Cell City

| Introduction | Task | Process | Learning Advice | Evaluation | Conclusion |

Introduction

What comes to mind when you think of going to a pizza parlor? Can you smell the aroma of cheese, pepperoni, onions, or picture the employees making pizzas? Can you hear music playing in the background as well as sounds from people laughing and talking? People come in and go out, taking boxes of pizzas-to-go. What a flurry of activity!
Cells, the basic units of life, can be compared to a pizza parlor, a factory, and even an entire city. These cells are busy building and breaking down macromolecules. They are at work releasing energy from foods, and then using that energy to make needed cell parts. Together, your cells function to make your body operate like a well-run business, factory or city.

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The Task

You will be working in a team that will consist of 6 members. Each member will be assigned a role:

Architect /City Planner ( 1 )
City Builders ( 2 )
Reporter ( 1 )

You will use the Internet to research the functions of cell organelles.

All members of the group will answer the questions assigned for each organelle.

You will share your research notes with the other members of the group to make sure EVERYONE understands the information.

Using the role assigned to you, your group will work together to plan, design, and construct a 3-D "Cell City" based on your research of the organelles and what their function is.

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The Process

1. Before you can construct a cell city, you must research each cell organelle to determine its function and how it works with other cell parts to function correctly.
Below you will find a table with the cell organelles required. Click on each one, and you will then be taken to a page with the questions to be answered and the links to help you find those answers.

nucleus	plasma membrane	golgi apparatus	lysosome
mitochondria	endoplasmic reticulum	vacuole	cell wall
centrioles	cytoskeleton	ribosomes	chloroplast and other plastids

2. Once EVERYONE in your group has researched the functions of the above organelles, get together and compare notes to make sure that you all agree on the information.

3. Now you need to decide who will assume which role for this project. Once you have decided, click on the manilla folder for more information and requirements.

The Architect/City Planner---This individual should enjoy drawing. He/She will be drawing the plans of the city onto a sheet of paper as a reference for the City Builders. This individual will also decide the placement of organelles in the city.

The City Builders--- These two individuals will be constructing the actual city. These individuals should have access to each other afterschool and on weekends ( if needed ) to work on the city.

The Reporter--- This individual should enjoy writing. He/She will be responsible for keeping all members on task, and will be recording the process in newsletter form.

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Learning Advice

It is VITAL that you do not miss class during this project. Illnesses and family emergencies are the exception. A portion of your grade is on participation, and if you miss a lot of class time, then your grade will suffer.

Keep the communication between all group members OPEN!! Trade telephone numbers if possible to help each other when not in class.

Help each other along during each phase of the project. If there are any concerns at all, talk to the instructor, as soon as possible.

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Evaluation

A description of how each individual will be evaluated is included in each of the manilla folders.

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Conclusion

Both plant and animal cells are very complex. For some students, trying to remember which organelles can be found where and what their specific functions are can be a difficult task. It is my hope that this WebQuest will help these students understand how a cell is similar to a city and then apply these concepts to an actual cell. Although this project is very simple as compared to the actual cell and how it functions, hopefully it will be a starting point from which they can build upon later on.

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