Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

Single-celled and many-celled organisms

Cells, genetics and evolution

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-1England: KS3 Biology: Cells and organisation

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Single-celled and many-celled organisms.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Plant and animal cells

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Microscope images or slides, Cell diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Plant and animal cells). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which part of a cell is where aerobic respiration happens? (chloroplasts / cell wall / nucleus / mitochondria) → mitochondriaPrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.
  2. Cells: which statement is NOT true? (Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane. / Chloroplasts are found in plant cells, not animal cells. / All plant cells have chloroplasts. / Plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not.) → All plant cells have chloroplasts.Prompt: Do plant cells respire?
  3. Which part of a cell strengthens and supports a plant cell? (mitochondria / cell membrane / nucleus / cell wall) → cell wallPrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a microscope image of cells and ask what students think they are looking at.
  • Share the objective: Single-celled and many-celled organisms. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Is this organism unicellular or multicellular: a bacterium?
  • Step 1: A unicellular organism carries out all life processes in one cell.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: unicellular (one cell)
  • Answer: unicellular (one cell)
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Is this organism unicellular or multicellular: paramecium? (unicellular (one cell) / multicellular (many cells)) → unicellular (one cell)Prompt: Can you see it without a microscope?
  2. A bread maker adds yeast to dough. What is the yeast? (a single-celled plant / a multicellular animal / a non-living powder / a single-celled fungus) → a single-celled fungusPrompt: Yeast belongs to the same kingdom as mushrooms.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Single-celled and many-celled life: which statement is true? (Single-celled organisms cannot move. / Multicellular organisms have cells that are specialised for different jobs. / A mushroom is a single cell. / All single-celled organisms are bacteria.) → Multicellular organisms have cells that are specialised for different jobs.Prompt: Are all microbes bacteria?
  2. An amoeba has no lungs or stomach. How does oxygen get into it? (through its cell wall made of wood / it does not need oxygen ever / by diffusion through its cell membrane / through tiny lungs) → by diffusion through its cell membranePrompt: It is only one cell, so everything is close to the surface.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Plant and animal cells.
  • Use concrete materials: microscope images or slides.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Single-celled and many-celled organisms

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Single-celled and many-celled life: which statement is true?

    • A. Single-celled organisms cannot move.
    • B. All single-celled organisms are bacteria.
    • C. A mushroom is a single cell.
    • D. Bacteria are single-celled.

  2. Question 2

    Is this organism unicellular or multicellular: a jellyfish?

    • A. unicellular (one cell)
    • B. multicellular (many cells)

  3. Question 3

    Pond water is viewed under a microscope. A tiny organism moves using a whip-like tail and has a nucleus and chloroplasts. What is true?

    • A. It cannot be alive because it is so small
    • B. It is a multicellular plant
    • C. It must be a bacterium because it is small
    • D. It is a single-celled organism that carries out all life processes in one cell

  4. Question 4

    Is this organism unicellular or multicellular: a bacterium?

    • A. unicellular (one cell)
    • B. multicellular (many cells)

  5. Question 5

    Is this organism unicellular or multicellular: a human?

    • A. unicellular (one cell)
    • B. multicellular (many cells)

  6. Question 6

    A bread maker adds yeast to dough. What is the yeast?

    • A. a multicellular animal
    • B. a non-living powder
    • C. a single-celled plant
    • D. a single-celled fungus

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Single-celled and many-celled organisms

  1. 1. D. Bacteria are single-celled.

  2. 2. B. multicellular (many cells)

  3. 3. D. It is a single-celled organism that carries out all life processes in one cell

  4. 4. A. unicellular (one cell)

  5. 5. B. multicellular (many cells)

  6. 6. D. a single-celled fungus