CONCEPT STATEMENT:

Though many students understand that atoms can be comprised of subatomic particles such as protons, neutrons,
and electrons it is hard to illustrate how these incredibly small pieces of matter can compose something as complex
as a human being. As students gain experience working with different parts of biology on a macroscopic and
microscopic level, a hierarchy of body systems originating at the atom and ending at the organism can be
constructed. Learners may also have misconceptions about how our bodies are built or organized especially
because of how instruction is oriented, there may be gaps in their understanding about the larger picture of
biological diversity that is shown even within our own bodies.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this lesson, SWBAT:

Describe complexity of biological systems using prior knowledge and critical thinking skills
Develop a general hierarchy for ordering molecules and components of human organ systems from atoms
to organisms IOT show that components of biology typically can be categorized into a structure
Explain that atoms comprise all parts of matter, and that atoms are used to create more specialized
components within the human body
STANDARDS ADDRESSED:
SAS
Standard - 3.2.7.A2: Identify atoms as the basic building blocks of matter and that elements are composed
of one type of atom
NGSS
Standard - HS-LS1-2: Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting
systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms

RESOURCES/MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, HANDOUTS:

Body System Cards 8 sets per class
2 Circulatory System sets
2 Digestive System sets
2 Muscular System sets
2 Respiratory sets
1 Integumentary System set
1 Package of chart paper (for groups during day 2)

ADVANCED PREPARATION:
Instructorsshouldbefamiliarwithamoredetailedversionofthebodysystemsthatarebeingusedinthislessonanduse
thatknowledgetoconnecteachorgansystemtothenext.However,theteachershouldnotdescribeinformationthatisnot
pertinenttotheactivityandshouldbeconsciousofwhatthelessonobjectivesareandwhatinformationpastthestudents
contentknowledgeisnecessaryforthemtocompletethegoalofthelesson.Theinstructorshouldprepareallrelevant
materialspriortotheclassandtheyareresponsiblefororganizingeachorgansystemforeachgrouptouseimmediatelyat
thestartofclass.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:
Students do not need to use scissors for this lesson as the teacher is responsible for providing all necessary
materials. However, the instructor should be aware that students may need to move to other groups to exchange
their deck of cards ensure classroom management procedures are used and students are aware of what the
teacher expects in terms of behavior and side conversations.

Type of Student Grouping:

8 groups // 4 students each

Background Information for Teachers:

Generally, the hierarchy of organisms as detailed by this activity is shown below (Examples are provided using the
Digestive System Cards):

Organ System (Digestive System)

Organs (Small Intestine, Liver)

Cells (Liver cells, epithelial cells)

Polymers (lipid bi-layer, DNA, polysaccharides, enzymes/proteins)

Monomers (amino acids, sugars, fatty acids)

Atoms (oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, & carbon)

New Terms to Understand:

Hierarchy
Organ System
Monomer
Polymer
ENGAGEMENT (Est. Time: 5-
7 minutes)
Teacher and Student Activity
Teacher introduces the class by
providing pre-activity
questions to the students on
the worksheet.
Remember at the beginning of
the year, we talked about cells
being the basic building blocks
of life? How did we organize
things comprised of cells
(tissue, organ, organ system)
Probing Questions (Questions that
make student thinking visible)
Order the following from smallest to
largest: City, Country, State, Continent,
& Street
Is there a scientific word we could use
to describe ordering things this way?
If students do not initially get the word
hierarchy, use probing questions to
assess their knowledge of systems and
hierarchies in other parts of biology
How do we organize organisms
together?
At the beginning of the year we
looked at characteristics of life,
how were they organized? Is
there a word we used there to
describe this method?
Anticipated Student Responses (to a
few questions), Misconceptions
The first question will most likely be
easy for students to complete, however
if they show that they cannot complete
or if they are struggling it may show
that some students struggle with
interpreting the size of certain items in
reference to others involved in that
system
Depending upon students prior
knowledge, they may understand that
the intended answer for this question
is hierarchy however students are not
expected to know this word and it will
be developed in relevant vocabulary
pertaining to this lesson/

Connect this information to

how hierarchy can be
developed in many ways in
biology and not just at the
cellular level

TRANSITION

We are going to be developing a hierarchy of things that make up our bodies. They go from as small as atoms, to as
large as organ systems. On each of your tables is a deck of systems found in the human body, digestive, circulatory,
etc. Work in your groups to organize these cards from largest to smallest. Follow the directions on the worksheet
and only complete Part 1 now. Some things you may not have seen before but dont get discouraged. Just because
you dont know what something is, doesnt mean that you cannot infer where it may be placed by looking at all the
other cards in your deck.
EXPLORATION (Est. Time:
25)
Teacher and Student Activity
Now, the instructor will be
rotating around to each group
to give them probing questions,
and observing any
misconceptions that may come
to light as a result of this
activity. (The majority of this
portion of the lesson is
surrounded around the teacher
providing small-group
feedback to students based on
their maps that they create)
Teachers should phrase their
feedback to students by saying:
I Notice or I Wonder
allowing the students to be
comfortable in their answers
but also forcing them to think
critically about the work they
did for their maps.
After students exchange their
cards, begin to ask more
questions tailored to
similarities and differences
between each system that they
are exploring. If the instructor
would like to increase
academic rigor, ask students to
speculate why certain cards
were found on some organ
systems but not others//why
there was a card found on
every organ system.
Encourage students to not only
organize their cards based on
largest to smallest, but also to
look at how some cards may be
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions
Some students may start to become Students may rationalize the
confused once they deal with placements of their cards in many ways
monomers and polymers. However, the I think that these cards looked
students can use their knowledge of the same, so I put them together
atoms and elements to make an This picture looks much larger
inference into where these than the others, so I put it first
components might fit into their map. I know that atoms would be the
Think of the first part of the smallest, but I dont understand
word monomer. Have you how they make these larger
heard this prefix before? What things
do you think it means?
Think of the first part of the
word polymer. Have your heard
this prefix before? What do you
think it means?
I noticed that you put this card
here, look at the function
described on it, why do you
think it should be placed there?
Are atoms able to connect to
each other? Think about water,
that is two different elements
that we have spoken about in
class. If they are able to
connect together, why couldnt
other elements?
Does every cell in this system
have the same components?
Is every polymer involved in
each cell and organ higher in
this system?
EXPLORATION (Est. Time:
25)
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
Teacher and Student Activity
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions
directly related to others but
possibly not involved in other
ones.
E.X: DNA is found in most cells,
but amino acids arent a
component to forming
polysaccharides

TRANSITION
For Part 1 to Part 2
Now we have organized one system and observed how some terms are familiar to us, and others not. At this time,
shuffle and paper clip your cards then, exchange your cards with another group and move on to part 2. We are
doing the same activity again, but with different questions.
EXPLANATION (Est. Time: 3-
5 minutes)
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
Teacher and Student Activity
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions

Students will begin Part II of
the assignment by organizing a
different organ system found
within the human body.
The main objective of this part
of the lesson is for students to
demonstrate similarities or
differences between the initial
organ system they worked with
and one that another group
was assigned.
Students will first organize
their systems just as they did in
Part I, but may find that some
components of the new system
are unfamiliar or that there
are some components of this
new system that are not
related to their initial one.
The instructor should start this
portion of the class with another pre-
activity question based around
assessing the students knowledge of
how atoms construct matter, but are
not the only components to forming
complex systems of matter.
Do-Now:
Are cells made of atoms? If yes,
explain how you know this. If
you do not think that cells are
made of atoms, what do atoms
make up? Use examples from
the hierarchy you worked on
yesterday.
Some students may have the
misconception that yes, atom does
make up matter, but that atoms make
up every part of more complex
systems.
Some students may feel that cells are
built with just atoms, instead of
complex structures such as polymers
the students are not expected to
explicitly state that cells are made up
of more specialized structures like
polymers, however the activity should
demonstrate to students that atoms
can connect with others to form more
specialized structures which can be
formed into a cell.

The instructor now presents

the objectives for todays
activity:
The instructor should also go
through with students what is
due at the end of class
Todays Objectives:
Identify similarities and
differences between the first
organ system you worked with,
and a different one
Re-evaluate how you organized
your initial system and attach
it to chart paper
Indicate any changes you made
on your chart paper and why
Describe why you placed
unfamiliar components of your
hierarchy on your chart and
how you think they relate to
the whole system
Due by the end of class:
Hierarchy with descriptions
Completed worksheet
Do-Now/Exit Ticket

The instructor will now Use probing questions to enforce

EXPLANATION (Est. Time: 3-
5 minutes)
Teacher and Student Activity
provide time for students to
complete the second part of
the activity.
Just as the instructor moved
around to groups in the first
part of the activity, they should
be posing probing questions
into students thinking to get
them to think critically about
the organization of their
hierarchy.
At this point, students are
familiar with the general lay-
out of each organ system. In
order to increase academic
rigor, the teacher should put
emphasis on creating more
complex and non-linear
hierarchies as well as
TRANSITION
The instructor will post the objectives for Part II as well as describe what they need to be turned in at the end of
class
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions
relevant content, informally assess
student knowledge, and elicit critical
thinking:
I noticed that you put this card
here, look at the function
described on it, why do you
think it should be placed
there?
Are there some parts of this
system that have more to do
with each other? Why do you
think that is?
Are there some parts of this
system that are different from
your first one? Why do you
think they are different?
ELABORATION (Est. Time:
21 minutes)
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
Teacher and Student Activity
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions

The instructor will now
provide time for students to
complete the second part of
the activity.
Just as the instructor moved
around to groups in the first
part of the activity, they should
be posing probing questions
into students thinking to get
them to think critically about
the organization of their
hierarchy.
At this point, students are
familiar with the general lay-
out of each organ system. In
order to increase academic
rigor, the teacher should put
emphasis on creating more
complex and non-linear
hierarchies as well as
Use probing questions to enforce Some students may begin to see that
relevant content, informally assess hierarchies are assembled of
student knowledge, and elicit critical components not just based on their
thinking: size.
I noticed that you put this card
here, look at the function Some students may start thinking
described on it, why do you about where they have seen these
think it should be placed words before and may make
there? speculations about why certain
Are there some parts of this components are only involved in
system that have more to do certain body systems
with each other? Why do you
think that is?
Are there some parts of this
system that are different from
your first one? Why do you
think they are different?
(If the group is still thinking in
a linear fashion) I like how we
are organizing from smallest to
largest, but is there another
way we can look at how we
organized your cards? Are all
of these (proteins/sugars/etc.)
involved in this cell/organ?
Why do you think that?

TRANSITION

Now that we have completed two body systems, collect your cards and return them to me. I will divide up the first
cards and systems that we dealt with during yesterdays class. What I want you to do now is to re-evaluate how you
organized your initial system and attach your hierarchy on a piece of chart paper. Determine whether you want to
re-organize it, and indicate any revisions you made on your chart paper. I would also like you to describe any
unfamiliar parts of your hierarchy and explain why you put them in the location you did.
EVALUATION (Est. Time: 21
minutes)
Probing Questions (Questions that Anticipated Student Responses (to a
Teacher and Student Activity
make student thinking visible) few questions), Misconceptions

Students will work in their

groups to complete their
revised hierarchy

Cycle around to each group to

ensure that they are not only
explaining any changes they
have made, but also why they
placed certain components as
described in the objectives.

Once students have completed
their class period, end the class
by posting an exit ticket
question on the board
Why do you think there were Students may say something as simple
some similarities and
differences between the two
systems you worked with
today? Provide one example
from your work to describe
your thinking.
as such as organ systems have
different roles/functions and the parts
that make them up must be different
For similarities, some students may
begin to understand ideas such as
cells are partially made up of similar
things like the cell membrane being
made up of fatty
acids/phospholipids/etc
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:
BIOStudent#:________ Name:______________________________ Date:_____________
BIOUnit2.1Atoms,SubatomicParticles,&ElementsDueFriday,10/06/17
PreActivityQuestions:
1. Order the following from smallest to largest: City, Country, State, Continent, & Street

2. Is there a scientific word that we could use to describe ordering things this way? What
do you think it is?

Part1
Intodaysactivitywewillbeobservingdifferentsystemswithinthehumanbodyand
organizingthemintoa____________.Somecardsinthepacketonyourdeskmaybefamiliar
toyouandsomemaynotbe.Pleaseorganizethemusingyourknowledgeofbiologyand
chemistry.
1. Work within your group to discuss and organize the cards on your table into an order
that starts from smallest and ends at the largest.

2. Draw the hierarchy map that you and your group organized and indicate which system of
the human body it is:
HierarchyMapof________________System

3. After you are finished organizing your cards, explain why you and your group ordered
them this way:

4. Are there any cards on your sheet that you are familiar with? If so, explain what you
know about their function in our bodies:

5. Indicate parts of your map that you are unfamiliar with. Can you predict their purpose in
the human body based on context clues?
 Part2

1. Shuffle your cards, paper-clip them back together and exchange your cards with another
group. Then, organize the new cards you received the same way you did for your first
map:
2. Draw another map based on the cards you traded with another group and indicate
which system of the human body it is:

HierarchyMapof________________System
3. What similarities and differences do you observe between the first set of cards you organized and the new ones?

Similarities Differences