KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: _Katie Gibbs_____________________________________ Date: _______________________

Cooperating Teacher: _________________________________________________ Coop. Initials: ________________
Group Size: _24_________________ Allotted Time: _1 hour________ Grade Level: _4th_____________
Subject or Topic: _____Body Cells___________________________________ Section: _____________________

STANDARD:
A. 3.1.5.A5 Explain the concept of a cell as the basic unit of life. Compare and contrast
plant and animal cells.
B. Standard - 3.1.6.A4 Recognize that all organisms are composed of cells and that many
organisms are unicellular and must carry out all life functions in one cell.

I. Performance Objectives
A. Students will be able to identify and locate the nucleus in cheek cells by swabbing
their cheeks and looking at the sample under the microscope.
B. Students will locate, recognize, and name different types of cells throughout the
body by pasting the correct body cells to the correct part of the Body Cells
Worksheet (see attached).

II. Instructional Materials

A. Cells PowerPoint (see attached)
B. Guided Notes (see attached)
C. 24 Microscopes
D. 6 Extension Cords
E. 24 Clean Blank Slides
F. 24 Cover Slips
G. 1 Small Bottle of Methylene Blue
H. 24 Small Paper Cups
I. 24 Swabs
J. Sink with Running Water
K. Trash Can
L. Body Cells Worksheet (see attached)
M. 24 Glue Sticks
N. 24 Scissors

III. Subject Matter/ Content

A. Prerequisite Skills
1. Basic understanding of cells and the cell theory.
2. Able to identify organelles both by location and function.
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Red Blood Cell- red-colored cell found in blood that carries oxygen from the
lungs to other parts of the body
2. White Blood Cell- clear or colorless cell in blood that protects the body from
disease
3. Muscle Cell- a cell found in muscle that can contract and produce movement
4. Skin Cell- cell found in the natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body
 C. Big Idea
1. Humans and other large living organisms are made up of many specialized
cells.
D. Content
1. Red Blood Cell
a. Red-colored cell found in blood that carries oxygen from the lungs to
other parts of the body
2. White Blood Cell
a. Clear or colorless cell in blood that protects the body from disease

3. Muscle Cell
a. A cell found in muscle that can contract and produce movement
4. Skin Cell
a. Cell found in the natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Make a KWL chart on the board.
2. Have students take out their science notebooks and copy the chart on a new
page.
3. Have students fill in the chart independently for two minutes.
4. After the two minutes is up, have students pair up with the person sitting next
to them to discuss what they wrote.
5. After one minute of discussing, invite students up to the board to fill in the
appropriate columns.
6. Once every willing student has written on the board, read aloud what the
students wrote.
7. Prompt students to answer questions about organelles that are not listed on
the board (if applicable).
8. Encourage students to give possible information about the topics their fellow
classmates put in the want to learn column.
B. Development
1. Open up the Cells PowerPoint to slide 20 (see attached).
2. Instruct students to pull out their guided notes (see attached).
3. Teach the information on slides 21-24.
a. Be sure to wait until every student is done copying the missing
information down before moving on to the next slide.
4. Pass out the Body Cells Worksheet (see attached).
5. Instruct students to fill in the missing information on the first page of the Body
Cells Worksheet (see attached) as they watch the video clips.
6. Go onto Discovery Education to access Magic School Bus Videos.
7. Watch the episode titled Inside Ralphie from 10:46 until 16:00.
8. Watch the episode titled Works Out from 11:15 until 15:30.
9. Watch the episode titled Goes Cellular from 7:30 until 12:05.
10. Have students turn to a partner and go over their answers for the first page of
the Body Cells Worksheet (see attached).
11. Once they are finished discussing their answers, ask students if they have any
additional questions or need help with an answer.
12. Have students flip to the second page in their Body Cells Worksheet (see
attached).
 13. Instruct students to get one microscope to share with the person sitting next to
them.
14. Place swabs, small paper cups, and blank slides at the sink station.
15. Have students line up at the sink in groups of four.
16. Have each of the students in the first group of four fill their small paper cup
halfway with water.
17. On your cue, have the students swish the water in their mouths for ten
seconds.
18. Have students spit out the water into the sink and throw away their cups.
19. Next have students swab the inside of their cheeks for fifteen seconds.
a. The students should be using the swab in a scraping motion.
20. Have students take a clean microscope slide and smear their swab onto the
slide, then throw away the swab.
21. Add a drop of Methylene Blue to their sample, then place on a cover slip.
a. Warn students that this can stain their clothes and skin. It also can make
them sick if they eat it.
b. Be sure to use a clean paper towel to absorb any Methylene Blue seeping
out from under the cover slip. Students should not ingest this chemical.
22. Have the group of four students return to their desks and set up their
microscope with their slide, encouraging them to explore what they see.
23. Repeat steps 13 through 19 until every student has gone through the process.
24. Instruct students to complete the second page of their Body Cells Worksheet
(see attached) while they explore what they see in the microscope.
a. Make sure to be available to the students while they are completing the
inquiry. Answer questions and help the students find their cheek cells if
they are having trouble. If a question's answer would be helpful to the
entire class, make sure to call the class’s attention before answering the
question.
25. After 20 minutes, have students clean up their stations by washing off the
microscope slides and putting away all materials.
C. Closure
1. Have students turn to the third page of their Body Cells Worksheet (see
attached).
2. Pass out one glue stick and one scissor to every student.
3. Have students complete the page with a partner. This will serve as an exit slip
for the students.
a. If a student asks a question, do not directly give them the answer right
away. Remind the students of helpful information and inform them that it
is alright to use their notes to complete this page.
4. Inform students to hand in their packet upon completion.
5. When every student has turned in their packet, have students refer back to the
KWL chart on the board and in their notebooks.
6. Have students list things that they learned from the lesson.
a. Make sure students copy down this information into their notebooks.
7. Inform students that they have now finished learning about cells. A review
class will happen the next day, so tell students to bring their questions.
D. Accommodations / Differentiation
1. Lily will have a modified Body Cell Worksheet (see attached) with less text and
a font that is easier for her to read. The first page of the Body Cell Worksheet
will have half the answers filled in already.
 2. Students are assessed in many different domains in the Body Cell Worksheet
(see attached). The first page is easier. It allows all students who pay attention
to the videos to receive full credit for the page. The second page allows
students to observe their cheek cells in a multitude of ways. Students can use
descriptive words to describe what they see, they can draw what they see, or
they can use any combination of the two. The third page targets learners who
use language, learners who rely on visuals, and learners who rely on both.
Students can choose different ways to represent their knowledge on the third
page.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative
a. The Body Cells Worksheet (see attached) will be collected and graded
based on correct responses. If a student has no more than three errors,
then they will receive full credit for the assignment. If a student has
between three and ten errors, they will receive half credit for the
assignment. If more than ten errors are present, the student will receive
no credit for the assignment.
2. Summative
a. No summative assessment will be given until the unit test.

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Students’ Performance in Terms of States Objectives

Remediation

B. Personal Reflection
1. How successful were students at filling out the second page of their
worksheet? Were they able to do most of the activity without the help of the
teacher?
 2. How well did students do with the third page of the worksheet? Were students
able to remember enough details about the body cells to complete the activity?

3. Where did students struggle the most? Where did students seem unchallenged
in the lesson? What parts of the packet would be good to use in the summative
assessment?

VI. Resources
A. About skin: Your body's largest organ. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
https://www.aad.org/public/kids/skin
B. Blood does a body good. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/blood-does-body-good
C. Blood: Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://idahoptv.org/sciencetrek/topics/blood/facts.cfm
D. D. (2010). How to Swab Cheek Cells. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioETJEHlVG0
E. Experiments Quick Links. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2016, from http://www2.mrc-
lmb.cam.ac.uk/microscopes4schools/humancheek.php
F. Muscle Cells. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/how-cancer-
starts/types-of-cancer
G. Muscles - By KidsBiology.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://www.kidsbiology.com/human_biology/muscles2.php
H. Red Blood Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://wizznotes.com/biology/transport/blood-cells
I. Scholastic, (1997). The Magic School Bus: Goes Cellular. [Full Video]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com
J. Scholastic, (1994). The Magic School Bus: Inside Ralphie. [Full Video]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com
K. Scholastic, (1996). The Magic School Bus: Works Out. [Full Video]. Available from
http://www.discoveryeducation.com
L. Skin Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://health.wikinut.com/img/3nwvlog0m1q_dct_/3D-Model-of-Skin-Cell
M. Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2016, from http://pdesas.org/Standard
N. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). White blood cell. Retrieved April 12,
2016, from http://www.britannica.com/science/white-blood-cell
O. White Blood Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://barbaraeportfolio.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-kind-of-cell-i-would-like-to-
be.html