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Notes for teachers

This lesson will take about two weeks to complete.
Students will have already covered the basic functions of the assigned cell organelles and how they contribute to the homeostasis of the organism.
Students will also have completed exercises based on the analogy of ‘Cell and the City’.
Students may use their phones for the preliminary ‘takes’ of their videos although the final videos will be taped using school equipment.

List of Materials

Chromebooks for research.
Science notebooks for research notes and vocabulary.
Storyboard format worksheets so students can plan out the scenes of their video.
Phones for preliminary ‘takes’ of videos and to assure timing.
Poster paper as desired for visuals to be used during video presentations.

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Standards

Science

7.L1U1.11 Construct an explanation for how organisms maintain internal stability and evaluate the effect of the external factors on organisms’ internal stability.

● Organisms respond to stimuli from their environment and actively maintain their internal environment.

Standards

Science and Engineering Practices for 6-8

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanatory accounts of the world.
Apply scientific knowledge and evidence to explain real-world phenomena, examples, or events.

Language Arts

7W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

7.SL.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, appropriate vocabulary, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

7.SL.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

Present arguments and information, incorporating multimedia and other visual/audio elements as appropriate to meet the needs of the audience and purpose.

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Objectives:

Students will explore the scientific data concerning how extreme heat affects the functioning of certain cell organelles.

Students will research how this affects the brain and its ability to maintain internal stability (homeostasis).

Students will also research how the extreme heat may disrupt the ability to learn and come up with possible adaptations or solutions to be presented in a public service video.

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Agenda

Week One

Review notes and information on assigned cell organelle and its role in ‘Cell as a City’.

Research how this organelle is affected by extreme heat and how this can affect learning.

Brainstorm on possible solutions.

Week Two

Create video storyboard and assign roles.

Use cellphones to create practice ‘takes’.

Formal taping of each group’s video to be combined into one final public service video.

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

What effect does the extreme heat of Phoenix summers have on our cell structures and their ability to maintain internal stability?

How does this affect students’ ability to learn and retain information?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Students will work in groups of four.
Students will create a 3-5 minute public service video based on these assigned cell organelles-mitochondria, ER, nucleus/DNA, and lysosomes by using technology.

Videos should feature:

the normal function of the organelle within the cell.
how this function is affected by extreme heat.
using the analogy of ‘Cell as a City’ to describe how this will disrupt an organism’s internal stability and its normal activity.

Students will then construct a theory of how humans can adapt to this phenomenon to maintain a normal internal environment.
Finally, students will brainstorm and present proposed solutions to this problem based on such ideas as:

adapting the school schedule so more challenging subjects are tackled in the morning.
adjusting the time of year when the most difficult topics should be studied.
changing the school year altogether since the ultimate goal is to ensure the best environment for learning despite environmental changes and challenges.

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Assessment

Students will discuss and critique each group’s video and suggest improvements for the good of the final public service video.

Students will be graded on their participation and cooperation in creating a quality public service video.

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Differentiation

Teacher will assist students who need help in:

doing quality research into the affected organelles.
modeling how to create a usable storyboard and how to transition this into a good video.
coming up with possible solutions.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

The final goal is to present a quality public service video to the school board and/or any other interested parties of the general public.

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