Cells Lesson Plan: From molecules to organisms

*Click to open and customize your own copy of the Cells Lesson Plan. 

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic, Cells and supports the standard of recognizing the structure and function of cells. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Tell students that all living things are made up of cells. Ask:

• What are some things you know about cells? 
• What do you wonder about cells?

Step 2: BUILD BACKGROUND

• Read aloud the description on the Cells topic page. 
• Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
• Have students read one of the following Related Reading articles: “Mythes” “Q & A,” or “In Practice” Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: ENGAGE
Students express what they learned about cells while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs. 

• Make-a-Movie: Make a movie explaining the features that help us tell different cells apart. (Essential Literacy Skill: Summarize key details)
• Make-a-Map: Create a concept map identifying the components of a cell and their different jobs. (Essential Literacy Skill: Acquire and use domain specific words and phrases)
• Creative Coding: Code a game where players sort features of cells into whether they apply to all cells, or only some cells. (Essential Literacy Skill: Determine central ideas)
• Primary Source Activity: Analyze the image of cells taken by an electron microscope and answer the accompanying questions. (Essential Literacy Skill: Integrate content presented in diverse media)

Step 4: APPLY & ASSESS 

Apply: Students take the Cells Challenge, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Assess: Wrap up the lesson with the Cells Quiz.  

Step 5:  EXTEND LEARNING

Related BrainPOP Topics: Deepen understanding of cells with these topics: Cell Specialization and Cell Structures. 

Additional Support Resources:

• Pause Point Overview: Video tutorial showing how BrainPOP Pause Points actively engage students to stop, think, and express ideas.
• Modifications for BrainPOP Tools and Features: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
• BrainPOP Tools and Features Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.