Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
Lesson Idea Name: Cell City
Content Area: Biology
Grade Level(s): 9th Grade
Content Standard Addressed: a. Construct an explanation of how cell structures and organelles (including
nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, lysosome, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles,
ribosomes, and mitochondria) interact as a system to maintain homeostasis.
Technology Standard Addressed:
Global Collaborator
Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others
and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
Selected Technology Tool: Goggle Slides
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating
Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This lesson is a fun way for students to apply what they have learned
about cells and the different organelles that make up cells. Any student can complete this activity and are
provided with whatever assistive technologies they need. This activity specifically hints on the “How” of
learning and also the “Why” of learning. With the what of learning, the students are using Google slides to
collaborate, while also working together in class. The “why” of learning is also used in this activity because the
students are receiving mastery-oriented feedback, because it is a summative project, and they also do a self-
reflection afterwards to explain how they contributed to the project. This lesson Is meant for students to
apply what they have learned, while working together to build their cell city.
Lesson idea implementation:
This lesson is built off the BrainPOP lesson and the cell lecture that the students participated in days
before. This project is meant to be a review assignment and help the students review for their cell exam. Cell
City is an activity that allows the students to make connections between cell organelles and real-life places.
For example, a trash-can or a city dump could be compared to the lysosomes because the lysosomes are
responsible for getting rid of waste in the cell. The students will be working in groups (2-3) students and will
pick an analogy to work with, they are given a list of organelles and have to essentially build a cell city. This
project is made on google slides, and the students get class time to work on it, but because of the availability
of google slides, they can also work on it at home. Once in their groups, the student’s will start brainstorming
what kind of place they want to use to compare to a cell. Some students do a football arena, some do a
school, and so much more. Once they pick their place, each student will pick which organelles they want to be
in charge of, and then they will make a slide for each organelle and its comparison. Google Slides allows for
the students to work together, on the same slide show, but do their own work. No more emailing back and
forth to make changes. Once the students finish their city, they will all be presenting their city.
As the teacher, I would be walking around, helping facilitate the brainstorming, and helping with ideas
for what the analogies should be. The students typically ask a few questions but overall, they are leading the
Spring 2018_SJB
Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)
conversation, and doing the work, I am just a resource to them. This activity really gets them thinking, and
checks off those higher-level thinking, and they are also creating their own project. Google slides allows for
this lesson to check off a higher LoTi level, because it is mostly student run, as the teacher I am more of a
resource and just there to help with the thinking process, but they do all of the work and creativity. They also
are presenting the projects and essentially giving the class a review session over cells.
Reflective Practice: This lesson allows for students to collaborate, create a product of their own, and present
it to the class, all while using Google Slides. This lesson gives the students another way to view the
information, and to expand past a typical cut and color paper cell project. This lesson allows for technology to
be used, collaboration, and presentation. From this lesson, we’d extend onto some review activities. Kahoots,
Quizziz, some other fun activities to test their knowledge, and make sure they are ready for their upcoming
exam.
Spring 2018_SJB
