If every student or small groups of 2 or 3 students in the classroom has access to a microscope, give each one a slide of a different type of cell -- a plant cell, an animal cell, a virus or a bacteria. Have the student or group of students either write down what they see on or within the cell, or draw what they see. Have each student or small group give a short presentation to the class. They will explain what type of cell it is and describe the traits and specific parts that make this type of cell different from others.
This project will help the students understand the functions of each part of a cell. Give the kids each a large piece of paper and have them draw the outline of a "city" which will represent the membrane of the cell -- the part that holds it together and keeps the insides safe, like the wall of city. Instruct them to draw the nucleus in the center of cell city and label it "city hall" because it controls the rest of the cell. Label the mitochondria of the cell "city power plant" because it turns food into energy. Have the kids view microscope slides and "find their way" around the cell cities.
It's often more interesting for kids to view their own cells under a microscope and learn about the microscopic parts that make up their bodies. Have each student remove just one strand of their hair, cut it to approximately 1/2 inch long and place it on a microscope slide. To make the cells of their hair more visible, have them place a small drop of iodine on the hair. This is called "non-vital staining," because they are staining cells to view under a microscope that are no longer alive. From what they've learned of cells and their structure, have them describe what they see in a guided class discussion.
Have the students each stack six pieces of plain white paper with the edges aligned and fold the stack width-wise to make a booklet. Let them use a stapler to staple the booklets along the fold to hold them together. Have them decorate the color of the booklet with pencils, pens or markers and title it "Cell Owners Manual." Have them view different cells under microscopes and draw each different structure near the top of each page. Under the pictures, they will write down the functions of each part of the cell and how they work together with the other structures to keep it alive and running.