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Genes: The Building Blocks of Life
Students examine various topics on genetics. Students explore the Internet to gather information on genetic testing, genetically engineered food, forensics, DNA and cloning. They research and determine the best way to fund each of the...
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Recombinant DNA to Protect Crops
Students read an article about manipulation of plant DNA. After reading the short article, they work in small groups to respond to the provided discussion questions and explain their answer to the class.
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Evolution of Biotechnology Timeline
Students explore how present biotechnology has evolved. They create a timeline is included referencing major scientists and major events in history which have led to our current understanding and use. A teacher time line is included.
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Rainbow Electrophoresis
Students are introduced to the principles of gel electrophoresis and also provides an opportunity for students to practice loading gels and prpetting. In this laboratory activity, food color is used to separate into constituent pigments.
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A Spool Of Thread
Students describe a spool of light colored thread that the teacher holds in his/her hands. They are asked what substances (cotton and wood) are present and what structures (thread and spool) are present. The teacher conclude that the...
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Building You From Moo
Learners are given an envelope that turns each of them into either a field of grass, or a diary cow, or a famous person (only one type of organism per student). The object is to get the correct building blocks for proteins (amino acids)...
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Protein Synthesis Activities
Learners compare the process of protein synthesis in an analogy. They simulate the process of protein synthesis kinesthetically using index cards and write a paragraph to explain the process.
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Constructing a Phylogenetic Tree
Students are given the opportunity to analyze DNA sequence differences between organisms in order to establish a reasonable picture of the evolutionary relationships between them (Phylogenetic Tree). In the simulation form they are...
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COMPARISON OF FOUR-, SIX-, AND EIGHT-bp CUTS IN CALF THYMUS DNA
Students use this laboratory exercise, restriction enzymes to recognize a four-, six-, and eight-nucleotide sequence. Assuming that the four component nucleotides (A, C, T, G) are distributed randomly within a DNA molecule, then any...
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DNA Extraction
Students are able to extract and observe a visible amount of DNA from Escherichia coli cells. They discuss the properties of DNA. Students confirm the presence of DNA by a reaction with an indicator.
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Building a DNA Molecule, Mitosis in Motion and Mutation Gossip
Students explore three lab experiments involving DNA, mitosis, and mutation. They complete activities and play games to review DNA, mitosis and mutation concepts. They build a DNA molecule and create flip cards representing mitosis in...
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Macro-DNA: Doing DNA Fingerprinting and Gel Electrophoresis
Students create numbered DNA sequences by taping together the order of the sequence. They count the number of bases in their RFLP's and shade the boxes on their Gel Electrophoresis sheets that represent individual fragments. They...
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Fingerprinting
Students discover the basics of fingerprinting and how it identifies a person. They create their own fingerprints and compare them to classmate's to determine that no two people have the same identity because of fingerprints. Then they...
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The Structure of DNA
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the structure of DNA by constructing simple models of DNA with materials given to them in class. They will also discover that some female scientists such as Rosalind Franklin have not been given...
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Gene Regulation Mechanisms
Young scholars explore genetics. They discuss how chromosomes and/or genes are regulated during the life of an organism. In a lab setting, students compare and contrast the genomic regulation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells using...
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Simulation of Gene Splicing
Students simulate gene splicing by examining bacteria. They create a bacterial DNA into which they insert the human DNA (gene) that codes for growth hormone. They cut the sites of the enzyme to study how the human DNA can be joined to...
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Wolves: DNA Pawprinting
Students explore and research the most widely distributed terrestrial carnivore, the wolf. They critique the true mystery of this animal and then form an opinion about this creature. The restriction-site analysis of mitochondrial DNA is...
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Phenotypic and Genotypic Changes in Bacteria
Students investigate a rapid method to render the bacterium Escherichia coli "competent" to uptake plasmid DNA. They demonstrate the phenotypic changes associated with transformation. They perform a cell resuspension from the...
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Who Done It?
Students work in groups to solve various murder mysteries using DNA evidence to implicate suspects. Teams compete to solve the crimes the fastest, while using various scientific methods to accomplish their task.
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Gene Action and Mutation
Students review terms related to DNA structure and function. They complete a variety of worksheets in small groups or in pairs reflecting the unit's concepts regarding DNA. They submit their worksheets for grading.
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DNA Sequencing Simulation
Young scholars simulate the Sanger method of DNA sequencing using color pop-beads as a representation of nucleotides and dideoxynucleotides. Students assemble DNA sequences and run their sequences through a "sequencing gel" and sketch...
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Where's the CAT? a DNA Profiling Simulation.
Students explore DNA technology. Students participate in a simulation to perform at the basic steps of a DNA profile. They observe copies of DNA sequences, construct DNA probes, and discuss outcomes of their experiment.
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Homologous Shoes
Students examine the concept of homology by observing their shoes and those of their classmates. They summarize the observations of everyone's shoes relating it to chromosomes in cells. They share their observations with the class.
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DNA Fingerprinting: You Be the Judge!
Students explore DNA fingerprinting. Students discover how DNA fingerprinting is done and judge the validity. They evaluate the use of certain prints in courts and address the ethics of establishing a national database of fingerprpints.