Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Organelles: Tiny Structures with BIG Jobs!

Content Area: Biology
Grade Level(s): 9th
Content Standard Addressed: SB1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze the nature of
the relationships between structures and functions in living cells. (a) Construct an explanation of how cell
structures and organelles (including nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, lysosome,
Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles, ribosomes, and mitochondria) interact as a system to maintain
homeostasis.

Technology Standard Addressed: (1) Empowered Learner (3) Knowledge Constructor (6) Creative
Communicator

Selected Technology Tool: Microsoft PowerPoint

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): transcript for slide presentation with narration:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t5myqmfx24ors23/Organelle%20slide%20show%20transcript%20UDL.pdf?dl=0

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The two versions of the slide presentation offer options for visual and
auditory representation. The transcript that accompanies the narrated version (link found above) is available
to support those with hearing impairments, or ELLs who may want to match the spoken words with written
words as they access the content in the slides. Key words within the transcript have been bolded and
highlighted in yellow to help students recognize important academic vocabulary. The narration within the
mp4 version of the slide presentation provides more information than what is represented within the bullet-
pointed text. Analogies to common items are made to help students conceptualize structures; and
information about the laboratory techniques used to create the micrographs (pictures of real cells taken with
a camera attached to a microscope) in some of the slides provides a glimpse into the biotechnologies used by
scientists. This bonus background information is sure to engage students who might otherwise be bored, as it
offers insight into real-life application of the content knowledge.

Lesson idea implementation: Students will view/hear/read the slide presentation at home in a flipped
classroom assignment, jotting down any questions they have and/or observations they make. At the
beginning of the next class, I will activate their background knowledge and informally pre-assess their
comprehension with a group KWL. Next, we will look at the illustration of each organelle depicted in the slide
presentation side-by-side with a real-life image of the same organelle. Real-life images will be obtained
online. Comparing the illustrations to real-life images will bring the learning up to the Analyzing level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy and LoTi level 3: Infusion. Some background information about the techniques used by
scientists to capture the real-life images will bring a level of authenticity to the learning.

Spring 2018_SJB
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Next, we will shift gears to a compare/contrast discussion about animal versus plant cells and introduce some
new organelles that are only found in plants. Students will collaborate in groups to do research online to find
information on the plant-specific organelles. They will also need to find an illustration of the organelle plus a
real-life image of the organelle. Groups will work together to create a PowerPoint slide of their plant
organelle, which will include 2-3 bullet-points summarizing the structure and function of the organelle, along
with an illustration and real-life image of the organelle. They will also narrate their slide, adding a bit of extra
interesting information to their narration. Groups will present their slide to the class. This portion of the
lesson pushes students to the highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, as they are analyzing and evaluating
information from multiple resources to create an original slide. LoTi level 4: Integration will be reached as
students use technology to express voice and choice and collaborative to create a new slide. For students
who are interested in extending this activity, an extra slide can be created that introduces and/or describes
the techniques that were used by scientists to prepare the cells and capture the image of the organelle
featured in their group’s slide. This extended activity offers another option for student engagement.
Reflective Practice: I think this lesson plan hits many of the marks required to actively engage students in
learning about the structure and function of animal and plant cell organelles, which aligns with the content-
based standard. To bring the lesson to LoTi level 5: Expansion, student groups could create a poster version of
a slide that goes into more detail about any of the organelles they have learned about. These posters would
be displayed on a bulletin board outside the classroom and teach any interested passersby all about the tiny
structures with BIG jobs!

Spring 2018_SJB