Lesson Plan: Mitosis Science
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to describe the events of interphase and mitosis, outline the significance of the process to unicellular and multicellular organisms, and outline how cancer can develop.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- state that mitosis is a cell division process whereby two daughter cells are formed after genetic duplication of the chromosomes in the parent nucleus,
- state that mitosis is important for the growth, repair, and regeneration of somatic cells and for asexual reproduction,
- describe the events of interphase and the four stages of mitosis,
- state that cancer is the result of uncontrolled cell division,
- outline the use of nanotechnology to penetrate and destroy targeted cancer cells,
- describe how partial liver transplants can be carried out due to the high mitotic activity of liver cells.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the basic structure of animal and plant cells, including the general role of the nucleus,
- the concept that unicellular organisms reproduce by binary fission (Unicellular Organisms lesson),
- asexual reproduction (another lesson, but worth reviewing here).
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- details of G1, S, or G2 in the cell cycle or pie charts,
- details of the causes or genetics of cancer.
