7th Grade Life Science Unit Plan: Plant and Animal Cells

7th Grade Life Science Unit Plan: Plant and Animal Cells

Science Standards: 1a. Students know cells function similarly in all living organisms. 1b. Students know the characteristics that distinguish plant cells from animal cells, including chloroplasts and cell walls.

Learning Objectives: Student will know how to distinguish animal cells from plant cells and describe the functions of organelles that are both similar and different in each.

Vocabulary: cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplast, mitochondria, organelle, ER, golgi body, ribosomes, lysosomes, cytoplasm

Activities and AssessmentsResources and TechnologyMarzanos StrategyWriting Component

Day 1Warm Up (5min): List 5 facts that you know about cells.Input (20 min): Students will take notes on the differences between plant and animal cells. Teacher will ask questions throughout the lesson to check for understanding and reinforce prior knowledge.Nonlinguistic Representation (15min): Students will be assigned to draw and label a plant cell or an animal cell identifying each part and its function.

Reflection (5min): Students will write a one paragraph reflection about the days notes and activities.Prentice Hall TextbookElmoCritical Input

Small chunks of information

Writng about learningOne paragraph reflection of todays activities

Day 2Warm Up (5min): Explain the difference between a cell wall and a cell membrane? (students would have received this information from the day 1 notes)Cooperative Learning (10min): Students will pair up with another student that draw and labeled a cell different from what they did day 1. The pairs will identify the similarities and differences of plant and animal cells using the labeled drawings they each completed on day 1.

Class Discussion (10min): The teacher will lead a discussion regarding what the students discovered about the similarities and differences of the drawings. The teacher will help t clarify any misconceptions.

Students Practice (20min): Students will create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting plant and animal cells.Labeled drawings of cells from Day 1.Cooperative LearningWarm up response

Day 3Warm Up (5min): Explain the differences between plant and animal cells.Game (30 min): The students will use the quizdom remotes in order to answer questions in a friendly competitive game. The game will reflect information that has been learned in the previous 2 lessons.Closing Conversation (10min): Students and teacher will engage in open dialogue about the game, the friendly competition, and about the content that has been learned over the last 3 lessons.

QuizdomCooperative Learning