This module should not have meiosis. It is located in module 9. Tests need to be edited to reflect this. Also, work on weeding out DNA related information that can be saved for module 8.
Model 7: CELLULAR REPRODUCTION
Overview
Students will begin their investigation by creating paper cubes. The paper cube activity represents surface area to volume ratios. This will allow the students to understand the reason that cells are so small and the amount of energy needed for a larger cube (cell) is more than for a smaller cube (cell).
Next, we expand on surface area to volume ratio idea and students participate in a lab “Diffusion of Agar Cubes”. The investigating question is “What determines the efficiency of diffusion throughout the model “cells”? Students are given 3 cubes of different sizes that have phenolphthalein in them and when put in a basic solution will turn pink. Students will see that the smaller the cube the more (easier) diffusion takes place.
Cartoon Strip/Post-it activity gets students thinking about order.
Cell Cycle Jigsaw will begin the discussion on mitosis. Students assigned a part of the cell cycle and as the assigned group will whiteboard the different phases of the cell cycle. Student will have a white board meeting to present their information.
Mitosis Computer Activity students will go to Students will follow the worksheet that will assist them in walking them through the stages of Mitosis.
After students have gathered and worked with the information on the cells alive website, students will create a foldable. Student will follow the outline provided by the instructor.
Time to quiz over Mitosis!
Using the NIH Cancer video student will watch and answer questions.
Mitosis computer activity allows students to work individually with the stages of Mitosis through a website.
Now that students are “experts” in Mitosis they will create a “foldable” as a study and review tool.
Pipe cleaner lab will assist students to understand what happens to the chromosome number during gamete formation and fertilization and to see how variations develop in the offspring.
TEST time! (cell size, cell cycle, Needs EDITS TO TAKE OUT MEIOSIS QUESTIONS)
DNA puzzle pieces lab: DNA is considered to be the building block for life and there are many pieces that make up a strand of DNA. Many scientists have worked in the past to determine the appropriate way that the many pieces of DNA go together to create a working model. Today you will become these scientists and work together to determine how DNA is put together. Also a homework activity is given.
Students need to go to to access the game. The purpose of this game is to reinforce the bases that can bond together and is a good segway into replication. There is information that is provided before the students get to the game. They should be prompted to write down any new information that they find.
Students will quickly whiteboard the parts that make up DNA. Teacher will make sure to prompt them to label and list how things go together. Teacher is going to introduce the structures of deoxyribose and how it really creates the backbone after the whiteboards. The goal as a group is to pose the question “Why does DNA have to pair Anti-parallel?”. Also use this as a point to reemphasize the new terminology and structures they were exposed to.
This is the introduction for the students to the parts that make up DNA. To start the teacher would give them a story telling them about Watson and Crick, Franklin, Wilkins, and Chargaff. Then tell them that they are going to be Watson and Crick working through the discovery of the structure of DNA.
Using the same Anti-Parallel Activity student will demonstrate the replication process.
Zipper demonstration allows students a visual to see how DNA can split and join with a new strand.
Reading the New York Times Reading, student will answer questions and discuss their findings.
While working in the computer lab students will complete an online virtual electrophoresis simulation completing a very detailed oriented task in a “dry” format. Step two of the assignment takes students to the innocence project to observe the number of individuals who have been found innocent after being accused of crimes because of DNA evidence.
Essential questions
- How does cell size influence cell functions and processes?
- How do organisms grow and reproduce?
- How are cell division and reproduction related?
- Why is there sexual reproduction?
- What is DNA and the role it plays in reproduction?
Instructional goals
Goals
- Model the difference in cells abilities to function and complete essential processes based on different cell sizes and structures.
- Analyze how cells grow and reproduce in terms of interphase, mitosis and cytokinesis.
- Recognize mitosis as a part of asexual reproduction.
- Organize diagrams of mitotic phases and describe what is occurring throughout the process.
- Understand the structure of DNA, components of DNA, and recognize that the strands run anti-parallel.
- Develop a cause-and-effect model relating the structure of DNA to the functions of replication.
- Replication occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle and allows daughter cells to have an exact copy of parental DNA.
- Introduce sources of genetic variation in sexually reproduction organisms crossing over, random assortment of chromosomes, nondisjunction, and fertilization.
Indiana Standards
- B.1.1 Describe the structure of the major categories of organic compounds that make up living organisms in terms of their building blocks and the small number of chemical elements (i.e., carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur) from which they are composed.
- B.1.2 Understand that the shape of a molecule determines its role in the many different types of cellular processes (e.g., metabolism, homeostasis, growth and development, and heredity) and understand that they majority of these processes involve proteins that act as enzymes.
- B.1.3 Explain and give examples of how the function and differentiation of cells is influenced by their external environment (e.g., temperature, acidity, and the concentration of certain molecules) and changes in these conditions may affect how a cell functions.
- B.5.1 Describe the relationship between chromosomes and DNA along with their basic structure and function.
- B.6.1 Describe the process of mitosis and explain that this process ordinarily results in daughter cells with a genetic make-up identical to the parent cells.
- B.6.2 Understand that most cells of a multicellular organism contain the same genes but develop from a single cell (e.., a fertilized egg) in different ways due to differential gene expression.
- B.6.3 Explain that in multicellular organisms the zygote produced during fertilization undergoes a series of cell divisions that lead to clusters of cells that go on to specialize and become the organism’s tissues and organs.
Misconceptions
- Larger cells have more organelles than smaller cells.
- Larger cells can perform more cell processes at one time.
- Surface area does not influence volume.
- Sexual reproduction always involves mating.
- Plants cannot sexually reproduce.
- Living things grow because their cells get larger.
- Asexual reproduction is restricted to microorganisms only.
- There is no difference between sexual and asexual reproduction.
- Asexual reproduction produces weak offspring. Sexual reproduction produces superior offspring.
- Cancer is related to the cell cycle.
- Cancer is related to the inability of a cell to halt reproduction.
- Both strands in DNA run the same direction.
- Students have difficulty discriminating between cell division, enlargement, and cell differentiation.
- Students do not understand the relationship between DNA, genes, and chromosomes.
- Students have difficulty distinguishing between the different structures in DNA.
Essential vocabulary
Indiana Biology I Modeling Instruction Program1
Cell Cycle/Mitosis:
Cancer
Prophase
Metaphase
Anaphase
Interphase
S phase
G1 phase
G2 phase
Spindle fiber
Centromere
Sister chromatid
Daughter cells
Chromosome
Body cell
Somatic cell
Benign
Malignant
Radiation
Chemotherapy
DNA:
Deoxyribose
Phosphate
Adenine
Guanine
Cytosine
Thymine
Purine
Pyrimidine
Complimentary strand
Nucleotide
Nitrogenous base
Hydrogen Bonding
DNA Replication:
DNA Replication
DNA Polymerase
DNA Helicase
Daughter strand
Parent strand
Replication Fork
Indiana Biology I Modeling Instruction Program1
Sequence
1.Paper Cube Activity (whiteboards) [0.5days]
2.Lab: Agar Squares w/phenolthalein [1.5days]
3.Sequencing Cartoon Strip/Post-it Activity (whiteboard discussion) [1day]
4.Phases of Mitosis Activity [1day]
5.Mitosis Computer Activity [1day]
6.Cell Cycle Foldable [1day]
7.Quiz 1 (Mitosis) [0.5days]
8.Modeling Development – NIH Cancer and the Cell Cycle (Video and question sheet) [1.5days]
9.Cancer Brochure (commercial, letter, powerpoint) [3days]
10.Test 1 (Cell Size, Cell Cycle, NEED EDITS TO TAKE OUT MEIOSIS!!) [1day]
11.Lab: DNA Puzzle Pieces – Part I [1day]
12.DNA Worksheet [Homework]
13.Nobelprize.org Activity (Building Activity) [0.5days]
14.Anti-Parallel Activity [0.5days]
15.Lab: DNA Puzzle Pieces – Part II [1day]
16.Anti-Parallel Activity (Replication) [0.5days]
17.Zipper Demo [0.5days]
18.Reading: DNA New York Times Readings [1day]
19.Virtual Electrophoresis Simulation/Innocence Project [1day]
20.Quiz 2 (DNA, and DNA replication) [0.5days]
Instructional notes
Below are all the generated instructional notes to help you through the sequence and various activities and labs. Separate documents have been created in attached files that will provide you will student worksheets, quizzes, activity pieces, etc.
- Paper Cube Activity [0.5days]
Instructional Notes: Paper Cube Activity
Pre-activity Discussion
Ask students:
Can a cell get too large?
What would happen if a cell got to large?
Activity Performance Notes
This is an activity to introduce students to the connection between surface area and volume. This will allow a lead into a lab with cell models to illustrate the movement of materials into and out of cells in relation to surface area and volume ratios.
Post-activity Discussion
What is the connection between surface area and volume?
What happens when the ratio surface area to volume ratio decreases? How does this impact the cell?
What are some ways cells could alter their surface area to volume ratio in order to be most efficient?
- Lab: Agar Cube [1.5days]
Instructional Notes: Agar Squares with phenolthalein
Pre-activity Discussion
Review with the students cell structure and size. Most students should be able to identify the parts of the cell and the structure of the cell membrane.
Activity and Performance Notes
Make sure that you make enough agar for each group. Many students will need multiple samples because they will cut them the wrong size. Stress to students that they need to cut them as close to the correct sizes as possible.
- Sequencing Cartoon Strip/Post-it Activity [1day]
Instructional Notes: Sequential Cartoon Strip/Post-it Note Activity
Apparatus:
Teacher will need the Cartoon strip (found in attached file) and already have it cut out. There should be enough for each group to have their own set of cartoon pieces. You will also need enough post-it notes for each group to draw out each phase of the cell cycle.
Pre-Activity Discussion:
Before splitting students up into groups of 2 there should be a quick discussion of what sequencing is and where the students have seen it used already (does not need to be in science, the point is that they understand what sequencing is).
Activity Performance Notes:
- Teacher will pass out a ziplock bag that contains pre-cut out pieces of the cartoon strip to each group.
- After students have the cartoon strip they will work as a group to put them in an order that they think makes sense. Have them post it on a whiteboard so that you can do a white board meeting of the different cartoon strips.
- Whiteboard Meeting #1 – Have the students analyze each other’s cartoon strips to see if there are any different story lines. This is where the teacher will introduce the idea that we use sequencing in many different cycles in science.
- Have the students keep their white boards and then give each group a post-it pad (index cards or square pieces of paper can be used as supplements, but then you will have to provide tape).
- After each group has their post-it pads put up a picture of an onion root tip (provided at the end of the notes). Then ask the students if they see anything interesting in the picture. This should lead them to the idea that the cells look different. Direct them to use their post-it notes to draw an example of all the different cells they see, remind them they only need to draw each type once. Have them come to the conclusion that the outer edges of their post-it notes are the cell walls for the different onion root cells.
- Help the students identify that the cells they are drawing are each a snapshot in time of a process.
- After they have all of the cells drawn they should then try and determine a sequence that the cells fit into. They are going to post these on their white boards for a second board meeting.
Post-Activity Discussion:
Now that they students have their sequence you have a second board meeting and have them all analyze their sequences for the cell cycle. Choose one group that has the right sequence and use them to direct the others into the correct sequence. You can guide groups to the correct sequence during the activity through questioning to make sure there is at least one correct model.
After the students have discussed the different models and come to a consensus (with guided direction) the teacher should introduce the names of the phases. Have the students write the names on their boards and then give them the student sheet with the names of the phases. The students should then redraw the phases on the sheet and create a definition that they feel describes what happens in each phase. NOTE: You can also have them do this in their notebooks instead of having them use the student sheet.
Students will be introduced to the following essential vocabulary:
- Cell Cycle
- Mitosis
- Interphase
- G1 phase
- S phase
- G2 phase
- Prophase
- Anaphase
- Metaphase
- Telophase
This picture can also be found in a pdf version that you can project onto your screen.
- Phases of Mitosis Activity [1day]
Instructional Notes: Phases of Mitosis
Pre-activity Discussion
Have the students think back to the Sequential Cartoon Strip/Post-it Note Activity. What did they notice about the cells? Why would there be steps in a process?
Activity Performance Notes
This activity is designed to reinforce the concepts of mitosis, giving them diagrams of mitosis. The diagrams are simplified compared to the onion root tip.
Allow for trial and error. As students work to sequence their diagrams walk around the room. Some groups may need some guidance.
Post-activity Discussion
During a Board meeting discuss what the groups have written about the four phases of mitosis. As a group come to a consensus of what occurs in each stage. This should be what the students write in their notes.
Questions which could be ask include:
Why would the nucleus need to disappear in prophase?
What would happen if a spindle fiber didn’t work? Or if a chromosome failed to attach to the spindle fiber?
How quickly do you think this process of mitosis will occur? Will all cells go through mitosis at the same rate?
- Mitosis Computer Activity [1day]
Instructional Notes: Mitosis Computer Activity
Pre-activity Discussion
This is a set of computer activities accumulated to help reinforce the students’ understanding of mitosis.
Activity Performance Notes
Four websites will utilized, questions to answer while the students work are also included.
Post-activity Discussion
Discuss what the students have learned while working through the four websites.
- Cell Cycle Foldable [1day]
Instructional Notes:Cell Cycle Foldable
Pre-activity Discussion
Review with students the parts of the cell cycle. At this point in time, most students should be able to list the major parts in order and identify key actions that take place in each part of the cycle. Students should now be working on noting the differences between the cell cycle in animal cells and the cell cycle in plant cells.