Modeling Mitosis Structured Investigation Inquiry: Modeling Mitosis

Modeling Mitosis

Structured Investigation Inquiry: Modeling Mitosis

Students will be required to understand the process of mitosis and demonstrate this by drawing pictures of the different mitotic stages in the correct temporal order. These drawings will be judged by how complete they are. For example, the subcellular organelles involved in each stage, including the nuclear membrane, chromosomes, spindle fibers, and centrioles, should be clearly labeled and depicted in a manner that reflects the correct structure for a given mitotic stage. The students will then provide a written, overall summary to demonstrate their grasp of the terminology used to describe mitosis.

Class Performance Ranking Results for Modeling Mitosis:

Exceeding expectations: 50%

Meeting expectations: 33%

Below expectations: 12%

Critique of Student A, an Example of Meeting Expectations:

The student's description of mitosis revealed minor discrepancies in her grasp of the knowledge that included the following:

Cytokinesis was defined as one cell splitting into two.

Interphase was defined in the summary as the period when chromosomes are copied, but the drawing did not show chromosomes.

The summary discussion of prophase discussed the movement of centromeres to the opposite sides of the cell, but failed to mention the nuclear membrane. She also failed to label the centrioles in the drawing of the prophase cell.

The summary discussion of metaphase cells stated that chromosomes line up and then separate into chromatids, but failed to label the chromatids in the drawing

Telophase is described as the period when the nuclear membrane reforms and cytokinesis occurs, but the drawing depicted completely separate daughter cells.

In spite of these deficiencies, the drawings and summary demonstrated a depth of understanding that promises further improvements in subject matter comprehension in the future.

Pre-Laboratory and Post-Laboratory Exercises: Chicken Wing Dissection

Prior to the start of a laboratory project, students were tested for their level of comprehension concerning the mechanics of movement and how bones and muscles work together to support this process. The pre-laboratory exam included a question, hypothesis, and Venn diagram designed to probe the depth of their understanding. Following completion of the laboratory project, which involved students dissecting the muscles and bones of chicken wings, another assessment of student understanding was performed using a questionnaire and essay section. The rankings of student performance were based on terminology use, topical fluency, and how well they used their own words to demonstrate subject matter comprehension. Students who demonstrated mastery of the material were judged as exceeding expectations.

Class Performance Ranking Results for Pre- and Post-Laboratory Exercises for Chicken Wing Dissection:

Exceeding expectations: 40%

Meeting expectations: 44%

Below expectations: 16%

Critique of Student B, an Example of Exceeding Expectations:

This student exceeded expectations for several reasons, including the following:

In response to the question "How do our muscles and bones work together to move the wing?" she answered "The muscles attach to bones with tendons, and flex so that the bones can move." This answer matched her drawing of muscles and bones, which demonstrated consistent comprehension of the material and her understanding of the need for a muscle to flex before a bone could move.

Her answers demonstrated that she understood the similarities between the mechanics of chicken wing movement and those of the human arm. She was also able to discuss this relationship correctly in the conclusion section. She discussed the significance of ball-and-socket joints and how they help humans enjoy a wider range of movement, which revealed a depth of understanding that most students were unable to demonstrate.

Her statement that "We flex our muscles that makes the bones move because they are connected by tendons." demonstrated her understanding of the role of tendons.

The following image demonstrates her depth of knowledge (please note her identification of the tendon):

Critique of Student C, an Example of Meeting Expectations:

The student demonstrated prior knowledge and understanding by stating in her pre-laboratory exercise that "I think our muscles and bones work together by tendons."

Following the laboratory exercise the student demonstrated an increase in her comprehension of the material by stating the following in the conclusion section: "There are many ways that will help animals like chicken and humans move by using muscles. You can find nerves, tendons, and blood vessels. Some of the examples are biceps and triceps. They can also use bones. Bones meet at joints and ligaments connect bones."

This student failed to earn a ranking of exceeding expectations, because she equated bone to cartilage in the statement "An example of a bone is cartilage."

The following image demonstrates this student's level of understanding, and why she earned a ranking of meeting expectations:

Critique of Student D, an Example of Below Expectations: