Unit Overview
Unit Title:Cellular Respiration
Lesson Summary: Participants will explore cellular respiration by recognizing the reactants and products of the cellular respiration equation.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ------> 6CO2 + 6H2O
Proper placement of coefficients and subscripts will be emphasized during the activity. The activity demonstrates that the overall reaction for cellular respiration is the reverse reaction of photosynthesis, but chemically, the steps are different. (This lesson is adapted from an activity by: Eva Carswell, Westside High School, Macon, GA and Ananda Weerasurlya, PhD. Mercer University School of Medicine.)
Subject Area(s) and Grade Levels: Click box(es) of the subject(s) and grade(s) that your Unit targets.
Life Science / Physical Science / Earth Science / 5th / 7th / Biology
Arkansas Framework:
SLE – Student Learning Expectation Details
MC.3.B.5 Compare and contrast cellular respiration and photosynthesis as energy conversion pathways. (We will only address cellular respiration in this SLE.)
SEl.2.Al.1 and SEl.3.AC.1 Solve multi-step equations with rational coefficients.
lR.12.7.6 Use information presented in graphic sources to draw conclusions.
National Standards:
National Standards Details:
NS.9-12.1 Science as Inquiry – As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, understandings about scientific inquiry.
NS.9-12.3 Life Science – Students should develop an understanding of the cell.
Students should develop an understanding of matter, energy, and organization in living systems.
Student Objectives and Procedures: (All 7-E’s may not be present in a single lesson)
Objective: / Students will be able to recognize the cellular respiration equation and write the equation with proper coefficients and subscripts.
Focus Question: / How will students represent the reactants and products of the equation for cellular respiration when given cards representative of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen?
Prerequisites / Background Information: Review the proper use of subscripts andcoefficients. During cellular respiration, sugar is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. The overall reaction for cellular respiration is the reverse reaction of photosynthesis, but chemically, the steps are different. Only photosynthetic cells can make sugar during photosynthesis, but all cells need to be able to break down the sugars that they take in from the environment.
Timeline:
Preparation: / 1 class period (This activity will take approximately 15 minutes to complete depending on the size of your class and their familiarity with the concepts presented).
Teacher Preparation:
•Copy templates- see attachment (use different colored paper such as red, green, blue if desired)
- Cut out templates
- Laminate templates (optional)
- Put equation on poster board, chalkboard, etc.
Materials:
•Six “C” (Carbon) cards
•Twelve “H” (Hydrogen) cards
•Eighteen “O” (Oxygen) cards
•One “+” card
•One “arrow” (yields) card
•One “Carbon Dioxide” card
•One “water” card
•One “glucose” card
•One “oxygen” card
•One copy of the Cellular Respiration equation
•Poster board (optional)
Technology – Hardware: (Click boxes of all equipment needed)
Camera
Projection System
Video Camera / Computer(s)
Television
Internet Connection / Digital Camera
VCR Other:
Technology – Software: (Click boxes of all software needed.)
Database/Spreadsheet
Internet Web Browser / Multimedia Word Processing / Other:
Internet Resources:
Procedures: / Teacher’s Notes:
- No special safety equipment is necessary.
- Pass out cards to each student. Depending on the size of your class, some students may need to hold more than one card. Ex: Give one student two “H’s” instead of one “H”. (Variation: Make enough card packets to give to each individual student, pairs of students, or teams so students can work at their desks.)
- Call out components of the equation, hold up the poster board, point to the board, or give students a copy of the cellular respiration equation.
- Instruct students to position themselves or the cards to represent the reactants of the equation.
- Once the students have correctly represented the reactants and identified the number of molecules and/or atoms present, give each student or group of students the corresponding names for carbon dioxide, water, glucose, oxygen, etc. Have students match the correct name to its corresponding compound.
- Have students represent the products of the equation and correctly identify the number of molecules and/or atoms present. The idea is that students will realize that the equation is the reverse equation of photosynthesis. Emphasize that even though the overall reaction for cellular respiration is the reverse reaction of photosynthesis, chemically, the steps are different.
This activity can also serve as the
engagement segment of the 7-E model.
- Discuss what the students determined in the activity.
Math: Have students explain what the coefficients and subscripts represent numerically.
Cross-Curricular
Math: / Explain what the coefficients and subscripts represent numerically.
Literacy: Write out the equation for cellular respiration using words instead of symbols.
Notes: