Year 7 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 09
Challenge Worksheet
Learning Goals
Explain it to a Year 5 student
Imagine your younger cousin has never heard of specialised cells. Use the sentence starters below to explain the idea clearly. You can use everyday comparisons — for example, think of tools in a toolbox, or workers on a building site. Try not to use words your cousin wouldn't know.
"Specialised cells are different from ordinary cells because…"
"A good example is the red blood cell, which is special because…"
"The reason cells become specialised is…"
"One thing that surprises people is that…"
1. Scientists have recently become interested in how deep-sea fish detect pressure waves (vibrations) in dark ocean water. Imagine you are a cell biologist asked to design a hypothetical specialised cell that could detect vibrations in deep water. In the table below, name three structural features your cell would have and explain how each feature helps it detect vibrations. You may invent new features or adapt ones you know from this lesson.
| Structural feature | How it helps detect vibrations in deep water |
|---|---|
2. A student argues: "All cells are basically the same — they just have a nucleus and a membrane." Using evidence from at least three specialised cells studied in this lesson, explain why this claim is wrong and what it is missing about how living things are organised.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?