Appendix 1: Teacher notes – organisation of the lesson (The structure of eukaryotic cells)

Combined with using the virtual microscope, this lesson links directly to SHS 1 Section 2 Unit 2 Eukaryotic cells and the teaching and learning activities associated with it.

Ideas for organising this exemplar lessons link directly to activities and teaching examples in the OpenSTEM Africa CPD units on Organising practical work and Collaborative learning.

Overview

If possible, this lesson should take place in the ICT Lab in your school if this can be arranged through your Head of Science and the Head of ICT. If the lesson takes place in the ICT Lab, it may be possible for each student to work individually at a computer; otherwise divide the class so that students are in small groups at a computer.

If it is not possible to use the ICT Lab for this lesson, then try to set up this lesson in your classroom. You may be lucky enough in your school to have a set of ‘empty’ tablets or mobile phones which students can use. Or you may be able to bring into the classroom a laptop connected to the internet or to your school intranet – and perhaps connected to a projector to make it possible for the whole class to view at once. If access to ICT is a real challenge in your school but you want your students to view an experiment, you might be able demonstrate it to small groups of your students at a time, using your own mobile phone

Whatever way(s) you set up the class, it would still be helpful to the students to be able to work in pairs or small groups for at least some of the lesson. Do remember as well that students need desk space to be able to write in their notebooks and to draw diagrams.

Steps in organising the lesson

Step 1: (This could be pre-lesson homework). Have students pre-read the Background section of the exemplar lesson. At the beginning of the lesson, check understanding by asking them the questions.

Step 2: Organise the class to work individually, or into pairs, or - with a group leader – into small groups of 4. Have them draw in 2D the cells in the Background section Figure 2. If in a pair, one draws the plant cell and one draws the animal cell. Have them check each other’s drawing for accuracy. This give you the opportunity to go round and check each pair’s/group’s work.

Step 3: Make sure that all have access to/can see the computer screen to begin the practical activity. Ensure that each pair/group knows how to choose the slides – or if you are using a laptop/projector, that the class helps to choose the slides.

Step 4: Have the class follow the instructions for accessing the slides on the virtual microscope and then drawing the slides. If working in a pair on a PC, ensure that each student in the pair gets to choose 2 of the slides; if working in a group on a PC, have the group leader coordinate the choices of the group.

Step 5: Allow enough time for everyone in the class to use the microscope and study the cells in full. If the class is in pairs or groups, then you may need to reduce the drawing of the cells from four to two, for example, as they pair/group will only be able to work on the one cell at a time that they can see on the virtual microscope.

Step 6: Five minutes before the end of the lesson, tell the students to complete the quiz.

Other examples of lessons which use the virtual microscope include:

• Biology SHS 1, Section 1, Unit 5: The microscope
• Biology SHS 1, Section 3, Unit 1: Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena
• Biology SHS 1, Section 3, Unit 11: Scientific Inquiry Skills
• Biology SHS 2, Section 4, Unit 3: Transport
• Biology SHS 3, Section 1, Unit 1: Internal Structure of Roots, Stems and Leaves

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