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Chloroplasts
Students study chloroplasts, their structure and evolution. In this photosynthesis lesson students experiment with polarized light and the production of chlorophyll.
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Structure and Function
Structure and Function
SynopsisStudents choose some biological object, examine its structure, and identify or speculate on one particular function. Next they create a blueprint of the object, focusing on the particular function. Then...
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The Absorption of Solar Energy
Two sequential parts to this lesson introduce your class to the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to absorb radiant energy, and the pigments in leaves that are responsible for collecting sunlight to be used in the photosynthetic...
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Plasmolysis in Elodea Plant Cells
Young scholars microscopically observe various subcellular components. They determine the effects of different salt solutions on Elodea plant cells. They detect the presence of chloroplasts, cell walls, and cell membranes of Elodea.
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Cells: Nature's Building Blocks
What you will find on this page is the general outline of a unit on the use of a microscope and the structure of the cell. There is no actual educational content here, so you will need to design the details of each of the four student...
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Parts of a Cell
Students explore the parts of a cell. They identify the structures of plant and animal cells. Students explain the functions of plant and animal cells. They compare and contrast animal cells to plant cells. Students create a model of the...
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Selling Cells: a Study of Organelles and Cell Structure
Students study cellular structures and functions. In this cell function lesson students participate in a class discussion then make a drawing of the cell they are discussing.
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Those Cells Look Good Enough to Eat
Students explore the parts of the cell. In this cell lesson, students use foods to create cell models that represent the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria, ribosomes, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi bodies...
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Biology: Understanding Cellular Organelles
Students distinguish the differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells. Using microscopes, they examine a variety of plant and animal cells. Working in groups, they draw and label plant and animal cells and show the mathematical...
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Cell-O
Students create model cells using gelatin, toothpicks, and various fruits to represent organelles. Then, students observe their models and complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting plant and animal cells.
LABScI
Botany: The Plant Dissection Lab
Study everything about plants! The 12-part series of lessons continues with an examination of many aspects of plants. Components of the laboratory activity address the growth and structure of plants by evaluating familiar plants. The...
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Cell Structures and Functions
Fifth graders search into animal and cell characteristics and their functions in this seven lesson unit. Replicas of the cell are constructed out of Jell-O as students probe the internet for details of the concepts.
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Onion Skins
Students explore the structure of a plant cell. They carefully peel a single layer of onion skin from a slice of onion and stain it with methylene blue to observe the structures inside. They use a Digiscope connected to a computer to...
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Plasmolysis in Elodea Plant Cells
Pupils microscopically observe various subcellular components. They determine the effects of different salt solutions on Elodea plant cells. Students explain the major function of a cell membrane and describe its structure.
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How Genes Work Lesson Plan
High schoolers define the key terms that are the structure and function of DNA. In this genetics lesson plan students complete a lab activity in which they construct a model DNA structure.
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Looking Inside Cells
Seventh graders analyze and identify the role of the cell membrane and nucleus. They create flash cards to help them review cell structures. They also compare plant and animal cells.
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Harvesting Energy from Food: How do Plants Help Humans?
Beginning botanists view slides of plant vascular tissue. They watch Magic School Bus Gets Planted, which you can find online, and then write a summary of what they have learned about plants. This lesson could be used with upper...
LABScI
Photosynthesis: How Do Plants Get Energy?
Examine the mechanism of photosynthesis through different light scenarios. Pupils vary the amount and type of light exposure on plant leaves in the fifth lesson plan in a 12-part series. Through observation, they determine the rate of...
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Bread Cells
Fifth graders examine plant and animal cells. In this plant and animal cell lesson, 5th graders define what cells are, label their parts, and describe how plant and animal cells are different. They observe cells at a number of web sites,...
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Plant and Animal Cells - Are they Different?
Young scholars observe the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. In this cell activity, students use microscopes to observe self prepared slides of animal and plant cells.
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Cells All Around
Students measure the size of an epithelial cell and to estimate the number of epithelial cells in a given area of the body. After watching a video on cells, student groups perform an experiment using a microscope to view some of their...
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How Does a Green Plant Grow?
Students of all ages can explore the question "how do seeds grow?", design an experiment to answer the question, predict the outcome of the experiment then conduct the experiment.
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Edible Cells
Eighth graders construct edible models of a plant cell and an animal cell and state the functions of the organelles. They are to write a short sentence describing the function of each organelle.
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How Does a Green Plant Grow?
Students examine how a seed grows, and design an experiment to explore this concept. They make predictions, conduct the experiment, record the results, and interpret the results.