Funding Schmunding

To get re-elected a political party will imprison refugees on distant islands, so it must come as no surprise that the party will disproportionately fund private schools over public. If private school parents weren’t either swinging voters or political donors, they’d be hung out to dry.

Teaching idea? Microscopic things are hard to visualise, so make a model.

A Cell –  [Yes there’s CGI but how real is that?]

A Cheap Gooey Model

• A self-sealing plastic bag (cell membrane)
• A lump of plasticine (nucleus)
• Smallest size ziplock bags ie for coins. (vacuoles)
• Gelatine in water (cytoplasm) – amount depends on size of bag
• Make up the gelatine mixture and add the other items (with the mixture) to the plastic bag and seal it.  This generalised cell could be used as a problem-solving starting point – how could we make it into a plant cell?  a muscle cell?  a blood cell?

Or

An Expensive Model

• Light wire that will hold its shape
• Cellophane of different colours (red, green, colourless …)

Different cell-types can be made this way, as can “cut-away” models.  A resource of some sort is needed for the students to research their chosen cell-type – e.g. a cells colour transparency set, a biology text.  The teacher will need to control supplies of wire and cellophane as they are expensive – perhaps plastic food wrap can be used where appropriate.