Cells...Nature's Building Blocks

 Bottom of Page

This series of lessons is designed to lead students through a series of labs with follow up activities and assessments to help them understand how cells are organized. 

Subject: Cell Structure
Topic: Science
Grade Level: Seventh grade
Student Lesson name: Cells: Nature's Building Blocks
URL:  Student Pages

Back to Top

Standards Addressed
Seventh Grade Science Content Standards
Science: Focus on Life Science
Standard 5a: The anatomy of plants and animals illustrate the complementary nature of structure and function. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know plants and animals have levels of organization for structure and function, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the whole organism.

Back to Top

Instructional Objective
Students will be able to draw a plant and and animal cell, including the following parts:

• cell membrane
• nucleus
• nuclear membrane
• mitochondrion
• cell wall (plant cell only)
• chloroplasts (plant cell only)

Students will be able to explain the difference between plant & animal cells.

Back to Top

Student Activities
Background
Microscope Test
Students will be introduced to the use of microscopes. This will consist of a self guided test using a picture of a microscope and an actual microscope. Because the majority of the students had extensive microscope training in sixth grade, this review should be sufficient.

Pretest
Students will complete a pretest which will be nearly identical to the final cell test.  The test consists of several short answer and essay questions as well as several questions that require the drawing of a labeled diagram. 

Activity One
Students will observe and draw human cheek cells using the microscopes.

Activity Two
Students will observe and draw trout or salmon cheek cells using the microscopes.

Activity Three
Students will observe and draw Elodea (aquarium plant) cells using the microscopes.

Activity Four
Students will observe and draw onion skin cells using the microscopes.

Culminating Activity
Students will complete a written test covering the parts of a cell, the differences between plant and animal cells, and several questions about cell functions and interactions.

Back to Top

Assessment
Each of the test questions will be graded using the following 4 point rubric.

4 - Answer includes all of the pertinent points and is written in complete, organized sentences for essays, and neat, well labeled diagrams for questions that involve drawing.
3 - Answer includes most of the pertinent points. Sentences are complete, if not well organized. Diagrams may have a few parts missing or labeled incorrectly.
2 - The student had an idea of the answer, but was unable to present it clearly.
1 - The student tried, but obviously did not know the answer.
0 - The student did not try to answer the question, or answered "I don't know."

Back to Top

Results
The results of the final assessment showed that 23% of the students exceeded the standards, 33% met the standards, 28%, while showing mastery of part of the unit, did not meet the standards, and 16% of the students needed review  and reteaching.

Graphs of Test Results

Back to Top

Web Resources & Supplementary Materials
Textbook - Glencoe Science Voyages
www.cellsalive.com
www.sanpete.k12.ut.us/EMS/old/Staff/Bishop/welcome.htm

Back to Top