Cell Processes: Acting Out Mitosis

In this activity, students use simple props to carry out the process of mitosis.  It takes a little time to get the props ready, but they provide a valuable lesson and help students understand this sometimes "mysterious" process.  All materials can be picked up at a hardware store. 

These mitosis props were based on the instructions found in Chromosome Shuffle.  Please refer to those instructions for more complete information.

You will need to make at least 2 pairs of chromosomes.

For each pair of chromosomes, you'll need two dowels cut to the same length.  Wrap a length of self-adhesive Velcro (the soft side) around the middle of each dowel (or use a hot clue gun to attach regular Velcro).  Slip a length of tubing over the dowel*.  Mark the genes using colored tape (or paint). Screw in the eye half of a hook & eye closure to the middle of the dowel. 

Keep the rough side of the Velcro handy for connecting the chromosomes.

To make the spindles... attach the hook part of the hook & eye closure to the end of a 6 foot length of string.

Two lengths of rope to create the nuclear membranes.  You might also wish to use a larger length of rope to make the cell.  I tend to skip this part - I find the extra rope gets in the way more than it helps.   

Start with a cell with the nuclear membrane in tact.  Paired chromosomes are in the nucleus.

Nuclear membrane is removed.

Chromosomes line up.

Spindles attach to the chromosomes.

Chromosomes are pulled apart, to opposite sides.

Nuclear membranes reform. 

You could also make the corresponding chromosomes to use when studying meiosis. 

*In the orginal instructions, she uses two sizes of tubing - one that goes directly on the dowel, othe other, a larger size that slips over the first tubing.  It is the largest tubing that gets the genes.  This allows you to demonstrate things such as crossing over, etc.  I skipped the larger tubing, because my classes don't go into that kind of detail.  As a result, I could have skipped the tubing altogether and just painted the stripes on the dowels, but I didn't consider that at the time. 

Mitosis Line Up

Find a set of sketches that illustrates mitosis in as much or as little detail as you'd like.

Cut apart the images and glue each one on an index card (I actually used half an index card for each). 

Have students place the cards in order. 

To allow students to self-check, number the back of the cards. 

I really try to focus on the process of mitosis and the order in which things happen.  We talk about the names for each of the phases, but it's most important to me that my students know what needs to happen first, second, etc. 

Students can  have head-to-head races to see who can put their cards in order first. 

Students can also play a game in which they need to be the first one to collect all six cards and put them in the proper order.  Two students will need two sets of cards to play.  Shuffle the two sets together.  The first student draws the top card and places it in front of him.  The second student follows suit.  The first student then draws another card.  He then has to decide whether it goes before or after the first card he drew.  If he draws a card he already has, it goes to the bottom of the stack and it's the second player's turn.  If a player decides that he's placed the cards in the wong order, he can use a turn to move one card (he does not draw a card during that turn).