Divide the students up into groups and have them work on an assigned lab project and questions. Visit the website of The Biology Corner for an extensive list of lab possibilities. Have students look at cheek cells under a microscope and note their activity and structure. Provide samples of plant and animal cells for the students to view, and ask them to note the processes for which the different parts of the cell are responsible.
Visit a teacher-supply store or a website to purchase a plant or animal to grow in the classroom. For example, place chicken eggs in an incubator, watch as a caterpillar grows into a butterfly, or start a small garden in the schoolyard or by the windowsill. Have the students take care of the plant or animal. Each day or several times a week, discuss the processes that the egg, seed or cocoon is going through to reach adult development.
Have the students create a form of visual to demonstrate one or several cell processes. Examples of items that they can create include a book, poster, diorama or video. Assign each student or group of students a different cell process to explore. Require them to include a certain number of pages or pictures, and to explain to the class the medium and the process that they chose.
Find a DNA laboratory in your area, such as one of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Labs in New York, and see whether you can arrange a cell process experiment with the institution. Another option is to ask museums whether they have any interactive exhibits or whether they arrange special school trips for such projects. For instance, look into the Boston Museum of Science or the San Francisco Exploratorium.