Coral Reef Ecology: Plant and Animal Cells
Coral Reef Ecology: Plant and Animal Cells
Coral Reef Ecology: Plant and Animal Cells
Making Connections
By learning the differences between plant and animal cells students
will begin to explore and understand the ways in which plant and
animals are different. They will recall these differences at various
times throughout the remainder of the unit.
so you can look closely at the calyx (the calyx is where the actual polyp lives). If you have pre-
made slides of plant and animal cells, have them ready near your microscopes. If you need to
make your own slides, place a very thin slice of an onion on a clean microscope slide and put a
drop of iodine on it (iodine can be purchased at most drug stores), and slide the cell cover over
the iodine and onion slice. To make an animal cell, scrape the lining of your inner cheek with a
toothpick and smear the cells on a microscope slide. Place a drop of water on your cheek cells
and slip the slide cover on the water and cheek cells.
A sample picture of each a plant, animal and coral cell slide has been provided at the bottom of
this lesson plan.
Part 2: Print the scripts for animal and plant cells. Cut out each cell part and paste it on a small
note card. Write each cell part name on large note cards and punch two holes on either corner.
Tie off yarn or string to create a necklace for nametags. Create an open space in your classroom
for where the play will take place.
Background
Only living things have cells. Plant cells can be distinguished from animal cells by three
characteristics. First, plant cells are bounded by a cell membrane and a rigid cell wall, whereas
animal cells have only a cell membrane to protect their insides from the outside environment.
Second, plant cells have mitochondria and chloroplasts (an organelle that uses photosynthesis) to
produce energy, while animal cells only have mitochondria. Finally, plant cells contain vacuoles-
storage units-which are absent in many animal cells.
The similarities between plant and animal cells are that they are both eukaryotic cells (cells that
contain a nucleus). They share many kinds of cell parts (or organelles) such as the nucleus,
mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus, lysosomes, cytosol and cell
membrane.
Coral polyps are living animals. Some corals have a symbiotic relationship with plant cells
(zooxanthellae). These types of corals are typically found in areas close to the surface of water
so that the zooxanthellae can use photosynthesis to create energy. Because zooxanthellae uses
less than 5% of the energy it produces while the rest goes to the corals, corals containing
zooxanthellae are usually the reef-building types of corals. You can read more information on
coral cells here: http://www.this-magic-sea.com/COMCORAL.HTM
Procedure
Part 1:
1. Show the students a variety of coral skeletons and pictures. Ask the class what they think it is:
a plant, animal, rock, etc. Ask inquiry types of questions:
1. What observations can they make?
2. If the organism is an animal, why?
3. What is the difference between plants and animals?
Make a list of all of the differences suggested by students. What purposes do these
differences serve? How are plants and animals similar? Which one do you think is more
complex? Have students use microscopes to observe the shapes of plant and animal cells.
Optional: Have students draw a diagram of what they see under the microscope. Ask
students: Why do you think the plant cell looks rectangular in shape? What other
differences do you see between the two cells?
2. Hand out the Animal and Plant Cells Worksheets and the Cell Parts worksheet. Explain
that only living organisms have cells.
3. Go over the different parts of the two cells using the supplied Teachers Answer Guide
diagrams. As you discuss each part, have a student or yourself read out loud to the class the
description and function of each part from the Cell Parts worksheet. Have the students
complete the worksheets by filling in part as discussed. Explain to the class that the plant
cell is rectangular in shape because the plant cell has a cell wall, and the cell wall is what
they are looking at. The cell wall helps strengthen the plant cell and helps it withstand the
elements of weather, such as wind, rain, and snow. The plant cell also contains chlorophyll
(green in color) and the animal cell does not. The chlorophyll observed in the plant cell
allows the plant to get energy from the sun and produce food in a process called
photosynthesis. (http://www.girlstart.org/detectives/view_lesson.asp?ID=595)
4. After they have filled out their worksheets, show the students the picture of the coral cell with
the zooxanthellae and explain that it is a coral cell. Ask them, using the information they just
learned about the differences between plant and animal cells, if coral is a plant or an animal,
or even if it is a mineral (only living things have cells). Do animals or plants have cell walls?
Part 2:
5. Pass out note cards with the organelle name and script on each card. Ask the students to split
up in two groups depending on their cell part: plant cell and animal cell. Each group
should be able create a complete cell. They may use their worksheets from Part 1 to help.
6. Remind the class that each cell part has an important function. Ask the students if they can
remember a cell part and what function it does in the cell. Then, ask them if that function
reminds them of anything else that they know. For example, mitochondria makes energy for
the cell, and therefore reminds the student of a battery, or the nucleus directs the processes of
the cell so it reminds them of a computer. Do this for each cell part.
7. Explain that they will now create a puppet that represents the cell part indicated on their
notecard. First, the they will create the mouth of the puppet. Instruct the students to fold the
6x9 sheet hot-dog style into 3 equal sections. Second, fold the sheet into a W indicated
in Fig. 1 on page 12. Explain that their fingers can be inserted into the folded gaps at either
end of the W to make the mouth move up and down.
8. Once the mouthpiece is done, the students can start designing their representative cell part
using construction paper, glue and their scissors. Their puppet should be designed based on
an analogy of the cell part. Some examples have bee covered in Step 6, but students may be
to come up with their own. Use the Cell Parts worksheet to help the students come up with
an analogy based on the description and function for each cell part. See Fig. 2 on page 12.
9. Once the students have finished their puppets, have each student read their script from the
note card in front of class, using the puppet to speak for them. Each student should be able to
recognize if their cell part is found in a plant cell, animal cell, or in both cells. See Fig. 2 on
page 12 as an example.
Assessments
Assessment checklist (page 5)
Resources
Oxford Illustrated Science Dictionary
http://www.this-magic-sea.com/COMCORAL.HTM
This can be done as a homework assignment or an in-class art activity. If you plan to do it in-
class, then give the students advanced notice to collect supplies to build their coral polyp and
bring them in to class.
To review the parts of a cell and vocabulary, have the students label each part on their cell.
Name:_____________
Date: _____________
Questions:
1. Which type of cell is this?
Name:_____________
Date: _____________
Questions:
1. Which type of cell is this?
Name:_____________
Date:_____________
Cell Parts
Animal cell:
Mitochondria
Nucleus
Golgi Body
Cytoplasm
Endoplasmic
Reticulum
Ribosomes
Cell
Membrane
Plant cell:
Cytoplasm Vacuole
Cell Wall
Cell
Membrane
Chloroplast
Nucleus
Golgi Body
Mitochondria
Ribosome
s
Endoplasmic
Reticulum
Fig. 1. The students will first fold their 6x9 paper into three parts. Second, they
will fold their papers A) with a valley fold in half, then B) two mountain folds. The
student should end up with a paper thats folded in a W.
Fig. 2. The students will create a puppet to represent their cell part. This is Morty
the Mitochondria. He is a battery that represents the
mitochondria of the cell.
Directions: Cut up the script and paste each organelle part onto notecards.
Each student will receive one notecard with one part from either the animal
cell script or the plant cell script.
CELL MEMBRANE
Directions: Move on the far side of the play area with arms out in a
semi-circle.
CYTOPLASM
NUCLEUS
Script: Im the mighty nucleus. I direct the cell activity to make sure
that all of the other organelles in the cell do their jobs.
Directions: Stand in the middle of the play area and motivate the
organelles to work.
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
GOLGI BODY
Directions: Recieve card from the ER and put it in the box and give it
to the mitochondria.
RIBOSOMES
Directions: Ribosomes will float around for a while and then land on the
ER. Once attached to ER, ribosome will bring out cards marked
protein from their pockets and say, I made protein!
MITOCHONDRIA
Directions: Stand in the play area and receive boxes from the Golgi
body. Once received, the mitochondria will pull out cards marked
energy from their pockets and say, I made energy!
CELL MEMBRANE
Directions: Move on the far side of the play area with arms out in a
semi-circle.
CYTOPLASM
NUCLEUS
Script: Im the mighty nucleus. I direct the cell activity to make sure
that all of the other organelles in the cell do their jobs.
Directions: Stand in the middle of the play area and motivate the
organelles to work.
ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM
Directions: : Pick up the sugar card from the ground (or table) and give
it to the golgi bodies. You will also pick up waste card from the
ground and give it to the Golgy Body.
GOLGI BODY
Directions: Recieve objects from the ER and put them in boxes. Give
the boxes to the mitochondria and the vacuole.
RIBOSOMES
Directions: Ribosomes will float around for a while and then land on the
ER. Once attached to ER, ribosome will bring out cards marked
protein from their pockets and say, I made protein!
MITOCHONDRIA
Directions: Stand in the play area and receive boxes from the Golgi
body. Once received, the mitochondria will pull out cards marked
energy from their pockets and say, I made energy!
CHLOROPLAST
Directions: Wave their arms in the direction of the sun and say, I love
the sun and pull out cards marked, sugar, from their pockets.
VACUOLE
Script: Im the vacuole. I store food, water and waste from the cell.
Directions: Stand near the cell membrane and receive boxes from the
golgi body.
CELL WALL
Notes:
The sun can also be a student.
If there are more students than organelles, students can double up on cell membranes, cell walls,
and ribosomes.
Histology = The branch of biology dealing with the study of living tissues, also refers to the study of microscopic anatomy.