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Mission: Inside the Cell

Grade 10ScienceHS-LS1-2
Mission Briefing 🚀
Choose any 3 mission slots to complete. At least one must be a lab or simulation. Cite one credible source per activity.
Pick your path: Choose 3 activities, at least one from each color.
DOK 1 · Show what you knowDOK 2 · Dig deeperDOK 3 · Create & prove it
Pick
DOK 2 Digital
#1

Organelle Job Fair

I can organelle job fair.

Create a 'hiring poster' for 3 organelles: role, skills needed, and a mission-critical example.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Cells are systems, every part serves the whole.
How to succeed: Use function-based language, not just 'it's the powerhouse'.
Pick
DOK 3 Digital
#2

Membrane Simulation

I can membrane simulation.

Run a PhET diffusion sim (linked below). Log 3 variables you changed and the result.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Membranes decide what enters, this drives homeostasis.
How to succeed: Change only one variable at a time.
Pick
DOK 2 Digital
#3

Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote Venn

I can prokaryote vs. eukaryote venn.

Digital Venn diagram with at least 6 items per section. Justify one 'tricky' placement.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: The prok/euk divide is one of biology's biggest lines.
How to succeed: Read primary source language before defining.
Pick
DOK 3 Either
#4

Cell as Metaphor

I can cell as metaphor.

Extend the 'cell as city / factory / spaceship' metaphor to 8 organelles. Where does the metaphor break?

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Analogies show understanding, and their limits.
How to succeed: Name at least 2 places the metaphor fails.
Pick
DOK 3 Digital
#5

🌟 Mission Lab

I can 🌟 mission lab.

Design (don't run) a wet lab that would test one organelle's function. Include a hypothesis and control.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Designing an experiment is deeper than running one.
How to succeed: Every 'if/then' needs a 'because'.
Pick
DOK 2 Digital
#6

Microscope Tour

I can microscope tour.

Explore 4 cell images on CIL Cell Image Library. Annotate visible structures.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Seeing real cells beats seeing textbook diagrams.
How to succeed: Note magnification and staining if listed.
Pick
DOK 3 Either
#7

Concept Map

I can concept map.

Map 15 terms with labeled connectors (not just lines). Include cause-effect and 'part of' links.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Understanding lives in the connections, not the terms.
How to succeed: Every arrow must have a verb on it.
Pick
DOK 3 Digital
#8

Case File: Disease

I can case file: disease.

Pick a disease of a specific organelle (e.g., mitochondrial myopathy). One-page case brief.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: When organelles fail, systems fail, that's real medicine.
How to succeed: Use one recent (< 5 years) source.
Pick
DOK 3 Digital
#9

Explain to a 5th Grader

I can explain to a 5th grader.

60-second script or video: how a cell membrane works, no jargon.

Sentence Starters
  • One way to show this is ___ because ___.
  • The strongest evidence is ___ since ___.
Why this matters: Teaching down is the ultimate test of understanding.
How to succeed: Use one strong analogy, not five weak ones.

Mostly DOK 2-3, pair with a low-DOK exit ticket to catch gaps. #5 (mission lab) is a strong pre-write for the next unit's actual lab. Provide the PhET link for #2 in advance; block off Chromebook time. Watch for AI-generated answers on #4, the 'where does it break' question makes those obvious.

TEACHER COPY, do not distribute

Teacher Notes

Mostly DOK 2-3, pair with a low-DOK exit ticket to catch gaps. #5 (mission lab) is a strong pre-write for the next unit's actual lab. Provide the PhET link for #2 in advance; block off Chromebook time. Watch for AI-generated answers on #4, the 'where does it break' question makes those obvious.