Meiosis Unit

1. Meiosis Unit Target audience – 10th grade on level biology class. Class size: 33 students. 85% have some sort of accommodation The class is co-taught.

2. Day 1 Mitosis Review Mitosis rap (same one from the Mitosis unit) Concept map presentation Purpose of mitosis Key vocabulary review • Word Wall – decorated with Mnemonics • Decorated Flash cards Simple Carbohydrate Quiz (oral quiz with candy prizes – class ritual – used to check for understanding)

3. Rationale • I commonly play a youtube.com rap about whatever our topic is as students enter the room. If the rap’s lyrics function as direct instruction, I will play it every day so that students memorize the lyrics. Otherwise, I find a different one every day for novelty. • Presenting the concept map helps students connect each day’s lesson to the larger picture. • Since, at this level of biology, the concepts are not very difficult but the vocabulary is, I use the arts as mnemonics. Further, using a word wall in conjunction with flash cards reinforces the key vocabulary. • The candy quiz also helps with behavior management in that students are required to raise a hand quietly and wait without calling out.

4. Day 2 Mitosis Process (stages) Mitosis Rap (play as students enter) Cloze Notes (scaffolded) PMAT review with key vocabulary emphasized • Prophase • Metaphase • Anaphase • Telophase Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

5. Rationale • The cloze notes are scaffolded to 3 different levels based on a student’s ability or IEP specification.

6. Day 3 PMAT Murals Work in groups Jokes, Jokes, Jokes (class contest for making up jokes using key vocabulary) Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

7. Rationale • The mural is a group activity that is a reinforcement through art. Working in groups insures that any individual’s misconceptions are corrected. • I regularly use humor to teach vocabulary. This is structured time for students to develop their own jokes. I collect the jokes and use them in the study guide. The rules for the jokes are that they have to be “grandma-friendly” and cannot single out a specific category of people.

8. Day 4 Meiosis Introduction Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Purpose New Vocabulary • Decorated Word Wall (with several mnemonics – student developed) • Decorated Flash Cards Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

9. Day 5 Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Vocabulary Word of the Day Meiosis process (stages) Scaffolded Cloze notes • Diagram Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

10. Rationale • I highlight one key vocabulary word each day for reinforcement. Presentations vary between drawings, jokes and songs. I also give out a candy prize after a student uses the word correctly after the secret number of times, i.e. the 7th or 10th time. This causes students to practice using the word of the day and results in repeated reinforcement. It is also a way to check for understanding.

11. Day 6 Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Vocabulary Word of the Day Clay Modeling of Meiosis (work in pairs – Play Blue Danube in the background) Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

12. Rationale • The clay modeling is a hands on activity in which students re-enact all 8 stages of meiosis. The “crossing over” component is represented by multiple colors of clay. • Playing the Blue Danube is both foreshadowing for our culminating activity on Day 8 and to get the students accustomed to hearing an unfamiliar rhythm whose meter will be utilized for retention and recall.

13. Day 7 Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Vocabulary Word of the Day Venn Diagram of mitosis and meiosis Jeopardy Game on the Promethean (a smart board – use the Blue Danube as the “thinking” music) Meiosis Jokes Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

14. Rationale • The Venn diagram is a check for understanding for comparing mitosis and meiosis. Confusing the 2 processes is where many students have difficulty. • Jeopardy is played by teams that are teacher-selected for competitive parity. The rules are that no one can answer a second time until everyone on a team has answered once. Team mates cannot tell each other answers but may point to the answers in their notes.

15. Day 8 Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Vocabulary Word of the Day Re-enactment of Meiosis by the whole class (play Blue Danube with narration on the Promethean) Flip books (cartoons) of meiosis Pass out Study Guide Create test for family members Simple Carbohydrate Quiz

16. Rationale • The human re-enactment of meiosis is narrated by a student to the waltz rhythm of “The Blue Danube”. The slowness of the rhythm allows students time to retrieve information while the group nature of the activity affords correction of misconceptions. • The flip book is an additional reinforcement that students can use in study. • Making a test for family member is a fun de facto way of studying. It also facilitates families to support students.

17. Day 9 Meiosis rap (youtube.com) Test

18. Day 10 Meiosis Rap Review test answers with explanations

19. Rationale • Going over the right test answers reinforces correct retrieval and corrects any misconceptions. • I also vocalize the metacognitive process of how to look at each question. The purpose here is to help students prepare for the state exam in May.