Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Lesson 5E Lesson
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What's My Purpose in This Life?

Intro to Cell Theory: Organelles

K20 Center, Alexandra Parsons | Published: May 31st, 2022 by K20 Center

  • Grade Level Grade Level 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
  • Subject Subject Science
  • Course Course Biology I
  • Time Frame Time Frame 3-4 class period(s)
  • Duration More 145 minutes

Summary

In this lesson, students will be introduced to cell organelles, their functions and cell theory. They begin by watching 2 videos and making analogies between them. Then, student groups will make an assembly line. They will use an H-Chart to compare and contrast their assembly line to that of organelles. Students will create a cell flip book and participate in a game of Kick Me.

Essential Question(s)

Why are organelles important to cells? Why are cells called “the building blocks of life”?

Snapshot

Engage

Students will watch two short videos and discuss analogies between them.

Explore

Student groups will make their own Hershey’s Kisses to simulate an assembly line.

Explain

Students will learn about organelles, their functions and reflect using an H-Chart.

Extend

Students will make an organelle flipbook.

Evaluate

Students will play Kick Me about organelles and their functions.

Materials

  • Technology that allows PowerPoints to be displayed

  • Marbles ~ 10/15/student group

  • Aluminum foil

  • Ribbon, string or yarn

  • Scissors and rulers

  • Copy of H-chart

  • Transparency paper (or paper protectors work just as well)

  • Multi-colored Sharpies or other permanent markers

  • Copy of Kick Me print out - enough for a class set

  • Index cards, or sticky notes,for Kick Me activity (if you are handwriting them instead)

  • Stapler

  • Timing device

Engage

15 MINUTES

Go to slide 5 and show the students video 1: Introduction to cells . Next show them video 2: How It’s Made-frozen pizza. Then, lead a discussion on what was happening and the significance of each step in the process. Save the discussion of the intro to cells video until slide 6.

Go to slide 6 and lead a discussion using the 3 prompts listed. Possible student answers might be: 1. It followed a certain order or one step led to the next step happening. 2. Changing a tire, building a house, fingernail paining, following a recipe. 3. Hopefully student will realize the analogy between the two videos. Organelles have specific jobs to do just like the jobs show in the pizza making video.

Explore

23-30 MINUTES

Separate students into groups of 3 to 5. Go to slide 7 and tell them their group’s goal is to make as many 'Hershey Kisses' as possible in 5 minutes. Either hand out, or allow them to, gather the materials needed. Then allow groups about two minutes to test and trouble-shoot before timing. Circulate around the room to make sure students are staying on task. After the five minutes is over, have students talk about how it went, including challenges/barriers and successes.

Explain

30 MINUTES

Go to slide 8 and hand out an H-Chart to each student. On the left-hand side they should write a reflection of their experience during the construction of the kisses activity. H-Charts are similar to a Venn Diagram and are used to compare and contrast two items.

Then, display the PowerPoint slide of the different organelles. Have students write what they notice from the slide. When they're done, have them compare the two reflections, and write a small paragraph over what the students have learned from both reflections.

An example of a completed H-chart. As you can see, it doesn't have to be really profound, or perfect, but it combines the ideas of both sources successfully.

Extend

Have all the materials out for students to make their flipbooks. Having them start with the nucleus, have each clear page be a different organelle or group of organelles (if they serve a similar process). Have students use the information on the PowerPoint and in their textbooks to make the word portion of the flipbook, but allow them the creativity of deciding what will go on each page.

What the sample flipbook looks like with all the layers on top of each other
An example of how two organelles are on the same clear sheet, since they have similar purposes
This is to show how each layer adds detail. In this photo it's easy to see the last two layers (at the top of the photo) to be able to visualize how the flipbook pieces are made and layered to make the full product.

Evaluate

Students will be participating in an instructional strategy called Kick Me. Place a term or definition on each student’s back. Their task is to find out what term they have on their back by asking other students questions in the class. Let the students mingle for about 5 minutes, then, as a class, have each student say what term they think they have on their back. It is important that other students in the class DO NOT tell the student what is on their back, it is up to them to collect information from other students and make a determination based on that. This can be done just once, or in several rounds.

Sample interaction would look like this:

  • Student A: "Student B, your term is the command center for the cell"

  • Student B: "Student A, your term looked like a bean-shaped thing with folds in our flip book. It makes energy."

  • During the class discussion, Student A should guess " mitochondria" and Student B should guess "nucleus."

Resources

Publisher

K20 Center

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Downloads

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Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (Grades 6, 7, 8)
MS-LS1-2: Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.
Oklahoma Academic Standards (6th Grade)
PS4: Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Facilitator Resources

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Kick-Me-Print-out
  • Lesson-Slides-What-s-My-Purpose-in-This-Life

Learner Handouts

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • H-Chart-Template

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