Monday, October 14, 2019 (HS-LS1-4): Mid-unit 1 quizzes are due at the beginning of class for full credit. Late quizzes will receive a maximum score of 60%.
Having learned about DNA last week, it is time to focus on the process of cell division. Mitosis, or somatic cell division, involves the division of one cell into two after all of the components of the original cell (including the DNA!) divide into two sets. We began by watching a Crash Course video about mitosis:
After the video, students were assigned to read pages 46-51 of chapter 4 (Cellular Reproduction: Multiplication By Division) of Inside the Cell. Students then answered the following questions in their lab notebooks:
- Explain the purpose of mitosis.
- Which cells undergo mitosis?
- Describe the phases of mitosis in detail (words and/or drawings).
- Explain what happens when cells divide uncontrollably. List the known causes of uncontrolled cell division.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019: Class began with a brief discussion of questions 1 and 2 from yesterday’s reading assignment. After the discussion, students had the remainder of the class period to complete the reading and questions, and then to work in teams to create a time-laps video of mitosis modeled with Play-Doh.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019: PSAT
Thursday, October 17, 2019: As we continue our study of mitosis, students will invest the next two days researching what happens when cells divide uncontrollably. Students will use The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer Interactive tool from HHMI BioInteractive to explore how errors in DNA copying during mitosis can lead to cancer.
Students may choose between the overview worksheet (beginner) and the in-depth worksheet (advanced).
Friday, October 18, 2019: Students have the short Friday class period to complete The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer worksheet activity from yesterday. Students who finish early should extend their understanding of cancer treatments by watching the Ted-Ed video below about biohacking cells to fight cancer. After watching the video, students may earn up to +5 bonus for writing a summary of how scientists are creating CAR-T cells to upgrade the human immune system to fight cancer.
Need a break from the study of cancer? Learn about the amazing process of regeneration in planaria! After watching the video below, students may earn +5 bonus for writing a summary of the RNAi experiments (blocking the activity of beta-catenin and APC) in planaria.
The Art of Science 