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Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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Adapted from: Environmental Literacy Project (http://envlit.educ.msu.edu/ )March 2009 Michigan State University; Lindsey Mohan and Andy Anderson (referenced ELP)
Lawrence Hall of Science Global System Science: ( http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/GSS)(referenced LHS)
Online text resource: www.ck12.org (referenced CK12)
Serendip Studio (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/ ) (referenced Serendip)
*** 2004 NCSCOS Units http://scnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/2004+SCOS+Resources+HS ***
“Why do we eat?”
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Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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“Why do we eat?”
North Carolina Science Framework
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Course: Biology/Grade: 9-12
I. Biology/Unit 4
II. Unit Title: Why do we eat?
III. Unit Length: 4 weeks
IV. Instructional Sequence: STEP 7b
(formerly page 15 of the Unit Template)
Week
Number Brief Description of Instructional Activities
By the time students enter their first high school biology class they are familiar with
the terms photosynthesis and respiration. Few have a conceptual understanding of
the very familiar biochemical reactions they have had opportunities to balance and
memorize in middle school. Students must have a basic introduction to the general
principles of chemistry and the structure & function of cells prior to starting this
unit. The collection of activities in this unit have been selected to demonstrate how
students may actively engage in learning experiences that result in a deeper
understanding of photosynthesis as the key biochemical process responsible for
capturing energy from our Sun and facilitating its transfer to other living systems.
Furthermore, students expand on their understanding that respiration uses the
products of photosynthesis to fuel cellular processes needed for all organisms to live,
grow and survive thereby strengthening their connection and love for nature – which
is our goal!
1
First, begin week 1 of an exploration into the Chemistry of Life by assessing
students’ current understanding of energy and confronting their ideas about their
personal connection to energy. Challenge students to recognize that living things are
composed of organic compounds, which also carry out life processes, organic
compounds consist mainly of carbon and the major types of organic compounds
include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. End week 1 with core
activities to discover what makes up the foods we eat and what happens to food in
our bodies.
Core Activities: (Nutrition)
1. What makes up the foods we eat?
2. What happens to food in our bodies?
3. You are What You Eat – Parts 1 & 2
2
Next, continue the study of chemistry in living systems with a focus on why living
things need energy and the chemical processes that facilitate the acquisition and use
of energy. Guided inquiry activities serve as resources that provide a basic
understanding of how biological organisms use energy. This activity concludes with
a brief introduction to two principles: conservation of energy and the inefficiency of
energy transformations in living systems. End week two with an investigation into
the process of photosynthesis and an analysis of how photosynthesis and cellular
respiration work together to provide the ATP that plants need to carry out their
molecular and cellular processes.
Core Activities: (Photosynthesis & Respiration)
1. Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
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2. Photosynthesis Investigation
3. Modeling Cell Respiration
4. The Power of Sunlight
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Week 3, generate greater interest by making real world connections among food,
energy and body weight within the unit of study. Students gain greater understanding
of the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration as they join teams to
brainstorm research questions and develop a plan for an experiment. Upon
completion of laboratory investigations, teams will develop a storyboard to present
their findings. During presentations, the entire class engages in Socratic discussions
and work together to make sense of data presented from all teams.
Core Activities:
1. How do muscles get the energy they need for athletic activity?
2. Food, Energy and Body Weight
4
Week 4, the culminating activity and final evaluation, students work together in
teams to research and design a solution to the prompt:
“Which method is the most effective way to lose weight or decrease body mass index
(BMI) over a 12 month period?
5 Additional Studies, Re-teaching opportunities of Extended Opportunities
Reflections!
(NC Professional Teaching Standard VI: Teachers Contribute to the Academic Success of Student)
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UNIT 4
Key Terms: Active Site Aerobic Amino Acids Anaerobic ATP Digestion Carbohydrates Cellular Respiration (Cellular Energy Conversion) Chloroplast Energy Enzyme Kinetic Energy Lipids (fats) Mitochondrion Molecular energy Nucleic Acids Organic Matter Photosynthesis Potential Energy Product Protein Reactant Respiration Beyond the Scope: Light reactions: Calvin Cycle (light-independent reactions), Krebs Cycle, glycolysis or intermediate products in respiration & photosynthesis
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NC Professional Teaching Standard VI:
Teachers Contribute to the Academic Success of Students
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Team Planning: Unit Development Timeline
2015-2016 Jun
July
Aug Sept
Oct
Nov Dec
Jan Feb
Mar
Apr May Jun
PLC Activity
Participants
School/
District
Events
Unit Name/
Standards
Common
Assessments
*
**
***
****
Assessment Key:
* Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACTs, Keeley, 2008)
**Uncovering Student Ideas (Keeley, Vols 1-4)
*** Unit Summative Assessment/Culminating Activity
****District Level Benchmarks
NC Professional Teaching Standard VI: Teachers Contribute to the Academic Success of Students
How does this unit relate to the curriculum?
This is a description of how the content that is taught in this unit relates to content taught in previous and future grades as well as the
current grade. It should include the specific concepts that are taught in those grades, and how they relate to the concepts taught in this
unit. Often, this information is provided in the curriculum guide; however, a better description may develop from the collaborative
efforts of grade-level team members sharing their experiences. As a team, answer the following questions to describe only the most
relevant concepts to be included in the unit:
1. What prior knowledge is necessary to learn the content that is the focus of this unit? 2. What new knowledge can be developed from the content that is mastered in this unit?
How does this unit relate to the curriculum?
Prior Learning: Middle school students explore two essential questions related to this topic:
What happens inside organisms to enable them to get and use the energy and materials from food?LS1.C ref. pg.148
For the body to use food for energy and building materials, the food must first be digested into molecules that are absorbed and transported to cells. In order to release the energy stored in
food, oxygen must be supplied to cells and carbon dioxide removed. Lungs take in oxygen for the combustion of food, and they eliminate the carbon dioxide produced. The circulatory
system moves all these substances to or from cells where they are needed or produced. The way in which all cells function is similar in all living organisms. Within cells many of the basic
functions of organisms, such as releasing energy from food and getting rid of waste, are carried out by different cell elements. In plants and animals, molecules from food react with oxygen
to provide energy that is needed to carry out life functions, build and become incorporated into the body structure, or is stored for later use. Matter moves within individual organisms through
a series of chemical reactions in which food is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules. Plants use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide and water.
This process transforms light energy from the sun into stored chemical energy. Minerals and other nutrients from the soil are not food (they don’t provide energy), but they are needed for
plants to make complex molecules from the sugar they make.
What happens to the matter and energy when organisms use food?
In plants and animals, molecules from food a) react with oxygen to provide energy that is needed to carry out life functions, b) build and become incorporated into the body structure, or c)
are stored for later use. (Also in Matter and Energy) Chemical energy is transferred from one organism in an ecosystem to another as the organisms interact with each other for food. Matter is
transferred among organisms in an ecosystem when organisms eat, or are eaten by others for food. Matter is transferred from organisms to the physical environment when molecules from
food react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water in a process called cellular respiration. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the
living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
Current Learning: Students explore …
What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and energy so they can live and grow?LS1.C pg. 148
The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen. The sugar molecules thus formed
contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; their hydrocarbon backbones are used to make amino acids and other carbon-based molecules that can be assembled into larger molecules (such as
proteins or DNA), used for example to form new cells. As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels of living systems, chemical elements are recombined in different
ways to form different products. As a result of these chemical reactions, energy is transferred from one system of interacting molecules to another. For example, aerobic (in the presence of
oxygen) cellular respiration is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed that can transport energy to
muscles. Anaerobic (without oxygen) cellular respiration follows a different and less efficient chemical pathway to provide energy in cells. Cellular respiration also releases the energy
needed to maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy loss to the surrounding environment. Matter and energy are conserved in each change. This is true of all biological systems,
from individual cells to ecosystems.
What limits the interaction of organisms in ecosystems? LS2.A pg. 152
Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers and types of organisms and populations an ecosystem can support. These limits are a result of such factors as
availability of biotic and abiotic resources, and biotic challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms have the capacity to produce populations of great size, but
environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has effects on the interactions between organisms.
Future Learning: See AP Biology Concept Map…
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Conceptual Learning Progression
VII. How do the goals of this unit relate to the learning progression?
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VIII. Unit Description: Analyzing Energy in Living Systems
Course/Grade:
Biology Unit Length:
4 wks/ 90min block
Start Date: End Date:
Unit Title: Photosynthesis, Nutrition & Cellular
Respiration: Why do we eat?
Unit Theme:
Stability and
Change
Conceptual Lens:
Interactions:
Cause & Effect CTS Guide:
Ecosystems AAAS Strand Map: NSDL
Flow of Matter in Ecosystems/Flow of Energy in
Ecosystems NCDPI Strand Map:
Flow of Energy Crosscutting Concepts:
Stability and Change Science and Engineering Practices:
Developing and Using Models; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Unit Enduring Understanding(s):
Living systems, from organismal to cellular level, transform, store and transfer energy needed to
carry out life’s essential functions and ensure survival. Unit Essential Question(s):
How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live, grow and survive? Collaborative Team Planning Days:
Tue and Thur 3rd block Tue (room 309) Thur (Teacher’s conference Lounge) Team Research Goal(s)
To impact students’ habits of mind to autonomously connect with their environment, love & care
for nature and to foster their ability to investigate problems in energy transformations in nature. Unit Design Team Members:
Name:
Ms. Teacher Name (1)
Mr. Teacher Name (2)
Ms. Teacher Name (3)
Mr. Teacher Name (4)
LEA Person Name (5)
School:
ABC School, 123 Way, Wake County
ABC School, 456 Way, Wake County
ABC School, 123 Way, Wake County
ABC School, 456 Way, Wake County
Wake County Road, Wake County
Grade Level:
(K-2) Rep of the day
(3-5) Rep of the day
(6-8) Rep of the day
(Bio) Rep of the day
LEA Rep of the day
Email:
Unit Overview: Dr. Doolittle had a great reputation for talking to the animals. What about plants? Have you
ever talked to your plants? Mr. Green Gene says plants can benefit from a nice long talk and, in return, they make
our air worth breathing. He says, everyday green plants capture energy from the sun and change it into chemical
energy that fulfills all of the energy needs on the farm.
What do you think? Is it possible that talking to plants could make them grow larger? Where does the matter that
makes up green plants and trees come from? Where does the matter that makes up animals (including humans) come
from? How can trees supply energy for everyone?
Mr. Green Gene is very concerned about his health and the health of all of the living things on his farm. Some days,
he climbs tall trees or hikes the side of a mountain inspecting his crops and animals to make sure everything is
healthy. Maintaining a farm is hard work. He says exercise and a balanced diet is the key to working on a farm. In
this unit, you will explore three very important questions that may help you maintain a healthy body: Why do we
eat? What is in the food we eat? And, why is exercise and good nutrition essential for a healthy body? A better
understanding of the processes of photosynthesis, nutrition and cellular respiration will help you understand how all
organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow.
We will explore a fantastic relationship between plants and animals and discover how controlling your weight may
be an “energy-balancing act”. Charlie and Otis have an interesting question. “Do plants use oxygen to convert their
sugar into energy and release carbon dioxide as a waste product as animals do?” As you learn more about
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photosynthesis, nutrition and cellular respiration, you may be able to help them answer their question.
You try it! Can you use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of
food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds form resulting in a net transfer
of energy? NGSS HS-LS1-7: Challenge! See the Culminating Activity
IX. Major Learning Outcomes:
STEP 1 Unit Theme:
Stability and Change
STEP 2 Conceptual Lens:
Interactions
STEP 3 Identify the Big Ideas:
Essential Standards Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the cell.
( Bio.4.1 Understand how biological molecules are essential to the survival of living organisms.)
STEP 4
Clarifying Objective #/(RBT-tag)
Enduring Understanding
(Generalizations)
STEP 5 Unpacking & Essential Question (EQ)
(Guiding Questions) (Include unpacking from each clarifying objective included in the
unit.)
Bio.4.1.1 Compare the
structures and functions of the
major biological molecules
(carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, and nucleic acids) as
related to the survival of living
organisms. 4E/H4.
www.project2061.org
Structural levels from
molecules to organisms ensure
successful functioning in all
living organisms.
Molecules that facilitate
cellular processes are similar
in that they exhibit the
complementary nature of
structure and function yet
differ in their unique structure
and specific role related to the
survival of all living
organisms.
(EQ) How do the major complex molecules(carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids and nucleic acids) compare with regards to structure and
functions as related to the survival of living organisms? How do
organisms obtain the matter and energy they need to live and grow?
Unpacking: All living organisms carry out life process that involve a
complex sequence of chemical reactions required for survival. Cells
carry out all life processes and all cells are made of complex molecules
that consist mostly of a few elements. Each class of molecules has its
own building blocks and specific functions. Carbohydrates, such as
sugars and starches, contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and function
to provide energy to cells, store energy (sort-term use) and form body
structures. Lipids, such as fats and oils, contain carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen and function to store energy (long-term use), form cell
membranes and carry messages. Proteins, such as enzymes and
antibodies, contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur.
Proteins help cells keep their shape, makes muscles, speeds up chemical
reactions, carries messages and materials. Nucleic acids, such as DNA
and RNA, contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus.
Nucleic acids contain instructions from proteins, passes instructions
from parents to offspring, and help in the process of making proteins.
NAEP, 2009 L12.1 Living systems are made of complex molecules
(including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids) that consist
mostly of a few elements, especially carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen and phosphorous.
L12.2 Cellular processes, mostly proteins, are carried out by many
different types of molecules. Protein molecules are long, usually folded
chains made from combinations of amino-acid molecules. Protein
molecules assemble fats and carbohydrates and carry out other cellular
functions. The function of each protein molecule depends on its specific
sequence of amino acids and the shape of the molecule.
CBSCS, 2009 All living systems require an input of energy to drive the
reactions in essential life functions and to compensate for the inefficient
transfer of energy. The chemical reactions in living systems involve the
transfer of thermal energy (heat) to the environment. The thermal
energy is no longer available to drive chemical reactions; therefore, a
continuous source of energy is needed. In many organisms, the energy
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that keeps the chemical reactions in organisms going comes from food
that reacts with oxygen. Carbohydrates and fats (lipids) are the primary
sources of food used during cellular respiration. Carbohydrates and fats
are converted in the presence of oxygen into carbon dioxide and water,
and the chemical energy of that reaction is used to combine ADP and
inorganic phosphate to make ATP. The energy stored in that food
ultimately comes from the Sun.
Guiding Questions:
1. Why do living things need energy?
2. What are 4 major types of organic compounds essential for the
survival of all living organisms?
3. What is the basic structure and function of each of the 4 major types
of organic compounds? (including the six most common elements in
organic molecules)
4. How do the major organic compounds exhibit the complementary
nature of structure and function?
5. What makes up the food we eat?
6. How do organisms obtain the matter and energy they need to live and
grow? (Nutrition) (Differentiate autotroph & heterotroph)
7. How do the major complex molecules(carbohydrates, proteins, lipids
and nucleic acids) compare with regards to their structure and function
as related to the survival of living organisms?
Bio.4.1.3 Explain how
enzymes act as catalysts for
biological reactions.
Enzymes facilitate biochemical
processes, both breakdown
and synthesis, by affecting the
rate of chemical change in all
living organisms.
(EQ) Why are enzymes necessary for biological reactions and how do they
enable cells to carryout functions necessary for life? Unpacking: Biochemical reactions allow organisms to carry out
functions necessary for life (grow, develop, reproduce, and adapt).
Some chemical reactions (including biochemical reactions) involve the
breakdown of matter to form new substances while others combine
matter to form new substances. Biochemical processes, both breakdown
and synthesis, are made possible by a large set of biological catalysts
called enzymes.
Biochemical reactions can occur only when reactants collide with
sufficient energy to react. The amount of energy that is sufficient for a
particular chemical reaction to occur is called the activation energy.
Sometimes a chemical reaction must absorb energy for the reaction to
start; often, but not always, this energy is in the form of heat. Energy,
as heat or light, can also be given off as a result of biochemical
reactions, such as with cellular respiration or bioluminescence.
There are several factors that affect the rates of biochemical reactions.
• Changes in temperature (gaining or losing heat energy) can affect a
chemical reaction.
• pH (a measure of the acidity of a solution) in most organisms needs to
be kept within a very narrow range so that pH homeostasis can be
maintained. A small change in pH can disrupt cell processes.
A catalyst is a substance that changes the rate of a chemical reaction or
allows a chemical reaction to occur (activate) at a lower than normal
temperature. Catalysts work by lowering the activation energy of a
chemical reaction. A catalyst is not consumed nor altered during a
chemical reaction, so, it can be used over and over again. Enzymes
are proteins that serve as catalysts in living organisms.
○ Enzymes are very specific. Each particular enzyme can catalyze only
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one chemical reaction by working on one particular reactant (substrate).
○ Enzymes are involved in many of the chemical reactions necessary
for organisms to live, reproduce, and grow, such as digestion,
respiration, reproduction, movement and cell regulation.
○ The structure of enzymes can be altered by temperature and pH;
therefore, each catalyst works best at a specific temperature and pH.
Guiding Questions:
1. What is a chemical reaction?
2. What is a catalyst?
3. What is the role of energy in biological reactions?
4. Why are enzymes significant to biochemical reactions?
5. How do internal environmental factors (temperature and pH) affect
enzyme activity?
6. How do enzymes enable cells to carryout functions necessary for
life? (Emphasize the connection of specificity and structure and
function.)
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze
photosynthesis and cellular
respiration in terms of how
energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between
these processes in the cell.
Photosynthesis converts
trapped light energy into
stored chemical energy.
Cellular respiration releases
stored chemical energy for use
by the cell where carbon
dioxide is released. Released
carbon dioxide is used to start
the process of photosynthesis
and connect the processes in a
continual cycle.
(EQ) What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and
transform matter and energy so they can live and grow?LS1.C pg. 148
Unpacking: Life processes involve a complex sequence of chemical
reactions in which chemical energy is transferred from one system of
interacting molecules to another. Some of the energy in these reactions
is transferred to the environment as thermal energy (heat). The process
of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by
converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen.
The sugar molecules thus formed contain carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen; their hydrocarbon backbones are used to make amino acids and
other carbon-based molecules that can be assembled into larger
molecules (such as proteins or DNA), used for example to form new
cells. As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels
of living systems, chemical elements are recombined in different ways
to form different products. As a result of these chemical reactions,
energy is transferred from one system of interacting molecules to
another. For example, aerobic (in the presence of oxygen) cellular
respiration is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules
and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed that
can transport energy to muscles. Anaerobic (without oxygen) cellular
respiration follows a different and less efficient chemical pathway to
provide energy in cells. Cellular respiration also releases the energy
needed to maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy loss to the
surrounding environment. Matter and energy are conserved in each
change. This is true of all biological systems, from individual cells to
ecosystems. Energy is transferred when the bonds of food molecules are
broken and new compounds with lower energy are formed. Some of the
energy is used to change ADP, an inorganic phosphate (low energy),
into ATP, an energy carrier that functions in a variety of pathways.
CBSCS, 2009 During fermentation, molecules from food are partially
broken down in cells in the absence of oxygen into smaller molecules
(but not completely into carbon dioxide and water). Compared to the
chemical reactions that take place during cellular respiration, these
reactions result in less ADP being combined with an inorganic
phosphate to produce ATP; therefore, less energy is made available
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during fermentation than during cellular respiration for the chemical
reactions that maintain an organism’s body functions.
Guiding Questions:
1. What is food (A10) Why do living things need energy?
2. How do our bodies get glucose for cellular respiration?
3. Why do plant cells need mitochondria even though they can make
glucose by photosynthesis?**
4. Why does the reaction, ADP + phosphate “yields” ATP, requires
energy input?
5. Why do all the cells in your body need to carry out the reaction,
ATP “yields” ADP + phosphate.
How is this reaction useful?
6. What factors affect the rate of cellular respiration and
photosynthesis?
7. What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and
transform matter and energy so they can live and grow?
8. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to
live and grow?
Bio.4.2.2 Explain ways that
organisms use released energy
for maintaining homeostasis
(active transport).
Transport processes which
move materials into and out of
the cell utilize released energy
and serve to maintain
homeostasis.
(EQ)How do organisms use energy for maintaining homeostasis?
(cause and effect)
Unpacking: Homeostasis refers to the need for an organism to maintain
constant or stable internal conditions. In order to maintain homeostasis,
all organisms have processes and structures that respond to stimuli in
ways that keep conditions in their bodies conducive for life processes.
Homeostasis depends, in part, on appropriate movement of materials
across the cell membrane. Organisms use energy from ATP to obtain,
transform & transport materials, and to eliminate wastes. Energy
production by organisms is vital for maintaining homeostasis and
maintenance of homeostasis is necessary for life. Examples: Active
transport of needed molecules or to rid the cell of toxins; movement to
avoid danger or to find food, water, and or mates; synthesizing needed
molecules. Feedback mechanisms have evolved that maintain
homeostasis. Examples include the changes in heart rate or respiratory
rate in response to increased activity in muscle cells, the maintenance of
blood sugar levels by insulin from the pancreas, and the changes in
openings in the leaves of plants by guard cells to regulate water loss and
gas exchange.
Guiding Questions:
1. What is homeostasis?
2. How is the role of ATP in biological organisms similar to the role of
money in our society?
3. Why do we need to breathe all day and all night?
4. Explain why your body gets warmer when you are physically active.
5. How do organisms use energy for maintaining homeostasis? (cause
and effect)
(Identify misconceptions) Common Misconception: Food = calories = energy
Food, calories and energy are related, but not equivalent concepts. Food contains organic molecules which have
chemical energy stored in the bonds between atoms. There are many other types of energy, including the kinetic
energy of moving muscles and heat (the kinetic energy in the random motion of atoms and molecules). In addition
to energy, food provides atoms and molecules needed for growth and repair of our bodies. A calorie is a unit of
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measure of energy. These concepts are discussed in the activity "Food, Energy and Body Weight"
- Students often do not understand that most of a plant’s biomass comes from CO2. This misconception can be
addressed with the learning activity "Where does a plant's mass come from?"
- Many students believe that only animals carry out cellular respiration and plants only carry out photosynthesis;
they do not understand that plants also need to carry out cellular respiration to provide ATP for cellular processes.
This misconception can be addressed with the question,
**"Cells in plant leaves have both chloroplasts and mitochondria. If plants can carry out photosynthesis, why do
plant cells need mitochondria?" and/or with the learning activity "Plant Growth Puzzle"
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X. Content Objectives and Learning Targets: (STEP 6)
XI. Assessment of Learning Guide: (Including a Culminating Activity, see STEP 8)
1. The Learning Question: What is important for students to learn in the limited school and
classroom time available?
ES/
CO #
(RBT tag)
(Bio.4.1 Understand how biological molecules are essential to the survival of living organisms.)
Clarifying objective: Bio.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions.
Learning Targets (RBT tag) (Deconstruct the clarifying objective to write clear learning targets.)
Bio.4.1.1
(B25)
(A) Factual Knowledge Targets
Recognize alternate names for carbohydrates, e.g. sugars, starches, fiber & saccharides.
(A11)
Recognize alternate names for lipids, e.g. fats, phospholipids, steroids and waxes. (A12)
Identify the main functions of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acid. (A13)
Recognize that fats, proteins and carbohydrates are sources of food for animals, but
minerals are not. (A14)
Recall the basic components of each of the major biological molecules. (A15)
Review targets:
Recall the basic forms of energy and an associated source of the such as kinetic energy,
potential energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy and electromagnetic
radiation.
Recall that food is anything that is a source of both energy and building materials for
plants and animals. (A10)
(B) Conceptual Knowledge Targets
Give examples of how carbon can join to other atoms in chains and rings to form large
and complex molecules. (B21)
Summarize how the processes of dehydration and hydrolysis relate to organic
molecules. (B22)
Compare the structures of the major biological molecules, with regard to their relative
caloric values. (B23)
Conclude that animals and plants need food as a source of energy and a source of
building body parts, such as muscles in animals and leaves in plants. (B24)
Compare the structures and functions of the major biological molecules (carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids) as related to the survival of living organisms. (B25)
(C) Procedural Knowledge Targets
Use techniques of investigations to distinguish among the properties of carbohydrates,
lipids and proteins found in food. (C31)
Use models (either physical or digital tools) to describe the unique structure and
primary function of each of the major biological molecules. (modeling) (C32)
(D) Metacognitive Knowledge Targets
Recognize that food, calories and energy are related, but not equivalent concepts. (D11)
Recognize that food is provided directly or indirectly via the process of photosynthesis
and serves as a major link for plants and animals. (D12)
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3. The Assessment Question: How does one select or design assessment instruments and
procedures that provide accurate information about how well students are learning?
Strand: Molecular Biology (Bio.4.1) Clarifying Objective (Bio.4.1.1)
Learning Targets Assessment Prototypes
(Assessment Tools) Review target:
A10 Recall that food is anything that
is a source of both
energy and building materials for
plants and animals.
A11 Recognize alternate names for
carbohydrates, e.g. sugars, starches,
fiber & saccharides
A12 Recognize alternate names for
lipids, e.g. fats, phospholipids,
steroids, triglycerides and waxes.
A13 Identify the main functions of
carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and
nucleic acid.
A14 Recognize that fats, proteins and
carbohydrates are sources of food for
animals, but minerals are not.
A15 Recall the basic components of
each of the major biological
molecules.
B21 Give examples of how carbon
can join to other atoms in chains and
rings to form large and complex
molecules.
B22 Summarize how the processes of
dehydration and hydrolysis relate to
organic molecules.
C31 Use investigations to distinguish
among the properties of
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
found in food.
C32 Use models (either physical or
digital tools) to describe the unique
structure and primary function of
each of the major biological
molecules. (modeling)
B23 Conclude that animals and plants
need food as a source of energy and
a source of building body parts, such
as muscles in animals and leaves in
plants. B24 Compare the structures of the
major biological molecules, with
regard to their relative caloric values. Bio.4.1.1 Compare the structures and
functions of the major biological
molecules (carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, and nucleic acids) as related to
the survival of living organisms.(B25)
Some targets only assessed during formative assessment process.
1. Fructose, sucrose and starch al all alternate names for (A11)
a. proteins
b. nucleic acids.
c. lipids.
d. carbohydrates
2. Types of lipids include: (A12)
a. triglycerides.
b. polysaccharides.
c. amino acids.
d. nucleotides.
3. The characteristics of DNA include which of the following? (A13)
a. DNA is made of nucleotides consisting of a sugar, a phosphate
group, and a carbon base.
b. DNA is made of a single polynucleotide chain, which winds into a
double helix.
c. DNA is how inherited characteristics are passed from one
generation to the next.
d. all of the above
4. During a recent hospital stay Oscar received a solution of sugar
dissolved water. When asked if he had received any food today, Oscar
replied, “no, they only gave me water”. Is the sugar and water solution
that enters his body a source of food? (A14) www.project2061.org
a. Yes, because food is anything that provides energy, and the water
in the solution provides energy.
b. Yes because food is anything that is a source of both energy
and building materials, and the sugar in the solution is a
source of energy and building materials.
c. No, because liquids cannot be food, and the solution is a liquid.
d. No, because food has to enter the body through the mouth, and the
sugar and water solution does not enter Oscar’s body through the
mouth.
5. Complex carbohydrates are made out of subunits called
____________.(A15)
a. starch
b. monosaccharides
c. amino acids
d. nucleotides
6. Describe the structures of proteins and nucleic acids, and discuss the
functional relationship between these two types of organic compounds.
(B25) (rubric required for scoring)
7. In the diagrams below, carbon atoms are represented by black circles,
oxygen atoms are represented by gray circles and hydrogen atoms are
represented by white circles. (C32)
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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Which of the following molecules could be food for animals?
8. Which of the following is food for a plant? (A14)
a. Sugars that a plant makes b. Minerals that a plant takes in from the soil
c. Water that a plant takes in through its roots
d. Carbon dioxide that a plant takes in through its leaves
9. During science class, Mr. Johnson made three groups A, B, and C, like
the following: (B25)
A. Sugar, meat, bread
B. Water, limestone, sand
C. Coal, gasoline, wood
He asked his students to make careful observations of each group and
answer the following:
(a) What makes each group go together?
(b) Why would water go with limestone and sand rather than sugar and
meat
(c) Do you think groups A and C have anything in common? Explain your
reasoning. (rubric required for scoring) NGSS HS-LS1-6: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other
elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules. (B21)
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
23
1. The Learning Question: What is important for students to learn in the limited school and
classroom time available?
ES/
CO #
(RBT tag)
(Bio.4.1 Understand how biological molecules are essential to the survival of living organisms.)
Bio.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions.
Learning Targets (RBT tag) (Deconstruct the clarifying objective to write clear learning targets.)
Bio.4.1.3
B2
(A) Factual Knowledge Targets
Recall the definition of activation energy. (A11)
Recall the definition of a catalyst. (A12)
Identify the main function of enzymes (A13)
Recognize that enzymes have specific shapes that influence both how they function and
how they interact with other molecules. (A14)
Identify a substrate, active site, enzyme-substrate complex, and product. (A15)
Identify an enzyme and its substrate from the name of the enzyme. (A16)
Identify methods used by cells to regulate enzyme action. (A17)
(B) Conceptual Knowledge Targets
Explain the impact of a catalyst on activation energy. (B21)
Summarize the effects of environment on enzyme action namely the role of temperature,
pH, the number of substrates and the number of enzymes present. (B22)
Distinguish between reactants and products of a chemical reaction. (B41)
Distinguish between the concepts of the Lock-and-Key model of enzyme action and the
Induced Fit model of enzyme action. (B42)
Bio.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions. (B23)
(C) Procedural Knowledge Targets
Use investigations to determine how cells operate as a living system in order to maintain
homeostasis, move materials into and out of the cell and use & release energy during
biochemical reactions. (3C1)
Use investigations to determine the structure and function of enzymes. (3C2)
Use evidence drawn from investigations to formulate and revise scientific explanations
and models of biological phenomena. (3C3)
(D) Metacognitive Knowledge Targets
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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3. The Assessment Question: How does one select or design assessment instruments and procedures that
provide accurate information about how well students are learning?
Assessment of Learning:
Strand: Molecular Biology (Bio.4.1) Clarifying Objective (Bio.4.1.3)
Learning Targets Assessment Prototypes
(Assessment Tools)
Recognize that enzymes have
specific shapes that influence
both how they function and how
they interact with other
molecules. A14
Explain the impact of a catalyst
on activation energy. B21
Summarize the effects of
environment on enzyme action
namely the role of temperature,
pH, the number of substrates
and the number of enzymes
present. B22
Distinguish between reactants
and products of a chemical
reaction B41
Distinguish between the
concepts of the Lock-and-Key
model of enzyme action and the
Induced Fit model of enzyme
action. B42
Bio.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes
act as catalysts for biological
reactions. B23
Some targets only assessed during formative assessment process.
1. How do enzymes speed up biological chemical reactions? B23
a. Enzymes increase the energy required for a reaction to occur.
b. Enzymes decrease the energy required for a reaction to
occur.
c. Enzymes have no affect on the energy required for a reaction to
occur.
d. Enzymes maintain the energy needed for a reaction to occur.
2. As cells grow and increase in size, enzymes become increasingly
important to the survival of the cell. Which best explains why
enzymes are necessary? B23
a. Enzyme supply the oxygen necessary for the reactions.
b. Enzymes change reactants from solid to liquid during the
reactions.
c. The reactions take up too much space in the cell if enzymes are
missing.
d. The reactions are too slow to meet the needs of the cell if
enzymes are missing.
3. The rate of action of an enzyme is affected by
a. temperature, particle size, and oxygen concentration
b. temperature, pH, and substrate concentration
c. pH, particle size, and oxygen concentration
d. pH, temperature, and particle size
4. A certain enzyme will react with egg white but not with starch.
Which statement best explains this observation?
a. Enzymes are specific in their actions.
b. Starch molecules are too large to be hydrolyzed.
c. Starch is composed of amino acids.
d. Egg white acts as a coenzyme for hydrolysis.
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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1. The Learning Question: What is important for students to learn in the limited school and
classroom time available?
ES/
CO #
(RBT tag)
Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the
cell.
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored,
released, and transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
Learning Target (RBT tag)
(Deconstruct the clarifying objective to write clear learning targets.)
Bio.4.2.1
B4
(A) Factual Knowledge Targets
Recognize the equations for photosynthesis and respiration and identify the reactants and
products for both. (A11)
Recall the definition of photosynthesis, nutrition and cellular respiration. (A12)
Recognize the overall structure of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – namely, adenine, the
sugar ribose, and three phosphate groups. (A13)
(B) Conceptual Knowledge Targets
Interpret the chemical equations for photosynthesis and cellular respiration and tell how
they relate. (B21)
Explain how environmental factors (such as temperature, light intensity and water
availability) can affect photosynthesis as an energy storing process. (B22)
Summarize the two stages of photosynthesis citing the benefits of each stage. (B23)
Predict what would happen to an ecosystem in the event of the removal of an energy
source. (B24)
Summarize the processes of cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic respiration
(fermentation, lactic acid fermentation and alcohol fermentation). (B25)
Analyze the relationship between nutrition and cellular respiration as it relates to weight
management. (B41)
Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored,
released, and transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
(C) Procedural Knowledge Targets
Carry out investigations to support a claim that trees and other green plants carry out
cellular respiration. (C31)
Construct a model of photosynthesis to describe how photosynthesis transforms light
energy into stored chemical energy. (C32)
(D) Metacognitive Knowledge Targets
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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3. The Assessment Question: How does one select or design assessment instruments and procedures that
provide accurate information about how well students are learning?
Assessment of Learning:
Strand: Molecular Biology (Bio.4.2) Clarifying Objective (Bio.4.2.1)
Learning Targets Assessment Prototypes
(Assessment Tools)
C3 Carry out investigations to
support a claim that trees and
other green plants carry out
cellular respiration.
B2 Explain how environmental
factors (such as temperature, light
intensity and water availability)
can affect photosynthesis as an
energy storing process.
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis
and cellular respiration in terms of
how energy is stored, released,
and transferred within and
between these processes in the
cell. (B4)
Some targets only assessed during formative assessment process.
C31 During Biology class, your teacher displayed an experimental design setup
in front of class.
Which hypothesis would most likely be tested using this setup?
a. Plants grow best in absence of light.
b. Green plants need light for cell division.
c. Roots of water plants absorb minerals in the absence of light.
d. Green water plants release a gas in the presence of light.
B21
A student conducted an investigation to determine the effect of light intensity
on the process of photosynthesis as an energy storing process. The student
assembled the setup below and exposed the plant to four different light
intensities for the same amount of time. Light intensity = candelas (CD)
1. How might the student determine the effect of light intensity on the
rate of photosynthesis in the above experiment?
a. Measure the volume of CO2 bubbles produced per unit time
b. Measure the number of leaves on the plant
c. Measure the volume of O2 bubbles produced per unit time
d. It cannot be measured because the plant makes CO2 internally.
B41 Which would most likely happen if grasses and shrubs were removed from
a rural eastern North Carolina ecosystem?
a. There would be an increase in consumers in the ecosystem.
b. There would be an increase in photosynthesis in the ecosystem.
c. There would be a decrease of carbon dioxide available to the
ecosystem.
d. There would be a decrease in food energy produced by the
ecosystem.
Setup with light Setup without light
Trial 1: 5,000 CD
Trial 2: 10,000 CD
Trial 3: 15,000 CD
Trial 4: 20,000 CD
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
27
B42 How does the process of photosynthesis in plants provide energy for
animals?
a. The water and carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis are
converted into glucose and ATP for animals.
b. The glucose and ATP used in photosynthesis are converted into
water and carbon dioxide for animals.
c. The glucose and carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis are
converted into proteins for animals.
d. The oxygen and glucose produced through photosynthesis are
converted into lipids for animals.
B43 The diagram below is a model that shows the relationship between
photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Which statement best explains why plants and animals
are connected by the flow of energy and the cycling of
matter?
a. Animals use oxygen and glucose that is
produced during cellular respiration and stored
during photosynthesis.
b. Plants use carbon dioxide and water that is
released by cellular respiration to carry out
photosynthesis.
c. Plants carry out photosynthesis to release
energy in food for animals.
d. Animals use glucose for food that is broken
down during photosynthesis.
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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1. The Learning Question: What is important for students to learn in the limited school and
classroom time available?
ES/
CO #
(RBT tag)
Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the cell.
Bio.4.2.2 Explain ways that organisms use released energy for maintaining homeostasis (active
transport).
Learning Target (RBT tag) (Deconstruct the clarifying objective to write clear learning targets.)
B2
(A) Factual Knowledge Targets
Recognize that feedback mechanisms function to maintain homeostasis. (A11)
(B) Conceptual Knowledge Targets
Give examples of functions (e.g., removal of wastes, muscular activity, cell division) that
are carried out by organisms and that involve the conversion of ATP to ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) and an inorganic phosphate. (B21)
Bio.4.2.2 Explain ways that organisms use released energy for maintaining homeostasis
(active transport). (B22)
(C) Procedural Knowledge Targets
Use investigations to determine how cells operate as a living system in order to maintain
homeostasis, move materials into and out of the cell and use & release energy during
biochemical reactions. (C31)
(D) Metacognitive Knowledge Targets
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
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3. The Assessment Question: How does one select or design assessment instruments and procedures that
provide accurate information about how well students are learning?
Assessment of Learning:
Strand: (Essential Standard) Clarifying Objective (#)
Learning Targets Assessment Prototypes
(Assessment Tools)
A1 Recognize that feedback
mechanisms function to
maintain homeostasis.
C3 Use investigations to
analyze a typical animal cell as
a living system to determine
how organisms maintain
homeostasis in changing
conditions.
Bio.4.2.2 Explain ways that
organisms use released energy
for maintaining homeostasis
(active transport).B2
Some targets only assessed during formative assessment process.
(A11) What process is represented by the boxed sequence below?
a. A feedback mechanism
b. A synthesis reaction
c. An autoimmune response
d. A single cell breakdown
(A11) Under normal conditions, a drop in concentration of glucose in an
organisms’ blood results in a release of stored glucose until the original
concentration is reached. Which term best describes this type of
regulation.
a. Pinocytosis
b. Respiration
c. Synthesis
d. Homeostasis
(B21)Which is the best example of an organism’s use of released energy
for maintaining homeostasis?
a. A dog’s heart beats using cardiac muscle.
b. A dog’s breathing rate increases while chasing a car.
c. A cat’s digestive system uses enzymes to break down food.
d. A cat’s ears contain cartilage for flexibility.
Ingestion
of starch
Blood sugar levels
elevate
Increase in production of insulin
Blood sugar levels drop
Insulin
production
stops
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
30
XII. Unit Materials List: (Also included in body of lesson.)
Activity Materials
What Makes Up the Food We Eat? Need to assemble or prepare 10 Paperclips sets. Each
set includes 20 silver, 4 gold, 30 colored, 20 shaped
paperclips. Consider adding a key for each set so
students know which paperclips represent which
molecules, or use the transparency provided in activity
1.
You Are What You Eat – Part 2 Purchase of mealworms is required to complete the
lab. Note that you can order mealworms for very
cheap online- roughly $40 for several thousand
mealworms. It’s more expensive at pet stores—maybe
the same price for only 1000 mealworms but this may
be enough to use with 45-50 groups of students. The
mealworms may come in a plastic container (with
holes for ventilation) already with their food—thus
creating a system that is already assembled. If they do
not, you may need to purchase bran cereal or wheat
bran or other type of food source (meal, wheat and oat
flours, ground cat or dog food can be used). If the
system is already assembled, then students will need
to break the system apart on Day 1 to weigh each
component—the food, the worms, and the container.
They will do this again on the final day, weighing
each component individual (thus, the tweezers come in
handy for separating the worms from their food!).
Each group needs at least 5-10g of mealworms and
mealworms should have at least 3x their mass of food
available (or more).
NOTE: the mealworm lab needs at least 4 days or
more for clear results. Consider starting this lab prior
to Activity 1 and providing time for students to
monitor mass changes between the start and finish of
the lab. Only start and end mass recordings are
necessary but the student observation sheet includes
additional space for other recordings.
Why Won’t My Jello Gel 11 test tubes of jello
Test tube rack
Droppers
Meat tenderizer (two brands – French’s and Adolph’s
for example)
Fruit juices (from fresh fruit or frozen fruit juice
concentrate – fruits such as pineapple, kiwi, orange,
papaya, apple, etc. make good choices
2 brands of lens cleaner (Bausch and Lomb and
Unizyme – Ciba Vision, for example)
Metric ruler
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
31
Paperase – The Little Enzyme that Could Paperose Strips
Scissors
1000 L beaker or other small container of similar size
Graph paper
Calculator
Clock/Timer
Enzyme Lab homogenate (chicken liver, beef liver, mushroom,
potato, and
celery)
chunks of beef liver and potato
iced and boiled homogenates
3% H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide—available at drug
stores)
distilled H2O
acetic acid (vinegar)
carbonic acid
3 M HCl
3 M NaOH
droppers
thermometers
stirring rod
beakers
clock with second hand, or stop watches
8 test tubes per group
mortar and pestle
small amount of sand
pure catalase (optional)
Bioenergetic Reaction Demonstrations water plants (such as Elodea)
4 test tubes (that fit stoppers)
4 rubber stoppers
2 test-tube racks
Bottled water
1 light source
Package of dry yeast
6 Test tubes
Table sugar
distilled water
6 Small balloons
test tube racks
6 Test tubes
bromthymol blue (BTB)
6 Stoppers
Several Pond snails
test tube racks
Feedback from the 2004 SCOS unit development project
revealed that LEA leaders and teachers wanted a composite
materials list included in the unit. They also wanted a specific
list included with each lesson.
32
Week 1 The Chemistry of Life
Approximate Time: (5 Class periods/90 min)
Text/ Instructional Resource:
CK12 (Guide for Students’ Notes and Reference Materials)
Lesson 2.1: Matter and Organic Compounds
Lesson 2.2: Biochemical Reactions
Lesson 4.1.1: Why Living Things Need Energy
Lesson 4.1.2: How Organisms Get Energy: Autotrophs and Heterotrophs
Environmental Literacy Project (ELP)
Activity 1: What Makes Up The Food We Eat?
Activity 2: What happens to food in our bodies?
Activity 3: You Are What You Eat – Part 1
Activity 4: You Are What You Eat – Part 2
Lesson Purpose:
Students are introduced to the major macromolecules found in food—carbohydrates, lipids, and fats—and
begin to learn about the subunits these molecules are made of.
The activity begins by asking students to share what they know about substances found in their food.
From everyday experiences, students are likely aware of major macromolecules—these are common
descriptors in our language about food, and diet. But students likely do not have an understanding of the
molecules at the atomic-molecular scale.
This activity focuses on MATTER and SCALE principles. In terms of matter, this activity helps to
establish one of the key matter inputs involved in metabolic processes. While students do not use the
Process Tool in today’s activity, they will need to use this information later in the unit, as they build
various Process Tools for metabolic processes. Today’s activity helps students move from macroscopic
descriptors—carbohydrate, fats, proteins—to an atomic-molecular understanding of these materials’
structure. SCALE becomes the focus of the latter half of the lesson. Students use the “Room Model” and
Powers of Ten to locate these molecules’ sizes relative to other systems, such as the size of a typical cell.
Students use the room to represent a cell, thus making 1-3 cm objects likened to the size of molecules
found in the cell. At this point students engage in building the various macromolecules using paperclips
and consider the size of these paperclips in relation to the size of the room (size of molecules to size of
cells).
Materials:
Student copies What Makes Up the Foods We Eat?
Transparency Comparing Food Molecules
Transparency Building Models of Food Molecules
Paperclip Sets for each group (20 silver, 4 gold, 30 colored, 20 shaped per group)
Powers of 10 Chart
Optional: Transparency or chart of the “Room Model” table
Advance Preparation:
Activity 1: Need to assemble or prepare 10 Paperclips sets. Each set includes 20 silver, 4 gold, 30
colored, 20 shaped paperclips. Consider adding a key for each set so students know which paperclips
represent which molecules, or use the transparency provided in activity 1.
33
Activity 4: Purchase of mealworms is required to complete the lab. Note that you can order mealworms
for very cheap online- roughly $40 for several thousand mealworms. It’s more expensive at pet stores—
maybe the same price for only 1000 mealworms but this may be enough to use with 45-50 groups of
students. The mealworms may come in a plastic container (with holes for ventilation) already with their
food—thus creating a system that is already assembled. If they do not, you may need to purchase bran
cereal or wheat bran or other type of food source (meal, wheat and oat flours, ground cat or dog food can
be used). If the system is already assembled, then students will need to break the system apart on Day 1 to
weigh each component—the food, the worms, and the container. They will do this again on the final day,
weighing each component individual (thus, the tweezers come in handy for separating the worms from
their food!). Each group needs at least 5-10g of mealworms and mealworms should have at least 3x their
mass of food available (or more).
NOTE: the mealworm lab needs at least 4 days or more for clear results. Consider starting this lab prior
to Activity 1 and providing time for students to monitor mass changes between the start and finish of the
lab. Only start and end mass recordings are necessary but the student observation sheet includes
additional space for other recordings.
34
Opening Lesson: What Makes Up The Food We Eat?
Approximate Time: 75 min/90min block
Bio.4.1.1 Compare the structures and functions of the major biological molecules (carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids) as related to the survival of living organisms.
Before the unit: Pre-assessment:
Prior to starting a unit, it is beneficial to determine prior knowledge. The strand map provides
information about ideas students should be familiar with as a result of encounters at earlier grades.
Nonetheless, students will have varying conceptions and misconceptions about the content being
addressed in the unit. A well designed pre-assessment may serve to uncover challenges students may
currently have or identify students who have mastered topics for which you may give credit.
Select a pre-assessment and administer a few days before starting your unit. Collect students work and
allow plenty of time to review students’ responses. Make notes on what their work reveals about their
current level of understanding. Instead of scoring students’ work, summarize their difficulties as a series
of questions. Also, take the opportunity to move students forward who are ready for more advanced work.
Or, you may elect to allow students to revise their responses as they engage in the unit’s learning
experiences.
Sample pre-assessment tasks:
Pre-assessment 1: Figure 1 is a model of ecosystem interactions. Within an ecosystem, energy flows in
one direction but matter is recycled. Mr. Green Gene cherished his lovely Clydesdale horse, which he
used to plough his garden and work his farm. When the horse died, Mr. Green Gene buried him under the
big oak tree in the south pasture where he keeps his cows. Describe below the path of a carbon atom from
the horse’s remains, to inside Mr. Green Gene’s leg muscle. NOTE: Mr. Green Gene does not eat his
horse; however, he does eat his the grapes on the farm. Describe as many biochemical pathways as you
can relate. Use words or phrases from the key terms in your description in a manner that demonstrates
your acquaintance with the terms.
Pre-assessment 2: Figure 1 is a model of ecosystem interactions. Within an ecosystem, energy flows in
one direction but matter is recycled. Mr. Green Gene cherished his lovely Clydesdale horse, which he
used to plough his garden and work his farm. When the horse died, Mr. Green Gene buried him under the
big oak tree in the south pasture where he keeps his cows. Design a food web that includes
Mr. Green Gene and his horse that shows the path of a carbon atom from the horse’s remains, to inside
Mr. Green Gene’s leg muscle.
Pre-assessment 3: Review the consumers and producers on Mr. Green Gene’s farm, figure 1. Brainstorm
a list in response to the questions:
1. How many different kinds of energy are there?
2. How does energy affect your life?
3. How many energy transformations can you make on Mr. Green Gene’s farm as a result of the
interactions among the living and nonliving things on the farm?
Key Terms: ATP Digestion Cellular Respiration Chloroplast Chlorophyll Energy Fermentation Kinetic Energy Lactic Acid Mitochondrion Photosynthesis Consumers Potential Energy Producers Glucose & Oxygen gas Sunlight Carbon dioxide & water
35
Pre-assessment 4: Concept-mapping Exercise
Using what you know about photosynthesis, nutrition and cellular respiration, complete the following
concept map using the following terms…
Key Terms: ATP Cellular Respiration Chloroplast Consumers Lactic Acid Mitochondria Photosynthesis Potential Energy Chlorophyll
36
Opening the unit: Introduce the unit with the Unit Overview Have students refer to figure 1, Mr. Green Gene’s Farm, as you read the Unit Overview.
Dr. Doolittle had a great reputation for talking to the animals. What about plants? Have you ever talked to
your plants? Mr. Green Gene says plants can benefit from a nice long talk and, in return, they make our air
worth breathing. He says, everyday green plants capture energy from the sun and change it into the chemical
energy that fulfills all of the energy needs on the farm.
What do you think? Is it possible that talking to plants could make them grow larger? Where does the matter
that makes up green plants and trees come from? Where does the matter that makes up animals (including
humans) come from? How can trees supply energy for everyone?
Mr. Green Gene is very concerned about his health and the health of all of the living things on his farm. Some
days, he climbs tall trees or hikes the side of a mountain inspecting his crops and animals to make sure
everything is healthy. Maintaining a farm is hard work. He says exercise and a balanced diet is the key to
working on a farm. In this unit, you will explore three very important questions that may help you maintain a
healthy body: Why do we eat? What is in the food we eat? And, why is exercise and good nutrition essential
for a healthy body?
We will explore a fantastic relationship between plants and animals and discover how controlling your weight
may be an “energy-balancing act”. Charlie and Otis have an interesting question. “Do plants use oxygen to
convert their sugar into energy and release carbon dioxide as a waste product as animals do?” As you learn
more about photosynthesis, nutrition and cellular respiration, you may be able to help them answer their
question.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will have a greater understanding of how living systems
transform, store and transfer energy needed to carry out life’s essential functions and ensure survival. With this
understanding, you will be able to explain how living organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they
need to live, grow and survive.
---------------------------------------- Energy Brainstorm
Approximate Time:
Purpose: Big Ideas:
1. Energy is observed in many forms and gets transformed as it is used daily; however, even when
such transformations occur it is conserved.
2. Energy is required for the survival of all living things and food, as source of energy, is made of
carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids (living things).
Learning Targets: Review targets:
Recall basic kinds of energy such as kinetic energy, potential energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy,
electrical energy and electromagnetic radiation and an associated source.
Recall that food is anything that is a source of both energy and building materials for plants and
animals. (A10)
Elicit: (Start class with one of the pre-assessment questions. Allow students time to revise their
answers after the explore activity.)
Class Discussion: What is Energy? and Why do living things need energy?
Ask the class “What is Energy?” Be open to any responses they may have. The purpose of asking
this question is to get the students to think about what the word “energy” means to them, to be
aware that other people may have different ideas, and to let you know what they think about
energy at the start of the unit. (Quick 5 mins)
37
Engage - Point out to the students that there are different ideas about energy and this activity
will help the class come to a common understanding of energy and how it changes forms as it
interacts with various forms of matter and living systems (organisms). (20 min.)
Observing Energy on Mr. Green Gene’s Farm: “Why do living things need energy”
Assign students to a small group to brainstorm a list of answers to the question, “How many different
kinds of energy are there?” Mr. Green Gene’s farm has several examples of sources of energy. For each
kind of energy on your list, identify a source. Have a recorder in each group make a list of the ideas. After
about ten minutes, when the small groups are running out of ideas, hold a large group discussion. Have
each group name one item, creating a list on the chalkboard. Skipping items that have been named before,
see how many different kinds of energy the class was able to identify. After making a connection to
familiar forms of energy and sources, have students come to a consensus on a definition of energy, using
reference materials as a guide. Students should have a consensus definition of energy; however, it should
be written in their own words and linked to the examples provided during the discussion.
Teacher leads students in a whole group discussion about “Why do living things need energy?” and
guide students to the identification of food as the source of energy for all living things. Share that energy
is a property of matter and some forms of energy provide more useful sources of energy than other forms
of matter.
Tell students that they will now Explore various sources of energy and how energy affects their lives as
they research what is in the food they eat (What Makes Up the Foods We Eat?”.
Sample Class Brainstorm: How many different kinds of energy are there?
H
Potential energy
Kinetic energy
Chemical energy
Nuclear energy
Electrical energy
Electromagnetic
energy
10
min.
Thermal energy
Kinds of Energy Sources of Energy
Sound energy
Light energy
Allow students
time to come up
with various kinds
of energy &
sources until they
conclude that food
is a source of
chemical energy
required for the
survival of all living
things.
I can name various kinds of energy and
identify a familiar
source.
WALT:
What is Energy?
FOOD!
MOVING
MATTER
Continue to
group and
arrange the
list so that
students
conclude
that most
kinds of
energy are
of two
forms, either
potential or
kinetic.
http://burnanenergyjournal.com/forms-of-energy-motion-heat-light-sound-2/#mechanical_unique
10 min.
discussion
38
Explore: Activity 1: What Makes Up The Foods We Eat? (ELP)
General Overview
Elicit student ideas: What makes up food? (Revisit) ~5 minutes
What Makes Up the Foods We Eat? Worksheet* ~20 minutes
Food molecules and Scale ~25 minutes
Total Estimated Time: 50 minutes
Purpose & Tools
Students are introduced to the major macromolecules found in food—carbohydrates, lipids, and fats—and
begin to learn about the subunits these molecules are made of.
The activity begins by asking students to share what they know about substances found in their food.
From everyday experiences, students are likely aware of major macromolecules—these are common
descriptors in our language about food, and diet. But students likely do not have an understanding of the
molecules at the atomic-molecular scale.
This activity focuses on MATTER and SCALE principles. In terms of matter, this activity helps to
establish one of the key matter inputs involved in metabolic processes. While students do not use the
Process Tool in today’s activity, they will need to use this information later in the unit, as they build
various Process Tools for metabolic processes. Today’s activity helps students move from macroscopic
descriptors—carbohydrate, fats, proteins—to an atomic-molecular understanding of these materials’
structure. SCALE becomes the focus of the latter half of the lesson. Students use the “Room Model” and
Powers of Ten to locate these molecules’ sizes relative to other systems, such as the size of a typical cell.
Students use the room to represent a cell, thus making 1-3 cm objects likened to the size of molecules
found in the cell. At this point students engage in building the various macromolecules using paperclips
and consider the size of these paperclips in relation to the size of the room (size of molecules to size of
cells).
Materials
Student copies What Makes Up the Foods We Eat?
Transparency Comparing Food Molecules
Transparency Building Models of Food Molecules
Paperclip Sets for each group (20 silver, 4 gold, 30 colored, 20 shaped per group)
Powers of 10 Chart
Optional: Transparency or chart of the “Room Model” table
Advance Preparation
Sort paperclips into sets for the groups to use; can adjust paperclip number depending on whether you
want individual students or partners building the models
Make copies of student pages
Make transparencies
Procedures
Elicit Student Ideas ~5 minutes
* Adapted from NCOSP (2007) Matter and Energy in Life Systems, Cycle 2, Activity1.
39
Ask students, “What did you eat for breakfast/lunch?” Follow up with probes, “What is found in what you
ate?” Students may mention “sugar”, “proteins”, “fat”, etc. Probe what students already know about these
materials. Ask students, “Why do we eat these things?” and “What happens to them inside our bodies?”
This is a chance for the teacher to gather initial information about what the students may already know
about the substances found in food.
What Makes Up the Food We Eat? ~20 minutes
Pass out the worksheet, What Makes Up the Food We Eat? Read through the first page together. Students
are expected to sort the molecules in Figure 2-1 into groups. They can choose how to define their groups,
although most will likely base their sorting on shape.
Have students share their groups, and explain why they grouped molecules the way they did.
Either as a class or in partners, have students read through the next 2 pages, identifying the molecules
from Figure 2-1 as carbohydrates, proteins, or fats.
Discuss the similarities and differences between the three types of macromolecules in terms of the atoms
they are made of and chemical energy. Consider building a model of glucose, an amino acid, a glycerol
molecule and short fatty acid chain to show students the atoms and bonds that make up the molecules.
Scale and Food Molecules ~25 minutes
Introduce the “Room Model” to students. Explain to students that atoms, molecules, and cells are on a
scale that we cannot see with our eyes. Ask students if they remember what scale this is (atoms and
molecules are at the 10-9, atomic-molecular scale) and cells are roughly 10-5. Point to the Powers of Ten
wall Chart if necessary
The great differences in size of these things make it difficult for us to comprehend. In order to make the
size of really small things more comprehensible, we can use models that are visible to us at the
macroscopic scale. The “Room Model” helps us mimic the relative size of cells and things found in cells.
The room and macroscopic things found in the room will represent the cell and cell structures. Students
will use paper clips to represent various molecules and will be able to link those clips to build the
different types of molecules in Figure 2-1. Below is a table that shows objects that can be used in the
model
Atomic-molecular
or Cellular Object
Actual Size Macroscopic Object Macroscopic
Size
Typical cell
10-5 m Room 10 m
Ribosome
10-7 m Stapler 10 cm
Fat molecule 10-8 m Linked mini paperclips
3 cm
Protein molecule 10-8 m Linked mini paperclips 3 cm
40
Starch molecule 10-8 m Linked mini paperclips
3 cm
Glucose 10-8 m Mini paperclip
1 cm
Atom 10-9 m Tip of Pencil/Pen 1 mm
OPTIONAL:
Within the context of the room as a cell, students can build models of the different molecules that make
up food using the paperclips. Have students use mini paper clips to build carbohydrate and fat molecules
(silver for carbohydrates; gold for fat). Use the specialty shape paperclips to build different types of
proteins. Consider identifying particular colors to only be used in certain molecules. See the suggested
Building Models of Food Molecules. This could be copied and given to student groups or used as an
overhead transparency.
Carbohydrates and Lipids- Models
Amino Acid and Protein Models
NOTE: Consider using the Comparing Food Molecules transparency to have students compare the atoms and bonds
that make up the different food molecules. This comparison will prepare students to think about similarities (in
terms of matter and energy) among the molecules.
Connections: Consider using Food Indicator Lab and Energy in Food Lab as additional inquiry activities to
correspond with Activities 1-4.
41
Name: ___________________________________ Date: ____________ Period: _____
What Makes Up the Foods We Eat?
Imagine eating a pizza with all the
works. Imagine if you could ‘see’ all
the food molecules that make up that
pizza just after it entered your mouth.
These molecules are at the atomic-
molecular scale. The molecules might
look like what you see in Figure 2-1.
Group the molecules that you see in
Figure 2-1 into 2 to 4 groups (based
on any criteria that you would like)
and then fill in the table below.
Table 2-1
Group
Name
Molecules in Group
(list by number) What are the characteristics that the molecules in this
group have in common with each other?
A
1, 8, 10
Chains of similar subunits
B
2, 4, 6, 7
The chains attached to a larger subunit
C
5, 9
A chain of different subunits
D
3
Like group A but with extra links between subunits
42
SCIENTISTS’ CATEGORIES OF FOOD MOLECULES
CARBOHYDRATES
Sugar and starch are part of a group of molecules called carbohydrates. Sugars are often called simple
carbohydrates because they are relatively small and have simple chemical structures. One sugar that is
typically found in our blood (as well as in our food) is glucose and its simple chemical structure is often
represented as a hexagon.
Other common sugars are sucrose (table sugar) and fructose.
Sugars, like glucose, are often linked together to form molecules like starch. Starch is typically hundreds
to thousands of glucose molecules linked together. Long chained molecules like starch are often called
complex carbohydrates.
Cellulose is also made up of long chains of glucose, so it is also considered a complex carbohydrate.
However, the bonds holding the glucose molecules together in cellulose are different than those found in
starch. Nutritionists sometimes simply refer to cellulose as fiber.
What molecule(s) in Figure 2-1 might be sugar? ____10_____ number(s)
What molecule(s) in Figure 2-1 might be starch? ___1, 8_____ number(s)
What molecule(s) in Figure 2-1 might be fiber? ______3_____ number(s)
What is the same about these types of molecules?
All made up of similar subunits (sugars, or glucose molecules)__________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________ What is different?
Sugars are simple molecules, starches are chains of sugars linked together, fibers are chains of sugar with
different chemical bonds/links than starches_
PROTEINS Proteins are another major component of food. Proteins are composed of smaller subunits called amino
acids. Unlike complex carbohydrates, which are made up thousands of only one type of sugar (glucose),
linked together, proteins are made up of hundreds of several different types of amino acids. There are
actually twenty different types of amino acids.
What molecule(s) in Figure 2-1 might be protein? ___5, 9________ number(s)
The final major components of food that has been recognized are fats and oils. Fats and oils are greasy
feeling and, do not mix well with water and are chemically very similar. But fats are solid at room
temperature whereas oils are liquid at room temperature. Unlike carbohydrates and proteins, fats and oils
43
are medium-sized molecules made up of four smaller subunits. Three of the four small molecules are
almost identical and are called fatty acids. These three molecules are each linked to the fourth molecule
called glycerol.
What molecule(s) in Figure 2-1 might be fats/oils? _2, 4, 6, 7____ number(s)
Scientists have found that over ninety-five percent of almost all foods are composed of carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats. All of these molecules are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. When
molecules contain C-C (carbon-carbon) and C-H (carbon-hydrogen) bonds, the molecules are said to have
high-energy bonds. This means that the molecules found in our foods contains chemical energy.
How do the scientists’ categories of food molecules compare to the groups of food molecules you
suggested in Table 2-1? Students may have grouped #10 glucose into separate categories: They may have
combined starch and fiber or starches and proteins.
Make sure the class comes to agreement about groups based on molecule characteristics.
_______________________________________________________________________
44
Building Models of Food Molecules
Glucose Silver paperclips
Glycerol Gold/Yellow paperclips
Fatty Acids Colored paperclips
Amino Acids Circle, Square, Triangular paperclips
Use this information to build: 1) a STARCH molecule
2) a LIPID molecule
3) a PROTEIN molecule
46
(HS.TT.1 Use technology and other resources for assigned tasks.) Have students research the major molecules to identify which of the macromolecules are found in their
favorite foods and in what quantity.
Once students have identified the molecules found in their foods and prepared models, have groups report
out by presenting their model and examples of the associated foods.
Explain: Following the exploratory activities, each group will explain their answers to the following
questions:
Guiding Questions:
1. Why do living things need energy?
2. What are 4 major types of organic compounds essential for the survival of all living organisms?
3. What is the basic structure and function of each of the 4 major types of organic compounds? (including
the six most common elements in organic molecules)
4. How do the major organic compounds exhibit the complementary nature of structure and function?
5. What makes up the food we eat?
6. How do organisms obtain the matter and energy they need to live and grow? (Nutrition) Differentiate
autotrophs and heterotrophs.
7. How do the major complex molecules (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids) compare with
regards to their structure and function as related to the survival of living organisms?
Do not collect student answers. Allow students opportunity to revise answers to their questions as they
proceed through the following Elaborate activities. Have students maintain their work in a portfolio.
Encourage students to make notations on their work as their ideas about answers change. This will serve
as support for student growth.
My Favorite Foods List: Modeling Organic Molecules:
Molecules that facilitate cellular processes are
similar in that they exhibit the complementary
nature of structure and function yet differ in
their unique structure and specific role related
to the survival of all living organisms.
Design models of the major molecules found
in your favorite foods. Your model should
represent a comparison of the structure and
function of each of the molecules.
47
____________________________________________________________________________
Biological
Molecule
Common
Name
Monomer Structure (Monomer Diagram)
Polymer Function Food
Source
Phosphate Nitrogen Base
5
Carbon
Sugar
Keep your chart and modify as you learn more about each of the major biological molecules!
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
48
(Elaborate) Environmental Literacy Project (2012 – 2013)
Activity 1: Materials in Food
Guiding Question: What materials do we get from the foods we eat?
Duration: 50 minutes
Activity Description:
Students learn that food is composed mainly of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Students learn that
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are key substances in food and rich with chemical energy, while water
and vitamins are not sources of chemical energy. Nutritional data and images courtesy of
www.NutritionData.com.
Background Information:
For many students food is simply anything that can be eaten. Students might treat solid food as different
from liquid beverages and vitamins, but all three are considered important in our diets. When asked what
things help us grow students might list off a number of things like food, water, air, and vitamins, all of
which are part of a “healthy diet”. Each of these things does contribute to our overall body functioning
and metabolic processes, but it is the carbon-based materials that we ingest that help our bodies grow and
function. It does not matter whether the food we intake is solid or liquid, but it does matter whether this
food is a good source of carbon and chemical energy. Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are the key
ingredients in our diet. These substances are carbon-based with carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen
bonds, making them an excellent source of chemical energy (just like the gas [octane] we put in our cars).
When students look closer at materials to see if they provide chemical energy, their definitions about food
and the process of growth can begin to develop, making students ready to understand how and why our
bodies use food in certain ways.
Learning Objectives: Bio.4.1.1 (B23-5)
WALT: Compare the structures of the major molecules, with regard to their relative caloric values. (B23)
Conclude that animals and plants need food as a source of energy and a source of building body
parts, such as muscles in animals and leaves in plants. (B24)
Compare the structures and functions of the major biological molecules (carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids and nucleic acids) as related to the survival of living organisms. (B25)
Students will:
List the most abundant organic materials in foods—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—and use
food labels to find out how concentrated they are in different foods and animal tissues.
Associate food with the source of chemical energy for animals, and the source of materials for
animal biomass
Materials:
Lesson 2 Food.pptx Slides 1-7
Exploring Food Labels per group of 2 to 4 students
Nutrient Label cards (9) one set per group of 2 to 4 students
What Makes Up Our Foods? (Optional) reading
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
49
Directions:
1. Animals get important materials from food
Remind students that they are learning about what animals need to grow, and that they said that food
is important. In today’s lesson students will begin to learn what makes up common human foods to
inform how it becomes part of our bodies through growth. Humans use food the same way as other
animals, although human food has lots of information available about it.
2. Identify materials that make up beef
Using the nutrient label card packet, show students a nutrition label for ground beef. Ask them to tell
you what materials make up the beef (fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals), and then
ask, “What are these substances made of?” You can type in student responses in the Lesson 2
Food.pptx slide 2.
3. Zoom to atomic-molecular scale
Tell students that now we will look at these materials on an atomic-molecular scale. Show Lesson 2
Food.pptx slide 3-5 that shows fats, carbohydrates and proteins molecules (lipids, glucose and starch,
and amino acids). For each slide have students identify what atoms are found in each molecule, and
what types of bonds are found in each molecule. Help students see that the beef (which came from a
living cow) is made mostly of proteins and fats, which have two things in common: they are carbon-
based molecules and have high-energy bonds (C-C and C-H). (Note: These bonds appear yellow in
the molecule images.) Use Lesson 2 Food.pptx slide 6 to compare molecules.
4. Food is the source of atoms for animals growing
Remind students “atoms lasts forever.” Where do students think that atoms go when animals eat
them? Food is the source of materials for growing animals. During this Unit they will keep track of
the atoms in food and where they go when animals eat them.
5. Food is the source of chemical energy for animals
Another thing on nutrition labels are calories, illustrated on Lesson 2 Food.pptx slide 7. What do
calories tell us? This is a measurement of how much chemical energy is in food. (Scientists determine
number of calories by burning the food and measuring the energy as heat.) Food is the only source of
chemical energy to all animals, including humans. (Optional: Pass out the reading What Makes Up
Our Foods? This is a short reading about what students can find on nutrition labels and calories as
chemical energy). In partners or as a whole group, read through the handout.)
6. Students record information about nine different food items
Explain to students that they will now look closer at 9 materials that we ingest. Pass out Nutrition
Label cards to groups of 2 to 4 students along with the handout Exploring Food Labels*. Preview the
data table with students so that they know what they are looking for in each label. Students will
calculate the amount of water in food and then record the number of calories. Provide students with
about 10 minutes to read each label and record in their worksheet.
7. Identify differences in materials with and without chemical energy
Ask the students and discuss: “How are the materials with chemical energy different from materials
without chemical energy?” Students will see that water, salt and diet soda are the only three materials
that are not a source of chemical energy. These materials are inorganic substances that we take inside
our bodies, but they are not a source of chemical energy (they have no calories, they have no C-C or
C-H bonds). Inorganic substances also are not a significant source of biomass for our bodies.
Sample Unit Plan Summer Institute 2015 – Workshop Use Only
50
*Nutritional labels list break down fats and carbohydrates into several components. Students do not need
to distinguish between different types of fat or carbohydrate molecules. However, below is information
about types of fats and carbohydrates if students are curious. You may want to mention fiber, as it is an
important component of plant material and is discussed later in lessons about digestion.
Types of fats:
Saturated: no double bonds in the carbon chain
Trans fat: one artificially made double bond
Monounsaturated: one natural double bond
Polyunsaturated: multiple natural double bonds
Types of carbohydrates:
Starch
Sugar
Dietary fiber (cellulose, which are indigestible by humans)
Cholesterol: similar to fat molecules and needed to build and maintain membranes and a precursor for
several biochemical pathways. (Needed in small amounts like vitamins.)
Optional Scale Representation:
From the cellular to the atomic-molecular scale, students may struggle to comprehend that atoms and
molecules are actually A LOT smaller than cells. Once you reach the microscopic scale, students begin to
lump all these things together into one category: things we can’t see with our eyes. They may think that
an atom is the same size as a molecule or even the same size as a cell.
In order to make the size of really small things more comprehensible, we can use models that are visible
to us at the macroscopic scale. The “Room Model” helps mimic the relative size of cells and things found
in cells using objects found in your classroom. The classroom itself can represent the size of a cell.
Objects found in the classroom can represent the cell structures and substances found in the cell. Use the
following objects below of examples of how to demonstrate the relationship in size between atomic-
molecular scale and microscopic scale.
For example, point out to students that a glucose molecule in a cell is about the size of a paperclip inside a
classroom and that a carbon atom inside a cell is about the size of a pen tip inside a classroom.
Atomic-molecular
or Cellular Object
Actual Size Macroscopic Object Macroscopic
Size
Typical cell
10-5 m or 10-6 Room 10 m
Ribosome
10-7 m Stapler 10 cm
Fat molecule 10-8 m Linked mini
paperclips
3 cm
Protein molecule 10-8 m Linked mini
paperclips
3 cm
Starch molecule 10-8 m Linked mini
paperclips
3 cm
Glucose 10-8 m Mini paperclip
1 cm
Atom 10-9 m Tip of Pencil/Pen 1 mm
51
WATER
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
0 Calories from Fat 0
0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
0mg 0%
2mg 0%
0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g
0g
0% 0%
1% 0%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
TABLE SALT DIET SODA
52
BEEF (80/20) WHITE BREAD CARROTS
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
35 Calories from Fat 1
0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
78mg 3%
8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 5g
1g
276% 4%
3% 5%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
53
MARSHMALLOWS
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
318 Calories from Fat 2
0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
80mg 3%
81g 27%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 58g
2g
0% 0%
0% 1%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
SPINACH (FRESH) APPLE JUICE
54
Name: ________________________________ Teacher: _______________ Date: ___________ Exploring Food Labels
Lesson 2, Activity 1 Use the nutrition labels to compare the foods on your handout.
1. Find the weight in grams of organic materials in the food: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
2. How much is the total weight of minerals (sodium) of your food? Assume the weights of vitamins are less than 1 g (see your handout).
3. How much water is in your food? You will have to calculate this. The label gives the weight of carbohydrates, fat, protein and sodium in 100 g of that type
of food. Subtract the weight of carbohydrates, fat, protein and sodium from 100 to get the remaining weight of the food, which is all water. Round to the
nearest whole number. Vitamins and minerals together are less than 1 g for all foods.
4. Find the amount of chemical energy (calories) in your food.
5. For line 10, find another food that you are interested in. You can bring a food label from home or look up a food on the website at the bottom of the
nutrition labels: www.NutritionData.com.
FOOD NAME Organic materials Minerals
(Sodium)
(grams)
Water
(grams)
Chemical energy
(calories) Fat (grams) Carbohydrates
(grams)
Protein
(grams)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
55
Name: ________________________________ Teacher: _______________ Date: ___________
Assessing: Exploring Food Labels Lesson 2, Activity 1 Use the nutrition labels to compare the foods on your handout.
1. Find the weight in grams of organic materials in the food: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
2. How much is the total weight of minerals (sodium) of your food? Assume the weights of vitamins are less than 1 g (see your handout).
3. How much water is in your food? You will have to calculate this. The label gives the weight of carbohydrates, fat, protein and sodium in 100 g of that type
of food. Subtract the weight of carbohydrates, fat, protein and sodium from 100 to get the remaining weight of the food, which is all water. Round to the
nearest whole number. Vitamins and minerals together are less than 1 g for all foods.
4. Find the amount of chemical energy (calories) in your food.
5. For line 10, find another food that you are interested in. You can bring a food label from home or look up a food on the website at the bottom of the
nutrition labels: www.NutritionData.com.
FOOD NAME Organic materials Minerals
(Sodium)
(grams)
Water
(grams)
Chemical
energy
(calories) Fat (grams) Carbohydrates
(grams)
Protein
(grams)
1 Water
0 0 0 0 100 0
2 Table Salt
0 0 0 38 62 0
3 Diet Soda
0 0 0 0.007 100 0
4 White Bread
4 23 9 0.485 64 242
5 Beef (20/80)
16 0 25 0.157 59 254
6 Carrots
0 8 1 0.078 91 35
7 Marshmallows 0 81 2 0.080 17 318
8 Spinach (Fresh) 0 4 3 0.079 93 23
9 Apple Juice 0 11 0 0.004 86 46
10 Student chooses
56
What Makes Up Our Foods? Reading
You have probably seen nutrition labels that are found on most food packages. Scientists use tests to find out what
makes up the foods we eat, and then food companies use labels so that people who buy their products also know
what makes up these foods.
Today you will work with your group to explore different food
labels and think about why our bodies need the nutrients found
in food. First, you need to understand how to read the food
labels. Look at the food label to the right. This food label is for
carrots. Just by looking at this label, what are some things that
make up the carrots that we eat?
Now, take a closer look at the label and think about what each
of the things provide our bodies.
What are calories?
The label shows that there are 35 calories in every 100 grams
of carrots. But what are calories?
Scientist use “calories” to measure how much chemical energy
is found in foods. Foods that have calories are good sources of
chemical energy for our bodies. Things that do not have
calories cannot provide chemical energy for our bodies. Food
is our only source of chemical energy.
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
35 Calories from Fat 1
0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
78mg 3%
8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 5g
1g
276% 4%
3% 5%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
57
What are the basic building blocks of food?
Some things found in foods have chemical energy but some things
do not. The basic building blocks of food are carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, and
fiber. Carbohydrates are found in most foods, especially breads,
pastas, sweets, and vegetables, like potatoes. Proteins are found in
many foods, especially meats, beans, and dairy products. Fats are
found in many foods, such as butter that we use for cooking and
baking. These three things have calories, which mean they have a
lot of chemical energy for our bodies. The three things are also
made mostly of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms and have
high-energy bonds. They are organic materials.
What about vitamins and minerals?
Look at the label carefully. Can you find the vitamins and minerals
that are found in carrots? What are they?
Vitamins (vitamin A and vitamin C, calcium and iron) and
minerals (sodium) are important for our bodies to stay healthy. But
vitamins and minerals do NOT contain calories, which mean that
they do not provide chemical energy for our bodies.
Now you will work with a group to look at different nutrition
labels. In your group, you will need to decide which foods have
chemical energy for our bodies and which do not.
How do nucleic acids relate to food?
1. What types of food would supply as source of nucleic acids if ingested?
2. What is the main function of nucleic acids as it relates to the survival of a species of organisms?
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
35 Calories from Fat 1
0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
78mg 3%
8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 5g
1g
276% 4%
3% 5%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
58
Elaborate: Learning About Biomass: Water in Our Food Guiding Question: Is water part of the biomass of food?
Duration: 20+ minutes
Activity Description:
In the previous activity students learned that water is an inorganic material without chemical energy. They learned
this by looking at a nutrition label and saw that water does not have calories or the basic building blocks in food.
In this activity students consider secondary data on the percent of water found in our foods. Either as a
demonstration or in small group students will take mass readings on dried samples of food compared to the
starting mass when fresh and calculate the percent of mass that was water. Two optional demonstrations are
suggested: One measuring the mass of a sponge before and after drying to discuss if water adds to biomass and a
second burning fresh versus dried samples to talk about biomass and chemical energy.
Background Information:
Students may see water as a food, although, in a strict sense, water is not food in that it does not increase an
organism’s mass in the long-term. Some students idea of “energy” may include anything that gives vitality to an
organism, which may include water, however water does not provide chemical energy to organisms. Foods and
organisms have a lot of water that contributes to mass, but that is not a part of biomass. This is important for
students to understand in order to measure whether or not an organism has grown, meaning added biomass. When
water is removed from food (or from an organism) by drying, the weight of the biomass remains the same.
Learning Objectives:
Students will:
Learn how water makes up a large part of food’s mass, but is not part of biomass
Materials:
Water in Our Food worksheet, per student
Fresh food massed then dried overnight (see advance preparation below)
Digital balance (sensitive to 0.01g), per group of 4 students
Sponges (Optional)
Fresh food samples, lighter & tray for burning (Optional)
Advanced Preparation:
The day before this lesson you will need to dry samples of foods. It is suggested that you use an oven at
200°F or dehydrator to dry a piece of bread/cracker, fruit, vegetable, meat, and a marshmallow (maybe
choose among the foods that correspond to the nutrition labels). If massing dried samples occurs in small
groups instead of as a demonstration, have at least 10 dried samples of each food. Record the fresh mass
of each sample before you dry so that you can provide the fresh mass to students for comparison against
dry mass.
Directions:
1. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: Does water in food give animals chemical energy?
Using the nutrition label for water, ask students if they think water gives us energy. Discussing these
questions early in this activity will help you gauge whether your students are still confused about water as an
organic or inorganic form of matter.
2. Water does not give animals materials for long-term biomass
This idea can be an area of confusion for many students. Ask them if water contributes to animal biomass?
Tell them that animals can drink water and water increases the animal’s mass in the short-term, but the water
is not incorporated into animal tissue in the long-term. So, water does not contribute to animal biomass. Ask
59
students what they think ultimately happens to the water that animals drink (it gets sweated or excreted). The
biomass of animals is the organic materials within their cells and tissues.
3. Water makes up food mass without contributing to chemical energy or biomass
Pass out the worksheet Water In Our Food. Tell students that today they will examine the percentage of water
found in our foods. Have students read the first part of their worksheet and examine the data table, answering
the first three questions that correspond to this table. Discuss these questions before moving on to Part 2.
4. Students compare mass of fresh and dried foods
Either as a demonstration or for small groups, students will then mass different dried samples of food.
Because most water is not permanently incorporated into biomass it is actually very easy to remove using a
dehydrator or oven. Provide students with a set of dried food samples with their starting mass provided by
you. You will need to record the starting mass of each sample just before you dry them on the previous day.
The samples can be re-used by each of your class periods, but you will need to have at least 10 samples of
each material if students are to work in groups. Have students record the dry mass, then calculate the percent
of mass that was lost when water was removed. Ask students to vote on the question, “Does water add a lot, a
little, or none to the biomass of living things?” Discuss how dry mass is actually the “biomass” of the
organism but that water makes up a great deal of the overall mass. Water is not incorporated, which is why it
is easy to remove.
There are two optional follow-up demonstrations:
5. Option 1: The sponge demonstration where you mass a new, dry sponge, then wet the sponge and get the wet
mass, then re-mass the sponge once it has dried completely. This demonstration shows how water adds mass
to things, but not long-term biomass. Consider using this demonstration if your students are struggling with
the idea that most water does NOT add to biomass of living things.
6. Option 2: A second demonstration involves burning a fresh sample of food versus a dried sample of food
(both should burn somewhat). This demonstration shows that once inorganic water is removed the remaining
material is still rich with chemical energy. Use this demonstration if students still believe water provides
energy for living things.
Sample data set of dried food for Water in Our Food worksheet, and for burning food (Option 2):
Material Fresh Mass Dried Mass % Change Observations
Apple Slice #1 11.9g 4.5g -62.18% Would not burn when fresh at all; would
light and “smolder” when dried but not
rapid burning
Apple Slice #2 9.0g 2.9g -67.78%
Apple Slice #3 9.8g 2.2g -77.55%
Lettuce leaf #1 0.5g <0.0g -80-90% Would only “smolder” with constant
light on leaf when fresh; burned rapidly
when dried
Lettuce leaf #2 1.0g 0.3g -70.00%
Lettuce leaf #3 0.4g <0.0g -80-90%
60
Name: ____________________________________ Teacher: ___________ Date: ________
Water in Our Food Lesson 2, Activity 2
Part 1: Percent Water In Common Foods
We have all heard it’s important to drink water every day. Did you know that we actually get a lot of water from
food? Look at the table below to see how much water we get when we eat food.
FOOD Percent
Water
Percent
Carbohydrate
Percent
Protein
Percent
Fat
Percent
Vitamins
Marshmallow 16 75 <1 <1 <1
Banana 75 24 1 <1 <1
Broccoli 88 8 3 <1 <1
Ground Beef (Lean) 56 <1 25 19 <1
Chicken Breast 62 <1 30 8 <1
Brown Rice 71 26 3 <1 <1
Wheat Bread 36 48 11 4 <1
1. When we make dried fruit, jerky, or “dehydrated” foods, we take water out of the foods. When water is
removed…
a. from fruits and vegetables, which substance is the most abundant? ____________________
b. from meats, which substance is the most abundant? ____________________
c. from rice and bread, which substance is the most abundant? ____________________
2. What percent of the marshmallow is biomass? _______________
What percent of the banana is biomass? _______________
3. Does 10 g of banana or 10 g of marshmallows provide more chemical energy? _____________
Explain your choice:
Part 2: Calculated Percent Mass Change
Your teacher will give you samples of dried food with their original mass. You will need to find their dried mass
then calculate the percent of water that was taken out of the food when dried. How do your calculations compare
with the percentages of water from the nutrition labels?
Do you think water adds… A LOT A LITTLE NONE to the biomass of living things?
Food Sample Start “Fresh”
Mass
Dried Mass Percent
Water
Percent water on
nutrition label
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Name: ____________________________________ Teacher: ___________ Date: ________
Assessing Water in Our Food Lesson 2, Activity 2 Part 1: Percent Water In Common Foods
We have all heard it’s important to drink water every day. Did you know that we actually get a lot of water from
food? Look at the table below to see how much water we get when we eat food.
FOOD Percent
Water
Percent
Carbohydrate
Percent
Protein
Percent
Fat
Percent
Vitamins
Marshmallow 16 75 <1 <1 <1
Banana 75 24 1 <1 <1
Broccoli 88 8 3 <1 <1
Ground Beef (Lean) 56 <1 25 19 <1
Chicken Breast 62 <1 30 8 <1
Brown Rice 71 26 3 <1 <1
Wheat Bread 36 48 11 4 <1
4. When we make dried fruit, jerky, or “dehydrated” foods, we take water out of the foods. When water is
removed…
a. from fruits and vegetables, which substance is the most abundant? Carbohydrate
b. from meats, which substance is the most abundant? Protein
c. from rice and bread, which substance is the most abundant? Carbohydrate
5. What percent of the marshmallow is biomass? ____84%______
What percent of the banana is biomass? _____25%_____
6. Does 10 g of banana or 10 g of marshmallows provide more chemical energy? __marshmallows__
Explain your choice: marshmallows have less water, so by weight, they provide more organic materials
which provide more chemical energy
Part 2: Calculated Percent Mass Change
Your teacher will give you samples of dried food with their original mass. You will need to find their dried mass
then calculate the percent of water that was taken out of the food when dried. How do your calculations compare
with the percentages of water from the nutrition labels? Students will want to answer “a lot.” The teacher will
need to explain to students what we mean by “biomass.”
Do you think water adds… A LOT A LITTLE NONE to the biomass of living things?
Food Sample Start “Fresh”
Mass
Dried Mass Percent
Water
Percent water on
nutrition label
62
Evaluate: Food Molecules Quiz and Discussion
Guiding Question: What is food made of?
Duration: 30 minutes
Activity Description:
Students complete a quiz to assess their understanding of the molecules in food, and how to identify food
molecules that have chemical energy, then discuss their answers to the questions.
Learning Objectives:
Students will:
Apply key facts about atoms and molecules to food molecules.
Associate food with the source of chemical energy for animals, and the source of materials for animal
biomass
Recognize that water is part of an animal’s mass, but not part of biomass.
Background Information:
This quiz is the Fading part of the application activity sequence for the molecules in food. The quiz requires
students to apply these ideas to new situations that they have not yet discussed in class.
Materials:
Food Molecules Quiz per student
Directions:
1. Review for the quiz. Ask you students what the main things are that they need to remember about atoms and molecules. If they do
not come up, remind them of the three important facts about atoms:
a. Atoms last forever (except in nuclear changes).
b. Atoms make up the mass of all materials.
c. Atoms are bonded to other atoms in molecules.
Review what they learned about molecules in food and how to read nutritional labels. Remind them that they
can identify molecules with chemical energy by their bonds (C-C and C-H). And remind them how to read
nutritional labels to find different molecules, and to find calories, which tell if the food has chemical energy.
2. Give students the quiz. Remind them that they will be graded for their answers on this quiz.
63
Name _______________________________ Teacher _________________ Date __________
Food Molecules Quiz Lesson 2, Activity 3
You have studied three important facts about atoms:
1. Atoms last forever.
2. Atoms make up the mass of all materials.
3. Atoms are bonded to other atoms in molecules.
Use these facts and what you have learned about food to answer these
questions.
1. These questions are about a food molecule, fructose, to the right.
a. What atoms are in the fructose molecule? (Circle all the atoms in
fructose)
Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Helium
b. After this atom is eaten by an animal, which of the atoms from the fructose will still exist in the animal?
(Circle all the atoms that apply)
Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Helium
c. Explain your answer. Use the facts about atoms if they are helpful
2. Does the fructose molecule have chemical energy? Circle one: YES NO
3. How do you know if a molecule has chemical energy?
4. To the right is the nutrition label for peanut butter.
a. What molecules are in peanut butter? List as many as you can:
b. Does peanut butter have chemical energy? Circle one:
YES NO
c. Explain your answer. How do you know?
5. Water makes up a large amount of an animal’s biomass.
Circle one: TRUE FALSE
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
588 Calories from Fat 422
50g 78%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
459mg 19%
20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 9g
25g
0% 0%
4% 10%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
64
Name _______________________________ Teacher _________________ Date __________
Grading the Food Molecules Quiz Lesson 2, Activity 3
You have studied three important facts about atoms:
1. Atoms last forever.
2. Atoms make up the mass of all materials.
3. Atoms are bonded to other atoms in molecules.
Use these facts and what you have learned about Powers of Ten to answer these
questions.
1. These questions are about a food molecule, fructose, to the right.
a. What atoms are in the fructose molecule? (Circle all the atoms in glucose)
Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Helium
b. After this atom is eaten by an animal, which of the atoms from the fructose will still exist in the
animal? (Circle all the atoms that apply)
Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Helium
c. Explain your answer. Use the facts about atoms if they are helpful
Even after food is eaten, the atoms continue to exist and are the same atoms. Rule number 1 above.
2. Does the fructose molecule have chemical energy? Circle one: YES NO
3. How do you know if a molecule has chemical energy?
A molecule has chemical energy if it has C-C or C-H bonds.
4. To the right is the nutritional label for peanut butter.
a. What molecules are in peanut butter? List as many as you can:
Fat, carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals are the most
important ones for a student to be able to identify.
b. Does peanut butter have chemical energy? Circle one:
YES NO
c. Explain your answer. How do you know?
It has calories.
5. Water makes up a large amount of an animal’s biomass.
Circle one: TRUE FALSE it is a large amount of animal’s mass
Serving Size 100 grams (100 grams)
588 Calories from Fat 422
50g 78%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Trans Fat
0mg 0%
459mg 19%
20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 9g
25g
0% 0%
4% 10%
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Protein
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium Iron
www.NutritionData.com
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on
your calorie needs.
65
ADDITIONAL CORE ACTIVITIES
BIO.4.1.1
Environmental Literacy at Michigan State University http://envlit.educ.msu.edu/index.htm
1. What happens to food in our bodies?
2. You are What You Eat – Parts 1 & 2
The unit WHY DO WE EAT? may be found here:
http://envlit.educ.msu.edu/publicsite/html/cc_tm_animal.html
Use of the above resources does not constitute endorsement by the NC Department of Public Instruction. These resources are used as
exemplars to demonstrate how one would align curricular resources to the NC Science Essential Standards. These resources are intended
for workshop purposes only. Please note, tight alignment occurs at the classroom level based on the needs of individual students and
available curricular resources
ADDITIONAL CORE ACTIVITIES
BIO.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions.
Enzymes Help Us Digest Food1
Introduction to Sugars and Enzymes
The food we eat contains many different types of molecules, including two types of sugars:
monosaccharides and disaccharides. For example, fruits contain the monosaccharides, glucose and
fructose, and the disaccharide, sucrose.
★ In the diagrams below: - circle the name of each monosaccharide
- use arrows to indicate the names of the disaccharides.
★ What is the difference between a monosaccharide and a disaccharide?
Monosaccharides from the food you eat are absorbed from your gut into your blood and carried to all the
cells in your body where they are used for energy. Each disaccharide molecule must be broken down or
digested into its monosaccharide components before it can be absorbed into the blood.
★ When a sucrose molecule is digested, which monosaccharides are produced?
1Partially adapted from “Lactase Investigation” in the School District of Philadelphia Biology Core Curriculum, by Drs. Ingrid Waldron and
Jennifer Doherty, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, © 2012. Teachers are encouraged to copy this Student Handout for
classroom use. An alternative version, Word files (which can be used to make changes if desired), Teacher Preparation Notes, comments, and
links to our other hands-on activities are available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/ , with additional activities available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities .
66
The digestion of the disaccharide lactose to the monosaccharides glucose and galactose occurs very very
slowly unless there is an enzyme to speed up the process. The enzyme that speeds up the digestion of
lactose is called lactase.
Lactase and most other enzymes are proteins. Each enzyme has an active site where a substrate
molecule binds. For example, the substrate lactose binds to the active site of the enzyme lactase. Notice
that the name of the enzyme lactase was created by adding the suffix –ase to part of the name of the
substrate lactose.
★ Circle the active site in the enzyme in the figure above.
full activity available at:
https://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/pdf/EnzymeTeachPrep.pdf
67
WEEK 2 Excerpt: 2004 NCSCOS Biology
I. Grade Level/Unit Number: 9 - 12 Unit 4
II: Unit Title: Energy in Living Systems
Clarifying Objective: Bio.4.1.3 Explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions.
ENGAGE:
Background: Many students may have seen the statement on Jello packages warning that pineapple or
kiwi added to the jello may prevent gelling. Another phenomenon that students may be aware of is that
meat tenderizer is sometimes used to soften meat and to make it more tender for eating.
This engagement activity (Why Won’t My Jello Gel?) involves students putting various enzyme solutions
on test tubes of jello and then measuring how much digestion occurred by observing how the level of
solid jello has decreased over time.
Note to Teachers: The reason that the jello won’t gel is that certain fruits contain protein digesting
enzymes that will attach the protein molecules in the gelatin. The two most common enzymes used in
meat tenderizer come from pineapple (Bromelain) and papaya (Papain). Similar enzymes are used in
contact lens cleaners. These proteases are extracted from bacteria (Subtilisin A) and sometimes from pig
pancreases (Pancreatin).
Guiding Question: Why do enzyme solutions cause jello to liquefy?
Before Activity: Don’t tell the students too much about enzymes. This is intended to be a discovery
lab. At the end of the lab students should be developing an idea about enzymes and their function.
Mainly the teacher should explain the procedure.
Learning Targets:
Use investigations to determine the structure and function of enzymes.
Use evidence drawn from investigations to formulate and revise scientific explanations and
models of biological phenomena.
Why Won’t my Jello Gel (and What’s Up with Meat Tenderizers and Contact
Lens Cleaners)?
Materials: 11 test tubes of jello in test tube rack. Tubes should be about half full.
droppers
two brands of meat tenderizer (French’s and Adolph’s, for example) 12 g of
tenderizer to 250 mL warm water (stir well)
Fruit juices (made from fresh fruit or frozen fruit juice concentrate) – fruits such
as pineapple, kiwi, orange, papaya, apple, etc. make good choices.
Two brands of lens cleaner (Bausch and Lomb and Unizyme – Ciba Vision, for
example)
Metric ruler
68
Procedure:
1. Prepare test tubes of colorful gelatin (cranberry, cherry, or some other red color
works well).
2. Place the test tubes in the refrigerator so that they will gel.
3. Label test tubes 1-11, with #1 being the control (no solution gets added).
4. Measure the height of the jello column in each tube and record.
5. Place 20 drops of each of the various juices, tenderizers and lens cleaners in the
labeled test tubes. Be sure to note on your data chart the solutions for each tube.
Also be sure to wash the dropper between solutions or use a different dropper.
6. At the end of the period (or the next day), pour off the liquid from each test tube
and remeasure the height of the solid jello column. Record your data.
Data Table:
TEST TUBE Contents Initial Jello Level Final Jello Level
1 Control
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Analysis: 1. What did you observe happening to the jello when you added the various
substances?
2. How do you explain what is happening?
69
3. The substances you used contain molecules called ENZYMES. What is your
general conclusion about what enzymes do when added to jello?
4. Why did some enzymes work better than others?
5. Why would enzymes be important in our digestive systems?
6. What is the function of enzymes in biological systems?
70
Learning Targets:
Use investigations to determine the structure and function of enzymes.
Use evidence drawn from investigations to formulate and revise scientific explanations and
models of biological phenomena.
Activity Time: 45 minutes
Preparation Time: The teacher will have to prepare many test tubes of jello in advance. The teacher
will also need to prepare the enzyme solutions – see the attached activity for more instructions. Other
materials will need to be placed at lab stations.
Note: If the teacher wants to extend this activity, students could explore the effect of different
concentrations of enzymes or how temperature or pH extremes affect the functioning of the enzymes.
Safety: Students should wear goggles. Students should never eat any of the lab materials!
After Activity: The teacher can help students summarize the function of enzymes in relationship to the
observations. It is important that students understand that enzymes don’t always decompose molecules
but sometimes build them. The analogy later in this section will help with this.
EXPLORE:
This lab (Paperase- The Enzyme that Could) involves students in hypothesizing and experimenting.
Students will examine some of the factors that affect enzyme (catalase) function – temperature, pH,
surface area. They will also investigate enzyme features such as specificity, reusability, and commonality
in various species. After carrying out the lab work, each group will present their results so that every
student will have a complete lab summary to study from.
Guiding Question: What types of variables affect the rate of enzyme action?
Before Activity: The teacher needs to explain the instructions very clearly and organize students into six
groups. Each group will explore a different question about enzymes.
71
PAPERASE – The Enzyme that Could
Purpose: With this activity you will learn about the rate of reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes.
Introduction:
You will be using an imaginary enzyme called paperase and an imaginary disaccharide
(paperose). Your hands will represent the enzyme, paperase. The disaccharide will be
represented by paper. The function of this enzyme is to split the paperose into two
pieces (or products) as quickly as possible. You will simulate this process by tearing the
paper strip down the middle as fast as you can.
You will work in pairs. One member of the pair will represent a molecule of
paperase. The other member will be the timer.
Materials Paperose Strips
Scissors
1000 L beaker or other small container of similar size
Graph paper
Calculator
Clock/Timer
Procedure
1. Form groups of 2 students.
2. First, cut out your strips of paperose.
3. You will form 5 piles of 50 paperose molecules each.
4. The paperase person will do the following:
a. When the start signal is given, take one paperose molecule and tear it in
half.
b. Put the two pieces back into the container and grab another paperose
molecule.
c. Repeat the first two steps AS FAST AS POSSIBLE for 10 seconds, only
ripping one paperose molecule each time.
d. At the end, count how many paperose molecules you have left. Record
this number in table A.
5. The same person will repeat steps a-d for 30, 60, 120, and 180 seconds, using a
new stack of 50 paperose molecules each time.
72
6. Be sure to record all data – the remaining paperose molecules in each stack.
7. Graph your results – time on X axis, number of molecules digested on the Y axis.
Collect class data and graph the average rates on the same graph in a different
color.
Table A:
Time Paperose
remaining
Paperose
digested
Rate of
digestion
(# per second)
10 seconds
30 seconds
60 seconds
120seconds
180 seconds
8. Now determine your rate of reaction for the time intervals in Table B
Table B:
Time
Interval
# of paperose
digested
in interval**
Rate per interval –
number of paperose
digested over interval
Class Average – rate per
interval
0-10
seconds
10-30
30-60
60-120
120-180 ** For example, from table A, take the number of paperose digested in the first 10 seconds and
subtract from the number digested in 30 seconds. You will have the number that would have been
digested in the interval of 10-30 seconds.
9. Graph your rate per interval and then calculate the class rate of reaction per
interval and graph those results in a different color.
Analysis Questions:
1. What is the dependent variable in this activity?
2. What is the independent variable in this activity?
73
3. Describe how human hands represented an enzyme? What characteristics
of enzymes did your hand represent well? What characteristics of
enzymes did you hand represent less well?
4. What is the substrate in this activity?
5. What is the product in this activity?
6. What is the catalyst in this activity?
7. What is the limiting factor for how fast this activity can be done?
8. If we handcuffed the person acting as paperase, what characteristic of
enzyme function would that illustrate?
9. What happened to the rate of reaction as time increased? Explain why you
got these results.
10. How could we have speeded up the reaction?
74
Tables for Collecting Class Averages: Table C:
Class Average for Rate of Reaction Results Time intervals 10 30 60 120 180
Pair 1
Pair 2
Pair 3
Pair 4
Pair 5
Pair 6
Pair 7
Pair8
Pair 9
Pair 10
Pair 11
Pair 12
Pair 13
Pair 14
Pair 15
Class Average
75
Table D:
Class Average for Time Trial Results
Time intervals 0 - 10 10 - 30 30 - 60 60 - 120 120 - 180
Pair 1
Pair 2
Pair 3
Pair 4
Pair 5
Pair 6
Pair 7
Pair 8
Pair 9
Pair 10
Pair 11
Pair 12
Pair 13
Pair 14
Pair 15
Class Average
76
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
77
PAPERASE – The Enzyme that Could
Before you begin, look at all the BOLD print words. You and your partner should discuss
each of these words and try to write your own definitions on a sheet of notebook paper.
If you cannot define any, place a * beside them and be sure to write definitions as we
discuss them as a class. You may also need to change your definitions and/or add
information.
Purpose: With this activity you will learn about the rate of reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes.
Introduction: You will be using an imaginary enzyme called paperase and an imaginary disaccharide called
paperose. Your hands will represent the enzyme, paperase. And the disaccharide will be
represented by paper. The function of this enzyme is to split the paperose into two pieces (or
products) as quickly as possible. You will simulate this process by tearing the paper strip down the
middle as fast as you can.
You will work in pairs. One member of the pair will represent a molecule of paperase. The
other member will be the timer.
Materials
paperose Strips
scissors
small container or cup
graph paper
calculator
clock/timer
Procedure 1. Form groups of 2 students.
2. First, cut out your strips of paperose.
3. You will form 5 piles of 50 paperose molecules each.
4. The paperase person will do the following:
a. When the start signal is given, take one paperose molecule and tear it in half.
b. Put the two pieces back into the container and grab another paperose molecule.
c. Repeat the first two steps AS FAST AS POSSIBLE for 10 seconds, only ripping
one paperose molecule each time.
d. At the end, count how many paperose molecules you have left. Record this
number in table A.
10. The same person will repeat steps a-d for 30, 60, 120, and 180 seconds, using a new
stack of 50 paperose molecules each time.
11. Be sure to record all data – the remaining paperose molecules in each stack.
78
12. Graph your results – time on X axis, number of molecules digested on the Y axis.
Collect class data and graph the average rates on the same graph in a different color.
Table A:
Time Paperose
remaining
Paperose
digested
Rate of
digestion
(# per second)
10 seconds
30 seconds
60 seconds
120seconds
180 seconds
8. Now determine your rate of reaction for the time intervals in Table B
Table B:
Time
Interval
# of paperose
digested
in interval**
Rate per interval –
number of paperose
digested over interval
Class Average – rate
per interval
0-10
seconds
10-30
30-60
60-120
120-180
** For example, from table A, take the number of paperose digested in the first 10 seconds and subtract from the
number digested in 30 seconds. You will have the number that would have been digested in the interval of 10-30
seconds.
13. Graph your rate per interval and then calculate the class rate of reaction
per interval and graph those results in a different color.
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Analysis Questions:
11. What is the dependent variable in this activity?
12. What is the independent variable in this activity?
13. Describe how human hands represented an enzyme? What characteristics of
enzymes did your hand represent well? What characteristics of enzymes did you
hand represent less well?
14. What is the substrate in this activity?
15. What is the product in this activity?
16. What is the catalyst in this activity?
17. What is the limiting factor for how fast this activity can be done?
18. If we handcuffed the person acting as paperase, what characteristic of enzyme
function would that illustrate?
19. What happened to the rate of reaction as time increased? Explain why you got
these results.
20. How could we speed up the reaction?
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Tables for Collecting Class Averages: Table C: Class Average for Rate of Reaction Results
Time
intervals
10 30 60 120 180
Pair 1
Pair 2
Pair 3
Pair 4
Pair 5
Pair 6
Pair 7
Pair8
Pair 9
Pair 10
Pair 11
Pair 12
Pair 13
Pair 14
Pair 15
Class
Average
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Table D: Class Average for Time Trial Results
Time
intervals
0 - 10 10 - 30 30 - 60 60 - 120 120 - 180
Pair 1
Pair 2
Pair 3
Pair 4
Pair 5
Pair 6
Pair 7
Pair 8
Pair 9
Pair 10
Pair 11
Pair 12
Pair 13
Pair 14
Pair 15
Class
Average
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PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
PAPEROSE
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Learning Target: Recognize that enzymes have specific shapes that influence both how they function
and how they interact with other molecules. Summarize the effects of environment on enzyme action
namely the role of temperature, pH, the number of substrates and the number of enzymes present.
Activity Time: 45 minutes
Preparation Time: The teacher will need to copy the activity instructions and questions. The paperose
molecules will also need to be copied so that each pair of students will have 250 molecules. The teacher
should make transparencies of the class data sheets for students to record their group data.
After Activity: The teacher should go over all the characteristics of enzymes explored in this lab to
make sure that all students understand these characteristics.
EXPLAIN:
Allow students the opportunity to explain the characteristics of enzymes to each other. This can be
accomplished through a Think-Pair-Share activity.
ELABORATE:
This (Park Bench Model of Enzyme Action) is an analogy that the teacher describes to students. The
teachers asks inquiry questions which students answer - about the analogy and enzymes.
Guiding Question: How does the enzyme analogy illustrate the way that enzymes work and the variables
that affect enzyme action?
Before the Activity: The teacher should explain that students will be presented with an analogy and the
teacher should explain the value of analogies to the students.
Park Bench Model of Enzyme Action:
The following analogy can be very helpful to students in remembering the characteristics
of enzymes.
Have the students imagine a city park with 100 people randomly walking around in a grassy
area. In this section of the park is one magical park bench built for two. Occasionally, two
people bump into the bench simultaneously. This causes them to sit down. When they stand
up, they are holding hands and have become a couple. (So far in this analogy, we have the
people, who are the substrate molecules; the bench, which is the enzyme; and the couple,
which is the product.) Now, have the students imagine that this process continues until all
100 people have formed couples. You can ask many questions at this point.
How could we speed up this reaction? We could provide more benches (enzymes)?
The enzyme in this case is the limiting factor.
Was the bench (enzyme) changed by the reaction? Enzymes are reusable and are
not changed by the reaction that they catalyze.
What happens to the speed of the reaction as it continues? It slows because as
the concentration of people (substrate) goes down, there is less probability of them
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bumping simultaneously into the bench (enzyme).
Would this bench work on ants or elephants? The answer is probably not. Enzymes
work by shape and are specific to a particular substrate. (You could have the students
create a “bench” for the ants and the elephants – something that is the right shape.)
What if we burned the bench? It would not work – the shape has been changed.
What if we froze the bench? It might work but very slowly. The substrate
molecules move more slowly and the frozen bench would slow down the
reaction. (Temperature affects enzyme function. High temperature can permanently
denature enzymes; very cold temperature can slow enzyme function considerably.)
Would 12 M H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) destroy the bench? Would lye (a base) destroy
the bench? Yes, these substances could burn holes in the bench. So acids and bases can
definitely affect enzyme function.
Journaling:
Conclusions:
1. Why are enzymes significant to biochemical reactions?
2. How do internal environmental factors (temperature and pH) affect enzyme activity?
3. How do enzymes enable cells to carryout functions necessary for life? (Emphasize the
connection of specificity and structure and function.)
85
Learning Targets: Recognize that enzymes have specific shapes that influence both how they
function and how they interact with other molecules. Use evidence drawn from investigations to formulate and revise scientific explanations and models of
biological phenomena.
Activity Time: 20 minutes
Preparation Time: None
Note: This analogy and others can be found in the following article.
http://teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/science/analogies.htm
EXPLAIN:
After the Activity: Ask students to summarize what they have learned from the analogy. Instruct
students to explain what they have learned to others (possibly through a Think-Pair-Share activity)
EVALUATE:
In this activity (Enzyme Cards Activity), students will use cards to carry out a simulation of enzyme
function. Each student will either have a card that is an enzyme or a card that is a substrate molecule.
Circulate the room to check for accuracy. Reteach if necessary.
Guiding Question: How do enzymes function at a molecular level and what variables affect enzyme
function?
Before the Activity: Explain to students that they will be involved in an activity that will help them
summarize what they have learned about enzymes.
ENZYME CARDS Activity
(Thanks to Molly Poston for the original idea.)
Purpose: In this activity, students will play the parts of enzymes or substrates. They
will try to match enzyme to substrate and carry out the indicated reaction. Some
substrates require taping together (synthesis); other substrates require cutting apart
(decomposition). One enzyme has no substrate and one type of substrate has no enzyme.
Materials:
Enzyme and Substrate cards
Scotch tape
Scissors
Handout with questions.
Instructions to teacher:
1. Cut out the cards – cut on the solid lines only. Do not cut on the dotted lines.
2. Explain to students that you will be handing out pieces of cards to them. Some of
them will be enzymes and others will be substrates. When you say “start”, the
substrates need to find their enzymes and the enzymes need to find their
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substrates. Once the substrates and enzymes pair up, students need to either
tape their substrate pieces together or cut the substrate on the dotted line. Tell
them that there may be an enzyme that does not fit a substrate or a substrate
that does not have an enzyme.
3. Then hand out the cards – randomly.
2 students get decomposer enzymes
3-5 students get the substrate pieces that fit the first enzyme and
3-5 students get the substrate pieces that fit the second enzyme.
2 students get synthesizer enzymes
2-3 students get the first piece and 2-3 students get the second piece for the
first enzyme
2-3 students get the first piece and 2-3 students get the second piece for the
second enzyme
1 student gets the enzyme that does not match a substrate.
1-3 students get the substrates that do not match an enzyme.
4. After students finish the simulation, you should lead them in a discussion of what
they have learned and then have them answer the analysis questions.
Analysis Questions:
1. What is the function of enzymes?
2. Were the enzymes changed in this simulation?
3. How were the substrates changed in this simulation?
4. How did we simulate decomposition?
5. How did we simulate synthesis?
6. What was necessary for the synthesis reaction to work?
7. How could you make the synthesis and decomposition reactions go faster?
8. Would adding more substrate make the reaction go faster?
9. If you had an abundance of enzymes, would adding more substrate make the
reaction go faster?
10. What happens to the speed of the reaction when just a little bit of substrate is
left?
11. What if we crumpled up the enzyme? Would it still work? What does this tell you
about enzyme function?
12. What variables denature real enzymes?
13. What does it mean to say that enzymes are specific? How did we simulate that
idea?
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14. If a particular substrate is glucose, would you expect to find an enzyme to
denature glucose in many different organisms? Would this enzyme be identical
from organism to organism?
15. Write a one paragraph summary about enzymes – their function, their
characteristics, and the variables that affect their functioning.
16. How do enzymes enable cells to carryout functions necessary for life? (Emphasize
the connection of specificity and structure & function.
Decomposer Enzymes
Cut out five substrate pieces and 1 enzyme (6 students)
Cut out five substrate pieces and 1 enzyme (6 students)
88
Synthesizer Enzymes
Cut out 1 enzyme and three substrates (each cut in two parts) – 7 students.
Cut out 1 enzyme and three substrates (each cut in two parts) – 7 students.
89
Substrate with no enzyme
Cut out three substrates – discard the other piece – 3 students.
Enzyme with no substrate
Cut out 1 enzyme – only – discard other piece – one student.
90
BIOENERGETIC REACTION OBSERVATIONS – Instructions for
Teacher Learning Targets:
Use investigations to determine the structure and function of enzymes.
Use evidence drawn from investigations to formulate and revise scientific explanations and
models of biological phenomena.
Activity Time: 60 minutes
Preparation Time: The teacher needs to copy the enzyme/substrate shapes and put them on 3 x 5 cards.
After the Activity: Help students summarize their understanding of enzymes and factors that affect
enzyme functions and rate of reaction.
ENGAGE:
In this activity (Bioenergetic Reaction Demonstrations), students will observe several different test tubes
whose contents illustrate the processes of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and fermentation.
Guiding Question: What is the evidence for bioenergetic processes in living things?
Before the Activity: Teachers should explain to students that they will be observing a variety of test
tubes. Students should be asking themselves what happened (or is happening) in each of the test tubes.
Teachers can explain to students that these test tubes illustrate three of the major energetic reactions that
take place in living things.
To the Teacher:
The teacher should set up the following demonstrations 1-3 days ahead of the in-class
activity.
On the day of the activity, the tubes can be set out for the students to observe. The
teacher should explain to the students how each of the demonstrations were prepared.
The handout may be used for students to hypothesize their explanations.
Photosynthesis:
Materials:
water plants (such as Elodea) 4 test tubes (that fit stoppers)
4 rubber stoppers 2 test-tube racks
Bottled water 1 light source
Procedure:
1. Fill all 4 test tube(s) with bottled water.
2. Place water plants in 2 test tube(s) and close tubes with a rubber stopper so that no
water can leak out.
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3. Simply stopper the other two tubes. They will have water only.
4. Invert the tubes and place in racks – each rack with have one tube with a plant and one
tube with no plant.
5. Place one rack directly in front of the light and the other in a dark place. Leave for 1-
3 days.
6. After about 1-3 days, students will observe.
Fermentation:
Materials:
Package of dry yeast 6 Test tubes
Table sugar distilled water
6 Small balloons test tube racks
Procedure:
1. Fill 6 test tubes with distilled water.
2. Add a pinch of yeast and a pinch of sugar to two tubes. Add yeast only to two tubes.
3. Add a balloon to the opening of each test tube. Use relatively small balloons.
4. Place tubes in test tube racks. (Each rack will have one tube with yeast/sugar and one
with yeast only and one with only water.)
5. Place one rack in the dark and one rack in the light.
6. Leave for 1-3 days.
7. After 1-3 days, students will observe.
Cell Respiration:
Materials:
6 Test tubes bromthymol blue (BTB)
6 Stoppers
Several Pond snails test tube racks
Procedure: 1. Set up 6 test tubes with BTB solution – see below. 2. Put 1-2 pond snails in two of the tubes.
3. Put 1-2 pond snails and 1 sprig elodea in two of the tubes.
4. Blow through a straw into two of the tubes (gently!) until the BTB turns yellow. Add a
sprig of
Elodea to each tube.
5. Put 3 tubes in a test tube rack in the dark (1 of each type). Put the other 3 tubes in
direct light.
6. After 1-3 days students will observe.
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NOTE: BTB turns yellow in the presence of carbon dioxide because carbon dioxide
increases carbonic acid in the solution and BTB turns yellow in an acidic environment.
When carbon dioxide disappears the BTB will turn blue again.
NOTE: If you have a bottle of BTB solution, you should dilute it. Mix 120 mL 0.04% BTB
with 1800 mL water. You can then use this solution directly in the test tubes.
Bioenergetic Reactions – Student For each of the test tubes, record you proposed explanation for what you are observing.
Demonstration One
Test Tube Contents Observation Proposed Explanation
#1 – water, plant,
light
#2 – water, light
#3 – water, plant,
dark
#4 – water, dark
Demonstration Two
Test Tube Contents Observation Proposed Explanation
#1 – water, sugar,
yeast, light
#2 – water, yeast,
light
#3 – water, sugar,
yeast, dark
#4 – water, yeast,
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dark
#5 – water, dark
Demonstration Three
Test Tube Contents Observation Proposed Explanation
#1 – BTB water,
snails, plant,
light
#2 – BTB water,
snails, plant,
dark
#3 – BTB water,
snails, light
#4 – BTB water,
snails, dark
#5– yellow BTB
water,
plants, light
#6– yellow BTB
water,
plants, dark
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Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the cell. Clarifying objective: Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is
stored, released, and transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
Activity Time: 60 minutes
Preparation Time: The teacher needs to set up all the demonstrations. This activity will take about 2
hours to set up if all the materials are available.
Safety: Because the test tubes are stoppered or ballooned, the students will not need to wear goggles.
After the Activity: Have a discussion with students about some of their explanations. (This is a great
opportunity to find out how much they know already and where their misconceptions are.) Then explain
to them that they will be doing some flow charts on the bioenergetic processes.
EXPLORE:
In this activity (Cell Respiration Photosynthesis Activity), students will be given two different charts –
one of the steps of cellular respiration and fermentation and the other of photosynthesis. They will fill in
the charts with the correct terms and then they will create a concept map that merges the two processes.
Guiding Question: What are the relationships between Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis?
Before the Activity: The teacher should make sure that students are clear about the instructions.
Explain that they will be finishing charts based on the reactions that they observed in the previous
activity.
Teacher Notes: The answers to the chart are below in red. A blank template has been provided for
students to complete.
Cellular Respiration, defined as…the breakdown of glucose to produce usable chemical
energy, ATP - occurs in what type of organism? autotrophs & heterotrophs
Glycolysis
- occurs in the cytoplasm
- anaerobic process (means no oxygen)
- begins with glucose and ends with pyruvic acid, NADH (electron/hyrdrogen carrier) and
ATP
Aerobic Phase means uses oxygen Location: mitochondria
- pyruvic acid is converted to acetyl coA Citric Acid Cycle (Kreb’s Cycle)
- produces ATP, carbon dioxide and NADH, which carries energized electrons and hydrogens
Electron Transport Chain (a series of proteins used to make ATP)
- NADH gives up its electrons and hydrogens to make ATP
- Oxygen waits at the end of the chain for used electrons and hydrogen to form water
Anaerobic Phase (aka: Fermentation) Location: cytoplasm Alcoholic
- occurs in yeast cells (bread) Lactic Acid
- occurs in skeletal muscle - a build up causes muscle fatigue
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** The aerobic phase is a more efficient process for ATP production because…glucose is completely broken down during the aerobic phase and as a result produces a greater amount of ATP whereas during the anaerobic phase glucose is incompletely broken down to produce a smaller amount of ATP. Remember that chemical energy is stored within the chemical bonds of the glucose molecule and during cellular respiration is converted to ATP.
Photosynthesis, defined as… conversion of light energy into the chemical energy
of carbohydrates
- occurs in what type of organisms? autotrophs
Light Reaction
-occurs in the thylakoids of the l
chloroplast
-chlorophyll traps light energy and splits
water into oxygen and hydrogen
Dark Reaction
- occurs in the stroma of the chloroplast and takes place in darkness or light.
- hydrogen from the light reaction combines with carbon dioxide to produce glucose.
provides light energy which gets
converted to chemical energy by the
chlorophyll molecule.
This energy is used to split the water
molecule into hydrogen and oxygen.
When the hydrogen from the light reaction
combines with carbon dioxide, the light energy
is stored as chemical energy in the bonds of
the glucose molecule.
96
Cellular Respiration, defined as… - occurs in what type of organism?
Glycolysis
- occurs in the __________________
- anaerobic process (means ______) - begins with ________________ and ends with __________, ____________ and
____________
OR
Aerobic Phase means ______________ Anaerobic Phase (aka location: location:
- pyruvic acid is converted to ________________________
__________ Acid Cycle Alcoholic _________ Acid - produces _________, ___________ - occurs in ______ - occurs in
and _____________, which carries ________ energized _________ and __________ - a build up causes _________
Electron Transport Chain (a series of _______ used to make ____________) - NADH gives up its ________ and ________
to make ATP -______________ waits at the end of the chain for used electrons an hydrogen to form ________________
** The aerobic phase is a more efficient process for ATP production because…
Picture taken from
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_mito.html
97
Photosynthesis, defined as… - occurs in what type of organisms?
Light Reaction
- occurs in the __________________ of the ___________________________
- ______________ traps_________________ and splits ______________ into ______________ and __________________
Dark Reaction
- occurs in the ________________ of the ___________________ and takes place in _______________ or _____________________.
- _______________ from the light reaction combines with ______________ to produce
________________.
Light Reaction Dark Reaction)
When the ______________, from the Light reaction combines with
________________, the light energy is stored as ______________ energy in
the bonds of the _______________ Molecule.
provides _________________ energy which
gets converted to _______________
energy by the _________________
molecule. This energy is used to
_____________ the _____________
molecule into ________________ and
_____________________.
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_chloroplast.html
http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_chloroplast.html
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Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
Activity Time: 90 minutes - 30 minutes to fill in the charts and 60 minutes to create the concept map.
Preparation Time: The teacher needs to copy the handouts. In addition, the teacher could copy the
Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis diagrams (below). These diagrams can be used to help students
with their charts and concept maps. The diagrams are best copied in color and then placed in plastic
sleeves so that they can be used over again.
Cellular Respiration
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/energpath1.gif
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http://www.biologycorner.com/resources/photosynthesis.jpg
Learning Target: Explain how environmental factors (such as temperature, light intensity and water
availability) can affect photosynthesis as an energy storing process.
EXPLORE:
In this lab (Photosynthesis Lab) students will vary the amount of light that an aquatic plant (Cabomba)
receives and measure the amount of oxygen gas produced.
Guiding Question: What are the variables that affect the rate of photosynthesis?
Before the Activity: The teacher should go over the lab instructions carefully.
Lesson Title: Photosynthesis Lab (or “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green”) Submitted by: Judy Jones, East Chapel Hill High School
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Background Information:
Photosynthesis is the process that some organisms use to get the food that will be their energy
source and the source of building materials for their structural parts. Organisms that
photosynthesize, store radiant energy (from the sun) as chemical energy in the C-C bonds of
carbohydrates. Life on our entire planet depends upon these organisms and their chlorophyll
molecules that trap the radiant energy and store it in chemical bonds. Without autotrophs, life
could not exist on earth. There would be no way to produce an energy source for ATP formation.
Some of the fastest chemical reactions occur in photosynthesis (some in trillionths of a second),
which makes studying them a little tough! But with new technologies, there is still a lot of
interesting work that is being done to try and understand this complex process. Some very
interesting research is going on including that at Arizona State University
(http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/default.html).
Photosynthesis is thought by some scientists to date back 3.5 billion years ago. These early
photosynthesizers were probably very similar to today’s prokaryotic cyanobacteria (blue-green
algae). Most photosynthetic organisms are eukaryotes. Cyanobacteria use their cell membrane
for photosynthesis much the same way as plants use the thylakoid membrane. Eukaryotic plants
are probably only about a billion years old. This coincided with the probable incorporation of a
cyanobacteria-like organism into a bacteria-like cell (endosymbiosis). The old cyanobacterium
became the chloroplast of today.
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
(EQ) What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and energy so they
can live and grow?LS1.C pg. 148
Guiding Question(s):
Review: What is food (A10) Why do living things need energy?
1. How do our bodies get glucose for cellular respiration?
2. Why do plant cells need mitochondria even though they can make glucose by photosynthesis?**
3. Why does the reaction, ADP + phosphate “yields” ATP, requires energy input?
4. Why do all the cells in your body need to carry out the reaction,
ATP “yields” ADP + phosphate.
5. How is this reaction useful?
6. What factors affect the rate of cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
7. What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and energy so they
can live and grow?
8. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow?
Introduction to teacher:
One of the difficulties with photosynthesis labs is getting them to work! Cabomba caroliniana is
an easily acquired aquarium plant that produces rather decent results and grows very rapidly. (This
explains the fact that it is considered a “weed” and care must be taking not to get it into natural
ecosystems.) You should make sure that you purchase a fresh supply. Cabomba does best when it
101
gets a little infusion of CO2 – a small pinch of baking soda can provide this. It needs very clean
water and a lot of light. The water should be a little warm also – not below 72o F. If you keep your
Cabomba healthy, it should work well for your photosynthesis lab.
To make your 1% solution of sodium bicarbonate, mix 1 gram of NaHCO3 with 99 grams of distilled
water.
Teachers could have each lab group investigate a different variable and then combine the results so
that the whole class discusses all of the variables and their effect on the rate of photosynthesis.
Teachers might have the students prepare complete lab reports for this investigation.
Safety/Special Considerations:
As always care should be taken when handling acids and bases. Students should flush the affected
area with water if they are exposed to acids or bases. Goggles and aprons should be worn.
Otherwise, there are no particular hazards with this lab.
References:
This lab is an adaptation of an activity found at:
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/articles/cabomba/cabomba.htm
Activity (Student)
Introduction to student:
Photosynthesis is the process that autotrophs use to convert radiant energy into the chemical
energy of glucose (carbohydrates). All living things depend on this process. (A few organisms
depend upon an alternative process - chemosynthesis - occurring in deep sea vents.) The
autotrophs, themselves, use the carbohydrates as an energy source. They carry out cellular
respiration to produce usable ATP. Heterotrophs either eat the autotrophs or other heterotrophs
that are part of the food web in order to get the food source for ATP production through cellular
respiration. Without the autotrophs, there would be no ultimate source of energy for ecosystems.
The basic equation for photosynthesis is:
6H2O + 6CO2 ----------> C6H12O6+ 6O2 In addition to requiring water and carbon dioxide, however, photosynthesis also requires
chlorophyll, radiant energy, and specific enzymes. There are many variables that can
affect the process of photosynthesis. Before you continue, brainstorm some of the
variables that you think would have an effect on the rate of photosynthesis.
VARIABLES:
Purpose: This lab activity is designed to help you learn about some of the variables that
affect the rate of photosynthesis. You will be using a common aquarium plant – Cabomba –
and you will measure the volume of oxygen gas that is produced when the plant is
subjected to various conditions.
102
Materials:
400 mL Beaker sodium bicarbonate (1% solution) razor blade
25 mL Graduated cylinder Cabomba sprig light bulbs 40W
Gooseneck lamp goggles and aprons 0.1 M acid (HCl)
Dechlorinated water cellophane 0.1 M base (NaOH)
Basic Procedure:
1. Fill your beaker with water.
2. Fill the graduated cylinder to the top with NaHCO3 solution.
3. Take a sprig of Cabamba and under the water, cut the bottom end at an angle. Keep
the plant in the water.
4. Then, holding the fronds flat, place the sprig of Cabamba in the cylinder so that
the cut end is toward the bottom of the cylinder.
5. Turn the cylinder containing the plant upside down in the beaker of water so that
the cylinder is completely full of solution (and plant!).
6. You can measure the oxygen that is produced by reading the cylinder upside down.
Notes:
1. You can place a beaker of water between the experimental set-up and the light.
This will act as a heat sink and keep temperature from confusing the light variable.
2. You could count the bubbles of O2 formed in a set period of time as an alternative
to reading O2 volume from the graduated cylinder.
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Specific Procedures
1. Using the basic procedure above, design experiments to measure the rate of
photosynthesis relative to some of the following variables.
a. amount of light
b. color of light
c. pH of water d. presence of carbon dioxide (you can increase or decrease the amount of dissolved
CO2)
e. Temperature of water
Lab Data:
Set up a data table something like the one shown. For example the Condition might be the distance
of the light (10 cm, 20, cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50cm) or the pH (3, 5, 7, 9, 11), etc.
Trial Amount of O2
Condition 1
Amount of O2
Condition 2
Amount of O2
Condition 3
Amount of O2
Condition 4
Amount of O2
Condition 5
1
2
Questions to Guide Analysis:
1. What gas is contained in the bubbles that are produced?
2. Why was sodium bicarbonate solution used in the graduated cylinder?
3. Under what conditions was photosynthesis most productive?
4. Which variables seemed to have the greatest effect on the rate of photosynthesis?
5. Try to explain the reasons for your answer to #2.
6. Explain why each variable is important to photosynthesis. Use the chemical reaction for
photosynthesis in your answer.
7. What is the importance of photosynthesis in the biosphere?
Extensions
There might be other variables that students would be interested in testing. For example, they
could try other aquarium plants. They might also want to try introducing various pollutants in
different concentrations into the water.
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References for further research
http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html This is a rather nice list of aquarium plants put up by an
aquarium enthusiast with the help of some of his friends. A lot of helpful information is provided.
Rubrics as required for lesson expectations
The following rubric can be used to assess formal lab reports.
Criteria 1 2 3 4 5
Background/Statement of Problem
Hypothesis
Materials
Procedure
Data
Analysis
Sources of Error
1 = present but inadequate
2 = present but has major inaccuracies
3 = present but has several inaccuracies
4 = present but has a few inaccuracies
5 = present and is sound with no inaccuracies
IT AIN’T EASY BEIN’ GREEN!!
Introduction:
- Photosynthesis is the process that autotrophs use to convert light energy into the
chemical energy of glucose (carbohydrates).
- All living things depend on this process.
- The autotrophs, themselves, use the carbohydrates as an energy source. They carry out
cellular respiration to produce usable ATP.
- Heterotrophs either eat the autotrophs or other heterotrophs that are part of the food
web in order to get the food source for ATP production through cellular respiration.
- Without the autotrophs, there would be no ultimate source of energy for ecosystems.
- The basic equation for photosynthesis is:
H2O + CO2 + light----------> C6H12O6+ O2
Pre-Lab Questions:
For questions 1-4, circle the correct term in each set of parentheses ( ).
1. Photosynthesis converts ( light / chemical ) energy into ( light / chemical ) energy.
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2. Organisms that make their own food are called ( autotrophs / heterotrophs ).
3. Organisms that cannot make their own food are called ( autotrophs / heterotrophs ).
4. Organisms get ATP energy from their food in ( photosynthesis / cellular respiration ).
5. List the reactants for photosynthesis:
6. List the products of photosynthesis:
7. Which is more important in a forest food chain----plants or birds? Why?
There are many variables that can affect the process of photosynthesis. Brainstorm some of the
variables that you think would have an effect on the rate of photosynthesis. Write your ideas
below.
VARIABLES:
Purpose:
This lab activity is designed to help you learn about some of the variables that affect the rate of
photosynthesis. You will be using a common aquarium plant – Cabomba – and you will measure the
volume of oxygen gas that is produced when the plant is subjected to various conditions.
Materials:
400 mL beaker baking soda razor blade
25 mL graduated cylinder Cabomba sprig light bulbs 40W
light source goggles and aprons hydrochloric acid
distilled water cellophane sodium hydroxide
Basic Procedure:
7. Fill your beaker with distilled water.
8. Fill the graduated cylinder to the top with baking soda (NaHCO3) solution.
9. Take a piece of Cabamba and,under the water, cut the bottom end at an angle. Keep the
plant in the water!
10. Place the sprig of Cabamba in the cylinder so that the cut end is toward the bottom of the
cylinder.
11. Turn the cylinder containing the plant upside down in the beaker of water so that the
cylinder is completely full of solution (and plant!).
12. You can measure the oxygen that is produced by reading the cylinder upside down.
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Specific Procedures
We are going to design experiments to measure the rates of photosynthesis relative to some of the
following variables. Your group is responsible for ONE of these experiments. Circle the VARIABLE
your teacher assigns to your group.
amount of light color of light
pH of water temperature of water
amount of carbon dioxide
You and your group members must design an experiment using the variable assigned.
Steps you should take: _____discuss ideas with group members
_____write your ideas on a separate sheet of paper
_____make a list of materials you will need
_____sketch how you would like to set up your experiment
_____design a data table you will use
_____explain your experiment to your teacher
_____get written approval from your teacher
YOU MAY NOT PROCEED UNTIL THE TEACHER HAS HEARD YOUR PROPOSAL AND APPROVED
IT!!!!!
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EXAMPLE DATA TABLE:
Set up a data table something like the one shown. For example the Condition might be the distance
of the light (10 cm, 20, cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50cm) or the pH (3, 5, 7, 9, 11), etc.
Trial Amount of O2
Condition 1
Amount of O2
Condition 2
Amount of O2
Condition 3
Amount of O2
Condition 4
Amount of O2
Condition 5
1
2
After all groups have completed their experiments, results will be shared with the class.
Questions to Guide Analysis for All Groups:
1. What gas is contained in the bubbles that are produced?
2. Why was sodium bicarbonate solution used in the graduated cylinder?
3. Under what conditions was photosynthesis most productive?
4. Which variables seemed to have the greatest effect on the rate of
photosynthesis?
5. Try to explain the reasons for your answer to #2.
6. Explain why each variable is important to photosynthesis. Use the chemical
reaction for photosynthesis in your answer.
7. What is the importance of photosynthesis in the biosphere?
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Activity Time: 90 minutes
Preparation Time: Teachers will need to make sure all lab materials are available including the copies
of the lab handout. The Cabomba should be purchased. Elodea can be substituted or perhaps some
other aquarium plant.
Extension: Generally, the students will only collect 0.5 - 1.0 mL of oxygen which they find relatively
unimpressive. A fun extension is to ask them if they know how many molecules of oxygen gas that is.
When they don’t know, you can tell them that under normal (Standard Temperature and Pressure)
conditions, 22.4 L of any gas has 6.02 x 1023 molecules. Then have them calculate how many molecules
of gas are in 1 mL. (Note that we are disregarding other variables such as water vapor in order to simplify
this extension. After they figure out the molecules of oxygen, ask them to figure out how many new
glucose molecules were produced just while they were watching their plant.
Safety: Goggles are required.
After the Activity: The teacher should help the students analyze their data and help them with their
conclusions.
EXPLORE:
In this lab (Aerobic Cellular Respiration) students will compare cellular respiration in humans and in
plants. They will use themselves (exercise and blowing into bromothymol blue solution) and germinating
peas in bromothymol blue solution.
Guiding Question: What kinds of organisms carry out aerobic cellular respiration?
Before the Activity: Be sure to go over the instructions so that students understand the procedure.
Lesson Title: Aerobic Cellular Respiration (or “What do Peas and
People Have in Common?”)
Sumbitted by: Judy Jones, East Chapel Hill High School
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Background Information:
One of the misconceptions that students often bring into high school biology is the notion that
heterotrophs (animals, to them) are the only organisms that carry out cellular respiration. They
think that photosynthesis is done by plants and cellular respiration by animals. The following
activity is designed to help correct this misconception. Students will measure their own production
of CO2 during low and high activity. They will observe that this is one of the waste products of
cellular respiration. And then they will observe that plants can produce the same CO2. In this
second activity, seeds are used. Germinating seeds are not yet photosynthesizing. They are
getting energy for germination through aerobic cellular respiration by using the food stored in the
cotyledons. Dry seeds are inactive and should produce little or no CO2.
The reaction for aerobic cellular respiration is:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O (Energy released: 36 ATP - 2830 kJ mol−1)
Targeted Standard Course of Study Goals and Objectives
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored,
released, and transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
Essential Question(s)
1. Why is cellular respiration so important for organisms?
2. What types of organisms carry out cellular respiration?
3. Why would the level of CO2 production vary with level of activity?
4. How does one get glucose for cellular respiration?
5. Why do plants need mitochondria even though they can make glucose by photosynthesis?
6. What factors affect the rate of cellular respiration and photosynthesis?
7. What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and energy so
they can live and grow?
8. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow?
Introduction to teacher
In this set of two lab activities, students will first conduct an experiment to show that level of
physical activity can affect CO2 production levels. Then students will carry out a procedure to
show that plants also use cellular respiration to get energy from their food.
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Before this activity, the teacher should demonstrate blowing into a flask of water containing
bromthymol blue. Help students interpret the color changes.
Explain that when a person blows CO2 into water, carbonic acid is formed and it is the acidic
condition that changes the color of the bromthymol blue. Demonstrate that you can use titration
with NaOH to determine quantitatively approximately how much CO2 was in the solution. You add
drops of NaOH until you bring the bromthymol blue back to its original color. Remind them that
they will want to keep a test tube of bromthymol blue solution as a color standard.
The picture on the left shows bromthymol blue in a very acidic
solution.
The picture in the middle shows bromthymol blue in a slightly acidic
solution.
The picture on the right shows bromthymol blue in the least acidic
solution.
http://regentsprep.org/Regents/biology/units/laboratory/graphics/bromothymolblue.bmp
Part I: To prepare the 0.4% NaOH solution, you should mix 0.4 grams of NaOH with 99.6 mL of
distilled water. If you have several classes you can make more of this solution just multiplying each
number by the same factor. For example you could use 0.8 grams of NaOH and 199.2 mL of water.
Although you might want to limit how many students are actually blowing into the flasks, the
activity is very enjoyable to students and ideally, each of them should carry out the experiment.
Part II: This part will take at least 5 days, so have the students set up the experiment 5 days
before you want them to process the data. For example you might want the results to be final on
the day that they carry out Part I. A variation of this lab is to place the bromthymol blue directly
over the peas in the flask. Then at the end of the time period, the peas can be removed so the
liquid can be observed better.
NOTE: You might want to use the soaked pea seeds for other activities such as observing the
structure of a seed or you might want to plant the pea seeds and do some experiments with
seedlings and plant growth.
Safety/Special Considerations
Student should wear goggles and aprons. They should use care with the NaOH and bromthymol
blue. If they get either on their hands, they should flush them with water. And of course they
should take care to avoid ingesting either substance.
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References
Part 1 is an adaptation of a lab from BSCS Yellow Version (“Human Respiration”) and part 2 is a very
simple adaptation of the AP seed germination lab.
Activity for Student
Introduction to student
You will be doing two different activities in order to better understand aerobic cellular respiration.
In Part 1, you will be the experimental subjects. In Part 2, germinating and non-germinating pea
seeds will be the experimental subjects. Answer the following questions before you begin.
1. Why is cellular respiration so important for organisms?
2. What is cellular respiration? Give the reactants and the products.
3. What is the role of “breathing” in cellular respiration?
4. What types of organisms carry out cellular respiration?
5. Why would level of CO2 production vary with level of activity?
Purpose
To learn that one of the products of cellular respiration is CO2
To learn that plants as well as animals carry out cellular respiration.
To observe that CO2 production varies with level of activity.
To learn how to use titration as a method of determining quantity of a substance.
Part I:
You will try to answer the question: How does the amount of CO2 production change with different
levels of muscular activity?
Materials
straws (several per group) 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks (1 per student)
aprons/lab coats Goggles
dropper bottles for NaOH Foil or parafilm to cover flask while blowing
graph paper NaOH (1 L) 0.4%
Bromthymol Blue graduated cylinder
Procedure
1. Decide what activity you will use for “low” activity and what activity you will use for “high”
activity. Which activity would be best to perform first? Why?
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2. Determine the independent variable and the dependent variable.
3. Decide how long will you perform each activity?
4. Decide which of you will do the blowing and activities and which of you will do the timing and
recording, (unless your teacher has each of you conduct the experiment).
5. For your tests, measure 100 mL of bromthymol Blue Solution (BTB) and pour it into the flask.
Place the straw into the solution so that the bottom is in the BTB.
6. Cover the flask with aluminum foil or parafilm (with a small hole for the straw).
7. For one minute, blow into the solution. IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A BREATH, BE SURE TO
REMOVE YOUR MOUTH FROM THE STRAW. Do NOT swallow any of the solution.
8. When you are finished blowing, add NaOH solution to the flask (counting each drop) until the
solution turns blue again. Record the number of drops that are required to return the BTB to its
original color.
9. Repeat the procedure after you have been exercising vigorously.
10. Record your data and record data from 5 other students in your class.
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Lab Data
Individual Drops of NaOH
(RESTING)
Drops of NaOH
(ACTIVE)
Description of
Activity
You
Classmate 1
Classmate 2
Classmate 3
Classmate 4
Classmate 5
Questions to Guide Analysis
1. What is the relationship between levels of activity and the amount of CO2 produced?
2. Explain the reason for your answer to #1.
3. Where does the exhaled CO2 come from in the body? What chemical process is producing
the CO2?
4. Explain why there would be differences in your results and the results of other groups.
How could you improve your accuracy?
5. How might athletic training change the results that you got?
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6. What would happen if an organism did not get rid of the waste CO2?
7. If a single brain cell uses 100,000,000 ATP molecules every second. How many glucose
molecules would be needed to produce this much ATP? How many CO2 molecules would be
produced?
Part II: In this activity, you will answer the question: Do plants carry out cellular respiration?
Materials
50 Germinating Pea Seeds 2- 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks with stoppers or jars with lids
aprons/lab coats Goggles
Test Tubes (to fit in flask) paper towels
50 Dry Pea Seeds Bromthymol Blue
beaker to soak seeds
Procedure
1. Soak 50 pea seeds for 24 hours before you do the lab.
2. Put several layers of moist paper towel in the bottom of each flask
or jar.
3. In jar 1 place the 50 presoaked peas. In the second jar, place the
50 dry seeds and in jar 3, do not place any peas.
4. In each jar stand up a test tube that contains bromthymol blue
solution. Fill the test tube at least half way.
5. Stopper the flasks or put the lids on tightly. Then place the flasks
in a place where they won’t be disturbed.
6. Observe each day. Record color changes in the bromthymol blue on
your data chart.
Lab Data
In the following table note the color changes in the Bromthymol Blue in each flask over the five day
period.
Trial Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Germinating Peas
Dry Peas
No Peas
Questions to Guide Analysis
1. In which flasks did the bromthymol blue change color?
2. What would cause the color change?
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3. What happened in the control flask? Explain these results.
4. What is the purpose of the control in this experiment?
5. Why do plants need to carry out cellular respiration?
6. How do plants get the food that is used in cellular respiration?
7. How to heterotrophic organisms get food that is used in cellular respiration?
8. What is the purpose of cellular respiration?
9. Write the equation for aerobic cellular respiration.
Extensions
Each of these activities could be extended in many ways. In Part I, students could use the same
method to examine CO2 production levels for a variety of other activities. They could have all the
students in the class conduct the same level of exercise and then compare results. They could
examine the reasons for variation from person to person.
In Part II, other variables could be introduced. Temperature, light, pH, other types of seeds, and
seeds in different stages of germination could produce interesting results. Students might also
compare photosynthesizing plants to the germinating peas.
References for further research
http://www.troy.k12.ny.us/thsbiology/skinny/skinny_respiration.html (This is a nice little webpage
created for Troy High School – highly respected California high school.)
Rubrics as required for lesson expectations
Activity Time: 60 minutes
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Preparation Time: The teacher needs to copy the handout and set up the lab stations.
Note: The germinating peas part of the lab can be set up as a demonstration to eliminate using so many materials.
Safety: Goggles are required. Students should be careful blowing into the bromothymol blue (BTB solution).
They should not suck up accidentally.
After Activity: Help students analyze their results so that they understand clearly that the change in color of
bromothymol blue indicates that both germinating seeds and human beings are carrying out cellular respiration.
EXPLORE:
In this lab (Fermentation Lab) students will grow yeast in various concentrations of molasses and measure the
carbon dioxide production.
Guiding Question: What are the reactants and products of fermentation?
Before the Activity: The teacher should review the procedure and show students how to invert the small
test tube into the large test tube full of solution. The teacher should also show students how to remove
air bubbles that might get trapped in the small tube.
Molasses Lab – or “Let the Yeast Begin!”
(Adapted from BSCS Biology)
PURPOSE:
In this lab, you will
use yeast -
microscopic
organisms that will
become active and
begin fermentation
when they are
introduced to a
food solution. We
will be looking at
the relationship between the amount of food (% molasses) that the yeast are given and the
level of their activity as measured by the amount of CO2 that they give off during
fermentation. Active yeast give off more CO2.
MATERIALS:
Goggles metric rule
6 test tubes (18 mm x 150 mm) 6 squares of aluminum foil (3 cm x 3 cm
6 test tubes (10 mm x 75 mm) 40 mL of molasses solution (25% solution)
50 mL graduated cylinder 15 mL of yeast suspension
400 mL beaker Marking pen
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Test tube rack Dropper
Masking tape
PROCEDURE:
1. Number the 6 large test tubes (1-6). Put your team name on some masking tape and
place the tape on your test tube rack.
2. Measure 15 mL of molasses solution and pour it into test tube 1.
3. Measure 25 mL of molasses solution in the graduated cylinder. Add 25 mL of water and
mix thoroughly. You can just hold your palm over the top of the graduated cylinder and
invert several times.
4. Pour 15 mL of the solution from #3 in test tube 2.
5. Pour off some of the solution into the beaker until you have exactly 25 mL of your
mixture left in the graduated cylinder.
6. Add 25 mL of water to this mixture and mix thoroughly.
7. Pour 15 mL of the new mixture into test tube 3.
8. Continue steps 5-7 until you have filled test tubes 1-5 with molasses solutions in a serial
dilution.
9. Put 15 mL of water in test tube 6.
10. Shake the yeast suspension thoroughly and then add 10 drops of yeast to each of the
6 test tubes. Shake the yeast between each addition.
12. Mix the yeast and molasses solutions in each test tube by holding your thumb over the
mouth and inverting.
13. Into each test tube place one of the small test tubes – upside down. This step is
tricky AND sticky! Carefully fill the small tube with some of the solution from the large
tube. Then quickly invert the small tube into the large tube. Remove bubbles of air from
the small tube by tilting the large tubes and slowly returning them to the upright position.
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14. Cover each test tube with a piece of aluminum foil and place the tubes in the test tube
rack. Put the rack in a warm place.
15. The next day, measure the length of the column of gas in each small test tube and
record the amounts.
DATA and CONCLUSIONS:
1. HYPOTHESIS: State your hypothesis based on the introduction to this lab.
The “independent variable” in an experiment is the factor that you control, while the
“dependent variable” changes depending on the conditions of the experiment.
2. What is the dependent variable in this lab?
3. What is the independent variable?
4. How is the activity (rate of metabolism) of the yeast measured?
5. The molasses solution used in test tube #1 is 25%. Based on the method you used to
produce your diluted solutions, what are the percentages of molasses in each of the other
test tubes? Put your answer in the chart below. Also record your data in this chart.
TUBE 1 2 3 4 5 6
% molasses
Length of
gas (mm)
Class
Average
6. Graph your data on a piece of graph paper. Put the independent variable on the “X” axis
and the dependent variable on the “Y” axis. Graph the class data on the same graph paper.
Label clearly.
7. What was the purpose of test tube 6?
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8. Why was it important to shake the yeast suspension just before adding drops to the
test tubes?
9. Millimeters are units of length, but the gas occupies volume. Why are millimeters
acceptable in this case for measuring amounts of gas?
10. Why is it important to look at data from the whole class?
11. Does your data support your hypothesis? EXPLAIN.
12. How could you verify your data?
13. What were some of the factors (that you kept constant) that could affect the
activity of the yeast?
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Molasses Lab – or “Let the Yeast Begin!”
(Adapted from BSCS Biology)
KEY VOCABULARY:
Yeast molasses test tube dilution
Fermentation dependent variable independent variable constants
Hypothesis aerobic anaerobic CO2
Graduated cylinder solution suspension invert
PURPOSE:
In this lab, you will use yeast - microscopic organisms that will become active and begin
fermentation when they are introduced to a food solution. We will be looking at the relationship
between the amount of food (% molasses) that the yeast cells are given and the level of their
activity as measured by the amount of CO2 that they give off during fermentation. Active yeast
cells give off more CO2.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES:
What are yeast cells?
How do they get energy from food? Is this an aerobic or anaerobic process?
What is the food we will give our yeast cells?
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What are the products they will produce?
MATERIALS:
goggles metric rule
6 test tubes (18 mm x 150 mm) 6 squares of aluminum foil (3 cm x 3 cm
6 test tubes (10 mm x 75 mm) 40 mL of molasses solution (25% solution)
50 mL graduated cylinder 15 mL of yeast suspension
400 mL beaker marking pen
test tube rack dropper
masking tape
PROCEDURE:
1. Number the 6 large test tubes (1-6). Put your team name on masking tape and place the tape
on your test tube rack.
2. Measure 15 mL of molasses solution and pour it into test tube 1.
3. Measure 25 mL of molasses solution in the graduated cylinder. Add 25 mL of water and mix
thoroughly. You can just hold your palm over the top of the graduated cylinder and invert several
times.
4. Pour 15 mL of the solution from the graduated cylinder into test tube 2.
5. Pour off some of the solution into the beaker until you have exactly 25 mL of your mixture left
in the graduated cylinder.
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6. Add 25 mL of water to this mixture and mix thoroughly.
7. Pour 15 mL of the new mixture into test tube 3.
8. Continue steps 5-7 until you have filled test tubes 1-5 with molasses solutions in a serial
dilution.
9. Put 15 mL of water in test tube 6.
10. Shake the yeast suspension thoroughly and then add 10 drops of yeast to each of the 6 test
tubes. Shake the yeast between each addition.
12. Mix the yeast and molasses solutions in each test tube by holding your thumb over the mouth
and inverting.
13. Into each test tube place one of the small test tubes – upside down. This step is tricky AND
sticky! Carefully fill the small tube with some of the solution from the large tube. Then quickly
invert the small tube into the large tube. Remove bubbles of air from the small tube by tilting
the large tubes and slowly returning them to the upright position.
14. Cover each test tube with a piece of aluminum foil and place the tubes in the test tube rack.
Put the rack in a warm place.
15. The next day, measure the length of the column of gas in each small test tube and record the
amounts.
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DATA and CONCLUSIONS:
1. HYPOTHESIS: State your hypothesis based on the introduction to this lab. HINT: Which
test tube will have the most gas produced and why?
The independent variable in an experiment is the factor that you control, while the dependent variable changes depending on the conditions of the experiment.
2. What is the dependent variable in this lab?
3. What is the independent variable?
4. How is the activity (rate of metabolism) of the yeast measured?
5. The molasses solution used in test tube #1 is 25%. Based on the method you used to produce
your diluted solutions, what are the percentages of molasses in each of the other test tubes?
Put your answer in the chart below. Also record your data in this chart.
TUBE 1 2 3 4 5 6
% molasses
Length of
gas (mm)
Class
Average
Analysis and Conclusions
1. Graph your data on a piece of graph paper. Put the independent variable on the “X” axis
and the dependent variable on the “Y” axis. Graph the class data on the same graph paper.
Label clearly.
2. What was the purpose of test tube 6?
3. Why was it important to shake the yeast suspension just before adding drops to the test
tubes?
4. Why is it important to look at data from the whole class?
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5. Does your data support your hypothesis? EXPLAIN.
6. How could you verify your data?
7. What were some of the factors (that you kept constant) that could affect the activity of
the yeast?
Learning Targets:
Summarize the two stages of photosynthesis citing the benefits of each stage.
Summarize the processes of cellular respiration: aerobic and anaerobic respiration (fermentation,
lactic acid fermentation and alcohol fermentation).
Activity Time: 45 minutes the first day and 30 minutes the second day.
Preparation Time: The teacher needs to prepare the molasses and yeast solutions, set up the lab
stations and copy the lab handout.
After the Activity: The teacher should help students collect class data and analyze the lab.
ELABORATE: This is a worksheet guide that students will use to help them understand energy
relationships.
Guiding Question: What are the reactants, products, energy production, and requirements of the
bioenergetic reactions?
Before Activity: Explain to students that this worksheet will help them summarize the energy processes
that are found in living things.
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ENERGY PROCESSES
Name____________________________ Date ___________________ Per _________
Here are four reactions that involve Energy in cells. Fill in the names of the molecules involved and
identify the process. Also put in the correct number of ADP, P, and ATP molecules for each
reaction.
A. C6H12O6 + ____ ADP + ____ P ------------> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + ____ ATP
________ ____________ ______ _______ _______ ____________
Process:______________________________________
B. C6H12O6 + ____ ADP + ____ P ------------> 2C3H6O3 + ____ ATP
________ ____________ ______ _______ ____________
Process:______________________________________
C. C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O + ___ ADP + ___ P -------> 6CO2 + 12H2O + ___ ATP
________ ______ _______ _______ ______ _______ ________ ______
Process:______________________________________
D. 6CO2 + 12H2O ----------- C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
_______ ________ ________ ______ ________
Process:______________________________________
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List the Processes below and indicate whether it is an AEROBIC or ANAEROBIC reaction.
Process Anaerobic or Aerobic? Amount of ATP Produced?
A.
B.
C.
D.
For each reaction below, check the box next to the term if it is used in the reaction.
Cellular
Respiration
Fermentation Muscle
glycolysis
Photosynthesis
Enzymes
Light
Chlorophyll
ADP + P
Oxygen
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Place the letter of the process next to the term that it is associated with.
A. Photosynthesis
B. Fermentation
C. Cellular Respiration
D. Muscle Glycolysis (Lactic Acid Fermentation)
Most Energy Produced __________ Helps bread to rise ______________
Beer, Wine, etc. _______________ Only 2 ATPs formed _______________
Muscle Fatigue ___________ Stores energy ___________________
Yeast Cells ______________ Releases energy __________________
Temporary process _____________ 36 ATPs formed __________________
No ATP formed _______________ Occurs in plants and algae ___________
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ENERGY PROCESS RELATIONSHIPS
Name____________________________ Date ___________________ Per _________
Study the diagram below. Answer the questions that follow.
1. What are the reactants for photosynthesis?
2. What are the products of photosynthesis?
3. What kind of energy powers photosynthesis?
4. What kinds of organisms carry out photosynthesis?
5. In what organelles does photosynthesis occur?
6. What happens to the sugars produced by photosynthesis?
7. What are the reactants for respiration?
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8. What are the products of respiration?
9. What kind of energy is produced by respiration?
10. What kinds of organisms carry out respiration?
11. In what organelle does respiration occur?
12. What happens to the energy produced by respiration?
List the Processes below and indicate whether it is an AEROBIC or ANAEROBIC reaction.
Process Anaerobic or Aerobic? Amount of ATP Produced?
A. photosynthesis
B. cellular respiration
C. fermentation
D. muscle glycolysis
REACTANTS For each reaction below, check the box next to the term if it is used in the reaction.
Cellular
Respiration
Fermentation Muscle glycolysis Photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
light
water
ADP + P
(ATP)
oxygen
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PRODUCTS For each reaction below, check the box next to the term if it is produced in the reaction.
Cellular
Respiration
Fermentation Muscle glycolysis Photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
light
water
ADP + P
(ATP)
oxygen
Read each description. On the line, write the letter(s) of the process(es) that it describes.
A. photosynthesis
B. fermentation
C. cellular respiration
D. muscle glycolysis (Lactic Acid Fermentation)
most energy produced __________ helps bread to rise ______________
beer, wine, etc. _______________ only 2 ATPs formed _______________
muscle fatigue ___________ stores energy ___________________
yeast cells ______________ releases energy __________________
temporary process _____________ 36 ATPs formed __________________
anaerobic process _____________ muscle soreness _______________
aerobic process _______________ occurs in plants and algae ___________
uses up CO2 _______________ produces CO2 _________________________
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Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between biochemical processes and energy use in the cell.
Clarifying objective: Bio.4.2.2 Explain ways that organisms use released energy for maintaining
homeostasis (active transport).
Activity Time: 30 minutes
Preparation Time: Teacher will need to make copies of the handout for their students. Teacher will
also need to make one transparency of the two page handout.
Note: Teachers can have students work in groups to finish this worksheet and then go over the answers
as a class or teachers could simply do the whole activity with the class from the beginning.
After Activity: Explain to students that the most readily available energy for cells is in ATP. This will
help them move into the next activity.
EXPLAIN
Students will create cartoon panels of the ATP-ADP cycle and present them to the class.
Guiding Question: In what form is the energy that is used and released by bioenergetic reactions?
Before Activity: Teachers should go over the basic details of the ATP-ADP cycle and stress the
importance of this being the most available energy for cell processes – for example active transport,
which they have just studied.
ATP – ADP Cartooning Activity
(Thanks to Lynne Gronback at Cedar Ridge High School for this idea.)
Background:
ATP is the energy currency of living organisms. It
provides the quick energy that is needed by many
reactions in order for them to occur. It also
provides the energy to move muscles or to allow a leaf
to turn toward the sun. Some reactions (cellular
respiration and fermentation) release energy that is
stored in ATP; other reactions use the energy stored
in ATP. These include reactions that build molecules
through synthesis.
Starch (plants) and glycogen (animals) are molecules that are composed of hundreds of glucose
molecules bonded together. These are comparable to money that you keep in a savings account.
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This money is stored safely but is not very useful for spending, just as starch and glycogen are a
way of storing glucose but don’t provide easily usable energy.
Glucose molecules, which are formed by hydrolyzing starch or glycogen, are like $100 bills. They
are not very useful for most of the purchases that we need to make quickly. We need to break the
$100 down into smaller bills just as glucose is oxidized in cellular respiration.
And ATP molecules are like $1 bills. They can be used in snack machines and provide easy money
for most purchases just as ATP provides quick energy for chemical reactions. Of course ATP
molecules are not composed of the atoms from glucose; they just store the energy that is released
from the C-C bonds in glucose during cellular respiration. And ATP can release that energy very
quickly to any reaction that requires it.
In summary Starch, glycogen = savings account
Glucose = $100
ATP = $1
The energy carrying part of ATP is the third phosphate (the tail). Energy from cellular
respiration is used to attach a phosphate to ADP creating a high energy bond. When that third
phosphate is taken off, the energy is released to a reaction that needs it. There are 30.6 kJ of
energy released from one mole of ATP molecules (or 30.6 kJ/mole stored).
http://www.nismat.org/physcor/atp.gif
ADP + P + Energy ATP (Energy stored in ATP)
ATP ADP + P + Energy (Energy released from ATP)
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Fun Facts: At any one time a single human cell may contain 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) ATP molecules
and this is only enough energy from just a few minutes of functioning. Since each adult human may
have up to 100 trillion cells, this means there are a lot of ATP molecules in existence at one time!
Every minute the ATP cycle takes place about 3 times. (Kornberg, 1989)
ATP Graphic at beginning: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/ahp/LAD/C7/graphics/C7_atp_2.GIF
Directions
You will create a 4 panel cartoon, showing how ADP and ATP work in a cell. First, create cartoon
characters for the following:
ATP molecule
ADP molecule
P (phosphate)
ATP Synthase – enzyme needed to attach the P to ADP)
Enzyme to break P off of ATP
Energy
Then design your little cartoon story. Your cartoon should show the production of ATP by forming
a high energy third phosphate bond and the breakdown of ATP to release energy. You should also
show where the energy for ATP formation comes from and what the energy released from ATP is
used for.
Questions
1. Where does the ATP cycle take place?
2. What is the purpose of the ATP cycle?
3. How many ATP molecules might be in an adult human at any one time?
4. If 36 ATP molecules are produced during the cellular respiration of 1 glucose molecule, how
many glucose molecules must be oxidized to produce the approximately 1,000,000,000 ATP
molecules that are in each cell at any one time. (Remember, you answer is PER CELL.)
Further Research
1. Can organisms produce ATP from the breakdown of lipids and proteins?
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Activity Time: 90 minutes
Preparation Time: Teachers will need to make copies of the instructions and gather plain white paper
and illustrating materials for the students.
Note: Teachers could assign this activity for homework or have students work in groups rather than do
the activity individually.
After Activity: Teachers should review the basic steps in the cycle.
EVALUATE:
Students will construct a concept map using terms that relate to cell transport, enzyme function, and
bioenergetic reactions. Teacher should check for accuracy and student understanding.
Guiding Question: What are the relationships among all of the bioenergetic reactions?
Before the Activity: Explain to students that they will be constructing a concept map. Instructions for
completing concept maps can be found in Unit One.
Activity Time: 60 minutes
Preparation Time: The teacher should gather the paper, post-it notes and other materials for students to
create their concept maps.
Below is a word list that teachers can give to students. Teachers may choose to have students generate
their own word list.
After the Activity: Help students summarize their understanding all factors related to cell transport,
enzyme function, and bioenergetic reactions.
ENGAGE:
Student will conduct a webquest involving three sites to engage students in the carbon cycle. The sites
have carbon cycle games and animations.
Guiding Question: What are the main processes involved in the cycling of carbon in the environment?
Before the Activity: Explain a few of the features of these games to the students.
Key Terms: ATP Digestion Cellular Respiration Chloroplast Chlorophyll Energy Fermentation Kinetic Energy Lactic Acid Mitochondrion Photosynthesis Consumers Potential Energy Producers Glucose & Oxygen gas Sunlight Carbon dioxide & water
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Carbon Cycle Games
Go to the following website and click return to read the conversation that is presented. Be sure to
try the quiz and do all parts – it is a clever and knowledge packed animation.
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html
Go to the following website and follow the instructions. Answer the questions below as you play the
game. Be sure you go to all of the stars with questions.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
Questions:
1. How many megatons of carbon are produced each year by burning of fossil fuels?
2. What greenhouse gas contains carbon?
3. How much of the atmosphere contains the gas referred to in question #2?
4. How much has this gas increased in the last 150 years?
5. What is the effect on the planet of this increase in the gas referred to in question #2?
6. What process takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere?
7. Do plants ever release carbon back to the atmosphere? If so what process in plants,
releases carbon?
8. How much carbon is stored in the soil? In what form?
9. Does soil release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
10. What are the ways that carbon dioxide gets into the surface ocean?
11. How much carbon does the surface ocean take in each year?
12. How does the deep ocean get carbon?
13. What happens to carbon when it gets to the deep ocean?
14. How much of the earth’s carbon is in the deep ocean?
15. What do phytoplankton do with carbon?
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16. Do marine organisms need carbon?
17. What happens to marine organisms if there is too much carbon?
18. List the processes that put carbon into the atmosphere.
19. List the processes that take carbon out of the atmosphere.
Now go to the following website:
http://www.open2.net/science/element/html/
You will open the screen with the picture of the ocean and the coast. Then you will
drag the carbon atom (upper left hand corner) to various parts of the pictured
environment and answer the given questions.
Summarize what you learned about the movement of carbon from this website.
137
Alternate Activities:
Explore2: Plants and Energy (Respiration and Photosynthesis) Bio.4.2.1 SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION IN BIOLOGY: 30 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES pp.219 -227
Team Research Blog: As students conduct their investigation,
provide time for students to blog about their findings or any of
the questions in the overview, e.g. “How might humans talking
to plants benefit the plant?”
BLOG
Bio.4.2.1
Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to help students understand how plants use photosynthesis to convert
carbon dioxide into sugar and then use cellular respiration to convert the sugar into a useable form of energy. This
activity also helps students learn how to engage in practices such as planning and carrying out investigations,
arguing from evidence and communicating inforamtion. In addition, this activity is designed to give students an
opportunity to learn how to write in science and develop their speaking and listening skills, which are important
goals for literacy in science. Bio.4.2.1
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APPENDIX A Culminating Activity: STEP 8 Culminating Activity and Scoring Rubric
[What] Investigate nutrition, cellular respiration and weight management
[Why] …in order to understand that living systems, from organismal to cellular level, transform, store
and transfer energy needed to carry out life’s essential functions and ensure survival.
[How] Demonstrate understanding by...
Scenario:
You are a biology student and your friend confides in you that he is not feeling well due to his liquid-
cleansing diet. He is in his third week of consuming nothing but herbal tea, organic lemonade, cayenne
pepper and maple syrup. He knows this is not the best way to lose weight; however, he does not believe
that he can eat a well-balanced diet and lose weight. He wants to play football next year and wants to lose
weight quickly so that he can begin exercising to get in shape. This year, the school has imposed a rule
that all athletes must have an acceptable body mass index (BMI) before attempting try-outs.
His dilemma has raised an interesting question:
Which method is the most effective way to lose weight or decrease body mass index (BMI) over a 12-
month period?
Here are four potential answers to this question:
1. Keep you same calorie intake, but eat foods that are high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrates.
Maintain your same activity level.
2. Keep you same calorie intake, but eat foods that are low in protein and fat but high in carbohydrates.
Maintain your same activity level.
3. Eat any type of food you want, but reduce your total calorie intake so it is less than the number of
calories you burn each day. Maintain the same activity level.
4. Eat any type of food you want, and keep your total calorie intake the same but increase your activity
level so you burn more calories than you consume.
Tasks:
Use your knowledge of biomolecules and cellular respiration to explain to your friend the type of damage
that occurs to his muscles and other body systems due to a lack of nutrients. Create a quick five-minute
explanation of what is happening to his body and propose an exercise and nutrition plan that will make
use of the information obtained while researching the most effective way to lose weight or decrease BMI
over a 12-month period. Elicit the help of other concerned classmates so that your friend knows he has
support while he attempts this task to “re-engineer his brain” and lose weight.
You and your group will:
Teens talking to teens about “smart weight management” Create a 5 minute skit in which you
convince your classmate that fast weight loss can be damaging to his body. Weight loss should be
accompanied by changing eating habits over time. You will help him by attending the “Eat Smart,
Move More, Weigh Less program for teens.
Write a research-based argument to support the explanation that you think is the most valid or
acceptable. Your argument must also include a challenge to one of the alternative explanations,
including your friend’s current choice for losing weight.
Based on the selected explanation of the most effective way to lose weight or decrease BMI,
design an exercise and nutrition plan to help your friend lose the desired weight. Then, help your
friend design a plan to maintain a healthy diet and weight.
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Roles:
Researcher: You will lead the team in determining which explanation is the best answer to the
research question. You will use an online simulation called Eating and Exercise. This simulation
allows you to set the height, weight and activity level (e.g., sedentary lifestyle, active lifestyle) of
an individual. You can then set the amount of calories that the individual will eat per day and the
type of foods that are eaten by that individual. You can also have the individual engage in certain
types of exercise each day (beyond the activities associated with their typical lifestyle). Once the
parameters are set, you can track how the individual’s weight and BMI changes over the course
of a year. To access the simulation, use the following link:
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/eating-and-exercise
Make sure that you use the simulation to generate the data that you will need to evaluate the
various explanations. You will then be able to transform the data you collect into evidence that
you can use to support one of the explanations and to challenge the others.
Lead Presenter: You will assist the researcher in obtaining information to serve as evidence for
your plan. Your plan must be in the form of a “white paper” and accompanied by a PowerPoint
which you will use to present to the class,
Nutrition Coach: You will present a sample weekly diet that shows how the research impact
food choices throughout the day. Prepare a colorful brochure of sample meals and choices citing
the foods and the nutrients that each food provides and explain why it is necessary.
Motivator and Workout Coach: As the motivator and workout coach, you will engage the
entire team in a group training session. Work with the team to design a workout plan that
includes: time limit for workout, number of days per week and the types of activities your friend
will perform. Relate the type of activity to the benefit of each activity to weight loss or weight
stability.
Audience: You will present your report to your friend and his family, as well as, share your document
with the class.
Format: Your presentation will be in the form of a pamphlet.
Topic: Weight Management and Nutrition
Adapted from:
Healthy Diet and Weight (Human Health) Bio.4.2.2 SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTATION IN BIOLOGY: 30 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES pp.229 -237
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APPENDIX B UNIT NOTES: Standard LS.4 Matter and Energy CBSCS, 2009
Biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to carry out life’s essential functions.
Students recognize that the interactions between organisms and their environment are dynamic in nature.
The processes that define “being alive” involve chemical reactions that require the input of energy and
that result in the rearrangement of atoms. Energy, which is ultimately derived from the Sun and
transformed into chemical energy, is needed to maintain the activity of an organism. The matter that is
involved in these dynamic processes is constantly recycled between the organisms and their environment.
CK-12 (www.ck12.org )
The major outline and flow of this sample unit follows the resources found on the CK-12 website.
Resources on the CK-12 website, except where noted, ae made available to Users in accordance with the
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Commons from
time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference.
Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/terms.
http://www.ck12.org/saythanks
Serendip Studio (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/ )
Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis Unit may be found in its entirety at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/cellrespiration .
Environmental Literacy at Michigan State University http://envlit.educ.msu.edu/index.htm
The goal of our project is to develop learning progressions leading toward environmental science
literacy—the capacity to understand and participate in evidence-based discussions of socio-ecological
systems and to make informed decisions about appropriate actions and policies—for students from upper
elementary school through college.
The unit WHY DO WE EAT? may be found here:
http://envlit.educ.msu.edu/publicsite/html/cc_tm_animal.html
Use of the above resources does not constitute endorsement by the NC Department of Public Instruction. These resources are used as
exemplars to demonstrate how one would align curricular resources to the NC Science Essential Standards. These resources are intended
for workshop purposes only. Please note, tight alignment occurs at the classroom level based on the needs of individual students and
available curricular resources
WEB RESOURCES & TEXT REFERENCES Bibliography
Instructional Resources
http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Biology/ online textbook with activities and lessons and much
more!
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BiobookPS.html - Website provides a detailed
written analysis of photosynthesis including several helpful diagrams.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookGlyc.html - Website provides a detailed
written analysis of cellular respiration including several helpful diagrams.
http://www.sepuplhs.org/ - Science Education for Public Education Program website. “Putting it All
Together” activity originally found in textbook Science in Global Issues; Biology.
141
www.BrainPOP.com – Site that plays cartoons (starring Tim and Moby) on many scientific concepts,
many of which could be used to illustrate this unit to students. A five day free trial can be acquired on the
website, or a subscription may be purchased. Recommended videos in relation to this unit: Algae,
Autumn Leaves, Carbon Cycle, Carnivorous Plants, Cell Structures, Cells, Cellular Respiration, Chemical
Equations, Color, Diffusion, Energy Sources, Forms of Energy, Photosynthesis, Plant Growth, Refraction
and Diffraction, Solar Energy, Sun, and Waves.
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CellularRespiration.html
http://biology.about.com/od/cellularprocesses/a/cellrespiration.htm - Background information on Cellular
Respiration
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/ - Hands-on Activities for Teaching Biology
http://science-class.net/Lessons/Photosynthesis_Cell_Resp/photosynthesis_elodea.pdf - Original
Photosynthesis Lab
http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/tdc02_vid_photosynth/ - Short video on photosynthesis.
http://www.nclark.net/photosynthesis.pdf - Great deal of background information and student probing
questions.
http://www.nclark.net/photosynthesis_webquest.doc - Webquest with video (intro)
http://www.eastridgehigh.org/academics/departments/science/documents/photosynthesischunking.doc -
Photosynthesis – Overview handout and questions
http://www.saps.org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/134-photosynthesis-a-survival-guide-teaching-
resources photosynthesis ppts
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APPENDIX C (SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS)
Teacher Notes for Food, Energy and Body Weight by Dr. Ingrid Waldron, University of Pennsylvania, 20142
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
This analysis and discussion activity reinforces understanding of cellular respiration and helps
students to understand the relationships between food, energy, physical activity, and changes in
body weight.
Learning Targets Analyze the relationship between nutrition and cellular respiration as it relates to weight management.
(B41)
Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms of how energy is stored, released, and
transferred within and between these processes in the cell.
Carry out investigations to support a claim that trees and other green plants carry out cellular
respiration. (C31)
Construct a model of photosynthesis to describe how photosynthesis transforms light energy into
stored chemical energy. (C32)
You try it! Can you use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of
food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds form resulting in a net transfer
of energy? NGSS HS-LS1-7:
Background Before students begin this activity, they should have learned learn basic concepts about how our
bodies use food to provide:
energy for body processes (For this purpose, I recommend our analysis and discussion activity,
"How do biological organisms use energy?" (available at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/energy); this activity introduces students to
energy, ATP, cellular respiration, and the principle of conservation of energy.)
atoms and molecules needed for growth and repair of our bodies (e.g. calcium for bones and
teeth, amino acids to synthesize proteins).
Discussion of Questions in Student Handout
Question 1. Students should recognize that the energy needed for muscles to move ultimately
comes from chemical energy in organic molecules in our food. To use this energy, our cells
carry out cellular respiration which transfers energy from these organic molecules to ATP. ATP
2 These Teacher Notes, the related Student Handout, and other activities for teaching biology are available at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities. Hands-on, minds-on activities for teaching biology are
available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/.
143
provides energy in a form that our cells can use for body activities such as muscle contraction.
(Student answers or your discussion may also include a necessary step between food molecules
and cellular respiration, namely, digestion of large organic food molecules such as starch and
triglycerides to produce small organic molecules such as glucose and fatty acids that can travel in
the blood and enter cells to serve as input for cellular respiration.)
Question 2. For the top part of the chart, students need to recognize that energy can be
transformed from one type to another; e.g. chemical energy in organic molecules can be
converted to the kinetic energy of movement. In addition, heat is produced whenever energy is
transformed from one type to another. The transformation of chemical energy to kinetic energy is
accomplished by a series of complex molecular processes that transfer energy from organic
molecules such as glucose to ATP to the muscle proteins that produce muscle contraction. These
molecular processes include the production of ATP by cellular respiration. During cellular
respiration the atoms in the input molecules (glucose, O2) are reorganized into atoms in the
output molecules (CO2 and H2O). (These output molecules leave the body via breathing,
urination and sweating). Students may also include food molecules such as triglycerides or
starch as matter inputs. For additional information, see "How do biological organisms use
energy?" (available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/energy).
I would not be inclined to include ATP as an input molecule in the chart for question 2, because
ATP is constantly recycled inside cells.
Discussion of question 2 can be used to emphasize the important points that energy can be
converted to other forms of energy and the atoms in reactant molecules can be reorganized into
atoms in different product molecules, but energy can not be converted to matter or vice versa.
These points are also important for question 4.
Question 3. Students can use their answer to question 2 to recognize that cellular respiration
converts many of the molecules in food to CO2 and H2O which leave the body via breathing,
urination and sweating. Also, beverages and some foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables) contain a lot
of H2O and any H2O which is not needed to replace the H2O lost by breathing, sweating, etc. is
excreted by the kidneys. Also, some food molecules are not absorbed from the digestive system
and leave the body in feces. For the many Americans who consume more calories than needed
for body activities, some of the weight of the food is retained, as discussed in question 4.
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Estimated annual food consumption in the US includes 75 pounds of added fats and oils, 152
pounds of caloric sweeteners, 195 pounds of meat and fish, 200 pounds of grains, 593 pounds of
dairy, and 708 pounds of fruits and vegetables (http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf).
Notice that the types of foods at the beginning of this list have high calorie density; foods in the
last two categories weigh substantially more per calorie consumed, in large part because they
contain a lot of water.
Question 4. This question provides the opportunity to discuss the relationships and distinctions
between food, calories and energy – concepts that students often confuse. Food contains organic
molecules which have chemical energy stored in the bonds between atoms. There are many
other types of energy, including the kinetic energy of moving muscles and heat (the kinetic
energy in the random motion of atoms and molecules). In addition to energy, food provides
atoms and molecules needed for growth and repair of our bodies. A calorie is a unit of measure
of energy; I use the lower case "calories" because this usage of nutritional calories is more
familiar to students, even though technically I am referring to Calories = kilocalories.
If a person eats food with more calories than needed for body activities, some of the organic
molecules contained in the food will not be used for cellular respiration, so the atoms in these
molecules will not be given off as CO2 and H2O. The body uses surplus organic molecules to
synthesize triglycerides which are stored in fat cells in our adipose tissue and glycogen (a
polymer of glucose) which is stored in the liver and muscles. Less than a day's worth of energy
is stored in the form of glycogen (~800 calories). In contrast, a normal weight person has
enough stored fat to provide energy for about two months (~140,000 calories). Fat provides
more energy per gram than carbohydrates or proteins (9 calories per gram vs. 4) and our fat
stores also have less associated water; given the mobility of animals, the greater energy density
of fat is an important advantage for fat as the main energy storage molecule in animals.
Related Activities "Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis – Important Concepts, Common Misconceptions, and Learning
Activities" (available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/cellrespiration) provides an
overview of energy, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis. This overview summarizes important
concepts and common misconceptions and suggests a sequence of learning activities designed to develop
student understanding of these concepts and overcome any misconceptions.
145
Teacher Notes for
How do biological organisms use energy?3
This analysis and discussion activity is designed to help students understand the basic principles of how
biological organisms use energy, with a focus on the roles of ATP and cellular respiration. This activity
provides a useful basic understanding of cellular respiration and provides an important conceptual
framework for students who will be learning the complex specifics of cellular respiration. This activity
concludes with a brief introduction to two important principles: conservation of energy and the
inefficiency of energy transformations.
Learning Goals
All organisms use a two-step process to provide the energy needed for most of their biological processes:
First, chemical energy from organic molecules like glucose is transferred to ATP molecules in a
process called cellular respiration.
Then, ATP provides the energy for most biological processes.
Cellular respiration of organic compounds such as glucose provides the energy required to synthesize
ATP by adding a third phosphate to ADP (bringing together two negatively charged phosphates). The
following pair of chemical equations gives a simplified overview of the cellular respiration of glucose:
C6 H12O6 + 6 O2 --------> 6 CO2 +6 H2O
energy
~29 ADP + ~29 phosphate ---------> ~29 ATP
When ATP molecules break down to ADP plus phosphate, the separation of two negatively charged
phosphates releases energy; this provides the energy needed for many biological processes (e.g. muscle
contraction, pumping molecules and ions across cell membranes, and synthesizing biological molecules).
Energy can be transformed from one type to another, but energy cannot be created or destroyed by
biological processes. All types of energy conversion are inefficient and result in the production of heat.
(These principles are the first law of thermodynamics and an implication of the second law of
thermodynamics, but this technical term is not used in the Student Handout.)
In accord with the Next Generation Science Standards (http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-
science-standards), this activity:
helps students to learn the Disciplinary Core Idea LS1.C: " … Cellular respiration is a chemical
process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new
compounds are formed that" can provide energy for biological processes.
engages students in recommended scientific practices, including constructing explanations and
critical thinking.
3 By Dr. Ingrid Waldron, University of Pennsylvania, 2014. These Teacher Notes, the related Student Handout, and other
activities for teaching biology are available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities.
146
can be used to illustrate two Crosscutting Concepts, "Cause and effect: Mechanism and
explanation" and "Energy and matter: Flows, cycles and conservation".
helps students to prepare for Performance Expectation HS-LS1-7, "Use a model to illustrate that
cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen
molecules are broken and the bonds and new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of
energy."
Suggestions for Teaching this Activity and Background Information
To maximize student participation and learning, I suggest that you have your students work in pairs (or
individually or in groups of three) to complete groups of related questions and then have a class
discussion after each group of related questions. In each discussion, you can probe student thinking and
help them to develop a sound understanding of the concepts and information covered before moving on to
the next group of related questions. You will probably want to have a class discussion after each section
of the Student Handout.
The Importance of ATP
Our cells are constantly using energy from organic molecules like glucose to make ATP and using the
ATP molecules to provide the energy for biological processes such as muscle contraction, synthesizing
molecules, and pumping ions and molecules into and out of cells.
You may want to point out that, although different types of organisms get their energy input from
different sources (e.g. food, sunlight), all biological organisms need to make ATP which provides energy
in a form that can be used for cellular processes. For example, you may want to discuss with your
students why plant cells need mitochondria even though they can make glucose by photosynthesis.
In this introductory section, the following additional question may be useful for middle school students:
Which molecule is like money that a cell can "earn" through cellular respiration and "spend" to get
things done?
ADP ___ ATP ___ CO2 ___ glucose ___
Students may inquire about where ADP comes from. Nucleotides like ADP are derived from digestion of
nucleic acids in food and also can be synthesized by the liver.
I. Cellular Respiration – Transferring Energy from Organic Molecules to ATP
Question 3a is designed to help students understand the Disciplinary Core Idea that cellular respiration is
a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new
compounds are formed and the energy released is captured in ATP molecules which provide the energy
for biological processes.
The molecular diagrams, together with the following information will help students understand why
energy is released by the reaction:
147
+ 6
––––>
6
+ 6
The potential energy stored in C-C or C-H bonds is greater than the potential energy stored in C-O, C=O
or H-O bonds. In a C-O, C=O or H-O covalent bond, the pair of shared electrons is pulled closer to the
oxygen nucleus. In contrast, in C-C and C-H bonds, the pair of shared electrons is shared relatively
equally; therefore, these electrons are farther from a positively charged nucleus so they have more
potential energy than the pairs of shared electrons in C-O, C=O and H-O bonds. Thus, molecules like
glucose which have a high proportion of C-C and C-H bonds have more potential energy than CO2 and
H2O which have only C=O and H-O bonds.
To introduce and reinforce these concepts, you may want to add the following question on page 2 of the
Student Handout.
Notice that the atoms in the C6H12O6 and O2 molecules are reorganized as atoms in the CO2 and H2O
molecules. Although the atoms stay the same, C6H12O6 (the sugar glucose) has multiple C-C and C-H
bonds which have more stored chemical energy than the C=O and O-H bonds in CO2 and H2O. In the
first chemical equation in 3a, use an asterisk to mark each higher energy C-C and C-H bond, and circle
each lower energy C=O and O-H bond.
Fatty acids and glycerol from fat molecules can also undergo cellular respiration. As shown in
the following diagram, these molecules have an even higher proportion of high-energy C-C and
C-H bonds than a glucose molecule. This is one important reason why fat provides more energy
per gram than carbohydrates (9 kcal per gram vs. 4; stored fat also has less associated water).
Given the mobility of animals, this greater energy density is an important advantage for fat as the
main energy storage molecule in animals.
Fat molecule (triglyceride)
Question 3b provides the opportunity to reinforce student understanding that the glucose for cellular
respiration ultimately comes from food molecules. The immediate source of glucose for cellular
148
respiration may be glycogen (a polymer that stores glucose) or conversion of fats or amino acids to
glucose. In addition, fatty acids or amino acids can be used directly in cellular respiration.
In discussing question 3c, it should be mentioned that we need to breathe, not only to bring in O2, but also
to get rid of CO2.
The equation shown in question 4 seems to imply that there are no molecular precursors for ATP. This
equation can create the impression that ATP is made from the energy released by the oxidation of
glucose, but energy is not converted to matter. The energy released by cellular respiration of glucose is
used to join negatively charged ADP and phosphate to produce ATP. To balance this equation, ADP and
phosphate should be added to the left side. You may want to refer to the conservation of matter, which
will tie in with the conservation of energy, discussed at the end of the activity. An additional point is that
there should be some indication that cellular respiration of a single molecule of glucose provides the
energy to produce multiple molecules of ATP.
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The equations for cellular respiration provided in this activity give a very simplified overview of a very
complex process. This figure summarizes the multiple steps of cellular respiration, although of course it
omits many of the specific steps.
(From "Biological Science" by Scott Freeman, Benjamin Cummings, 2011)
Notice that cellular respiration generates ~29 molecules of ATP for each glucose molecule; this number is
less than previously believed (and often erroneously stated in textbooks). Brief explanations are provided
in:
"Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis – Important Concepts, common Misconceptions, and
Learning Activities" (available at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/cellrespiration)
"Approximate Yield of ATP from Glucose, Designed by Donald Nicholson" by Brand, 2003,
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 31:2-4 (available at http://www.bambed.org).
These recent findings are interesting as an example of how science progresses by a series of successively
more accurate approximations to the truth.
Notice also that O2 does not interact directly with glucose, but rather combines with an electron and H+ at
the end of the electron transport chain to form water.
Aerobic cellular respiration is not the only process used to make ATP. When oxygen is not available, our
muscle cells, yeast cells, and many other organisms use glycolysis followed by fermentation4 which
yields much less ATP per glucose molecule than aerobic respiration (as discussed further in the hands-on
activity "Alcoholic Fermentation in Yeast" (available at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/#fermentation).
4 Some bacteria and archaea use a different process called anaerobic respiration in which nitrate
or sulfate (instead of O2) serve as electron acceptors at the end of the electron transport chain.
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II. Using ATP to Provide Energy for Biological Processes
Question 5 engages students in completing a simplified diagram to show one example of how ATP is
used for biological processes. For your information, the following figure shows how each molecule of
ATP is used in muscle contraction.
(Figure from Krogh, Biology – a Guide to the Natural World)
Another example of coupled reactions in which the breakdown of ATP provides energy for important
biological processes is protein synthesis:
4 ATP ----> 4 ADP + 4 phosphate
energy
polypeptide with n amino acids ----> polypeptide with n +1 amino acids
Question 6 requires students to synthesize what they have learned about:
the role of cellular respiration in synthesizing ATP
how ATP is used to provide energy for biological processes.
This question also helps students to understand that cells are dynamic systems with constant molecular
activity. On average, each ATP molecule in our body is used and re-synthesized more than 30 times per
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minute when we are at rest and more than 500 times per minute during strenuous exercise.
With regard to the general principles about energy, another example of the inefficiency of energy
transformation is that only about 30% of the energy released by cellular respiration of a glucose molecule
is captured in the ATP molecules produced and the rest of the energy is converted to heat. To emphasize
this principle, you may want to add heat to the chemical equations shown in the Student Handout as
illustrated by the following:
many ATP ---> many ADP + many phosphate
energy –> heat
muscle relaxed ----> muscle contracted
With regard to question 7a, the mistake of claiming that cellular respiration produces or makes energy is
widespread even in publications that generally maintain high standards of accuracy. The First Law of
Thermodynamics states that energy can be changed from one type to another, but energy is not created or
destroyed. In accord with this principle, cellular respiration does not make energy, but rather transfers
energy from organic molecules like glucose to ATP, which provides energy in a form that can be used for
cellular processes. A simple revision to make the sentence accurate would be to say that "Cellular
respiration makes ATP which provides the energy needed for biological processes."
Questions 4 and 7a provide the opportunity to reinforce student understanding that they need to read
critically and thoughtfully and not just assume that everything that appears on the web or in textbooks is
accurate. Of course, high school students do not have the background to judge whether the statements in
the Student Handout for this activity are more accurate than the statements in their textbook or on the
web, but they can evaluate whether statements are logically consistent.
Additional Information and Activities
Additional background and activities are provided in "Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis –
Important Concepts, Common Misconceptions, and Learning Activities" available at
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/cellrespiration.
Relevant follow-up activities include:
o "Food, Energy and Body Weight"
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/foodenergy)
o "How do muscles get the energy they need for athletic activity?"
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/energyathlete)
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Teacher Notes for Plant Growth Puzzle
by Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 20145
This analysis and discussion activity presents a structured sequence of questions to challenge students to
explain why a plant that sprouts and grows in the light weighs more than the seed it came from, whereas a
plant that sprouts and grows in the dark weighs less than the seed it came from.
Learning Target: Bio.4.2.1
Construct a model of photosynthesis to describe how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored
chemical energy. (C32)
Students engage in recommended scientific practices, including constructing explanations and
interpreting data.
This activity can be used to illustrate two Crosscutting Concepts:
Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation
Energy and matter: Flows, cycles and conservation.
Background Information and Teaching Suggestions
Before your students begin this activity, they should have a basic understanding of photosynthesis and
cellular respiration. For this purpose you may want to use the analysis and discussion activities:
How do biological organisms use energy?
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/energy)
Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/modelphoto)
Where Does a Plant's Mass Come from?
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/plantmass).
The last page of these Teacher Notes provides the results of the experiment, which you should distribute
to the students after they have completed question 6 in the Student Handout. Your students may be
puzzled by the apparent discrepancy between the lower biomass of the plants in the "no light, water"
condition versus the larger volume of these plants compared to the seeds. The key to resolving this
apparent discrepancy is the observation that ~75-90% of the mass of actively growing plant tissues is
water
You may want to point out the similarities between the dual functions of sugar molecules produced by
photosynthesis and the dual functions of food molecules, as discussed in "Food, Energy and Body
Weight" (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities/foodenergy).
A hands-on activity which develops the same concepts is presented in "An Inquiry-based Approach to
Teaching – Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration" by Dan O'Connell, American Biology Teacher
70(6): 350-6, 2008.
5 These Teacher Notes, the related Student Handout, and links for other activities for teaching biology are available at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bioactivities.