In this 6-8 lesson, students will create a visual representation of an animal cell. They will research and gather information about animal cell organelles to understand their form and function. Students will prepare a presentation of their art and research to the class.
Students will:
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Teachers should be familiar with different types of cells and animal cells. In-depth knowledge of animal and plant cells and examples and history of scientific illustration will also be helpful.
Students should have basic knowledge about cells and how they were discovered.
Provide assistive technologies during research and the art-making process. Allow sufficient space for movement around the room.
Option 1: Draw, make a clay model, design a 2-D or 3-D graphic, or use recycled materials to make an animal cell. Remind students to research and sketch their model to ensure an accurate representation is created. They should make sure the scale is correct in relation to the outline of the cell.
Option 2: Assign each group an organelle. Direct students’ attention to the outline of the cell hanging on the wall. Discuss the concept of scale. Draw three sizes of an organelle, only one of which is to scale. Have the students pick the most appropriate version. Explain to students that their organelles should be drawn accurately and to scale and colors should be used to effectively show the form. Consult with the cytoskeleton group to determine how they would like to incorporate their organelle (they may need to attach/draw it in last).
Option 2: Place organelles on cell outline. Groups will need to work together to make sure the placement of their organelle is correct in relation to other organelles. Suggest to the class that before attaching their organelles, they should lay them out to ensure that all groups agree on organelle position and placement.
Adaptation
Jill Gerlman
Editor
JoDee Scissors
Updated
November 15, 2021
Is there poetry in the ocean? How can the wind inspire dance? How can the arts represent the change of seasons? Discover patterns and cycles in nature with these resources that address cell composition and reproduction, animal habitats, the metamorphasis of a caterpillar to a butterfly, and an artistic representation of our relationship with the planet.
Explore how art influences the scientific world (and the science behind the art). Learn about the lives of butterflies through dance, use mobiles to recreate the solar system, and discover the colorful world pulsing inside our own cells.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will learn how light interacts with matter through the creation of puppets in shadow plays. Students will examine how light travels and how an object's shadow is affected by the intensity and position of the light in relation to both the object and the surface on which a shadow is cast. This is the first lesson designed to accompany the Shadow Puppet Plays lesson.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will learn how to use primary sources, and work in groups to create murals about the events and trends of a decade of the twentieth century. Students will focus their research on a specific category relating to the culture of that decade, and then depict their findings through a mural.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will explore the use of trees in paintings and poetry. They will explore the artwork of Thomas Locker and Vincent van Gogh through a scientific lens. Students will combine their knowledge of science and art to write poems and create leaf art.
In this K-2 lesson, students learn how some cultures dance, sing, chant, pray to a rain god, or use instruments to encourage the rain to come. They will explore these cultures through literature and song, then create a rainstick musical performance with a poem.
This guide will assist teachers in enhancing digital instructional practices with 21st-century learners in no time!
Eric Friedman
Director, Digital Learning
Kenny Neal
Manager, Digital Education Resources
Tiffany A. Bryant
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
JoDee Scissors
Content Specialist, Digital Learning
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