Course

Science 8

Grade Level

Subject

Cells and Systems

Time Frame

6 weeks

Developed by

N. Mueller

Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standard(s): By the end of this unit you will be able to explore the relationship between different
levels of life and how they maintain a balanced system
Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas:
Essential Questions:
Students will understand that . . .
Content specific . . .

Why can we find similarities between two
1) All living things, whether single or multicellular,
completely different species?
require specific functions and structures to survive
How are systems able to work together to
Structure is related to function at all
support life?
biological levels of life
Why does your body know how to adapt to an
2) Living organisms exist as interconnected
environmental change or stimuli?
systems composed of separate structural and
How can all of our body systems work together
functional units that all work together to maintain
to promote life?
equilibrium

3) A cell is a functional unit of life
Prior Knowledge:
4) Regardless of the type of cell or cellular system, What do students already know . . .
similar patterns exists to support life
-Gr 1: Topic D (Senses)

-Gr 1: Topic E (Needs of Animals and Plants)
Related misconceptions . . .

Students will understand that:
Unit Emphasis:
-The difference between molecules/atoms and cells Nature of Science
-The difference between organs and tissues
-The scale of a cell in relation to an electron, atom
etc.
-All cells are the same size and shape (generic cell)
-Bacteria do not require essential life
functions/food to survive
-Cells do not make their own molecules required
for growth and repair
Knowledge objectives (general outcomes):
Skills/Attitudes objectives (general outcomes):
Students will know . . .
Students will be able to . . .
1. Investigate living things; and identify and
1. (Initiating and Planning) Students will ask
apply scientific ideas used to interpret their
questions about the relationships between and
general structure, function and
among observable variables and plan
organization
investigations to address those questions
2. Investigate and describe the role of cells
2. (Performing and Recording) Students will
within living things
conduct investigations into the relationships
3. Interpret the healthy function of human
between and among observations, and gather
body systems, and illustrate ways the body
and record qualitative and quantitative data
reacts to internal and external stimuli
3. (Analyzing and Interpreting) Students will
4. Describe areas of scientific investigation
analyze qualitative and quantitative data and

leading to new knowledge about body

systems and to new medical applications

develop and assess possible explanations

4. (Communication and Teamwork) Students will
work collaboratively on problems and use
appropriate language and formats to
communicate ideas, procedures and results

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
Organization of Organisms
Model of the cell (plant OR animal)
Body systems to scale (5 groups. Each focus on one)
Doctor Presentations describe an illness that affects the respiratory, circulatory and digestive
system and how research has been made to improve this illness.
G Goal
Organization of Organisms (LT1)
What should
G - Students will understand the order and organization of organisms
students accomplish R- Students will take the role of themselves! Each student will look at their lives and
by completing this
the "hierarchy" that organisms take in their lives
task?
A - The audience will be student's peer and teacher
S- Students are challenged with looking at the smallest unit in organisms and growing
R Role
outwards in a visual and creative way
What role
P Students will produce a visual of the organization of organisms that goes beyond
(perspective) will
organ system and into their life
your students be
S- Students will know they have successes when they have completed the criteria
taking?

A Audience
Model of the Cell (LT2)
Who is the relevant
G Students will be able to locate, describe and explain the function of all the parts of
audience?
a cell.
S Situation
R Students will be taking the role of a scientist who is constructing a model of a cell
The context or
to teach a grade 8 class
challenge provided
A Students will present this work to their peers, or the classroom they have built the
to the student?
model for
S Students are challenged with building a creative and informative product that
explains the organization of a organism in order to "teach" a grade 8 class the
structure of a cell
P - Students will create a original and creative model of a cell
P Product,
S Students will be marked based on the attached rubric
Performance
http://mrsbader.com/pdf/8-1-Cells/Summative1Cells.pdf
What
product/performanc
Body Drawing (LT3)
e will the student
G Students will be able to understand the function and how one stimuli will affect a
create?
system in their model
R- Students are taking the role of medical students
A the audience is going to be the patient (drawing) and the medical doctors
(teachers)
S Students are challenged to solve a medical mystery and explain what would
S Standards &

Criteria for
Success
Create the rubric for
the Performance
Task

happen when a stimuli has been applied to a body system

P Students will produce a life sized model of the body and draw in the body systems
with details about its function. Students will be in groups and challenged with
determining how a stimuli will effect a body
S Students will be marked on a collaboratively created rubric (guided)

Doctor Presentation (LT4)
G students will understand how new improvements to health and medicine are
made and how they affect the body systems
R students will take the role of doctors presenting to their peers about current
medical advancements
A students will present their work to their peers
S - Students are challenged with researching an illness and what body system it
effects.
P Students will produce a broacher on their illness that provides details of the
illness, how they contribute to the health of a body system, and if applicable how it
can be improved
S Students will be marked based on the collaboratively created rubric (less
guided)
Student Self-Assessments
Other Evidence (assessments)
AB Pairing A reads, B
Microscope labeling
listens then says what
Microscope lab
they think they heard.
Drawing of opposite cell
Switch.
Osmosis lab
Travelers and talkers
Body systems workbook
one stays and talks, one
Presentations
travels and listens to

every other group
321
POE
KWL
Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities: En Engage, Exp Explore, Exl Explain, Eb Elaborate, Evl Evaluate
Specifi
Lesson
c
Evidence
Materials
#
Lesson Activity
Key5E
Title
Outco
Resources
mes
Function and structures of
living things
Classification of
What does
Classification game
1A,
function from examples
List of
1 it mean to
En, Exp
(topic 1 review Q2)
1B, 1C -321 (knew, learned,
examples
be living?
Levels of organization
unsure)
what are they and what is
their role?

Levels of Organization
assignment
Review levels
-Tour and history of the
microscope - label and
The
describe each piece of the
Microscope microscope
Learning
task 1

1B

-Levels assignment LT1

-Entry slip (what are
Exl
the levels)

Craft supplies
Large Paper

PR1

-Diagram labels and

functions description
-Field of view exit slip

Exp

2A, 2B

-Lab worksheet
-Group discussions

Exl

Microscopes
and slides

PR1,
PR2

-KWL
-Parts of a cell
worksheet
-321

En, Exp Worksheet

-Calculate field of view

Students get to explore

using microscope what
Microscope they predict a slide will
Lab
look like (drawing) and
then draw what they
actually observers of a cell
What is a cell why does
size matter
Intro into a
Single cell vs multicellular
cell
organisms
Parts of a cell
Plant and
Animal
Review parts of a cell
Cells
Distinguish between plant
Learning
and animal cell (start
task 2
construction of cell)
(LT2)

-Venn diagram between

plants and animal cells
2C, 2E -Tweet me something
Exp, El
youre still unclear
about the cell

Cell
constructio
n LT2

Work period to construct

-Cell construction (LT2)
animal or plant cell and
2C, 2E
El, Evl
-Cell drawing
drawing of the opposite cell

Osmosis
and
diffusion

Cell membrane
permeability
-How does this work in
cells? Plant and animal

Osmosis
lab

Iodine and cornstarch

investigation of osmosis
and diffusion

Cell
10 Specializati
on

-Review levels of
organization
-Tissues

Venn Diagram
template
Extra materials
Glue/Tape
general craft
supplies

-Classroom cell demo

Video -
diffusion with students
https://www.y
movement
2D
En, Exp outube.com/w
-Tweet me your own
atch?v=W0Dm
definition of osmosis or
06BsYBI
diffusion
Lab work sheet
-Pre lab questions
Plastic bags
2D
Evl
-Lab write up
Cornstarch
Iodine
-Think, pair, share
2A, 2B review of the levels
Exp, Eb Worksheet
-Specialization

-Organs and systems

Body
Systems:
11 Circulatory,
respiratory,
digestive
Healthy
12
organs
Excretory
and
13 sensory
awareness
system

Introduction to body
systems - Each system
overview
-How the respiratory and
circulatory system connect
-How the circulatory and
digestive systems connect
Describe what a healthy
organ would look like and
how it works
Introduce the excretory
and sensory awareness
system

Body drawings students

will work in groups to
Learning
research and draw a to
14 task 3
scale model of a body
(LT3)
system and the organs that
help it function
-How do we respond to
environmental changes
Responding
15
-Heart rate activity lying
to change
down, running on the spot
etc.
-Disorders of digestive,
Unhealthy respiratory, and circulatory
16 organs and system
cells
-Signs and characteristics
of unhealthy systems
Medical
research
-Intro to LT4 assign
and
illness and find groups
17 improveme -Development of medicines
nt in
and how to improve
human
unhealthy body systems
health
Students will work is small
Medical
groups to research an
18 Investigatio illness and create a info
n (LT4)
pamphlet about their
illness

worksheet

3A

-KWL
Introduce body systems
workbook fill out
En, Exp Booklets
general functions
-Peer review of section
in booklet

3B

-More additions to body

Exp,
systems workbook
Exl
-321

3A

-Final system
introduced in booklet
-Tweet me

Exl, Eb

3A

-Peer review booklets

-Peer feedback on
systems and revision
before submission

Eb, Evl

-Butcher paper
-Craft supplies

3D,
PR4.
AI1,
AI2,

-Heart rate mini write

up
-321

En, Exp

-Timers
(phones)

-POE different
unhealthy habits effect
3C, 4B
on your body
-Tweet me

En, Exp

-Entry slip recall one

characteristic of an
4A, 4C
unhealthy body system
-321

Eb

Laptops/Comp
uter access

Evl

Laptops/Comp
uter access

4A, 4C

-Presentation
-Peer review sessions

Consideration
s
Is there
alignment
between the
first 3 stages?
How has
learner
differentiation
been
addressed?
How does the
unit design
include a
variety of
teaching
experiences
that includes:
FNMI,
multicultural,
and
interdisciplinar
y activities.
Sources
consulted

Stage 4 Reflection
Comments
Alignment exists between the three stages. Specifically, the activities and assessments
planned throughout the unit and individual lessons ensure that by the end of the unit, the
enduring understandings and knowledge skills outlined in Stage One are accomplished.
Through each essential question, students are able to explore and gain the ability to
answer the questions as they move forward into the unit. Students knowledge is built upon
and scaffold throughout.
Learner differentiation has been incorporated in a variety of ways. Different modal
representations of teaching and assessing have been included in order to ensure that
students are engaged regardless of their needs as a unique learner. The teacher will also
scaffold their questioning style to match their English language proficiency. Students are
encouraged to be a part of adapting the learning tasks with the teacher in order to have a
say in where their learning is going. Students will always have the opportunity to seek
additional support for assessment and learning tasks
By taking students outside to explore their relationship with nature will authentically
extend the scientific knowledge and curricular outcomes required to be taught as per the
Alberta Program of Studies. The assessments throughout this unit will incorporate artistic
elements. Students will also have the ability to incorporate technology to demonstrate
their understanding.

Alberta Program of Studies