1. Planning, Instruction and Assessment

2. Instructing and Engaging Students in Learning 3. Assessing Student Learning 4. Analyzing Teaching

Planning Analysis of Teaching Context -Students -Academic Language Environment Instruction Assessment

About the subject area/course you are teaching 4. What is the name of the course you are documenting? Fundamentals of Biology 5. What is the length of the course? ⌧ one year 6. What is the class schedule? so, please describe.

Prompt 2.

publication.

readings.

50 minutes every day 7. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in science? If Yes, for relevance to this particular class, see response to 8. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for science instruction. If a textbook, please provide the name, publisher, and date of The textbook for the class is “Biology,” published by Glencoe Science in 2009. However, we only occasionally (2-3 times monthly) use the textbook for assigned

9. List other resources (e.g., SmartBoard, scientific calculators, on-line resources) you use for science instruction in this class.

Projector to display what is on a computer monitor Microscopes Whiteboards w/ markers About the students in the class featured in this assessment 10. Grade level composition: Sophomores: 7 Juniors: 3 11. Number of: a. students in the class __10__ b. males __7__ females __3__ c. English language learners __2__ d. students identified as gifted and talented e. students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans __3__ __0__

Although considered a “regular education” science class, Fundamental of Biology is a class designed for students that may have difficulty in passing the Biology class. Although the students are able to self select into the class, the placements are largely based upon teacher recommendations.

Because the class is considered “regular education,” we are expected to maintain consistency with the content of regular biology classes, specifically to remain consistent with Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Science. However, this is expected to be the last year that this class will be taught; my cooperating teacher teaches all three sections, and I have not experienced any top-down constraints regarding expectations for this learning segment.

Essential Questions:

What is cancer? What causes cancer?

Big Ideas:

Students will be recording five big ideas during the course of the learning segment. These will serve as reference points for students to make connections and ensure accountability for one’s own learning of the content. 1. A cell’s DNA regulates its growth and reproduction. 2. Cancer cells grow and reproduce in an uncontrolled way. 3. A cell becomes cancerous when several of the genes which control growth and reproduction become mutated. 4. 10% of the genetic mutations which lead to cancers are inherited 5. Exposure to carcinogens will increase the likelihood of developing cancer.

Day 1: DNA is a regulator of cellular growth and reproduction

Part 1: Regulation of Cellular Growth

The class will be presented with the following idea: Every person in this class and every human in the world started as just one single cell. How did that one cell “know” to grow and divide in ways that over time would lead to a baby capable of surviving outside of the womb? To reinforce the idea behind this question I will show Video 1 (see the Resources section) depicting the process of an unfertilized human egg becoming fertilized and developing during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. The video will be muted so that students can interpret the images personally. I will then follow up with another related question: Additionally, after birth, how do the cells of a baby’s body “know” to grow and divide in ways that will allow that baby to grow into an infant, a small child, a teenager, and eventually a full-grown human adult?