Annette Roberts

 

CELLS AND MITOSIS

 

 

OBJECTIVES:

            Content:  The basic unit of life is the cell.  Cells are made up of different organelles, which control different functions of the cells.  To maintain life, cells must divide.  Dividing cells are found in growth areas.  One form of division is called Mitosis.

 

RELATION TO MISSOURI FRAMEWORKS:

 

5-8:  VIIIA2  The basic unit of life is the cell.

5-8:  VIIIA4     Cells contain a set of structures called organelles that control the various functions of the cell.

 

CONTEXT:

            Grade Level:  5-8

            Group of 15-25 for StarLab presentation.

 

PREREQUISITE:

            Students should have some knowledge of the make-up of cells, major parts of a cell, and that new cells are formed through a process of dividing (Mitosis).

 

MATERIALS:

            StarLab Portable Planetarium

            Biological Cell cylinder

            Arrow pointers

            Red flashlights (for reading)

 

PROCEDURE:

 

  1. Before entering the SarLab, a quick review of the parts of the cell that the

students are expected to know will be addressed.

 

  1. Hand out a review sheet with examples of each part of the cell that will be addressed and let the students review, with help, for 2-3 minutes.

 

  1. Explain that once inside the StarLab that they will be able to experience what it would be like to be inside a cell.

 

  1. After all the students are seated, explain that we will be reviewing the parts of the cell.  After eye adjustment time, slowly turn on the Biological Cell cylinder.

 

  1. After cylinder is fully lit, point to the different major parts of the cell.  Explain that we will only be focusing on the major parts that they need to know for this lesson.  Name the part of the cell and have the students use the pointer to identify these parts.

 

  1. Turn down the projector light and reposition the cylinder for Mitosis (lower half of main body of the cylinder).  While doing this, briefly discuss the fact that all living cells have to make new cells to survive.  One process for making new cells is called Mitosis.  Go through each phase, (Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase and Telophase), explaining the process briefly and pointing out the separations.

 

  1. Conclude lesson by explaining that the students will now return to their class where they will draw the stages of Mitosis.

 

  1. Have the students carefully exit the planetarium and return to their class.

 

  1. Have the students draw on the Activity Sheet the stages of Mitosis.  When completed, have the student pick one stage (can be assigned, or can do all stages) of Mitosis and illustrate it with the pipe cleaners.

 

EXTENSIONS AND/OR ADAPTATIONS:

After the drawings of the Mitosis stages have been completed, have each student pick one stage (can be assigned, or can do all stages) of Mitosis and illustrate it with the pipe cleaners on construction paper.

 

CONTENT BACKGROUND:

            Because all living organisms are made up of cells, it is important to understand some basic parts of the cells, and their functions.  Cells in organisms are alike in many ways however there are differences.  Plant and animals cells are examples of different cells.  The animal cell viewed in this lab differs form that of a plant cell.  Two distinct differences are that plant cells contain a cell wall and chloroplasts.

            Along with differences of cells, it is also important to understand how cells in growth areas divide and multiply.  One way of division is through the process of Mitosis.  In stage one, Interphase, the chromosomes duplicate, or make a copy.  Stage two, Prophase, chromosomes become visible as short compact rods. The duplicated chromosomes are held together by centrioles. During this stage, the nuclear membrane disappears.  Stage three, Metaphase, the chromosomes line up along the cell’s center (centromere).  Anaphase, stage four, finds the doubled chromosomes splitting and migrating to opposite ends of the cell connected to spindle fibers.  Finally, in stage five, Telophase, the cell splits and new nuclear membranes form.  The two daughter cells produced are about half the size of the parent cell.  Each daughter cell grows and the process continues.

 

 

APPENDIX:

            Activity Sheet

 

RESOURCES:

            Badders, William, etal.  Discovery Works.  1996.  Silver Burdett Ginn, Inc.  

                        Parsippany, NJ.

            Astronomy and More, User’s Guide for the StarLab

 

            http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/mitosis.html

            http://www.biologylessons.sdsu.educlasses/lab8lab8.html