Sound Station - Students will listen to an iPod with headphones of a
-In groups of three, soundclip of nails on a chalkboard. What did you just listen to? What
students will research physical response did your body have while listening to this?
their chosen sensory
system for their Data 5. Smell Station - Students will smell (waft) from a mystery container
Blitz presentation. that is blacked out so students cannot see whats inside (it will be eggs
-In their groups, soaked in vinegar). What do you think you smell? How do you know?
students will have 60
seconds and one
After lab, have students on a sheet of 11x17 paper begin their initial model of
PowerPoint slide (or
how they think human bodys can perceive and sense external stimuli, using their
poster) to convince
experiences from the lab to link their prior knowledge.
the class why their
sensory system is the
most important to Day 2 (Sensory System Research)
human life.
In groups of 3, students will pick one of the sensory systems from a hat (vision,
 auditory, somatic, gustatory, olfaction, and vestibular). Students will spend the
class period researching what organs make up their system, and will create either
a PowerPoint slide or poster compiling their evidence that their system is the
most important for human life. Students will follow CER format (Claim, evidence,
reasoning)

Day 3 (Data Blitz Presentations)

Students will present their data blitz presentations in their groups, using their
slides or posters to support their verbal arguments. At the end of class, students
will vote for which group had the most convincing argument. The winning group
will win one point of extra credit.

Lesson 2 Cell Investigation

Student Learning Acceptable Lesson Activities:
Objective: Evidence: -Students will complete a warm-up probe worksheet connecting the structure of
-Students will know -Responses to warm different things (giraffes neck, drinking straw) to its function.
how structure and up probe.
function are related, in -Responses to Gizmo -Students will complete a Gizmo activity to take a closer look at cell structure and
regards to cells and exploration sheet. function. Students will complete an exploration sheet.
various other
structures.

-Students will
complete a virtual lab
activity (gizmo) to
take a closer look at
cell structure.
Lesson 3 Cells and the Human Body Animation
Student Learning Acceptable Lesson Activities:
Objective: Evidence:
Day 1
-Students will use -Organ Systems Show students Crash Course Anatomy and Physiology: Tissues Part 1. Provide
 drawing students with CLOZE style notes to draw attention to important points made in
argument to show that the video. Pause video at key points to give students time to fill in their notes.
the body is made up -Human Body Zoom
of interacting Out animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tR3csCWYo
subsystems made of
tissues and cells. Have students get in to groups of 3. Introduce new assignment. Students will get
a sheet of pre-cut butcher paper and trace the outline of one students body.
Students will use all of Remind students that the following day, they will be adding organ systems to
the knowledge gained their drawings. For homework, students will use their textbooks or the internet to
throughout the unit to define these organ systems
create an animation
showing how Muscular
specialized cells help
our brain to process Skeletal
and remember stimuli.
Nervous

Circulatory

Respiratory

Digestive

Day 2
Have student groups get out their traced body butcher paper sheets from the
day before. Students will use their descriptions of each organ system assigned
for homework to add the systems on to their model of the human body.

Students may use their textbooks as a resource to draw the organs that comprise
each organ system. Students will draw each of the organ systems in a different
color and label each system (for example, Muscular = red, skeletal = blue, etc.).
Students must include at least four different systems in their drawings.

When completed, students will hang their posters around the room.
 Day 3
Introduce final unit project to students. Students will use their final models as a
guide to create an animation starting at the cell level and zooming out to the
entire body, explaining at each level how each structure contributes to the
function of creating memories. Show students this video for inspiration. (Stop
video at 1:00 mark)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vnA_KIojLg
Also show students the Cells Alive How Big animation for inspiration.
http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig_js.htm
Students may create drawings, stop motion, or use internet images to create
their animations. Students may use any method to create their animations, but
guide students towards these apps and websites:
https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/websites-and-apps-for-
making-videos-and-animation

Write guidelines on the board:

1. Must include: Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organ Systems
2. Must answer the question How do we remember thing?
3. Must include explanation at each level (either in the animation or on a
separate sheet of paper) how each structure contributes to creating
memories.

Give students the remainder of the period to work on their animations. Students
must work individually. Whatever is not finished in class will be homework.
Unit Resources:

https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&resourceID=450

Useful Websites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tR3csCWYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vnA_KIojLg
http://www.cellsalive.com/howbig_js.htm

https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/websites-and-apps-for-making-videos-and-animation