Edible Cell Lab
A Fun Lab for Learning About Cells for Students of All
Ages
Aug 24, 2009 Sara Wittenberg
This lab is appropriate for students of various ages and is a fun way to encourage students
to learn about cell structure.
This lab should be preceded by a lecture on cell structure. Only eukaryotic cells are
represented in this lab. All structures and their functions should be presented to students.
The differences in animal and plant cells should be defined as well, as some organelles
are specific to one type or the other, and students will need to differentiate for this lab.
Handout for Edible Cell Lab
A quick handout titled "Parts of a Cell" can be made to accompany this lab. This
information can be copied and pasted into a word document, and modified to allow space
for students' answers:
Describe what each structure does (its function) within the cell









cell wall ("red" gel frosting)
cell membrane ("yellow" gel frosting)
cytoplasm (white cake frosting - cover cookie with this first)
ribosomes (round cake sprinkles)
Golgi apparatus (licorice)
endoplasmic reticulum (wadded up fruit roll up)
mitochondria (hot tamale)
lysosome (chocolate covered raisin)
nucleus (gum ball)
chloroplast (green jelly bean)
Ingredients Needed for the Edible Cell Lab





deli-style sugar cookies (one per student)
2 colors of a writable gel frosting (one container of each color)
white cake frosting (one container will ice about 2 dozen cookies)
round cake sprinkles (one container)
Twizzlers pull 'n peel licorice (one package)







Fruit Roll Ups (one box; each can be cut into 2-3 sections)
Hot Tamales (one box)
chocolate covered raisins (one box)
gum balls (one small bag)
green jelly beans (one handful)
paper towels (to lay cookies on)
knife (for frosting)
Set Up for the Edible Cell Lab
Each student should receive a paper towel, one sugar cookie, one piece of licorice, one
section of Fruit Roll Up, one Hot Tamale, one chocolate covered raisin, one gum ball,
and one green jelly bean. The gel frostings, cake frosting and cake sprinkles should be
placed in an accessible location for communal use.
Conducting the Edible Cell Lab
Assign half the room to build an animal cell, and half the room to build a plant cell. Tell
students they must define the function for all organelles on their handout, even if "their"
cell does not contain it. However, when building their cell, students should only use the
organelles their cell type includes.
Once they have filled in the handout and built the cell, the teacher should be notified.
Cells should be examined to ensure they include all of the appropriate organelles (i.e.
plant cells should not have lysosomes, and animal cells should not include cell walls and
chloroplasts).
If something is not right, the student has to figure out what, until the cell is correct. Then
they may eat it!
Source:
Modified from the Beacon Lesson Plan Library
Recommend Article!
The copyright of the article Edible Cell Lab in Curricula/Lesson Plans is owned by Sara
Wittenberg. Permission to republish Edible Cell Lab in print or online must be granted
by the author in writing.
http://lesson-plans-materials.suite101.com/article.cfm/edible_cell_lab#ixzz0b0PllU5b