Lesson on Cellular Energetic

OverviewI.Big Idea 2 (Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to

maintain dynamic homeostasis. Living systems require free energy and matter to maintain order, grow and reproduce. Organisms employ various strategies to capture, use and store free energy and other vital resources. Energy deficiencies are not only detrimental to individual organisms; they also can cause disruptions at the

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population and ecosystem levels.)Unit III. Cellular Energetics•Timeframe: 12-15 days 8 %•

-Describe and diagram how anabolic and catabolic reactions are coupled by ATP.○

-Explain and diagram how organic molecules are broken down in catabolism.○

-Recognize the role of oxygen in energy-yielding reactions.○

-Describe and compare how cells make ATP without oxygen.○

-Explain and diagram how photosynthesis turns light energy into chemical energy.○

-Compare and contrast the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis.○

-Compare photosynthetic adaptations of C-3, C-4, and CAM plants to different environmental○

conditions.○

-Discuss how cellular respiration and photosynthesis interact.○

Content and/or Skills Taught:•

-AP Lab Manual #4 and #5 lab summaries.○

-Poster project with essay diagraming steps in cellular respiration.○

-Poster project with essay diagraming steps in photosynthesis.○

-Unit quiz or test w/ free response.○

Major Assignments and/or Assessments:

Observations during Visit7 students. Five follow along with teacher and write in notebooks; all girls. Two students without notebooks are boys, following along through conversation with teacher, responding to her questions.

Opens with teacher led questioning : catabolic = released and anabolic= absorbed

Writes on board, while providing instruction for students through use of questions:

ΔG= ΔH - TΔS↑ ↑ ↑Change Chang Change In free in total in entropy (disorder)Energy energy(enthalpy)

[Total unit of time is 10 minutes to set-up student activity; 10:10 AM]

Teacher leads discussion to provide guidance for student-led activity. Explains to students that she took this same practice test with other biology teachers during the summer institute and struggled with it because it was difficulty. Tells students to meet the challenge and not get frustrated by difficulty.

Students dive deeply into the activity. All students engage deep in discussion, girls really take a leading role. They are questioning each other, providing feedback. Setup is all seven students are seated around a lab table and work together on all five problems on worksheet together (see handout).

AP BiologyFriday, October 26, 201210:15 AM

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on all five problems on worksheet together (see handout).

Teacher turns attention to visitors:

Feedback from teacher is about how the curriculum, the design of activities, and the AP test itself has shifted from memorization to application, inquiry-based.

The test is mirroring the new curriculum and she wants to prepare students for the challenge so that they are in the best possible position for college. Last year, her scores were one off of passing rate of 75%. Over the summer, she went to St. Johnsbury Seminar which helped her to prepare for this year and to be ready for the changes. Admittedly, the changes have altered how she teaches.

Colleges provided feedback that led to these changes. Colleges reported that students are generally well-prepared and can demonstrate their knowledge of material. However, a glaring weakness they were discovering was an inability to be creative and how to process their learning in a way that allows them to properly apply it during labs in the college setting.

When asked about her motivation and drive for test scores, she reports that the teacher prior to her had passing rate every year; she just missed by one and she really wants to meet that level. She reports that she never felt any pressure to meet scores by principal, but there is a culture of success that she wants to mirror in her work.

[Total unit of time is 20 minutes for student work; 10:30 back to chalk and talk.]

Lots of questioning, students getting feedback about their work and asking questions. All responses are correct, but major struggle with one; trying to figure out # 4. It takes awhile for students to work out the problem. Teacher has to ask multiple questions and then she reveals the correct response. They are not pleased with response, think it is tricky. She reminds them to keep activating their learning and to adjust it to all questions. Banter goes like this:

"It is not always cut and dry"…"we like cut and dry"…"cuz it is easy, this is not easy." "Well, at least we got 4 out of 5 right. That is an 80."

[Total unit of time is 15 minutes for review of practice test; 10:45]

Teacher sets up next activity, a metacognitive exercise: thinking about how to put together a lab report: what is necessary, what parts will be included, discussion of what is proper for science articles. They are provided with a journal article and they are asked to read it, not for content, but formatting. They are asked to recognize what kinds of things they should include in their own papers which they will work on momentarily in the computer lab.

[Total unit of time is 5 minutes for instructions of reading assignment; 10:50]

When asked if AP curriculum stifles or inspires creativity, teacher responds "Way more hands-on; it is way more than teaching to the test. Way more creative because of level of students and the curriculum."

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