Biology by Bradford
A2.1 Origins of cells: grass skirts
16 quick questions on origins of cells, a higher level subtopic, each answered in a word or two. Print a sheet for each team, a key for the checker and a tick sheet, then tape the sheets to the board and race.
How it runs
- SnipA runner cuts one strip off the bottom of their team’s sheet.
- Answer as a pairBack at the table, they write the answer on the strip. No books.
- Get it checkedThe checker reads it against the key: you, or a student holding it.
- Back for the nextA tick earns the next strip. Wrong? Back to the table to try again.
The questions on this sheet
The checker’s key, with every answer, prints with the sheets.- Smallest unit of self-sustaining life
- Organism from which all life descends
- UV shield missing from early Earth
- Ocean of organic molecules on early Earth
- Sparks in a gas mix made amino acids
- Early molecules copying their own sequence
- Enclosing reactions inside a membrane
- Hollow bilayer sphere that forms unaided
- Era before DNA and proteins took over
- RNA molecule acting as a catalyst
- Hot mineral-rich seafloor outflow
- Layered rock mound built by microbes
- Tiny preserved cell found in ancient rock
- Using isotope decay to age rocks
- Early air with no free oxygen
- Origin of life from non-living matter