Watch Students Marvel as a Raw Egg Expands and Models a Cell Membrane

This science activity will get your students rushing to class, begging to collect data because they can't wait to see what will happen next. Who knew modeling liquids moving into and out of the cell membrane could be so exciting?

One group of students named their raw egg, Fred, while another chose Eggbert, and then we met the famous Egg Sheran. Students use a flexible measuring tape to find the circumference (they need a little direction on this term so circumference and other terms are included on the vocabulary page) of their raw egg.

What would you name your egg for this middle school science cell membrane activity? Hen-ry, Queen Egglisabeth, or Yolko Ono?

In this middle school science activity, Egg Sheran and his friends are first placed in vinegar which removes the shell. Is the stink your students dripping with sweat on a hot day after recess? No, it's not nearly that bad! The smell is a bunch of well-loved eggs soaking in vinegar.

Students rush to class to check on their eggs as they learn about the cell membrane.     
Left: Picture of an egg after being soaked in vinegar and the shell coming off 
Middle: An egg soaking in water with food coloring       
Right: Measuring the circumference of the egg

The Unexpected Effects of When You Soak a Raw Egg in Various Liquids:

A raw chicken egg is placed into five different liquids over the course of two weeks and students record the circumference to see if liquids crossed the membrane into the egg, out of the egg, or neither.

• If the circumference of the egg increases after being in a liquid, then the cell membrane let the liquid into the cell.
• If the circumference decreases, then liquid crossed the cell membrane and left the cell.

Liquids Used:

1. vinegar
2. water
3. water with food coloring
4. saltwater
5. a teacher-approved liquid their group chooses (lemon-lime soda, a sports drink, apple juice, soapy water, etc.)

Empower your students with vocabulary development, video links, clear instructions, and a data collection table. This fun activity is a hands-on learning experience guiding students to ask questions and culminates in students choosing the final liquid to put their egg friend into.

How a Guided CER Helps Your Students be Successful

After completing the lab activity, students will write a CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) lab report. CER writing can be challenging but doesn't have to be and this guided CER worksheet makes it easy. The fantastic writing your students create will make all of the stinky eggs worth it.

1. Have students start by writing claims on whiteboards and refining them with their partner or table group. The claims are easy to refine as we share them and get ideas from each other. 
2. I write all of the claims suggested on the whiteboard and we discuss things we like and what can be improved. 
3. Students write one of the claims from our discussion or combine elements of the examples to create their own. Students gain confidence and their CER writing is off to a great start.

The guided CER worksheet helps all students be successful and display their evidence in a graph. Grade with the rubric and you are done!

Would you like to see the preview of this cell membrane resource on TPT? Click HERE

Going Out with a Pop!

Almost done! The eggs are then popped while the class gasps in both excitement and horror. We say goodbye to our friends Eggbert and Egg Sheran and it is egg-stra gross!

POP on over to TPT if you would like to learn more about this EGG-cellent resource.

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