Cells

What we've been doing:  We just wrapped up our cell unit, and it was one of my favorite topics to teach in science this year.  Confession: I never really enjoyed science class, but here I am trying to teach it.  I loved this unit because we did so many projects and interactive things with the materials.

The first day I had a powerpoint explaining the functions of the cell.  The next day, the boys used the materials given to them in a plastic bag to create a model of the cell membrane.

They turned the house into a metaphor for the cell.  The boys labeled the different parts.  The couch was the nucleus, aka the control center of the cell/house.  The giant fence around the house represented the cell wall.  The endoplasmic reticulum was the hose, since both are long and maze-like.  Centriole was represented by scissors and tape because it aids in cell reproduction, the dividing and adhering of cells.  It was neat to have Rosa and Pedro ask the boys what the signs meant and why they were in the specific area of the house.

The boys created 3D cell models for either a plant or animal cell.  I put a bunch of random things I had laying around the house into a bag that they used.  If I was allowed to give homework, I would have had them use materials from their own houses.  I saw some neat examples online that were food cells.  It would have been cool to use pizza or cake and label the parts.

We are finishing the year with a little ecology.  We went on two field trips to rivers and had fun comparing them, trying to figure out which river was healthier.