Cellular Respiration Unit

Teach Cellular Respiration with Confidence Using This Ready-to-Go Unit!

Centered around the questions, “How do cells convert food into usable energy to power life processes?” and “How do aerobic and anaerobic respiration differ in energy production, byproducts, and when they occur in the body?”, this complete unit helps students break down the process of cellular respiration through clear visuals, hands-on experiments, real-world connections, and engaging review activities.

Why Teachers Love This Resource:

• Covers all major stages of cellular respiration—glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and electron transport chain—and clearly explains the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
• Includes a hands-on yeast lab so students can see anaerobic respiration in action.
• Everything’s ready to go—just print or project! Save time while delivering rigorous and meaningful instruction.

What’s Inside:

• Unit Pacing Guide – A clear, organized timeline with essential questions and estimated timing for each lesson and activity.
• Detailed Lesson Plan – Step-by-step guidance with objectives, materials, timing, and procedures.
• Cellular Respiration Presentation & Notes – Introduces key concepts with diagrams, vocabulary, and built-in comprehension checks.
• Reading Comprehension Activity – Starts with a Think-Pair-Share and includes a reading passage with scaffolded questions.
• Homework Reflection Assignment – Students explain what happens in their cells when they’re out of breath during exercise.
• Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Respiration Comparison – A chart activity that reinforces differences in energy output, byproducts, and when each occurs.
• Stages of Respiration Match & Classify Activity – Students sort molecules and process descriptions into the correct stage of respiration.
• Yeast Respiration Lab – A hands-on experiment where students measure carbon dioxide production under various conditions.
• Cellular Respiration Quiz – Wraps up the unit with multiple-choice and short-answer questions that assess key concepts.
• Answer Keys with Explanations – Included for every assessment and activity to make grading simple and learning meaningful.

Pro Tip: Help students make real-world connections by linking respiration to sports, exercise, and food production (like how yeast makes bread rise!). These connections make the science stick.

This complete cellular respiration unit gives you everything you need to confidently teach one of the most important life science topics—without the stress of planning it from scratch.

⭐ Looking for quality resources and time-saving tips for your secondary science classroom?
☑ Follow Spectacular Science on TPT
☑ Subscribe to My Newsletter
☑ Check Out My Blog
☑ Follow Me on Instagram

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Thanks for visiting!
Jessica