Vacoule Demo/Experiment

Cells can be hard to teach, but I do have a simple vacuole demo that may help students see how a vacuole works any why it is important. Materials Lettuce -2 pieces (I prefer to get them from a head of lettuce) 1 Cup Water Procedure Day 1 Discuss the purpose of a vacuole. Place 1 piece of lettuce in a cup of water (control group) and keep one piece of lettuce out. For each class I show both pieces of lettuce. Then I ask students to predict or hypothesize what the lettuce piece kept out of water will look like tomorrow when the lettuce is kept out of water. Day 2 Show students both pieces of lettuce. Students will see that the lettuce piece kept out of water is limp and starting to brown. Review the function of a vacuole. Then ask students to predict/hypothesize what will happen when the limp lettuce is placed back in water. Day 3 Show students both lettuces so they can see how the lettuce left out of water has regained it's shape and firmness. (The other lettuce is a control and so students can see you did not replace the piece.)Review the function of a vacuole and apply this concept to "real life application." Take it a step further Have students draw or explain what happened, record their hypothesis, and/or explain how it applies to real life. Days 3 days Time 5-10 minutes each day to explain and show Real Life Application Why do supermarkets water the vegetables? How can you prolong the life of your vegetables?