Nick Centurione

October 12, 2014

ELD-376
Science Lesson 2
Look Inside an Onion

Big Ideas
o All Living systems have some form of structure and functionality. Cells
and tissues are what make up this structure and functionality.
o All organisms are composed of cells, the fundamental unit of life. Most
organisms are single cellular while other organisms are multicellular.
o Cells are responsible for many functions that are needed to sustain life
such as growing and dividing.
o The structures of plant cells differ from the structure of animal cells.
The difference should be easy to tell once observations are made on
both types of cells.
Lesson Objectives
o Model and explain the internal structure of an onion in science
notebook.
o Describe the cells of an onion in science notebook.
o Draw a model of an onion cell that the students observed in science
notebook using a technical drawing displaying the most detail the
students can see.
o Observe the cell wall, cells membrane, and nucleus. Make a note of
these features in the drawings.
o Compare drawings with other students. Note differences that may
occur between drawings. Explain what may have caused these
differences.
Teaching Techniques
o Students will start by making a prediction about what an onion cell
looks like. They will have a general idea of what an animal cell looks
like because we studied them first.
Students will draw in their science notebooks.
o Students will than observe an onion through a microscope on a slide
that I have prepared so I know it was prepared correctly.
o Students will than draw, with as much detail as possible, what they
actually see through the microscope and label the cell wall, cell
membrane, and nucleus.
o The students will compare drawings amongst themselves and see how
each drawing differs. Is the difference caused because of the students
artist ability or did students actually observe two different things.
o Students will think critically while comparing the onion cells to
animal cells that we have observed before and note some differences
they may see.

o The last activity the students will do is to add the words cell wall, cell
membrane, nucleus and two words of their choosing to the glossary in
the back section of their science notebook.
The words must relate to the lesson.
Assessment Strategies
o After this lesson is complete I will collect the students science
journals.
o I will assess the student on the drawings they have completed in their
science journals.
o The must have a correct drawing of an onion cell with all the correct
parts labeled and have a correct list of comparisons between an
animal cell.
o The students glossary must also be correctly done with two new
words they did not know before the lesson started.
o The students will know the fundamental differences between a plant
cell and animal cell based on how they look.