Digital Unit Plan

Unit Title: Matter and Energy in Organisms Name: Elise Johnson

Content Area: Life Sciences Grade Level: 9-10

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

HS-LS1-5.​ Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.
HS-LS1-6.​ Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with
other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
HS-LS1-7.​ Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are
broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.
HS-LS2-3. ​Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
HS-LS2-5.​ Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Where does cellular energy come from?

How do cells use energy?
How does matter and energy flow between living systems?
Why doesn’t the Earth run out of carbon?

Unit Summary:

In this unit, students will first be introduced to the concepts of cellular metabolism to become familiar with cellular energy. Using the First Law of
Thermodynamics and conservation of mass, students will be able to explain how carbon compounds and energy flow through the cell. In addition,
students will be able to explain how energy from ATP can be used to perform cellular work.

Using online resources, students will visualize the processes of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and fermentation, and explain how energy and
matter are transferred in these processes. They will be able to identify and diagram the inputs and outputs of these different processes and explain
how they are connected.
Moving to a macroscopic level, students will work in groups to construct a concept map illustrating various processes that move carbon throughout
Earth, including the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Combining their understanding of photosynthesis, cellular respiration,
and the carbon cycle, students will create a poster that illustrates their knowledge of these processes and how they are connected.

At the end of the unit, students will complete a comprehensive unit test consisting of multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, drawing
diagrams, and more.

Assessment Plan:

Entry-Level: Formative: Summative:

· ​Survey: Survey of students’ prior
knowledge about how cells obtain and use
energy to do work. Also tests prior
knowledge of photosynthesis. Will use
Socrative to administer the survey. Students
will be asked to rank their knowledge on
particular concepts as well as answer
multiple choice and short answer questions
to gauge their knowledge.
· ​Graffiti Board: Students will engage in
a graffiti board exercise in order to assess
their knowledge of the ubiquitous nature of
carbon on Earth. The central question they
will respond to is “Where on Earth do we
find carbon?” Students will be prompted to
respond with specific examples on either
the macro level of the planet and its systems
or the micro level in the cell. This exercise
will help students understand that carbon is
everywhere in the world, but because there
is a finite amount, it must be recycled
through the carbon cycle.
· ​Kahoot!: Students will play an online
game that tests their learning of vocabulary
and concepts from the “Introduction to
Metabolism” lesson. Once Ms. Johnson launches
the game online, students will go to​ ​Kahoot​ and
enter the game code into their smartphone or
other device to begin playing. Ensuring that
students understand these concepts about the
basics of cellular energy is important before
moving on to photosynthesis and cellular
respiration so that they have proper context
for these processes.
· ​Webercise: The webercise walks students
through resources that explain the processes of
photosynthesis and cellular respiration and
how they are connected. Accurate completion
of the webercise worksheet involves
identifying inputs and outputs of different
sub-processes of photosynthesis and cellular
respiration, situating the processes within the
correct organelles and compartments in the
cell, identifying sources of energy that drive
these processes, and making connections
between them. Fully understanding how
· ​Poster: In groups, students will create a
poster that illustrates the relationships between
photosynthesis and cellular respiration and
between these processes and the global carbon
cycle. Students must show the locations of these
processes in the cell; the processes’ inputs and
outputs and their sources or later destinations;
and connections between the processes. The
poster will be visually interesting and show clear
relationships between processes at the molecular
and macroscopic level. Each group member will
also fill out a peer evaluation form that describes
teammates’ contributions to the poster. Finally,
students will write down strengths and
weaknesses of other groups’ posters in a gallery
walk exercise.
· ​Unit test: Students will individually complete
a comprehensive end of unit test that assesses
their achievement of the learning objectives.
Students will have to complete a variety of types
of questions including multiple choice, fill in the
blank, short answer, and drawing diagrams. The
questions will test their understanding of
carbon compounds and energy flow through standalone concepts as well as their application to
the cell is important before moving on to the others.
macroscopic level of carbon movement
through the carbon cycle.
· ​Virtual lab activity: In groups, students
will use this​ ​virtual lab activity​ to measure the
rate of photosynthesis in response to changing
various variables like light intensity, light color,
temperature, and concentration of carbon
dioxide. Rates of photosynthesis will be
measured by counting the number of bubbles
released per minute. Each group will
investigate the effect of one variable before
presenting their findings to the class in a
discussion. Groups will be required to form a
hypothesis, gather data in a table, present data
in a graph, and form a conclusion. In addition,
individual students will complete a worksheet
that will show their knowledge of
photosynthesis as a process and how it relates
to the lab they completed.
· ​Carbon cycle concept map: Working in
groups, students will complete a concept map
on Popplet that defines the different spheres of
the Earth and various processes that move
carbon between those spheres in the carbon
cycle. Students will be required to use given
sources to research the spheres and processes,
and they must include photosynthesis and
cellular respiration. Accurate completion of the
concept map will show students’
understanding that carbon is recycled through
different systems of the Earth.
Lesson 1 (Teacher Lecture)
Student Learning Objective:
By the end of the unit, students will
demonstrate understanding of
conservation of energy and matter
and use this understanding to
explain energy and matter flow
through carbon-containing
compounds in cells.
Lesson 2 (Webercise/ iPad Lesson)
Student Learning Objective:
By the end of the unit, students will
be able to identify and form
relationships between the net inputs
and outputs of photosynthesis and
cellular respiration (aerobic and
anaerobic conditions).
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities: ​Teacher presents the “Introduction to Metabolism” lecture as
Entry-level: students fill in their guided notes. First, students are to discuss the questions, “In
Survey what ways does carbon contribute to the molecular diversity of life?” and “How
Formative: does the cell make the things it needs to survive?” Then, after students are
Kahoot! refreshed with the idea that carbon makes up almost all of the essential
Summative: macromolecules of the cell, students are introduced to metabolism and general
Unit test types of metabolic pathways. After this, the First Law of Thermodynamics and
conservation of mass are introduced, with a video about burning fat to accompany
this. Then, students count the number of atoms in the overall reaction of cellular
respiration to show that matter is conserved. They then learn the concept of
chemical energy to account for the First Law of Thermodynamics. Endergonic and
exergonic reactions are then related to catabolic and anabolic pathways, and the
concept of energy coupling is introduced. ATP hydrolysis is used as an example of
a common exergonic reaction that drives endergonic ones, and students are asked
to brainstorm uses for the energy released in this reaction.
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities: ​Students download the “Photosynthesis and Cellular
Entry-level: Respiration Webercise” from the digital unit plan website. Working individually,
Survey students begin by reading an article and learning about the importance of
Formative: photosynthesis before they move to the structure of the chloroplast. Then, they
Webercise worksheet move to the light-dependent and light-independent reactions before moving on to
Virtual lab activity an animation of photosynthesis. Here, students learn where in the chloroplast
Summative: these reactions take place, and are required to diagram the inputs and outputs of
Poster these processes. They will then apply this knowledge of photosynthesis to explain
 Unit Test why plants require sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow. Students will then
move to another article, this time about cellular respiration. They will then
diagram the inputs and outputs of the processes of glycolysis, the Krebs Cycle, and
the electron transport chain, identify where in the cell these occur, and explain
where the energy that drives these reactions comes from. To learn about
fermentation, students go to another article and explain the function of anaerobic
respiration, as well as its mechanism and outputs. Finally, students complete the
“Cell Energy Cycle” interactive to connect the inputs and outputs of
photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Lesson 3 (Graphic Organizer)

Student Learning Objective:
By the end of the unit, students will
be able to diagram relationships
between the different spheres of
Earth through the movement of
carbon in the carbon cycle. They will
also be able to explain how
photosynthesis and cellular
respiration contribute to the carbon
cycle.
Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities: ​Students will work in groups to create a concept map in
Entry level: Popplet that shows how carbon is recycled throughout the Earth. Groups will be
Graffiti board given four resources to read and take notes on, which should be split up evenly
Formative: within the group. Concept maps must include the four spheres of the Earth, a
Carbon cycle concept definition of each, and an image representing each. Branching from each of the
map four spheres will be at least 4 processes that move carbon from one sphere to any
Summative: other. Each process will have a brief description as well as a clear indication of the
Poster direction of movement of carbon. The concept map should give an idea of some of
Unit test the ways that carbon is recycled through Earth and reflect students’ ideas on the
graffiti board from before the lesson.

Unit Resources:

​ 1​th​ edition Chapters 8, 9, 10, 55.4

Campbell Biology 1
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/cellularrespiration.html​ Cellular respiration animation and interactive
“When You Burn Fat, Where Does It Go?” Video
https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/photosynthetic-cells-14025371​ Photosynthesis article
http://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/photosynthesis2_sim.html​ Photosynthesis and cellular respiration animation
https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/cell-energy-and-cell-functions-14024533​ Cellular respiration article
https://www.ck12.org/biology/fermentation/lesson/Fermentation-BIO/?referrer=concept_details​ Fermentation article
https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=455​ Cell Energy Cycle Interactive
http://www.cotf.edu/essc2/intro/spheres.html​ Different spheres of the Earth
Carbon Cycle Interactive Diagram
https://scied.ucar.edu/carbon-cycle​ Carbon cycle article
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle​ Carbon cycle article
https://youtu.be/aLuSi_6Ol8M​ Video on the Global Carbon Cycle

Useful Websites:

Popplet.com​ – This is the website you will use to create your group’s carbon cycle concept map. Use it to brainstorm ideas for other classes as well.
Scitable by nature education​ – This website has plenty of educational articles in the life sciences. Click on “Library” and explore different topics,
eBooks, current issues, and more in the life sciences.
cK-12 Biology​ – This site contains educational articles, practice quizzes, videos, and more on multiple topics in biology. The site also has various
other school subjects to browse as well.
Science Learning Hub​ – This link will take you to the “Concepts” page where you can browse many topics in biology and read helpful articles or
engage in various interactives.
Biology Online Interactive Activities​ – This webpage contains various biology interactives on different topics in biology.