Membrane Structure
Diagram activities about the fluid mozaic model
Students watch a video diagram and have a chance to practise drawing a diagram of plasma membrane structure. Using a range of resources including; a screen cast, flashcards of the labels and their annotations, a quick test and some IB style questions. There is also a blank diagram to use as a plenary activity or an assessment student learning. These resources are designed to be used on an interactive whiteboard.
Lesson Description
Guiding Questions
What are membranes in the cell made of?
How are these components arranged?
Activity 1: Screencast
Play 
membrane screen cast and while you watch,
complete your own diagram on the 
membrane diagram student worksheet
This is the membrane diagram student worksheet.
Click the eye icon to show a completed membrane structure diagram
Activity 2: Learn the labels
Watch the Flash slideshow by Barbara Liang - which explains membrane structure nicely.
Study the eleven 
Flash cards - (Print the PDF. Fold the page along the dotted line, glue and cut the solid horizontal lines)
Alternatively study the membrane structure flashcards cards online.
Activity 3: Quick test and IB Style questions
Test understanding with these Quick test questions.
Test exam technique and understanding with these more difficult IB style questions.
Teachers' notes
This page is part of a series of lesson resources for the diagrams of the IB syllabus.
The simple diagram is designed especially as one which is easy for students to replicate under exam conditions. It shows the main features correctly but simply.
A more detailed diagram link is given to support more in depth understanding and raise awareness of the beauty and complexity of biological systems.
Some students can learn a diagram and it's labels easily, but many students need help to remember the precise shapes and sizes of the parts of each diagrams, and they need to practise to get the labels correct and to understand the labels.
The resources on this page aim to help teachers support these students.
There are many ways to use this page.
Screencast - Ways of usng the Flashcards in a lesson (4 mins)
- Students can work independently or as a group.
- The resources can be projected in the classroom or studied on a computer.
- Worksheets allow you to print as much or as little as you wish.
- Differentiation is possible, as students could follow their own learning pathways to the IB style questions.
A Suggested Lesson Plan.
Starter: 10 minutes
- Students complete the Diagram Activity worksheet while watching the Screencast as a whole class.
Main: 40 minutes
- Students study printed (or online) Flashcards to help memorizing of the labels
- Flash cards - Print the PDF. Fold the page along the dotted line, glue together and cut the solid horizontal lines
- Students take a Quick test - to see how well they understand the labels
- Students review the Screencast and attempt the diagram (with labels) from memory.
End: 10 minutes
- Plenary - students label the unlabeled diagram as a class game to further consolidate learning
Membrane diagram to label
- Differentiation - students who need additional time for main can continue independently.
Homework
Complete the IB style questions.
Extra resources for teachers