Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells
What is the Difference?


Table of Contents:
Georgia Performance STandards
Rationale
Instructional Topic Web Sites
Topic Activities
Software Reviews
Activity One
Activity Two: Part One and Part Two
Activity Three

Georgia Performance Standards

Fifth Grade:

Students will diagram and label parts of various cells

(plants, animal, single-celled and multi-celled)

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A. Use magnifiers such as microscopes or hand lenses to observe cells and then structure.
B. Identify parts of a plant cell (membrane, wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplasts) and of an animal cell  (membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus) and determine the function of the parts.

C. Explain how cells in multi-celled organisms are similar and different in structure and function of single-celled organisms.

Rationale

There are similarities as well as differences in plant and animal cells.  The purpose of this webpage is to educate students of these similarities and differences through fun, hands-on activites. The end result will be students with a beginning understanding of simple Biology.

Instructional Topic Web Sites

Plant Cells	Animal Cells	Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells
This website gives you different links to click on  to learn more about plant cells.	This website gives a complete defination for each part of an animal cell.	This website gives different topics related to plant and animal cells. It gives a more in depth look at cells.
This website gives information on the plant cell and it's structure.	This website explains the anatomy of the cell structure.	This website gives some of the similarities as well as differences in plant and animal cells.
This website gives a glossary of terms related to plant cells.	This website shows a cell from a liver. It allows you to explore in greater depth each individual part of the cell.	This website allows you to look at cells by flipping through a photo gallery or looking into a virtual microscope.
This website has a clickable map. When you click on the organelles, it gives you a breif explanation.	This website shows an animal cell's tissues.	This website gives you a interactive cell animation of animal and plant cells.
PLANT CELL This is a great resource to explore plant cells in depth. It gives a description of everything that is found in a plant cell.	This website has an interactive object that allows you to identify the parts of an animal cell and read about the function of its organelles.	This website gives a overview of the cell structure.

Topic Activities

Lesson Plan - Part One

Cells: An Overview

Primary Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to understand that all living things are made up of small units called cells.
• Students will understand that plants and animals both have cells.
• Students will understand that all cells in a living thing work together to keep the organism healthy.

Integration:

• Students will make a Power point slide of different size eggs to be used later for thier presentation (pictures will be provided).
  

Procedures:

• The teacher will access proir knowledge by asking students if they have ever heard of a cell.
• She will tell the students that all living things are made up of small units called cells.
  
• Explain to the students that every kind of of cell does a special job.
• Ask the students if they think plant and animals both have cells.
• Tell the students to picture a plant in their mind. Ask:
• What do you think a leaf cell does? (helps make a plant food)
• What do you think a root cell does? (helps a plant absorb water and nutrients from the soil)
• Tell the students to picture an animal in their mind. It can be any animal they want. Ask:
• What do you think a skin cell does? (protects the animal from the environment)
• What do you think a muscle cell does? (helps the animal move)
• Tell the students that all the cells in a living thing work together to keep the organism healthy.
• Ask the students if they have ever seen a cell before. Tell them that most cells cannot be seen without a microscope.
• Tell the students that there is one cell that can be seen without a microscope. Ask the students if they can think of a cell that can be seen without a microscope. Wait for responses.
• Ask the students to raise their hand and tell if they have ever eaten an egg?
• Ask the students who likes the white part of the egg better and who likes the yellow part of the egg better?
• Ask if anyone can tell you what the yellow part of the egg is called? (yolk)
• Tell the students the yellow part or yolk is the cell.
• Ask if they can guess what the white part of the egg does?
• Tell them the white is the food of the cell.
• Tell the students that the egg of any animal is a single cell.
• Have the students look at the egg in the pie pan in the middle of the table.
• Ask the students to name what kind of animals lay eggs.
• Ask if they can guess what is the largest single cell in the world? (the ostrich egg)
• Show pictures of different size eggs so the students can visualize the difference.
• Activity One:
  
• Have the students use pictures of animal eggs, also called cells, to make a Power Point slide for their presentation later in the week.
  

Lesson Plan - Part Two

Plant Cells vs. Animal Cells
What is the Difference?

Primary Learning Outcomes:

• The students will learn about plant cells through technology by researching the plant cell websites on this page.
• The students will then be able to describe the parts of a plant cell as well as label a plant cell diagram.
• Students will tell how animal and plant cells are similar and different.
• Students will tell the functions of the different parts of the animal cell.
• Students will tell the functions of the different parts of the plant cell.

Integration:

• In this activity, the students will use a computer to research and explore all the websites under the plant cell category in the table on this page while in the plant group.
• In this activiry, the students will use a computer to research and explore all the websites under the animal cell cetegory in the table on this page while in the animal group.
  

Procedures:

• Ask the students if they look at a cell in the microscope, would they know the difference between plant cells and animal cells.
• Show the students a power point slide of a basic animal cell and a slide of a basic plant cell.
• Tell the students that we are going to divide into two groups. One group will learn about plant cells and the other group will learn about animal cells. Then we will switch and afterward we will compare the two different cells.
• Group One: Plant cells
• Tell the students that plant cells have different shapes and sizes, but they have the same parts inside.
• Hand out a diagram of a plant cell. As the teacher talks about the plant cell, have each student label their diagram to use as a reference when they look in the microscope.
• Tell the students:
• Number one on the diagram is the nucleus. It is kind of like your brain because it has all the instructions the cell needs to do its job.
• Number two is the cell membrane. It is kind of like your skin. It controls what goes into and out of the cell.
• Number three is the cell wall. This is the layer around the outside of the cell membrane and gives the cell its shape.
• Number four is the vacuole. It contains the water and waste materials for the cell.
• Number five is the chloroplast. This is very important for the cell because it contains chlorophyll. Ask if anyone remembers what chlorophyll is?
• Number six is the cytoplasm.  The inside of the cell is filled with cytoplasm.  It is a substance that is liquid like and it helps hold the other parts of the cell in place.
• Tell the students to find a microscope and look at the cheek cell. Tell the students that they may have to adjust the focus and then show them how to do that.
• Tell the students that they there is paper in the middle of the table and you want them to draw a picture of what they see in the microscope and then label the different parts using the diagram as a tool to help them.
• Activity Two - Part One:
• Have students go to the computer and explore information on the webstites under plant cells on this page. 
• Tell them you will be walking around to see if they need any help.

• Group Two: Animal Cells
• Tell the students that animal cells have different shapes and sizes, but they have the same parts inside.
• Hand out a diagram of an animal cell. As the teacher talks about the animal cell, have each student label their diagram to use as a reference when they look in the microscope.
• Tell the students:
• Number one on the diagram is the nucleus. It is kind of like your brain because it has all the instructions the cell needs to do its job.
• Number two is the cell membrane. It is kind of like your skin. It controls what goes into and out of the cell.
• Number three is the vacuole. It contains the water and waste materials for the cell.
• Number four is the cytoplasm.  The inside of the cell is filled with cytoplasm.  It is a substance that is liquid like and it helps hold the other parts of the cell in place.
• Tell the students to find a microscope and look at the cheek cell. Tell the students that they may have to adjust the focus and then show them how to do that.
• Tell the students that they there is paper in the middle of the table and you want them to draw a picture of what they see in the microscope and then label the different parts using the diagram as a tool to help them.
• Activity Two - Part Two:
• Have students go to the computer and explore information on the webstites under plant cells on this page.
  
• Tell them you will be walking around to see if they need any help.

Activity Three

Checking for Understanding

Assessing the Primary Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be assessed on the satisfactory completion of labeling an animal cell while viewing it in a microscope.
  
• Students will be assessed on the satisfactory completion of labeling a plant cell while viewing it in a microscope. 
• During the closing section of the lesson, students will be asked to tell the differences of the plant and animal cell and then describe what each part does.  They will be assessed on their ability to complete this without assistance.

Integration:

• The students will explore the websites under plant and animal cell category and use that information to produce a presentation on which cell they think is the most interesting.
  

Procedures:

• · Tell the students that today we looked at two different kinds of cells. Ask the students why they think it is important for cells to have different parts? (all cells in a living thing work together to keep the organism healthy.
  
• Tell the students that plant and animal cells have some similarities as well as differences. 
• Ask the students to tell what the similarities are:
• Plant and animal cells both have a nucleus, a cell membrane, vacuoles, and a cytoplasm.
• Ask the students if they remember what each part does:
• The nucleus is kind of like your brain because it has all the instructions the cell needs to do its job.
• The cell membrane is kind of like your skin. It controls what goes into and out of the cell.
• The vacuole contains the water and waste materials for the cell.
• The cytoplasm is the inside of the cell and is a substance that is liquid like and it helps hold the other parts of the cell in place.
• Ask the students to tell what the differences are. Tell the students that one type of cell has more parts to it than the other one. See if the students can guess which one has more parts? (plant)
• Tell the students that the plant cell has more parts to it because plants don’t have a mouth so they aren’t able to eat. They must make their own food.
• Ask the students if they can remember what two parts the plant cell has that the animal cell doesn’t.
• The chloroplast contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll allows the plant to make food. Animals don’t need this because they eat with their mouths when they are hungry.
• Animals don’t have a cell wall either. This layer around the outside of the cell membrane gives the cell its shape.
• Let students look at cells we made in the previous activity. Tell the students that all parts in the cell work together to keep the organism healthy.
  
• Activity Three:
• Have students choose a type of cell they like and do a presentation on their favorite one. Remind students it doesn't has to be in the regular format, it can be as creative as they want it to be.

Software Reviews

Title of Software:

• Zoom School
  

Published by:

• EnchantedLearning.com
  

Software is useful for...

• Discovering  information on animals such as apes, birds, butterflies, dinosaurs, sharks, whales, and mammals, the Earth, oceans, plants, rainforests, Astronomy, time charts, human anatomy, volcanos, and a science dictionary can be fun if it is taught correctly. For this webpage, the students will gather information for their presentations by exploring  the topic they like the best.
  

Anticipated Problems...

• The website page may be down.
• The students might think the activities are too hard/easy.
• The information on the website may not be the topic we are covering in class.
  

Title of Software:

• Microsoft Word
  

Published by:

• Microsoft Corporation
  

Software is useful for...

• Students will use this software program to type their report for their presesntation for class. This is the easiest program for students to use and most of them are familiar with it.
  

Anicipated Problems...

• Typing may be difficult for some students so it may take longer for some students than others.

Title of Software:

• Microsoft Power Point
  

Published by:

• Microsoft Corporation

Software is useful for...

• This software will be used to show slide shows of plant and animal cells. It will also be used along with the student's presentation if the students choose to use it. I will explain to the students that it will make their presentations look a lot better as well as help other students have a visual image as they are presenting.
  

Anicipated Problems...

• Some students may not be familiar with this program and will need extra assistance.
  

Title of Software:

• How Stuff Works

Published by:

• HowStuffWorks, Inc.

Software is useful for...

• This software will be used to show how cells work. There are many links to different parts of the cell. This will be a helpful resource to use for their presentations.
  

Anicipated Problems...

• Some students may not be familiar with the terminology that is used on the page and might need a dictionary to use as a resource.
  

Title of Software:

• Dictionary.com
  

Published by:

• Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.
  

Software is useful for...

• This software will be used to look up the unfamiliar words on webpages as well as to help students with their presentations later in the week. The termanology for cells is quite difficult to understand; therefore, the students need a way to define the terms they are unfamiliar with so this website will help students tremendously.
  

Anicipated Problems...

• Some students may not be familiar with this program and will need extra assistance. They also might need help with typing.
  

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