Resources

Materials:

• plastic ziploc bags
• large bowl green jello
• large bowl yellow jello
• serving spoons
• a variety of candy/pasta/beans/nuts to use as organelles
• small paper or styrofoam bowls
• paper
• pencil
• crayons

Goals:

Students will be able to create a model of a plant or animal cell using food ingredients, and a key that explains the parts of the model.

Resource Instructions

1. This is a project you would do after having introduced students to plant and animals cells and their parts. 
2. Have students choose whether they would like to do a plant or animal cell.
3. Tell students that the plastic baggie will represent the cell membrane, and since a plant cell also has a cell wall, tell the plant cell kids they need 2 baggies, one inside the other.
4. Explain that the jell-o represents the cytoplasm (green for plants, yellow for animals) and that they will be using small food stuffs to represent the organelles.
5. Make sure they have a worksheet/textbook in front of them that has a diagram of a cell so they can remember all the organelles.
6. Give requirements: Must have at least 5 organelles. Must create a key to tell me what each food item represents in their "cell-o." The key must be both written and drawn, with color in the drawings.
7. Assign some students the task of putting the food items in bowls around the classroom.
8. Have small groups of students come up and get their jell-o (again, remember - green for plant yellow for animal). You will serve the jell-o so it doesn't get all over the place.
9. When everyone has their jell-o.... GO!

Assessment:

Assess based on completion of the jell-o cell and the key requirements.

• Must have at least 5 organelles.
• Must create a key to explain what each food item represents.
• Key must be written AND drawn, with color in the drawings.

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