Text Set: Cells 9 th Grade Biology

Transcription

1 Elizabeth Stiff May 1, 2009 TEDU 562 Text Set: Cells 9 th Grade Biology Introduction: This text set is composed of ten literary texts all-pertaining to the life and functions of a cell. The texts that were chosen emphasize different aspects of the life of a cell including cell anatomy, cell function, mitosis, DNA and gene manipulation. These texts are intended to be supplemental to the original textbook available to a 9 th grade biology class in Virginia and would be used to reinforce topics studied. This text set would be used in a class composed of advanced to struggling readers. There is a selection of texts that are intended to be used as independent reads, these texts rest at or just below the grade level of 9 th grade readability. Others texts provided in the set would be used as read alouds or as supplemental material for assignments, for independent reading or for instructional support. All texts would be available for students to read independently should they be inspired or interested in the topic. The text set will aid in teaching the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) listed below. These SOL s encompass the relationship between cell functions and cell structure as well as cell growth and division as related to genetics. Virginia SOL s BIO.2 The student will investigate and understand the history of biological concepts. Key concepts include a) evidence supporting the cell theory; BIO.4 The student will investigate and understand relationships between cell structure and function. Key concepts include a) characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; b) exploring the diversity and variation of eukaryotes; c) similarities between the activities of a single cell and a whole organism; and d) the cell membrane model (diffusion, osmosis, and active transport). BIO.6 The student will investigate and understand common mechanisms of inheritance and protein synthesis. Key concepts include a) cell growth and division; b) gamete formation; c) cell specialization; e) genetic variation (mutation, recombination, deletions, additions to DNA); f) the structure, function, and replication of nucleic acids (DNA)

2 Item 1: The Life of a Cell Readability Level: 8.0 Used how: Independently or in class room discussion By whom: Students who read on or slightly below grade level. This text uses bright, colorful illustrations to teach the fundamentals of cells. Using simple words with great explanation, this text describes cells from the beginning of life to the organism level. The text discusses the different shapes of cells, how cells form tissues and the functionality of cells in different organisms. This book corresponds to SOL s relating to cell structure and function. While the language is very simple and easy to understand, the greatest reason for using this text are the illustrations. Aside from being very colorful, these illustrations are very detailed and provide great explanation for the components in the pictures. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words and this book has hundreds of pictures. I feel as though this text would be great for struggling readers who may not be able to comprehend the functions and structures of a cell from reading but with some help through illustrations will be able to understand. Since this text has such amazing illustrations I believe that the most common way that I would use this text would be in classroom discussion. While teaching different lessons involving cells I would show these illustrations to enhance the learning. In some cases I think it would also be useful to place some of these pictures on overhead projections to use for demonstration. This text would also be available for independent reading; the language used is very simple and could greatly assist in learning the development and usage of cells. While the Frye analysis shows this text as being on an 8 th grade reading level, I feel as though this text could almost be used with less advanced readers. Aside from a few complex scientific words the language used in this text, the language is very simple and can easily be read by any student ranging from middle school to above. The material is organized in a very logical way, flowing from one topic to the next which makes reading this text even easier. Ruiz, A. L. (1997). The Life of a Cell. New York, New York: Sterling Publishing Company. Item 2: Baa! The Most Interesting Book You ll Ever Read About Genes and Cloning Readability Level: 7.8 Used how: Independently or read aloud, supplement the textbook

3 By whom: Students who read on or slightly below grade level. This text grabs the interest of it s readers by relating the science of cells to common and interesting stories almost everyone has heard of. These stories include Dolly the sheep that was cloned, the relation of human DNA to chimpanzee DNA and many other interesting stories. While the illustrations are not exactly full of facts and helpful information, they are very fun and grab the eye quickly into the story being told on the page. This text pertains to SOL s relating to mechanisms of inheritance and cell theory. One of the most difficult things to do with science is relating the content of what you are learning to the lives of the students being taught. This text does an excellent job of showing exactly how the science of genes and cells relates to their everyday life. The stories in this book are commonly heard of and almost every student should be able to relate to them or be interested in the science behind them. Just in case the science in the book isn t enough to capture the reader, the pictures in the text are just down right funny and will be enjoyed by any viewer. I would have this text available during laboratory exercise for students to read independently. The language is very simple and would most likely interest the students to further their studies on genes and DNA. I may also use this text to supplement the textbook by reading some of the stories aloud in the class and asking for any thoughts. By reading some of these stories I would get the students to think as a researcher, how genetic research is done and the background involved in the projects. This text is a very easy read and aside from a few technical scientific words used, the language is very simple. The more difficult and new vocabulary is most often accompanied by definitions and illustrations thus helping the reader understand the material. It is easy to tell that this book is intended for kids to read as there are many hands on learning experiments described and the book is full of fun illustrations. Nicolson, C. P. (2001) Baa! The Most Interesting Book You ll Ever Read About Genes and Cloning. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press. Item 3: The Discovery of DNA Readability Level: 9.0 Used how: With instructional support for students of all reading levels, supplementing the textbook By whom: Students who read on or slightly above grade level independently This text takes an in depth look at the discoveries of Watson and Crick and the discoveries that have been made since then revolving around DNA. The text is composed of chapters each pertaining to a certain facet of DNA. Many of the pages

4 contain fun facts, which relate the reader to the science they are learning. These fun facts include the science behind dog breeding, DNA criminal testing, among many others. There are also many fun facts, which revolve around common genetic disease such as sickle cell. This text would relate to SOLS involving cell theory, mechanisms of inheritance and DNA. The most intriguing and useful portion of this text is the fun facts sections. While there are many useful pictures and the text is simplified enough to understand, the most important part of this text is its ability to relate to it s readers. The fun facts sections are composed of interesting facts, like dog breeding, and also information on genetic diseases, like sickle cell. The diseases discussed are very common genetic diseases and would be very relatable to the students reading the text. For the most part I would use this text by adding the fun facts to my lessons to supplement the learning process. The fun facts make these topics more exciting and relatable to students and will greatly aid the learning process. The book would also be available should any of the students want to delve deeper into the history of DNA on their own. While the text is presented in such a way that you would believe this book is for very young readers, there is a great deal of new and difficult vocabulary in this text. While the Frye shows the readability at 9.0, I believe this text may be a little difficult for 9 th grade readers to read alone without any assistance. Since I would be using this mostly as a supplement to the textbook readings and lessons I don t believe this would be too difficult for students to use. De La Bedoyere, C. (2006) The Discovery of DNA. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac. Item 4: Unraveling DNA: The Most Important Molecule of Life Readability Level: 9.2 Used how: With instructional support for students who read at or slightly above grade level, supplement the textbook By whom: Students who read on or slightly above grade level independently This book is one of the longer pieces of literature, however it is written to explain DNA on a lower level than that of the traditional PhD literature typically available. This text would assist students in learning function, development and structure of DNA as well as many research studies done on DNA throughout the past decades. This book would provide another vantage point to the study of DNA and would fulfill the SOL relating to genetic variation and the SOL relating to the structure, function and replication of nucleic acids.

5 Although this book does contain some difficult vocabulary the author does a great job of making DNA sound fun and interesting. Even very reluctant readers will be intrigued by this style of writing. Frank-Kamentskii does an excellent job of relating the material of DNA to modern day by introducing the topics of genetic studies with disease such as AIDS and diabetes. I would use this text mostly to supplement the textbook in learning material. I would assign certain portions of this book to the students for independent reading. The vocabulary is not too difficult but prior to assigning any readings I would go through and define any vocabulary on a handout for the students to assist them with their reading. Although there are a few difficult vocabulary terms in the text the majority of the reading is very simple and easy to understand. This is the first of the text listed that is in more of an adult form of reading, narrative; the previous text were all very simple and were geared to the younger learners. The book is broken up into well-defined sections, each explaining a difficult topic involved in DNA. By breaking the material up into sections the student can easily understand different topics, this also makes breaking the material up for readings easier for the teacher. There is a minimal amount of pictures in this text, however the pictures are very simple but well detailed, enhancing the words of the text. Frank-Kamenetskii, M. D. (1993) Unraveling DNA: The Most Important Molecule of Life. United States: VCH Publishers. Item 5: Cell Functions: Understanding How Cells Work Readability Level: 7.4 Used how: Independently By whom: Students who read on grade level or below This book is one of the shortest pieces and contains great amounts of illustration to make learning more interactive and fun. This text uses simple language to illustrate many difficult topics including cell function and cell movement. This book would provide any reader, including those struggling, with an exciting opportunity to learn about how cells work. This book would relate to the SOL on cell structure and function. Science is often very difficult to understand and illustrations and diagrams can make learning these difficult topics a little more exciting. This text does an excellent job of providing illustration for all ideas discussed. The text also breaks down difficult language into a simplified discourse which makes learning about cells a much more enjoyable experience. This text is probably the easiest to read of the collection and as such would be assigned as an independent read either prior to learning the material as an introduction or

6 after the lesson as a post reflection assignment. The concepts are very easy to understand and would be even easier if used as a reflection reading. The book flows very well and is a great introduction to cells. This text is very easy to read. This book would be great when used as an introduction to cells. The language is very simple and definitions are provided for the difficult words. Many pictures are provided to supplement the readings, which help with understanding the material. Even students that read below grade level should have little problem under the concepts discussed in this text. Viegas, J. (2005) Cell Functions: Understanding How Cells Work. New York, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. Item 6: What is Life? Readability Level: 12 Used how: Choral Readings By whom: Students who read slightly above grade level One of the more sophisticated pieces, this text reads more like a novel than a nonfiction text. The author describes the process that modern day scientist are developing to create a cell from scratch. Involved in this process are the steps thought to be involved in natural cell development, including mitosis and DNA development. This book would provide the reader with an interesting new take on cells as a form of entertaining literature and not just facts. The book would also fulfill the SOL of cell growth and division, gamete formation and cell specialization. The most inspiring feature of this text is the format in which it is written. By being written as a novel this text moves over from the boring scientific literature to the realm of almost science fiction, like that of Michael Crichton s Jurassic Park. While this text is still nonfiction is does come across as almost imaginary as the author describes the investigations being conducted to develop a cell inside a laboratory from scratch. The imaginary feel of this text is what makes it an excellent resource for getting students involved in learning about cells. Due to the story like format of this text, I would use this as a choral reading. I would have the class all group together and have each of the students read a portion of the text. By using styles of reading such as a popcorn reading or round robin, each student would participate in the lesson and hopefully enjoy the science fiction text. This text is by far the most difficult of the text set. As it is written in the style of a novel and not the typical nonfiction format of a composition of facts, this book is much

7 more difficult for even the average 9 th grade reader to understand without assistance. By using this book in a choral reading situation, not only will the teacher be available to help in understanding the material but the other students will also assist in the teaching. Allowing other students to be involved in the teaching process will certainly reinforce the material being learned by allowing the students to use their own discourse. Regis, E. (1944) What is Life? New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Item 7: Life Itself Readability Level: 11.6 Used how: Group project By whom: Students who read slightly above grade level This text brings readers to the forefront of cellular research and explains the in depth workings and functions of cells found throughout the human body. Rensberger explains how cells work on the most basic fundamental level, discussing frequently asked questions like How do cells grow and divide or How do cells heal wounds or How do embryos develop? Readers will also delve into cell research, including discoveries surrounding AIDS and cancer. This text does an excellent job of answering the most simple and thought of questions revolving cells in a deconstructed, less scientific way. The complexities behind cells are very difficult to understand and hearing a different viewpoint or discourse may help the students to better understand the material. One of the most interesting facets of science is the research being performed in the medicinal world. This text shows readers the new and upcoming research being done and the discoveries being made every day. These discoveries make learning the material just a little more exciting, which with high school students is always a plus. Since this book is broken up into questions commonly involved with cells, I would use this text to formulate group research papers. Some of the topics would include how the bodies cells heal wounds and how the human embryo develops from a single cell. The reading would be broken up and each group of students would be assigned a certain section of the reading to answer the question they are assigned. This text is a little more difficult and as such I would encourage students to use each other to understand the material. As I would be using this text in group-work the students would be encouraged to work with each other to understand the reading material. The material is written in a more simplified language but does contain many new and difficult scientific terms. Although some of these terms are defined many of them are not, which makes this text more difficult than some of the others. Rensberger, B. (1996) Life Itself. New York: Oxford University Press.

8 Item 8: The Birth of the Cell Readability Level: 12 Used how: Independent or in groups for research paper By whom: Students who read slightly above grade level This text takes an in depth look at the studies conducted by past researchers to discover and learn about the features and activities of cells, all leading to the development of the cell theory. The text is very descriptive about past experiments and encourages readers to look for fallacies in the experiments as well as the theories developed. The book would fulfill the SOL relating to the history of biological concepts including cell theory. While this book is one of the more difficult reads, the topics covered encourage students to question what they are learning. The readings ask students to look for problems in past experiments as to better their own experiments and studies. This text really involves the students in the learning process, which I believe helps information to really stick with the student. I would assign each student or a group of students a scientist who performed research involved in developing cell theory. While this text is a little more difficult it would not be used as the only material to understand the scientists. This text would be used as part of a composite of text for students to learn about cell theory and how it was developed. I would encourage students to use at least five texts to write their research paper. After writing their research papers, groups of students who learned about the same scientist will create a presentation to give to class on the scientist and the discoveries he made. This text is very complex, and is not written in the most exciting of language. Many of the terms are very large and have multiple meanings. Without a base knowledge of cells this text would be very difficult to understand. I would not use this book as the sole resource for learning about cell theory and would break the text up in sections so that each student will only read the material pertaining to the scientist they are researching. Harris, H. (1925) The Birth of the Cell. Great Britain: St Edmundsbury Press. Item 9: The Stuff of Life Readability Level: 10.6

9 Used how: As a read aloud or as instructional support for students who read on or slightly above grade level, to supplement the textbook By whom: Students who read slightly above grade level This book does a fantastic job of breaking down the molecular processes involved with cells. Broken down into topic chapters, each revolving around a certain cellular process, Wimpier does an excellent job of making biochemistry readable and understandable. The text describes in detail the different chemical processes involved in cellular functions which relates to SOL s dealing with cell function and membrane interactions. While this book is written at a readability level of 10.6 the text does an excellent job of simplifying chemical processes. The language of science, especially biochemistry is usually very dense and difficult to understand and while this text is still a little above average readability for this course I believe it to be written at a level, which will make learning these topics simpler. This book is slightly more difficult so I would use it as a teacher read aloud prior to beginning the lesson for the day. The catchy titles such as Digestion: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly lead off as great discussion topics. The book is broken into eight topics that would be great to open up the classes where cells, genes and DNA are being talked about. This text would also be available for students to read independently, and I would encourage the students, who can read slightly above reading level, to read the book should they feel inspired to learn more. The book is well organized, with each chapter acting as its own lesson about a certain aspect of cells. The majority of the text is written in a simple, broken down language so it is very possible that readers on the 9 th grade level could understand this text without any assistance. However due to the layout I see this book as being better used as a read aloud. Widmaier, E. P. (2002) The Stuff of Life. New York, New York: Time Books, Henry Holt and Company. Item 10: The Way of the Cell Readability Level: 11.2 Used how: As read aloud or as a supplement to the textbook By whom: Students who read slightly above grade level This text takes a look at how cells function from the base level of a cell developing to a cell carrying out a function. To understand the cellular processes Harold looks in depth at the cells of E. coli, stating that it is easier to understand the cells of a

10 small organism. Harold, through this book, tries to answer the age-old question of what is life. This book relates to SOL topics about cell function and cell structure. This text is written on a more difficult level of 11.2 but does a fine job of combining function and structure of cells into one readable material. Most texts describe the structure or the function but very rarely combine the two topics. Although the language is a bit harsh at times, the explanations are often accompanied by illustrations, which make explaining processes such as membrane permeability a little easier to understand. I would mostly use this text as a read aloud or to supplement the textbook to learn about the chemical processes involved with cells. Some of the language is very difficult to understand even with a base knowledge of cellular function and I would not really encourage students to read this independently as much teacher aid will probably be needed. This book is definitely on the upper end of the readability scale and even though it scored an 11.2 on the Frye I would not encourage high school students to read this independently. There is a glossary of terms located in the back of the book to assist in reading but many of the words would be considered new terms for a 9 th grade student and as such the student would spend the majority of the time searching the glossary and not really understanding what they are reading. Harold, F. M. (2001) The Way of the Cell. New York, New York: Oxford University Press.