Unit 3, Lesson 1--Introduction to the Cell

1. TITLE OF LESSON

Unit 3; Lesson 1—Introduction to the Cell

   

2. CURRICULUM AREA & GRADE LEVEL

9^th grade Biology

Dr. Rachel Richards

 

3. STUDENT INFORMATION

A. English Language Learners

All ELL students are level 3.

B. Students with Special Education Needs 

4. RATIONALE

A. Enduring Understanding

Cells are the smallest basic unit of life.

B. Essential Questions

What is a cell? What do they do?

What’s made up of cells?

What are essential qualities that cells need to live?

Where do new cells come from?

           

C. Reason For Instructional Strategies & Student Activities

My classes are composed with freshmen. Most of them don’t like biology, as evidenced by an informal poll on the first day of class. They dislike reading, and, as a result, rarely read outside of homework assignments. Therefore, at the beginning of each unit, I focus on helping students learn new vocabulary. They must learn to communicate each new word in their own words. This strategy will also help the ELL students expand their English vocabulary.

     

5. CONTENT STANDARD(S)

1. Cell Biology: The fundamental life processes of plants and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the organism’s cells.

11. Investigation and Experimentation: Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the concept in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations.

            d. Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence.

g. Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and theories as scientific representations of reality.

             

6. ELD STANDARD(S)

·       Listening & Speaking: 1 (Intermediate): Listen attentively to stories and information and identify important details and concepts by using both verbal and nonverbal responses.

·       Listening & Speaking: 7(EA): Respond to messages by asking questions, challenging statements, or offering examples that affirm the message.

·       Reading Word Analysis: 2 (EA/A): Apply knowledge of Word Parts: Apply knowledge of word relationships, such as roots and affixes, to derive meaning from literature and texts in context.

·       Reading Fluency & Systematic Vocab Development: 6 (A): Use a dictionary: Use a standard dictionary to determine the meaning of unknown words.

                 

7. LEARNING GOAL(S) – OBJECTIVES (cognitive)

After introducing students to new learning objectives and vocabulary about the cell, students will be able to understand the meanings of new vocabulary words by communicating the definitions in their own words and use each word in a sentence.

8. ASSESSMENT(S)

A. Diagnostic/Entry Level: Students took a test on Unit 2 (The Chemistry of Biology), which is a rough indicator of how well they are learning from my teaching style. It gives me a good measure of assessment to how well they’re understanding the material taught up to this point. In addition, before launching into new content about cells, I will ask them to share with the class what they’re conception of a cell is, what they’re function(s) are, and what they make up (organisms, tissues, etc.).

                  

B. Formative – Progress Monitoring:

I will circulate as students create their graphic organizers to check for student understanding of new definitions. Over the next week, I will begin each class by randomly calling on 3 students and ask them to share a definition. Students will be assessed with a quiz next week to check for understanding of new vocab words.

             

C. Summative

Students will have a Unit 3 multiple-choice test at the end of the unit (3 weeks).  I will also grade their spiral notebooks at this time and check to make sure a) they have completed their maps and flashcards, and they have created correct definitions.

              

9. EXPLANATION OF DIFFERENTIATION FOR ELL & STS W/ SP ED NEEDS

A. English Language Learners

1.) Content: Students are arranged into groups of 4 according to current grade so those who need help with note-taking can look at the notes of a partner next to them. I pause to ask for questions to ensure everyone is ready before I advance a slide. New words are put up on a “Word Wall” alongside each unit to help students learn new vocabulary.

2.) Process/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest: Students are arranged into groups of 4 according to current grade so those who need help with note-taking can look at the notes of a partner next to them. I circulate as they are looking up definitions to help students learn the correct meaning and put the definition in their own words. The “Frayer model” graphic organizer has been modified and implemented as an additional support, for the first time, upon the recommendation of our ELD coordinator. Finally, I check for understanding frequently through random Q&A. Students have frequent opportunities to hear other student definitions in this way, as well as being randomly assessed.                                       

3.) Product/Based on Readiness, Learning Profile or Interest: Students can see me for assistance in completing their spiral notebooks correctly. I also circulate and check notebooks periodically before they are due to make sure the notes are being taken correctly and content written is accurate. During the quiz, students may ask me to read a question orally, or ask me for a definition of a non-vocab word that they don’t know (e.g. “abundance”). New words are put up on a “Word Wall”, visible to all students, in order to help jog their memories, if needed.

                  

A. Students with Special Education Needs

1.) Content: Students are arranged into groups of 4 according to current grade so those who need help with note-taking can look at the notes of a partner next to them. I pause to ask for questions to ensure everyone is ready before I advance a slide.

2.) Process: Students are arranged into groups of 4 according to current grade so those who need help with note-taking can look at the notes of a partner next to them. I circulate as they are looking up definitions to help students learn the correct meaning and put the definition in their own words. Finally, I check for understanding frequently through random Q&A. Students have frequent opportunities to hear other student definitions in this way, as well as being randomly assessed.                                           

3.) Product: Students can see me for assistance in completing their spiral notebooks correctly. I also circulate and check notebooks periodically before they are due to make sure the notes are being taken correctly and content written is accurate. During the quiz, students may ask me to read a question orally, or ask me for a definition of a non-vocab word that they don’t know (e.g. “abundance”). Students with IEPs may have extra time on tests, or work in a quiet room in the back upon request.

                                     

10. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

A. Intro (10 min):

Cells are the smallest basic unit of life. They are made up of millions of molecules and are composed of all 4 macromolecules: lipids, nucleic acids, proteins, and, yes, even carbohydrates. As a former cell biologist, my absolute, hands-down, most favorite part of being a scientist was spending hours and hours in front of the fluorescent microscope, examining the inside of the cell like a miniature spaceship navigating through the cell like a galaxy (see Isaac Asimov's Fantastic Voyage, a class sci-fi fantasy about miniature dudes who explore the human body in a miniature spaceship).

(If I was leading my own class, I would begin by showing a clip of the Fantastic Voyage, followed by a short show-and-tell of some photographs I took during my time as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow).

               

B. Instruction/Through (30 min):

Students will be presented with the learning goals of this unit. They will be directed to start a new table of contents in their spiral notebooks, copy the learning goals, and write down the new vocabulary words (listed below). After creating “flashcards” in their spiral notebooks with each of the 21 words written down, they will look up definitions in small groups of 2-3. They can use the glossary of the text, Chapter 7 of the text, or their iPhones, if they have them. They will be instructed to create their own definitions, using their own words. Since students have been having difficulty doing this, we will teach them how to use a graphic organizer, based on the “Frayer Model” (attached). In short, students will create a map for each word in their notebooks, with each new word in the center. Four “bubbles” span out like limbs from the center, and are labeled: “Definition”, “Examples”, “Picture”, and “Sentence”. After finishing their graphic organizer map for each word, they will then write a concise version of their own definition on each flash card. They will be instructed to study the flashcards for the vocab quiz assessment (next week).

Vocab Words for Unit 3:

1. Aerobic
2. Adenosine Triphosphate
3. Anaerobic
4. Calvin Cycle
5. Cellular Respiration
6. Chlorophyll
7. Diffusion
8. Electron Transport Chain
9. Endocytosis
10. Eukaryote
11. Exocytosis
12. Fermentation
13. Glycolysis
14. Krebs Cycle
15. Light Dependent Reactions
16. Organelle
17. Osmosis
18. Photosynthesis
19. Prokaryote
20. Stroma
21. Thylakoid

C. Guided Practice/Through: I will assist students as they work in small groups of 2-3 to research definitions for new vocabulary words.                          

D. Independent Practice/Through: I will instruct students to finish their vocabulary words at home, study them, and be responsible for learning the definitions of the new words. I will ask 3 students will share 1 word every day at the beginning class throughout this unit.                                

E. Closure

I will assess students in 1 week with a multiple-choice quiz.   

                                     

11. STUDENT ACTIVITIES

A. Anticipatory Set/Into: Students will be asked to respond to a few review questions about macromolecules from the last unit. Students will be asked to respond to questions and share their thoughts on what they think a cell is, what it does, and why it’s essential to life. Finally, students will be asked how they think macromolecules are connected to cells.                                       

B. Instruction/Through: Students will take Cornell notes on the learning goals for Unit 3 and organize space in their spiral notebooks for new vocabulary words. Students will be asked to share their ideas of any words they might already know with the class.                                       

C. Guided Practice/Through: Students will work in small groups of 2-3 to research definitions for new vocabulary words and create graphic organizers and flash cards.                          

D. Independent Practice/Through: Students will finish their vocabulary words at home, study them, and be responsible for learning the definitions of the new words. 3 students will share 1 word every day at the beginning class throughout this unit.                                

E. Closure

Students will be assessed for their understanding of vocabulary by a multiple-choice quiz in 1 week.      

                                                      

12. RESOURCES

·       PowerPoint intro to unit 3, including learning goals and vocab

·       Frayer Model Map graphic organizer