Edible cell activity for K-12

In the past I have taught pre-K aged children through college, and have used this activity with all ages, adapting it appropriately.  Because it involves food, it's always a hit.  It's a great way to introduce the concept of cells and their parts to very young children, and a superb way to have older students lock into memory the cell's structures and functions.



The text from the article can be copied and pasted into a word document, and printed to give to each child along with the materials to build their cell.

For young children, a very simple explanation of what cells are and how living things are all made of cells is likely enough before they set to work building their model, with great assistance from you.  Make sure you talk about what each part does as you walk them through it as a class, each student adding a part as you do, until they have built their entire cell.

For older students, an in-depth lecture on cell structure and function should proceed the activity, and students should be allowed to each build their own cell, having to check it with you upon completion before being allowed to eat it.



Having to prepare students for standardized state tests (and having them score higher on the biology exam than any other school in our state!), I have found this is the best way to engage them, and they often later tell me they remembered the mitochondria by thinking about the Hot Tamale.  Now that's good science!  :)