Needs:

The target population for our project The Cell is seventh grade science students from an elementary school in California. We will be investigating the need for reinforcement of the standard curriculum in life science in order for the students to improve their performance in the classroom.

Learner:

The target audience learners for our project The Cell are seventh grade science with an age range of 11 to 12 years old, who come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds as well as academic abilities. Some of the students are non-native speakers of English.

Context Analysis:

The school is comprised of an elementary school (grades K-5) and a middle school (grades 6-8). The middle school population is 200 students. The building has been newly remodeled but is small in size. The seventh grade science classroom doubles as a standard classroom and laboratory. In order for the classroom to function as a lab and operate the needed course resources, such as microscopes, power strips and extension cords are brought in to accommodate these additional classroom resources. Each student has his or her own textbook, Prentice Hall's Exploring Life Science. Additionally students have access to an onsite computer lab with online capabilities and the instructor has a computer in the classroom.

Instructional Goals:

Seventh grade science students should be able to identify and name the parts of the animal and plant cells, describe and list the functions of the animal and plant organelles, and describe and list the differences between animal and plant cells. In addition, students should be able to meet the specific goals set forth by the State of California Science Content Standards in life science which states: a) students know cells function similarly in all living organisms, b) students know the characteristics that distinguish plant cell from animal cells, including chloroplasts and cell walls, c) students know the nucleus is the repository for genetic information in plant and animal cells, d) students know that mitochondria liberate energy for the work that cells do and that chloroplasts capture sunlight energy for photosynthesis. www.ca.edu.gov

Entry Behaviors:

The seventh grade science students have prior general exposure to a science curriculum from the fifth and sixth grade. The sixth and seventh grade curriculum provides for general student instruction and access to a computer lab for one hour a week in conjunction with their math and science course work. Additionally students will have taken the California standardized test demonstrating their proficiency in the basic knowledge skills of reading and writing.

Cluster Analysis of a Verbal Information Task

Goal: Name the various parts of the animal and plant cells and the differences between them.

1.0 Name Parts of Animal Cell
  Name:
    1.1 Nucleus
    1.2 Lysosomes
    1.3 Cell membrane
    1.4 Mitochondria
    1.5 Cytoplasm
    1.6 Golgi body
    1.7 Vacuole
    1.8 Ribosome
    1.9 Endoplasmic-Reticulum
    1.10 Nucleolus
    1.11 Nuclear membrane

1.0 Name Parts of Plant Cell
  Name:
    2.1 Nucleus
    2.2 Ribosome
    2.3 Mitochondria
    2.4 Choloroplasts
    2.5 Cell membrane
    2.6 Cytoplasm
    2.7 Cell wall
    2.8 Vacuole
    2.9 Golgi body
    2.10 Endoplasmic-Reticulum
    2.11 Nuclear membrane
    2.11 Large vacuole
    2.12 Nucleolus

3.0 Difference of Plant Cell
  Name:
    3.1 Large vacuole
    3.2 Cell wall
    3.3 Choloroplasts

4.0 Difference of Animal Cell
    4.1 Lysosomes

Cluster Analysis of a Verbal Information Task

Goal: Name the functions of the animal and plant cell organelles.

5.0 List functions of the plant and animal cell organelles

5.1 Nucleus
Directs all of the cell's activities, including reproduction

5.2 Nucleolus
The structure where ribosomes are made

5.3 Nuclear membrane
Protects the nucleus, materials pass in and out through pores

5.4 Cell membrane
Forms a barrier between the cytoplasm and the environment outside of the cell

5.5 Cytoplasm
Gel-like fluid in which many organelles are found

5.6 Chloroplast
Capture energy from sunlight and produces food for plant cell

5.7 Ribosome
Function as factories to produce proteins. Found attached to the outer surface of the endoplasmic reticulum and floating free in the cytoplasm.

5.8 Lysosome
In animal cells, they contain chemicals that break down food particles and worn out-cell parts

5.9 Mitochondria
Rod-shaped organelles and are the powerhouses of the cell. They produce most of the cells energy

5.10 Vacuole
Structure that stores food, water, waste and other materials

5.11 Golgi body
Receives materials through the endoplasmic reticulum and sends them to other parts of the cell

5.12 Endoplasmic reticulum
Network of passageways that carry the materials from one part of the cell to another

---

Invitation to teachers:

If you would like to participate in this project, please contact us with the form in the right column of this page.