6.LS.1: Cells are the fundamental unit of life

Cells: The Smallest Living Things Grades 7–8 · partly supports this outcome

How small is a cell, how does water get in, what's inside, and why are cells so tiny? Four lessons with potatoes, strawberries and gelatin that work with a microscope or without one.

• How big is a cell? 50–60 min

  Students measure tiny things they can see, count how many fit across a millimetre, and build a scale ladder from a hand down to a single cell. With a microscope or a phone and a drop of water, they look at real onion cells and estimate their size.

• Why are you made of many small cells, not one big one? 50–60 min, with cubes soaking for at least an hour

  Students soak gelatin cubes of 1, 2 and 3 cm in food colouring, cut them open and measure how far the colour got in. They calculate surface area to volume and explain why cells stay small.

Printable practice for 6.LS.1

These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to 6.LS.1 is partial.

• Cells: The Smallest Living Things workbook included with the unit

  3 practice pages, 3 readings, 1 word wall, 1 English-support page, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.

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