Cell Cycle and Mitosis

Mr. Abbott

1. Grade level: 9th grade

2. Mt. Pleasant High School
a. Cooperating Teacher – Jason Mcintyre
3. Subject of the lesson: The Cell Cycle and Mitosis
4. Time: 70 minutes
5. Subject Matter Standard (NGSS)

- LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

 In multicellular organisms individual cells grow and then divide via a process called mitosis,
thereby allowing the organism to grow. The organism begins as a single cell (fertilized egg)
that divides successively to produce many cells, with each parent cell passing identical
genetic material (two variants of each chromosome pair) to both daughter cells. Cellular
division and differentiation produce and maintain a complex organism, composed of
systems of tissues and organs that work together to meet the needs of the whole organism.
(HS-LS1-4)

6. Lesson objectives:
a. Students will be able to explain the life cycle of cells, identifying the different
cellular checkpoints and issues pertaining to failed checkpoints.
b. Students will be able to model the different stages of mitosis and demonstrate
how mitosis results in two identical diploid cells.
7. Accommodations/Differentiated instruction for students with disabilities or students
at different learning levels.
a. Students will be partaking in a role playing activity where they can choose to
have a more involved role (chromosome) or less involved role (centriole).
b. Students will be given a guided note table to draw each stage of mitosis and
write each description.
8. Lesson Sequence
Warm-Up 5 minutes “Why do cells divide?”
- Let students spend some time
thinking of why cells may need to
divide, then ask for a few students to
share.
- Teacher should guide students into
thinking about needed to regenerate
skin cells, bone cells for growing,
 producing red blood cells, etc. Cells
are constantly dividing in our bodies.
Cell Cycle and DNA 25 minutes Introduce the Cell Cycle.
Vocabulary
- Cells go through lifecycle just like all
living things.
- Cells grow, then replicate DNA, then
grow some more before they divide
- There are checkpoints along the way
to make sure the cell is growing
properly, has the right size, shape,
and nutrients.
- If cells fail checkpoints it will result in
cellular death. Sometimes the
checkpoints fail, which could lead to
uncontrolled cell growth. This is how
cancer cells are formed.

DNA Vocabulary

- Students should be familiar with the

terms chromatin, chromosome,
homologous chromosomes, and
sister chromatids

Role Play Mitosis 20 minute 1. Have students get into partners

(these will eventually be sister
chromatids).
2. One partner should go to the back of
the room, other partner stay seated
(make sure there are an even
number of students in the back of
the room)
3. Pair these students up. They are
homologous chromosomes.
4. Have sister chromatids attach with
one another. This is Prophase.
5. Use two students as centrioles to
organize sister chromatid pairs in the
 center of the room, lining up in a
row. This is metaphase.
6. Separate sister chromatids and start
to move students to opposite ends
of room. This is anaphase.
7. Kepp moving students until they are
along opposite walls. This is
telophase.
8. Explain then that the cytoplasm and
cell membrane must split through
cytokinesis.

Stage Drawings and 10 minutes Students should be given a table handout

Descriptions where they can draw each stage and write a
description for each stage. Teacher should
go through a presentation and show
pictures and model what students should
draw. Focus should be on how the
chromosomes pair and separate.

Cell Cycle Handout 5 minutes With remaining time, pas out a Cell Cycle
diagram for students to fill in with
corresponding questions about mitosis.

9. Assessment
a. Formative – The role playing activity is a great way to gauge student
understanding. Once the teacher has walked through the activity and explained
each process, they should have students try and demonstrate each stage without
guidance.
b. Summative – Cell Cycle diagram and Mitosis questions worksheet
10. Handouts:
a. Mitosis stages table
b. Cell Cycle Diagram and Mitosis worksheet
Stage Picture Description

Prophase

Late Prophase/

Prometaphase

Metaphase

Anaphase

Telophase

Cytokinesis