Structure and Function in Living Systems
Subject: Science
Grade: 6
Time Required: 3-4 Class Periods
Content TEKS and Clarifiers:6.10 The student knows the relationship between structure and function in living systems. The student is expected to:
(A) Differentiate between structure and function;
(C) Identify how structure complements function at different levels of organization including organs, organs systems, organisms and populations
Educational Objective:
What the student must know:
The structure of cells, organs, and systems allows or helps them to perform their functions in living systems.
What the student must do:
· Relate structure and function in models of cells, organs, and organ systems,
· Correctly sequence the following levels of organization, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms and populations.
· Create a metaphor for levels of organization.
More Information:
For more information see the TRIAND Resources icon for this SE.
Vocabulary:
Structure
Function
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ systems
Organisms
Population
NOTE: Students should be able to define vocabulary words from their learning experiences. More detailed information is found in the teacher background section.
For ideas on teaching vocabulary, refer to the TRIAND resources icon to select District Strategies: Verbal/Visual, Automaticity, etc.
Procedures:
ENGAGE
1. Show students both sets of bottles – one with the bent paper clips and the other with marbles.
2. Then show them an individual marble and a bent paper clip so they can see the structure of each object.
3. Ask students “Which do you think will move faster through the bottle opening and into the second bottle when I turn them over?” (Most likely, students will say the marbles but some may say the paper clips since they are smaller.)
4. Ask two student volunteers to come to the front. Give one of the students a marble bottle set-up, and the other a paperclip bottle set-up. Instruct them to turn the bottles over on your signal. The students may need to shake the bottles up and down to move the objects.
5. Most likely, the bottle with the marbles will win. Allow the student with the bottle of paper clips to continue to try to get the paper clips out.
6. Discuss the structure and function of the marble and paperclips, using the following questioning strategies:
Facilitation Questions:· Why do you think the marbles flow out of the bottle so easily?” (They are round and flow easily over and past each other)
· Why were the paper clips not able to flow as easily? (The shape of the paperclips made them catch on the bottle opening and each other.)
· Can you think of any cells in your body that might look like the marbles? (blood cells)
· Can you think of any cells in your body that might look like the bent paperclips? (nerve cells)
· What body system depends on materials flowing through it smoothly? (circulatory system)
· What would happen if your blood cells looked like the paper clips?” (The blood cells would get all jumbled up and stuck.)
· Why is it important for your blood cells to be circular?” (So they can flow easily through your blood vessels.)
EXPLORE
1. Think: Pair: Share: Ask students to write down as much as they know about their lungs in their journal and draw a line. After two minutes allow them to share with a partner and add new ideas about lungs.
2. Allow students to share ideas with the class, and then ask students: How can something as small as lungs exchange enough oxygen and carbon dioxide to keep our bodies running smoothly?” (Students may not have any idea but again, write any of their answers on the board)
3. Pass out the larger blocks of wood, and tell students this is a model of a lung.
4. Instruct students to measure the area of one side of their lung. (Length X Width)
5. Instruct students to count the sides of their lung model. (6)
6. Tell student since they want the entire area of their lung they must multiply the area times 6. Would the sides be the same width as the surface?
7. Tell students this is called the surface area.
8. Ask students “What is the surface area of the lung model?” (if the blocks are the correct size it will be 13.5)
9. Next give students 3 small blocks of wood.
10. Ask students “How many of these small blocks of wood would it take to fill this large block?” (27)
11. Instruct students, “Find the surface area of one of these little blocks.” (remind them of how to find surface area (L X W X 6) if they have a hard time; correct answer is 1.5)
12. Instruct students, “Now, what would be surface area of all 27 blocks together?” (students should multiply 1.5 times 27)
13. Ask students, “Which has the larger surface area – the one large block or the 27 small blocks?” (27 small blocks)
14. Ask students, “If you needed a lot of oxygen moved throughout your body, would you rather have the one large block or a lot of smaller blocks put together?” (many smaller blocks)
15. Show students the diagram of the lungs and alveoli, and ask them to compare the wooden lung model to the diagram. Lead them to the understanding that lungs have tiny sacs in them called alveoli just as many tiny blocks of wood fit into the large block of wood. All of these sacs allow the lungs to have more surface area and exchange more oxygen than a lung with no sacs inside.
16. Explain the structure of lungs fit the function of getting oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body.
EXPLAIN
1. Ask students if they know the meaning of “Structure complements function.”
2. Ask students, “How do you think the structure of the red blood cells makes them well suited for their function?” (the round shape allows the blood to flow and not get stuck in blood vessels.)
3. Ask students, “How do you think the structure of the lungs makes them well suited for their function?” (The tiny sacs allow the lungs to have more surface area.)
4. Ask the students if they can think of any other structures, cells, organs, or organ systems that are well suited to their job or function (heart–strong muscles help it to pump tirelessly, skeleton helps to support body , etc.)
Facilitation Questions:· What is a structure?” (structure is the way something is built or made)
· What is function?” (the job of something)
· What does the word complement mean? (to make something work well)
· What does “structure complements function” mean? (The structure of a cell or an organ make it well suited to do its job or function.)
ELABORATE
- Draw and label a square diagram on the board to represent the United States.
- Draw a smaller square inside the large square. Label the second square as a state.
- Ask students how they could divide states into smaller pieces. Draw a smaller square inside the second square and label it whichever answer is a consensus among students, such as counties or cities
- Tell students that this is an example of levels of organization. There is one large part that is divided several times into smaller parts. Each part does its job to make sure everything runs Tell the class to read pg 146 – 147 in their text.
- As students read, ask them to write down any word they are unfamiliar with.
- After students read prompt discussion. Address any difficulty students have with vocabulary – science and non-science.
- Ask the students to write the levels of organization in their science journal from smallest to largest.
- Ask students to create a “flow chart” with their information. Within the flow chart students should give examples of each level or organization.
- Have students complete the “Levels of Organization” sheet.
EVALUATE
1. Create a metaphor for levels of organization of living things. For example, if the population is Aldine ISD, then the organisms would be the leveled schools (elementary, intermediate, etc), the organ systems would be the individual schools, the organs would be classrooms, the tissues would be students and the cells would be individual students.
2. Ask students to illustrate, label and color their metaphors.
3. Share metaphors with class. Display student work.
4. Pass out the 3-2-1 sheets as an exit slip.
Facilitation Questions:· What are the levels of organization? (cells, tissue, organs, organ systems, organisms, populations)
· What happens when one part of the system doesn’t work? (the other parts begin to suffer)
· How do you think different organ systems work together – for example, the digestive and circulatory systems? (the digestive system gets the food ready for your body to use by forming nutrients that can be moved around your body in your blood by the circulatory system)
Use the following rubric to score the exit slip.
Scoring Rubric:Score / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Criterion:
1.) The student / The student completed exit slip thoughtfully. / The student mostly completed exit slip with some thought. / The student completed about 70% of exit slip. / The student did very little of the exit slip or put no thought into completing it.
Materials Details/Advanced Preparation:
ENGAGE
4-1 liter plastic soda bottles – do not need caps (T)
duct tape (T)
300 #1 paper clips (T)
60 medium size marbles (T)
Teacher prep instructions – place 60 medium sized marbles in one of the 1 liter plastic soda bottles. Place the opening of this bottle to the opening of another soda bottle. Duct tape the two together (at the openings) so they will be secure. Bend at least 200 of the paper clips. Put all of the paper clips in the 3rd soda bottle. Duct tape the 4th bottle to the 3rd bottle. The bottles should resemble an hour glass or egg timer.
If you have the materials, it might be beneficial to have students do the activity in groups and time it. If you choose to do this you will need timers also.
EXPLORE
1– 1 ½ inch square block of wood (L)
3 - 1/2 inch square blocks of wood (L)
calculator (L)
ruler (standard)
3-2-1 exit slip
You can get these blocks of wood at a hobby store. You can also have someone make them in any size you want. Just make sure you have the right proportions. This activity is done in standard units because the blocks were difficult to measure in metric units. We should use metrics in science.
EXPLAIN
None
ELABORATE
Science journal (I)
Levels of Organization sheet (I)
Map pencils (I)
Textbook (I)
EVALUATE
rubrics
Teacher Background Information:All living things are made of cells. One-celled organisms carry out all life’s function in one cell. Many-celled organisms have cells that work together to carry out all life’s functions. The smallest part of a living thing is a cell. All cells have specific jobs, or functions. Many cells working together to perform a job form tissues. Bone tissue and skin tissue are examples of tissue. The next level of organization is an organ. An organ is a group of tissue that performs a specific job. The lungs, stomach, and heart are examples of organs. Different organs work together in an organ system. The stomach, small and large intestine, along with other organs, work together in the digestive system. They all work together to digest food. Putting all the organ systems together creates an organism – a human, dog, bear or fish. The last level of organization is a population – all the members of one kind of organism.
Structure complements function. The structure of a cell, organ, or organism enables it to do a specific job, or function. Cells are shaped for their functions. Nerve cells have “fingers” that reach out to each other so they can send and receive message. Skin has many layers so when the top layer is damaged it can be shed and the layers beneath are okay. Structure complements function.
Targeted TEKS:6.10 The student knows the relationship between structure and function in living systems. The student is expected to:
(A) Differentiate between structure and function;
(C) Identify how structure complements function at different levels of organization including organs, organs systems, organisms and populations
Additional Documents/Resources:See District Strategies available on TRIAND.
http://www.4woman.gov/faq/Pix/lungdiagram.gif
This is a diagram of lungs and alveoli.
Level of Organization
1. Match each of the levels of organization to the drawings.
2. Color each drawing the same color listed under the level of organization.
3. Write the level of organization on the line next to the picture.
Level ofOrganization / Cell / Tissue / Organ / Organ
System / Organism / Population
Color / Red / Blue / Yellow / Green / Orange / Brown
A. ______
B. ______
C. ______
D. ______
E. ______
F. ______
Example flow chart:
Cell
Name ______
New things learned:
3
Things that surprised you:
2
Question you have:
1
Grade_6_Science_Structure and Function 8 2/28/2008