Lesson 2: Mitosis
MINDS ON
- It's Mitosis Time, C'Mon! (Song): A song is always an excellent way to engage a class, especially when it is as cheesy (and karaoke-like) as this one. The link includes a Powerpoint with lyrics to explain Mitosis to the tune of "Celebration." The teacher can find a Youtube video with the instrumental, or a student can create the rhythm. Lucky enough, the slideshow is timed to switch slides to the tune of the song.
PEDAGOGY
- Mitosis Overview: The students will want a review of the previous day's lesson. This will include quizzing students on the cell cycle and displaying a slide with a visual as a cue.
- Today's discussion will more intimately discuss the phases of mitosis, in detail. Students will learn about how the genetic material is divided through the various phases (Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase). It is good to differentiate between mitosis and cytokinesis in this lesson as well.
- Onion Cell Activity: Using prepared slides, students can see multiple onion cells in various phases of mitosis. The closer to the root tip, the more cells undergoing mitosis. Students can count the number of cells undergoing mitosis at three separate areas of the onion cell (varying the distance from the root tip) to conceptualize that the closer to the tip, the more cells undergoing mitosis. Students can also create a "Mitosis Clock" where they count the number of cells in each phase and multiply the fraction (for example: 20 cells counted, 5 undergoing anaphase = 5/20) by 12 hours. Basically, students are creating a pie chart to show the proportion of cells undergoing each phase.
- Spongelab Comparative Cell Division: The sponge lab website has an animation for comparing plant cell mitosis to animal cell mitosis, should students wish to have more animated picture.
CONSOLIDATION
- Mitosis Flipbook Activity: Students can create their own representation of the phases of Mitosis by completing a "Mitosis Flipbook Activity". Students will draw the process of mitosis showing small changes between drawings. When the drawings are placed together, like a book, and flipped through quickly, it will appear as though it is an animation of a cell undergoing mitosis. This activity could be graded for application and communication.
ASSESSMENT
Formative
Formative
- Flipbook Activity (could be summative as well)
- Onion Cell Lab (asking students to point out various phases of mitosis)