My students need a Minerals and Plant Nutrition Lab Investigation, 2 Enzymatic Hydrolysis Kits, a Chemical Reactions in Living Matter Lab Investigation Kit and a BioChemistry Kit.
My classroom is a learning environment where my students and I have high expectations for academic and personal success. I teach seventh grade science to a diverse group of students. The student demographic profile in my school is rapidly changing. There is a growing number of ELL students and over 40% of the students are now eligible for free or reduced lunch.
In a time when students across the nation are falling behind in math and science, it is important that I provide my students with inquiry-based activities that allow them to apply knowledge and skills they learn in the classroom. This requires that the students have access to materials that can be used to give them realistic, hands-on experiences. The only materials I have requested are chemical and enzyme kits that will allow my students to investigate the chemical reactions in the human body. This is part of an integrated unit in which students discover how concepts in physical science applies to living things.
The integrated unit will focus on concepts in physical science concerning properties and characteristics of mixtures. These concepts will be applied to the mixtures, such as blood, air, urea, that are used by the human body. Students will learn how kidneys filter blood using semipermeable membranes as filters and how doctors can mimic this process with dialysis.
Students will watch enzymes work to break down food chemically in the digestive system. The solubility of certain substances affects the body's ability to maintain homeostasis. We will investigate how the solubility of oxygen and salt in blood affect vital processes in the body. The affect of toxic substances can be seen by observing how solutions of different concentrations diffuse.
The following standards will be addressed:
*PS.5.7.5 Demonstrate techniques for forming and separating mixtures
*PS.5.7.7 Distinguish among solvent, solute, and solution
*PS.5.7.8 Investigate the effect of variables on solubility rates
*LS.2.7.2 Analyze how two or more organs work together to perform a function e.g., mouth and stomach to digest food).
*LS.2.7.8 Investigate functions of human body systems
These materials will allow my students to apply abstract concepts in physical science to concrete processes of the human body. They will be an invaluable tool in addressing the two areas that students seem to have most difficulty in this discipline. They will prepare them for future learning in biological and physical sciences. The unit also addresses the needs and resources in our community because there are substantial opportunities in health sciences in our area.
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