Many young students of cell biology become overwhelmed trying to memorize all of the terms which describe parts of the plant and animal cells and the functions associated with each. The following activity gives students the opportunity to experience the various parts of the cell described by the function that each performs using everyday materials.
Labels of the following cell parts in large print or braille as appropriate. These can be printed or embossed several to a page and cut out if there are several students in the class.
Set up the Room as follows for first a plant cell and then an animal cell. Students will enter the plant cell and go through cabinets to discover the organelles of a plant cell and then repeat the process for an animal cell. Prepare a label for each student for each of the following cell parts in the appropriate reading medium:
Put each student’s initials on the card unobtrusively(in print) so as to determine after the activity whether he/she correctly labeled the organelles. The other parts of the cell will be discussed as a group. The students should determine whether the cell is a plant cell or an animal cell based on the structure(s) surrounding the cell and the structures within the cell. This can be discussed as a group as students enter the room and with individual students throughout the activity. Give students cards with the names of the structures in large print or braille and allow them to label them. When they have determined which structure is represented by the items in a particular cabinet, they should place the card in the small tub on top of the cabinet. (I used the styrofoam containers from mushrooms but any small container would work.) Plant cell only:
Animal cell only:
Found in both:
The following will be in the cabinets in tubs.
First variation: Rather than having the students label the parts of the cell, labels can be placed on the cabinets and the instructor can discuss each organelle as it is found by students in the cabinets. (See picture of mitochondria above.) Second Variation: For younger students who have not learned all the parts of the cell, eliminate organelles that they have not yet learned. Examples of organelles that might be removed for the younger students might be the lysosome in animal cells and the Golgi Apparatus and Endoplasmic Reticulum in both plant and animal cells. By Laura Hospitál What household item can represent a chloroplast?Central Vacuole – Place many cans and containers of food and bottles water in one cabinet – This will represent the central vacuole. Plant cells will only have ONE vacuole. Chloroplast – Place sugar packets in several cabinets to represent the sugar produced by plants in the chloroplasts.
What household items represent Golgi bodies?
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