Plant and Animal Cells

This is a fun activity where students will create two cells:one animal cell and one plant cell. They will then compare and contrast the two.

MATERIALS

2 Plastic see-through sandwich sacks with twist-ties per student
1 Square hard-plastic sandwich container per student
Lemon gelatin
Various fruits and vegetables such as:
Raisins, plums,small carrots, mandarin oranges, red grapes, cherries, celery
Boiling water, ice cubes, large bowl, spoon, measuring cup

PROCEDURE

1. Boil water and make the gelatin, using ice cubes instead of cold water
for quick cooling. While gelatin is cooling, go to step 2.
2. Have students list the organelles of the cell that they've studied.
3. Have students choose the fruits or vegetables they want to represent
the organelles of the two cells. Ex: raisins for ribosomes, plums for the
two nuclei (one plant, one animal), orange slices for mitochondria, cut
celery for chloroplasts, etc.
The two sacks will represent the plant cell membrane and the animal cell membrane.
The sandwich container will represent the plant cell wall.
4. When gelatin has cooled but not completely set, transfer some gelatin
into each of the two plastic sacks. This represents the cytoplasm in both cells.
5. Have students place their "organelles" into the appropriate cell. When
done, twist-tie the sacks.

EXPLANATION

Students will observe that the plant cell has a cell wall (the sandwich
container) along with a cell membrane (the plastic sack)and chloroplasts. The animal cell has the same organelles, minus the chloroplasts and also the cell wall.