Students are assigned to construct an edible model of either an animal or plant cell using food items to represent cell structures. The models will be graded on accuracy, completeness, creativity, and neatness using a rubric. Key structures that must be included are the cytoplasm, cell membrane, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, Golgi body, mitochondria, vacuole, and for plant cells, the cell wall and chloroplasts.

1. EDIBLE CELL PROJECT
Task: Construct an edible model of either a plant or an animal cell, plan the ingredients for your creation,
and present your model to the class.
Guidelines:
• Be sure to include all cell structures listed below.
• Use frosting, candies, pasta, beans, fruit, etc. to represent each part; make it look as realistic as
possible (and tasty too).
• Your edible cell should be a single serving size; please keep it smaller than 15cm x 15cm
• Use disposable pans/plates or cardboard covered with foil.
• This project is worth 40 points and will be graded for accuracy, completeness, creativity, and
neatness.
• Please see the rubric on the back.
Animal Cell Plant Cell
1. Cytoplasm 1. Cell wall
2. Cell membrane 2. Cell membrane
3. Nucleus 3. Cytoplasm
4. Endoplasmic reticulum 4. Nucleus
5. Ribosome 5. Chloroplasts
6. Golgi body 6. Endoplasmic reticulum
7. lysosomes 7. Golgi body
8. mitochondria 8. mitochondria
9. vacuole 9. vacuole
10. Ribosome
EDIBLE CELL - Grading Rubric

2. Name:_________________________
1-Needs SCORE
4–Exemplary 3–Good 2–Satisfactory
Improvement
All cell structures One or two cell Includes and Fails to identify
Cell and functions are structures and accurately and/or represent
Structures included and are functions are not represents structures and
And accurately included or are some of the functions of the cell
Functions represented and inaccurately structures and correctly.
(x5) written. represented functions in the
cell, but not all.
Model is creatively Model is constructed Model is Model is
constructed using a using several constructed constructed using
Creativity
wide variety of food different food items. using a limited the same material
(x3)
items. variety of food for each part.
items.
Model is extremely Model is neat but is Model is lacking Model is sloppy and
neat and is missing one neatness and is messy and is
Following appropriately component (size, missing more missing multiple
Guidelines constructed materials, display). than one components (size,
(x2) according to size, component materials, display).
materials, and (size, materials,
display. display).
TOTAL
EDIBLE CELL - Grading Rubric
Name:_________________________
1-Needs SCORE
4–Exemplary 3–Good 2–Satisfactory
Improvement
All cell structures One or two cell Includes and Fails to identify
Cell and functions are structures and accurately and/or represent
Structures included and are functions are not represents structures and
And accurately included or are some of the functions of the cell
Functions represented and inaccurately structures and correctly.
(x5) written. represented functions in the
cell, but not all.
Model is creatively Model is constructed Model is Model is
constructed using a using several constructed constructed using
Creativity
wide variety of food different food items. using a limited the same material
(x3)
items. variety of food for each part.
items.
Model is extremely Model is neat but is Model is lacking Model is sloppy and
neat and is missing one neatness and is messy and is
Following appropriately component (size, missing more missing multiple
Guidelines constructed materials, display). than one components (size,
(x2) according to size, component materials, display).
materials, and (size, materials,
display. display).
TOTAL

3. EDIBLE CELL - Grading Rubric
Name:_________________________
1-Needs SCORE
4–Exemplary 3–Good 2–Satisfactory
Improvement
All cell structures One or two cell Includes and Fails to identify
Cell and functions are structures and accurately and/or represent
Structures included and are functions are not represents structures and
And accurately included or are some of the functions of the cell
Functions represented and inaccurately structures and correctly.
(x5) written. represented functions in the
cell, but not all.
Model is creatively Model is constructed Model is Model is
constructed using a using several constructed constructed using
Creativity
wide variety of food different food items. using a limited the same material
(x3)
items. variety of food for each part.
items.
Model is extremely Model is neat but is Model is lacking Model is sloppy and
neat and is missing one neatness and is messy and is
Following appropriately component (size, missing more missing multiple
Guidelines constructed materials, display). than one components (size,
(x2) according to size, component materials, display).
materials, and (size, materials,
display. display).
TOTAL
EDIBLE CELL PROJECT

4. Task: Construct an edible model of either a plant or an animal cell, plan the ingredients for your creation,
and present your model to the class.
Guidelines:
• Be sure to include all cell structures listed below.
• Use frosting, candies, pasta, beans, fruit, etc. to represent each part; make it look as realistic as
possible (and tasty too).
• This project is worth 40 points and will be graded for accuracy, completeness, creativity, and
neatness.
• Please see the rubric below.
Animal Cell Plant Cell
1. Cytoplasm 1. Cell wall
2. Cell membrane 2. Cell membrane
3. Nucleus 3. Cytoplasm
4. Endoplasmic reticulum 4. Nucleus
5. Ribosome 5. Chloroplasts
6. Golgi body 6. Endoplasmic reticulum
7. lysosomes 7. Golgi body
8. mitochondria 8. mitochondria
9. vacuole 9. vacuole
10. Ribosome
Edible Cell
DESCRIPTION FUNCTION
ORGANELLE FOOD CHOICE
(the way it looks) (what does it do?)
CYTOPLASM
CELL MEMBRANE
NUCLEUS
ENDOPLASMIC
RETICULUM
MITOCHONDRIA
GOLGI BODIES
RIBOSOME
CELL WALL
CHLOROPLAST
VACUOLE
EDIBLE CELL - Grading Rubric
SCORE
4–Exemplary 3–Good 2–Satisfactory 1-Needs Improvement
All cell structures and One or two cell structures Includes and Fails to identify and/or
Cell Structures functions are included and functions are not accurately represent structures and
And and are accurately included or are represents some of functions of the cell
Functions represented and written. inaccurately represented the structures and correctly.
(x5) functions in the cell,
but not all.
Model is creatively Model is constructed Model is Model is constructed
Creativity constructed using a wide using several different constructed using a using the same material
(x3) variety of food items. food items. limited variety of for each part.
food items.

5. Model is extremely neat Model is neat but is Model is lacking Model is sloppy and
and is appropriately missing one component neatness and is messy and is missing
Following
constructed according to (size, materials, display). missing more than multiple components
Guidelines
size, materials, and one component (size, materials, display).
(x2)
display. (size, materials,
display).
TOTAL