Like many biology teachers I once taught the functions of cell parts to my 8th grade students with the idea that a cell was similar to a factory. Somewhere along the line I was thinking that people actually run factories. This gave me the idea that my students, being people, could act out the roles of the cell parts by personifying each part. What started out as an experiment in 1990 has turned out to be an integral part of my science curriculum. I do this unit right after genetics and it fits in perfectly because the students want to know exactly how DNA controls traits. (Teacher, Bill McWeeny)

The Cell Lab Assignments Researching a Cell Part Assignments The Cell Play Assignments Evaluation Assignments

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A Year of 8th Grade Science Contents Introduction Bill's Teaching Biography Bill's Most Influential Books Bill's Teaching Philosophy An Interview with Bill McWeeny The Classroom Environment Setting Up the Year: Throughlines Setting Up the Year: Notebooks The Culturing Unit The Family Tree Unit The Cell Unit     - Implementing the Cell Unit         - The Cell Lab         - Researching Part of a Cell         - The Cell Play         - Evaluation Rubric, Essay and Test     - The Cell Unit and TFU     - Cell Unit Assignments and Examples of Student Work         - The Cell Lab Assignments         - Research Assignments         - The Cell Play Assignments         - Evaluation Assignments The Body Systems Unit Pictures of Practice Contents Introduction The Colonial Biography Unit (7th Grade History) A Year of Seventh Grade English A Year of Eighth Grade Science The Jazz Unit Snapshot Using the CCDT to Develop Generative Topics Teaching for Understanding Quick Menu - select a destination - INFORMATION   What's Understanding?     - An Interactive Look at Understanding   What's Teaching for Understanding?     - A Performance Criterion   What's the TfU Framework     - Throughlines     - Generative Topics     - Understanding Goals     - Performances of Understanding     - Ongoing Assessment PICTURES OF PRACTICE   The Colonial Biography Unit (7th Grade History)   A Year of Seventh Grade English   A Year of Eighth Grade Science   The Jazz Unit Snapshot   Using the CCDT to Develop Generative Topics COMMUNICATION CURRICULUM DESIGN TOOLS   Planners   Tip Sheets   On-line Tools

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