Introduction
Welcome to our webquest on Vitamins and Minerals!
Science Notebook Prompt: So far in this unit we have been learning about the Molecules of Life. Please take a moment and jot down what the three Molecules of Life are, and a one sentence description of what they do.
What Do You Think? If our bodies are mostly made of and operate with the three Molecules of Life we have already studied, why do they need vitamins and minerals too?
Watch this video to find out the answer:
Task
What Do You Need To Do:
- Complete the activities on the Introduction page.
- Copy the chart below entitled, "Minerals and Vitamins."
-
Mineral or Vitamin?
What Does It Do?
Food Source?
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
(Ascorbic Acid)
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B6
Thiamin
(Vitamin B1)
Niacin
(Vitamin B3)
Riboflavin
(Vitamin B2)
Folate
(Vitamin B9, Folic Acid, Folicin)
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Zinc
- Complete research to fully and accurately fill in the above chart.
- Fill in the chart.
- Then, revisit the question, "If our bodies are mostly made of and operate with the three Molecules of Life we have already studied, why do they need vitamins and minerals too?" Record the question and your educated answer in your Science notebook.
Process
Task 1: Answer Science Notebook Prompt from the Introductory page of this lesson.
- Take out personal Science notebook.
- Record the question from the introductory page of the lesson.
- Reflect on the question.
- Answer the question with your own original thoughts and ideas.
Task 2: Consider the question, "If our bodies are mostly made of and operate with the three Molecules of Life we have already studied, why do they need vitamins and minerals too?" and watch the video, "Do we need to take vitamins and minerals?"
Task 3: Copy, Research, then Complete the Chart on Vitamins and Minerals.
- Copy the chart from the Task page of this lesson.
- Use the links below to fill in the chart on Vitamins and Minerals.
Links:
Video: How Do Vitamins Work
Book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamin's and MIneral's
Article: 11 Essential Vitamins and Minerals Your Body Needs
http://www.goodnet.org/articles/11-essential-vitamins-minerals-your-body-needs
Government Website Resource:
https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/vitamins-and-minerals
Task 4: Revisit the question, "If our bodies are mostly made of and operate with the three Molecules of Life we have already studied, why do they need vitamins and minerals too?" and record the question and your educated answer in your Science notebook.
Evaluation
Evaluation for this lesson will be done with the following rubric:
Rubric for Webquest
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1 |
3 |
5 |
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Science Notebook Prompt |
Question is answered with an original answer. |
Question is answered correctly with at two previously learned concepts with an original answer. |
Question is answered fully and correctly, listing all three previously learned concepts with an original and thoughtful answer. |
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Vitamin and Mineral Chart |
Many missing and/or incomplete sections of the vitamin and mineral chart, with many incorrect answers. |
Most sections of the vitamin and mineral chart are answered fully, with mostly all correct answers. |
All sections of the vitamin and mineral chart are answered fully, with correct answers.
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Reflection Question |
Question is answered, but lacks information that shows proof of educational research as it relates to vitamins and minerals. |
Question is answered with a short response that shows some information learned during the educational research portion of the lesson. |
Question is answered with a complete, original response that cites information learned during the educational research portion of the lesson. |
Conclusion
Congratulations on Completing Your Webquest!
As you found out, minerals include all chemical elements in our food other than Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen (Trefil & Hazen, 2007). Taking in minerals (in our food) helps replenish some of the key minerals our body needs and uses on a regular basis. Calcium is a good example of this process. Our bones need Calcium to stay strong and healthy. Our stores of calcium must constantly be replenished, or we risk diseases like osteoporosis, and bone injuries.
Vitamins are generally not naturally present in our bodies, except for Vitamin D, but they still play a big role in keeping us healthy. Vitamins assist our bodies' enzymes in mediating the bodies chemical reactions. When our bodies lack vitamins we become at risk for mamy diseases, like scurcy, which is mentioned in one of our video's from this lesson.
While our bodies rely on proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, we must not forget the role vitamins and minerals play in keeping our bodies healthy.
Credits
Credits:
- Google Search Engine provided all of my photos, as well as citations for each of the photos.
- The Azusa Pacific University TaskStream site provided access to all of the required state standards.
- Ideas for the student fill-in chart came from kidspot.com.au.
- Science knowledge was checked for accuracy with the textbook, "The Sciences" by James Trefil and Robert Hazen.
Teacher Page
Unit: The Molecules of Life: Vitamins & Minerals
Grade Level: 9-10
Curriculum: Science/Biology
Keywords: Vitamins, Minerals, Molecules of Life, Organic Molecules, Nutrition
Author(s): Diana Maestas
Lesson Context: This webquest was created for use during a larger unit on the Molecules of Life. Students should have first learned about the "Living Cell" in which they learned that life is based on chemistry, and that chemistry takes place in cells (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). Next, they will have learned that cells are the building blocks of life, and come in a variety of shapes and carry out many different functions (Trefil & Hazen, 2010). Students will then have studied unit specific concepts and vocabulary during a concept development lesson in which students began to explore Organic Molecules, Minerals and Vitamins and how they effect the human body. A Suchman Inquiry lesson continued this unit by discussing the first of three types of organic molecules, proteins. Then students were introduced to lipids using the Socratic Seminar method. A Cooperative Learning lesson taught students about carbohydrates, the last of the organic Molecules of Life. This webquest lesson will close this unit with a study of Minerals and Vitamins, as students explore the main vitamins and minerals needed in a general diet.
Standards: As a Biology teacher, I follow the Next Generation (NextGen) Science Standards for the state of California (2007). I am including a webQuest lesson in this unit in order to increase student motivation, promote higher level thinking, and to allow students to contextualize information in a real and personal way, as well as address important Next Gen Standards in meaningful and creative way. The Next Gen Standards that are being addressed are:
- CA- Next Generation Science Standards (2014), Grade: Grades 9-12, Standard: HS-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes, Standard: HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis, Standard: HS-LS1-6. Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
- CA- California Common Core State Standards (2012), Subject: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsGrade: Grades 9–10 students:Content Area: Literacy in Science and Technical SubjectsStrand: Reading StandardsDomain: Key Ideas and DetailsStandard: 2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
Other: Feel free to use this webquest, adapt this webquest, and unitlize it's resources to engage your Science students!