The fundamental characteristics of, and differences between, various cell types have been known for a long time and are discussed in almost all biology textbooks. While all cells share certain structural parts, cells of different evolutionary origins have components that set them apart from each other. Build-A-Cell helps students who are blind or low vision understand these concepts by providing a full color, tactile, and interactive representation of the internal and external structures of bacterial, animal and plant cells.
Bacterial, animal, and plant cell templates with colored tactile external structures surrounding an interior of black loop material where the cell's internal structures and organelles can be attached
A rod-shaped bacterial cell template with colored tactile external structures including a capsule, cell wall, cell membrane, fimbriae, and flagellum
One set of bacterial cell internal structures including the nucleoid, ribosomes, polysomes, and plasmids
An oblong animal cell template with a colored tactile representation of the cell membrane
One set of animal cell organelles and internal structures including the nucleus, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosome, peroxisome, cytoskeleton, ribosomes, mitochondrion, and centrosome
A rectangular plant cell template with colored tactile external structures including the cell wall and cell membrane
One set of plant organelles and internal structures including the nucleus, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, peroxisome, cytoskeleton, ribosomes, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole
Different cell models readily available for students and teachers
Models that can be used in a lesson and to assess understanding of related concepts
Models that give teachers a choice as to what features of the cell structure they want to present to the student
Provides teachers with the ability to demonstrate many different levels of detail for each cell type
Aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards
A three-ring binder with:
Two copies of a vacuum-formed key to internal and external structures in print and braille
Three tactile cell templates representing bacterial, animal and plant cells
One set of bacterial internal structures
One set of animal organelles
One set of plant organelles
Three storage panels
Fifty hook coins
Build-A-Cell Student and Teacher Guide in large print
Build-A-Cell Student and Teacher Guide in embossed braille (UEB) in a three-ring binder
A print parts list
A braille parts list
Here’s what our TVI field testers had to say:
“I wish I had access to this kit last year. I was drawing the organelles on the draftsman and I’m not sure if the student truly understood what I was trying to teach. I love this kit and thank you for designing it for my VI students.”
“This is a very nice addition to the toolbox when teaching cell structure and function.”
