showcase lesson
This is a lesson from my Apprentice Teaching semester that highlights my work in the 7th grade life sciences classroom.
Project Cell: Bringing Cells to Life
Project Launch & Overview
Project Cell is a non-profit organization that has noticed something: learning about cells can be challenging. Cells are responsible for making up all living things and they are what help us sustain life. Cells have small structures called organelles that have specific roles within the cell.
When studying cells it is very helpful to look at models to see how these structures all fit together, BUT looking at models alone has its limitations in helping people learn how the organelles function and work together.
Project Cell is launching a national contest for students like YOU to help them create interactive products that will help people learn about animal and plant cells, their organelles, and their role obtaining and utilizing energy for the organisms in which they create!
Project Cell has seen many “typical” plant and animal cell models in their day, so be sure to develop a product that is creative and helps others learn about how the structures of the cell function and work together.
Let’s help Project Cell bring cells to life!
Linked in the buttons below are the lesson plan summaries for each day of the two-week project period. All of the students' work was recorded in a journal that included the project launch, requirements, rubrics, rough drafts, daily curriculum reviews and planning, as well as the project reflection. Note that the lesson plans include hyperlinks to each of the supplementary materials used in the project and the journals are sequenced in printing format, so follow the page numbering at the bottom for ordering.
Project Objectives
By the end of the project, students will be able to:
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Describe the differences between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells
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Distinguish between the structures and functions that are similar and different in plant and animal cells
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Identify cell organelles and their functions
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Develop analogies to remember the function of each cell organelle
Throughout the project, students will:
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Incorporate an interactive technology component into their product and practice their programming skills
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Equally participate in the making process; showing teamwork, collaboration, and compromise
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Show great effort on keeping track with deadlines in creating the products
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Present their work with enthusiasm and accuracy
16 pages of guidelines and student work
16 pages of guidelines and student work
How did you get the students excited about this lesson?
The project launch that we shared with students excited most students, and of course we received the questions, "Is this a real contest? What is the prize?" I informed them that Project Cell and their contest was our fictitious way of launching the project, but the need for these types of products is real! We need more innovative ways to teach others about cells, their organelles, and how they each function. As to the answer of if there is a prize, we told students that their work would be shown to future classes and if we (me and my CT) write this lesson into an article and it is approved for publishing, then their work can be shown nationally to teachers and students who may implement parts of our lesson and project in their own classroom. Students who were not excited by the challenge alone found engagement when they developed an idea and were excited to work once they had some help brainstorming and a plan for moving ahead with the project.
Other ways we were able to excite students about their projects was to incorporate technology and give students creative freedom to execute the project requirements as they pleased. The full project requirements can be found on Page 2 of the Project Journal, but include:
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Produce a model for both a PLANT Cell and ANIMAL Cell
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Include and identify the function of the organelles
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Incorporate an interactive tech component into each model
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Explain how each cell obtains and utilizes energy
Before students began their project, we had a full day to explore both hardware and software that they could use to fulfill the technological component of the project requirements. First, students learned how to program Micro:bits to communicate via radio signals and then they practiced adding their own variables to the code. Then students programmed Micro:bits to control LED lights in circuits on a breadboard. Students also had a chance to revisit Scratch and Makey Makey-- both tech that they had been familiar with prior to this project.
How did you communicate connectedness to prior and future learning topics?
Before the cell unit, students studied the four major biomolecules: lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and proteins. Throughout this unit's investigations, we discussed the parts of the cell that were made with each of these biomolecules and the properties that each biomolecule had to carry out specific functions of the cell. Additionally, we studied and modeled the process of protein synthesis, talking about how DNA is transcribed into mRNA in the nucleus and then mRNA is translated into its corresponding amino acids and subsequent polypeptide chain at the ribosome. By discussing some of the organelles in the context of learning about how proteins are synthesized and reviewing the biomolecules and their properties, the cell unit content was scaffolded gradually. To learn more about the biomolecule lessons, please visit my Weekly Lesson Plans page.
As we began the cell unit, many of these discussed connections were revisited and reminded students of what they already knew about cells. Before the project began, students learned about the history and tenets of the Cell Theory and reviewed each of the cell organelles with a candy cell activity. With the background knowledge and notes they needed to get started on the project, students launched into their project. Each workday had specific organelles that they reviewed and created in their project. Throughout the unit, students were reminded that organisms are made of one or more cell and told that we would be studying the tissues, organs, and organ systems that these cells create in our next human body systems unit. Understanding of the cell as the basic unit of life is integral to appreciating the complexity of the anatomy and physiology of the organ systems in the next unit.
How were students actively engaged?
Each day of the project had clear expectations and was designed to keep students on track to finish all of the project requirements. By giving students structure to their work time, it helped them remain engaged with the material and tasks at hand, instead of getting lost in the two-week timeline. The project timeline that students used can be found on Page 3 of the project journal. Once students were able to develop a general plan for their projects, many were excited to get to work each day to create a product that they were proud of and could demonstrate all they learned and made. If students veered off task, they were consistently redirected to their work on their project and asked what they were going to do next to continue their work.
How were students formatively assessed?
The two major forms of formative assessment throughout this project were through conversations with students about their work and by reviewing their work in the project journals. Each day, I made it a point to check in with every group. During this time I questioned them about specific content knowledge related to that day and how they were going to demonstrate that knowledge through their product. I also scaffolded or streamlined their brainstorming/ideas to help them achieve the requirements of the project without making it too simple or going overcomplicating the making of the products. In addition to these conversations, students were required to complete specific journal pages each day. At the end of the day's classes, I reviewed and made notes in their journals to comment on their progress or lack thereof. I also made notes to ask students specific questions or help them out with a problem they were facing the next day when I talked to them.
All of the formative assessments throughout the project period helped inform the final grade of each student, along with the student presentations and final review of the projects. If students met the expectations listed in the center column, they could receive between an 80-90. If the student did not meet the expectation, notes were made in the leftmost column of the rubric explaining how they did not meet the expectation. In order to earn an "A," students had to go above and beyond the expectations by demonstrating deep content knowledge, using technology in an outstanding or innovative way, or creating their products with incredible attention to detail-- among other opportunities. Notes of these successes were recorded in the rightmost column of the rubric. This grading system was implemented to encourage students to go above and beyond the expectations and is in line with the Standards-Based Grading system we use for the class.
How did you differentiate instruction?
All students received the same project journal and general project requirements. Since all students worked in groups, their learning was mediated by peer involvement and the creation of products helped them express and obtain content knowledge. The major mode of differentiation came with the support given to students throughout the project period through individualized conversations and scaffolding, and also came through in the way students were evaluated, for example in their work product or in their journal entries. Each student was carefully evaluated based on their learning goals, individualized learning plan, and accommodations. The creative freedom allowed in the project also allowed for students to work within modes and means that they felt most comfortable in, and even though technology was required they had the choice to pick less detailed interfaces.
How did you summarize the learning goals?
At the end of each day, the class had a quick debrief and time to plan how they were going to finish the day's tasks. In this time I reiterated expectations and learning goals and provided ways that students could reach those were not met during class. Each day's goals, as well as the project goals were listed in student journals for their reference throughout the entire project period and proved to be a helpful resource for many students.
Student Artifacts
The gallery below shows pictures and brief descriptions of student work. Each of these projects are approached with a unique point of view and highlight the value of giving students creative freedom to fulfill the requirements as they deem engaging and interesting. For many of the students, they were guided by the question,
"If I had to learn about cells and their organelles for the first time, what would be a fun way to learn?"
