The Incredible, Edible Cell

As you may already know, this year I have made a few changes with out curriculum. I know it's still early in the school year, but I LOVE the choices I've made! Sure most of them are more time consuming because they're more hands on, but we're loving that about them! I feel like the kids are also understanding it better because they are doing so many projects and experiments.

This week we have been busy with a few projects.  I would like to share one with y'all.

The first one was for our Anatomy and Physiology lesson.  The kids have been learning all about parts of a cell and our first project was to make an edible cell.  YUM!

If you would like to do this project here's what you need and what you need to do.

1. You will need: A sharp knife and an adult to use it
2. A spoon
3. A plate
4. A glass or ceramic cereal bowl. (you will need one for each cell you are making
5. Cooking spray
6. A box of yellow colored JELL-O
7. A box of unflavored Know Gelatin (This will be used to keep the cell together)
8. A jelly bean pr peanut M&M candy (mitochondrion)
9.  Several skittels, Everlasting Gobstoppers or plain M&M candies ( These will be the lysosomes)
10. A Starburst Gummiburst or several Smarties ( These will make the Golgi body)
11. A Fruit Roll Up ( This will be the endoplasmic reticulum)
12. Nerds or cake sprinkles ( ( These will be the ribosomes)
13. Tubular cake sprinkles or Twizzler Pull and Peels (These will be the nucleus)

• Mix the JELL-O according to the package directions, but add one package from the Knox gelatin box and one extra cup of cold water.

• Spray cooking spray on the inside of the bowl.

• Pour your JELL-O/Knox mixture (the cytoplasm) into your bowl. Place it in the fridge overnight so that it settles.

• Once the cytoplasm is hardened, use a sharp knife to cut out small segments of the JELL-O, where each organelle will be placed. Be certain no to cut all the way through.

• Once you have finished adding all the goodies, carefully turn the bowl over onto a plate, You just made an edible cell!

Super Boy and Minnie(me) adding the goodies to the cell.

 

 Ours broke a little while coming out of the bowl, but it didn't effect it's taste! The kids ate it up!

*This project and the lessons were taken from Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology. This is from Apologia.  Apologia

Here's a cute and catchy song for learning about cells. Enjoy!  Song about Cells