Lessons on Cells, Tissues, and Organs
"Living systems" is a broad term. The National Science Education Standards include study into the organization of
living systems, which most people equate to cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. Thus, several resources in
this section focus on structures and the related functions, such as the nose and related
nerve tissues and the brain. To emphasize that not every living thing’s organization
follows this pattern to its end, we included a stand-alone resource on microorganisms.
Since the eye is a popular topic of discussion in evolution, we have included an inquiry activity
on that as well.
With lots of information and neat photos, this is a great site to learn about how to study and classify
life forms, ranging from cells and microbes to plants and animals. Click on
Animal Systems for information about cells, tissues, and
organs. MSP full record
In this online activity, students search the Web in order to learn about human body cells.
After collecting their research, they make an analogy between the structure of a human liver cell and a real city.
Included are activity pages, team pages, teacher pages, and a list of electronic resources that students will need
to complete the activity. MSP full record
This image-rich BioMedia article features tips from a micro-naturalist about finding and studying
microorganisms. Topics include sampling micro-life communities, care of collected samples, collection techniques,
protists and pollution, culturing protists, microscope techniques for viewing living protists, and observing protists
in the field. The article is part of a series called The Lives of Micro-Organisms: A MicroNaturalist’s Notebook. The
web site also contains links to other articles and features of BioMedia, including a gallery of images and a teacher
resources page. MSP full record
This web site from the Science Museum of Minnesota offers a fun and interactive way to learn
about the structure and function of the body's tissues. While some activities are designed to complement an on-site
visit to the Tissues of Life exhibit, the site also includes many stand-alone web-based features. For example, with
Explore Body Tissues, students can look at cross-sections of actual human bodies, browse through a gallery of scar
photos (and perhaps add a photo of their own!), explore parts of the human body at 30X actual size, or play a game
while learning about the different cells involved in wound healing. Tissues of Life does not include lesson plans,
but this engaging web site would be a great addition to related classroom activities for a range of grade levels.
MSP full record
What are the different nerve receptors located in the skin and where are they? This
resource is part of a series of hands-on science activities designed to arouse student interest. Here students mark
off a square-inch section of skin and gently poke the area, stimulating different nerve receptors. The activity
includes a description, a list of science process skills and complex reasoning strategies being used, and a
compilation of applicable K-12 science education standards. Also provided are content topics, a list of necessary
supplies, instructions, and presentation techniques. The content of the activity is explained, and assessment
suggestions are provided. MSP full record
This site is a resource for students and teachers interested in learning about the
cardiovascular and circulatory systems. Included are lesson plans, classroom activities, online interactive activities,
videos, and links to sites about the heart and lungs. Students can also investigate X-rays or build a heart rate
monitor. In the lessons section, we recommend
lessons 1, 2,
and 4a as particularly helpful in developing conceptual understanding
of structure and function relationships of living systems. MSP full record
This five-page article discusses how scientists and engineers study biological systems to develop artificial systems,
in this case artificial olfaction. It describes several simple experiments students can do to raise their awareness of
olfaction. We recommend having students begin their inquiry into olfaction with the activities described on page 5,
followed by exposure to and discussion of the text on pages 2-4, as opposed to presenting the material in the order
it appears. The sense of smell is extremely complex, and scientists working on artificial olfaction have had to study
this biological system extensively to extract some basic principles upon which to build their devices. Disciplines of
emphasis will involve biology, chemistry, electronics, and teamwork. MSP full record
Students will learn about the eyeball, pupil, retina, and optic nerve. During this
two-day lesson plan, students make a model of an eyeball. Included are adaptations, discussion questions, a rubric
for evaluation, suggested reading, links to other sites, vocabulary, and academic standards. When done in conjunction
with dissections of animal eyes, such as cow or sheep and shark eyes, this lesson plan allows for a comparative
anatomy lesson and thought regarding the different functions of these eyes relative to their structure. A printable
version of the lesson plan can be downloaded. MSP full record
In this interactive model of the brain, users can learn about its parts and specific
functions. The model consists of side-by-side image and text areas. Users can employ a variety of control options.
For example, they can click on a colorized area of the brain to call up information about it and alter the position
of the three-dimensional brain to feature the selected part. There are also buttons for rotating the brain and for
zooming. In addition, users can select from pop-up menus to learn about a specific brain area, such as the corpus
callosum, and brain functions, such as speech. MSP full record
![[back to top]](/images/epubs/arrow_up.gif)
Back to top
|
Copyright
August 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
|
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
|
|