Skip to content

Cells4Kids

Cells4Kids is a free educational outreach initiative of the Brown laboratory in which cell biologists visit schools in the Columbus area to excite and inform 6th graders about cells and the cellular basis of life.

The program consists of a highly interactive, engaging and accessible slide presentation rich with movies and animations that convey the diverse and dynamic nature of cells and the wonder of cell biology.

We share our slide presentation, knowledge and resources with the schools that we visit so that they can be empowered to incorporate our ideas and content into their curriculum in future years. We aim to build lasting relationships with local teachers and to serve as an ongoing resource for cell biology education in the Columbus area.

Local middle schools that we have visited include Hilliard Tharp, Hilliard Station, Metro, Olentangy Shanahan, Wellington and Westmoor.

We also offer half-day summer workshops for local teachers to enhance their knowledge of modern cell biology and to help them identify creative and engaging ways to present the central concepts of cell biology to middle school students.

To enquire about bringing the Cells4Kids presentation to your classroom, please contact Dr. Brown.

Alignment with Ohio 6th grade science curriculum

The Cells4Kids presentation is designed to complement and reinforce the Ohio Department of Education’s Science Learning Standards for the Life Science component of the 6th grade science curriculum:

Topic: Cellular to Multicellular

This topic focuses on the study of the basics of Modern Cell Theory. All organisms are composed of cells, which are the fundamental unit of life. Cells carry on the many processes that sustain life. All cells come from pre-existing cells.

Condensed content statements

  • Cells are the fundamental unit of life.
  • All cells come from pre-existing cells.
  • Cells carry on specific functions that sustain life.
  • Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.

Source: Ohio’s Learning Standards for Science, Ohio Department of Education, revised February 2018