Name:
Date:
Period:
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF A CELL
You are part of an elite team that has been shrunk to a
microscopic size! Your team has been asked to explore the cell. Your
mission is to find and retrieve a piece of DNA from the cell’s nucleus
that has been found to cause a rare type of cancer. Your team is to
enter the cell through the cell membrane, explore the cell’s organelles,
find the piece of DNA, and bring it back with you.
You must use your imagination to visualize what ALL of the cell
organelles will look like from inside the cell. You must also describe
the activities the organelles appear to be engaged in during your
exploration. Remember that organelles work together to completed
their tasks. We should see this in your project. Be careful on your
trip! – you are not really welcome in the cell because you are
a foreign object to it. It will try to destroy you along the way, but
you need to bring the cancer causing DNA back or the cell itself will
be destroyed.
Your assignment is to complete one activity of your choice:
 Write a fictional story of
your journey, complete
with pictures
 Create a comic book that
documents your
experiences through the
cell with pictures
 Create a board game that
depicts the dangers and
triumphs of your
adventures
 Make a video of your
adventure through the cell
 OR, think of a different
way to showcase your
adventure through the cell
DUE DATE:
Activity Descriptions and Requirements
1) Write a fictional story about your journey, complete with
pictures
The story can be written from any perspective as long as a description of every
organelle and its function are included in the context of the mission. There is no
length limit or requirement because creativity is strongly encouraged. Pictures
MUST be included, and they may be hand drawn or a computer graphic.
2) Create a comic book that documents your experiences through
the cell with pictures
The comic book should be neat and easy to read. It should include a title box
with your title. It may be any length as long as the description of each organelle
and its function in the context of your mission is included. It should include
written text and character drawings. Look at a professional cartoon from a
newspaper to see proper format examples. Use a larger poster paper to draw
the comic so you will have more room to draw and it will be easier to read.
Creativity is encouraged and color is required.
3) Create a board game that depicts the dangers and triumphs of
your adventures
Your board game should be interesting and include necessary materials such as
playing pieces, cards, etc. It should include a rule pamphlet that describes the
goal of the game and the rules of play. The game should be colorful, including
pictures and text wherever possible that directly relate to the path taken to get
the DNA and getting out of the cell.
4) Make a video of your adventure through the cell
The story can be written from any perspective as long as a description of every
organelle and its function is included in the context of the mission. There is no
length limit or requirement because creativity is strongly encouraged. Use any
format (live action, puppets, animations, etc) to help propel your story.
5) OR, think of a different way to showcase your adventure
through the cell
The world is your oyster. If you can think of a different, creative way to tell
your story and educate us on the cell, let me know and we can discuss who to
use your idea.
Organelle Checklist
Before you begin your mission, you must decide if you will travel
through a plant cell or an animal cell.
Animal Cell Organelles
Plant Cell Organelles
 Nucleus /Nucleolus
 Nucleus/Nucleolus
 Cytoplasm
 Cytoplasm
 Cell Membrane
 Cell Membrane
 Golgi Body/Apparatus
 Golgi Body/Apparatus
 Mitochondria
 Mitochondria
 Rough and Smooth
 Rough and Smooth
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Ribosome
 Ribosome
 Contractile Vacuole/Vesicle
 Central Vacuole
 Lysosomes
 Chloroplast
 Centrioles
 Cell Wall
**REMEMBER** You must describe the appearance and function of
each organelle!