SpoilerIs this an excuse to distract me from getting my grades in? YES. YES IT IS.

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This wasn't exactly what I was looking for (none of the mini cakes are labeled, so they lost points for that...but I gave bonus points for tastiness so it all evened out


These guys did some solid research. I got an email asking if they could just put only 2 structures in their model since mature red blood cells vacate most of their organelles to make room for more hemoglobin. I told them NOPE gotta talk about membrane proteins then. So they flagged them on their twizzler membrane.

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This guy looks like some kind of bizzaro Texas.

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This kid just threw whatever junk they could find onto the cell top. I came by while their friends were poking fun at them and said: "Oh hey! Good representation of the cell membrane! It's a really complex system with tons of random structures on it!"

I still took a couple of points off though.

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The student's model (bottom) Turned out really well and she was very concerned with making sure it would be a good grade. And oh hey, what is that sitting right above it? Oh it is the model I showed to the classroom as an example. hrmmmm.

She did add a cool representation of the muscular fibers though!

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We had some unique (and sometimes misguided) takes on different types of neuron cells. A couple things I was looking for in these models: 1) They roughly represent the shape of the cell they are modeling 2) They are of a single cell 3)Each labeled structure has a 3d representation - not just drawn on.



This guy made his cell-body out of a water-balloon! I got really excited by this because I use the cell/water-balloon analogy a lot in class. (there is a little nucleus-dice floating around in there)

and Hey! there is a little euglena model next to it. (I am a sucker for euglena models).



Oops! Looks like someone drew their model on! I'm gonna have to take off--oh wait--



This isn't drawn at all! The cell body is highlighted and cut paper, the schwann cells are made of yarn and the dendritic connections are little strings and hot glue!! Okay yes A+.



Aw guys, this is why I offered you to show me your models ahead of time. This isn't a retinal ganglion cell - You gotta have the mylin sheaths and dendrites. Aw, and one of the structures you labeled "cone" is actually a completely separate cell, not an organelle of the nerve. Womp Womp.

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Now THIS is what I am talking about! Full 3d, using everyday objects for unique representations of specialized structures, and a cell type that is completely different from your everyday "generic" cell type. This model gets all the points.

Now it might not look like much, but this is where different styles of grading comes into play. Some of my favorite models are the ones that have that extra creativity in them, even if they look simple, there was a student thinking "okay here is a picture I found online, but what can I use to represent this?"

Also, if you're wondering, there is some subjectivity in how I grade this project, but I broke it up into different components to limit how much that subjectivity can influence a grade.

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Cnidocytes are cells whose entire job is to house and shoot a massive stabby venom filled needle. This kid represented this using a styrofoam ball stuffed into a baloon. Blow the baloon up, increase the pressure in the organelle, and POP nematocyst pops out. Good job guy!

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Sperm cells are A-Okay for this project (just, kids be real careful how you search for it) This guy made his out of candy, and was in the same class as the red blood cell cupcakes. He went up to me and said..."Can I eat the candy in my model, now?"

I said, "Didn't you...hot glue the pieces? Don't eat hot glue."

I later turned around to see a flurry of kids ravenously tearing at his sperm cell.


Apparently they took: "Don't eat hot glue." as "Eat everything except for the glued down bits...mostly."

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Very impressed with this model. 1) I never mentioned magnetotactic bacteria as an option so these kids looked up and chose this all on their own. and 2) It is the only microbe plush I've had made for class in the last 3 years! So impressed.

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A solid model, and excellent representation of a bacteria you do not want to get on the oregon trail. Or really...anywhere.

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This kid looked at an image of a paramecium and said: "That kind of looks like a flip-flop." So they cut up a flip-flop and used it to shape their model.


This guy made his own stand for his model!

but what really impressed me was:


Cillia are little hair-like projections on cells so why not represent that with actual hair-like fabric?

You should do that. That was a good idea.

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Tissue is not a cell. It is a bunch of cells together. Students make this kind of mistake a lot actually, but normally I'm able to catch it during the planning phase if they check with me. This student did not check with me.

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Goblet Cells make things (like enzymes and acids) and then secrete them into wherever it is needs them. Some how this cell gave me 2 of the best designed cells I got this year.


This was the biggest model I got this year. About 70cm long. Well constructed.


This one though, was actually baked (which is not something I usually get) This solid little guy will probably last a long time.

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These guys got a little confused on this project, they signed up for a cancer cell (melanoma was a good one to go for) but they made their model largely about melanocytes - which is also a cell I am a sucker for. I didn't ask for this degree of research and presentation ,which they did a solid job with, I asked for a cell model. Each of those little painted orbs are supposed to represent a different cell structure - so no credit on that at all. Bad grade....but...



That cancer model though!

I made up some bonus points for the extra work they did to balance out the points they lost for not really following the project.

oh uh...and....



I popped the water balloon model when I was putting this one back...woops.

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Melanocyte is my go-to when a student asks me what kind of cell they should do. They're like the little superheros of skin cells, weaving their protective tendrils to shield their buddies from harmful UV rays...and sometimes they turn into terrible supervillains replicating and taking over the tissue if they themselves absorb too much radiation.

Here are some of my faves:


Pretty standard (actually almost an exact copy of an easy-to-find image of the cell), but it just goes to show how much of a sucker I am for the melanocyte even when made from bubblegum-colored clay that soaked the paper it was set on.



I especially like how this student put it in a diorama of other skin cell tissue, and the little legend at the base makes it just look classy.

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Protists in general are awesome little self-sufficient eukaryotes, but Euglenas are easily some of my favorite of the kindgom, what with their unique shape and photosynthetic nature.


Using one photosynthetic organism to represent the shape and function of another? Good. vgood.



Well this guy is a little boring...that's disappointing. OH WAIT



IT OPENS UP. This is the only model I've gotten that had a full-3d model instead of a cross-section or cut away model. I was very pleased.

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This was basically the whole model. I even dug around in the playdoh to see if they had labeled something inside but nope. Just broken up green playdoh with no organelles. Sorry folks, bad grade.