Friday, September 21, 2012

Week 4 Lesson Plan 1: The Chemistry of Biology (Atoms)

Student Info:
Readiness Level: Biology, 9th & 10th grade
Unit 2; Lesson 1
Learning Profiles: Strong Auditory and Kinesthetic Profiles. Also visual.
Interests: varied, but include sports (football, soccer, basketball), parkour, drama, socializing and video games.

Student Connection:
Students will be presented with content about the atom, using a cartoon format. In today’s digital age, students enjoy content presented in a video format because it’s what they watch the most in their free time. In addition, students will learn some fascinating facts about atoms that they probably didn’t know before and learn that atoms are the smallest unit of matter, which makes up everything, including rocks, myself and the students.

Rationale:
Enduring Understanding:
Students know that atoms are the smallest units of matter. Students know that protons, neutrons, and electrons are subatomic particles that make up atoms. Students know atoms of different elements; such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus; make-up larger molecules and compounds.

Essential Questions:
  1. What types of elements are we composed of?
  2. What is the relationship between atoms, elements, and compounds?

Instructional Strategies:
Provide content with a PowerPoint presentation, process (think-pair-share in response to questions embedded in the presentation), and watch video, “A is for Atom”. Following the video, they will answer questions on a worksheet about the video, followed by a class discussion to check for understanding.

Student Activities:
Provide supports for varied readiness levels (visual and auditory presentation, guided note-taking, quick-write, and worksheet), learning profiles (visual and auditory presentation; note-taking); and interests (“A is for Atom” movie).

Content Standards:
Grades 9 & 10 Biology
1: “Cell Biology”
h. “Students know most macromolecules (polysaccharides, nucleic acids proteins, lipids) in cells and organisms are synthesized from a small collection of simple precursors.” (State Board of Education, 2002).

ELD Standards:
EL students are ELD III/IV
Part I: Interacting in Meaningful Ways
1.      Exchanging information/ideas
2.      Interacting via written English
5. Listening actively
Part II: Learning About How English Works
1.      Understanding text structure
2.      Understanding cohesion

Objective:
After being presented with content on atoms, elements, compounds, and molecules, students will be able to identify the three subatomic particles found in atoms. Students will be able to explain what chemical compounds are.

Assessment Plan:
Entry Level—Students have just completed test on Unit 1. Scores on that test are indicative of how well students have been learning content in class. By this point in time, they should be used to taking Cornell-style notes that encourages active listening. They also should be learning what kinds of study habits work (or don’t work).

Formative—The teacher will check for understanding periodically by including questions on slides embedded in the PowerPoint presentation. Students will  quick-write in response to these questions.

Summative—Students will have to answer 3 questions at the end of class as their “exit ticket”. 3 students will be called on randomly to answer questions written in the margins of their Cornell-style notes. These are the questions we expect them to be able to answer:
  1. What are the 3 particles that atoms are made of?
  2. How many basic elements are there?
  3. What are 3 uses for atomic energy?
In addition, they will be tested on their knowledge of new vocab words at the end of the week.

Differentiation Strategies:
Content
Check to ensure students created a new unit to their notes: “Unit 2”.
Check to ensure students are taking Cornell notes during presentation.
            Quick-writes and call-and-response during presentation. Exit ticket questions. Worksheet on “A is for Atom video”.
Check to ensure students have created flashcards for new vocab.
Add new vocab to “Word Wall”.
Provide guidance and support for students to look up and define, in their own words, each new vocab word.
  1. Amino Acid
  2. Carbohydrate
  3. Compound
  4. Enzyme
  5. Lipid
  6. Molecule
  7. Monomer
  8. Monosaccharide
  9. Nucleic Acid
  10. pH Scale
  11. Product
  12. Polymer
  13. Polysaccharide
  14. Protein
  15. Reactant
  16. Solution
  17. Substrate

Process
            Students will take Cornell notes, including three questions per topic in the margin and leaving room for a summary, which will be the warm-up activity for the next day.

Product
            Students will set up their spiral notebooks for Unit 2.
            Students will research and define the vocab words, using their own words.
            Students will fill out a worksheet on “A is for Atom” video.
            The exit ticket for students will be for them to answer the following three questions:
1.      What are the 3 particles that atoms are made of?
2.      How many basic elements are there?
3.      What are 3 uses for atomic energy?


Future Ideas:
            We don’t have time to go into too much depth, but a great activity would be for students to each construct their own “Atomic Models”, using their own supplies from home. Supplies could include: cotton balls, toothpicks, candy, pipe cleaners, construction paper, etc.

Resources:
·         Link to the page on Unit 2 on my Biology Teaching Blog.
·         Vocab for Unit 2
·         “A is for Atom” Video  Worksheet
·         Unit 2 Spiral Set-up Powerpoint
·         “A is for Atom” Video
·         Tom Leher’s “The Elements” Song
·         Additional Resources for Teaching the Atom to Biology Students

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