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Charlie and the Cell City (Grades 6-8)
Master Teacher
Tracy Brown
Time Allotment
Three 90-minute class periods
Overview
Students will investigate the major components of the cell and their function through an adventure inside the cell with an imaginary little guy named "Charlie." Charlie is lost in a cell and finds out that it resembles a factory and a city. To find his way out of the cell he must identify certain components of the cell and their functions. Through the use of the Internet and viewing a video, students will be able to learn the different components of a cell and how they are related to components in a factory. This information will help Charlie find his way out of the cell and finally construct his own cells and tell of his wonderful adventure.
Subject Matter
Life Science
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to :
- identify the major components of the cell and their functions
- compare and contrast the major components and functions of animal and plant cells
South Carolina Standards
These Standards can be found online at Office of Curriculum Standards.
II. Life Science: Organization and Classification of Living Things
1a. Explain why the cell is the most basic unit of living things.
2a. Compare the major components of the cell and their functions.
Media Components
Video
Our Human Body, Lesson 3: "What Are Cells Like?" examines the parts of plant and animal cells and their functions.
Web Sites
Cell City/Factory. Students will use this site to explore the different parts of the cell and how they are related to a factory by playing the Who Am I? game. Students will use Activity Sheet 2 to identify the parts of the cell using the given clues. The teacher can check students' answers using the answer key on Activity Sheet 2.
A cell is a small city as shown at A Cell is a Small City. This site contains a listing of the parts of the cell. By clicking on each one, students will be taken to a page with questions to be answered and the links to help them find those answers. Students will use these sites to help Charlie identify the structure and explain the function of each of the organelles. Answers are on Activity Sheet 3.
Instructions for making a 3-D cell will be found at Explorer: Making 3D Plant & Animal Cells. Teachers will need to print out and copy for students.
Materials
Per group:
- Play-Doh (plain/260 g or 8 oz)
- yarn or spaghetti
- pepper
- purple Play-Doh (approx. 7g)
- plastic bubble packing
- red Play-Doh (approx. 5g)
- green Play-Doh (approx. 10 g)
- aluminum foil (approx. 12 x 7 inches)
- plastic wrap (approx. 12 x 16 inches)
- blue Play-Doh (approx. 20 g.
- plastic wrap (approx. 3 x 6 inches)
- pencil shavings
- Cells Are Us by Dr. Fran Balkwill
- What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells
Prep for Teachers
Prior to teaching: bookmark all of the Web sites in the lesson and go to the appropriate Web site to print out Activity Sheets for Activity 3 (Part 2 of the Culminating Activity) Teachers should go to this Web site, click on each of the listed organelles and print out the worksheet and remove any questions needed.) (See Learning Activities Day 2)
Teachers may use one of the listed books under materials to introduce the topic and to bring closure.
Make copies of worksheets for Activity Sheet 1: Who Am I?, Part 1 and Activity Sheet 2: Who Am I?, Part 2 after deleting the italicized answers.
Cue the videotape to the appropriate starting point (See step 4 under Introductory Activities.
Prior to completing Culminating Activity 1, go to Explorer: Making 3D Plant & Animal Cells. to download the instructions for making a 3-D plant or animal cell. The instructions are in an acrobat file. Click up the second icon labeled for the acrobat file and then print the instructions out. Remember to remove what each material represents prior to students' conducting the activity.
Plan to keep the character Charlie conveyed throughout all parts of the lesson. This is important since the students must determine what type of cell he was trapped in.
(Note for Teachers: Because of the time period allotted for this lesson students will use only part of this Web site, A Cell is a Small City. Due to copyright restrictions, we have not provided copies of the individual quizzes for each part of the cell. Each teacher will have to print from the web site and copy for their students.)
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
Setting the Stage (Day 1)
Introductory Activities
Step 1: Read one of the listed books.
Step 2: Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students they will use this Web site to determine the function of the different organelles of the cell as well as how they are represented in a drawing on the Web page. Students should do this activity individually if possible. Students will go to bookmarked site, Cell City/Factory and complete Activity Sheet 1: Who Am I?, Part 1different parts of the cell on the first page.
This will take students to a page that describes its functions and its relationship to the city/factory. Tell students to use the back button after clicking on each part of the cell. After the students have clicked on all parts of the cell and matched each clue with a part on the activity sheet, they should take the city cell tour. This will give students a replay of each of the pages visited in order. This way students can change any answers if necessary. Tell students they are permitted to go through the city tour several times if they need to.
Step 3: After students have completed their tours give them the correct answers and answer any questions or misunderstandings students may have at this time.
Step 4: Students will continue their Who Am I? game with the video The Human Body, Lesson 3: "What Are Cells Like?" Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students they will learn the parts of a cell and how a plant and animal cell obtains food from the video. Before viewing the video give students Activity sheet 2: Who Am I?, Part 2. Answers are italicized and should be removed prior to distribution to students. Instruct students to listen to the video segment to answer the questions on the activity sheet
START the video after the bacteria cell segment, right at the beginning of the eurkaryotic cell segment, the speaker will be saying "Cells that make up the tissues of animal and plants are called. . . . " (Special note: encourage students to take notes and allow them to use their noteson Activity Sheet 2: Who Am I?, Part 2 if necessary.) STOP the videotape when the speaker begins to say "single cell organism may be sensitive to. . . . "
Day 2
Learning Activities
Begin Activity 3. Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling students they will use the Web site, A Cell is a Small City to research each organelle and determine its function and how it works with other cell parts to function correctly. Students will use this information for Part 2 of their culminating activity. On the Web site, the title "A Cell Is a Small City" will appear. Scroll down the page until you come upon the title "The Process" where you have a yellow dialog box with the cell organelles listed. Students will click on each of the following organelles—nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, lyosomes, cell wall, vacuole, endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplast—and double click the underlined Web site and answer the questions underneath the Web site. Make sure you have made copies of each organelle page before doing this activity. Note to Teacher: Special attention has been indicated to the Web pages that would not display on the answer key pages-remove these questions prior to distribution of sheets. Answers are given in the Cell City answer key. If more time is needed to do research, allow students another day.
Day 3 or 4
Culminating Activity/Assessment
Students will use the information from Day 2 to begin their final projects.
Step 1: Now it's time to help Charlie make a model of a plant and animal cell. Distribute the downloaded instructions on making a 3-D cell without the section indicating which material represents which organelle. Students are to figure out which materials represents the different parts of the cell. Allow students about 10-15 minutes to decide what organelle a particular material represents. The next step will be to follow the instructions on making the cell models.
Step 2: Students will help Charlie review his adventure by completing Activity 4 and 5. Students will do Activity Sheet 4 (Cell City 2) determining what part of the cell represents that particular function and model on the sheet. Students will also do Activity Sheet 5 and Activity Sheet 6 (cell diagrams) and name the parts of the cell
(Note to teachers: Answers should be removed prior to copying for students.) Students should understand that this is an individual assessment and notes may not be used.)
After Activity 6, indicate to students that "Charlie was in a plant cell."
Step 3: Have students read one of the books listed under materials to complete the lesson.
Cross Curricular Extensions
Writing: After completing all the assignments, students can write a narrative and descriptive writing to show their understanding of the different parts of the cell and their functions through their adventures with Charlie. In other words allow students to make up their own cell adventure based on their research and prior experience with cells.
Students can also create a pamphlet about cells parts and their functions
Community Connections
Invite the local mayor of your town or members of council to your class to learn about the position and function that the mayor and town council members played in carrying out different functions of the city council. Students should be able to relate their roles and functions to the cell.
Activity Sheets (PDF)
- Activity Sheet 1: Who Am I?, Part 1
- Activity Sheet 2: Who Am I?, Part 2
- Activity Sheet 4: Cell City
- Activity Sheet 5: Know Your Cells
- Activity Sheet 6
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