Our study of cell organelles intersected with our previous unit’s work with drawing systems when students were tasked with constructing a network diagram with cell organelles as nodes. For edges, students had to explain how two organelles interacted with each other. For full credit, pairs of students had to include all of the nodes in the network, with each organelle (node) connected to another organelle via at least one edge. The list of organelles came from the organelle flash cards students made on September 27. Students were able to use their flash cards, the Inside the Cell book (available via the computer), the Cell Structures Gizmo (from September 28), or they could research online as long as the resources they were using to construct their network were scientifically credible.
The picture below represents how the activity was set up, with three edges provided to all students at the launch of the activity.
The Art of Science 