School: River Middle School

Teacher: Louann Talbert

Course: Life Science

Grade: 7-8

Driving Question:

What is the connection between cell biology and bread-making?

Project Snapshot

Students study about cells and what makes them work. They use this knowledge to understand how yeast works in bread making and create the healthiest, most alive bread to share with panelists from local bakeries and other food industries.

Student Products

* Two different team baking experiences – one as an entry event, one as their culminating research to create the healthiest, most alive bread.

* Individual comic strip explaining cell biology and yeast’s role in bread making 

*Learn to use a microscope and make wet-mount slides, compare their own plant cell wet-mount slides to prepared animal cell slides, compare/contrast.

* Partner cell drawings identifying cell organelles and explaining their functions

*Team “Cell as a City” descriptions

Teacher Reflection

*Project was good in shorter version from past years

* Need to improve students’ method of improving existing recipes to healthier so they have more success

*Students really liked doing comic strip in place of essay or test

Check out the sample rubric here

Student Reflection

* Need to re-evaluate students’ method of improving existing recipes to healthier so they have more success

* Students really liked doing comic strip in place of essay or test

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