Increasing student understanding of Cell Division
The lesson break down I have provided is for a class session I plan on teaching sometime in the future. The main goal of the lesson is to increase students understanding of cell division through problem solving, visual learning, as well as first hand research. The eighth grade science standards that I used were from the common core website and the standard was incorporated within my lesson.
The first portion of my lesson encourages students to learn, be creative and think critically. In this portion students have the opportunity to observe both single and multi cellular organisms and be able to compare and contrast the benefits and limitations of each. In my first row we begin with a ‘cell viewing’ activity. I will introduce the students to the topic and give a brief description of what is expected of them. They then will be provided microscopes and prepared slide which they can use to view organisms. This will allow all visual learners to actually see what it means to be a single or multi celled organisms. Once all students have had the opportunity to view the cells we will swiftly move on to the next activity ‘observe draw and label’. Here students will take what they have just observed and draw it inside their notebooks. Using what they have draw students will next go online and research single celled and multi celled organisms. This will give students the opportunity to learn about performing research as it is such an important part of science. When taking a look at the scientific method we can see that before any testing of a hypothesis can be done first we must research past works in order to determine how we want to structure our experiment so that we do not repeat past mistakes. Once students have searched up and found accurate information on the topic they will label their drawings which they can use as a reference when needed.
The second portion of my lesson encourages students to gather information, think critically, as well as communicate and collaborate. In this portion students have the opportunity to learn about cell division in terms of both meiosis and mitosis. In the first line here students begin with a ‘video watch’ activity. Here I will use a projector screen and project to the whole class youtube videos on how cells divide in meiosis and mitosis are. This allows students to physically see the action in motion vs just reading descriptions and trying to piece together what is happening. Having watched the videos students will next have the opportunity for a ‘Q&A’ question and answer where they can ask any additional question they still feel need clarification to them. Once all this is complete we will move on to a ‘cookie activity’ where students will work together to review everything they just learned about in the videos. Students will get together in groups of five and each group will receive five Oreo cookies and a cup of chocolate sprinkles. Each student will take a cookie and using the sprinkles will demonstrate one phase of mitosis. They will open the Oreo cookie and on the cream side they will use the sprinkle beads to draw out what the chromosomes look like in the phase they were given. Once they are all complete they will put all their cookies together and discuss what is going on in each of their cookies.
In the third and last portion students will have the opportunity to gather information and understand research on what scientists have done thus far in the field of cell division. For instance what is cancer? It is an uncontrollable cell growth. How and what has science done in terms of cancer research and treatment opportunities. In the first line we can see that students will beginning with a ‘online research’ activity. Students will first come up with a few questions, such as the questions posed above and then they will have the freedom to research and find information in order to answer their questions. Science is ever changing and since we live in a continuously changing society that improves day by day science is not far behind in terms of change. Once students complete this they will next have a sum up activity were they will play online games from sites I will provide them. Online games are a fun way for students to review the information they have learned in each portion.
No comments:
Post a Comment