100 Days of Science #56-- Making Cell Models
We've been studying cells and learning about DNA off and on for a couple of months now. I knew I wanted to have the boys make some models of cells but wasn't sure how I wanted to go about doing it.
Now that my boys are pretty much all middle and high school age I'm trying to give them more responsibility and don't want to sit there with them for each and every project telling them what I think they should do.
I finally gave them a few worksheets showing cell models and had them brainstorm a list of supplied they'd need to make a model of any one of the cells-- bacteria, plant, or animal.
Then we went shopping together to pick up the supplies and we set aside a day to make them. I helped Evan here and there with his project but pretty much left the older two boys to their own devices only giving a few suggestions here and there as they asked for help.
They really blew me away with their end results!!
Alec began by looking up a sugar cookie recipe and making some dough.
Evan decided to make a model of a bacteria cell.
He used a Twinkie for the cell and where it meets the filling as the plasma membrane, some sprinkles (for the Pili), a gummy worm for the flagellum, and a bit of Twizzler pull and peel for the nucleoid region.
He then sprinkled on some Heath baking bits for the ribosomes.
The thought the best part of the project was getting to eat it when he was finished.
Alec and Ian both decided to make a plant cell.
Ian wanted to make a pizza. He decided to assemble it, label it, and then take off those toppings he didn't really like before cooking up the pizza and eating it for lunch. I thought this was pretty clever as it made some of his features more easy to see too!
Alec baked his giant sugar cookie and then frosted it before adding various candy, colored frosting, and food pieces to make up the other parts of the cell.
My kids just love projects like this that are both educational and delicious!
53. Iodine and Starch Experiment
54. Flouride and Calcium Experiment
55. Botanical Gardens in Winter
Now that my boys are pretty much all middle and high school age I'm trying to give them more responsibility and don't want to sit there with them for each and every project telling them what I think they should do.
I finally gave them a few worksheets showing cell models and had them brainstorm a list of supplied they'd need to make a model of any one of the cells-- bacteria, plant, or animal.
Then we went shopping together to pick up the supplies and we set aside a day to make them. I helped Evan here and there with his project but pretty much left the older two boys to their own devices only giving a few suggestions here and there as they asked for help.
They really blew me away with their end results!!
Alec began by looking up a sugar cookie recipe and making some dough.
Evan decided to make a model of a bacteria cell.
 |
| Taken from our science book- Building Blocks of Science Grade 5 |
The thought the best part of the project was getting to eat it when he was finished.
 |
| Taken from our Building Blocks of Science book 5 book |
Ian wanted to make a pizza. He decided to assemble it, label it, and then take off those toppings he didn't really like before cooking up the pizza and eating it for lunch. I thought this was pretty clever as it made some of his features more easy to see too!
Alec baked his giant sugar cookie and then frosted it before adding various candy, colored frosting, and food pieces to make up the other parts of the cell.
My kids just love projects like this that are both educational and delicious!
Others in this series:
15 & 16. Two Experiments using SNOW
20. Eco Plant pals
33. Raising Tadpoles
43. Volcanic Lemons
47 & 48. Building Model Molecules Two Ways
54. Flouride and Calcium Experiment
55. Botanical Gardens in Winter
These are awesome! We've made a plant cell pizza before. We also homeschool. I love these ideas!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThese are awesome! The Twinkie worked perfectly.
ReplyDelete