3.1.6-8.B: Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole…
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and the ways that parts of cells contribute to the function.
The Pennsylvania Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) Standards outcome 3.1.6-8.B (Biological Sciences) for Grades 6–8 says: “Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and the ways that parts of cells contribute to the function.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Pennsylvania Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) Standards.
Cells: The Smallest Living Things Grades 7–8 · partly supports this outcome
How small is a cell, how does water get in, what's inside, and why are cells so tiny? Four lessons with potatoes, strawberries and gelatin that work with a microscope or without one.
- How do things get in and out of a cell? Two sessions: 45 min, then 30 min the next day
Students weigh potato strips, soak them in plain and salty water, and measure how their mass and stiffness change. They use the results to explain diffusion and osmosis, and why a wilted salad goes limp.
- Can you pull DNA out of a strawberry? 50–60 min
Students mash strawberries with dish soap and salt, filter the juice, and watch a cloudy white tangle of DNA appear when the teacher layers cold rubbing alcohol on top. They explain what each ingredient did to the cell, and test what happens without soap.
Printable practice for 3.1.6-8.B
These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to 3.1.6-8.B is partial.
- Cells: The Smallest Living Things workbook included with the unit
3 practice pages, 3 readings, 2 English-support pages, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.
Compared with NGSS: MS-LS1-2 (partial).
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