How She Teaches Meiosis

This week we are building on what we were learning about cells. Specifically how we make new cells in our bodies. We were studying Mitosis, how we make our body cells like skin, muscle, brain, and liver cells, which are identical to the parent cells they come from. This week we’re learning about a process that sounds similar, Meiosis. Meiosis is the process of making gametes, or sex cells.

Some essential questions this week are: How many chromosomes do you have? Where do you get your chromosomes from? What are the sex chromosomes? What does the process of meiosis do?

Teacher Scripts

Body cells vs. Sex cells – free! (Day 1)

Meiosis and Genetic Recombination (Day 2)

Meiosis vs. Mitosis (Day 3)

Lesson ideas

• Read “Meiosis and Chromosomes” in the textbook
• Check-in: “Meiosis and Chromosomes” (TEACHERS MAKE A COPY Google Form)
• Vocabulary Log: Body cells, Gametes (Sex cells), Meiosis, Homologous Chromosomes, Sex Chromosomes, Haploid, Diploid
• Watch Amoeba Sisters video “Meiosis”
• Answer Amoeba Sisters video questions “Meiosis”
• Vocabulary Log: Crossing Over/Genetic Recombination
• Create a Venn-Diagram: Mitosis vs. Meiosis
• Quiz: Meiosis vs. Mitosis (TEACHERS MAKE A COPY Google Form)

Follow my plan to teach Meiosis in 1 week!

Day	Teacher Script	Classwork	DUE
Mon/Tues (90 min)	Body cells vs. Sex cells	1. Read “Meiosis and Chromosomes” HMH Textbook pgs. 260-262. 2. Take the Reading Check-in Google Form. (Retake the check-in and your highest score will be recorded. Email teacher if you have any questions or are not sure why you got problem(s) wrong) 3. Vocab Log: Create a Vocab Log for Genetics Part 1. Write the definition in your own words and draw a picture. Don’t forget a keyword! 1. Body Cells 2. Gametes 3. Meiosis 4. Homologous Chromosomes 5. Sex Chromosomes 6. Haploid 7. Diploid	DUE Tues 1. Meiosis and Chromosomes Reading Check-in 2. Vocab Log Genetics Part 1
Weds (45 min)	Meiosis and Genetic Recombination	1. Watch the Amoeba Sisters video Meiosis and answer the questions in this Google Doc. Turn in for credit. 2. Add the following vocabulary term to your vocab log: #8 Genetic Recombination (Crossing over)	DUE Weds 1. Amoeba Sisters Video Questions 2. Add “Genetic Recombination” to your vocab log
Thurs/Fri (90 min)	Meiosis vs. Mitosis	1. Create a Venn diagram (on paper or digitally) to compare and contrast the processes of Mitosis and Meiosis. You must have at least 5 characteristics listed in each category. Turn in for credit. 2. Once you have completed all the tasks above, take the Quiz: Meiosis vs. Mitosis. (You may complete this quiz more than once and your scores will be averaged).	DUE Fri 1. Venn Diagram Meiosis vs. Mitosis 2. Quiz Google Form

Prior Knowledge: What should students know?*

• Cells are alive.
• Cells have DNA.
• DNA is a genetic code that contains instructions to create living things. DNA is organized into chromosomes.
• Cells are specialized like skin, lung, brain, sperm, and egg cells, or undifferentiated like stem cells. 
• Body cells are made through Mitosis. Identical, diploid cells are made. Identical copies are important because mutations can lead to cancer. 

Tips

• *Sequence of topics varies from school to school. At the time that I taught this lesson in our Genetics unit, we had already been through units on Body Systems, Macromolecules, DNA, Protein Synthesis, and Cells. Genetics is so interesting to students, I think you could do this lesson early on, but it will make the most sense to students if they know about different body cells, how DNA is organized into chromosomes, and about Mitosis.
• Use Google Slides to present lots of images and examples while reading my Teacher Scripts
• Present the definitions to students to write in their Vocab Logs. Whatever they don’t define or illustrate during the “lecture” can be finished as an assignment afterwards, or for homework. Students use Google Image Search or the textbook for the drawings.