At the end of this plant and animal cell lesson plan, students will be able to

differentiate between structure and function in plant and animal cell

organelles, including cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm,
mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole. Each lesson is designed using the
5E method of instruction to ensure maximum comprehension by the students.

The following post will walk you through each of the steps and activities from

OBJECTIVE INTRODUCTION
At the beginning of the lesson, the class will do a Think-Pair-Share to discuss
the objective.

CLASS ACTIVITY
1. Show students the PP slide with the microscopic image of both an animal
and plant cell. Give them no further information than they are images of
cells.

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. Ask students to observe the PP slide of the microscopic image of cells.
2. Hopefully, they remember learning what cells are in their Cell Theory Unit.
3. Ask the students to list any differences they see between the two images.
4. Have the students hypothesize about what image might be.
5. Explain to them that the image on the right is an animal cell and the image
on the left is a plant cell.
6. Ask if they see anything inside each cell and hypothesize what they might
be.
7. Explain that today they will be learning what the difference is between an
animal cell and a plant cell. They will also be learning about the organelles
inside each cell and what its function is.
The teacher will help to clear any misconceptions about animal and plant
cells. Some may be that all cells are the same size and shape, plants are not
made of cells, and that some living parts of organisms are not made of cells.

Estimated Class Time for the Engagement: 20-30 minutes

EXPLORATION
This student-centered station lab is set up so students can begin to explore
animal and plant cells. Four of the stations are considered input stations
where students are learning new information about animal and plant cells and
four of the stations are output stations where students will be demonstrating
their mastery of the input stations. Each of the stations is differentiated to
challenge students using a different learning style. You can read more
about how I set up the station labs here.

EXPLORE IT!
Students will be working in pairs to better understand plant and animal cells.
Students will be comparing two diagrams of plant and animal cells and will try
to identify the differences and similarities. Students will follow the steps and
record their observations on their lab sheet.
WATCH IT!
At this station, students will be watching a short video explaining plant and
animal cells. Students will then answer questions related to the video and
record their answers on their lab station sheet. For example: What is the
function of the cell wall in plant cells? What is the function of chloroplasts in
plant cells? How are the vacuoles different in plant and animal cells?

RESEARCH IT!
The research station will allow students to explore an interactive web page
that allows students to click to obtain information about the organelles that are
in plant and animal cells. Students will be instructed to complete a few tasks
and record answers on their lab sheets.

READ IT!
This station will provide students with a one page reading about Plant and
animal cells. In the reading, students will understand how they are both similar
and different. There are 4 follow-up questions that the students will answer to
show reading comprehension of the subject.
 ASSESS IT!
The assess it station is where students will go to prove mastery over the
concepts they learned in the lab. The questions are set up in a standardized
format with multiple choice answers. Some questions include: Which
organelle is only found in plant cells? What is the function of the nucleus in
plant and animal cells? Which structure allows gases and nutrients in and out
of cells? What is the function of the vacuole in plant cells?

WRITE IT!
Students who can answer open-ended questions about the lab truly
understand the concepts that are being taught. At this station, the students
will be answering three task cards: Which two organelles can be found in plant
cells that aren’t found in animal cells? Describe what each of them does. How
do you know that plant and animal cells are eukaryotic? What is the function
of the mitochondria in cells?

ILLUSTRATE IT!
Your visual students will love this station. Students will label and describe the
3 main differences between a plant cell compared to the animal cell.
ORGANIZE IT!
The organize it station allows your students to lock in the organelles found in
cells and match them up with their correct functions. Students will then identify
if the organelle belongs to animals, plants, or both. Once students have
completed their organization, the teacher will come and check their
understanding.

Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 1-2, 45 minute class periods
EXPLANATION
The explanation activities will become much more engaging for the class once
they have completed the exploration station lab. During the explanation
piece, the teacher will be clearing up any misconceptions about animal and
plant cells with an interactive PowerPoint, anchor charts, and notes. The
animal and plant cells lesson includes a PowerPoint with activities scattered
throughout to keep the students engaged.
The students will also be interacting with their journals while taking notes from
the PowerPoint. If you have students that need modified notes, the 5E lessons
come equipped to help give every student access to the lesson.
Estimated Class Time for the Exploration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods

ELABORATION
The elaboration section of the 5E method of instruction is intended to give
students choice on how they can prove mastery of the concept. When
students are given choice the ‘buy-in’ is much greater than when the teacher
tells them the project they will have to create. The elaboration project will
allow students to create a number of different project ideas ranging from
bulletin board creation to designing a model.
 Estimated Class Time for the Elaboration: 2-3, 45 minute class periods (can
also be used as an at-home project)

EVALUATION
The final piece of the 5E model is to evaluate student
comprehension. Included in every 5E lesson is a homework assignment,
assessment, and modified assessment. Research has shown that homework
needs to be meaningful and applicable to real-world activities in order to be
effective. When possible, I like to give open-ended assessments to truly
gauge the student’s comprehension.

LESSON CONTENT
 Lesson Plan Template:

General Lesson Plan

 Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this
lesson?

Students will be able to identify the parts of a plant and animal cell.
The students will be able to explain cell organelle functions.
Students will be able to differentiate between plant and animal cells.

 Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?

Students should have the following prior knowledge from 5th grade standards:
All plants and animals, including humans, are alike in some ways and different in others.
All plants and animals, including humans, have internal parts and external structures that function to keep them alive
and help them grow and reproduce.

 Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?

What are cells made of?

 How can you differentiate between a plant and animal cell?
How do cell organelles work together to keep the cells functioning properly?

 Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?

Discuss plant and animal similarities and differences with students. It doesn't seem like we have much in common
with a tree, but a scientist would say that we do. What do plants and animals have in common? Guide students to an
explanation that all living things are made up of cells. Tell students that inside cells, there are parts that work
together to make the cell do its job. All of the jobs that living things do are actually being done by cells; this is why
we say that cells are the building blocks of life.
Explain to student that their first job of the day will be to research these structures so they teach them to their
classmates. It may be difficult to remember the names and functions of these organelles, so they should think of
ways that would help others. At this point, teachers should assign each student an organelle to teach to their
classmate. Students will complete a teacher created research guide to help them gather information. The students
may use their textbooks or the internet using this site to help them complete their research and learn about the
organelles.
After students have completed their research and it has been reviewed by the teacher, they will begin teaching each
other about different organelles using that information to complete the teacher created table. Depending on the
behavioral needs of the class, students can move about the room, meeting with peers rather freely, or they may move
in a designated pattern when directed by the teacher. When the tables are complete the teacher can go over the
organelles by calling on different students to explain what they have learned about a particular organelle.
If time and resources allow, students may take a fun, interactive online quiz (described in the formative assessment
section).

 Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher
guidance?

To begin the guided practice portion of the lesson, ask students to list all of the things that a factory needs to get
materials, make products, and ship them. Extend students' lists by having students share answers. Student answers
should include: trucks, docks, machines for the assembly line, boxes, people to run the machines, people in the office
to take orders and supervise production, places to store materials.
Then watch this short video clip that is high quality, shows the structures of cells, explains how they function and
reviews the differences between plant and animal cells. Stop the video after each of the organelles being presented
to ask students to restate the function of the organelle, which type of cell has it, and why its shape might help it do
its job.
After students have viewed the video, direct their attention back to the list of things that a factory needs. For each
item on their list, ask them to tell what part of a cell pretty much does the same job, and justify their choice. For
example, the docks would be like the cell membrane, because they're on the outside edge and let some things in and
out. The office would be like the nucleus because it has all of the orders.

 Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the
concepts and skills developed in the lesson?
 After the students have completed the guided practice they will work with a partner to answer the following
questions. They may use the table they created in the 'teaching phase of the lesson, their textbook, or any other
available resources. After they have completed the questions they will then switch partners and compare answers
with a different partner.
What would happen to the cell if __(name of organelle)______ was absent? (choose 3 organelles)
What organelle would you expect a muscle cell to have a lot of and why?
Why would different types of cells have different shapes?
Why does a plant cell have a cell wall and not animal cells?

 Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the
lesson?

Discuss with students again the question that was asked of them at the beginning of the lesson (how plants and
animals are alike). Now that they have the understanding of scientists, they should be able to give a much more
sophisticated answer. At this point, students should talk about cells and the similar structures and functions.

 Summative Assessment

The students should be able to complete a quiz on cell functions with 80% accuracy. The quiz is
on Socrative.com and can be reached by using code 12160221 to edit and make the quiz interactive. There is also a
hard copy provided.
Cell Quiz.pdf

 Formative Assessment

Teachers will assess student understanding through multiple class and pair discussions, and by observing their
writing in both the teaching and independent practice phases of the lesson.
The students may also complete interactive practice quizzes online to receive feedback for themselves to determine
the parts of plant/animal cells they know. The teacher will also provide feedback to them from the worksheet they
complete researching an organelle making sure that the students have filled it out completely and accurately. The
interactive quiz should be completed by the students after they have fully completed the table of all the cell
organelles.
Link to online interactive quiz http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/health/anatomy/cell/cell_quiz.htm

 Feedback to Students
 Feedback is embedded throughout the lesson, as teachers respond to student answers (preferably be asking probing
questions and eliciting ideas of other students). Students can also receive on-the-spot feedback during the writing
pieces of this lesson.
The students may complete an online interactive quizzes that provide them immediate feedback on what they know.
The students will also receive feedback from the teacher on the worksheet they completed and through class
discussion with other students.

ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Accommodations:
Use visual aids and graphic organizers to present information. Group ESOL and ESE students with stronger
students. Use guided notes and guided reading. Provide clear procedural steps. Repeat or rephrase directions if
necessary. Students could act out the functions of the organelles to demonstrate knowledge of the standard.

Extensions:
Once students understand the cell structures and functions they could examine actual cells using a microscope. They
could also create 3-D models of cells as a project.

Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Overhead Projector