Jennifer Tripp

Dr. Schindel
Lesson 1- Introduction to Cells: Living versus Non-Living

Age/Grade Level: 6th grade

Time: 45 minutes
Instructional Objectives/Goals:

Students will determine if something is living or non-living by looking at its microscopic image
and justify their responses with an explanation.
Students will state that all organisms (living things) are composed of one or more cells, as
measured by their science notebook and online TED Ed video quiz responses.

Essential Question:

What differentiates a living thing from a non-living thing at the microscopic level?

Next Generation Science Standards:

MS-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one
cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
NY State Standards:
Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.
Introduction: Living things are similar to each other yet different from nonliving things. The cell is a basic
unit of structure and function of living things (cell theory). For all living things, life activities are
accomplished at the cellular level.
Major Understandings:
1.1a Living things are composed of cells. Cells provide structure and carry on major functions to sustain
life. Cells are usually microscopic in size.
Materials:

Living versus Non-Living PPT digital copy and printed slides for stations, adapted from:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gdlVZwRyLVm5zfzyHywfGIeHfpCjfUJQ2uvsgXc2U0/edit
Cell Theory PPT, adapted from:
http://www.missdoctorbailer.com/resources_6th.cfm?subpage=1387106
Handouts (print and digital copies)
Post-It notes
Computer

Projector
rock
fish
science notebooks

Learning Activities:
1. Pre-assessment of students conceptions about living and non-living things. (4 minutes)
a. Ask students if they can tell if something is living or non-living. Pass around a rock and
have students think of classroom fish as examples of non-living and living things, and ask
questions such as the following:
i. Is this living or non-living?
ii. How do you know?
b. After students have given their responses (a rock is non-living because it does not eat,
breathe, etc. while a fish does), state:
i. Do non-living things look different from living things when viewed under a
microscope?
ii. Take a minute to draw what you think something living and non-living looks
like under a microscope, on the post-it notes you received at the beginning of
class.
c. Students draw on post-it notes.
d. Direct students to take a gallery walk to view students drawings. Teacher and students
travel around the room, looking at students post-it drawings, on students desks.
e. Summarize similarities and differences in drawings.
2. Transition into next phase of the lesson: Now well look at some microscopic images of living
and non-living things. 18 minutes (9 min. for living slides; 9 min. for non-living slides)
a. Give handout and discuss living things under microscopes with students, stating:
i. Were first going to look at living things under microscopes. Pay close attention
to the shapes, grouping, and shape structure in these images.
ii. For example, ask yourselves the following:
1. Are the shapes mostly angular or rounded?
2. Groups of the same type of thing? Very different things? Solid shapes?
Shapes within shapes?
iii. Take student through the next 5 slides (nerve cells, Chlorella, human cheek cells,
mouse bone marrow, and human spleen cells).
1. Elicit student background knowledge before explaining what each is and
where it is found (e.g. The spleen is part of the abdomen, by the
stomach. Its part of the immune system and filters blood cells.).
2. Show microscope slide and advise students to take notes on their
handouts based on the shapes, grouping, and shape structure.

iv. Ask students to share their notes and thoughts with peers next to them for one
minute, before taking another minute for some students to share observations
with the entire class.
v. As students respond, record key observations on class EPE table (type onto
Word Document); instruct students to take notes on their copies.
b. State, Now well look at some microscopic images of non-living things.
i. Teacher and students repeat 2aiii-2av with the slides of non-living microscopic
images.
3. Transition into next phase of the lesson: Lets take a look at some sample microscope mystery
images. Your task: to determine if the microscopic image is living or non-living. (10 minutes)
a. Students count off to divide into 5 groups.
b. State, At each station, you will see a microscope image. You will record whether you
think the image is something living or non-living, a quick sketch if you prefer, and a brief
explanation.
i. Note: each station includes a printed microscope image of one of the following:
volvox, Apollo 14 moon rock, cyanobacteria, wood, and glass (from PPT).
c. Signal to students when to move to the next station (every two minutes).
i. While students are at their stations, circulate and observe. Ask students
questions such as, What do you think? and Why?
d. Reconvene as a whole class once each group makes it to each station.
i. Show the mystery microscope image. Students chorally respond as to whether it
is living or non-living.
ii. Ask some students to share their explanations, whether the class agrees, and
provide quick feedback.
4. Transition into next phase of the lesson, the Cell Theory PPT. (12 minutes)
a. Give students a quick overview of each slide, which provides a brief history of cell
theory.
i. Emphasize how the tiny parts that students saw (use language students used to
describe what they saw in the previous stages of the lesson) are called cells and
found in all living things. Circulate the room and observe while students respond
to these questions in their science notebooks
1. Who discovered the cell?
2. What would you call cells if you were Hooke?
3. According to the cell theory.(students finish response).
ii. Students share their writing with peers for one minute. Reconvene as a whole
group and call on students to share what they wrote/discussed in pairs.
b. Show students a TED Ed video overview of the cell theory (link on PPT slide), notifying
students that they will answer questions about how scientists discovered cells and their
characteristics, after the video.
i. Students write responses to Ted Ed video questions from the Think section in
their science notebooks. Circulate and observe students responses.

ii. Discuss online quiz questions, as a whole class. Call on students to respond, and
ask class if they agree with their peers responses.
5. Tell students about homework (see assessment, below). (1 minute)
a. Explain that students will quiz each other on the microscopic images (whether they are
of something living or non-living) the next day.
b. Note: If students have difficulty obtaining the microscope slide image, have students
think of something they would like to see under a microscope and describe how they
think it would look.
Assessments:
Formative:
post-it note pre-conceptions
observation of student notes
students responses to questions
small group and whole group discussion
participation in group online TED Ed quiz
Record notable observations in journal.
Summative:
For homework, students find a microscopic image of one living and one non-living thing. They explain
how certain features suggest that the image is from something living or non-living. Students should
receive at least 5 out of 6 points on this assignment for mastery (83%).

Microscopic Images

(2 points)
Explanation

(4 points)

++
Microscopic images of
one living and one nonliving thing.
2
Explanation of how the
image supports why the
thing is living or nonliving. Contains
explanation for both
examples. Includes
characteristics as
described in PPT such
as: shape, group,
structure (that living
example is composed of
cells).

+
Microscopic images of
one living or one nonliving thing.
1
Explanation of how the
image supports why the
thing is living or nonliving. Contains
explanation for one of
the examples and/or
description of
characteristics is
incomplete/could be
more detailed in terms
of shape, group,
structure (living things
composed of cells).

No microscopic images
of one living or one
non-living thing.
0
Does not include an
explanation of how the
image supports why the
thing is living or nonliving. Explanation does
not accurately support
whether or not the
thing is living or nonliving: does not
accurately describe
shape, group, structure
(that living example is
composed of cells).

2-3

0-1