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Students will apply their knowledge of the structure and function of macromolecules in order to rank four school lunch menus for the National School Lunch Program. Students will practice communicating persuasively and professionally with public officials by providing insight to their ranking process through use of a letter that cites evidence and justifies reasoning in this model eliciting activity.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

The students will solve a mystery using laboratory tests for different types of macromolecules. They will use argumentation to justify and communicate their claim. They will construct explanations and communicate with one another to determine which macromolecule would be best to eat in different scenarios. Students will be able to identify the structure and functions of the four main types of macromolecules. The students will use laboratory testing to determine the identity of an unknown. They will fill in a chart about the structures, functions, and examples for each macromolecule type and then they will practice their knowledge by answering short response questions relating the macromolecules to the real world. Finally, they will review using a whole-class cooperative activity and take a quiz about the structures and functions of macromolecules.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will analyze an athlete's diet to better understand the macromolecules needed for survival. Students will learn the primary function and structure of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Type: Lesson Plan

The purpose of this lesson plan is to exercise students' knowledge of the structures and functions of the four major types of macromolecules by playing Macromolecular Go Fish, solving Macromolecular Math problems, and finally competing with one another in a macromolecule-style game of Names from a Hat.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson teaches applied concepts associated with the four macromolecules: lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will explore the process of protein synthesis, specifically transcription and translation, using a sequenced graphic organizer and an interactive simulation (Lesson 1 & 2).

This resource contains 3 lessons:

• Lesson 1: Transcription & Translation
• Lesson 2: Lac Operon
• Lesson 3: Proteins & Cancer
  
  

As an extension (Lesson 3) the students will justify the applications of biotechnology that uses transcription and translation to synthesize proteins that target cancer cells or reason the possibilities of the amplification of antibodies using immortal cells.

They will explore how mutations, genetic or epigenetic (lifestyle-chemicals, radiation, viruses), resulting in cancer.

The student will connect changes that occur in the genetic code, during transcription and translation, to the deleterious impact on proto oncogenes that promote cell division and tumor suppressor genes that normally inhibit it.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will be learning to recognize and compare and contrast the four different organic macromolecules. This lesson will require the viewing of a 7 minute video and will require 4 large groups of six students to work cooperatively together in a team effort to complete an organic macromolecule chart.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this Model-Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will be introduced to the four biological macromolecules through common snack foods found in vending machines. They will act as dietitians selecting and ranking snack foods based on given their nutrition labels and knowledge of the structure and function of the four biological macromolecules.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Students use their knowledge of organic compounds to solve a simulated mystery (Who took Jerell's iPod) by testing for triglycerides, glucose, starch, and protein. This lab deepens student understanding of biological functions and food sources of various organic compounds.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will complete a lab using indicators to determine which foods contain carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and/or starches. The lab includes pre-lab questions, discussion, lab experimentation, post lab questions, results and conclusion. The students will submit a completed lab report that will be graded based on a rubric.

Type: Lesson Plan

Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of carbohydrates with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.

• The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
• The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
• The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of lipids with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 3 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.

• The Macromolecules of Life: Carbohydrates
• The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
• The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about the basic molecular structures and primary functions of proteins with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 4 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.

• The Macromolecules of Life: Carbohydrates
• The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
• The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to identify and describe the structural and functional features of nucleic acids, one of the 4 primary macromolecule groups in biological systems, with this interactive tutorial.

This is Part 3 in 5-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in the series:

• Macromolecules: Carbohydrates
• Macromolecules: Nucleic Acids
• Macromolecules: Lipids
• Macromolecules: Proteins

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to identify the four basic biological macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) by structure and function with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 in a five-part series. Click below to explore other tutorials in the series.

• The Macromolecules of Life: Lipids
• The Macromolecules of Life: Proteins
• The Macromolecules of Life: Nucleic Acids

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Oil paints certainly left their mark on history and are widely used in art today! Produced with funding from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

Understanding the science behind oil painting can help you become a better artist! Produced with funding from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

Learn about macromolecules with this tabletop exercise.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Teaching Idea

The Online Macromolecular Museum (OMM) is a site for the display and study of macromolecules. Macromolecular structures, as discovered by crystallographic or NMR methods, are scientific objects in much the same sense as fossil bones or dried specimens: they can be archived, studied, and displayed in aesthetically pleasing, educational exhibits. Hence, a museum seems an appropriate designation for the collection of displays that we are assembling. The OMM's exhibits are interactive tutorials on individual molecules in which hypertextual explanations of important biochemical features are linked to illustrative renderings of the molecule at hand.

Type: Resource Collection

In a "Murder Mystery" scenario, students will use their knowledge of the structure and properties of macromolecules to conduct a forensic investigation.

Type: Teaching Idea

This Khan Academy video describes the structure of the molecule DNA in great detail. It also discuses the role DNA plays in the process of protein synthesis, explaining transcription and translation. The video discusses the relationship between DNA and chromosomes as well.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial will help the learners with their understanding of chemical structure of DNA.

Type: Tutorial

Paul Anderson describes the four major biological molecules found in living things. He begins with a brief discussion of polymerization. Dehydration synthesis is used to connect monomers into polymers and hydrolysis breaks them down again. The major characteristics of nucleic acids are described as well as there directionality from 3' to 5' end.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This Protein Purification video lesson is intended to give students some insight into the process and tools that scientists and engineers use to explore proteins. It is designed to extend the knowledge of students who are already somewhat sophisticated and who have a good understanding of basic biology. The question that motivates this lesson is, "what makes two cell types different?" and this question is posed in several ways. Such scientific reasoning raises the experimental question: how could you study just a subset of specialized proteins that distinguish one cell type from another? Two techniques useful in this regard are considered in the lesson. This video lesson will easily fit into a 50-minute class period, and prerequisites include a good understanding of cellular components (DNA vs. Protein vs. lipid) and some understanding of the physical features of proteins (charge, size etc). The simple cell model used here can be assembled in any kind of container and with any components of different solubility, density, charge etc. In-class activities during the video breaks include discussions, careful observations, and the use of a "very simple cell" model to explore two techniques of protein purification. Students and teachers can spend additional time discussing and exploring the question of "how we know what we know" since this lesson lends itself to the teaching of the process of science as well.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This site has fantastic short Flash animations of intricate cell processes, including photosynthesis and the electron transport chain.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

A Java Program that allows the students to explore the macromolecules via closer looks at different organisms. After exploring the macromolecules there are questions they can answer about the individual macromolecules and summary questions. The students can also print a report of their answers for the teacher.

Type: Virtual Manipulative