My Lesson Plan Using Claymation

Tuesday October 23, 2007

Michigan Science Benchmark for Cells page 8 of Michigan Curriculum Framework Science Content Benchmarks Summer, 2000 from www.michigan.gov/documents/Updated_Science_Benchmarks_27030_7.pdf

This is what we have worked towards for the past two weeks in chapter 7.
Cells (LC) III.1
All students will apply an understanding of cells to the functioning of multicellular organisms, including how cells grow, develop and reproduce:

1. Demonstrate evidence that all parts of living things
are made of cells.
Key concepts: Types of living things: plants,
animals; parts of organisms: tissues, organs, organ
systems; all functions of organisms are carried out by
cells. See LC-III.1 m.2 for specific functions.
Tools: Hand lens, microscope.
Real-world contexts: Common plant or animal cells:
Elodea leaf cells, onion skin cells, human cheek cells.
Single-celled organisms: Paramecium.

2. Explain why and how selected specialized cells are
needed by plants and animals.
Key concepts: Specialized functions of cells—
reproduction, photosynthesis, transport, movement,
disease-fighting. See LO m.4 (systems and processes
functioning to provide/remove materials to/from
cells).
Real-world contexts: Specialized animal cells: red
blood cells, white blood cells, muscle cells, bone
cells, nerve cells, egg/sperm cells; specialized plant
cells—root cells, leaf cells, stem cells.

1. Explain how multicellular organisms grow, based on
how cells grow and reproduce.
Key concepts: Specialized functions of cells—
respiration (see LO h.3), protein synthesis, mitosis,
meiosis (see LH-III.3 h.2). Basic molecules for cell
growth—simple sugars, amino acids, fatty acids.
Basic chemicals, molecules and atoms—water,
minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and lipids,
nucleic acids; carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen.
Cells come only from other cells. See LO m.4
(digestion).
Real-world contexts: The growth of plants and
animals.

2. Compare and contrast ways in which selected cells
are specialized to carry out particular life functions.
Key concepts: Classifications of organisms by cell
type—plant, animal, bacteria; selected specialized
plant and animal cells—red blood cells, white blood
cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, root cells, leaf cells,
stem cells; cell parts used for classification —
organelle, nucleus, cell wall, cell membrane;
specialized functions — reproduction (see LC-III.1
h.1, LH-III.3 h.2), photosynthesis (see LO m.3),
transport; cell shape.
Tools: microscopes
Real-world contexts: Reproduction, growth,
response, movement, etc. of animals and plants.
Functions of bacteria.

ISTE ED TECH Standard
Technology Operations and Concepts

Digital Citizenship


Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a. understand and use technology systems.
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.
c. troubleshoot systems and applications.
d. transfer new and current knowledge to new technologies


Learning Performances: Identify the different stages of the cell cycle. Describe what happens to cellular genetic material during interphase and mitosis. Explain growth and the role mitosis plays. Give an example of cells that go through mitosis. Compare mitosis to unregulated cell growth.

Establishing purpose: Students have learned about cell structure and specialization. They can apply characteristics of life to infer if something is living. Students can recall cell theory. Now they need explain reproduction and growth of cells with regards to all life and the importance of these processes.

Materials: Projector and laptop, powerpoint, handout (worksheets from chap 8 in book, sec 8.2 pg 35 and sec 8.3 pg 36

Instructional strategies: Lecture, worksheet activity, video presentation

Time required: 5 minutes WDYK, 20 minute lecture, 5 minute video presentations, 5 minutes questions, 25 minutes worksheets

Cautions: Boring nature of material, must keep it interesting and class moving

Sources: Text book, Web videos, Mitosis Claymation

Instructional sequence: Lecture, presentations, worksheets
Objective:




I also borrowed this from a former MAC student, but to further drive home that Mitosis happens through a sequence, so often students think it is just 4 stages, but have no idea there are in between things happening and we just label stages to increase our understanding.





The lesson went really well, but ended up being a two day lesson to really finish it off. Here was the final part of the assignment. It was a mitosis flip book. I did not have cameras for students to shoot their own clay animation, so they made a book that they could flip to see the process.