Yarn Lab LESSON PLAN (INQUIRY)

Teacher: Julie Koshy

Subject: Biology

Standard:
S4.PO 1. Describe the role of energy in cellular growth, development, and repair.
S4.PO 5. Describe the purposes and processes of cellular reproduction.
Objective (Explicit):
SWBAT describe what occurs in the cell in each phase of meiosis.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
List the stages of meiosis in the correct order.
Describe at the position of the DNA and the centrioles/spindle at each stage.
Describe the haploid or diploid nature of the cell at each stage.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment):
Students will draw and annotate a diagram for each stage of meiosis, including if the cell is haploid,
diploid, or quadrupliod.
Key vocabulary: haploid, diploid, quadrupliod

Materials: yarn for each pair, lab notebooks,

writing utensils

Explore

Engage/Set: While we already talked about how a regular body cell replicates and why, there is another type
of cell division.
Teacher Will:
Say I will give each pair one Ziploc with
strands of yarn. Each pair will use the yarn to
simulate the phases of mitosis. You may use
your notes to make each stage. You do not need
to write anything in your notebooks for this
part.
Pass out the Ziploc bags.

Student Will:
Listen to instructions. Then begin
modeling each step of mitosis.

Explain

Co-Teaching Configuration/Differentiation:
Students who have difficulty maneuvering the yarn can participate by directing their group
mates.
Teacher Will:
Ask groups to list the stages of mitosis
and changes that occur in the cell during each
stage. What is the first stage of mitosis?
What happens in this stage to the nuclear
membrane? What happens to the
centrioles/spindle during the phase? Repeat
these questions for each stage.

Student Will:
Participate in the class discussion.

Elaborate

Co-Teaching Configuration/Differentiation:
Students may refer to pictures of the cell models if they have cognitive recall issues.
Teacher Will:
Tell students, I have a problem I want
you to solve. I have a cell with a diploid amount
of chromosomes but I need one with a haploid
number. How do I do this? Ask students to
remember what diploid and haploid mean. Use
your yarn kits to start with a diploid cell and
result in a haploid cell. Make a diagram of each
stage you make and note if the cell is haploid or
diploid at each stage.

Student Will:
Model the process of meiosis by using the
yarn to begin with a diploid cell that goes
through DNA replication to create a quadrupliod
cell. Then the quadrupliod cell divides into two
diploid cells. Each diploid cell goes through the
steps to result in two haploid cells. Each stage
will be draw with each cells number of
chromosomes and the pliody labeled.

Co-Teaching Configuration/Differentiation:
If someone is unable to draw the pictures they may use a printout of the cells and label the number
of chromosomes and pliody.

Evaluate:Students will be evaluated on the processes they create to create a haploid cell from a diploid cell.
Aspects of evaluation include if the process makes sense and how accurate it is. They will also be evaluated
on the correctness of cell pictures.