From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Activity 6: Plant vs. Animal

Grades: 5-8

Associated Lesson Topics:

• Cellular components
• Comparison between plant and animal cells

National Standards:

• SCIENCE: Standard C
• LANGUAGE ARTS: Writing 4, Reading 5, 7, 10, Listening and Speaking 11

Planting the Seed...

Can you tell me some ways that plants are different from animals? Make a list of all of the differences suggested by students. What purposes do these differences serve? How are plants and animals similar? Which one do you think is more complex?

Teacher Information:

Plant cells can be distinguished from animal cells by three characteristics. First, plant cells are bounded by a cell membrane and a rigid cell wall, whereas animal cells have only a cell membrane. Second, plant cells have chloroplasts-the sites of photosynthesis-and animal cells do not. Finally, plant cells contain vacuoles-storage units-which are absent in animal cells. In this activity, students will build three-dimensional models of plant and animal cells, learning along the way the components of each and the differences between the two types of cells.

Necessary Materials:

• Construction Paper.
• Glue.
• Markers.
• Paint.
• Paper-mache supplies.
• Pipe cleaners.
• Popsicle sticks.
• Scissors.
• Tape.
• Yarn and string.

Procedure:

• Ideally, your students should begin by observing both plant and animal cells under the microscope.
• Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group the animal cell and the other the plant cell.
• Assign each student (or several students) within a group the task of building a particular cell organelle. For example, in the plant cell group, one student can be the "mitochondria maker" and another can be the "chloroplast master." The chloroplast master is responsible for researching the chloroplast so that he/she can build an accurate model. Although students will spend most of the time working by themselves or with one or two other students, the entire group must work together to ensure that, in the end, all of the different cell structures fit inside the cell membrane!
• Once all of the individual structures are completed, the two groups assemble their cells.
• At the end of the project, students present their models to the class and each individual or small group responsible for each organelle will describe to the class the structure and function of its organelle.

Harvesting the Crop...

What unique features do we know about now that we didn't know before? Did you encounter any surprises? Challenges? What new questions do you have? Why are these unique features within the cell so important to plants and animals? What might happen if a plant cell didn't have chloroplasts or cell walls, for example?

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