Mini-Lessons for Inquiry and Information Fluency: Life Science
Mini-Lesson Cells
Topics:
Content Area S7L2. Obtain, evaluate, and
communicate information to
Standards: describe how cell structures, cells,
tissues, organs, and organ
systems interact to maintain the
basic needs of organisms.
b. Develop and use a conceptual
model of how cells are organized
into tissues, tissues into organs,
organs into systems, and systems
into organisms.
ISTE 6c Students communicate
complex ideas clearly and
Standards: effectively by creating or using a
variety of digital objects such
as visualizations, models or simul
ations.
6d Students publish or present
content that customizes the
message and medium for their
Genetics
S7L3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate
information to explain how organisms
reproduce either sexually or asexually and
transfer genetic information to determine
the traits of their offspring.
c. Ask questions to gather and synthesize
information about the ways humans influence
the inheritance of desired traits in organisms
through selective breeding.
2b Students engage
in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior
when using technology, including social
interactions online or when using
networked devices.
3d Students build knowledge by
actively exploring real-world issues and
problems, developing ideas and theories
and pursuing answers and solutions.
Evolution
S7L5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate
information from multiple sources to
explain the theory of evolution of living
organisms through inherited characteristics.
b. Construct an explanation based on
evidence that describes how genetic
variation and environmental factors
influence the probability of survival and
reproduction of a species.
3a Students plan and employ
effective research strategies to
locate information and other resources for
their intellectual or creative pursuits.
3b Students evaluate
the accuracy, perspective, credibility and rel
evance of information, media, data or other
resources.
 intended audiences. 3c Students curate information from digital
resources using a variety of tools and
methods to create collections of artifacts that
demonstrate meaningful connections or
conclusions.

Guided What are the levels of Is there a positive or negative human How does genetic variation and environmental
Questions: organization found within the influence on organisms that have been factors impact the survival of an organism?
human body? selectively breed?

Lesson: Opening: Students will view a Opening: Students will be shown a Opening: Students will begin by with
short video introducing the series of pictures of organisms, both a short lesson over Ethical Use and
levels of organization. animals and food products that have Plagiarism.
been genetically modified. Students will https://www.scoop.it/t/instructiona
Work Session: Students will log then be asked, “what do all of these l-technology-by-sb11481-
in to their Office 365 account. organisms have in common?” Students georgiasouthern-edu
The link will be found in their will be allowed to share their answers.
Microsoft Teams tab, under Work Session: Students will be completing an
assignments. Students will Work Session: Students will collaborate online investigation. Students will be posed a
click the link to go to the with their peers in a group discussion question “Does genetic variation and
curated list of resources on Microsoft Teams. The students will environmental factors impact the survival of an
(below). Once on the List.ly be asked to browse the resources organism’s population?” Students will conduct
students will read the articles provided on a curated list. The students their own research to support their claim.
provided and take their own will read the resources and then create
detailed notes. Students will their own question in relation to the Closing: Students will determine which
be reminded to be sure to human impact of organisms that have resources support their claim (answer).
cite where they get their been used for selective breeding. The Students will create a curated list of the
 information.
Closing: Students will create a
graphic organizer illustrating
each level of organization
starting from the simplest to
the most complex. Students
will be graded for having the
correct order, the definition, at
least 3 examples and a picture.
question will be posted within the resources and provided a short synopsis of the
discussion board. website or article.
Closing: Students will post their opinion
of selective breeding to a separate
discussion. The students will need to
include which resources drove their
opinion by citing the websites. The post
should be thoughtful, at least 5-7
sentences.

Assessment: Illustration of the Levels of
Organization in the human
body
-Students should be able to
identify the correct order from
simplest to most complex
- Students will build a digital
graphic organizer
demonstrating their
knowledge.
Resources https://list.ly/l/2EuN
(Curation
Links):
*Digital Information Fluency
*Principles of Inquiry-Based Learning
Students will collaborate with their
peers in a discussion board on Microsoft
Teams.
-Students should create a question in
relation to the human impact of
organisms used for selective breeding.
- Students should then share their
opinion of the human impact by
including information from the
resources given.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play
?id=2383838
Students will create a curation of information and
other resources into a digital platform.
- Students should be able to evaluate the information
for credibility
- Students should include resources that support
their claim for the environmental factors and how it
affects the survival of organisms.
http://www.pearltrees.com/sydbanks3/evolution-
curation-resources/id21018128
https://www.scoop.it/t/instructional-technology-
by-sb11481-georgiasouthern-edu