Activity idea
In this activity, students make 3D models of specialised animal cells, imitating what can be seen under high-resolution microscopes.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
name some animal cells that have distinctive shapes
describe how these distinctive shapes help the cells carry out their specialised roles
describe some of the features of cells (e.g. organelles) that are common to all cell types
discuss how model-building can aid understanding of cell structure and function
identify which microscopes scientists use to generate 3D cell images.
Some cells with unusual shapes that are important to their function.
Image: Cells with distinctive shapes
Download the Word file (see link above) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
discussion questions
extension ideas
student handout.