Animal vs Plant Cell Showdown: 8 Fun Ways to Teach Cells and Microbes in Elementary

Teaching cells and microbes in elementary school can be tricky. Some districts wait until middle school to introduce these topics, while others include microbes in health units or start teaching cells as early as fourth grade. If your district includes animal vs plant cells or microbes in the elementary curriculum, you know how challenging it can be to find resources that are age-appropriate and engaging.

On top of that, science often gets a smaller time block compared to other subjects. This makes it even more important to make the most of your science lessons with engaging, hands-on labs and activities. Here are a few fun ways to teach cells and microbes that are engaging and also happen to be research-backed!

1. The Great Animal vs Plant Cell Showdown

Kick off your unit with an Animal vs. Plant Cell Showdown! Divide the class into two teams: Team Animal Cell and Team Plant Cell. Each group will dive deep into the unique features of their assigned cell type using an indirect instruction approach that emphasizes inquiry-based learning.

Encourage each team to:

• Investigate structures unique to their cell type.
• Use hands-on tools like cell models or diagrams to explore their cell type.
• Create labeled models using resources like the Plant and Animal Cells Craftivity.

After gathering their findings, teams can debate which cell type is “superior.” While there’s no right answer, the activity encourages critical thinking and teamwork. Teams can argue for why their cell is better, citing evidence from their research. Wrap up the activity by highlighting the strengths of both cell types, showing how each plays a unique and vital role.

2. Use a Microscope to Explore Animal vs Plant Cells

If you have access to a microscope, pull it out! Seeing cells up close is an unforgettable experience. Microscopes that connect to a projector or smartboard are particularly useful for full-class instruction, allowing students to compare plant and animal cells on the big screen. For smaller groups or centers, use prepared slides of cells for students to explore at their own pace. You can pair this with other activities so everyone can see cells in a concrete and tangible way.

3. The Cinnamon Experiment: Teach Cells and Microbes

For an additional hands-on experiment focusing on microbes, try the cinnamon experiment to demonstrate how microbes spread. You have students put cinnamon on their hands and see how long it stays during different activities, such as washing their hands. It’s a simple but effective way to show the real-world implications of hygiene and microbes. This could be part of a center or rotations on cells or a separate lesson during your health unit. 

4. Model to Create Concrete Examples

Understand that cells can be challenging for young learners due to the lack of concrete examples they can see or touch, which is why many districts hold off until middle school. Models make it easier by turning abstract concepts into tangible learning opportunities. Websites like Cells Alive offer interactive tools to help students explore cell structures through inquiry-based learning.

For a more hands-on approach, use labeled diagrams or physical models, such as the Plant and Animal Cells Craftivity, mentioned before, to give students a tactile way to learn. 

5. Use Literature In Your Class Library or Read Alouds

Incorporating books is a wonderful way to introduce abstract concepts like cells and microbes. Picture books such as Story of the Cell by A.H.G. Squirrel and Cells: An Owner’s Handbook by Carolyn Fisher make these topics accessible and engaging for young learners. These books provide relatable narratives and vivid imagery to help students grasp complex ideas.

After reading, ask students to identify key facts and connect them to hands-on activities. For example, they can use their new knowledge to label cell diagrams or identify cell parts.

6. Incorporate Games To Teach Cells in Centers

Pair active activities like using the microscope or the cinnamon experiment with other activities like Cells Science Vocabulary Games in rotating stations. These games are perfect for reinforcing vocabulary and concepts while students wait for their hands-on lab. Games, in general, have so many benefits and are perfect for reinforcing concepts through individual or small group practice.

7. Bring In Creative Analogies Projects

Analogies are a powerful way to simplify complex topics. Start by showing how cells can be compared to cities, where organelles function like parts of a city—such as the nucleus acting as city hall. Encourage students to create their own analogies, comparing cells to schools, zoos, or other familiar systems. This could be done in groups or individually and is the perfect way to help your students show their understanding of cells and the various parts in them.

These analogies can pair with the Animal vs. Plant Cell Showdown from above. For example, Team Plant Cell might argue that their cells are like solar-powered factories, while Team Animal Cell might say their cells are like dynamic neighborhoods.

8. Explore Cells And Microbes With A Microscopic Mystery

For a fun and challenging twist, try a “microscopic mystery” activity. Provide students with unlabeled images or slides of different cell types—some plant, some animal—and challenge them to identify each one based on its unique characteristics. This activity strengthens observational skills while reinforcing their understanding of cell structures.

Take it a step further by turning the microscopic mystery into a full inquiry-based investigation. Create a storyline where students must solve a “cell crisis,” such as determining which organelle caused the cell’s energy production to fail. Was it the mitochondria struggling to produce energy? Did the chloroplasts stop their photosynthesis work?

As students explore the cell’s parts and functions, they piece together clues to solve the mystery. Science mysteries not only deepens their understanding of cell biology but also promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. It’s an engaging way to turn abstract concepts into a memorable classroom experience.

Bonus Ideas: Limited Time for Science? Make Every Moment Count

With limited time for science, prioritize hands-on activities for your core science block while integrating other activities into different parts of your day. Use Cells and Microbes Science Exit Tickets or Writing Prompts as a way to reinforce concepts after labs during your writing block. These writing prompts help students express what they know, allowing you to assess them and they double as a form of didactic questioning, encouraging students to reflect on what they’ve learned and apply it to new scenarios.

Additionally, these prompts are ideal for literacy centers, providing multi-disciplinary instruction by combining science content with writing practice. This approach ensures that even when science time is short, students are still engaging with the material in meaningful ways throughout the day. 

The Science Vocabulary Games mentioned above are another great activity you could implement in your language arts blocks. You could even include math problems in your math units that use concepts from the hands-on activities. When you have limited time for science, the key is to find ways to incorporate concepts throughout the day to help students reinforce the concepts. 

Wrapping It Up

Teaching cells and microbes doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can turn your classroom into a place of excitement and discovery by combining hands-on labs, inquiry-based activities, creative projects, and including science in different subjects. Try out some of these ideas, and see just how easy it can be to introduce cells or microbes in your classroom.