Cells and Life with “Egg Drop Challenge”, “Cheek and Elodea Cells Lab”
Context Issues of the Lesson
Unit or Lesson Title:
Cells and Life
Grade Level
Seventh grade
Topic/Theme/Nature Cells, Levels of Organization, Engineering Design Cycle
of the Investigation:
MS-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide
NGSS Performance
evidence that living things are made of cells; either
Expectation(s)
one cell or many different numbers and types of
cells.
NGSS Dimension 1
component:
Disciplinary Core Idea
NGSS Dimension 2
component:
Science and Engineering
Practices
NGSS Dimension 3
component:
Crosscutting Concepts
Common Core State Standards
Connection
Duration:
Structure and Function
All living things are made up of cells, which is the
smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An
organism may consist of one single cell
(unicellular) or many different numbers and types
of cells (multicellular).
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Conduct an investigation to produce data to
serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals
of an investigation.
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
Phenomena that can be observed at one
scale may not be observable at another
scale.
WHST.6-8.7. Conduct short research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated
question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions
that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
1 week (Five 45 minute class period
By Mrs. Jill Aller (references: http://kidsciencechallenge.com/pdfs/2011activities/Zero-Waste_Egg-Drop-Challenge.pdf,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/007874184x/164155/00035804.html
Cells and Life with “Egg Drop Challenge”, “Cheek and Elodea Cells Lab”
Planning Stages Within the 5-E Inquiry Model
Engage
PURPOSE:




to convey the context of the lesson(s)/unit by conveying an important Key Question
to engage students in investigations that reveal their thinking to themselves and the teacher
to record the initial ideas of students
to engage their interest
What is the teacher doing? What are the students doing?
“Egg Drop Challenge”
 The teacher will provide materials and allow students to identify the problem,
explore solution, design prototype, create/build, test and redesign.
The Problem: If certain kinds of products are not packaged, they will go bad or break
while being transported (especially an egg!). Can you design a package that keeps an egg
from breaking when it is dropped from 10 feet in the air?
 The students will design a sustainable package that is strong enough to keep an egg
in one piece while using as little packaging as possible.
(Constraints: you may only use supplies available in the ‘junk pile’ , the egg should
be packaged with the most minimal materials used and withstand 10 feet drop)
Key Questions:
1. Did your package keep the egg safe?
2. Why is an egg shell very fragile? What is it made of?
3. How do you classify an egg, a living thing or nonliving thing? Why?
4. Is a chicken egg a cell or tissue? Is it a unicellular or a multicellular organism?
Describe the biology of an egg (Write a research report about it).
Explore
PURPOSE:



to test ideas and develop knowledge using explorations, investigations, experiments
to modify and record ideas as they change due to activities
to develop new questions and testable hypotheses
Activities (list)
Cheek and elodea cells Lab
Students will be able to view cells from their cheeks and from
an elodea leaf.
1. Cheek Cells Slide Preparation, Magnification,
Viewing, Drawing and Labeling.
2. Elodea Cells Slide Preparation, Magnification,
Viewing, Drawing and Labeling.
3. Analysis by completing the Venn Diagram.
Driving Question
1. Do you agree that living
things are made of cells?
Support your answer with
facts/evidence.
2. How are plant cells and
animal cells alike? How
are they different? (cite
your evidence)
Student Communication Product: (written report, oral presentation, poster, etc.)
(consider showing “Models” of student products to help student identify characteristics of quality)
By Mrs. Jill Aller (references: http://kidsciencechallenge.com/pdfs/2011activities/Zero-Waste_Egg-Drop-Challenge.pdf,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/007874184x/164155/00035804.html
Cells and Life with “Egg Drop Challenge”, “Cheek and Elodea Cells Lab”
1.
2.
3.
Egg Drop EDP booklet (see attached packet of the Engineering Design Cycle)
Oral Presentation (team report)
Written Lab Report
Explain
PURPOSE:


to answer the Key Question through student explanations
to provide students with relevant vocabulary, formal definitions and explanations of concepts
Content Media: (written material, video, teacher lecture, technology)
 Cells and Life PowerPoint presentation
 Annotating text : Egg Biology (Egg and Embryo Development: The Formation of
an Egg)
 BrainPop Videos on “Cell Structures” , “Cell Specialization”, “Bacteria”
 Plant and Animal Cell WebQuest
Student Communication Product: (assessment, unit test, written report, oral presentation,
poster, etc.)
 Cornell Notes
 Thinking Map/ Graphic Organizer
 Science Interactive Notebook Entries
Elaborate
PURPOSE:

to extend students' conceptual understanding through application or practice in new settings
Activities:
Cell Analogy (Creating a community model using an analogy of student’s own
community with the functions of the Cell and its organelles.
Content Media: (written material, video, teacher lecture, technology)
 Community Map (school, park, factory, etc.)
 Teacher Lecture, Video Clips
Evaluate
PURPOSE:
Skill/Reasoning Learning Objectives
Conduct an investigation to provide
evidence that living things are made of
cells.
Knowledge Learning Objectives
Living things are made of cells,
distinguishing between living and nonliving things, and understanding that
living things may be made of one cell or
many and varied cells.
Assessment Instrument
Written Report based on their research work,
Engineering challenge and experiment.
Assessment Instrument
online assessment on EADMS.ORG
By Mrs. Jill Aller (references: http://kidsciencechallenge.com/pdfs/2011activities/Zero-Waste_Egg-Drop-Challenge.pdf,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/info/chicken/egg.shtml,
http://glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/007874184x/164155/00035804.html