Edible Cells

• Creating edible examples of cells can be a tasty and fun way to explore the differences between animal and plant cells. Give each student a large, undecorated sugar cookie and have them use frosting and cake decorating candies to create the parts of the cell. For example, a blob of frosting at the center of the cookie might represent the cell's nucleus while a line of frosting around the edge might represent a plant cell's cell wall. Pizza and pizza toppings, or gelatin and fruit can be substituted for cookies. Before beginning this activity, the teacher should find out if any students have food allergies.
  
  

Venn Diagram

• Created by English logician John Venn, Venn diagrams are typically used to depict the relationship between mathematical sets or logical statements. In this activity, students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast animal and plant cells. Students write the parts of the two types of cells and then cut out each term. They use two shoestrings or pieces of yarn to create large, overlapping circles. The left circle is labeled "plant cell," the overlapping section is labeled "both" and the right circle is labeled "animal cell." The students place the cell terms they cut out into the appropriate circle. The terms the cells have in common are placed into a section labeled "both."
  
  

Flash Cards

• Students are given an index card for each major part of the cell. They fold the cards in half. One side of the card contains the name of a cell part while the other contains an illustration of the part and a brief description of its function. The students cut the cards in half and use them for matching games and studying.
  
  

Cell Model

• Corn syrup is typically used as sweetener in a variety of foods, including yogurt, cookies and cereal. In this activity, corn syrup becomes a stand-in for cytoplasm in a simple model of a cell. Give each student two plastic sandwich bags and about a cup of corn syrup. Instruct them to place one bag inside the other, creating a double-bag that represents the cell membrane. They then place small items, such as pipe cleaners, candy, buttons and beads, inside the double-bag to represent different parts of the cell. Working with a partner the students carefully fill the bag with corn syrup and seal it shut. After they've finished the models, the students take turns explaining the parts of the cell, the items they used for those parts and why they chose those items.