• 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. Identical twins have the same genes. One becomes much stronger. Why? (The environment, such as exercise, made a difference. / Strength is never affected by exercise. / Their genes changed into different ones. / They are not really twins.) → The environment, such as exercise, made a difference.Prompt: What can be different if their genes are the same?
3. Inheritance: which statement is true? (If a parent loses a finger, its babies are born without that finger. / The language you speak is inherited. / A scar is an environmental characteristic. / Children are always exact copies of one parent.) → A scar is an environmental characteristic.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 contains the genetic material? (cell membrane / nucleus / cell wall / chloroplasts) → nucleusPrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.
2. Cells: which statement is NOT true? (Chloroplasts are found in plant cells, not animal cells. / Animal cells have a cell wall. / Bacterial cells have no nucleus. / Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane.) → 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. Cells: which statement is NOT true? (Both plant and animal cells have a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane. / Only animal cells have mitochondria. / Chloroplasts are found in plant cells, not animal cells. / Bacterial cells have no nucleus.) → Only animal cells have mitochondria.Prompt: Do plant cells respire?
2. Which part of a cell releases energy from glucose? (nucleus / cell membrane / cell wall / mitochondria) → mitochondriaPrompt: Think about which parts are only in plant cells.

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