Divide students into groups, and assign each group a different organelle. Their assignment will be to build a model of the organelle. Have them create a scale for their work and make the model to scale. They might choose to use clay to create a three-dimensional organ or poster board to draw an organelle. They must clearly label all the parts of the organelle.
Assign students individual organelles to conduct research projects on. They must answer the following questions in their report: What does the organelle look like? Where is it located within the cell? What is the function of the organelle? Can you compare the organelle to anything? How does it function? Ask students to share specific answers with the class or to report on all of their findings with the help of visual aids.
Give students a list of a variety of organelles, including, but not limited to, the cell membrane, nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and the chloroplast. They must categorize all of these different organelles by the type of organism that they below to. They should have one side of the chart dedicated to animal organelles and another side of the chart dedicated to plant organelles. You could also ask them to include the specific function of the organelle in relation to the being.
Not all students are necessarily comfortable working with the traditional science experiment model. Therefore, allow them to engage their other talents in this organelle project. Assign each student several organelles, or allow them to pick a few, and tell them that they must present the function or structure of the organelle in a creative manner. For example, some students might opt to write a poem about the organelle, while others could create a travel brochure taking readers on a tour of the organelle.