Cell City: Building a Functional Metropolis
Created byJessica Bonadio
2 views0 downloads

Cell City: Building a Functional Metropolis

Grade 6Science9 days
In this project, sixth-grade students design and build a 'Cell City' to understand cell structure and function. Students take on the role of 'Cell City Planners', researching organelles and creating a city blueprint with corresponding city departments. They then construct a 3D model of their city and compare plant and animal cell cities, culminating in presentations and reflections on the Cell City analogy.
Cell OrganellesCell City3D ModelingPlant CellsAnimal CellsCell StructureFunction
Want to create your own PBL Recipe?Use our AI-powered tools to design engaging project-based learning experiences for your students.
📝

Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design a thriving

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How do the different parts of a cell work together to keep it alive?
  • How can we compare the structures and functions of cell organelles to the different parts of a city?
  • What are the main differences between plant and animal cells, and how would that change our city design?
  • How does the cell membrane control what enters and exits the cell, and how can we represent this in our city?
  • If one part of our cell city breaks down, how does that affect the entire cell?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to describe the function of major cell organelles.
  • Students will be able to compare and contrast cell organelles to parts of a city.
  • Students will be able to explain how organelles work together to maintain cell function.
  • Students will be able to design a model of a cell city that accurately represents cell structure and function.
  • Students will be able to identify the differences between plant and animal cells.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Cell City of the Future

**Cell City Time Capsule:** Unearth a 'time capsule' from a fictional Cell City of the future. Inside are artifacts representing different organelles, but they're damaged or mutated. Students must analyze the artifacts to determine what went wrong in the city and how it impacted the cell's overall function. This blends science with creative storytelling.
📚

Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Organelle Fact Sheet: Cell City Planner's Guide

Students will take on the role of 'Cell City Planners,' researching and creating an 'Organelle Fact Sheet' detailing the structure, function, and city equivalent of each major cell organelle. Students can choose roles that focus on different aspects of the cell, such as power generation, waste management, communication, or defense. This activity introduces the basic components of the cell and their roles.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Choose a 'Cell City Planner' role: (1) Energy Architect (focuses on mitochondria), (2) Waste Management Engineer (focuses on lysosomes and vacuoles), (3) Communications Manager (focuses on the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus), or (4) Security Director (focuses on the cell membrane and cell wall).
2. Research the structure and function of your assigned organelles based on your chosen role. Use textbooks, reliable websites, and other resources to gather information. Focus on how these organelles contribute to the overall function of the cell.
3. For each assigned organelle, identify a corresponding part of a city that performs a similar function, keeping in mind your chosen role (e.g., for an Energy Architect, Mitochondria = Power Plant).
4. Create a fact sheet for each assigned organelle, including its name, a diagram or illustration, a description of its structure and function, its city equivalent, and a brief explanation of why the analogy is appropriate for your role.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed fact sheet covering the structure, function, and city analogy for each major cell organelle (e.g., Nucleus, Mitochondria, Ribosomes, etc.). Each fact sheet will be tailored to the student's chosen 'Cell City Planner' role.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal: Students will be able to describe the function of major cell organelles. NGSS MS-LS1-2
Activity 2

Cell City Blueprint: Mapping Out the Metropolis

Students develop a 'Cell City Blueprint' where they visually represent their cell city, labeling each organelle and its city equivalent. This activity reinforces the analogy between cell organelles and city departments, emphasizing how they work together.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Based on your Organelle Fact Sheets, plan the layout of your Cell City. Consider how the different organelles (city departments) should be arranged to ensure efficient operation.
2. Create a blueprint of your Cell City, either digitally or by hand. Label each organelle (city department) clearly and provide a legend explaining its function.
3. Write a brief paragraph explaining how the different parts of your Cell City work together to maintain the city's (cell's) function. Highlight the interdependence of the various components.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA detailed blueprint of the Cell City, including labeled organelles (and their city equivalents), a legend explaining each component's function, and a brief paragraph describing how the different parts of the city work together.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goals: Students will be able to compare and contrast cell organelles to parts of a city. Students will be able to explain how organelles work together to maintain cell function.
Activity 3

Cell City 3D Model: Building Our Biodome

Students construct a 3D model of their Cell City using various materials. They will also write a brief description of how the cell works.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Gather materials to construct your 3D model. This could include cardboard boxes, construction paper, clay, recycled materials, or digital modeling software.
2. Build your Cell City based on your blueprint. Ensure that each organelle (city department) is accurately represented and labeled.
3. Write a brief explanation of how your Cell City functions. Describe how the different organelles (city departments) work together to maintain the cell's life processes.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA physical or digital 3D model of the Cell City, accompanied by a written explanation of how the city (cell) functions.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goals: Students will be able to design a model of a cell city that accurately represents cell structure and function. Students will be able to explain how organelles work together to maintain cell function. NGSS MS-LS1-2
Activity 4

Plant vs. Animal Cell City Tour: A Comparative Analysis

Students will take a tour of other groups' Cell Cities (either physically or virtually) and identify key differences between plant and animal cell cities. They will record their observations and discuss how these differences relate to the unique functions of plant and animal cells.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Divide the class into two groups: Plant Cell City planners and Animal Cell City planners.
2. Plant Cell City planners design and build their Cell Cities based on the structure of a plant cell, while Animal Cell City planners do the same for animal cells.
3. Once the Cell Cities are complete, students will take a 'tour' of the different cities, observing the unique features of each.
4. Students create a presentation summarizing the key differences observed between plant and animal cell cities, with explanations of how these differences relate to the functions of plant and animal cells.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA written or oral presentation summarizing the key differences observed between plant and animal cell cities, with explanations of how these differences relate to the functions of plant and animal cells.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goals: Students will be able to identify the differences between plant and animal cells. Students will be able to design a model of a cell city that accurately represents cell structure and function.
🏆

Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Cell City Portfolio Rubric

Category 1

Organelle Fact Sheet

Assessment of the Organelle Fact Sheet, focusing on the accuracy of information, effectiveness of city analogies, and overall presentation quality.
Criterion 1

Organelle Knowledge

Accuracy of organelle structure and function descriptions.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates a thorough and accurate understanding of the structure and function of all assigned organelles.

Developing
2 Points

Shows a basic understanding of the structure and function of most assigned organelles, but with some inaccuracies or omissions.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows limited understanding of the structure and function of assigned organelles, with significant inaccuracies and omissions.

Criterion 2

City Analogy

Effectiveness of the city analogy in representing organelle function.

Proficient
3 Points

Creates effective and relevant city analogies that clearly represent organelle function.

Developing
2 Points

Creates city analogies that are somewhat relevant to organelle function, but with some inconsistencies or lack of clarity.

Beginning
1 Points

Creates city analogies that are not relevant or do not accurately represent organelle function.

Criterion 3

Presentation Quality

Clarity and organization of the fact sheet.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents information in a highly organized, clear, and engaging manner, with sophisticated use of visuals and formatting.

Proficient
3 Points

Presents information in a clear and organized manner, with effective use of visuals and formatting.

Developing
2 Points

Presents information in a somewhat organized manner, but with some lack of clarity or inconsistent formatting.

Beginning
1 Points

Presents information in a disorganized and unclear manner, with minimal use of visuals and poor formatting.

Category 2

Cell City Blueprint

Assessment of the Cell City Blueprint, focusing on the accuracy and completeness of the blueprint, clarity of labels, and quality of the explanatory paragraph.
Criterion 1

Blueprint Accuracy

Accuracy and completeness of the Cell City blueprint.

Proficient
3 Points

Blueprint is detailed, accurate, and comprehensive, demonstrating a thorough understanding of spatial relationships and functional integration.

Developing
2 Points

Blueprint is somewhat detailed and accurate, but with some omissions or inaccuracies in spatial relationships or functional integration.

Beginning
1 Points

Blueprint is incomplete, inaccurate, and lacks detail, demonstrating a limited understanding of spatial relationships and functional integration.

Criterion 2

Clarity and Labeling

Clarity and effectiveness of the labels and legend.

Proficient
3 Points

Labels and legend are clear, concise, and informative, effectively explaining the Cell City's components and functions.

Developing
2 Points

Labels and legend are somewhat clear, but with some ambiguity or lack of detail in explaining the Cell City's components and functions.

Beginning
1 Points

Labels and legend are unclear, incomplete, and fail to adequately explain the Cell City's components and functions.

Criterion 3

Explanation of City Function

Quality of the paragraph explaining how the city works.

Proficient
3 Points

Paragraph provides a clear and thorough explanation of how the different parts of the Cell City work together.

Developing
2 Points

Paragraph provides a basic explanation of how the different parts of the Cell City work together, but with some gaps in understanding or lack of detail.

Beginning
1 Points

Paragraph provides a limited and incomplete explanation of how the different parts of the Cell City work together.

Category 3

Cell City 3D Model

Assessment of the Cell City 3D Model, focusing on the accuracy of organelle representation, craftsmanship, and the quality of the written explanation.
Criterion 1

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship and attention to detail in the 3D model.

Exemplary
3 Points

The 3D model demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal and educational value.

Developing
2 Points

The 3D model demonstrates basic craftsmanship, but with some lack of attention to detail.

Beginning
1 Points

The 3D model demonstrates poor craftsmanship and a lack of attention to detail.

Criterion 2

Explanation of City Function

Clarity and completeness of the written explanation of city function.

Proficient
3 Points

The written explanation clearly and completely describes how the Cell City functions.

Developing
2 Points

The written explanation provides a basic description of how the Cell City functions, but with some omissions or lack of detail.

Beginning
1 Points

The written explanation is incomplete and provides a limited understanding of how the Cell City functions.

Category 4

Plant vs. Animal Cell City Tour

Assessment of the Plant vs. Animal Cell City Tour, focusing on the identification of key differences, accuracy of explanations, and overall presentation quality.
Criterion 1

Difference Identification

Identification of key differences between plant and animal cell cities.

Exemplary
3 Points

Identifies all key differences between plant and animal cell cities with insightful explanations of their functional significance.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some key differences between plant and animal cell cities, but with limited explanations.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to identify key differences between plant and animal cell cities and provides minimal explanations.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Looking back at your Cell City project, what was the most challenging aspect of designing a cell as a city, and how did you overcome it?

Text
Required
Question 2

If you could add a new department or feature to your Cell City, what would it be and why? How would this addition improve the overall function of the city (cell)?

Text
Required
Question 3

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being 'not at all' and 5 being 'very well,' how well do you think the Cell City analogy helps explain the functions of cell organelles?

Scale
Required
Question 4

Which role (Energy Architect, Waste Management Engineer, Communications Manager, or Security Director) did you find most interesting, and why?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Energy Architect
Waste Management Engineer
Communications Manager
Security Director