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Mrs. Koca’s seventh grade science students at Coal City Middle School recently explored the complexity of cells through a series of hands-on activities. The classes began their study by learning about Cell Theory and examining how microscopes have improved understanding of cell organelles.
Students were each assigned an organelle to research as part of an activity designed to deepen their knowledge. After gaining familiarity with different organelles, the lessons shifted focus to how nutrients and waste move in and out of cells. The students studied diffusion and osmosis, learning how the cell membrane controls what enters and leaves the cell.
To illustrate these processes, students used bubble solution in a laboratory simulation. In this experiment, they discovered that only certain substances could pass through the bubble, which represented the cell membrane; if an unapproved substance tried to enter, the bubble would pop. The students also experimented with active transport by placing a loop in the bubble, popping its center, moving objects through it, and observing how pulling out the string allowed the “cell membrane” to close again.
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