Students were tasked with completing the reading from Chapter 1 of Inside the Cell (assigned yesterday) and turning in answers to the Got It questions on page 19.  Next, students received eight index cards on which to create flash cards of the following cell organelles:

• cell membrane
• cytoplasm
• nucleus
• ribosome
• mitochondria
• endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi apparatus
• lysosome

On the front of the card, students wrote the name of the organelle.  On the back of the card, students explained the function of the organelle and were encouraged to draw a picture that would help them remember the function of the organelle.  The flash cards are due tomorrow and must be completed before the student can participate in the Gizmo simulations of cell structure and function.

For our first lesson of our new unit, students were tasked with drawing an initial model of a cell.  They used the white boards on their desks to draw cells as they understand them, including the parts of cells (organelles).  Students shared out what types of cells they had drawn and what parts they could remember.  An example of student work is pictured below.

Next, we watched the Harvard BioVisions video Inner Life of a Cell, which presents a realistic animation of how cells move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_zD3NxSsD8

We concluded the lesson with students reading Chapter 1 of Inside the Cell.  The “Got It” questions on page 19 are due tomorrow by the end of class.  For homework, students are encouraged to read as much of Chapter 1 as necessary to be able to complete the reading in class tomorrow.