Life Sciences 101
Program Delivery
Lesson deliveries are meant to be treated as a guide. As a mentor with The New York Academy of Science’s Afterschool Workshops, you are going into the program as a scientist in training, making, and/or practice. Your well of knowledge runs deep and the amount of information that you might know could possibly surpass the tidbits of information provided within this curriculum packet. We encourage you to use your skills and abilities to inspire inquiry, imagination, and innovation to the world of budding young scientists.
Have fun!
The teaching strategy that will best enhance the lessons is called POE or Predict, Observe, and Explain. Click here for more information. Not all activities will require the POE handout, but using it throughout the curriculum will help the students familiarize themselves with the practice of predicting, observing, and explaining in a scientific setting.
To help facilitate the POE method, we encourage the use of journals in the Afterschool setting. To better understand how to utilize the journals click here. Each lesson will also contain hints on when and how to use the journal.
Session 1: Nature of Science
Session 2: Think Like a Scientist
Session 3: Cellular Organization, Structure, Function, and Metabolism
Session 4: DNA - The Chemical Basis of Life
Session 5: Enzymes
Session 6: Earthworms and Digestion
Session 7: Blood - The Types
Session 8: Snot and the Immune System
Session 9: Chicken Leg Dissection Connection
Session 10: Patient Zero
Session 11: Ethics in Science
Session 1: Nature of Science
“Draw a Scientist”
Lesson Overview:
The views of middle-school students are often shaped by their experiences through popular culture. Whether it’s from a comic book or a movie, certain professionals are stereotyped and pigeonholed into having certain characteristics.
In this lesson, students are asked to draw what they perceive a scientist to look like. They will then meet a non-stereotypical scientist and will then reevaluated their perceptions.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to…
· Formulate opinions about scientists.
· Analyze and evaluate stereotypes
Lesson Inquiry Question:
· "Who is a scientist?"
· If we asked "what?" instead of "who" there would probably be a more straight-forward answer from your students. But we're more interested in their perceptions of who a scientist is as a fellow person. What do they think they do at home? What do they look like? What may their personalities by like?
Materials Needed:
· Drawing paper
· Crayons
· Markers
· “Draw a Scientist” checklist
· Journals
Activity Plan:
1. Students are asked: When you hear the word scientist, what is the first thought that comes to your mind?
2. Students write responses on their journals.
1. If the children are struggling for a response, encourage them to imagine what the scientist looks like.
2. Example questions: What is the scientist doing? What does his or her clothes look like? Where are they?
3. Once the students have had enough time to jot down some ideas, give them a sheet of drawing paper and ask them to draw a picture of the scientist at work.
4. Students will then trade pictures and use the “Draw a Scientist” checklist to evaluate the drawing without talking to the artist.
5. Class discussion of drawings. Calculate checklist on board or overheard.
6. Discuss what students think scientists do.
7. Introduce students to a scientist, who will make a brief presentation to the class.
8. Have the students interview the scientist.
1. Encourage the students to write the answers in their journals.
9. Students will draw a second picture of the scientist at work.
10. End with class discussion:
1. How is the second picture different from your first picture?
2. How have your perceptions about scientists changed?
3. HINT: Make sure to use prompts to help guide the students' responses. (Guide on using Prompt Words)
Journal Activity:
1. Have students imagine themselves as a scientist.
2. Ask them to write in their journals what kind of scientist they would be.
3. Have them answer: Why would I want to be this kind of scientist?
4. Ask them to describe what their daily routine would be if they were that kind of scientist.
5. If time permits allow the students to share their entries with the rest of the class. If time runs out feel free to continue during your next scheduled date or whenever you might have time again.
1. Tip: Only let two or three kids to go during any given session. If a student changes their mind after a few ways, discuss the reasons why.
Additional Resources:
· Draw a Scientist Checklist Provided
· Images from the internet of “Mad Scientist”
· Images from the internet of “Chemist, Biologist, Physicist, and/or Scientist, etc.”
Session 2: Think Like a Scientist
“Do Mystery Samples Contain Life?”
Lesson Overview:
Students explore the properties of threes mystery samples and try to find out which one contains life. Then they review what they have learned so far about the characteristics of living things.
Core Concepts:
· All living organisms conform to the "7 Characteristics of Life:"
o Living things are composed of cells
o Living things have different levels of organization (both cellular and molecular)
o Living things use energy
o Living things respond to their environment
o Living things grow
o Living things reproduce
o Living things adapt to their environment
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:
· Predict the outcome of an experiment with a control.
· Make an inference based on evidence.
Lesson Inquiry Question:
· How do we know something is alive?
Materials Needed:
(per group of 3-4 participants)
· 3 clear containers
· 1 container of warm tap water
· 3 tablespoons of sand
· 3 teaspoons of sugar
· ½ packet of active dry yeast
· 1 fizzing antacid tablet, crushed
· Hand lenses
· 3 small sheets of paper
· 1 spoon
· White board, chalk board, or large piece of chart paper and chalk or markers
Pre- Activity Preparation:
1. Label three jars for each group and fill them with the dry ingredients as listed on the chart below:
Jar / Sand / Other Ingredients|| #1 || 3 Tablespoons || None ||
|| #2 || 2 Tablespoons, 2 tsp || ½ pkg. Active Dry Yeast ||
|| #3 || 2 Tablespoons, 2 tsp || 1 fizzing antacid tablet, crushed ||
1. Have a small cup with several teaspoons of sugar or several packets of sugar ready for each group.
2. Fill one container of warm tap water for each group, but do not distribute it yet. (See Step 4 in the Activity.)
3. Set out hand lenses, sheets of paper, and spoons at each station.
4. Write prompt words on board or easel.
Journal Utilizations:
· This lesson requires for students to collect data as well as making their predictions, observations, and explanations.
· Encourage the students to keep notes during the experiment. "Explain what you did. Imagine your explaining this to your best friend or someone who has never seen this experiment before."
· Write Discovery Words on board or easel:
o Reaction
o Carbon Dioxide
Activity Plan:
1. Focus the activity with a brief discussion.
1. Explain that sometimes it is difficult to tell whether or not something is alive. If appropriate, quickly review what participants have discovered about the characteristics of living things.
2. Perhaps you can introduce the seven requirements of life using this video with silly song--if you have the means to do so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynclw6TXeE
2. Introduce the three mystery samples.
1. Invite students to observe the mystery samples in the three jars to find out if they contain anything living. Use these prompts to encourage close observations:
1. You may use all of your senses except taste. Be sure to look closely with the hand lenses, touch, listen, and smell.
2. Take a small sample out of each jar, one jar at a time, and put it on the small piece of paper. After you observe, put the sample back in the right jar.
3. Discuss conclusions.
1. After participants have made their observations, ask:
1. Do any of the mystery samples contain living things?
2. Why do you think so?
4. Add sugar to the mystery samples.
1. Give each group the small cup or several packets of sugar. Have them add one teaspoon or one packet of sugar to each sample.
2. Ask:
1. You’ve just added a food source to the sample. Do you see any changes to any sample yet?
2. Have them predict what they think might happen.
3. Always follow up with “why?” and ask them if they could be more specific for their reasoning behind their predictions.
4. Let the students discuss their ideas among themselves but keep the topic in order and be mindful of the time.
5. Add warm water to the mystery samples. Look for changes.
1. Give one container of hot water to each group and tell them to pour enough water into each jar to just cover the mystery samples. Then ask to observe changes.
2. What to expect:
1. Jar 1: no activity
2. Jar 2: will begin to show activity after about 5 minutes, and will continue to bubble
3. Jar 3: will fizz vigorously at first, slow down, and finally stop
6. Discuss new conclusions.
1. Ask:
1. Now do you think that any of the mystery samples contain living things?
1. (Always follow up with why or why not?)
2. What else might you want to know about the samples in order to figure out if they contain living things?
7. Add more sugar to each jar.
1. Ask: Does adding more food (sugar) re-start the fizzing in Jar 3?
2. Ask: What is happening in Jar 2?
8. Try adding more water to Jar 3.
1. Ask: Does that restart the reaction you saw before?
2. Ask: Has your opinion about which jar contains the living thing changed at all?
1. Why or why not?
3. What to expect:
1. Jar 1: Still no activity.
2. Jar 2: Activity will continue.
3. Jar 3: Once the fizzing has stopped, it can’t be restarted by the addition of either sugar or water. The fizzing antacid tablet has completely dissolved in the water.
9. Reveal the contents of the jars.
1. Tell students what was in Jars 1 and 3. Then talk about Jar 2.
1. Ask: Have any of you ever used yeast? What for?
1. Explain that yeast is a tiny living thing that stays dormant until it is given water and food – in this case, sugar. Yeast is used to make bread rise, as it grows on the ingredients and makes bubbles and air pockets, just as it did in your jars.
2. Ask: How was the yeast activity different from the fizzy antacid activity?
1. Explain that the antacid fizzed because it combined in a chemical reaction with the water. Once the chemicals got used up and all the bubbles escaped, the fizzing stop, just like when you leave a can of soda out and it goes flat. There was nothing alive in the chemicals. But with yeast, the bubbling will continue as long as there is food for it to eat.
Journal Activity:
1. Have students write their answer to: How can you tell if something is alive?
2. Encourage them to use the information learned in the class.
3. After a few minutes, have a student give one example as to how they know something is alive.
1. Record the response on a board or easel.
2. Allow for other students to add more details.
3. Promote the use of the prompt words student when discussing.
4. Record further responses on board and easel.
4. Encourage students to go home a make a list of all living things they can find in their refrigerator and explain how they know they are alive.
5. Discuss the outcomes of their hunt and exploration at the beginning of the next class.
Design your own experiment!
1. Give students a hypothetical scenario that their teacher said it seems like something’s living in Locker Q down the hall. If they can’t open the locker, have students design a few steps of an experiment to determine if something is living in Locker Q, with the understanding that they also have to test Locker C, which had nothing reported about it.
2. Ask: Why is it important to test Locker C as well?
3. Ask students to share what they have learned so far about how to tell if something is living or non-living. Encourage everyone to contribute, and record their responses on the board or chart.
Session 3: Cellular Organization, Structure, Function, and Metabolism
“Cell Bag Model”
Lesson Overview:
Students will study and discuss the major organelles and features of animal cells. They will build a model animal cell using common materials to represent animal cell components. In addition, students will explore cell specialization and the concept that cellular “form fits function.”
Core Concepts:
· Cells contain organelles.
· Organelles have specific functions.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:
· Recognize recurring structures in different kinds of animal cells.
· Compare shape of an organelle and its function in the cell.
Lesson Inquiry Question:
· What is in an animal cell?
Materials Needed: (For a class of 16 students)
· 16 plastic cups (10 oz)
· 16 plastic bags (6” × 9”)
· 16 plastic plates
· 16 plastic measuring cups
· 16 plastic eggs
· 1 spool of green yarn
· 1 spool of white string
· 1 pack of pipe cleaners
· 8 packs of kidney beans
· 1 bag of Alaska peas (1/4 lb)
· 1 bag of colored beads
· 1 box of flat toothpicks
· 16 small binder clips