Personal Cells Project
I often feel that we don’t truly understand – or care – about something until we can relate
it to ourselves, someone we know, or something that interests us. In the next three weeks
you will be spending your time getting to know someone and telling the story of his or
her cells. I would encourage you to speak with the members of your family while
deciding whose story to tell. This may be an opportunity for you to have new and
different conversations discussing someone’s illness, disease, or even death. As an
alternative, you may tell your own personal story.
The final product of this project will be a story similar to Comille’s from The Language
of Cells: A Doctor and His Patients by Spencer Nadler that we have been reading in
class. You will investigate a disease or condition and write about how the disease or
condition affects the body’s cells. Since cells can seem quite abstract at times, your
paper will also include a description of how the cellular effects impact the daily life of the
person. To further highlight the subject of your paper, you will create an illustration that
shows something about your disease. The illustration could show how the disease
changes the life of the afflicted person or it could show how the disease specifically
impacts the cells or body.
The project will be broken down into three parts. Each new part of the project will make
up at total of three separate homework assignments, 10 points each. The homework
assignments will give you a simple outline to your paper. It will be your own
responsibility to turn the outline that I will check for homework into rough draft
paragraphs.
You will be getting the homework stamp for completing the outline form, not for
showing me a complete paragraph. I am not formally checking for completion of the
paragraphs, as there is not time for this in class.
This project is a chance for you to go beyond what we have learned in class. Those of
you who are TAG, are getting an A in my class, or generally would like to feel
challenged need to really go beyond what we have learned about cells in class and do
your own research into what exactly is happening on a cellular level.
Final Project Requirements
This will be a one page minimum, single-spaced paper, typed in 12 point Times New
Roman Font. The margins should be no bigger than 1 ¼ inches. In other words, YOUR
PAPER WILL LOOK JUST LIKE THIS ONE! You will use at least one quote which
you will cite using an in-text citation (not foot notes). You will have a bibliography at
the end of your paper.
Below I’ve suggested some topics that you may choose. Many others exist. If you would
like to choose a topic that is not on this page, please see me so that I can approve it.
Cancer Liver Disease Heart Attack Eating Disorders
Parkinson’s Overdoses Mental Retardation Sunburns
Broken Bones Steroids Alcoholism AIDS
Brain Tumor Drugs Obesity Diabetes
Common Colds Cystic Fibrosis Smoking
Allergies Paralysis Leukemia
PART ONE – DUE: Monday Nov. 16th
Paragraph 1 WHO & WHAT
The first paragraph will explain the person, how you know them, and the disease or
illness. The person could be yourself, a relative, or someone you have heard of in the
media, a movie, a television show, etc. I recommend that you choose someone that you
know personally as it would be a great idea to interview that person to find out how the
disease/illness impacts their everyday life.
PART TWO – DUE: Monday Nov. 23rd
Paragraphs 2-3 CAUSE & EFFECT
The second paragraph will describe the cellular biology – what the disease does to the
person’s cells or what happens to the cells to cause the problem. The third paragraph will
describe how the affected cells then affect t the body, cause the symptoms, etc.
This is where you will have to depend on at least two Internet sources to give you facts
about the cellular biology. You will include the title, and the URL address of the website
on your outline. You will insert and in-text citation into your final paper, following the
quote.
PART THREE – DUE: Tuesday Dec. 1st
Paragraph 4 SO WHAT?!?!
The fourth paragraph will give two consequences for this person’s daily life. This takes
the situation from a cellular level to a place where we see the effects of the disease,
illness, or injury on the person’s life, family, career, etc.
Paragraph 5 CONCLUSION
Here you will make a brief final statement about the person you wrote about and their
life. Explain how it helped you to learn more about this person and their struggles, or if
you describe yourself, explain how it allowed you to understand your condition better.
PART FOUR – DUE WITH THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE PAPER Friday Dec. 11th
Illustration – you will illustrate something about your disease in color. See first page for
ideas. OR You can write a letter to the doctor from the subject of your paper like the ones
that Commille wrote in the story.