Through an engaging guesssing game, students have the opportunity to more thoroughly process the structure of the cell and the function of the organelles.
Vocabulary:
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Cell Membrane – A thin layer that surrounds and holds a cell together.
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Cytoplasm – a gel-like substance containing chemicals needed by the cell
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Nucleus – Information and control center of the cell.
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DNA – The chemical inside cells that stores information about an organism.
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Ribosome – A protein builder of the cell.
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Mitochondrion – an organelle that uses oxygen to break down food and release energy in chemical bonds (plural is mitochondria).
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Vacuole – Stores substances such as food, water and waste products.
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Endoplasmic reticulum – A system of tubes that process and transport proteins within the cell.
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Golgi Body – Packages and distributes proteins outside the cell.
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Cell Wall – The outer part of a plant cell that provides structure to the cell.
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Chloroplast – Captures the light energy from the sun to make food.
- Lysosome- Breaks down substances.
Materials
Card with the following organelles in braille/ large print as appropriate for the students, as shown in picture.
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cell membrane
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cell wall
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ER (endoplasmic reticulium)
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Golgi Apparatus
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chloroplast
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vacuole
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central vacuole
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mitochondria
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ribosome
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nucleus
- DNA
Preparation
Prepare cards with braille and/or large print with the names of the organelles found in plant and animal cells. Some of the following cell organelles may be omitted if the group is an elementary or middle school group depending on the curriuclum.
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cell membrane
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cell wall
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ER (endoplasmic reticulium)
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Golgi Apparatus
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chloroplast
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vacuole
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central vacuole
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mitochondria
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ribosome
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nucleus
- DNA
Procedure
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Have cards ready for students when they arrive to class.
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As students arrive, tell them that today’s class will begin with a game in which each student pretends to become a part of the cell.
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Have each student pick a card but keep secret the organelle that is picked.
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After students have picked an organelle, explain the goal of the game – Provide hints to classmates about your organelle so they can guess.
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The hints may be stated in the form of ” I am … ” as if the student had “become” that organelle.
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Students may use any resource necessary to remember the structure or function of the organelles either to give hints or figure them out including their books or notes.
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The student who figures out the correct answer, may be awarded a point and the student with the most points awarded a prize. (Optional)
- After the game, review the vocabulary terms either in written form or orally using the APH Life Science Tactile Graphic Plant and Animal Cell page.
Variations
- The word list can be amended based on the cell organelles that students in the class are covering.
NGSS Standards:
Middle School – Structure and Function and Information Processing
LS1.A: Structure and Function
- All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular). (MS-LS1-1)
- Within cells, special structures are responsible for particular functions, and the cell membrane forms the boundary that controls what enters and leaves the cell. (MS-LS1-2)
High School – Structure and Function
LS1.A: Structure and Function
- Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life. (HS-LS1-1)
- All cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA molecules. Genes are regions in the DNA that contain the instructions that code for the formation of proteins, which carry out most of the work of cells. (HS-LS1-1)
By Laura Hospitál
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