Zebrafish: The Key to Cell History
The article discussed can be found
here:
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular
Medicine in the Helmholtz Association. (2018, April 9). Tracing the origin of
each cell in a zebrafish. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180409141623.htm
Continuing on with our topic of cellular biology and the
implications on genetic diversity, Derrick, Kim, and I used the internet as a
resource again in order to find scientific texts. We found an article on Science Daily titled “Tracing the origin of each cell in a zebrafish.” The
article talks about how technology can determine different cells types and cell
lineages. The benefit of knowing cell lineages can help determine the function
of a cell when it first occurred. This article ties in technology in STEM, DNA
structure function, DNA replication and repair, cell division, heredity, and evolution.
Those topics are part of the core learning goals in biology for the Maryland
State Department of Education and for that reason, we chose the text for a high
school level class. While the text is short in length, it ties in higher level
concepts and new vocabulary which can allow a student to think deeper about how
structure and function can make an impact and also how evolution plays a role in
cells. The article has a goal/action/outcome text frame because it discusses
how zebrafish cell lineage can be traced using LINNAEUS.
When reading the text as a reader,
I initially thought this text would be easy to read because of the short length,
but the vocabulary that was introduced made it more complex. Immediately, the
text brings up RNA sequencing and cell history which made me think about cell
molecular biology and evolution. This brought me into that mindset in which I was
able to utilize my prior knowledge of those topics. The technology technique
mentioned was LINNAEUS which made me think about Carl Linnaeus who was
responsible for binomial nomenclature and taxonomy. In the article, LINNAEUS is
used to determine cell type and cell lineage from DNA scars. From thinking
about Carl Linnaeus, it made me think deeper as a reader with how his name
really describes the technology since the technology technique deals with
determining cell lineage and type to determine its origin similar to how Carl
Linnaeus determined nomenclature. I also found the zebrafish’s role to be
important as it acted as a model organism in which researchers can determine
which mutations in humans may be harmful and cause permanent damage (Max
Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 2018). I thought the text was complex
enough to get me thinking and deepen my understanding in a reader’s point of
view.
When reading the text as a
teacher, I thought this article would be a great way to combine topics of cell
biology, heredity, and evolution. It would be most appropriate to provide this
article in conjunction with an animation from the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute regarding zebrafish and their ability to regenerate heart cells (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/zebrafish-heart-regeneration).
Students will be able to see how science is interrelated and that by using a
model organism and technology, it can have a positive impact on human life. Students
must have a good understanding of heredity and cell biology in order to
understand the vocabulary that’s provided. The text complexity is appropriate
for a high school level biology class. Similar to other texts we have chosen,
the author is selling his view in a way to get more research for LINNAEUS. There
are a number of metaphors provided that help serve as visual aids as none are
provided in the text. In one instance, the author represents scars on DNA acting
as a barcode to determine a cell’s lineage (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular
Medicine, 2018). Another instance shows that repatching is like chromosome
pieces being glued together quickly. The author’s purpose is to inform how a
model organism, like a zebrafish, coupled with technology can help determine
potential mutations in humans that may cause permanent damage. This type of
text is meant for those who have a science background or are interested in this
type of research. The article is informational with what the author is
describing. The text provides an intro paragraph that helps capture a reader’s
attention. There are also headings which will help students follow the author’s
storyline. Overall, this text is a great supplement to instruction in showing
how three different types of scientific topics are interrelated and how technology
can make changes in our understanding.
The guiding after reading strategy
that was provided to me by Derrick was quick-writes. Immediately after reading,
I set a timer for three minutes in which I was to gather my thoughts informally
and summarize what I took away from the article. Derrick provided three prompts
to guide my thinking and writing. The first prompt was what did I find the most
important, the second was explaining what I was interested in, and the last
prompt focused on what did I what to know more about. By doing the write ups
and discussing afterwards, my understanding of the text became deeper because I
was able to self-reflect while it was still fresh on my mind. I am the type of
learner in which I need to think about it mentally, write it down, and then
talk about it out loud. While this text was short, there was advanced
vocabulary. By being able to vocalize this and also doing research on the new
words, I better understood the text as a whole afterwards. This strategy also
allows for reflection which I think is important when we as teachers want to
use strategies that allow both reading and writing skills, but also
self-questioning. Since the strategy requires a time limit, it really gets
students thinking fast and hard for a short period of time versus leaving it
open ended where some students may struggle with getting started. I really
enjoyed this strategy and will certainly use it in the classroom with different
types of scientific texts. This strategy allows a student to extend their
thinking after reading and even extend their learning beyond the classroom and
clarify their understanding (McLaughlin, 2015). Students are able to make
personal connections to a text using this strategy by verbalizing their thoughts
and understanding (Buehl, 2017).
References
Buehl, D.
(2017) Classroom Strategies for
Interactive Learning, 4th ed. International Reading Association.
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular
Medicine in the Helmholtz Association. (2018, April 9). Tracing the origin of
each cell in a zebrafish. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180409141623.htm
McLaughlin, M., (2015). Content
Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. Boston:
Pearson.
Rechelle,
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see you mention how many topics and standards can be discussed through the use of this article that we chose, as this will be a good example for students to see how everything they learn about in the classroom has a connection in some way. The article also does a good job introducing the use of model organisms like you mentioned. In doing so, students get a further glimpse in to the type of research and investigative work that model organisms can provide and how scientists go about using them. I am glad to hear the quick writes strategy worked well for you as it is one I believe students will be able to complete and relate to. Many times after a reading students dread being told they will complete a writing, by making it simple and short, students can be driven and focused to get their ideas and thoughts down on paper. Were there any suggestions you would add to the activity, for instance maybe maybe a different prompt? Overall great job!
Hi Derrick, I thought the prompts you provided were very helpful in determining what was important. One additional prompt I would add would be "what vocabulary did you find difficult/what did you find difficult?" We all agreed that this text contains a lot of vocabulary and by students picking out what they found difficult, we as teachers could perhaps see if there are any trends or gaps in their foundation. This would then allow us to differentiate our instruction and go back to review vocabulary or concepts that a majority of the class found difficult.
DeleteHi Rechelle!
DeleteI really liked this strategy you tried. I agree with what you said about the time aspect, and by putting a bit of a deadline, it gets students thinking fast and getting their thoughts down. I think, depending on that particular group of students and their abilities, the time could be adjusted if needed. For example, I also like to do relatively quick activities with my students to prevent them from getting off task or distracted. This definitely helps get those less-motivated student to get a move on because they don't want to be left behind. I liked the prompts Derrick gave to you for this strategy. It kind of rings a bell with something like a KWL, but altered a bit. I really like that idea because it allows the teacher to adapt those broad categories to better suit a particular group of students.
Rechelle,
DeleteI liked your comment about finding trends and gaps by allowing students to pick out vocabulary they personally found challenging. This is a great formative assessment and as you said, helps you consider your next step with the concept you're covering.
Rechelle,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the article that you chose. I find articles like these that bring up interesting things, such as this one about zebrafish, and I'm sure your students will find it interesting as well. I really liked the strategy that you used and I think this could be really helpful with any reading, even from the things like the textbook. It gives students a way to quickly get down their thoughts, without making it open-ended to the point where they think too much. I agree with Derrick, most students dread having to do any kind of writing, but having it short, students would be more up to doing it. Great analysis, on a great article.
I liked how you mentioned that these articles are great opportunities for talking about author's purpose, in this case, more funding for research. So many conversations about technology and research and how it is all supported financially can come from examining text in this way.
ReplyDeleteHi Rechelle,
ReplyDeleteThe strategy you chose this week sounds great! I like how the students are only able to summarize and answer questions in a limited amount of time. I think sometimes students feel pressured when they are given too much time to reflect on what they have learned. I recently purchased several 2-minute sand timers from the dollar store, and I think I might have to try this strategy sometime soon! Good job!