Analysis of a Warm Up on Cellular Respiration (Warm Up 13): Sample Student Responses.
Scoring (1-4) is based on a rubric to determine patterns of student responses.
25 responses of 182 are shown. Asterisks indicate responses used in class.

QUESTION 2: Anemia is a disease that is caused by abnormally low hemoglobin levels or too few red blood cells. What do you think happens in the body cells of people who are anemic that makes them feel tired and weak? (Please read the notes on cellular respiration before answering this question!)

1 – Student says he / she does not know how to answer the Warm Up question.

*Q2 = You know, I've never even really thought about this question. My mother is anemic, so she's always exhausted by the time she gets off of work. But I don't really know what causes you to become so tired.

Q2 = I read the notes and couldn't find an exact answer.

(Note: 32 of 182 students answered in this category)

2 – Student tries to answer the Warm Up question but does not show evidence of any previous knowledge to assist in answering. Student may reveal misconceptions about concepts. Student does not use any information from the text or lecture notes to answer the question. (Incorrect answer)

*Q2 = I think that their cells are not getting enough oxygen. I'm not really sure. I read the notes but I still don't know. I think it probably does have something to do with the lack of oxygen though. That would explain why the person is tired and weak.

Q2 = They do not get enough circulation and they get low blood sugar, which cause them to feel weak and tired. I have been tested for this several times, but I am not exactly sure what happens within the body that causes it.

Q2 = Their red blood cell count gets low. Making them lose all of their energy.

Q2 = I think in people that are anemic, the blood cells could possibly be smaller than normal and so it takes more energy for the body to do normal functions.

Q2 = I think the cells in our body begin to burn up sugar or glucose in our bodies which makes us tired and weak.

Q2 = Their blood cells are not getting enough iron in the blood which causes the cells to produce slower and it causes people to be weak and tired.

Q2 = I could not find the answer in the notes so I'll guess that people who are anemic do not get enough oxygen in their blood from not exercising they can not break down the sugars so that may damage their red blood cells which could cause them to be anemia.

Q2 = I am not really sure but perhaps there is not enough sugar present in the cells so that it makes daily functions harder to perform and people end up tired and weak.

Q2 = I think the oxygen in that cell is deprived and the loss of oxygen causes loss of energy and motivation.

Q2 = The body is suffering from a lack of red blood cells and the body is trying to compensate for it by overworking other cells. This makes the body tired and weak.

Q2 = Maybe during the Calvin cycle reactions portion, something is wrong with the synthesis portion of photosynthesis. Maybe the cycle doesn't go around twice to make one sugar for energy. Maybe the ATP loses one phosphate and doesn't pick it up again.

(Note: 59 of 182 students answered in this category).

3 – Student shows some prior knowledge and may use terminology to answer the Warm Up question. Student does not use appropriate information from the text or lecture notes to answer the question. (May be partially correct but still incomplete).

*Q2 = Just a guess, but people who are anemic feel tired and weak because having fewer red blood cells means their bodies get less oxygen and can't burn sugar well. Since their bodies break down sugar less often they have less energy and are weak because of the low red blood count.

*Q2 = In an anemic person, the blood cannot provide the tissues with enough oxygen. Thus makes the person weak and tired.

Q2 = Since there are too few red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body. They get tired and weak because there bodies are not getting enough oxygen to properly function with.

Q2 = What happens to the body cells that make a person feel tired and weak is that they lack anaerobic means. Therefore the glycolysis is unable to supply the ATP needed to feel healthy and have energy.

Q2 = I think that perhaps ATP is not produced properly and the levels are either too high or too low which cause the person to be tired and weak.

Q2 = People who are anemic lack glucose that makes ATP this is what causes them to feel tired and week because ATP gives you energy.

(Note: 67 of 182 students answered in this category)

4 – Student answers the Warm Up question correctly and completely. Student incorporates information from the text or class notes into the answer. Student may look for answer outside the class (web, etc).

*Q2 = The red blood cells would be able to carry less oxygen to the cells resulting in less ATP being produced through cellular respiration. This lack of ATP would cause a person to feel tired and weak.

Q2 = Red blood cells contain oxygen necessary to make energy. If there are not enough red blood cells, enough sugar cannot be broken down and make into energy to help us breathe and to help our hearts work better.

Q2 = Not as much sugar is being broken down because of the lack of red blood cells. The broken down sugar helps produce ATP for energy. With the lack of the cells, less ATP is produced.

Q2 = I think that because they don't have enough red blood cells get tired because the blood cells carry oxygen to all of our vital organs. Since they are lacking red blood cells they don't get the necessary amount of oxygen to their body parts. That would cause them to lack ATP which is used for cellular work.

Q2 = The cells cannot deliver oxygen, and then cells cannot make ATP. This makes a person tired and have an abnormal metabolism. When the body has less oxygen, then it cannot run cellular respiration well.

Q2 = To burn sugar for energy (ATP) you need a lot of oxygen. .Someone with low hemoglobin is not getting a lot of oxygen and cannot burn a lot of sugar. Therefore, they will have a low energy level and feel tired.

(Note: 24 of 182 students answered in this category)

Note from Kathy Marrs: Many students wrote that RBCs carry oxygen, and a lack of oxygen makes people feel tired, but I was looking to see if students could make the connection between WHY a lack of oxygen causes a person to feel tired. (As I asked them in class, ‘What's so special about oxygen that having more of it makes you less tired???’) I wanted them to realize that oxygen is necessary to get energy (ATP) out of sugar and other foods we eat. If you don’t have enough RBCs, your body doesn't get enough oxygen, and without enough oxygen, you can't make as much cellular ATP for energy.