4^th Grade Microscopic World Unit Blueprint

Pacing Suggestions:
1 Day

Teacher Resources:
Tips	Multi-Cellular Plants Observation Form (Microsoft® Word®) Multi-Cellular Plants Observation Form (Adobe® Reader® PDF)

Why are microscopes important?

5C(3-5)#2: Microscopes make it possible to see that living things are made mostly of cells. Some organisms are made of a collection of similar cells that benefit from cooperating. Some organisms’ cells vary greatly in appearance and perform very different roles in the organism.

**Note: The teacher will need to deliberately point out the above concept.

12D(3-5)#2: Make sketches to aid in [reporting observations and] explaining procedures or ideas.

12A(3-5)#1: Keep records of their investigations and observations and not change the records later.

12C(3-5)#3: Keep a notebook that describes observations made, carefully distinguishes actual observations from ideas and speculations about what was observed, and is understandable weeks or months later.

Multi-Cellular Plants Observation Sheet (Teacher-generated sheet)

• Do students’ drawings and written observations indicate they observed a collection of similar cells?

The following skills should be improving considerably.
• Do the drawings show that the student has in fact observed an object and drawn what was seen?
• Does each drawing have an “individual character” and is not a stereotype of what the student expected to find?
• Do the drawings show relative size, shape, texture, shading, position, and complexity?
• Do students’ written observations describe relative size, shape, texture, color, and other relevant details?
• Do students refrain from changing their observations (written and sketches) once class sharing has occurred?
• Do students record observations, not inferences, ideas, or speculations?