Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 156428
All Living Organisms Have Cells - Prove It!
This lesson is inquiry-based and is centered around the 5-E Model. This lesson allows students to see that all living things have cells. Students will be
able to use microscopes to determine whether something is alive or not. This lesson only addresses the idea that living things are made of cells.
Subject(s): Science
Grade Level(s): 6
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter,
Internet Connection, Overhead Projector, Computer
Media Player
Keywords: Cell Theory, Cells, Living things, non living things
Resource Collection: St. Lucie MSP K-8
ATTACHMENTS
Cell Activity Powerpoint.pptx
Microscope Slide Recording Sheet.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What will students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
explain the component of the cell theory stating that all organisms are composed of one or more cells
explore parts of the cell theory using a microscope.
identify whether an object is living or non-living by observing whether or not it contains cells
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should:
be comfortable using microscopes
understand that living organisms are organized and complex structures
understand single-celled vs. multi-cellular organisms (this lesson can be adjusted to incorporate and learn these concepts, as well)
understand the difference between living and non-living things
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
What are the characteristics of a living thing?
What are the characteristics of a non-living thing?
What do all living things have in common at the cellular level?
page 1 of 4 What do all non-living things have in common at the cellular level?
Engage: What object, event, or questions will the teacher use to trigger the students' curiosity and engage them in the concepts?
1. Print copies of pictures of living organisms. Cut the pages up in different angles to create a puzzle-like structure. Leave a non-assembled puzzle on each table. Make
sure your puzzle includes something that is a living organism. This is a good opportunity to include single-celled organisms to ensure that students can make the
connection that single-celled organisms are living. You can have multiple puzzles on each table to make it trickier. Give students a set time limit to assemble the puzzle
together, without talking. Then, you can have the students list everything they know about the living puzzle item. For instance, if you use the puzzle of the tiger, then
have students list what they know about the tiger on a separate paper or wipe board. How do they know that tiger is alive?
Note: You can also find printable animal puzzles at Free Printable Jigsaw Puzzle Games
2. What else is made with pieces? Post this question at each table, in the front of the room, or around the room. Announce that “Today we are going to learn about
tiny pieces of things that are located all around us. Everything is literally made of tiny tiny pieces that we can only see using a microscope."
3. Create a “What we THINK we Know About Living Things” poster (slide 10 of the attached PowerPoint). Encourage participation and deep thinking/reasoning before
the lesson. Focus students' thinking on the learning outcomes of current activities. Students should become mentally engaged in the concept that living things have
special qualities about them that are different from non-living things. This could also be a great opportunity to use compare and contrast maps to accommodate other
ways to organize this information
Explore: What will the students do to explore the concepts and skills being developed through the lesson?
1. Before beginning the lesson, set up the microscope stations and prepare slides with both living and non-living specimens. Instead of telling students that some slides
have living specimens and some have non-living specimens, allow them to discover this on their own during the activity.
2. In groups, have students view the various slides through their microscopes. They should use the "Microscope Slide Recording Sheet" (see attached file) to record
and illustrate their observations for each slide.
3. As students are finishing their observations, reveal that some of the slides they viewed are from actual living things, while others were non-living. Ask students to
choose which ones they think are living and which ones they think are non-living, and have them explain their reasoning (slide 20 of the attached PowerPoint). They
should record their predictions.
4. In their groups, have students share their claims and predictions. Walk around and monitor while also recording what you hear and see on the Circle Map (slide 5 of
the attached PowerPoint).
5. After students share their predictions, display the answers (slide 22 of the attached PowerPoint). The students have to record the name of the item which is being
viewed on the slide.
6. Have students label and describe each slide by writing a description under their sketches.
Explain: What will the students and teacher do so students have opportunities to clarify their ideas, reach a conclusion or
generalization, and communicate what they know to others?
Ask students to explain the similarities and differences they observed between living and non-living cells now that they know what was on each slide. The students can
have a group discussion using discussion cards. Use the following suggested questions as discussion prompts (slides 26-27 of the attached PowerPoint):
Which specimens looked the same under the slide?
Why do you think some items appear the same under the slide and why others look different?
Can you categorize or organize these items and slides further?
Did you notice anything similar about the slides containing plant specimens? What about slides containing animal specimens, or rocks and soil?
How would you classify all of the plants and animals (answer: living things)?
How would you classify the rest of the items (answer: as non-living things)?
The animal cells should all look similar and the plant cells should all look similar. Why?
How did your prediction or claim compare with that of your group? Was your claim correct? What can you use as your evidence to support this?
Use slides 25-28 of the attached PowerPoint to guide students through a discussion about these answers. Make sure to formally assess as the students are explaining
and talking with each other.
Elaborate: What will the students do to apply their conceptual understanding and skills to solve a problem, make a decision,
perform a task, or make sense of new knowledge?
1. Have students read a small passage about the History of the Cell Theory independently (slide 30 of the attached PowerPoint). As they read, have them underline
information that correlates with the part of the cell theory that they investigated today.
2. Ask students to rewrite the information they underlined in the reading and give a real-life example. This can be used as a form of assessment.
2. Make a "What We KNOW" chart after reading about cell theory (slide 31 of the attached PowerPoint), or you can add more information to the "What We THINK We
Know" chart (slide 10) and explain which ones are misconceptions. Suggested observations to add to the charts include:
Everything that is alive or living is made of cells
If a thing is unicellular (has one cell) it is living
If a thing is multi-cellular (has more than one cell) it is living
If a thing has no cells then it cannot be alive or living
Summative Assessment
Provide students with a list of comprised of both living and nonliving items and ask them to determine which have cells (slides 32-33 of the attached PowerPoint).
page 2 of 4 Students should complete the assessment independently.
Ask students to explain the cell theory in their own words using examples from the lesson.
Formative Assessment
As students are exploring, explaining, and evaluating make sure to record your formative assessments on the circle map on the board. Use sticky notes to collect your
observations while formally assessing the students throughout the entire lesson. This will help you make modified adjustments and intervene immediately. This also
allows you to give immediate feedback to the students. To formally assess the students, you should see that they are illustrating what they see accurately on their
recording sheet. You should listen for student groups to be using the questions provided in the slides to converse and come to an agreed consensus about the slides
having similar characteristics when the specimen is a living item. You should also assess whether students are making a connection that the slides without "cells"
(students may not know these are cells yet) are in all the items that are non-living.
Assess student explanations. Are students using the correct wording to explain what they see? Are they saying things like "the slides look like they have puzzle pieces
in them" or "building blocks"? Some students may already recognize these blocks as cells. You should make note on the circle map about concepts that come up in
their conversations with each other. Do the students almost all agree with each other? Are they making correct assumptions when categorizing the slides? Have they
made the connections between all living things being made of these blocks/puzzle pieces/cells?
Feedback to Students
You can use a variety of options to give students feedback. Use your circle map comments to help you focus on immediate feedback to give the students. Listen while
students talk with their groups and use prompting questions to help get a better idea of how your students are doing. These prompting questions provide them
feedback that will help keep them on track and make them dig deeper on their thinking. Suggested questions include:
Why did you chose __instead of ___?
Was there one you could immediately eliminate or were there two that were very similar or an answer that was intentionally placed there to throw you off?
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
1. Provide students will a list of characteristics of living and non-living things.
2. Use these additional videos to help support the lesson for auditory/visual learner needs:
Living vs. Non-Living Things, uploaded by rcook111
Learn About Cells of Living Organisms, uploaded by Elearnin
The Cell Theory Song, uploaded by Jeramy Tamez
Note: Please preview any videos and cue past any ads.
Extensions:
1. Have students work independently on the following inquiry question: Are fruits and vegetables living or non-living? What is your reasoning?
Students should look at different pieces of fruit and different pieces of vegetables under the microscope to gather evidence to support or disprove their claim. Have
them record their evidence on the data table and analyze their results. Use the following suggested questions to prompt discussion:
What did you notice about the fruit under the microscope?
What did you notice about the vegetables under the microscope?
Can you make a conclusion based on what you observed? Was your claim correct or incorrect?
2. Show the following video as a culmination to this lesson: Science Court: Living Things
Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, Overhead Projector, Computer Media Player
Special Materials Needed:
Microscopes and slides prepared with various living and non-living specimens. These should be prepared by the teacher before the lesson begins.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Prepare the slides ahead of time. Have the microscopes set up on the highest setting possible.
Prepared slides can be purchased through any science catalog company such as Flinn Scientific or Carolina Biological.
Suggested samples:
parts of a leaf
onion skin
elodea
cork
prepared cells of muscle or bone cells
strand of thread
page 3 of 4 metal filing
fabric
paper
Materials:
slides
cover slips
microscopes
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Jami Williams
Name of Author/Source: Jami Williams
District/Organization of Contributor(s): St. Lucie
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
SC.6.L.14.2:
Description
Investigate and explain the components of the scientific theory of cells (cell theory): all organisms are composed of
cells (single-celled or multi-cellular), all cells come from pre-existing cells, and cells are the basic unit of life.
page 4 of 4