Language Acquisition Branch

K-12 Universal Access/SDAIE Lesson Design Template

Teacher: Byrd Middle School Grade(s): 8 Content Area: Science

Lesson Pacing: Days Two (Input and Model), Course: Physical Science
Three (Guided Practice—Construction), and
Four (Guided Practice through Lesson
Reflection/Wrapping Up)
CONTENT CONNECTIONS COMPREHENSIBILITY INTERACTION
Main Concept/Big Idea [Essential understanding you expect students to know as a result of this module/unit of study]

The usefulness of carbon atoms in bond arrangements makes carbon important in living organisms.

Standard(s)/Skills [The skills/concepts to be taught at each grade level]

A. Main Standard [Generalized broad statement of what is to be learned]

6a. Students know that carbon, because of its ability to combine in many ways with itself and other elements, has a
central role in the chemistry of living organisms.

B. Focus Standard(s) - If Applicable [Specific concepts/skills that support the main standard]

6b. Students know that living organisms are made of molecules consisting largely of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur.

6c. Students know that living organism have many different kinds of molecules including small ones such as water
and salt, and very large ones such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and DNA.

C. Skills [ Science – Process, Social Studies – Analysis, Math – Problem Solving]

Objectives [ What will be evaluated and how]

A. Content Objective [What students will learn and be able to do and is measurable and observable]
In groups of four, students successfully construct a carbon-based molecule selected from a predetermined list of carbon
compounds.

B. Language Objective [Language needed to engage and demonstrate understanding of concept/objectives. It is

guided by active verbs found in the standards (analyze, describe, etc.)]

Students will be able to explain the model they constructed and respond to questions from their peers.

Possible Language Forms:

My carbon molecule has a ____________ backbone and _____________ bonds.
Why did you _______________ when constructing your molecule?
I used ___________________ during construction because _________________.

Concrete Materials [Visuals, manipulatives, realia use to facilitate engagement with content and help make it
comprehensible]
Textbook
Student notebooks
Class/Individual circle maps
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 Language Acquisition Branch

K-12 Universal Access/SDAIE Lesson Design Template

Tree map including pictures of BBQ tank, olive oil, blowtorch, lipid, protein, carbohydrate
Test tube and tea light candle (p. 312)
Class size pie chart of “Elements in the Human Body” (p. 313)
Food label
SDAIE Vocabulary [Maximum of 10 vocabulary words essential to understand and meet the objectives]
Bond(ing)
Organic
Molecule
Polymer
Biochemical
Model
Chain
Unique
Complex
Differ
Lesson Delivery * To maximize access to core keep the following in mind throughout the lesson: idiomatic expressions,
multiple- meaning words, and cognates.
A. Setting the Stage

1. Activating Prior Knowledge/ Building Background

a. Personal Experiences [Culturally relevant

b. Content Knowledge [Connecting to prior learning, identifying misconceptions]

During the warm-up, students exchange notebooks and discuss their classifications using the following guiding questions:
Why do living organisms need biochemical compounds? Review: Why do we call these compounds biochemical?

Ask students what is meant by the statement: You are what you eat. Record students answers on a circle map. Project a
food label for students to read. Guide students to notice the ingredients in the food listed by asking them what does the
information tell them. Point out that biochemicals in food that provide the main elements in the human body. When
digested, the body breaks down the biochemicals and uses many of the elements but not all elements from the Periodic
Table appear in the body or food in the same amount. Some appear in greater quantities just like some letters in the
alphabet are used more frequently than others to make words. Remind students that letters such as S and T are used more
frequently than X and Z. This is will be one of the things we are learning about today and why some elements are used
more often than others.

2. Introducing Main Concept and Objectives [In student friendly language]

The versatility of carbon atoms in bond arrangements makes carbon important in living organisms. Tell students they will
be constructing models of carbon atoms based on what we are about to discover about how carbon atoms bond with other
types of atoms to form biochemical compounds.

B. Input and Model [Teacher presentation ]

• Read through page 312 with students. In lieu of reading page 313, present the Figure 4 graphic Elements in the
Human Body. Invite students to observe the graphic and share their observations and ideas with a partner. Ask
students if there are any elements listed that they recognize from the food label they observed earlier. Guide
students to make conclusion that carbon is second most common element found in the body’s mass. Tell students
we are now going to investigate why carbon is so common—in your body and in the natural world.
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K-12 Universal Access/SDAIE Lesson Design Template

• Create a tree map of the content from page 310 (Carbon Backbones map, Attachment C). Ask students to open
their books to page 314. Invite students to review the graphics on page 314. Ask students: What kind of
structures are found in Figure 1? Have students share their ideas with a partner. Invite them to help you complete
tree map using their examples. Point out that carbon has the ability to take on many shapesand form long chains
because of its unique bonding abilities. Students should recall bonding form earlier experiences in inorganic
chemistry lessons in the eighth grade.
• Construct a tree map for the content on page 311. Please see Attachments D-G for sample of the map Types of
Carbon Bonds and photos you may use as examples of each type of bond. Use a different color when drawing the
bonds between atoms (e.g., blue for single; red for double; green for triple). Ask students to identify which
compounds they would find in living organisms. Be sure to use biochemicals students referred to on Day One
(lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates). Point out that not all carbon compounds are found in living things. Point
out that carbon has the ability to take on many shapes because of its unique ability to form multiple bonds with
other elements.
C. Guided Practice [Students engaging with content to develop skills and knowledge]

• Tell students that beside the three biochemicals we’ve been discussing, there are others. For example, our body
contains nucleic acids. Tell students to open their books to page 317 to learn about this other type of biochemical.
Have students read the heading and subheading and make connections between the words. (“NA” in DNA
represents nucleic acid). Read page 317 together. Students will remember RNA and DNA from the seventh
grade science curriculum.
• Have students read in pairs. Partner A reads the first section and Partner B summarizes what they understood.
Together, they answer the following questions: What are nucleic acids? Why are they important? Partner B
reads the second section and Partner A summarizes what they understood. Together, they answer: What are the
two kinds of nucleic acids? What are their functions? Debrief students’ responses and ask the whole class: What
are the four types of very large organic molecules that living organisms have? Have students cite relevant
examples of each and explain what they know about the carbon backbone and/or bonding of the molecules.
Encourage students to use the visual tools posted in the room (e.g., thinking maps).
• Why is carbon so important to living things? Reflect on the initial question: Ask students what is meant by the
statement: You are what you eat. What do students think about that statement after learning more about carbon?
Add any new learning to the circle map using a different color marker. Inform students they will now construct
their own models of carbon molecules.

D. Independent Practice [Students apply the skills and knowledge to meet the content objective independent of the
teacher]

• In groups of four, students will construct carbon molecules as assigned by the teacher. Teacher will determine
which molecules to construct and which materials to use based on availability. Suggestions include constructing
glucose and lysine. Use the colors from the pie chart on page 313 to color code the atoms in the molecules. Be
sure to provide a sample of a molecule (perhaps from a previous lesson)
• Following construction, in groups of four, students complete a gallery walk to identify the different models
generated by other student groups. During the gallery walk, each student will complete a written form as they
collect data about the other molecules and discuss their findings. (Attachment H)
• Students return to their molecule and the class has opportunities to ask clarifying questions about the evidence
they’ve gathered.
• Each group correctly identifies their molecule and shares this with the class.
• Students will read pages 318-319 independently for homework and complete the Section Review on page 319.

Evaluation [Assess how well the learner met the objectives]

Chapter Review, pages 324-325; Standards Assessment, pages 326-327

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K-12 Universal Access/SDAIE Lesson Design Template

Lesson Reflection/Wrapping – up and review of Vocabulary [Recapping concept/skill]
Use the summary statements on page 319 to generate questions and/or cloze statements to wrap up the important
information in Chapter 11. Chart the big ideas.

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