Cellular Structure and Function

Author: Ryan Feeney

Grade Level: 10
Course Biology

Purpose of Unit

My unit is on cellular structure and function, which is covered by the GSE LS1-1. The students
will learn the specialized structures of a cell and their roles (i.e. the food vacuole). The students
will also learn about specialized cells necessary for a multicultural organism to survive. I will
also teach the students how these concepts apply to their lives by showing what happens when
something goes wrong such as cancer. By the end of the unit, students will be able to identify
parts of the cell and their basic functions

Learning Performances and Standards

What do the standards mean?

• There are specialized structures of a cell which serve specific functions.

• Cells can be specialized in multicellular organisms.
• Unicellular organisms need to perform the same functions as multicellular organisms
only on a cellular level.
• The functions of the sub-cellular structures of a unicellular organism parallel the
functions of the structures of a multicellular organism.

What do students need to understand before you can address these topics?

• Students will need to know that cells are the basic unit of living organisms.
• Students will need to know that cells are composed of organelles.
• Students will need to know that cells make up all living things.
• Students will need to know the difference between plant and animal cells.
• Students will need to know that unicellular organisms survive by performing the same
functions as multicellular organisms but, not how they do.

What prior misconceptions are students likely to have about these topics?

• Plant cells and animal cells are the same.

• Unicellular organisms do not eat.
• The cell membrane is one solid piece.
• All molecules get into a cell the same way.
• The polarity of a molecule has nothing to do with how it gets into a cell.
• There is no part of the cell for structure.
• They are always circles.
Outline (see below window)

Lesson Sequence

The lessons are in 90 minute blocks.

lesson 1
lesson 2
lesson 3
lesson 4
lesson 5
lesson 6
Links below window

Assessment Plan

The formative
In every lesson, I try to create some kind of artifact. While the activities are always different, I
believe some kind of assessment of understanding is necessary to ensure the lesson is presented
at a reasonable pace. For my first lesson, I use a non-graded pretest to asses prior knowledge and
misconception on the subject. This also provides an introduction of the unit to my students. In
my second, third, and forth lesson, I use a worksheet to go with the class lesson. While the
lessons are different, the worksheets are just simple artifacts for the students to fill out so I know
that they understand the lesson. In the fifth lesson, I do not collect an artifact from the students.
However, they will be acting out the specialized cell functions. This gives me the opportunity to
question the meaning behind what they are doing.
The summative
In lesson four, I have a pre-test. The pre-test is really an assessment of the students understanding
at the halfway point in the unit. It will act as both a review for the students and a study guide for
the big test.
The unit assessment. Links below window

Rationale

As a teacher, I want to educate my students. In order to accomplish this, I first need to captivate
and motivate my students on the concept going to be taught. I do not believe that 90% of the
students I will meet in my carrier will understand the importance of a good education. Nor will
they be excited to attend school. As a teacher, I believe this is the first and one of the most
important lessons you can teach a student. If you teach a student to think scientifically, you have
not necessarily given them an academic curiosity to apply that thought process to their every day
life. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to ensure that my students not only learn the material
but, also to use it and connect it to their prior knowledge. It is now the commonly held belief that
for a student to learn a topic well enough for them to use it in their everyday lives, it must be
linked to their prior knowledge. What this means is a classroom should reflect the everyday life
of students whenever possible. I will teach the students the information they need by utilizing
what they know and use everyday. What this means is taking the extra time to find comparisons
of the material you are covering to the aspects of your students lives. This is as simple as
aerodynamics being taught in a way where students compare its effect on the fuel efficiency of
cars. Once you have created a situation where a student’s lessons pertain to their everyday life, to
captivate is easy. Once a student is interested in your class and subject matter, to motivate is as
simple as a question to challenge the student to apply their knowledge. Once you have a student
at this point, to educate is to guide them through their own observations of the world they live in.

EDC 430 F08 Unit Plan Eval - Ryan F Links below window