Plant Cell Model Project: A Wearable T-Shirt
Rebecca is a retired special education teacher. She earned a master's degree at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA.
Plant Cell Model Project: A Wearable T-Shirt
rebeccamealey
Making a Plant Cell Model
If you have an older elementary or middle-school student or will have someday, you will probably find yourself helping her create a plant or animal cell model project. And if you visit the science fair, you will be amazed at the creative ways kids come up with to make the cell models.
Styrofoam, empty toilet paper rolls, old batteries, clay, and other items are used to represent the cell wall, cell membrane, and all the organelles in the cell.
Then there are the edible ones like animal and plant cell cakes or Jello ones with candies that represent the various parts of the cell.
A Plant Cell T-Shirt You Can Wear
But how about a plant cell model you can wear? That’s the idea we came up with for our plant cell model. Start with a plain white t-shirt. You will need fabric markers for labeling and fabric glue for gluing.
Check your craft box for items like felt, bows, buttons, pom-poms, chenille stems, etc. for your plant cell organelles.
Below is a chart listing what we used for each part of our plant cell model.
Materials Used for Cell Parts
| Cell Part | Material Used |
|---|---|
cytoplasm | light green felt |
cell wall | green ribbon |
cell membrane | green fabric marker |
large central vacuole | white craft felt |
vacuole membrane | green chenille stem |
nucleus | yellow felt circle |
nucleolus | medium purple pom-pom |
smooth endoplasmic reticulous | narrow purple ribbon |
rough endoplasmic reticulous | purple plastic beads |
mitochondria | tan felt oval/yellow chenille stem |
chloroplasts | green felt oval/yellow chenille stem |
druse crystal | small white pom-pom/miniature green pom-pom |
golgi apparatus | pieces of orange chenille stem |
golgi vesicules | miniature green pom-poms |
ribosomes | clear plastic beads |
raphide crystal | pieces of sparkly green chenille stem |
amoplast | purple button |
Photo Guide
Begin by making a pattern for the cell and the large central vacuole. Trace and cut these out of craft felt.
Attach the cell and central vacuole to the front of the t-shirt using fabric glue
Attach the nucleus and nucleolus and label with fabric markers.
Label the cell wall, cell membrane, and large central vacuole
Attach and label vacuole membrane, golgi vesicles, ribosomes, smooth and rough er, mitochondria, and amyoplast.
Attach and label the golgi apparatus, chloroplasts, vacuole membrane, raphide crystal, and druse crystal.
completed large central vacuole
If desired, embellish the collar and sleeve edges with fabric markers and beads.
Comments
Rebecca Mealey (author) from Northeastern Georgia, USA on October 06, 2021:
Thank you! It's nice to see you again, Nithya! I hope all is well in Dubai.
Nithya Venkat from Dubai on October 05, 2021:
A creative and easy way to remember the parts of a plant cell. A fantastic idea!
Rebecca Mealey (author) from Northeastern Georgia, USA on October 04, 2021:
Thanks, Peggy!
Rebecca Mealey (author) from Northeastern Georgia, USA on October 04, 2021:
Thanks, JP!
Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on October 04, 2021:
It is not only a clever idea, but I'll bet that your child will remember this information about a plant cell far into the future. Good job!
JP Carlos from Quezon CIty, Phlippines on October 04, 2021:
This is definitely creative! I wish I did this when I was in school.
