I love teaching photosynthesis but I have noticed that students struggle remembering the organelle where it occurs.  So I created this chloroplast lab activity where students get to create their own chloroplast model!  The best part is that it is edible! Who doesn’t love to learn and eat?

This activity would be great as a distance learning lab too!  I created a YouTube Video that shows step-by-step how to create the model so students can easily follow along.  Now if you wanted to do this activity in class, I would recommend that the teacher creates the tiny little pancakes (which represent the thylakoids) so students don’t risk burning themselves.  If they are doing it home, I would recommend that parents created the tiny little pancakes.  Watch my YouTube video to see exactly how the tiny thylakoids are made.

My chloroplast lab write-up is also free + plus I included FREE labels in case you wanted students to label the parts of the chloroplast.  You can download it on my tpt by clicking here.

Thanks,

Mrs. G

Every year when I teach cellular respiration, my students always struggle remembering the organelle where it takes place (well, at least aerobic cellular respiration).  Students can’t recall what it looks like or get it confused with a chloroplast (which is the organelle where photosynthesis occurs).  So, why not make students create a mitochondrion model?

We already know that hands-on activities can take learning to a whole new level.  Students tend to remember the information better when they see it, play with it, and why not eat it? I don’t even go that in depth on what is exactly in a mitochondrion.  I just want my students to recognize it.  So I created this mitochondrion model lab that is free! You can download it here on tpt (click here). 

It is editable, google docs! So you just have to make a copy then you can use it and edit it to fit your students’ needs or grade level.  It can also be a great distance learning lab! I created a YouTube Video showing how to create the mitochondrion model.  Often students can get confused when doing labs, and wonder if they are completing a step correctly.  So, to help guide students, I made a video that shows step-by-step how to create the model.

My activity even comes with

(1) FREE Lab write up

(2) FREE Vocab Cards

(3) FREE Labels to identify the parts of the mitochondrion

Once again, you can pick this activity up for FREE on my tpt store by clicking here and downloading it!  Also, don’t forget to follow me for more freebies, sales, and more!  Here is a link to other cellular respiration activities that you may want to use for your classroom.

Thanks,

Mrs. G

Check out this YouTube Video that shows the differences and similarities between a plant and animal cell using cartoon characters.

This video is a great way to engage and entertain your students while sneaking in a little learning.  

PLUS

I have a GREAT FREEBIE for you!

PLANT & ANIMAL CELL VIDEO NOTES

These are FREE Video Notes to use when your students watch the video!

You will get:

• 2 Pages of Video Notes
• 2 Versions of a Venn Diagram 

The video notes & venn diagram are in a Microsoft word document so you can edit them.  A PDF version is provided in case you don’t have Microsoft Word.

The Venn Diagram comes in 2 VERSIONS which allows you to differentiate instruction based on your students’ needs. 

Versions of Venn Diagram

• Higher Level – no word bank provided
• Lower Level – word bank provided

Great to use when you have a sub!

Thanks for stopping by!

RELATED PRODUCTS THAT I SELL

Teaching students about macromolecules can be a difficult topic to cover especially when you are using words like monomer, polymer, carbohydrate, monosaccharide, polysaccharide, glycerol, and so on.  Not to mention that students need to know the function of macromolecules and what types of food are high in certain macromolecules.

So I created these 4 foldables that can be used to review all of this material, plus it is EDITABLE if you have Microsoft Word!  Which means you can adapt the foldables to fit your classroom’s needs.

You can also watch these characters come alive in my YouTube Video called, “What are the 4 Major Macromolecules and How are They Made?”

Students love to cut out these foldables and put them in an interactive notebook to study.  Don’t forget, if you have Microsoft Word, you could even resize the characters and pieces if your interactive notebook is smaller or larger.

If you would like to purchase my Macromolecules Foldables, click here.  Thanks!

            Macromolecules is a hard topic for many students to comprehend. So I wanted to add a little FUN into this difficult topic to teach. In the classroom, we usually teach students about the 4 types of macromolecules that are found in living organisms. 

The four types of MACROmolecules are:

(1) lipid, (2) nucleic acids, (3) proteins, & (4) carbohydrates

So I created these macromolecules but added a little personality to them to help students recall them.  Check them out in this youtube video below.

Now you can build these macromolecule characters with your students.  This product is available in my TPT store.

Students will cut out the basic units or monomers for each type of macromolecule and then combine them to create the four types of macromolecules.

If you are absent a school day, you could have your students conduct this activity without you.  You could have them watch the youtube video with these characters, and then have them build them afterwards.  So many possibilities!  I usually lecture myself while students listen and build the macromolecules.  

This activity also comes with a partner share activity.  For this activity, one student is called Partner A and the other student is called Partner B. 

For Side 1 of the activity, 

• Partner A – has no answers & is completing the worksheet with Partner B’s help
• Partner B – has answers & is coaching/helping partner A so he could complete the worksheet

This activity requires students to use academic language and to talk to each other to complete the activity. 

For Side 2 of the activity, now 

• Partner A – has the answers now so it is his turn to coach/help partner B complete the worksheet
• Partner B – has no answers & is completing the worksheet with Partner A’s help

Hopefully you get the idea now.  Partners take turns guiding each other.  This is a great activity for a day of observation because students are using academic language.  This would be great if you were being observed or had instructional rounds coming to your classroom that day.

If you would like to purchase my activity, you can click here to purchase it.   Thanks!

(IMAGE ABOVE)  My students have to learn the photosynthesis equation.  So you can see that I created two activities to help them achieve this.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  My first activity is a foldable.

(IMAGE ABOVE) When students open the flaps, you will see the equation in words.  I had my students also write in the reactants and products.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  When students open the flaps again, you will see the symbols representing the equation now.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  This is my second activity.  It has students answer a few questions regarding photosynthesis and then complete the equation in terms of words and symbols.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  When I have my students do this second activity, I have the students do it in pairs.  One student would receive the answer key (the white sheet) and the other student would receive the blue sheet with the yellow pieces.  The student with the answer key would guide the student doing the activity.  If the student put down one of the wrong pieces then the student with the answer key would tell him/her it is wrong and give him/her a hint to correct their mistake. Great for EL students!

You can buy this activity from my TPT store by clicking here.

In my class, students have to know the cellular respiration equation.  So I created two activities that allow students to practice the equation.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  The first one is a foldable.  It shows that both plants and animals do cellular respiration.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  When students open the flaps, they see the equation in terms of words. You will see that I also go over the equation with my students and I have them write some additional stuff.  For example, I had my students write that we get our sugar from our food.

(IMAGE ABOVE) When students open the flaps again, they see the equation in terms of symbols.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  This is my second activity.  Students receive a bunch of pieces (vocab words, pictures, and symbols) that they have to assemble in order to create the cellular respiration equation and answer a few questions about the process.  For example, you see in the picture it asks, “Cellular respiration happens in what type of cell?”

(IMAGE ABOVE)  You can see that I am placing the “plant & animal cell” piece on top of that question.

(IMAGE ABOVE) Next you can see that I am filling out the cellular respiration equation in terms of words using the pieces.

(IMAGE ABOVE) Next you can see that I am filling out the cellular respiration equation in terms of symbols.

(IMAGE ABOVE) This is the same activity but a different version for your high level students.  It doesn’t show them the boxes.  So students have to place the “+”s and the “arrows.”

(IMAGE ABOVE)  When I have my students complete this last activity, I have them do it in pairs.  For example, student A receives the answer sheet (the white sheet above) and student B receives the yellow sheet with the pink pieces.  Student A guides Student B while he/she attempts the activity.  If he/she gets stuck, then Student A gives them a hint.  If Student B can’t figure out the answer, Student A can give them the answer.  After Student B finishes the activity, they switch roles.  This activity is great for your EL students because they have a partner to practice with, and they are guided through the whole process.

You can both of these activities by clicking here.

Here is my cellular respiration foldable.  It goes over the 3 stages of cellular respiration and allows students to practice their knowledge or test another student.

It is also editable.  So if you don’t like how I worded the questions or if your students do not need to know everything that I included, you just edit it.  Sometimes I will also order the questions & answer to guide my lower level students through this process .  For example, I would add #1 to the question that says, “What is the first stage called?”  Then I would I add # 2 to the answer.  So students follow the direction properly.  For you higher levels, I wouldn’t add the numbers.  This product is available as a PDF and a editable Microsoft Word document.

If you want to buy this product, click here.

(IMAGE ABOVE) You can see that each of the foldables has flaps that open that allow students to identify the organelle and write a function for it.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  Here is a close up of the animal cell foldable.  Students will create their own animal cell. This activity is AWESOME to include in a science interactive notebook. MOST OF THIS IS EDITABLE, except the pictures, in case you want to add or delete an organelle, or modify a cell’s function (change the wording to make it simpler or more complex, or add more detail) depending on your grade level.

(IMAGE ABOVE)  This is what it looks like with all the flaps opened up.  My students love foldables because it allows them to practice by them self or with a partner.

USE IT FOR AN INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK – Have your students color, cut out, and glue the animal cell into a interactive notebook. Then have your students hand write in the names of the organelles. You can either give the students the answer key page that includes the organelles names and functions or the page that is blank so you students have to write it in for themselves. You decide! It’s great for differentiating instruction!

To buy the animal cell foldable, click here.

(IMAGE ABOVE) Here is my plant cell foldable.

To buy the plant cell foldable, click here.