Life in a Box Slides
Unit: Cellular Code | Lesson 1
Life in a Box
The Discovery of Cells, Cell Theory, and the Two Fundamental Types of Life
Guided Notes Handout Ready? Look for the highlighted gold words for your blanks!
6th Grade Science Exploration Slide 1 of 14
Exploring Life Living vs. Nonliving
Notes Box #1
What is Living?
Everything around you is either Living or Nonliving.
What makes plants, birds, and classmates different from a plastic desk or light bulbs?
LIVING Plants, classmates, teachers, animals.
NONLIVING Desks, lights, books, computers.
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 2 of 14
Exploring Life Characteristics
Notes Box #1 Continued
The Rules of Life
To be classified as "alive", an organism must share seven characteristics.
If something is missing even one of these, it is nonliving.
1. Organized Has structures.
2. Grow & Develop Increases size.
3. Reproduce Creates offspring.
4. Stimuli Responds to changes.
5. Homeostasis Maintains stable, steady internal conditions.
6. Uses Energy Needs food, light, or ATP to power cell structures.
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 3 of 14
Exploring Life The Building Blocks
Notes Box #1 Blanks
The First Characteristic
What is the primary physical structure that all living organisms share?
They are made of individual compartments.
Write on your Notes:
All living things are made up of cells, which are the building blocks of life.
Biological Plant Tissue Diagram
Individual cells stack side-by-side to build structured biological living tissue!
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 4 of 14
Exploring Life History & Discovery
Notes Box #2 Blanks
Robert Hooke & Cork Cells
In 1665, Hooke built a primitive light microscope. He sliced a small piece of dead oak tree cork.
He observed regular empty walls that looked like tiny monastery rooms.
Write on your Notes:
More than 300 years ago, Robert Hooke built a microscope to look at cork and named the openings cells.
Scientific Sketch of Cork Wall Grid
Hooke's 1665 Micrographia Sketch
Empty plant cellulose walls with no living organelles inside (dead wood).
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 5 of 14
Exploring Life Living Cells
Notes Box #2 Anton
Leeuwenhoek & Living Cells
While Hooke looked at dead plant walls, Dutch lensmaker Anton van Leeuwenhoek wanted to study living substances.
He hand-crafted tiny, spherical glass beads that could magnify up to 270 times!
Write on your Notes:
Anton van Leeuwenhoek made a microscope that could magnify about 270 times its original size to view moving organisms.
Leeuwenhoek's Pond Water Findings
First-ever Living Single-Cell Organisms
He called these moving, twisting creatures "animalcules" (little animals).
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 6 of 14
Exploring Life Cell Theory Rules
Notes Box #3 Blanks
The 3 Cell Rules
Over decades, the observations of various cell researchers fused into a central set of biological laws:
Rule 1: All living things are made of one or more cells.
Rule 2: Cells are the smallest unit of life.
Rule 3: New cells come only from cells that already exist.
Cell Theory Core Principles
1. Made of Cell Units
2. Smallest Unit of Life
3. Cells Split to Reproduce
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 7 of 14
Exploring Life Light Microscopes
Notes Box #4 Light
Light Microscopes 💡
Standard school microscope! It focuses visual light rays through curved glass lenses to magnify specimens.
Write on your Notes:
Light microscopes use light and lenses. Can enlarge up to 1,500 times. Some samples need a dye to show details.
Optical Ray Lens Pathway OBJECTIVE LENS SPECIMEN SLIDE
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 8 of 14
Exploring Life Electron Microscopes
Notes Box #4 Electron
Electron Microscopes ⚡
High-tech industrial research microscopes. Instead of light, they generate and focus high-energy electron beams.
Write on your Notes:
Electron microscopes use a beam of electrons instead of light. Can magnify up to 100,000 times or more!
TEM (Transmission) Electron stream passes through inside. Studies the layout inside a cell structure.
SEM (Scanning) Electron beam bounces off outer surface. Shows a detailed 3D surface view.
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 9 of 14
Exploring Life Cellular Count
Notes Box #5 Unicellular
Unicellular Organisms 🦠
The prefix "Uni-" means One (1).
Write on your Notes:
Unicellular organisms are made of only one cell.
Unicellular Microbe Anatomy
A single independent cell that carries out every metabolic, structural, and reproductive life job alone!
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 10 of 14
Exploring Life Cellular Count
Notes Box #5 Multicellular
Multicellular Organisms 🌳🐾
The prefix "Multi-" means Many (two or more).
Write on your Notes:
Multicellular organisms are made of two or more cells.
Multicellular Cooperative Layout
Cells join and organize into complex structures to perform coordinated, specialized functions (like digestion 🩺 or muscle movement 🏃).
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 11 of 14
Exploring Life Cell Types
Notes Box #6 Prokaryotic
Prokaryotic Cells
The most critical feature of a prokaryotic cell:
Write on your Notes:
In prokaryotic cells, the genetic material (DNA) is not surrounded by a lining.
Unprotected DNA 🧬
No envelope or membrane shields the cell instructions (DNA). Floating freely. Small, simple.
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 12 of 14
Exploring Life Cell Types
Notes Box #6 Eukaryotic
Eukaryotic Cells
The most critical feature of a eukaryotic cell:
Write on your Notes:
In eukaryotic cells, the genetic material (DNA) is surrounded by a lining.
Protected DNA 🛡️
DNA instructions are locked inside a safe container (nucleus). Has organelles. 10x larger!
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 13 of 14
Lesson 1 Review Finished!
Review & Complete! ✍️
Make sure you have filled in all the blanks on your Lesson 1 Guided Notes Handout.
Let's Double Check:
✓ Characteristics of Life Blanks filled?
✓ Discovery & History blanks complete?
✓ Three principles of Cell Theory written down?
✓ Microscope technology descriptions filled?
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Slide 14 of 14
Life in a Box Notes
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Handout
Life in a Box
Fill in the guided notes as we walk through the interactive presentation slides.
Page 1 of 2
Student Name
Date
Class Period
1 What are Living Things?
All living things are made up of _, which are considered the building blocks of life.
The Seven Characteristics of Life:
-
Organized Structures
-
Grow & _
-
Ability to _
-
Respond to _
-
Maintain _ (steady internal conditions)
-
Require and Use _ to carry out cell processes
2 Technology Leads to Discovery
The word microscope comes from the Latin word meaning _. To view cells, scientists needed tools that could _ (make objects appear larger).
Robert Hooke (300+ Years Ago)
Built a microscope and looked at _. He described seeing "little boxes" and named these structures _.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Designed a microscope that magnified objects _ times their size, allowing scientists to see moving organisms in water and blood.
3 The Three Principles of Cell Theory
Observations of multiple scientists were combined into one central theory. Fill in the blanks below:
1
All living things are made up of _ cells.
2
The cell is the _ unit of life, performing functions that keep organisms alive.
3
All new cells come from cells that _ through the process of cell division.
Unit: Cellular Code Grade 6 Life Science
Cellular Code • Lesson 1 Handout
Life in a Box
Guided notes continued — Microscope technology and cell classification.
Page 2 of 2
4 Microscope Technology
Fill in the quick descriptors for each type of microscope from the slides:
Light Microscopes
Uses _ and lenses to enlarge an image. Can enlarge up to _ times. Some objects must be stained with a _ to see details.
Electron Microscopes
Uses a magnetic field to focus a beam of _. Can magnify up to _ times.
TEM: Passes electrons through.
SEM: Bounces electrons off surface.
5 Cellular Organization & Growth
Unicellular Organism:
Made of only _ cell.
Multicellular Organism:
Inside the Factory Slides
Unit: Cellular Code | Lesson 2
Inside the Factory 🏭
Cell Structures, Organelle Operations, and Cellular Transport
Guided Notes Handout Ready? Get ready to fill in the blanks using the highlighted gold words!
6th Grade Science Exploration Slide 1 of 15
Cell Boundaries Cell Membrane
Notes Box #1 Membrane
The Cell Membrane
A flexible, thin covering that protects the inside of the cell. All cells have one.
Write on your Notes:
The cell membrane is semipermeable, which means only certain materials can move through it.
Bilayer Semipermeability Diagram PROTEIN GATE
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Slide 2 of 15
Cell Boundaries Cell Wall
Notes Box #1 Cell Wall
The Rigid Cell Wall
A stiff outer structure that protects the cell and gives it strong structural support.
Write on your Notes:
Stiff cell walls are found in plant cells, fungi, and bacteria. It helps keep its shape.
Plant Cell 🌿 CELL WALL MEMBRANE ✓ RIGID CELL WALL
Animal Cell 🐶 MEMBRANE ONLY ✗ NO CELL WALL
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Slide 3 of 15
Cell Boundaries Surface Area vs Volume
Notes Box #2 Transport
Why are Cells Small?
For cells to move food inside, the membrane area must be large compared to the volume inside.
Write on your Notes:
For transport to succeed, a cell's surface area must be large compared to its volume.
Volume increases much faster! SMALL CELL (Easy!) High Surface Area ratio GIANT CELL (Too Slow!) Low Surface Area ratio
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Slide 4 of 15
Internal Operations Cytoplasm
Notes Box #3 Cytoplasm
The Cytoplasm
The factory floor! It is a fluid containing salts and other molecules.
All other structures (organelles) float around inside this fluid.
Visualizing the Cytoplasm Medium CYTOPLASM FLUID
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Slide 5 of 15
Internal Operations Ribosomes
Notes Box #3 Ribosomes
The Ribosomes
The actual factory assembly line workers!
Write on your Notes:
Ribosomes are tiny, non-membrane-bound structures where proteins are made.
Ribosome Protein Synthesis RIBOSOME SUBUNITS
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Slide 6 of 15
Inside the Factory Notes
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Handout
Inside the Factory
Fill in the guided notes as we walk through the organelle presentation slides.
Page 1 of 2
Student Name
Date
Class Period
1 What Surrounds a Cell?
Cell Membrane:
A flexible covering that protects the inside of the cell. It is _, meaning only certain materials can pass through it.
Cell Wall:
A stiff structure outside the cell membrane. Found in _ cells, but not in animal cells. Helps protect the cell and maintain its _.
2 The Cell Size Transport Problem
For a cell to successfully move substances through its membrane, its _ (membrane area) must be much larger than its _ (inside space).
Key Growth Rule: As a cell increases in size, its volume increases faster than its surface area. If a cell gets too big, its surface area becomes _ to allow enough nutrients in or get rid of waste.
3 Cytoplasm & Protein Production
• Cytoplasm: The fluid inside the cell containing salts and other molecules.
• Ribosomes: Small organelles where _ are made.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER):
Rough ER:
Has ribosomes attached. It is where _ are produced.
Smooth ER:
No ribosomes. Helps remove _ from the cell.
Unit: Cellular Code Grade 6 Life Science
Cellular Code • Lesson 2 Handout
Inside the Factory
Guided notes continued — Organelles, energy powerhouses, and specialized cell shapes.
Page 2 of 2
4 Storage, Packaging & Shipping
Vacuoles:
Saclike structures that store food, water, and waste. Plants have _ large central vacuole, whereas animal cells have _ small vacuoles.
Golgi Apparatus & Vesicles:
The _ prepares proteins and packages them into _ which transport them.
• Lysosomes: Vesicles in _ cells that break down and _ recycled cell parts.
5 Powering the Cell
Mitochondria:
Converts food molecules into a usable form of energy called _. This process is called cellular respiration.
Chloroplasts (Plants Only):
Uses light energy to make a food sugar called _ from water and carbon dioxide.
