Biology - Standard: 3.1.B.A3
Biology - Standard: 3.1.B.A3
Continuum of Activities
The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.
This continuum of activities offers:
- Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
- Questions/activities that grow in complexity
- Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance
Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content
Activities
- Define unicellular.
- Define multicellular.
- Give an example of an organism that remains unicellular and explain how it reproduces.
- Identify the two unicellular cells necessary to create life in many species, including humans.
- Explain the process of cell division in multicellular organisms, starting with its onset of a single cell.
- Identify a multicellular organism. Describe its formation from a single cell to its development of a multicellular organism.
Answer Key/Rubric
- Unicellular is defined as having one cell.
- Multicellular is defined as having more than one cell.
- Acceptable examples may include, but are not limited to:
- bacteria, protozoa, amoeba, paramecium, euglena
- Most unicellular organisms reproduce through the process of asexual reproduction. In this process, offspring is created by a single parent, and is identical to the parent. In binary fission, the single cell splits into two identical cells.
- The two unicellular cells necessary to create life in many species are the ovum (egg cell) from a female and a sperm cell from a male.
- Acceptable examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Cell division in many multicellular organisms begins with the union of egg and sperm, each containing half of the DNA the offspring will have, through the process of fertilization. Once fertilization of the egg occurs, a zygote is produced. From there, the single cell splits into two, then four, and so on, producing specialized cells producing tissue, organs, and other means necessary to create an embryo that will continue to develop and carry out life functions.
- Acceptable responses must include:
- identification of a multicellular organism and explanation of its development from a single cell.
Sample response:
Humans are multicellular organisms whose life begins from a single celled ovum and sperm cell. Through
sexual reproduction, a zygote is formed. The newly joined cell undergoes cell division and the cell is
replicated. The cell division produces specialized cells that form tissues, and organs, creating an embryo. The
embryo develops inside its mother for an approximate gestational period of nine months.
**NOTE: Many animals may be described with a similar process (though some develop in eggs outside the
mother’s body) and the gestational period may vary.
