Katie Manta
SS Philip & James School
PA

The Cell as a Candy Factory

Sun, Dec 09, 2018 5:29 PM
Great Introductory Lesson

This past semester I was student teaching in a 7th grade classroom. We were just beginning the unit on cells when my placement ended. The unit starts with the characteristics of living things, cell theory, then the structure and function of cells. My clinical educator told me the summative assessment for this unit was to have students write an analogy comparing the cell to a school, factory, city, or anything else they can think of. This article flips this structure around, engaging students in a brainstorming session on what makes a successful factory then bringing that model to life. My students from this semester loved any lesson where they could be out of their seats and so I think they would really enjoy this approach. This PBC factory makes learning relevant, fun and it sets them up to understand organelles before learning the complex vocabulary.

Tried and True: Simply Cells

Sun, Dec 09, 2018 4:27 PM
Are Edible Cell Models Accessible For All?

This article provides a sequence of activities for a middle school unit on cells. First, students examine the various parts and function of cells. Wiedmeyer goes into detail about students creating mnemonic devices and association charts, but I wonder if the author has suggestions on whether this is done by having students work with the textbook or if she presents the content in a presentation. After this introduction, students examine onion and cheek cells under a microscope to see if they can identify some organelles. This is a great way for students to apply their learning and practice with the microscopes. The summative assessment for this cell unit is the creation of an edible cell model. This prompt requires students to be creative in how they will represent each organelle. I’m curious if students also have to include details about the organelle’s function for this project. I can see students getting excited to create their own cells, having a gallery walk and voting. However, I do not think this is an appropriate assignment for populations of lower socio-economic status. I feel uncomfortable asking parents and families to spend money on food that will be disposed of while they may be struggling to feed their family. It also creates a lot of food waste. I wonder if students could create a model out of modeling clay during class. Students could also be told to draw a diagram of their edible food cell, rather than having to actually make it.