Unit Lesson 5:

Mitosis Poster Group Project

1. Description of the Setting: What characteristics of the classroom or setting are important to the
lesson? (e.g., grade level, physical set-up of classroom, number of students, adult supports, etc.)
Grade level: 9th-10th grade.
Classroom description: This class is a biology lab and classroom combination with the lecture/instruction
sectioned in the front of the room with the lab set up in the back. The lab set up has tools that are associated
with the course that include microscopes, sinks, and various chemicals, organic specimens, and other
biological samples that we will be working with. The students are seated at tables (two to a table) with
individual chairs for each student. The front of the room associated with lecture activities has a smart board as
the main tool to utilize for lectures, as well as a white board. On the whiteboard is a calendar of the week’s
activities and agendas so that the students feel more prepared for the week. Each seat that a student occupies
is labeled with a number that directly correlates to a phone cubby, and laptop computer from the computer
cart. Students are seated alphabetically to maintain classroom behavior.
In addition, this lesson will be taught in the morning during second hour. (8:15 am to 9:03)
Number of students: 21
Adult support: My cooperating teacher will most likely not be in attendance for this class and therefore I
will be the main support for the room. For additional support in terms of either discipline or safety concerns,
the administration team, security officer, and counselors are available if necessary. She also has a TA student
during her 5th and 6th hour to help with classroom set up.
Class time: 48 minutes

2. Description of the Learners: What do you know about the learners that have influenced your
decisions in planning this lesson? (e.g., learners with disabilities, ELLs, gifted learners, experiential
background knowledge of the learners, cultural diversity of the learners, etc.)
This is an honors biology class, which consists of students who have surpassed certain expectations in the
subject of biology and have passed physical science as an eighth-grade elective. This class is also a pre-step
course for college preparation and a passing grade is required to move onto other AP courses. This results in a
more in-depth look at the content and therefore a more complex workload. This has influenced my lesson in
terms of giving more integrated learning modes and more time for differentiation than a one stylized lesson.
For the same reasons, this class required different scaffolding needs to excel the learning. Taking this into
account, this lesson connects what was completed in the previous unit and allows the students to draw on
previous knowledge for better understanding and comprehension.
In addition, there are two students in the class that have an IEP. One IEP (M.H) consists of giving
accommodation to the student for anxiety and disorganization, while the other student needs accommodation
for dyslexia (M.T). For student M.H. accommodation would include allowing for a quite testing/activity
space as well as allocating more time spent on worksheets. Keeping track of organization should also be a
priority. A more literal language from the instructors is also noted to remove any possible obstacles that the
student may feel arise. For student M.T., this would include worksheets being more formatted, options for
open and interactive assignments, as well as reading the material outload.
These students will be given opportunities to complete the activity in a quite environment so that they can
better concentrate on it, and/or have more of a one-on-one experience at their request.
Classroom culture is maintained by the teacher and me as a safe environment and is then mutually
reciprocated by the students. Overall, the school culture consists of a diverse group of students culturally and
economically. This set of diversity requires a narrative that is level and focused on equity to ensure students
success.
3. Standards/Quality Indicators/Skills: National, state, and/or local standards, quality indicators, and
skills addressed by this lesson.

9-12.LS1.B.1Develop and use models to communicate the role of mitosis, cellular division, and
differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms. [Clarification Statement: Major eventsof
the cell cycle include cell growth, DNA replication, preparation for division, separation of chromosomes, and
separation of cell contents

4. Lesson Objective(s)
(Lesson objectives should contain observable and measurable target behavior, conditions under which the
target behavior should be performed and criteria for mastery.)
 How does this lesson fit into the larger instructional sequence?

Official Objective: Students will show an understanding of the organization of cell replication and complete
the poster project within an 85% accuracy description.

Student Objective: Create a poster of the mitosis process.

As the final lesson in the unit, this formulates what all of the previous processes lead up to, and how more
cells are created. After a cell is then made, it performs its cell “duties” and repeats the cycles of other cell
processes.

5. Assessment: Assessment(s) before, during, and after the lesson

Before: For the entirety of the year, students will come into class and complete a bell ringer before the lesson
starts. This helps to get them focused for the days lesson, while also implementing and reminding them of
prior knowledge we have worked on in the previous class. Today s bell ringer will read, “What phase does the
cell spend most of its time in?” The answer is interphase. The next question will be ready, “What is the cell
doing during this phase?”. As the students fill out the bell ringer, I will be walking around the room taking
note of who is working, and if there are students who are struggling with the question. After the class has had
some time, I will take another formative assessment on how many students answered the question, and how
many got the answer correct.

During: As the students are working, I will be walking around the room and answering questions about the
poster projects. If there is a question that I believe will benefit the entire class to participate in, I will collect
the group’s attention, and ask the class for a peer review answer. This allows for student involvement and a
different perspective on the answer. I will also be asking the class at about the midpoint of the period if they
believe they will be finished today, or if they need another day for completion. Thumbs up for finishing
today, down if they need another day.

After: Each group is given a check list for what it is they need to have in their poster for full points. This
poster is worth 15 points in total and the same grade will be given to each group member. The same will
apply to digital copies as well as other formats the groups choose to project their poster.

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6. Lesson Procedures: Sequence of events of the lesson elements designed to introduce the lesson,
engage learners in the lesson content, and bring the lesson to a close.
 How will you engage the learners, review prior skills/content, and set a purpose for learning?
 In what ways will you explain the relevance of the lesson to the learners and/or link the lesson to
students' wonderings, experiences, or questions?
 In what ways will you demonstrate the processes you want the learners to follow as they participate in
the lesson?
 How will you structure the lesson so that students can gradually assume responsibility for learning?
 How will you provide feedback to students throughout the lesson and guide them to reflect on what
they learned and their own success in the learning process?
 How will you plan for the allocation of time to the different lesson activities?

As the students walk into the classroom, they will take out their binders and begin to work on their bellringer.
This will get their mind set focused on the class and activate prior knowledge into today’s lesson. This will
also give them something to accomplish as soon as they enter and invoke classroom standards that are in
place for the entirety of the year. Once the bell rings, I will remind any students who are still standing to sit in
their seats and begin the bell ringer. As the students are completing this I will be walking around the room
and checking for students who are working on the answers, and those who are struggling with the question.
After about two minutes I will then go over the bellringer and talk about the answer as a class. Today’s
questions will read, “What phase does the cell spend most of its time in?” The answer is interphase. The next
question will be ready, “What is the cell doing during this phase?” The answer for this is, doing what that cell
is made to do. We will go over each question, and I will ask the students to explain the answer, and I will fill
in the gaps where needed. Once the class is satisfied with our discussion we will then move on to our next
activity. I will have prepared all of the materials in the back of the room for students to grab after I am
finished with the instructions. To start, I will pass back the check list to all of the students so that they can
follow along with me as we go over them together. One the students have a check list, I will begin by reading
the instructions.
“Today we will be working in groups of no more than three to create a mitosis poster. You can
either work by yourselves, or in a group of two or three, but no more. You may also choose to work on this
digitally with your Chromebook. I will have a place on canvas/google classroom where you may turn it in. If
you are in a group, each person is responsible for contributing something to the poster. This can either be
drawing, information gathering, or writing explanations. On your posters you must show the process of how
a cell divides into two daughter cells. You must draw and label the cell parts and you must write a short
description of what is happening in each phase. You may organize it however you like, and if you have
another idea on how you want to show mitosis, you may do so, if you follow along with the check list, I have
given you. I am not grading you on your artistic ability, if you label your drawing, and your written
descriptions are accurate, you will get full points. This assignment is worth 20 points total. Two points for
each phase, and one point for each description. There is also a section for you and your group members to
rate everyone’s participation by giving them 0-5 points. Zero meaning they did nothing to contribute to the
poster, and 5 meaning they participated to their fullest possible ability. If you score a zero on this section,
you will get an additional project to make up for your lack of contribution. Make sure that you put a title on
your poster, as well as the date, and all the people who are in your group. Remember, this must be your own
work, so if you are using a digital format, you must create your own pictures. Do not copy and paste
something you find on the internet, or I will give you a zero for the work. Are there any questions?
*if the students prior behavior is exceptional, I will allow for them to choose their own groups, otherwise I
will number them, and choose their groups for them.
I will give you approximately 30 seconds for you to sit next to the people in your group. Please do so quickly
and quietly.

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Now that you are all in your groups, please send one person to the back of the room to gather your supplies.
Once you have your supplies you may begin on your work.”
Once the students have begun working, I will walk around the room, making notes of who is doing what on
their group posters, and who is working on their own. At approximately the halfway mark I will ask the
students if they need more time, or if they believe they will finish it today. After making a consensus, I will
determine if this lesson needs to be pushed to a second day, or to send one person home with the poster to
finish.
When we have about five minutes left, I will collect everyone’s attention, and instruct them to begin putting
all their materials away, clean their stations, and place their finished posters on the table in the front of the
room. I will also remind them to put their names and the date on their poster. They also must turn in their
checklists as well. I will be walking around the room helping students put things away and making sure
stations are clean. At the end of the class, I will ask the students how they feel about mitosis and cellular
division in preparation for the test. Thumbs up, down, or to the side. This will help me to determine if we can
move on from this topic, or if we need to spend another day going over the content with a new point of view.
Once the bell has rung, I will dismiss the class.

Time allocation for this lesson will take approximately 48 minutes. (both days if required)
Bellringer: 5-7 minutes
Instructions: >2 minutes
Activity: 25-35 minutes
Cleanup and completing study guide if applicable: Remaining time.

7. Resources and Materials: List of materials used in planning and during the implementation of the
lesson

1. Smart board
2. Google slides
3. Poster paper
4. Markers/crayons/colored pencils
5. Other materials are optional (string, macaroni noodles, pipe cleaners, beads, glitter, etc.)
6. Tape
7. Previous notes (LINK)
8. YouTube video over Mitosis: mitosis 3d animation | Phases of mitosis | cell cycle and cell division |
mitosis and meiosis - YouTube
9. Chrome books
10. Checklist *on Google Classroom, and at the bottom of page*
11. Participation assessment of other group members
12. Scissors for optional work
13. Mitosis Game (Optional): BioMan Biology

8. Embedded Technology: Instructional and/or assistive technology incorporated into the lesson to
enhance instruction, student learning, and assessment.

All of my materials will be listed on canvas for the students to access. Students will also be able to access
their notes in their binders as well as look onto the canvas page for our lecture notes for more clarification.

YouTube video links will also be made available for students on the document for access of information in
coordination with their notes.

My checklist is printed for students to have access to in hand to make sure all parts of the poster are included.

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This ultimately will help with students learning and assessment in organizing their posters.

I also have a Mitosis game ready for those students who are interested in a different format of content
delivery, as well as those who want to explore further.

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9. Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications/Increase in Rigor: To help meet
the needs of all learners, learning differences, cultural and language differences, etc.
 How are you embedding Universal Design for Learning principles within the lesson?
 What specific accommodations are you providing for individual learners and how are
these being provided?
 How are you modifying the outcome, process, or product for individual learners?
Universal Design for Learning Principles:
 Engagement (why): Structuring the lesson in this way gives students the power of
choice in their production of portraying Mitosis. Though the lesson is initially
formatted towards a poster, the option of letting the students create this poster with
other materials, including a digital means give them control and responsibility of their
own learning. It fosters collaboration from group mates while also holding others
accountable. The use of the Checklist also instills self-accountability and organization
within the group.

 Representation (what): This project offers the students a way of customizing what it
is they have learned and promotes vocabulary within the explanations of the phases.
Using the posters also puts what they have learned in their notes for better processing
and visualization of the content.

 Action and Expression (How): There are various means of obtaining information
needed to complete the posters in the forms of handwritten notes, google slides, as well
as listed YouTube videos and virtual labs. The checklist with points listed also allows
the students to check their progress as they move along with the posters.

Accommodation is provided for students who either want to work in small groups or as
individuals. Within the groups there is the opportunity for work to be divided equally among
the members to give everyone a chance to use their strengths. This is a helpful support for
students M.T and M.H for different reasons relating to the same obstacles. M.H can decide if
they would rather join a group of work alone if the anxiety is to much, and to be able to
complete this at home, or in the recourse room. M.T could showcase drawing or look up
information rather than handwritten notes or use the computer to build his portion of the
poster. All accommodation is also available for students to use as well if the need arises.

10. Classroom Management: Strategies consistent with the learning needs of the lesson
that also meet student behavior needs to help keep learners on task and actively engaged
 How will you review classroom rules and procedures?
 What specific procedures will be in place to ensure smooth transitions between lesson
activities?
 How will you provide reinforcement or acknowledgment to the whole group or individual
learners for appropriate behavior?
 How are you using individualized behavior supports for individual learners?
Students at this point are aware of the expectations of the class and should only need a few
reminders while in the classroom. At the beginning of class, they know to complete the binder
check, and then we will move forward together as a class into the lesson. For today’s

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assignment I will invoke the same procedures that we have been using thought the year and
include some of the following reminders for the class as we begin the poster projects.
 Keep the noise level down. I have the right to move you into new groups if things get
out of hand.
 Treat my markers, crayons, pencils with respect.
 Everyone must participate in the project, if not, you will lose points.
 Stay in your seats until the bell rings.
 At the five-minute mark please clean up your tables and put all materials away where
they belong.
For transitions I will allow one student from each group to go back to get supplies, as well as
give allotted time for groups to be chosen to avoid too much activity in a small room.
I will always acknowledge desirable behavior so others in the room can model as well.
The use of a scaling per grade on everyone’s performance will also help to eliminate anyone
who is not doing their part of the group.

As far as general classroom management there are expectations that were discussed at the
beginning of the year that pertain to all forms of lecture and activities, they are as follows;
 To use the bathroom, you must ask permission to go.
 Cellphones are to be either face down on your desk, or in your bag put away.
 Food and drink are not allowed in the lab but can be eaten at your tables.
 Ear buds cannot be played while in lecture.
 Students are not allowed in the lab at any time. Failure to follow this rule will require a
detention and a write up.
 Once students are completed with their work and if time allows, students may use their
phones as a reward.

11. Supplementary Activities: Activities for early finishers or if the lesson is completed
early that extend learners' understanding of and thinking about the lesson objectives by
applying their new knowledge in a different way

Students who finish early will have an opportunity to work on their study guide and organize
their binders for the upcoming binder check. This time is valuable for students toward the end
of the unit to make sure that they have correct answers on their worksheets and have
everything needed collected to obtain a good grade.

Students who wish to explore more into mitosis can play the bioman game on their
Chromebook. This again includes gamification for students and allows for another avenue of
content delivery.
The use of an open-ended delivery system also enables students to get as complicated, or as
direct as they wish in order to deliver their abilities for grading.

12. Lesson Evaluation and Reflection

 To what extent did the learners meet the lesson objectives?
 In what ways did you provide feedback to learners?
 Which activities or strategies did you find the most effective in the lesson?

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  What adjustments will you make in future lessons?
 How will you build on today's learning in your next lesson?

Additional Information
Any area or lesson component that may not have been covered by this format that you think
is vital to include in this lesson

Mitosis Posters
Name:___________________________ Date: __________________

Directions: Either in a small group (max 3 people) create a poster or other example of mitosis.
You must draw and label all of the phases (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, and
cytokinesis). You must also include a short explanation of what happens during each phase.
Inside the cell also needs to be a drawing of the DNA and chromosomes and what they look like
in each phase of cell division. You may do a poster or 3D model with what materials we have
available, or a digital model if everyone in your group participates.
DO YOUR OWN WORK. DO NOT COPY AND PAST SOMETHING YOU FIND ON THE
INTERNET.
Here is a checklist to make sure you have everything included in your posters.
The second page is a group rating scale. After you are finished with your poster, go back to your
seats and complete a rating from 0-5 of your group mates.
0 = your group member(s) did nothing to contribute
5= your group member(s) did everything in their abilities to help the group.
Do this for each member of your group.

Checklist
Title, names, and date
Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase and
Cytokinesis labeled clearly.
Descriptions for each phase completed.
Pictures drawn with accuracy to each phase.
Chromosome shapes are correctly represented
and explained in each phase.
Poster/project is clearly readable and defined.

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 Total Points: ______________/20

Group Rating

Name: _________________________ Rating 0-5:________________

Name: _________________________ Rating 0-5:________________

Self-Rating: ______________________ Rating 0-5:________________

Additional Comments:

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