1. Michael Robbins
For 1/28/2014
Lesson: (Class #1 of 2 on Day 2 of Pacing guide)
1) Major concept: Defining life
2) Lesson essential question:
BIO.A.1.1: How do we characterize the properties of life that is shared by all prokaryotic and
eukaryotic organisms?
BIO.A.4.2.1: How do organisms maintain homeostasis (e.g., thermoregulation, water regulation,
oxygen regulation)?
3) Key Vocabulary: Growth, Development, Life Span, Metabolism, Homeostasis,
Reproduction, Sexual reproduction, Asexual reproduction, Binary fission, Budding,
Parthenogenesis, Fragmentation, Excretion, Response, Stimulus, Protoplasm, Cell,
Tissue, Organ, Organ system, Organism, Living, Dead, Nonliving, Life Functions
4) Graphic Organizers Used- Rule of life with rule fitters (tally of living things that fit rule) and rule
breakers (tally of living non-living things that fit rule)
5) Activities for class 1
1. Activating strategy: Desks will be situated into a circle arrangement so that eye face center of
the room. I will start the lesson by trying to hula hoop. Then I will ask the question: What would
you say if I define life as anything that can do the hula hoop? Please write that as Mr. Robbins’
rule for life on your graphic organizer.
2. “I am now passing you a 3X5 card with something on it that is either alive or not. We will use
these cards in a moment. First, on a blank sheet of paper we are going to make rules that
improve my rule. You may discard my rule, add to my rule, but try to make your rule be true for
all living things. I will give you a few moments to brainstorm as long as you are working or
thinking I will give you as long as you need.
3. Now returning to the Hula hoop rule, ask the students to place their cards into the hula hoop if
the thing on the card can hula hoop. Then ask a student to help count the number of cards that
was placed into the hoop. Through subtraction, we will also calculate the number of things that
did not satisfy the rule (i.e. non living or dead things that can satisfy the rule and living things
that cannot satisfy the rule). After getting this result, comment that it seems like hula hooping is
not a very good rule for all life.
4. Students that have placed card in hulu hoop may get new card out of hoop or if they happen to
get the same one by chance, that is also fine.
5. Next ask a volunteer to read his or her rule to the class. Ask the students to write that rule on
their graphic organizer after Mr. Robbins Hulu hoop rule. Repeat with their rules, but mention
2. that they can add to or change a previous students rule if they like or don’t like something about
it. Discuss as we go.
6. If needed, repeat brainstorming (guiding with questions as needed) to solve for the cards that
have not been solved for.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The 8 rules for living things to cover which students may or may not make rules for are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Organize into cells (Biological levels of organization)
Metabolism-(take in and get energy from food which is used to build and repair the body)
Ability to organize protoplasm
Ability to respond to environment (Stimulus +Response)
Maintain Homeostasis (Stability/ balance within internal environment. (Cold-shiver, tired-sleep,
hydration etc.)
6. Grow and Develop (cell size, #, different rates)
7. Reproduce (sexual, asexual- binary fission, budding, parthenogenesis, fragmentation
8. Excrete Waste (products of metabolism and digestion) avoid toxicity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6) Materials for class #1
Hula hoop, Living things for 3X5 cards (Tree, A house plant, the queen of England, a baby,
mushroom, a rabbit, a bacterium, a caterpillar, a polar bear), Non Living or dead things 3X5 cards
(Rock, Airplane, Car, Computer virus, Fire, Water, Carbon dioxide, a star in the sky, a cloud, a
movie, a cadaver (i.e. corpse) , a robot-building robot, dead ant)
3. Definitions of life vocabulary: Name_________________ Block_________________________
Growth:
Development:
Life Span:
Metabolism:
Homeostasis:
Reproduction:
Sexual reproduction:
Asexual reproduction:
Binary fission:
Budding:
Parthenogenesis:
Fragmentation:
Excretion:
Response:
Stimulus:
Protoplasm:
Cell:
Tissue:
Organ:
Organ system:
Organism:
Living:
Dead:
Nonliving:
Life Functions:
5. Directions for the Rules of Life Activity
1. Get out Rules of Life Graphic Organizer table.
2. Write small and fill in the Rule of Life Mr. Robbins suggested in the left hand column of the
table.
3. Get a 3 by 5 card from Mr. Robbins with a living or non-living thing on it.
4. Decide if the item on your card fits the rule of life Mr. Robbins suggested. If it does put your
card into the hula hoop. If it does not, keep your card.
5. Mr. Robbins will have a student count the following from the cards placed in the hula hoop:
A) # of living that fit rule
B) # of living things that do not fit rule
C) # of dead or non-living things that do not fit rule
Fill in your table columns with the counts of each A,B and C.
6. Next on a separate scratch paper, you write down a rule of live that improves upon the rule of
life Mr. Robbins gave.
7. Mr. Robbins will call on students to share their rules of life with the class. Write his or her rule
of life in the table underneath the rule Mr. Robbins had. We will repeat the task by putting
the 3 by 5 cards into the hula hoops and the counting them to complete the table.
8. Refine your rule to improve the rule that your classmates came up with. It is ok to borrow part
of their rules that you like and reject the parts of their rules that you do not like.
9. Our goal is to find a rule of life that works for the items on every person’s card. Let’s see how
close we can come.
