Odd organelles

In this lesson, students are given a set of odd objects that they must use to represent cell organelles. Students creatively draw analogies between either the structure and/or function of an object with that of an organelle.

A lesson plan for grades 9–12 Science

By MaryBeth Knight Greene

Provided by NC REAL Enterprises

Learn more

Related pages

• Mix and match ecology: Symbiosis: In this high-school biology lesson, students gain an understanding of the three kinds of symbiotic relationships by creating relationships between imaginary animals.
• Catawba Science Center: Students will enjoy visiting the Catawba Science Center, a hands-on museum, where learning is fun!
• National Estuarine Research Reserve Systems - The Rachel Carson Component: Located in one of North Carolina's fastest growing areas, the Rachel Carson site is a center of marine research and education. The reserve is a diverse and productive estuarine system for birds, mammals, and fish.

Related topics

• Learn more about biology, cooperative learning, organelles, and science.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

In this lesson, students are given a set of odd objects that they must use to represent cell organelles in some way. Students creatively draw analogies between either the structure and/or function of an object with that of an organelle in order for the object to represent the organelle. This lesson works well as a reinforcement activity just after organelles are learned or as a quick review activity several weeks later.

Teacher preparation

Classroom time required

30 minutes (20 minutes for activity; 10 minutes for pop quiz at the end)

Materials needed

• 6 sets of 6-8 odd objects such as a paper clip, blocks, candles, glue, a fork, vitamin, dental floss, mint, safety pin, DVD, etc. Each group should have the same 6-8 objects. Do not choose objects with obvious similarities to a particular organelle. For example, batteries would be good representatives of mitochondria as a plastic bag would be for a plasma membrane, so they would not be good choices for this activity.
• Pictures of cell organelles either on overheads or to show on the projector
• Pop quiz for each student (or an overhead copy for students to view and take using their own paper)

Pre-activities

• Instruct students about the structure and function of cell organelles — particularly the plasma membrane, cell wall, mitochondria, chloroplasts, vacuole, and ribosomes. (Some teachers might also include the nucleolus, endoplasmic reticulum, and/or golgi apparatus.)

Activities

1. Break students into 6 groups and give each a set of 6-8 odd objects depending on how many organelles you cover. Each group should have the same 6-8 objects. Give the groups 10 minutes to determine how each of their objects represents a different organelle. List the organelles to be used on the board. Have students analyze how the object somehow represents the structure and/or function of the organelle it represents.
2. Encourage students to think creatively, and don’t use objects that obviously represent one organelle over another. (For example, a piece of plastic wrap wouldn’t be a good object in this activity because it clearly resembles the plasma membrane).
3. Call time and then discuss one organelle at a time asking each group why they chose the object they did to represent that organelle. As you talk about each organelle, place its picture on the overhead or projector screen.
4. Call attention to the ways in which each group emphasizes different things about their objects in order to make them good representatives for different organelles. For instance, one group might see the fork as a good representative for a plasma membrane because things can squeeze through the tines, while another group chose the fork to represent the ribosomes because it makes round ribosome-like dots on food when you stab at it. Yet another group might have chosen the glue to be the plasma membrane because of how it looks when spread thin over a piece of paper and the fork to be the chloroplast since the tines are stacked on top of each other just as the thylakoids are stacked into grana. Be open to even the most bizarre analogies as long as students use true information about the organelles. Students should have fun presenting their group’s decisions, but make sure students are paying attention as other groups describe their reasoning.
5. Once all organelles have been discussed, have students individually take the pop quiz to test how well they listened during the activity.