I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Living vs. Nonliving

Essential Question:

What are the differences between the scientific and the philosophical definitions of life?

Bridge:

To Be or Not to Be

Content:

Scientific Definition of Life

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: The students will be able to explore their personal definition of what it means to be alive, analyze differences between necessities for survival and extra comforts and compose a basic scientific premise from which a definition can be used and consistently applied to distinguish living from non-living things..

Activity: Announce to the class that they have just been selected as winners in Intergalactic Airline’s 1st annual Sweepstakes. They each have received a complementary round trip with full accommodations for two weeks to any planet of their choice. As a condition of the contest, however, the students must assemble a traveler’s journal providing an overview of their destination to encourage other tourists to visit the selected planet.
Items to be included in the Traveler’s Journal are, photos and illustrations of the region and interesting sights like landscapes, cityscapes, etc., a description of the climate, unique customs, and cuisine, and finally, a list of fun things to do and see while visiting.

Assessment:

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Students will evaluate the instinct to survive (survival vs. ‘living’ and /or the scientific definition of life (what is needed to exist)compared to the philosophical definition of life (quality of life and experiences).

Activity: After students have presented their journals, lead them into a guided imagery activity, which centers on the idea of survival. This will shift the focus from visiting a strange place to actually surviving in a strange place. Possible scenarios could include one of the following:
1. On the way back from their imaginary planetary tour they must make an emergency landing on another planet (or moon, come, asteroid, etc.). Provide some items which the students might need for their survival.
2. The students could crash land (or find themselves deserted). Have the students pose the idea of what they need to survive.

Assessment:

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective:A smooth transition should be provided between the connection activities and content delivery. Reflection and open discussion facilitate closure on the activities that engaged the student’s curiosity and move them toward the discovery and application of the content knowledge.

Activity: 1. Have students create a collage that might include pictures, photos, sketches, drawings, etc. of what being alive means to them. Have individual students present their collage to the class and then post them around the room.
2. Ask the students to consider the quote, “To be or not to be that is the question” from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Have them quietly contemplate to themselves what the difference is between living and being alive. How is survival different from the quality of life?
After a few moments of quiet reflection, play the song “Circle of Life” from the Disney Lion King soundtrack. Ask the students to think about how Shakespeare’s quote relates to this song?
There are many related activities which can be derived from the quotation and the song. In the end, however, the students must realize that from a scientific standpoint, there is a distinct difference between what one needs to survive and what one needs to feel connected. Scientific definitions of life deal only with the physical requirements for an organism to sustain life. They do not address emotional needs or the quality of life.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: The students will be instructed on the scientific definition of life, how various organisms meet the standards set forth by the definition, and the essential elements found in living organisms.

Activity: Please refer to the lecture outline provided for this unit. I divide the lecture into two separate sections – one section on defining life and cellular chemistry and the other section on nutrition. I incorporate the activities in the guided practice as I cover the content in lecture.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: The students will explore and investigate the concepts and principals set forth in the lecture notes to gain a deeper understanding.

Activity: 1. Have the students prepare a list describing the characteristics of living organisms. Then, place a series of objects in a shoe box, some living, some nonliving, and some specimens which were once alive. Have the students apply their definitions from their list of criteria to the items in the box. The students should be able to discriminate between living and nonliving things. Have students answer the following questions.
Were you able to categorize all the objects in the box? Why or Why not?
What, if any, problems did you encounter while performing this exercise?
How can this classification activity be improved?
Follow Up Activity – Have students gather information about viruses, virions, and prions. How do these items fit the definition of living organisms? As an example, viruses do not have a metabolism (they do not eat) and they can not reproduce by themselves. Without another organism as a host, they can not perform two very important qualities that are key criteria on the list of what living things do (eat and reproduce). In light of this new information, have the students narrow their focus to define only those items which all living organisms have in common. Explain to the students that they are not alone in this process. This debate is currently going on in the scientific community and is constantly being examined as new information is discovered.
2. See the activity sheet entitled, “It’s Elementary…,” for complete details about this exercise. This activity requires students to search their homes for specific elements found in living organisms. They must list items in the home where these elements can be found – and vitamins do not count.
3.) Have the students complete the “Cellular Chemistry Word Search” puzzle to reinforce the lecture materials.
4. Ask the students to complete the “Nutrition” crossword puzzles which reinforces the content which was delivered in the lecture notes.
5. Have the students work on the “Fat Gram Analysis” worksheet which is provided in the resource materials for this unit.
6. Have the students actively explore the internet sites provided in the “Related Internet Activities” which can be located on the resource list in the ancillary materials for this unit

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: The students will explore their own personal feeding habits and analyze their choices to determine if their diet is nutritionally sound for their age group and needs.

Activity: Laboratory Experimentation #1
I have the students perform a chemical analysis of food for proteins, carbohydrates and fats. An excellent laboratory can be found in the CORD Nutrition book which is listed on the resource page provided with this unit. The experiment is entitled “What Nutrients Do Our Food Contain” and it is found on pages 78-81.

Have the students keep a food log of all that they consume (eat and drink) for at lest 3-5 days. Then, have the students analyze the calorie intake, fat gram and cholesterol quantities in their diet, and vitamin and mineral daily requirements. Students may find that their diet is lacking in some nutrients and excessive in others. Many teenage diets especially are high in sugars and fats, low in vitamins and minerals, and often, they skip meals or do not consume the calories needed for active teens.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: The students will apply the mastered content by creating a nutritionally sound school lunch menu, for 1 week, which meets the parameters and regulations of a public school lunch program.

Activity: By this stage, the students should have all the skills necessary to apply what they have learned. I assign the students the task of designing a school lunch program for one week. The menus must address the nutritional needs of the students while providing alternative suggestions ( for vegetarians as an example.)
I divide the students into teams. I inform the students that each team will present their proposed luncheon plan to the entire class and must be able to point out the merits of their plan. Once all teams have presented their plans, the floor will be open for discussion. The final step will require all the students to cast one vote for the best nutritional plan. The plan receiving the most votes will be foundations for the second phase of the project.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: The students will implement their cooperatively designed school lunch program and gather feedback from the student body.

Activity: Once a menu has been mutually agreed to by the students and cafeteria staff, the weekly menu is implemented as an official weekly luncheon menu.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: