Science Lesson Kit · Teacher Resource
Inside Cells: Food Molecules & Usable Energy — 5E Lesson Plan
Life Science · 55 minutes
Grade 6
5E lesson flow
01
Engage
7 min
Teacher Does
Show a moving animal and a germinating seed; ask where food-derived matter can go.
Students Do
State an observation and two hypotheses.
Ask
- Does the food's matter vanish when an organism is active?
Look For
Matter and energy are different.
02
Explore
12 min
Teacher Does
Provide the food-to-cell sequence and model cards.
Students Do
Order stages and track matter.
Ask
- What happens before molecules reach cells?
Look For
Digestion in animals supplies smaller molecules.
03
Explain
10 min
Teacher Does
Introduce atom reorganization and energy transfer during reactions.
Students Do
Sort cards and explain the difference.
Ask
- Are atoms used up when energy is transferred?
Look For
Atom counts conserved.
04
Model
15 min
Teacher Does
Use the before/after token model and show a flawed energy-created statement.
Students Do
Rearrange tokens, count each type, and repair the claim.
Ask
- How do you know atoms were not lost?
- Where might transferred energy go?
Look For
Identical C/H/O counts; energy is transformed.
05
Evaluate
11 min
Teacher Does
Give the independent seed-cell transfer worksheet.
Students Do
Use evidence and correct a claim.
Ask
- What can and cannot be proved by these tokens?
Look For
Model limitations and cautious reasoning.
Student goal
I can trace food matter and released energy at the cellular level while conserving atoms in a model.
Learning objectives
- Trace food molecules into cells and distinguish the matter they supply from the usable energy their reactions transfer.
- Use a simplified atom-token model to show that atoms are rearranged into new molecules rather than created or destroyed.
- Critique a cell-energy model and explain what the model shows and omits, without requiring chemical equations or ATP calculations.
Materials
- Colored atom-token cards
- Food-to-cell picture cards
- Energy arrows
- Independent seed case worksheet
- Claim and evidence organizer
Before class
- Use physical models without claiming beads are actual molecules.
- Keep the generic before/after token counts identical for every element.
- Do not require symbolic chemistry, biochemical reaction sequences or ATP calculations.
- Use the same science reasoning for plant and animal cells.
Prior knowledge
- Cells are living units in organisms.
- Matter is made of atoms that can form molecules.
- Energy can move and change form.
Vocabulary
- food molecule
- A molecule from food that provides matter and stores chemical energy.
- cell
- The smallest living unit that performs life processes.
- matter
- Anything that has mass and takes up space.
- atom
- A tiny unit of an element that remains present when molecules are rearranged.
- molecule
- Two or more atoms bonded together.
- rearrange
- To change how the same atoms are grouped into molecules.
- cellular respiration
- A series of reactions in cells that can release usable energy from food molecules.
- chemical energy
- Energy stored in the arrangements of atoms and bonds in substances.
- model
- A simplified representation for explaining a system.
Differentiation
- Color-code carbon, hydrogen and oxygen consistently.
- Use sentence frames: 'The atom count stays ___, while the molecule grouping ___'.
- Offer a smaller three-type token board for accessibility.
- Extension: explain why both green plant cells and animal cells need respiration.
Assessment
- Check that token totals match for each type.
- Require separate matter-usage and energy-transfer statements.
- Reject 'energy created' and 'atoms disappear' claims.
- Require one model limitation.
Exit ticket
What happens to the atoms in food when cells rearrange molecules—and where does energy go?
Extension
Create a model card that distinguishes building cell material from transferring energy for cell activities.