3rd – 6th grade Science
This tasty Science lesson will help your students review the different parts of a cell. I chose candies that best fit the description of what each part of a cell does. Students will have fun with this tasty activity and the best they get to eat at the end!
Materials
The number of materials depends on if this is done in a classroom, group, or individual setting. I put my class into groups of 5 students so the number below is based on a class of 20- 25 students.
This activity has some preparation involved so please keep that in mind. I did this activity for years, and was a highlight in my Science unit. The cookie needs to be baked before starting this activity. I baked my cookies at home the night before and transported them to school the following day. First, remove the dough from the package, slice the dough either in halves or thirds and then shape the dough. This is the cell. Once baked, students will frost and decorate with candies that represent the different parts of the cell.
- 2 -3 packages Pillsbury Sugar cookie dough – 2 cookies per package
- Parchment or wax paper
- 3 White or cream whipped frosting – frost 2 cookies per container
- 1 bag of Gum balls – 1 per cookie
- 3 bags of Jelly beans
- 1 big box of Nerds candy
- 1 package of Red licorice
- 2 boxes of Fruit gushers
- 1 plastic knife per group
- 1 paper plate per student
- Paper towels
- Cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper
Instructions
First divide your class into groups. The number of groups depends on the numbers students you have. Distribute the cell cookie to each group. Each group will decorate one cookie cell. State that the cookie is the cell. Help the students recall that cells come in different shapes and sizes. Therefore, each cookie is in a different shape and size.
Pass out a cookie sheet lined with either wax or parchment paper and a baked cookie to each group, plastic knife, and styrofoam bowl of white or cream whipped frosting.
Cookie – represents the cell. It is the smallest part of every living thing and comes in different shapes and sizes.
Frosting – represents the cytoplasm. The liquid that’s inside of the cell. Students can take turns frosting the cell cookie.
Licorice – represents the cell membrane. It is the boundary of the cell. It holds everything inside. A student peels a piece of red licorice and wraps it around the cookie.
Gum ball – represents the nucleus – The Big Boss of the cell
It tells all the different parts of the cell what do. It manages the cell to make sure all parts are working properly.
Jelly Beans – represents the mitochondria. The mitochondria gives us energy. It is the cell’s powerhouse. Think of it as an electric company providing power to your house. A student scatters some jelly beans around the gum ball.
Nerds candy – represents the Lysosomes. It’s responsible to keep the cell clean and remove wast. It’s the garbage dump of the cell in removing waste. Scatter some Nerds candy around the inside of the cell cookie.
Fruit Gushers – represents the vacuoles. They store food and other nutrients for the cell to survive. Inside the fruit gushers are liquid making this an appropriate candy to represent this part of the cell. Scatter fruit gushers around the nucleus inside the cell.
Pass out a paper plate to each student. Once the cookie is completely decorated, one student cuts the cookie as equally as possible, and each student takes a piece and eats their piece of the cell.
