Lesson Plan Title: The Cell of Ozland

Authors: De’Shayla Chappell, Angela Player, Adrinece Beard, Gerald D. Griffin, Debbie Payne

Authors’ Affiliations: Department of Biology, School of Education, Tuskegee University: Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088

Concept/Topic to Teach: Convey the relationships between the structures and functions of major eukaryotic organelles.

General Goal: Student will understand how the structure of cellular organelles allow for them to function.

Specific Objectives: Students will be immersed into a eukaryotic cell. In this immersion, students will understand how the structures of organelles allow for their specific functions. In addition, students will gain an insight into the structure and various functions of proteins.

Required Materials:

●7th grade Life Sciences textbook

●Bulletin board paper (alternative: sidewalk chalk)

●Construction paper

●Chairs

●String/yarn

●Trash can

●Plastic sandwich bags

●Scotch tape

●Scissors

●Pencils

●Pushpins

●Pipe cleaners (assorted colors, 200)

●Balloons

●Sharpies/markers

Plan for Cell of Ozland

  1. Meet students at door. “Welcome to Oz!”
  2. Some students will be labeled as a hydrophobic nanoparticle; some will be a hydrophilic nanoparticle.
  3. A subset of students (grouped by being hydrophilic nanoparticles or hydrophobic nanoparticles) will be directed to one of three tables outside of the class. One table will focus on clarifying hydrophobic and hydrophilic. At this table, students will see how some materials (oil or beeswax) do not dissolve easily in water and how others do (salt or sugar). At another table, students will use a computer (or mobile device) to learn about the structure of proteins. This table will play the following YouTube video: The last station outside of the classroom will be a docking station where students will wait to entire the classroom (the “cell). All students will be at each station for approximately five minutes each. All students will rotate and learn at each station.
  4. Students that are hydrophobic nanoparticles will enter the cell (the classroom) when instructed by the teacher. Hydrophilic nanoparticle students will have to wait until the membrane is moved out of their way. The cell membrane will be made out of yarn and balloons to represent the phospholipid bilayer. Ideally, the membrane will be in the doorway.
  5. Students will first go to the nucleus (a group of spaced-out chairs) and grab a DNA badge. After completing the Transcription Worksheet (each student will have one of three Transcription Worksheets). Each worksheet will have a different sequence and amount of nucleotides. After completing the worksheets, the DNA badges (double-stranded stickers) will be replaced with mRNA badges (single-stranded stickers).
  6. Students will then leave the nucleus as mRNA and go to the ribosomes on the Endoplasmic Reticulum (jump ropes).
  7. In the Endoplasmic Reticulum, students will complete the Codon Worksheet (containing a crossword puzzle). In addition, they will also determine how many peptides they can make using the pipe cleaners (1 peptide = 1 pipe cleaner). The students will use the Codon Worksheet to assemble their proteins. Then, each student will carry his or her newly made protein to the Golgi apparatus.
  8. Next, students will put their proteins into the vesicles (Ziploc® bags) at the Golgi apparatus. Students will also decorate their bags here (e.g. add sugar and phosphate groups on the outside of their bags).
  9. Now that the bags have been modified and activated, students will take their bags with them to the mitochondria. The Energy Worksheet will inform them that they have now made and activated a protein that forms a channel. This channel allows students to enter the mitochondria and make a source of energy (wind energy provided by the pinwheel).
  10. After making energy, students will then take their bags and put them in the lysosome (designated trashcan).
  11. Review/discuss. Assign students to do Google/Wikipedia search on other proteins (eg. Keratin, actin, tubulin, myosin, tau, protein kinase A, mitogen-activated protein kinase, protein tyrosine phosphatase, oxytocin, neuropeptide Y, vasopressin). During the review, the teacher should explain each step of the project and how it works in an actual cell. The teacher should focus on how the structure of organelles allow for their specific functions (eg. the role of pores in the nuclear membrane allowing RNA to exit easily).

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In): Teachers will separate students into two groups: 1) hydrophobic and 2) hydrophilic. Students in the hydrophobic group will be allowed to enter the room (the cell). Students labeled as hydrophilic will have to be assisted by the teacher to enter the room. This will serve as a quick review of the properties and function of the plasma membrane.

Step-By-Step Procedures:

  1. Review the semi-permeability of the plasma membrane.
  2. Explain the Cell of Ozland project and behavior expectations.
  3. Start student groups at the nucleus, Golgi apparatus, or the mitochondria of the cell (groups of five are recommended)
  4. Monitor progress and give assistance when needed.
  5. Facilitate end-of-project discussion and moderate student questions.

Plan for Independent Practice: Students will be separated into groups of five. They will perform different tasks at each organelle as they travel through the cell. Students will work together to complete the tasks associated with each organelle.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set): Teachers will ask each group how the structure of one organelle allowed for them to move onto the next organelle.

Adaptations (For Students with Learning or Physical Disabilities): Students will be assisted by the teacher’s aid or inclusion teacher to better understand how one organelle prepares biological molecules to enter the next organelle discussed. Appropriate spacing of the organelles on the floor can be adjusted to accommodate students with physical disabilities.

Extensions (For Advanced Students): Students will create a table comparing and contrasting light and electron microscopes. In the table, students will compare resolution, magnification potential, how images are created, and which cellular organelles can be easily detected.