Friday, February 20, 2009

My instructional unit topic is “Cellular Respiration: How the Human Body Systems Work Together to Store and Use Energy”. Cellular respiration is the process of creating energy for our bodies out of the food that we eat. This energy is used to drive the workings of all of the systems of the human body. When we were asked to create a unit topic that could encompass many other topics, cellular respiration seemed like a topic that would fit this bill.

My essential question is “What elements are necessary for life?”.

My unit questions are:
1. How is energy used by the human body?
2. Is it true that we are what we eat?

My content questions are:
1. What are the inputs and products of cellular respiration?
2. How are the Respiratory and Digestive systems specifically designed to receive the elements required for cellular respiration?
3. How is the adenosine triphosphate created through cellular respiration used by each of the human body systems?
4. What are the monomers of fat, carbohydrates and proteins?
How are these monomers specifically used by the different human body systems?

5 comments:

  1. As a fellow teacher I think this unit is great at incorporating lots of units covered throughout the year. Also, the students really love learning about what is going on inside of them so you will have them hooked! I think your essential question is very good as it will make the kids think beyond the lesson. Do you have a culminating project in mind yet? Maybe a brochure or photo story showing how different body systems are used/effected through cellular respiration would be good. Looks like you are off to a great start!!

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  2. I love the question "Is it true you are what you eat?" I think this immediately sucks the students in. This unit lends itself right away to "real world" application because the students will be able to see the connection between their active lives and how what they eat effects them. I saw the connection between my own class (dance) and this unit. I'd like to share some of this information with my students since it relates perfectly. What kinds of activities would they do?

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  3. The "you are what you eat" question is great! In addition to grabbing the students attention, it may also improve a students eating patterns. The content questions were also easy to follow. The only possible suggestion is using the "you are what you eat" question as your essential question.

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  4. Thanks for your class reflections. You raise an important issue when it comes to time. Projects must allow you to teach multiple standards and show their relationship to make them worth your valuable class time. Your curriculum framing questions appear to be well though out at this point. I would suggest that you make a slight change of one of your unit questions to make it sound less like your essential questions. In question 2, change “elements” in: … designed to receive the materials required for cellular respiration?

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  5. DMAN LIKES THIS UNIT. I AM TEACHING THE SAME TOPIC THIS WEEK.YOUR CONTENT QUESTIONS ARE ON THE MARK. I LIKE HOW YOU DETAILED WHAT YOU WERE TEACHING IN A STEP BY STEP MANNER. MAYBE ADD A FOOD PROJECT TO MAKE THE LEARNING REAL TO THE STUDENTS. GREAT JOB!

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