| WebQuest Page |
This WebQuest addresses the following Utah 7th Grade Science Standards:
STANDARD III: Students will understand that the organs in an organism are made of cells that have structures and perform specific life functions.
Objective 1: Observe and describe cellular structures and functions.
b. Observe and distinguish the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, chloroplast, and cytoplasm of cells.
c. Differentiate between plant and animal cells based on cell wall and cell membrane.
(Note – When I put this WebQuest together in 2005, I wanted to write it in a light-hearted manner. I tried to do it in a way that the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin might have done it. I did this as a small tribute on my part for all he was doing to teach us about wildlife and nature. Sadly, this has become my tribute to a wonderful person for all he did to help improve my knowledge as a teacher. Thanks, Steve, for all you did for us!)
Introduction
Crikey, ya' know you're all made of a bunch of cells. Well, we're going to go out and hunt down some of those cells. We'll travel through them and we'll learn what you're really made of. Hold on, we're in for a rough ride!
Task
G'day, mate! We're getting ready to take you on the journey of your lifetime! It's been donkey's years since I've done this! You will be shrunk down to the size of a water molecule. This means you will be able to move into and out of a cell easier than wrestling with a crock! By jingoes! Let me tell you about the time … oops! Tell ya' later. Hold on and we'll be movin' any tick of the clock. The trip'll be bee's knees.
Procedure
To complete the first part of your assignment, grab your Cell Organelle Research Worksheet. You’ll need to take notes as we travel. Let’s get to the duck’s guts. You’re going to have to make a trading card for each organelle. We’ve got the information you’ll need to finish the assignment. Don’t be a piker! You’ll have to polish off this assignment before you move on to the next.
Resources (picture resources follow)
Ya' can't go anywhere without a guide. Make sure ya' look at the information below. That'll keep ya' from getting up a gum tree. Crikey, I don't know how I could guide ya' without them.
Cell Alive Interactive Cell 
The Virtual Cell - The Virtual Cell is an online Cell Biology textbook. It provides students with an interactive journey through the cell.
Animal Cell Interactive - Explore an animal cell.
Cell Structure and Functions - Learn more about the organelles in plant and animal cells.
Animal Cells - The schematic represents an idealized animal cell, e.g., a liver cell. The columns to the left and right of the labels contain links to discussions of the particular structures.
Cells and Organelles - An overview of plant and animal cells.
Drag and Drop Cell Organelles - Test your knowledge of the cell by matching each structure with it's function by dragging the organelles to their proper spaces.
The Trading Cards (Example)
By the time you get here, you're cookin' with gas, mate. Using the information gathered for your trading cards, it's time to get flat out like a lizard drinking. Use this worksheet (Windows 2003) (Windows 2007) to help you do your assignment. Each trading card should include the following information:
a. The name of your organelle.b. Where it is found.
c. What it does.
d. Something that performs the same function.
Don't print your assignment! Just save it in the file as instructed on your worksheet!!
Picture Resources
Children's Book Assignment
Your second assignment is to write a picture book about animal and plant cells. Remember, you will need to make it simple enough for a billylid to understand. To do this, you will need to look at samples of billylid’s books about science.
You will need to include pictures (drawn by you!). It must be long enough to explain all organelles. Just use the information you gathered for your trading cards.
Make sure you follow all instructions on your worksheet to get the most points!
Once you're done, I know we'll have a happy little Vegemite.
Evaluation
You will receive a grade for both your Cell Organelle Trading Cards and children's book. Make sure you do your best work!
Conclusion
Well, mate, I hope you've learned how important cells really are. Ya' just can't live without them! You should have learned about and drawing pictures of those important organelles.
Thanks for coming along. Our trip's been real bonzers, but it's time to call it quits. Be careful leaving our ship now that you're back to your normal size. Come back real soon!
Now, about that croc ...
