Teaching the Concept of the Circulatory System: Animals vs. Plants By: Janet Vaz and Debra Fabian

Introduction We all know that animals, humans included, have a circulatory system made up of blood, blood vessels and a heart. But what if we told you that plants also have a similar circulatory system? How is this possible?

Lesson Sequence Lesson 1: Cell Specialization - An Overview Cells differentiate to become tissues and organs Lesson 2: Circulatory System of Animals Heart, Blood, Blood vessels Lesson 3: Circulatory System of Plants Vascular tissue system, Xylem, Phloem Lesson 4: Plant Circulatory System Lab Lesson 5: Circulatory System of Animals vs. Plants Lesson 6-8: Culminating Task – Research Assignment

Curriculum Expectations Grade 10 - Biology: Tissues, Organs and Systems of Living Things B3.3 Explain the links between specialized cells, tissues, organs, and systems in plants and animals B3.4 Explain the primary functions of a variety of systems in animals B3.5 Explain the interaction of different systems within an organism and why such interactions are necessary for the organism's survival B2.7 Use a research process to investigate a disease or abnormality related to tissues, organs, or systems of humans or plants

Teaching Strategies: Overview Video on Cell Specialization found at: http://www.brainpop.com/health/geneticsgrowthanddevelopment/cellspecialization/preview.weml

Teaching Strategy: Circulation in Animals Activity http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=662&ClassID=0 Gizmos interactive activity used to develop an understanding of the parts, and pathways of the circulatory system Students must complete this visual lab by using the student worksheet provided to work through each section Extensions are provided for students who are able to move beyond the expectations, and for those who require more support, they will be provided with a vocabulary sheet

Teaching Strategy: Circulatory System of Plants Demonstration Place a white carnation in water Ask: "What do you think is happening when the flower is in the water?". Discuss ideas as a class. Ask: "What do you think will happen if I add blue dye to the water?". Allow students to come up with a hypothesis. Place the flower in the water and discuss results.

Teaching Strategy: Circulatory System of Plants Activity In pairs, students complete a mind map (or other graphic organizer) of the plant transport system using textbook & additional online resources Vocabulary list is provided to ensure students include all necessary components

Teaching Strategy: Circulatory System of Plants - Lab For the lab component, students observe a cross section of a vascular plant cell under the microscope, create a labelled diagram, and communicate their findings Communication section focuses on comparing similarities and differences between plant and animal circulatory systems including form and function

Teaching Strategy: Comparison Game Create a Jeopardy game full of comparison questions between the circulatory system of plants and animals: http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=1903b709-c359-4676-a6e2-44aee90b032c

Teaching Strategy: Research-based Assignment Students choose from a list of potential diseases/conditions affecting the circulatory system of either plant or animal cells Information can be communicated in a variety of ways such as PowerPoint presentation, Wiki, research paper, etc. Groups must create a handout for the class that includes disease description, symptoms, treatments, preventative measures, consequences to other systems connected to the circulatory/transport system

Potential Student Difficulties CONTENT DIFFICULTIES Many terms – students must learn parts of heart and plant cell Transport direction – which way does blood flow within the heart? Which vessels carry oxygen and in what direction? Differences between Xylem and Phloem contents and direction

Potential Student Difficulties PROCESS DIFFICULTIES Mind map is time consuming and requires a strong understanding of how things fit together Students must have a good cross section and must focus the microscope accurately in order to see the necessary components Communication section of microscope lab is individually written and application-based

Potential Solutions to Student Difficulties Encourage students to develop acronyms/phrases to help remember details ie. Blood through heart chambers Include a vocabulary/terms list and examples of mind maps to refer to as students work through the graphic organizer Provide images of plant cross sections as students work through microscope section Refer students to additional resources that provide information on similarities and differences between plant and animal circulatory systems for the communication section of lab

Safety Considerations Computer components for the Gizmo activity and research sections of various assignments must be conducted in a responsible manner, including using the internet for educational purposes Microscope and related lab equipment must be used in accordance with the code of conduct agreed upon at the start of the year Classroom must be safely organized so nothing is in the way while groups are working at microscope stations

Practical Applications Use of Nanotechnology in Vascular Cell Research Looking into new ways of tracking bacterial/viral movement in plant cells Medical Advancements in Circulatory System Technology Assessing how heart condition treatment has changed over the last few decades, and how it could change in the years to come

Differentiated Assessment SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1) Both practical applications are related to the research-based assignment which has rubrics provided to explain how it will be assessed in the following ways: PowerPoint, poster, or other visual method displaying information on chosen condition Student-designed handout and oral presentation 2) Unit test will check student understanding of the concepts of: parts of plant/animal circulatory system pathways of nutrient transfer similarities and differences among plants and animals

Differentiated Assessment FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1) Interactive Gizmo activity as process learning of animal circulatory system 2) Mind map as a visual learning tool to connect vascular components in plants 3) Ongoing class discussions based on demonstrations, labs, and online activities