Lesson 3-4: Eukaryopolis

Suggested Time: 120 minutes
Overview
Students will explore the parts of the cell, study animal and plant cell models, then create their own model of a specialized cell.
Vocabulary
Objectives
Required Project Materials
Required Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
The Lesson
Part 1: Exploring Cells (40 mins)
  1. Show “Eukarypolis” and have the students go through the cell worksheets and games.
  2. Pass around the animal and plant cell models for examination. Discuss the differences between animal and plant cells.
  3. Watch “Once Upon a Time: Life — the Cell”. Afterwards, have students identify the characters in the cartoon.
  4. Watch “Plant Cells” if you have time.
  5. Have cells look at a green leaf under a microscope. Can they find the cells? Do the cells look different in the leaf and the stem?
  6. Have the students look for organisms in soil or other materials using the microscope (optional).
  7. Next, students should investigate animal cell samples.
Part 2: Specialized Cell Research (20 mins)
  1. Split the class into small research teams of about three students.
  2. Each team will pick a different type of specialized animal cell (skin, red blood cell, etc.) and do independent research on that cell’s structure and function.
Part 3: Building the Cell City (60 minutes)
  1. Armed with their research from the previous class session, each team will work together to build a “city” that is a model of their chosen specialized cell. They should give it a fun name (like Eukaryopolis) and have fun giving it a signature look with paints, flags, etc.
  2. Discuss the use of models in science. One purpose of models is to show and describe the function, appearance, and behaviors of microscopic particles.
  3. Each team will write an accompanying description of their cell’s function.
  4. Display cell constructions with their accompanying descriptions.
Homework: