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Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
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Cell Adventures
Students in seventh grade Life Science learned about cell structure and function earlier this term, and they created comics to explore and demonstrate their understanding of how different kinds of cells work.
The project began with a tutorial from Arts Department Chair and comic enthusiast Chris Kimball explaining the fundamentals of creating a comic strip. While many students had some level of experience reading comic books, few had considered the design choices involved in telling a story through this medium. They learned the lexicon of comic books. Each drawing is a panel, a splash is a page with one large panel, and the gutter is the space between panels. Chris demonstrated how comic creators vary the scale, perspective, and elements on each page to convey an emotion or the story’s movement.
Equipped with some essential advice and techniques for creating their comic, each student had to choose a type of cell, such as a plant cell, neuron, or sperm cell, and tell the story of its journey in comic form. “The project was impactful because students had to research their cell and connect how it functions, its structure, and how it receives nutrients and releases nutrients from the cell,” says Life Sciences Teacher and Science Department Chair Alex Dixon. “They had to use their creativity and imagination to create the story and demonstrate a strong foundation of understanding.” Creating a story with a coherent plot in which the hero is a cell that also weaves in the requisite scientific material is a creative challenge. The comic had to show the cell’s structure and function. It had to include three of four cell membrane functions, its major cell processes, and it had to illustrate some form of transport, the movement of materials across cell membranes. Finally, it had to include a minimum of five supporting cell organelles.
Many students embraced the comic strip structure producing some visually stunning illustrations, while for others, it was more challenging. However, it’s the kind of project that ensures that students of all strengths have an opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a way that is comfortable for them throughout the term. Students also had the chance to learn from each other. “Everyone’s project was a little different, but students had the opportunity to learn about various cells and their differences and similarities,” says Alex. Seventh graders finished their project by welcoming fourth grade science students, who have also been learning about cellular biology, to class and presenting their cell storyboards. “It was great for the younger students to see the kind of work seventh graders are doing,” says Alex. “They were in awe of the artwork and intrigued by the storylines, and it prompted some good questions and fueled their curiosity.”
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48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201
