Plant vs. Animal Cells Cut and Paste Sorting Activity

This plant and animal cells cut and paste activity gets students physically sorting their way to a clear understanding of what these two cell types share and what sets them apart. Students cut out 12 cards, decide whether each one describes plant cells, animal cells, or both, and glue it into the correct column on the three-column sorting mat.

The Both column is what makes this sort work: students can’t dodge the shared structures — mitochondria, cell membrane, nucleus, and cytoplasm all belong to both cell types, which directly confronts the common misconception that only animal cells have mitochondria. Meanwhile the plant-only cards (rigid cell wall, chloroplasts, one large central vacuole, makes its own food) and animal-only cards (centrioles, flexible shape, many small vacuoles, must eat food) build the structure-to-function connections the standard calls for.

What’s included (3 pages):

• Three-column sorting mat: Plant Cells, Both, Animal Cells
• 12 cut-out cards with dashed cut lines
• Complete answer key showing every card correctly sorted

Perfect for: interactive notebooks, science centers, kinesthetic learners, review before a cells quiz, or sub plans in grades 6–8 life science. Supports NGSS MS-LS1-2. Pairs perfectly with our Plant vs. Animal Cells Venn Diagram and Plant and Animal Cell Labeling worksheets. Just print, cut, and sort.