Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg1

Lesson 2 Assignment: Creative Test

For this assignment, Id like to create a test for a Biology subject: the cell structure. I was taught
cell structure in high school and remember it as visually unappealing, and verbally complex. I
eventually memorized the names of all of the part cells and was even able to draw them and label
them. Fast forward about ten years later, when I decide to examine my diet and nutrition with
intricate detail. Learning about how the body consumes nutrients on a cellular level has been the
most interesting thing I have ever tried to do. I think it would have been a great benefit to
develop this understanding and intrigue at an earlier age. I strongly agree with Mark Twain, as he
states, truth is stranger than fiction (Twaine, 137). If Biology were taught creatively, more
children and adults would be interested in it. The reason I struggled with Sciences my entire life
was due to lack of creativity and visuals in my learning process. And when it comes to topics in
Science, I still know very little about how to make a connection to something familiar, in order
to fully grasp the concept. My creative test hopes to instill knowledge about the cell structure,
and promote creativity by giving power to the learner.
In my Creative Lesson, I would introduce my students to the cell structure by encouraging them
to build an underwater Spa, from scratch. The guidelines will provide students with the basic
functions of all the cell parts, represented in daily operations of an underwater mall. The Creative
Test is as follows:
Sea Mall:
You have been asked to redesign an existing structure, Sea Mall, in hopes of attracting more
members and visitors. The following charts provide information about the Departments that need
to revise their names and Marketing Campaigns. The first column asks you to replace the
Departments previous names with something of your own, based on the Departments Function
Function

What name
would you give:
Sea Mall Walls

Architectural Structure to
support Sea Mall.

Controls what comes in and out

of Sea Mall. In charge of
preventing entrance of harmful
entities.

Directs all Sea Mall activities.

__________________
______

Sea Mall
Members Passages
__________________
______

Sea Mall

Draw it!

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025
NuControleus Center
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Domelope

Dome that houses the Sea Mall

Control Center.

Directors of the Malls

functions. Contain knowledge
and instructions on how to make
Sea Mall thrive.

Factory where the floating Sea

Mall ATMs are made.

The air that is constantly

flowing, so everyone can move
freely.

Converts energy from sea

currents into usable energy for
the inside of the Mall.

Facilitates movement
throughout the Mall.

__________________
______
Sea Malls
Chrome Directors
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Factoreolus
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Cyclone Plasm
Air Conditioning
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Mighty Mito
Power Generator
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Elevators,
EndoEscalators,
Plasmic Hallway
(main)
Reti Halls
__________________
______

Assignment 4 pg2

Adriana Ramirez Silva

Produce Sea Mall Money

Receives, packages, and

distributes materials within and
outside of Sea Mall.

Stores food and other Sea Mall

necessities. Sometimes it stores
waste products

Has chemicals that break down

certain materials, and recycles
throughout Sea Mall.

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg3

Sea Malls ATMs:

Ribo Robots
__________________
______
Sea Mall
Golgi Bs
Postal Service
__________________
______
Sea Malls
Vacu-Storage
__________________
______
Sea Mall Clean Team:
The Lysos
__________________
______

Do you have any Departments in mind that were not added to the Sea Mall list:

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg4

Its time to compare your suggestions to those of the Science world, and test your knowledge:
**The correct answers are in gray.
**Name of Cell Part

Function

Visualize it!
***TOP RIGHT***

Nucleus

image credit:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/UAOKI_dLhro/T519NgigiBI/AAAAAAAA
ACg/wPuaJbMbhFk/s1600/rough_endoplas
mic_reticulum_tem_9c3023.jpg

Vacuoles

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg5

image credit:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com
mons/0/01/Rhoeo_Discolor__Plasmolysis.jpg

Chromatin

image credit:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com
mons/1/1b/HumanChromosomesChromomyc
inA3.jpg

Golgi Bodies

image credit:
http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/home/Julian_
Thorpe/tem12.jpg

Lysosomes

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg6

Image credit:
http://www.nature.com/ncb/journal/v7/n9/thu
mbs/ncb0905-847-f1.gif

Nucleolus

image credit:
https://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/fa
rabee/biobk/01531a.jpg

Cytoplasm

image credit:
https://reproducingthoughts.files.wordpress.c
om/2013/01/nuclear-transfer.jpg

Cell Membrane,
Plasma Membrane

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg7

image credit:
https://wikispaces.psu.edu/download/thumbn
ails/97552171/Bacteroides.jpg?version=1&m
odificationDate=1347049375000&api=v2

Nuclear Envelope

image credit:
http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v8/n7/im
ages/nrg2122-f1.jpg

**THE GREEN PARTS***

Ribosomes

Image credit:
https://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/fa
rabee/biobk/58660b.jpg

Endoplasmic Reticulum

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg8

image credit:
https://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethec
ell/images/ch1_rougher.gif

Mitochondria

image credit:
http://fusionanomaly.net/mitochondria.jpg

Cell Wall
image credit:
http://quantumlifescience.org/sitebuildercont
ent/sitebuilderpictures/cellwall.jpg

How would I evaluate responses?

The first part of the Creative Test aims to introduce the subject to learners in a manner in which
they can make connections to their personal lives. Its not a definite that everyone has been to a
mall, but its a definite that no one has been to an underwater mall, Sea Mall. This incites a lot of
critical thinking in order to find solutions to and make suggestions to a fictional Sea Mall.
Because a student cannot see a cell, with bare eyesight, it helps to shift the scale of a cell to
something massive and also familiar. I think portraying a cell as an underwater Mall may seem

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg9

exciting to students. Definitely, the act of renaming the cell parts give the student a sense of
control and thought process. In this Creativity Test, a student is being evaluated in critical
thinking and mental agility.
I would also evaluate responses on the basis of knowing the spelling of the Cell part and its
function. By understanding the basic functions of each cell, a student is able to form an idea of
how it acts, rather than what it is. The second part of the test aims to test students knowledge
and process of recollection. I think its very important that the photographs represent the function
of the cell part, as well as its aesthetic. I always found it very helpful to use visual aids in
studying, which is why I included them in the test.
10 points: Explain how this assignment taps creativity using the traditional definition (novel +
appropriate)
Novel and Appropriate
This Creativity Test was meant to incite many facets of creativity in a students mind. Mainly,
the idea of contributing to the Department names of an Underwater Mall may lead to
brainstorming, because such mall doesnt exist yet. There are no real limits or rules to follow in
the naming of Departments, which allows for creative freedom. Although the cell structure has
been explained using various analogies, this creativity test lessens the formality of Biology. It
allows students to be less intimidated by jargon by coming up with their own, creative names.
Appropriateness may hold more weight when it comes to teaching young students. If a subject is
not relevant to an aspect of their lives, they may likely abandon it. More over, if a student feels
lack of control or understanding of a subject, the better way to teach them would be to hand back
that control, and let them have fun with it.
Engaging Makes a Difference
I think engaging with topics greatly improves the chance for students to learn and understand
them. According to an article titled, How to transform schools to foster creativity, by R. Keith
Sawyer, when the arts are integrated with instruction in another content area, such as math or
science, that other knowledge is learned more effectively (Sawyer). And the reason being,
creativity promotes more creativity. If by learning about a Sea Mall and its functions and
Departments can open up a channel of creativity, other channels will also open. Additionally,
when a subject is relevant to an aspect of daily life, it if going to be more easily understood than
if there were no connection.
10 points: Do you think engaging with the subject matter creatively makes a difference in
learning? Do a search I suggest using the psychology and/or education databases to find
articles that support & refute your view.
Post to your website
10 points: Have at least 2 friends or family members do your assignment and put comments on
your page about the results.

Adriana Ramirez Silva

PSY4025

Assignment 4 pg10

Points WILL be deducted for lack of clarity or rambling responses. The TA and I must easily be
able to see how the assignment taps creativity and be able to follow the instructions ourselves if
needed.