Get ready to build a plant cell model in a way that will stretch your students’ minds and challenge their understanding of cell parts. It is fun, simple, cheap, and it will become one of your favorite projects of the year! 

Recyclables Plant Cell Model

This is not an ordinary plant cell model project. Nor are we making a model with candy. This model will be made of trash! Well, recyclables – so clean trash. 

What is so great about that? A few things. 

First, it forces your students to think more deeply about the structure and function of each plant cell organelle. They can not just use clay to blindly make a copy of what they see in a textbook or online image. Instead they look at the image, process the structure of an organelle, then compare it to a pile of random recyclables to come up with the best representative of that organelle. 

Second, all of the models will be different! They will not be following a step by step guide for fashioning a cell model out of particular candies. Students will be individually choosing what they think would be best for each cell part. They will also have to defend their choice! More on that later.

Third, it is a great way to use some of those creative juices! 

The Plant Cell Wall

First, you need something that will serve as the plant cell model’s cell wall. The perfect candidate are the box tops that come with the boxes of copy paper. They are the perfect size and depth to make cell models! I ask our office manager to save all the tops for me starting a few months out. 

Shoeboxes are also an option, or any packing box (Amazon box) that is around the same size. If the box is too tall (I would say any taller than 5 inches) have the student cut down the walls to make it shorter. For my students, all organelles are affixed to the bottom of the cardboard, so a more shallow box makes things easier to see.

However! If you want to throw your students a challenge, provide them with deeper boxes (like the box part of the copy paper box) and require that the cell parts be somehow suspended in the plant cell model just as they would be in a real cell! 

Making the Organelles of the Plant Cell Model:

All of the organelles will all be made out of random recyclables! I begin gathering items starting on the first day of school. Start a collection of anything and everything that comes your way which could become a cell part. As the project gets closer, ask students to bring in their own recyclables to add to the classroom collection. Here is a list of a few ideas:

Recycled Materials for your Cell Model

• Bubble Wrap
• Packing Peanuts
• Small Packaging/Boxes
• Toilet Paper Tubes
• Plastic Packaging (like the molded plastic that holds a glue stick to the cardboard backing)
• Cereal Boxes (the thin cardboard can be cut and folded into shapes)
• Small bottles
• Cleaned food packaging (pudding/fruit cups, etc)
• Styrofoam 
• Netting (packaging around onions and other produce)

Here are a few things I add to the pile that are not exactly recyclables but can help if you are low on materials: 

• Balloons
• Paper plates / bowles 
• Disposable gloves
• Paper towels
• Straws
• Cotton balls
• Foil 
• Yarn 
• Ziplock bags
• Garbage bags or poster paper work great to line the cell wall box top and serve as the cell membrane 

Additional Materials Needed

• Scissors
• Tape or Glue (hot glue works best to keep everything in place)
• Markers (or paint and brushes)
• Labels – print out a list with the name of each cell part you want your students to include in their models. They will cut the names to use as labels, taping them to each part they make.

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Activity

1. Introduction 

Before making the plant cell model, students will need to be familiar with the structure and function of the cell organelles. Use diagrams and visuals to explain the structure and function of various organelles, emphasizing their vital roles in a plant’s life.

Here is a great no-prep, student led lesson on cell parts. It covers plant and animal cells, eukaryote and prokaryote cells. The lesson includes a digital and hands-on review matching activity! 

Guidelines for Models:

• Each cell part on the list must be represented in the model. The parts must look like the organelle. Bonus if they also reflect some function of the organelle. 
• Organelle should be, at least somewhat, proportional to real life. For example: the ribosomes should not be bigger than the mitochondria.
• Organelles must be 3D – they can not simply be drawn onto cardboard/paper and taped into the box. 
• Cell parts must be labeled so that it is clear which object represents the particular cell part.
• When appropriate, the cell part should be located in the appropriate place (for example, the Rough ER sits right outside the nucleus)
• If there is more than one of a particular organelle, more than one should be in the cell model. 

It might help for them to see an example of a plant cell model made this way. Feel free to use the images here of some my students have made!

I typically give half a period, a whole period, and then another half period for students to finish this project. It should not take too long – part of the challenge is to use trash, so it will not ever be ‘perfect’! However feel free to be flexible! If your students are really into it, give them the time they need. 

3. Presentation 

Invite students to present their models to the class. Each group or individual should explain their choice of materials as it relates to the structure and the function of each organelle. Encourage questions and discussions about their unique interpretations! The more students talk about and hear about organelles, the better they will remember! 

If you do not have time for each pair to present, consider having them show off their cell to just one or two other pairs/individuals. 

No time for any presentations at all? Students can write about their reasoning on the back side of the labels (make them big enough to write on, students use a single piece of tape so you can lift the card and read). Or they can photograph each part and make a Google Slide with explanations. 

Guidelines For Presentations

Be sure to emphasize that explanations of their cell part materials can not be as simple as “I chose a cup for the nucleus because it looked like the nucleus”. 

Explanations must include details that PROVE the student knows the structure and function of the cell part. 

“I chose a cup because the cup is round and can hold things, similar to the nucleus’s shape which holds genetic material. I cut holes in the cup to represent the nuclear pores, which allows mRNA to leave the nucleus for protein synthesis.” 

Here is a good example to share with students, which they can all use as a model for their…models! 

“The Cell Wall is represented by the cardboard box. The box is supportive, but a bit flexible, like a plant cell wall. Cardboard is also porous, and does/would allow air and water and other molecules to pass between the cell and the environment. The best part is that the box is made of…CELLULOSE! It is literally made of the same stuff as plant cell walls because it IS made of plant cell walls!”

I love science. 

Assessing the Activity

Here are some ways to assess student learning during the activity:

• Participation: Observe how engaged students are during the building process and their presentations. Active involvement is so important for effective learning.
• Creativity: Evaluate the creativity displayed in the use of materials and the construction of their models. Unique approaches can lead to better insight! For example, a mitochondria made from a toilet paper tube (outer membrane) stuffed with a plastic bag (inner membrane) gets more creativity points than a toilet paper tube with a squiggly line drawn on top. 
• Understanding: Gauge students’ comprehension of cell structure and function based on their explanations during presentations. Their ability to articulate the function of each organelle is essential.

Extension Ideas

If you have the time, take this activity even further!

• Research Project: Assign students to research diseases associated with a specific organelle and present their findings in a future class. This can deepen their understanding of the function of each cell part.
• Artistic Collaboration: Partner with art teachers to create an exhibit of the plant cells models. Cell models can be put on display somewhere in the school for everyone to enjoy! I love to merge science with art, showcasing students’ creativity.
• Focus on the Function: Most cell models center on the structure (look) of cell organelles. Here is a fun, free activity from Teach Every Day that emphasizes the function of cell organelles. Students are given a group of (very) random common objects and asked to make an analogy between the objects and the function of each organelle. Its a hoot to hear the crazy connections kids make!

Review of the Cell Parts

Science of Curiosity has some no-prep review options for the Cell Parts. My favorite is the Cell Parts Dot Game. Or this simple set of Cell Google Forms.

Engaging students through hands-on activities is a powerful way to reinforce learning and inspire curiosity in science. This project leaves a lasting impression, my kids always list it as one of their favorites of the year!

Happy teaching!