Colorado Agriscience Curriculum

Section: Plant & Soil Science

Unit: Plant physiology and growth

Lesson Title: Lesson 3: Discovering Plant Cell Structure Part 2

Colorado Agricultural Education Standards:

AGS11/12.4 / AGS11/12.4.8 / 11 & 12 / Identify plant structures and their functions.

Colorado Science Standards:

SCI3.3.1 / Science / describing cellular organelles and their function
SCI3.3.2 / Science / differentiating among levels of organization and their roles within the whole organism
SCI3.3.5 / Science / using examples to explain the relationship of structure and function in organisms

Student Learning Objectives (Enablers)

As a result of this lesson, the student will …

1.  Identify the functions of the nucleus

2.  Identify the parts of the nucleus

Time: Instruction time for this lesson: 50 minutes.

Resources:

Modern Biology, Holt, Rinehart and Winston

Agriscience Fundamentals and applications, Cooper and Burton

Tools, Equipment, and Supplies

Microscopes

Plant pieces

Writing utensils

Writing surface

PPO.HO.1- 1 for each group

PPO.HO.2- 1 for each group or a computer projector or an overhead projector

1-  Poster board for each group

1-  Play-dough for each group

1- Set of markers for each group

Key Terms. The following terms are presented in this lesson and appear in bold italics:

Nucleus

Nucleolus

Nuclear Envelope

Nuclear Pores

Chromatin

Chromosomes

Interest Approach

This lesson is designed to follow the cell structure part 1 lesson. Students should already know a great deal about the cell structure. The only remaining part of the cell that wasn’t touched much in part one was that of the nucleus. Students will look at a live cell. Teacher must have this prepared beforehand for students to observe. Then students will dissect their own and look at it, using the procedures on PSS.HO.1. Teacher can either supply students with their plants or have the students bring a plant from home. Students will be divided into groups, the number of groups you have them divide into depends on the number of plants provided and the number of microscopes you have.

You have been learning about plant cells, now we are going to explore one last part of the plant cell, the nucleus. To begin we are going to have to divide into groups. I am going to number you off, once you have a number you need to find the microscope with that number by it. Do not touch or look through the microscope until you are instructed to do so.

Start numbering students off.

Now each group is going to need to wait patiently while I call one group up at a time. When your group is called you will get to see a plant cell that I have prepared for you under the microscope. Along with seeing the prepared cell I will give you directions so you can prepare your own (PSS.HO.1). Be sure as you observe the plant cell under the microscope try to determine what structure is the nucleus.

Start calling up one group at a time to see the prepared cell. You might also remind them not to bump it so other groups can see it as well. The interest approach of this lesson should take 30 minutes.

Summary of Content and Teaching Strategies

Objective 1. Identify the functions of the nucleus

Students will use their text to find out the functions of the nucleus. They will do this in groups of three to four students. This should take students about 10 minutes.

How many of you feel like you know what the nucleus of the cell does? Raise your hand. Good so we have a head start with some of you already knowing this. I am now going to let you divide into groups, each group needs three or four people in it. You have 15 seconds. Go! Now that you are in your groups you will need to research and find out what the nucleus does. Don’t begin until I say, “Go!” Remember each person in the group is responsible for knowing this. Once you have done the research each group has to come up with a news skit that will accurately portray what the nucleus does within the cell. That means one of you is going to be the weather man, one of you the sports commentator, one of you the news anchor and one of you an onsite news investigator. Does everyone understand the instructions? Good. Go!

Give students five minutes to research their information and develop their news skit. You may tell them when they have 1 minute left. Give student PSS.HO.2 during the last minute. Each student can fill this in off the information they gather in each skit. The answers should include: The nucleus is responsible for carrying the genetic information of the cell.

The nucleus is also responsible for making RNA from the DNA and regulating the RNA for protein synthesis.

Stop! Is everyone ready to rock’n’roll? Good. Each group have a seat together and I am going to call one group at a time up to the front of the room to give us their news report on the nucleus. Each of you have a paper that I gave you. While the other groups are giving their news reports you can follow along and put information into this page. Remember each of you are responsible for knowing this information and the page you are filling out will make a wonderful study guide.

Start calling up groups to give their presentation. You may choose to pick groups randomly or use a different method of selection i.e. spinners.

Objective 2. Identify the parts of the nucleus

Objective 2 will be reached through a group project. Students will be divided into groups of 2 to 3 students. Each group will need a poster board, a set of markers and a set of play-dough. You may also give them each a handout of PSS.HO.2 or have it on an overhead projector for them to see. The teacher needs to write the terms on the board; Nucleus, Nucleolus, Nuclear Envelope, Nuclear Pores, Chromatin

You have done excellent today with the functions of the cell nucleus; however there are several parts of a cell nucleus that allow the nucleus to carry on such important roles. As you have demonstrated the nucleus is responsible for storing hereditary information and copying RNA from DNA to begin the process of protein synthesis. I need you to divide into groups of two to three students now. You have 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Everyone is in their groups. Now each group is going to get a poster board and some materials. Do not open any of the materials or begin until I say, “Go!” How many of you have not grown out of the stage of playing with Play-dough. Good then I picked the right crew for this job. You are going construct a nucleus out of play-dough and then using the markers you are going to label the parts of the nucleus. All of the parts listed on the board should be shown in your display. You only have ten minutes to do this so you will have to work diligently. Remember this is a group project, and that everyone can contribute a great deal whether they are artistic or not. “Go!”

Give students ten minutes to build their nucleus. If you choose to have these displayed in the Agriculture Department or in the school you may mention this to each group while they are working.

Review/Summary.

Option 1: To review this lesson, students will use the “Bob the Weather Guy” e-moment. Divide the class into groups of two to four. Each group will need one person to be the weather guy. As the “weather guy,” the student teaches the rest of the group about the cell organelles. You can also have each group rotate “weather guys” so that everyone has to explain and teach the group a certain part of the nucleus and it’s functions.

Option 2: To review cell organelles students will use the same concept as the “Bob the Weather Guy” e-moment, except instead of being a weather person, the student is a sports commentator.

Application

Extended classroom activity:

Students can go home and find their favorite fruit or vegetable and bring in to school to observe under the microscope and relate what those cells look like compared to the original cells that they prepared and observed.

FFA activity:

Students can use this information and take it a step farther by doing this lab for elementary students for “Ag in the Classroom.”

SAE activity:

Have students schedule a field visit to their local land grant university to tour the cell biology department. Students may also elect to tour businesses such as alcohol brewer companies that may do cell research with barley and other crops.

Evaluation:

PSS.Assess.1


Answers to Assessment:

1. A. The nucleus is responsible for carrying the genetic information of the cell.

B. The nucleus is also responsible for making RNA from the DNA and transporting the RNA for protein synthesis.

3.  A. Nucleolus

B. Nuclear Envelope

C.  Nuclear Pores

D.  Chromatin

E.  Chromosomes

Suggested Scoring:

Question 1: 5 points for each answer for a total of 10 points

Question 2: 5 points for each organelle purpose for a total of 50 points


PSS.ASSESS.1

Name: ______

1.  What are two major functions of the cell nucleus?

2.  Label the picture below with the appropriate part of the nucleus.

Unit 2, Lesson 3: Discovering Plant Cell Structure Part 2 1