Mitosis

Subject area / course / grade level: Biology, AP or regular 9th-12th grades

Materials:
Enough sandwich cookies for each pair of students to have 6
Rainbow sprinkles
Worksheets for the video
Worksheets for the cookies
Video
Presentation
Pictures of groups of cells undergoing mitosis
Lesson objective(s): The students will understand the process of mitosis and using materials given be able to model
the different stages.

Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs:

Have notes already filled in, allow students to watch the video on a device with earphones, wear gloves and a mask if
allergies are a concern
ENGAGEMENT
Pass out a fill in the blank sheet for notes. Show the Crash Course video on mitosis. Discussion of the answers on the
notes.
EXPLORATION
The teacher will put the students in pairs. Students will be given 6 Oreo cookies, some rainbow sprinkles, and a
worksheet with directions. They will model the stages of mitosis using the cookies and draw the stages on their
worksheet. Teacher will check each groups cookies for accuracy before they are allowed to eat them.

EXPLANATION
The teacher will go through each phase describing the mechanisms of mitosis using pictures or presentation software.

ELABORATION
The teacher will pass out sheets of paper with a picture of cells in the various stages of mitosis. Students will determine
the number of cells in each phase, and then calculate the percentage of cells in each phase.

EVALUATION
Students will need to show which phase has the highest percentage of cells. It should be interphase. Discussion of why
that would be.
State Standards
Strand:MoleculesandCells
1

Mitosis
Standard1:Studentsshalldemonstrateanunderstandingoftheroleofchemistryinlifeprocesses
MC.2.B.3Describetheroleofsubcellularstructuresinthelifeofacell:organelles
MC.2.B.5Compareandcontrastthestructuresofananimalcelltoaplantcell
MC.2.B.8Describethemaineventsinthecellcycle,includingthedifferencesinplantandanimalcell
division:interphase,mitosis,cytokinesis
MC.2.B.9Listinorderanddescribethestagesofmitosis:prophase,metaphase,anaphase,telophase.
Strand:NatureofScience
Standard10:Studentsshalldemonstrateanunderstandingthatscienceisawayofknowing.
NS.10.B.1Explainwhyscienceislimitedtonaturalexplanationsofhowtheworldworks
Standard11:Studentsshalldesignandsafelyconductscientificinquiry.
NS.11.B.3Identifysourcesofbiasthatcouldaffectexperimentaloutcome
NS.11.B.5Formulatevalidconclusionswithoutbias