Mapping the Golgi

Revisiting our three previous articles from the past few weeks and the Framing Our Reading assignments, we chose three vocabulary-type terms that stood out in each of our articles. Those three words were cell, Golgi, and mutation. Taking a look at these three terms, there is a natural flow and connection between them, as each can play a role in effecting the other in some way. While the term cell sticks out as the most obvious choice, it teaches us a lesson in not overlooking any single term. As teachers we more than likely will have a firm grasp on the terms used in our classrooms, but it is important to look at assignments from not only your own perspective but from that of the students as well. Making sure students have a well-rooted understanding of this broader term will allow for better comprehension with related terms such as Golgi and mutation. The term Golgi was selected due to its significance in one of our articles that directly discusses the cell component. In exploring this term we can see that even though a miniscule structure may seem insignificant, it plays a central role along with other organelles, in the overall functioning of an organism. When a mutation may occur, possibly in the Golgi for instance, it again can have lasting impacts on an organism such as in ourselves. Again these three terms presented themselves between the three articles and built upon one another to show student’s the connection between different concepts and research occurring every day in the science and biology world. All of which help to promote a further grasp on science standards to be covered at many different levels of the classroom.

As with many aspects of the classroom, the challenge lies within finding the best way to communicate these terms to students so that it creates a lasting understanding. In tackling this question, a number of graphic organizers present themselves as possibilities for helping students. Examples than can be used include semantic maps, semantic question maps, concept of definition maps, and semantic feature analysis charts (McLaughlin, 2015. Buehl, 2014). All of these can be revised and utilized in a way that seems most fit for students working with them at any given point. This fact alone highlights their practicality and usefulness as they may vary student to student, class to class but at the end of the day all of which work to promote the same thing. The one organizer that sticks out the most to me in terms of usefulness within the biology realm is the semantic question map. The semantic question map features a focus word surrounded by three or four questions that key in on important details related to the term (McLaughlin, 2015). Due to its unique characteristic of using questions, these can be tailored to focus specifically on whatever the lesson is focusing on and what I want the students to get out of it, rather than a broad definition and related aspects. With any term in biology I could potentially ask questions such as the working definition, the history in relation to research, its use in everyday life, further research needed, related ideas/processes/structures, and so on. As you can tell there are an influx of possibilities when discussing a science related term so having the ability to tailor specific questions could create a deeper understanding of the term for students.

For this assignment I utilized the concept of definition map to take a deeper look in to the term Golgi. The concept of definition map can be utilized before, during, or after and allows students to take away important information regarding the definition, a description, and examples. After completing the map students can then further explain their choice of information by expanding on it in a summary based off the map. For my map, the term Golgi was centered in a circle with four branches asking “what is it?”, “what are some characteristics?”, “what are some related structures?”, and “what are some diseases related to the structure?”. In the what is it section, I provided a basic definition, such as one found in a biology textbook, stating that the Golgi was an organelle within the cell which plays a role in the modification and transport of proteins. Under the characteristics branch I stated basic features of its appearance as a stack of pancakes, its resemblance to a postal service in how it funnels proteins to different places, and a unique feature of having individual membranes for different portions of the organelle. Some related structures listed surrounding organelle’s which the Golgi work alongside and with, such as the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes. Some well-known diseases that occur due to certain dysfunctions in the Golgi listed Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other autoimmune disorders (University of Kent, 2018). The concept of definition map provided a user-friendly format to serve as a quick guide to an important term. The summary written from this organizer can list what is already seen on the map while allowing further expansion of ideas, for example how the Golgi and ribosomes work together in their roles with proteins. In using this type of map, we could check our initial understandings and later go back to expand on them or change them, and further in the future it can serve as a quick study guide when some refreshing on the topic is needed. 

References

Buehl, D. (2014) Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, 4^th ed. International Reading Association.

McLaughlin, M. (2015). Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness. Boston: Pearson.

University of Kent. (2018, April 3). Cell discovery could help with research on genetic diseases. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 4, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180403111058.htm