Teacher



**Introduction**

The purpose of this web quest is to try and show the students the link between research and practical work and to display the transition of the theoretical into the practical. This will be achieved through the investigation of cells, microscopes and the extension exercise of slide preparation. The task aims to provide Year 8 students an introduction into cell biology by exposing them to the concept of cells, their diversity and how scientists examine them today.

This web quest aims to cover these following aspects of the [|Year 8 Science Curriculum]:

Science / Year 8 / Science Understanding / Biological sciences
 * Content Description || Elaborations ||
 * Cells are the basic units of living things and have specialised structures and functions || * examining a variety of cells using a light microscope, by digital technology or by viewing a simulation
 * distinguishing plant cells from animal or fungal cells
 * identifying structures within cells and describing their function ||

Science / Year 8 / Science Inquiry Skills / Planning and conducting
 * Content Description || Elaborations ||
 * Collaboratively and individually plan and conduct a range of investigation types, including fieldwork and experiments, ensuring safety and ethical guidelines are followed || * developing strategies and techniques for effective research using secondary sources, including use of the internet
 * working collaboratively to decide how to best approach an investigation ||
 * Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions || * using diagrammatic representations to convey abstract ideas and to simplify complex situations ||

**Process**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The students are required to form into groups of 4-5. They are then required to break down the task between the members of the group. The outline for what the students need to do is in the Process page. It is estimated that the students should need no more than 3-4 class sessions to sufficiently research each topic area indicated. Any extra research that is not completed within this time period, the students will need to do so in their own time. This also includes the sharing of the information obtained between members of the group. It is also recommended that the students are given 10 minutes each lesson after inital introduction and research for the task to share the information between members. Two lessons should be allocated towards the laboratory session (preferably a double period) to ensure that the students will have enough time to cover the pre-lab exercises before actual practical session.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Before the laboratory session, the students will need to the complete the pre-lab quiz provided. This quiz is to ensure that the students have completed the pre-lab exercises indicated in the Process page. It also acts to reinforce the student's knowledge about using the microscope. The students will have no more than 15 minutes to complete this quiz before starting the actual practical in the lab.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Copies of the pre-lab quiz are available as below (word documents of the quiz is provided for any additional questions to be added):
 * [[file:Webquest Prelab Quiz.docx]] || [[file:Webquest Prelab Quiz.pdf]] ||

The mystery cell should be balance between animal and plant cells (based on the number of groups). The teacher must prepare the mystery cell slides in advance to the laboratory session. Common sources for the mystery cell can be from the following:
 * onions
 * cheek swabs
 * root tips
 * blood cells
 * leaves
 * muscle/liver/kidney
 * other prepared slides

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The remaining time left from the laboratory session should be allocated to the groups to prepare their poster and mini presentation of the mystery cell that will be given to them. One lesson will then be allocated towards the groups presenting what they have learned by talking about their mystery cell and if possible try to identify the source of the cell, the presentations should be kept simple and straight to the point, and between 2-3 minutes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This totals to 6-7 class sessions to complete the web quest and laboratory session (this also includes time taken for the quizzes).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The report of for this web quest will need to be compiled by the students outside of class time, ideally the students should compile each aspect of their group report as they do the research. The report therefore, should be due one week after completing the laboratory session.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> To ensure students have collaborated and shared their knowledge throughout their groups, the will be a final quiz that will test all knowledge on cells and microscopes. A copy of the final web quest quiz are provided below:
 * [[file:Webquest Final Quiz.pdf]] ||

Rubrics for the report, presentation and peer assesment can be found in the Evaluation page.


 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Conclusion **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This lesson is planned to expose students to the foundation concepts of biology and aims to provide them with the required knowledge should they choose to pursue further studies of biology; providing them also with the techniques required when viewing and handling microscopes and viewing cells and microorganisms. With the use of the internet, students are able to better visualise the concept of cells and also enter real laboratory simulations and then put these skills into use.

Peter/Lily - Quizzes