• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Inherited and environmental characteristics). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Is this characteristic inherited or environmental: a cat's fur pattern? (inherited (from parents) / environmental (from life)) → inherited (from parents)Prompt: Were you born with it, or did it happen during life?
2. A plant grown in a dark cupboard is tall, thin and pale. Its seeds are planted in sunlight. The new plants are… (white, because their parent was in the dark / unable to grow / normal and green, because the pale look was caused by the environment / pale, because they inherit it) → normal and green, because the pale look was caused by the environmentPrompt: Is being pale passed on in the seeds?
3. Inheritance: which statement is true? (Some characteristics depend on both genes and environment. / The language you speak is inherited. / Children are always exact copies of one parent. / If a parent loses a finger, its babies are born without that finger.) → Some characteristics depend on both genes and environment.Prompt: Which things can be passed on in genes?

• Show a microscope image of cells and ask what students think they are looking at.
• Share the objective: Plant and animal cells. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which part of a cell contains the genetic material?
• Step 1: The nucleus contains genetic material (DNA) and controls the cell.
• Step 2: So the answer is: nucleus
• Answer: nucleus
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Which part of a cell is a thin layer around the cytoplasm? (nucleus / cell membrane / chloroplasts / mitochondria) → cell membranePrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.
2. Cells: which statement is NOT true? (Plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not. / Animal cells have a cell wall. / Most plant cells have a large permanent vacuole. / Chloroplasts are found in plant cells, not animal cells.) → Animal cells have a cell wall.Prompt: Do plant cells respire?

• 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Which part of a cell strengthens and supports a plant cell? (cell wall / nucleus / mitochondria / chloroplasts) → cell wallPrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.
2. Cells: which statement is NOT true? (Plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not. / Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane. / Bacterial cells have no nucleus. / Animal cells have a cell wall.) → Animal cells have a cell wall.Prompt: Do plant cells respire?

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