Assessment/Performance Task:
“The Case of the Mysterious Martian Cells”-PreAP
While working in one of your science labs at Ex’cell’ent Corporation, located in Washington, DC, a group of government officials interrupts you with an important message from the President. You are asked to go with these “men in black” to the White House for a special meeting. After arriving at the White House, you find out that, unknown to the public, a secret mission to Mars sent a team of astronauts to investigate life on the “red planet”. The President shares top secret information with you - the astronauts sent to Mars have discovered what they believe to be are cells, but they are not one hundred percent sure. Because of your popularity of being the most famous cell biologist alive today, you have been chosen to help with this investigation. The President needs you to explain to the astronauts the characteristics of plant and animal cells so that they can figure out whether what they found are cells and if so, which kind.
Ø The President is asking you to complete the following task in order to help the astronauts:
TO: SCIENTISTS AT EX’CELL’ENT CORPORATION
FROM: NASA MARS EXPEDITION ASTRONAUTS
RE: CELLS DISCOVERED
DATE: NOVEMBER 29, 2007
DEAR CELL BIOLOGISTS:
BELOW IS AN ENLARGED MICROSCOPIC IMAGE OF THE CELL WE BELIEVE TO HAVE DISCOVERED HERE ON THE PLANET MARS. WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK, AND USING YOUR EXPERTISE IN PLANT, ANIMAL, AND BACTERIAL CELL STRUCTURES, PLEASE DECIDE WHICH TYPE OF CELL YOU THINK THIS IS.
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PLEASE WRITE US A DETAILED LETTER INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
A. WHICH TYPE OF CELL YOU BELIEVE THIS TO BE (PLANT, ANIMAL, OR BACTERIAL)
B. YOUR DETAILED EXPLANATION ON WHY YOU BELIEVE IT TO BE THAT TYPE OF CELL (PLEASE DESCRIBE AND NAME THE STRUCTURES AND ORGANELLES YOU OBSERVE THAT HELP PROVE WHICH TYPE OF CELL YOU THINK IT IS)
C. LABEL THE ORGANELLES YOU ARE ABLE TO OBSERVE IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW.
WE HAVE HEARD IMPRESSIVE THINGS ABOUT YOUR EXPERTISE IN CELLS, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN HELP US WITH THIS MISSION. GOOD LUCK!
ENLARGED IMAGE OF CELL DISCOVERED ON MARS
Name: ______Class: ____ Date: ______
Martian Cell Project – Part B (Letter to the Astronauts) Due: ______
Date: ______
Dear Mars Expedition Astronauts:
The President has asked me to write you a letter explaining in detail what type of cell you found on the planet Mars. I have observed the image of the cell you sent to me, and here is my report on what type of cell I believe you have found.
______
I hope this information helps you. If you have any further questions, please contact me at my science lab.
Sincerely,
______