Classifying Systems in Cells
The nature of how living things work is intrinsically connected and interrelated. This unit covers a broad range of topics, from molecular aquaporins, to the global challenge of securing the worlds food supply.
At its heart, this sequence of five lesson plans urge students to look at photosynthesis as a means to increase food supply for the worlds growing population.
This sequence is designed to be broad enough to show how all the elements fit together, but there are many opportunities for individual classroom elaboration and exploration.
Additional learning can be made or synthesised by students viewing the Virtual Plant Cell: Into Aquaporins 360° video. This video was custom designed by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology and takes students right inside the cell. They’ll see where aquaporins sit within the cell, what they do, and how they’re created. It also highlights the important role that aquaporin proteins play in shuttling water, carbon dioxide and other molecules vital to good plant health, into and out of plant cells.There are several key points in the lesson plans where the video will work particularly well, and these are noted in the downloadable unit.
The lessons have been created and compiled by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. They’re based on real research techniques, translated for the classroom environment.
Click on the links below:
The original sequences are provided publicly as supplementary information from the following journal article, written by Stefan Reuscher, Masahito Akiyama , Chiharu Mori, Koh Aoki, Daisuke Shibata, Katsuhiro Shiratake, Published: November 19, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079052.
