TE 802: Guided Lead Teaching Unit Plan and Report

Name: Corey Kapolka

Mentor Teacher: Jeff Boggs
Class and grade level: 8th grade MYP Biology

Partner:
School: Grand Rapids City High Middle School
Date: 9/20/14

Part I: Information about the Lesson and Unit

Topic: Organismal Hierarchy (Cell specialization, Tissues, Organs)
Abstract
The importance of specialization in cell structure and function will be used to introduce the broad theme in biology
of specialized function following from the existing structure of an antomical feature. The hierarchy of biological
constructs is then addressed, beginning with an examination of how functioning of specialized cells affects the
functioning of tissues and organs, and building into lessons about various tissues and organs of the human body and
plants.

Part II: Clarifying Your Goals for the Topic

A. Big Ideas
Cells, like many levels of biological structures, can be specialized for particular functions within a
multicellular organism. These specialized cells can be categorized according to their anatomy and their function, and
the function of the cells can often be inferred by features of their anatomy. This is not always true, but is a general
trend that can be valuable when encountering unknown cell or tissue types. There is a general theme throughout
biology that the function of a specialized feature must follow first from the existence of an appropriate anatomical
structure. The structure can then be modified through selection for the improvement of an associated specialized
function. A related popular notion of the relationship of structure and function is that 'form follows function', which
neglects the reality of biological features arising as a result of evolutionary processes.
Cells can be organized into tissues groups of cells that serve a common function. Tissues are in turn
organized into organs groups of tissues that serve a common function. As parts of tissues and organs, specialized
individual cells are essential for normal organ functioning. Many different cell types are required for the successful
functioning of an individual organ, and various organs have a wide variety of specialized cells that are specific to
that organ or a select few organs. This follows another general theme in biology biological structures are
composed of smaller components of various specializations, which are in turn composed of yet smaller components
(e.g. biosphere; biome; community; population; organism; organ system; organ; tissue; cell; organelle;
macromolecule; monomer; atom).

B. Student Practices
1. Naming key practices
- Students will use their existing knowledge of the structure and functioning of cells to identify specializations of
cellular anatomy.

- Students will apply the principle of function following form in biology when identifying possible functions of cells
as indicated by their anatomy.
- Students will infer cell functioning from cell anatomy to identify potential benefits/uses of specialized cells.
- Students will use the principle of biological hierarchy to explain how organ functions are accomplished through the
actions of individual cells.

C. Performance Expectations for Student Learning

Performance Expectation

Associated NGSS
Practice

NGSS Performance Expectation(s)

1. NGSS HS-LS1-2 - Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical

organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within
multicellular organisms.
2. HSCE B2.4A Explain that living things can be classified based on
structural, embryological, and molecular (relatedness of DNA sequence)
evidence.

Developing and
Using Models
Analyzing and
Interpreting Data

Specific Lesson Objective(s)

1. Students will infer functions of components of organisms following from

the structure of their anatomy.
2. Students will infer the structure and functioning of a biological construct
(i.e. organism, organ) depending on the structure and functioning of its
component parts (i.e. cells, macromolecules).

Developing and
Using Models
Planning and
Carrying Out
Investigation

Part III: Example Activity Sequence

A. Storyline for the Activity Sequence in Context
Stage

Role in Storyline

Lessons before During the early weeks of class, we established scientific methods of solving
your
problems and answering questions. We then reviewed biological chemistry
sequence
and the basic structure of cells (organelles and plasma membrane). These
skills and knowledge will be applied in this sequence as students will be
expected to consider multiple possibilities for explanation of functions of
specialized cells.
Lesson 1

Modeling and Coaching: Establishing the idea of function following anatomy

and identifying possible functional specializations of cells from their
structural specializations. Students will begin to contribute their ideas for
why specialized cells are important for whole-organism functioning.

Lesson 2

Fading: Students will complete a laboratory activity examining images and

slides of specialized cells. They will independently produce ideas for the

function of specialized cells based on features of anatomy, following the

model presented in the previous lesson. The structure of cells already
presented during lecture will be reinforced through reading material provided
with the lab handout. Following the lab, students will then consider how
traits of cells affect the traits of higher biological constructs such as tissues
and organs.
Lessons after
your
sequence

This sequence will lead into lessons about the structure and functioning of
tissues and organs. Human organs will be emphasized, and plant tissues and
organs will also be discussed to provide a comparison and continue the theme
of diversity of cells/tissues/organs begun with this sequence.

B. Activity Sequence Details

Focus Objective
Objective

HS-LS1-2 - Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical

organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within
multicellular organisms.

NGSS Practice
Developing and Using
Models

1. Application Cycle
Examples and Scaffolding (Pattern in Student Practices)
List of examples
1. Oil lamp, architectural spandrels (the artwork specialization followed from the existing form)
2. Avian wings, tail, beak
3. Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates
4. Adipose cells, xylem tissue/tracheid cells
5. Muscle cells, throat epithelial cells, intestinal epithelial cells, lung cells
Scaffolding that applies to all examples
- Demonstrate the principle that a given feature can be useful for multiple functions, and may be specialized for
those functions. Many specializations may be developed from the same kind of appendage, organ, or cell type.
- Specialized cells can have multiple important functions that can inferred from their anatomy. Students will be
guided through recognizing potential physiological functions of unknown cells, which can help in identifying the
specialization of cells and where said cells are important for regular body homeostasis.
- Students should be guided through making creative inferences about the functioning of unknown features/cells.
- Where appropriate, point out how specializations followed from an existing form. Analogies can be made with
manmade objects, and a short discussion of how evolution fine-tunes biological structures over time as a novel
function arises should also be included.

Stages in Your Application Sequence

Stage
Establishing the
problem
Modeling
Coaching

Fading

Maintenance

Teaching Activities
What is the specialization of this feature/cell? What functions could it serve?
Demonstrate how a given feature can serve several different purposes or functions. Modeling
will begin with manmade objects and transition to biological structures with which students are
already familiar. The principle of function following form in biology will be emphsized.
Instructor will project images of two or more different types of important specialized cells (i.e.
animal adipose ('fat') cells and plant tracheid cells). Important features of the cells will be
identified, and students will be expected to describe what functions these cells could serve using
information about their structure. It is important to point out that it's okay if students are wrong
about their inferences scientists are often wrong about their conclusions, but through
communication among scientists we can build more accurate explanations of natural phenomena
than we may initially create. Creativity is an essential part of the scientific process.
Students will complete a lab activity using the principles modeled in the previous lesson.
Images of a series of different specialized cells will be provided in a lab handout and available
as prepared slides, and students will describe the appearance of important cell features and infer
their specialized functions. Identifying multiple possible functions of these cells will be
emphasized to encourage independent creative thinking, an important skill for making scientific
discoveries.
Homework activity describe how specializations of selected cells can influence specializations
of associated organs.

C. Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 Materials
Presentation materials (Overhead transparencies or PowerPoint presentations, etc):
Powerpoint slides with images of examples (lamp, legs, wings, beaks, etc.)
Lesson 1 Activities
Lesson 1 Introduction (10 minutes)
Journal: Many different kinds of cells are present in different tissues and organs of our bodies. Some of these cells
are specialized for a particular function, such as cells behind our eyes being filled with fats to provide a cushion
for our eyeballs.
How could a cell produce more protein?
How could a cell move water quickly into itself, across its cytoplasm and into the next cell?

These ideas may give you the idea that 'form follows function.' We see this idea in manmade objects:
- Lamp built with reflectors to direct light
- Architectural spandrels built in such a way as to fully support the weight of a ceiling
But in biology, the opposite is actually true: form precedes function!

Lesson 1 Main Teaching Activities (35 minutes)

Recall the example of the oil lamp. The lamp seems to be made for providing light, but it has other possible uses, as
well. It provides heat, has weight, and contains fuel. All of these traits can be useful, and if we want we can make
a lamp that provides a lot of heat along with light.
Biological structures can be thought of in much the same way. Something that serves one particular purpose can be
modified to serve another over generations as better versions of that structure tend to be produced more often
because they give an organism some kind of advantage.
- What were wings originally good for? Fossil evidence suggests balance, and eventually gliding and flying.
- How have wings been specialized from the basic flying type?
- How about beaks? Have all of the specialized beak types existed, or have they developed from existing
structures over time?
- What are some of the different proteins that we have talked about? How have the functions of all of these
proteins developed?
Even when biological structures are specialized, they can serve several different important functions.
- What can our legs be good for? (walking/running upright, climbing, swimming)
- What do we do with our tongues? (eat, speak)
- How are our muscles useful? (movement, shivering, pump blood to heart through veins)

Lesson 1 Conclusion (5 minutes)

For the remainder of this unit, and when studying biology in general, keep in mind that the structure of a feature and
its functions are inextricably tied together. We cannot have a function without a form, and something without a
useful function will tend to be lost over time (think about vestigial organs).
In the next lesson, we will apply these ideas to cells. We will use a lot of the knowledge about cell structure that you
have already gained from the previous couple of weeks, and apply it in some next sitautions that will help you to
remember important traits of cells and learn how they can be different in your own bodies.

Lesson 2 Materials
Presentation materials (Overhead transparencies or PowerPoint presentations, etc):
- Images of tracheid cells and adipose cells on Powerpoint slides, labeled with important cell features.
Copied materials (Handouts, worksheets, tests, lab directions, etc.): Specialized Cells lab activity worksheet
Laboratory materials: For the teacher or the class as a whole:

Microscope slides:
Cell type 1: Small intestine cross-section (simple columnar epithelial cells)
Cell type 2: Spinal cord neurons squash (nerve cells)
Cell type 3: Trachea cross-section (ciliated pseudostratified columnar cells)
Cell type 4: Leaf cross-section (palisade mesophyll cells)

Lesson 2 Introduction (10 minutes)

Journal: Consider the structure of a branching tree. Do you think that the cells in its leaves are significantly different
from the cells in its trunk? What traits would you expect to see in leaf cells (more of a type of organelle, cell
shape, etc.)? What do you think trunk cells need to be able to do to keep the tree alive?
- Today, we are going to complete an activity building from what we covered yesterday. We will be applying the
principles that features of objects and organisms can be fine-tuned for a particular function, or many functions.

Lesson 2 Main Teaching Activities (60 minutes)

- Much like how communities and populations are made of separate individuals, individual organisms are made of
separate organs, which are in turn made of tissues and the tissues made of cells.
- Organs can be specialized for some particular tasks. Could cells be specialized? How do you think a cell could be
specialized? Could things be added or improved to its structure?
- Using the example of plant tracheid cells, what do you see that's different or special about these cells? What could
be the specialized functions of these cells? Note the thick cell wall and long tube shape of the cells. What purpose
does the cell wall serve? Why would cells be long tubes?
- Using the method of inferring function that we developed yesterday, work with your partner to describe what you
think could be the functions of these cells. Don't worry about getting the absolutely correct answers; I expect you to
come up with at least two reasonable ideas for each cell type, but remember that in science we are often revising
ideas we have that are not entirely correct. We will see if we can collectively produce a good idea of what all of
these cells do.
- Hand out activity worksheet to be completed during this lesson.
Students will work through activity, with occasional guidance from instructors as appropriate.
Outline of lab activity:
(Slides of tissue with the follow cells will be provided. Images of the target cell types will be included on the
worksheet to assist with finding the correct cells.)
- First cell type
For this first cell type, note the arrangement of the cells. Recall the benefits of high surface area per volume that
you learned about last week. Why might these cells be arranged in this way?

Also note what look like gaps between the cells. These are actually cells filled with mucus! Think about what you

know about mucus; what could these cells be specialized to do?

- Second cell type

These cells have a main body where you can see a nucleus, and long branches that extend for long distances (for a
cell, at least) and make contact with other cells. Why might a cell have these branches? What function do you think
these cells could serve?

- Third cell type

These cells may appear similar to the first type, but are they arranged in the same way? Look closely between the
cells for the familiar mucus cells. If the tops of the cells look fuzzy, don't worry about your focus; those are cilia!
Remember that cilia can move cells around, but these cells are fixed in place. What purpose could they serve on
these cells?
- Fourth cell type
These cells are arranged in an intricate network with large spaces of air. Is the surface to volume ratio of this
tissue (the whole tissue, not just individual cells) very low or very high?

The spaces within this network are normally filled with air. What could be passing into and out of this tissue
between the cells and the air?

- Fifth cell type

These cells are FILLED with chloroplasts. Also take a close look at the edges of the cells; are they thin or thick?
What function could these cells serve?

How could the arrangement of these cells affect their function? Why might it be beneficial to be so tightly packed
together?

Lesson 2 Conclusion (15 minutes)

- Wrap-up activity with group discussion of student findings. What did different groups come up with as functions of
the various cell types?
- Why is knowing the functioning of many different kinds of cells important? How could this be important in
medicine or nutrition?
- Identify the five organs examined and assign follow-up questions as homework. This homework will be due the
next time that the class meets. If time permits, students may begin completing the questions until the end of the class
period.

Part IV: Assessment of Focus Students

A. Focus Objective

HS-LS1-2 - Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting
systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
B. Developing Assessment Tasks
1. Students will be given a list of the cell types they examined during the activity with the organs of which they are
parts. As homework, they will explain why the characteristics of these cells are important for the functioning of the
whole organs.
2. What would you expect to find in abundance in a cell that exports a large amount of proteins? What would plant
root cells look like that are responsible for absorbing water and nutrients from the soil?
3. Sperm cells carry important genetic information from the male and have one important jobto move through the
reproductive system of the female and fertilize the egg. Knowing this,
a)

Draw and label major parts of the sperm cell and explain why it is shaped the way it is.

b) What specific organelles would you expect to see in large numbers in a sperm cell? Why?

Part V: After the Unit Report

A. Description of Changes in Your Plans
This unit began as an attempt to teach students the relationships among the structure and function of cells,
tissues, and organs, but became focused on cell structure and function. Most of my students have not learned cell
biology before, and though NGSS standards for high school biology eschew focusing on the cell I could not teach
what I had originally envisioned without establishing foundational knowledge of cells first. Gail provided a good
new direction for my activity sequence that guided the rest of the unit teach students about the importance of
interpreting relationships of structure and function in biology in general through the structure and function of cells
specifically.
Instead of focusing on tissues or organs, I designed the activity to focus on examining individual cells or
simple tissues with cell traits easily visible. On Gails advice, I incorporated the relationship of cells, tissues, and
organs as a fade for students to use their understanding of these cells and their functions in a slightly new kind of
application. The students did not know the organs from which the cells they were examining were gathered until
after the lab was complete. Then, they were tasked with relating the structure and functioning of the cells they had
seen to the structure and functioning of organs. Most of my students came up with good connections between the
two, and this assessment turned out as a good application of what they had seen during the lab.

B. Story of What Happened

The Cell Structure and Function activity sequence was introduced on a Friday following a delay of a couple
of days. My goal for this day was to get my students through about half of the material, and finish the activity the
following Monday. I began the activity with a modeling of the process of inferring functions of adipose (fat) cells
and plant tracheid and vessel element cells. I emphasized the creative side of this process, and that I wanted
everyone doing this activity to take some time and think through how given features of cells they observe could
affect what they do in our bodies. There was not any correct answer with regard to scoring the activity as an

assessment; I wanted to see original thinking and justification of their ideas.

As the students began studying their slides, I was quickly pulled into helping individual students put
together ideas of what advantages certain cell shapes and features could provide in a large organism. Several needed
a re-explanation of the benefits of a high surface-to-volume ratio, which we had reviewed in previous lessons. Once
they could recognize a high ratio, these students then easily made the jump to understanding why cells arranged in
strange-looking networks would be helpful for absorbing and expelling materials from and into the environment
around the cells they were examining. Several students offered ideas of what organs their cells had been taken from,
and though I did not want to tell them what these organs were until the end of the lab I encouraged the curious to
explain why they had come to their conclusions. Some had prior knowledge of the features of intestines, and others
realized that lungs would be an organ that should have a high surface-to-volume ratio for absorbing oxygen and
releasing carbon dioxide.
Brenda asked for quite a bit of help during the activity, but usually she could explain a quality answer once
I got her talking. She occasionally got things backwards, like the relationship of surface area to volume in a surfaceto-volume ratio. Robert was quiet for most of the activity, and seemed to prefer to complete it alone. The students
were to complete this activity in pairs, but Robert tended to examine his slides and comment on them without
referring to his partner. His partner tends to act out during class, and I think Robert prefers to get his work done as
best he can without a lot of goofing off. He offered identifications of a couple of the organs as he was examining
them the intestines for the first cells and the brain for the neurons which were nearly spot on.
Mark struggled with completing the activity during class time. A few of my other students did, as well,
which made managing the time spent on the activity a bit difficult. Some students were finished shortly after we
began again on Monday, while others like Mark needed to complete as homework more than what was intended to
be homework. I had planned for this possibility, and included large pictures of the subject cells in their packets to
serve as surrogates for microscope use in addition to helping students to locate cells on their slides. Mark turned in a
complete and fairly well-done worksheet a few days later.
As I asked my students at the end of the activity to identify the five organs they had been examining, I had
a lot of volunteers with ideas. I had several students suggest that the trachea slides were skin, and with not bad
reasoning skin cells should form a thick protective layer, and cilia are hair-like projections. Some students thought
their leaf slides were stems, which is not surprising if they have not seen many examples of magnified plant tissue.
But once the organs were established, many of my students solved the final few questions and were finished without
having to take it home as homework.
B. Making Sense of Focus Students Responses
1. Descriptions of focus students
Pseudonym
Brenda

Academic Standing
Middle

Mark

Low

Robert

High

Personal Description
Very inquisitive, wants to learn a lot about science in general.
Has a lot of difficulty remembering all of the information that is
covered in class, and tends to need help outside of class to study
and complete asignments. I think she would understand things a
lot better if she could develop the confidence to trust her own
ideas and answers to my questions.
Not very engaged in class, and has a tendency to turn in
assignments late. He does seem to care to get a good grade and
learn, but after asking for help and getting study advice he
doesn't seem to quickly follow through with putting in the
necessary time to complete assignments and prepare for
assessments.
One of my most engaged and clever students; is consistently
ready to offer an on-target answer to my questions during
classes. Doesn't generally ask for help during activities, and
regularly turns in well-done work.

2. Excellent Response or Rubric

Lab Activity Follow-Up:
Why would a high surface-to-volume ratio be important for this organ? (Intestine)
- Cells, tissues, and organs with high surface-to-volume ratios are more efficient at absorbing nutrients and expelling
wastes, so the intestines probably need a high surface-to-volume ratio to be efficient at absorbing nutrients from
digested food.
Why are long, slender projections on these cells important for sending electrical signals within this organ? (Spinal
cord)
- The 'branches' on these neurons connect with other neurons and other cells to form long connections that can send
signals throughout our bodies.
Why is having dense cilia that can sweep material away important for this organ and organ system?
(Trachea/Throat)
- The respiratory system has to remain clear of obstructions in order to function, so the cilia function to remove
debris and mucus that collect along the lining of the trachea.
What would happen to you if the large spaces you see in this tissue were to shrink, decreasing the total surface-tovolume ratio of the tissue? (Lungs)
- A very low surface-to-volume ratio in my lungs would mean that I could not be able to absorb oxygen and expel
carbon dioxide at an efficient rate, resulting in a lack of available oxygen in my body and a buildup of carbon
dioxide. Without sufficient oxygen or with too much carbon dioxide present in my tissues, I could quickly die.
Why is a high surface area important for the energy-capturing activities of this organ?
- Leaves have a lot of chloroplasts packed in to cells that are themselves tightly packed at the surface of the leaf.
More area means more cells with chloroplasts absoring light energy and producing chemical energy for the plant.
Journal:
Sperm cells carry important genetic information from the male and have one important jobto move through the
reproductive system of the female and fertilize the egg. Knowing this,
Draw and label major parts of the sperm cell and explain why it is shaped the way it is.

- The body of a sperm cell is propelled by a long flagellum that extends from the head, which holds the

cellular contents. The head is streamlined to allow for rapid movement of the cell through liquid to reach its final
destination (the egg).
What specific organelles would you expect to see in large numbers in a sperm cell? Why?
- Because the sperm cell must move quickly to reach an egg cell and successfully complete fertilization, it
should have a large amount of mitochondria to power the movement of its flagellum.

3. Finding and Explaining Patterns in Student Responses

The high-achieving students in my class like Robert easily connected cell functions and the importance of
surface-to-volume ratio to whole organs at the end of the lab activity. Similar responses can be seen in Brenda and
Mark's work, like that cilia work to clear the throat of debris and that neurons connect with other neurons and cells
to send signals through the body. Mark's responses tended to be a little superficial ('things can go through easier') or
inaccurate ('so it can collect more chloroplasts'), which is a trend with his work overall. I have a few students who
tend to answer questions as simply as possible, and often come up with an incorrect response because they do not
process the information they have with a critical understanding of how it applies in new situations.
For simple ideas like high surface-to-volume ratio can be important for absorbing nutrients, most of my
students can repeat the idea in a form of procedural display. Asking them to extrapolate to what would happen to
one's body when that ratio changes becomes a little confusing, as I saw in Mark's responses. What he wrote was not
incorrect most of the time, but it was incomplete. Brenda tends to have difficulty writing her thoughts onto paper,
though when she does she can be one of my best students. I occasionally receive incomplete work from her because
she can get worried about being wrong on a question and simply leave it blank rather than offering her ideas.
My students in general have been able to make the connection between organelle function and cell and
tissue function, seen in their answers relating the activity of cilia and abundance of chloroplasts with clearing of the
throat and capture of light/photosynthesis, respectively. Most are still not yet comfortable with speculating about
possible explanations for phenomena or functions of biological features without a good amount of helping context.
For big-question journals, I typically will get an 'I don't know this' or 'I can't do this' verbal response from most of
the students until I give them a little prod or context to help them begin writing. These students are thirteen years
old, just barely into the age range of the formal operational stage of cognitive development. I have several students
who clearly can systematically come to logical answers, but many still have difficulty working through a problem in
a step-by-step or trial-and-error approach. This is most obvious when I discuss study and test-taking strategies; my
poor performing students tended to try to complete a study guide I prepared by looking at their notes and
remembering what was written, while my best students thought through what they knew to produce explanations in
their own words. I have been trying to teach that sort of strategy to my struggling students, but it doesn't seem to be
sticking as a strategy that all of them actually use. I have been consistently hitting on the point that I expect my
students to use what I am teaching, not simply repeat it; some are starting to come around, and I think questions
similar to the follow-up activity from this lesson are helpful in developing the critical thinking that I'm aiming for.
Most of my students could recall the general structure of a sperm cell, and of those who did most could
recognize that a flagellum requires energy to move hence mitochondria being common in these cells. Some, like
Brenda, speculated on additional organelles, like vacuoles and Golgi apparatuses. As is too often the case, I did not
get explanations for why they thought those organelles would be abundant in sperm cells, so I cannot determine why
they would conclude those to be important. For future assessments, I should emphasize the why part of my questions
to push my students to think through their reasoning. They are used to providing quick, easy answers in their earlier
science classes, which is not very helpful in performing science as a process.
C. Improvements Parts I-IV
It became quickly apparent that my students were still struggling with the significance of the surface-tovolume ratio of cells and groups of cells. Before implementing this activity in another class, I will need to improve
how I prepare students to be independently successful at completing it. It felt like they were just a step behind being
able to make connections between the arrangement of cells in intestine and lung tissue and high absorption capacity,

or why light-absorbing cells would be in high densities on plant leaves. I think the strategy of having students
explain these relationships with their own ideas was very successful once they had sufficient information. My goal
to improve this shortcoming is to prepare more lessons that directly tie into the important concepts that are important
to be able to apply in this activity.
I used images of bird wings and reconstructions of feathered dinosaurs to discuss structure and function in
general, and a couple of types of lamps/burners to give students a chance to think through a simple form of selection
producing variety of form and function. These were a hit, and it got me thinking that I could spend more time
teaching about simple patterns in evolutionary biology as part of a unit or series of lessons on structure and function.
I tend to favor beginning with evolution rather than cell biology, and I think I would like to introduce evolution
shortly before a cell biology unit because I find myself regularly slipping in information about evolution into my
lessons without being able to get too in-depth about it. The material from this activity sequence may morph into part
of a completely different unit by the time I'm teaching on my own.
The activity as it is now suited the abilities of most of my students, but the responses from my poorest
performing students showed that they had great difficulty understanding what they should be learning. I am worried
that this activity as written may be too vague for students at a lower level of academic achievement that the students
at City. I am a little spoiled by the abilities of my students, and if I were to introduce this activity at another school
next year the students I teach may not be as willing to think creatively and produce good ideas about the relationship
of cell and tissue/organ structure and function. I am happy with the outcome this time around, and I may need to
supplement this activity with more information to provide context to the questions I am asking my students. I
modeled this activity off of investigative laboratories I have enjoyed in the past, which often had supplemental
readings interspersed with the really important material to help students connect all of the material together. With a
bit more time, I may do the same and fill out my lab activities with more informational text to guide my students.
D. Improvements in Your Understanding of Science Teaching
I'm a little conflicted about what to take away from the outcome of this activity. Some of my students really
did not keep up with the information I was trying to convey, but most did. I expect at a non-selective school I would
not have as much success with creative application of knowledge, but I hope I'm wrong. At least for this group of
students, I learned that I can give them a fair amount of freedom to solve problems on their own and provide some
explanation for their reasoning. I would like to continue pushing their abilities to independently make connections
with information they have learned and are given, including inquiry-based activities.
I have been having some doubts about the standards I have been setting for what my students are expected
to be able to do in labs or on assessments. They are not used to being asked to offer their own ideas about a question
or creatively solve problems in the sciences. So it can be stressful for them and for me to struggle through figuring
out what they are capable of achieving and not pushing them so hard that they feel overwhelmed and resist learning.
This is a difficult transition to make, but it's exactly what I think secondary science education needs to address in
order to prepare students for advanced science education at the university level. This experience has given me
confidence that most of my students will rise to these challenges, and I should continue to put them through their
intellectual paces. But I still need to figure out what can be done to help the few that are still lagging to reach an
acceptable level of performance for my high standards. If it is a problem of motivation, I may need to put more work
into making my lessons relevant for more of my students.
Attachments
Cell Structure and Function Lab (Updated).doc
Cell S&F Modeling Slides.ppt
(Lesson 1 PPT will be uploaded shortly after other files)
Brenda Follow-Up.jpeg
Brenda Journal.jpeg
Mark Follow-Up.jpeg
Robert Follow-Up.jpeg
Robert Journal.jpeg

Grading Rubric
Summary Comments
Comments on specific sections. The parts emphasized for this report are in bold. Criteria for grading are the
bulleted lists in each section.
I: Abstract
IIA: Big ideas
IIB: Practices
IIC: Performance
expectations
IIIA: Storyline
IIIB: Steps in activity
sequence
IIIC: Lesson materials and
activities
IV: Assessment tasks
VA: Story of what happened
VB: Analysis of focus student
responses
VC: Improvements for next
time
VD: Improvements in your
understanding
Final Grade =