Lesson Plan Template

Name:

Meg Licht

Course:

EDCI 433

Grade:

10

Unit:

Controversial Topics
Stem cell research aims to use the bodys natural repair system to treat
Big Idea (Key concept): disease and to learn more about early human development.
Lesson:

Stem Cell object lesson

Date:

10/06/15

Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to
Students will be able to

describe the differences between pluripotent and multipotent stem

cells.
discuss ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cell
research.

Idaho Standards (and NGSS):

HS-ETS1Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized
3.
criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including
cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural,
and environmental impacts.
HS-LS1-3.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback

mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Lesson in Context:
This could be the first or a middle lesson in the unit on controversial topics. These could
include the topics that we discussed in class such as climate change, dams, GMOs,
human engineering, and evolution.
Instructional Materials, Resources:
Construction paper organs (liver, heart, brain, bone, and uterus)
Round pocket cells that are color coded for the organs they represent.
Labels for head and feet.
Procedures:
Engage/Introduction: (approximate time: 5 mins )

Do a branching tree on the board using the students prior knowledge about stem
cells.

Explore/Learning Activities: (approximate time: 40 mins )

Have the students lay out the organs on the table in roughly the correct places. Give
students the cells and have them place them on the correct, color-coded organs. Ask
students to indicate which construction paper cells represent differentiated somatic
cells, somatic stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. Explain why each kind of cell is
represented in that way.
How to remember: purple= pluripotent=embryonic
Example Picture:

Students may ask questions during this time. Answer and then continue to explain
how cells are cultured and lines are created and what diseases they are trying to treat
using stem cell therapies. Explain the bodys natural repair system and how stem cells
travel throughout the body.
Lead students in a discussion on the ethical implications of stem cell research
including personhood and the duty to alleviate suffering.
Reference: http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/embyronic-stem-cell-researchethical-dilemma
Explanation/Closure: (approximate time: 5 mins )
Stem cell research aims to use our bodys natural repair system to treat diseases. There are two
different kinds of stem cells, pluripotent and multipotent. Ethical issues that surround stem cell
research prevent unlimited exploration in this field.
How do you feel about stem cell research? Write a page response where you discuss your
thoughts on the research that we discussed in class. 1 margins 12pt Times New Roman double
spaced.

Elements of effective instruction:

1. Describe how the lesson fosters intrinsic motivation to learn.
I like the moral discussion and the following assignment as a way to inspire students to
think more about the influence of science in society and how scientists do not work in a
vacuum. I hope that by having students do some reflection on current stem cell research
they will formulate an opinion and defend it. As a minor in bioethics I am really
interested in the ethical implications of scientific research and I hope that my passion for
the topic inspires others.
2. Describe how the lesson elicits students prior knowledge.
By having students do the topic tree on the board beforehand I can see how much they
know about the different kinds of cells and how they function. I also think that its fun to
have the students place the organs because it gives me an idea of their knowledge of the
human body. Its fun for them to see the different shapes of organs too. I also like using
the cutouts to explain (or remind) students of why cells tend to be round.
3. Describe how the lesson intellectually engages the students in making meaning of the
targeted science content.
Discussing controversial topics and current research is a great way to get students
passionate about science. I also think that stem cells, something that students have
probably heard about before, is a great way to introduce not only the different types of
cells in the body, but also the bodys natural repair system, the stages of development,
and the different layers of tissue in the body. This lesson is a great branching point for
many future lessons about the inner workings of the human body.
4. Describe how students use evidence to support and/or critique claims.
They will have the opportunity to do a reflection on the topic of stem cells by doing the
assignment. I also think that by using this lesson as a branching point for other lessons
the students can see the interconnectedness of the human body and the relevance of
current research to them in particular. I would be thrilled if student went home and did
more research on the topic as a way to form a better opinion about the ethics of stem cell
research.
5. Describe how the students engage in making sense of the material covered in the lesson.
Having the information visualized both in the topic tree on the board and as a
construction paper model, helps students to more easily remember the material. I think
that having something interactive is also more effective at engaging students minds
because they can associate a physical object with the topic rather than some unseeable,
nebulous idea.