I came up with a genetics-related joke because it is the area of biology that I have the highest interest in. This meme shows the importance of accurate replication and transcription of the genetic code. Although one base doesn't seem very significant, an addition or deletion of a base results in every base thereafter to be shifted over, and a completely different set of amino acids will be translated, which will either lead to a completely different or a nonfunctional protein that will be destroyed by the cell. OR, if a mutation like this happens early in development, it could be detrimental to the growing fetus. I have the phrase "structure leads to function" ingrained into my brain from every biology class I have taken, which makes sense because this concept is so important. Although one insertion/deletion seems very small, it has a rippling effect on every codon downstream of the mutation. The lack of structure leads to a lack of intended function.

Review Activity

To end my field experience, I created a review game from scratch for my students. I pulled questions and concepts from the unit to create the questions. I used information from my assessments class to create clear questions with good distractors.  The idea is that as the students progress through the slides, each numbered question corresponds to a letter to answer the joke at the beginning. If all of the questions are answered correctly, the joke can be correctly answered. I also created an answer key with more information on why some answers are correct or incorrect.

Cooperative Learning Activity

This is a card-sort activity where students have to "discover" the endosymbiotic theory.

Teacher instructions are as follows

Lesson Goals: 

Students will “discover” the endosymbiotic theory by piecing together the clues as a team.

Students will work together by listening, sharing, and revising ideas. 

Procedures:

Begin the lesson by explaining to students the rules of the card game (Deal out the cards amongst themselves; read the hints aloud to each other to figure out the questions; do not hold and read each others’ cards).

Allow students time to work together to answer the questions (written on a board at the front, or printed out): 

  1. What does the endosymbiotic theory explain?
  2. What evidence supports the endosymbiotic theory?
  3. Why can’t the process described by the endosymbiotic theory be reversed?

To conclude the lesson, allow students to share their team’s ideas with the class, guiding the discussion toward the correct scientific explanation.