Lab 28 – Cell Model
NOTE: This activity may require “prep-work” including the purchase of materials. Or, students may need to be assigned (requested) to bring some materials from home.
GRADE-LEVEL adjustments. Some variation of this activity is often performed in lower grades. Even so, with an elevated context this otherwise lower-grade activity can be adjusted to – and applicable to – high school students.
Example 1 of high-school modification
- Create strands of differing DNA models (Lab 21) to represent more than one cell species.
- Clarify this activity’s relationship to the STEM practice of developing and using models.
- Discuss how this activity/model illustrates the cross-cutting concepts of scale, proportion and quantity.
- Discuss how this activity illustrates structure and function.
Example 2 of high-school modification
- Assign separate teams to create multiple animal cells – representing differentiation from stem cells to specialized cells.
- Include requirements for a sequence illustrating mitosis.
Overview
This activity can vary from being “craft-like” to being a sophisticated set of requirements to illustrate complex ideas in cell theory. Explore the links provided here for inspiration.
- Edible Cell Models web page
- Cell Model Mitosis Meiosis (youtube)
- Computerized Model from NPR
- 39 Simple Cell Models from Pinterest
- Easy Cell Model – how to make one