7th Grade Cell City Project
Entire Project Due: Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Presentations: October 25-28
Cell City Project
Cells contain many parts that have to work together in order for the cell to survive. Each part of the
cell has a specific role. If one part of the cell doesn’t do its job, it affects the entire cell in a negative
way. We can compare a cell to a city. Like cells, cities can be broken down into different parts.
These different parts must work together in order for the city to run smoothly. What would happen
if the trash was never picked up or the dumpsters never emptied? The city would stink!! What
would happen if the energy power plants decided to take a day off? All of these parts are very
important! You will see that all of the parts in a cell, like a city, are very important as well.
Task Explanations
1. Cell City Map Due: Friday, October 7, 2011
Plan and create a rough draft blueprint of your cell city. It should include the following:


Labels of all cell organelles and their corresponding city structures
Name of city (Be creative!)
You may want to make a rough draft first, as you will be graded for neatness as well as
accuracy! Your map may be done in pencil, pen, or marker as long as it is neatly done.
You will be constructing a model from your map.
2.
Make a poster model of your cell city with materials from home.
Due: Thursday, October 19, 2011
Be sure to label all cell organelles and corresponding city structures. Your model
should look like your blueprint but neater and in color. Please make sure the proper
heading including your name date and class period are on the back top right corners of
all of your work BEFORE it is turned in!
3. Chose one of the following careers and complete the job associated with
that role. Rough Draft Due: Wednesday, October 12, 2011



Travel Agent
Newspaper Journalist/Newscaster
Musician/Poet
Career Job Descriptions
Travel Agent
Brochure Instructions:
1. Create a tri-fold brochure on the computer
2. Include your "Cell City" name.
3. Describe the attractions of your city. These would be the organelles that people would
come to visit.
You will need to describe the structure and function of at least 5 organelles.
4. Include illustrations of the attractions of your city. They can be hand-drawn or a photo
from your city.
5. Present highlights to the class.
Newspaper Journalist / Newscaster
Newspaper article / Newscast story:
1. Neatly type your article(s).
2. Name your newspaper or TV station.
3. Create stories about what is happening in "Cell City". Be creative. Try an eye-catching
headline or idea.



Emergency in an organelle
Award winning organelle for services
Sports event or hall of fame
4. You must describe the structure and function of at least 5 organelles in your article(s) or
news story.
5. Read story to class or perform a newscast.
Musician/Poet
Song Instructions:
1. Neatly type the lyrics to your "Cell City" song using a familiar tune.
2. You must describe the structure and function of at least 5 organelles in your song.
3. Perform your song for the class.
Poem Instructions:
1. Neatly type the words to your "Cell City" poem.
2. You must describe the structure and function of at least 5 organelles in your poem.
3. Recite your poem for the class.
All living organisms are composed of cells, from just one too many trillions, whose details
usually are visible only through a microscope. As a basis for understanding this concept,
students know:
A. cells function similarly in all living organisms.
B. the characteristics that distinguish plant cells from animal cells, including chloroplasts and
cell walls.
C. the nucleus is the repository for genetic information in plant and animal cells.
D. mitochondria liberate energy for the work that cells do and chloroplasts capture sunlight
energy for photosynthesis.
Cell Organelles
City Analogies
Cell Membrane
City border
Cell Wall
City Wall
Cytoplasm
Lawns
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Highway or road system
Ribosomes
Lumber or brick yard
Golgi Bodies
Post Office or UPS
Chloroplasts
Solar Energy Plants
Nuclear Membrane
City Hall Fence with security guard
Mitochondria
Energy Plants
Nucleus
City Hall
DNA
Original Blueprints or the city
RNA
Copies of Blueprints
Nucleolus
Copy Machine
Lysosomes
Waste Disposal/ Recyclers
Vacuole
Warehouses, water towers or garbage
dumps
Protoplasm
Air or atmosphere
Chromosomes
Rolled up blueprints
Proteins
Lumber
*Please note that various parts of the project are due
each week, so that I may check each student’s progress.
All parts included
1-2 parts missing
3-4 parts missing
5-8 parts missing
8+ missing
5
4
3
2
1
All done
1 missing
2 missing
3 missing
4+ missing
5
4
3
2
1
Cell City Map/
All parts included
Some parts missing
Many parts missing
Blueprint
3
2
1
City Parts
All parts labeled
Some parts labeled
Many parts not
Labeling on
3
2
Student has
Completed a
Cell City
Student has 5
organelles in
their career
Project
1
Cell Parts
All parts labeled
Some parts labeled
Labeling on
3
2
Project
Quality and
Creativity
labeled
Many parts not
labeled
1
Neat & colorful,
Could improve on
legible, creative,
neatness, use more
messy; cell parts
accurate & to scale
color or make parts
make no attempt to
more realistic or
be accurate.
3
accurate
Slightly colorless or
1
2
Project
Presentation
Thorough
Somewhat
Little
understanding of cell
understands cell and
understanding of
and presents project
presents project
cell and makes
accurately
accurately
presentation
3
2
1
Your Score: _______/25. Counts 3 x = _______/75
Grade:___________