lessons & resources in this unit
in this lesson
This lesson introduces students to the Visual Guide to Human Cells, which is an interactive 3D model of a human cell that can be filtered by structure or function within the cell. After orienting to the tool, students are asked to complete an in-class worksheet modeled after a POGIL activity. The worksheet challenges students to navigate the tool, track organelles throughout cell division, and develop a holistic understanding of mitosis.
learning objectives/
- Review the process of mitosis by exploring a 3D model of a human cell
- Navigate a data-based interactive model through a process oriented guided inquiry learning activity (POGIL)
- Describe how the 3D model illustrates the different stages of mitosis
- Analyze how cell structures other than DNA or microtubules change throughout mitosis
- Compare your previous notions of human cells as depicted in textbooks to the 3D version modeled by the Allen Institute’s Visual Guide to Human Cells
Last updated March 2026
terms of use/
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
acknowledgements/
The development of this lesson was supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Number 2236366. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Science Foundation.
