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Experience 2:
How is your school like a cell?
Using a school map as their template, students extend their knowledge of cell parts and functions by creating an analogy to generate a new "school cell."
Indiana's Academic Standards:
Science
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Standard 4: The Living Environment (6.4.7, 7.4.5, 7.4.7) |
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Standard 7: Common Themes (6.7.2) |
Language Arts
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Standard 1: Reading - Word Recognition, Fluency and Vocabulary Development (7.1.1, 8.1.1) |
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Standard 4: Writing: Writing Process (6.4.3) |
| You will need... |
| Time: |
One class period 40 - 50 minutes |
Materials:
Per Group: |
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Procedures:
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Break the students into groups of 4 - 5. Have them work as team to complete this experience. |
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Review the parts and functions of the cell. |
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Distribute one map of the school to each group of students. |
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Inform students the school represents a cell and the map represents a drawing of the plant cell. |
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Challenge students to make analogies between parts of a cell and parts of a school. Example: The school office represents the nucleus. The nucleus controls the activities of the cell. The office controls the activities of the school. Some examples are scheduling, discipline, school policies and procedures, and extracurricular activities. |
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Instruct students to label the respective cell parts on their school map and describe their reasoning in several well-organized paragraphs on a separate sheet of paper. |
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Allow students the remainder of the class time to generate their school cell. |
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Inform students they will be presenting their school cell in the next lesson. |
Use your own school map or the one above to create a school/cell analogy.
Assessment:
Check to see if cell parts are labeled on students' school maps. Discuss why evidence does or does not support the idea that an area of the school resembles a cell part. Students should document analogies by comparing the real cell to the school cell. Written compositions should clearly support the analogies with specific details and examples. |
