LessonPlan:CellOrganelleCampaignBy:KimCastagnaTargetGrade:6TeacherPrepTime:40minutesLessonTime:4hoursand30minutes(Werecommenddoingthislessonover5+days.)
● Part1:○ 40min–IntroductiontoOrganelles○ 10min–Dividestudentsinto10groupsandassigngrouporganelles
● Part2:○ 100min–CellOrganelleResearch
● Part3:○ 50min–DesignCampaignPoster&2MinuteSpeech
● Part4:○ 50min–ElectionDayPresentationofCampaignSpeeches○ 10min–Collectingpostersandresearchpackets
● Part5:○ 10min–AndtheWinnerIs…
LessonOverview: Studentswillbeginbyviewingashortvideoonthepartsofacell.Whileviewing,studentswillcreatequicksketchesandlistthefunctionsfortenorganelles.Studentswillrandomlybeassignedacellorganelleandcreateacampaigntogettheircellorganelleelectedas“TheMostImportantOrganelleintheCell”.Studentswillplantheircampaignbyselectinganorganellerunningmate,conductingresearchontheirorganellesfunctions,anddesigninganinformativeposterwithaslogan.Studentswillthenpresenta2minutecampaignspeechandtheclasswillvoteforTheMostImportantOrganelleintheCell.LearningObjective(s):
● Studentswillidentifykeystructuresandfunctionsoftencellorganelles.● Studentswillobtaininformationbyresearchingthefunctionsofagivenorganelleanda
complimentarysecondorganelle.● Studentswillcommunicatetheirorganelle’sfunctionsthroughaposterandapersuasive2
minutespeech.● Studentswillbeabletoexplainhowtwoorganellesworktogethertoperformimportantcell
functions.NGSS:MS-LSS1-2Developanduseamodeltodescribethefunctionofacellasawholeandwaysthepartsofcellscontributetothefunction.PerformanceExpectation MS-LS1-2Developanduseamodeltodescribethefunctionofacellasawholeandwaysthepartsofcellscontributetothefunction.ScienceandEngineeringPractice
○ #8Obtaining,EvaluatingandCommunicatingInformation
■ Communicatescientificand/ortechnicalinformation(e.g.,aboutaproposedobject,tool,process,system)inwritingand/orthroughoralpresentations.
● DisciplinaryCoreIdea○ MS-LS1.AStructureandFunction
■ Alllivingthingsaremadeupofcells.Inorganisms,cellsworktogethertoformtissuesandorgansthatarespecializedforparticularbodyfunctions.
■ Withincells,specialstructuresareresponsibleforparticularfunctions,andthecellmembraneformstheboundarythatcontrolswhatentersandleavesthecell.
● CrosscuttingConcept○ #6StructureandFunction
■ Thewayinwhichanobjectorlivingthingisshapedanditssubstructuredeterminemanyofitspropertiesandfunctions.
● CommonCoreStateStandard-ELA○ SL.6.4SpeakingandListening/PresentationofKnowledgeandIdeas
■ Presentclaimsandfindings(e.g.,argument,narrative,informative,responsetoliteraturepresentations),sequencingideaslogicallyandusingpertinentdescriptions,facts,anddetailsandnonverbalelementstoaccentuatemainideasorthemes;useappropriateeyecontact,adequatevolume,andclearpronunciation.CAa.Plananddeliveraninformative/explanatorypresentationthat:developsatopicwithrelevantfacts,definitions,andconcretedetails;usesappropriatetransitionstoclarifyrelationships;usespreciselanguageanddomainspecificvocabulary;andprovidesastrongconclusion.
○ SL.6.5SpeakingandListening/PresentationofKnowledgeandIdeas■ Includemultimediacomponents(e.g.,graphics,images,music,sound)andvisual
displaysinpresentationstoclarifyinformation.WhereThisLessonFitsin:Thislessonshouldbetaughtafterstudentslearnthatlivingthingsaremadeupofcells(unicellularormulticellular),whichisthesmallestunitoflife(MS-LS1-1).Afterthislesson,studentswilllearnthatinmulticellularorganisms,thebodyisasystemofmultipleinteractingsubsystems.Thesesubsystemsaregroupsofcellsthatworktogethertoformtissuesandorgansthatarespecializedforparticularbodyfunctions.(MS-LS1-3)MaterialsNeeded:
● AppleTVwithaccesstointernet(orothertechnologytoprojectvideo)● Computeraccessforstudents(minimum1pergroup,1perstudentisnotnecessary,onlyuseif
available)● Textbooksandotherbooksstudentscanuseforcellorganelleresearch● Randomselectioncardswithnamesoforganelles(10cardstotal,1organellepercard)cell
membrane,cytoplasm,ribosome,nucleus,endoplasmicreticulum(rough&smooth),golgiapparatus,mitochondria,chloroplast,vacuole,cellwall
● Eachstudentwillneed:○ CellOrganelleCampaignDirections○ CellOrganelleCampaignBallot○ AmoebaSistersVideoNoteTakingPage○ CellOrganelleSpeechListeningNotes○ CellOrganelleResearchNotePage○ PresentationNotesPage○ CellOrganelleCampaignGradingRubric
● Eachgroupofstudentswillneed:
○ Posterpaper○ Setofmarkers&coloredpencils
TeacherPrep:
● Downloadvideo“AmoebaSisters:TheGrandCellTour”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IlzKri08kk
● Upload“CellOrganelleResearchLinks”intoGoogleClassroomoronlineplatformforstudentaccess.
● Duplicatecopiesofdirections¬etakingpages1/studentandstapleasapacketinthefollowingorderforeasierrubricscoring:Directions,ResearchNoteTaking,PresentationNotes,&SpeechListeningNotes.
● DuplicatecopiesofAmoebaSisterVideoTakingNotes1/student.● Duplicatecopiesofgradingrubric1/student.● DuplicateandcutcopiesofCampaignBallotinthirds1/student.● Make10selectioncardswitheachorganellewrittenonit.● Groupstudentsinto10groups.● Createacertificateorprizeforwinningorganelleteam.
LessonSequence:*Forthisactivityitisrecommendedthatstudentsbedividedinto10groupssincethereare10organelles.Ifyouwantlessstudentsineachgroup,youcanaddadditionalorganelles.
Part1:
40minutes
IntroductiontoOrganelles§ Tellstudentswewillwatchavideotointroduceustoournexttopicofcell
organelles.§ Showthevideo“AmoebaSisters:TheGrandCellTour”(9:26minutes)allthe
waythroughtogivestudentsanoverviewofModernCellTheory,prokaryoteandeukaryotecells,andtheorganellesandtheirfunctions.
§ DistributeAmoebaSistersVideoNoteTakingPage(1/student).§ Tellstudentsyouwillshowthevidoeonemoretimeandinstructthemonhow
tofiloutthenotetakingpage.§ Re-watchthevideopausingaftereachsectionforstudentstoquicklysketch
andwritedownthefunctionofeachorganelle.
10minutes
10Organellegroups§ Explainwewillnowexplorecellorganellesmorebyrunningacampaign
similartoapresidentialcampaign.§ Dividestudentsinto10groups(eitherteacherselectedorself-selected).§ Havestudentgroupsdrawtheirrandomorganellecard.Thiswillbethe
organelletheywillbethecampaignmanagerforastheyarguetheirplaceas“TheMostImportantCellOrganelle”.
§ Allowstudentstousetheremainingtimetodiscussinitialideasabouttheirorganelleandbereadytobeginresearchthenextclassperiod.
Part2:
100minutes
CellOrganelleResearch§ Havestudentsdivideintotheir10organellegroupsandgetcomputers.§ PassouttheCellOrganelleCampaigndirections/notetakingpackettoeach
student.§ Projectthedirectionsandreadthroughthemwiththestudents,makingsure
allgroupsunderstandtherequirementsfortheresearch,posterandpresentation.
§ ShowstudentstheresearchlinkthathasbeenpostedtotheirGoogleClassroom.Makesurestudentshaveaccesstotextbooks,oranyotherresearchbooksthatcanbeusedintheclassroom.
§ Allowstudentstousetheremainingtimetoworktogethertoresearchtheirorganelleandselectarunningmate.
§ Instructstudentstotellyouwhentheyhavecompletedtheirresearchandshowyoutheircompletednotes.
§ Atthispoint,getallstudents’attentiontoreviewtheposterexpectationslistedonthedirectionpage.
§ Passoutposterpapertogroupsthatarereadytostartcreatingtheirposter.§ Monitorstudents’progressandassistanddirectwhereneeded.
Part3:
50minutes
DesignCampaignPoster&2MinuteSpeech§ Projectthegradingrubricforalltoseeandwalkthroughtheexpectations§ Allowstudentstousetheremainingtimetoworktogethertocompletetheir
campaignposter.§ Onceagrouphascompletedtheirposter,thestudentswillcompose(onthe
PresentationNotesPage)andpracticetheir2minutespeech/presentation,makingsureallmembersareparticipating.
§ Monitorstudents’progressandassistanddirectwhereneeded.§ Walkaroundandensureeachstudenthasaspeakingpartinthepresentation.
Part4:
50minutes
ElectionDay§ Havestudentsgetintotheir10organellegroupsandgettheircampaign
posters.§ Allowabout5minutesforgroupstopracticetheircampaign
speech/presentation.§ HavestudentsturntotheCellOrganelleSpeechListeningNotesintheir
packet.§ ProjecttheListeningNotesandreviewexpectationsforcompletionwiththe
students.§ ReviewtheGradingRubricwithstudents,emphasizingthesectionaboutall
membersoftheteamparticipatingandshowinggoodeyecontact.Notethatthestudents’ListeningNoteswillbeincludedintheirownfinalgrade.
§ Callupstudentgroupsoneatatimetopresenttheircampaignspeech/presentation.Remindstudentsintheaudiencethattheyshouldlisten
andobservecarefullytocompletetheListeningNotessectionforeachorganellepresented.
§ Astheorganellegroupsarepresenting,theteacherwillscoreeachstudentonteamparticipation,voiceprojectionandindividualeyecontact.
§ Allowtheaudiencetoaskquestionsaftereachpresentation.§ Whenthelastorganellehasbeenpresented,tellthestudentsthatyouwillnow
passoutthevotingballots.§ Explaintostudentsthattheycanvotefor2organellesthattheythinkarethe
“best”.Explainthattheycanvoteforthemselves(iftheywant)andoneotherorganelle.
§ Explainthemethodforballotcollection.Ifindthesemethodsworkwell:§ foldedandplacedincenteroftableor§ placedin“electionbox”
§ Havestudentsvoteandplacetheirballotswheredesignatedforcollection.
10minutes
CollectingPosters&WorkfromGroups**Dependinguponhowlongthepresentationsandvotingtake,thismayneedtobedonethefollowingday.
§ Passoutthegradingrubrictoeachstudenttobestapledontopoftheirworkpacket.
§ Incampaigngroups,studentswillplaceallworkpacketsontopofthecampaignposterandplacethegroup’sworkwheredesignatedintheclassroom.
Part5:
10minutes
AndtheWinneris…§ Announcethewinnerof“TheMostImportantOrganelleintheCell”thenext
dayandpresentcertificateorprize.§ Havethestudentswhovotedforthewinningorganellesharetheirreasoning
astowhytheyvotedforthatcandidate.
TeacherBackgroundContent:TheInnerLifeofaCell–VideobyHarvardMedical3:12minutes(notnarrated)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJyUtbn0O5YThisvideowouldalsobeagreatwaytobeginyourlessononcellsasphenomena.Thencouldshowagainattheendoftheunitandtrytoidentifytheorganellesasshown.