Biology
Unit: Cells (Part I)
Cell Analogy Assignment
Name: _______________________
Date: _____________ Hour: ____
Cell City Analogy
In a far away city called Grant City, the main export and
production product is the steel widget. Everyone in the town
has something to do with steel widget making and the entire
town is designed to build and export widgets. The town hall
has the instructions for widget making, widgets come in all
shapes and sizes and any citizen of Grant can get the
instructions and begin making their own widgets. Widgets are
generally produced in small shops around the city, these small shops can be built by the
carpenters union (whose headquarters are in town hall).
After the widget is constructed, they are placed on special carts which can deliver the
widget anywhere in the city. In order for a widget to be exported, the carts take the
widget to the postal office, where the widgets are packaged and labeled for export.
Sometimes widgets don't turn out right, and the "rejects" are sent to the scrap yard
where they are broken down for parts or destroyed altogether. The town powers the
widget shops and carts from a hydraulic dam that is in the city. The entire city is
enclosed by a large wooden fence, only the postal trucks (and citizens with proper
passports) are allowed outside the city.
Learning Target: I will match the parts of the city (underlined) with the parts of the cell
and describe its function as it relates to the analogy. (See example)
Organelle/ Cell Product Represented
Analogy Component
Function
Nucleus
Ribosome
Golgi Bodies
Endoplasmic reticulum
Mitochondrion
Nucleolus
Lysosome
Cell membrane
Protein (Example)
Widget
This is the product produced in
Grant City.
Part II Cell Analogy Project
Learning Target: I will create an analogy of the cell.
Task 1: Decide on Cell Type. Do you want to represent the inner workings of a
plant or animal cell? If you choose a PLANT cell, remember that Cell Wall,
Vacuole and Chloroplasts must be represented in your analogy.
Circle what you want to represent:
ANIMAL
PLANT
Task 2: Develop your analogy. Some ideas to get you started: a school, a hospital,
a house, a restaurant or anything you can imagine!
** DO NOT choose a factory or a city since I used those as an example in class.

Use the Rough Draft sheet to form your analogy. Fill in the chart as well
to help you in the process, so that you are sure to represent all of the cell
parts.
Task 3. Decide how you would like to showcase your analogy. Here are your
choices. Circle the one you choose!

A story

A song (you don’t have to perform it, but you can if you’d like to!)

A power Point Presentation
 If you choose this format, make sure you have emailed me
your ppt by the time class meets the day that it is due.

A poster board

A comic strip
The Cell parts or products that must be represented are found in the Cell Analogy Project Chart. If
you should a PLANT, you will have to also include (Chloroplasts, Large Central Vacuole and Cell
Wall).
ROUGH DRAFT
The Cell as a _______________________
** The three extra rows in the chart below are for people who chose to represent a PLANT cell.
Organelle/ Cell
Product
Represented
Nucleus
Ribosome
Golgi Bodies
Endoplasmic
reticulum
Mitochondrion
Nucleolus OR
Vacuole (you choose)
Lysosome
Cell membrane
Protein
Analogy
Component
Function
Biology
Unit 2: Cells
Name: ___________________________________
My analogy compares a Plant / Animal (circle one) cell to a___________________________.
Cell Analogy Project Chart
Organelle/ Cell
Product
Represented
Analogy
Component
Function
Nucleus
Ribosome
Golgi Bodies
Endoplasmic
reticulum
Mitochondrion
Nucleolus OR
vacuole (circle it)
Lysosome
Cell membrane
Protein
** This completed chart will be turned in with your finished project. **
Grading: This project is a performance event (50 pt. ‘test grade’). Please do your best
work to showcase your knowledge of cell structures. I will share the best projects with
the class after they are graded.
Project rubric
5
All cell structures or
products are included in
analogy and
are underlined
Analogy
components
(UNDERLINE
THEM!)
All cell organelles had
accurate descriptions of
their functions.
4
Most of cell
structures/ products
are included in the
analogy and all are
underlined
3.5
Some of cell
structures/products
are included in the
analogy and/or all
analogy components
are NOT
UNDERLINED.
2
Very few of the cell
structures are
included in the
analogy.
Animal Cell(7 of 9)
Plant (10-11 of 12)
Animal Cell(5-6 of 9)
Plant Cell (8-9 of 12)
Animal Cell(1-4 of 9)
Plant Cell (2-6 of 12)
Most of cell
organelles had
accurate functions/
locations in the cell.
Some cell organelle
functions/ locations
were accurate.
Very few of the cell
organelle functions/
locations were
accurate.
Functions
Appropriateness
of analogy
components
Chosen analogy
components are all
appropriate.
Animal Cell(7 of 9)
Plant Cell (10-11 of
12)
Most of the chosen
analogy components
are appropriate.
Animal Cell(7 of 9)
Plant (10-11 of 12)
Cell Analogy
Chart
Creativity
Animal Cell(5-6 of 9)
Plant Cell (8-9 of 12)
Some of the chosen
analogy components
are appropriate
Most of the Cell
Analogy Chart filled
out
Animal Cell(5-6 of 9)
Plant Cell (8-9 of 12)
Some of the Cell
Analogy Chart filled
out
It is clear that much
thought, planning and
creativity went into the
project.
Animal Cell(7 of 9)
Plant (10-11 of 12)
It is clear that some
thought, planning
and creativity went
into the project.
Animal Cell(5-6 of 9)
Plant Cell (8-9 of 12)
It is clear that little
thought, planning
and creativity went
into the project.
Visually appealing
Neat (easy to read).
Neat (project is easy to
read)
Contains no more
than two spelling/
grammatical errors
Project is hard to 
read due to poor
penmanship,
organization and/or
text color choices

Project contains no
more than two
spelling/
grammatical errors
Cell Analogy Chart
filled out completely
Appearance
Contains no spelling or
grammatical errors
Total points: _______/ 30 pts
Animal Cell(1-4 of 9)
Plant Cell (2-6 of 12)
Very few of the
chosen analogy
components were
appropriate.
Animal Cell(1-4 of 9)
Plant Cell (2-6 of 12)
Little of the Cell
Analogy Chart filled
out
Animal Cell(1-4 of 9)
Plant Cell (2-6 of 12)
Appears that the
project was done
quickly with no
planning and
creativity.
Project is hard to
read due to poor
penmanship,
organization and/or
text color choices.
Contains several
spelling/grammatical
errors or poor
penmanship
______ %
_____ / 50
Comments:________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________