Blazing
a Genetic Trail: Portfolios and Rubric- This activity is designed
to allow teachers and students become more comfortable with portfolio
work. Deveopled as a short-term portfolio, the student respond to a series
of instructions which gauge their understanding of the topics and their
appilcations of the topic to their own lives.
Bunny
Babies- In this activity students use coins to represent the gamets
of their bunny baby parents. Students need to be familiar with meiosis
and the terms heterozygous, homozygous, dominate, recessive, incomplete
dominance, genotype,and phenotype.
Candy
DNA Replication- Students use candy pieces and toothpicks to "build"
DNA molecules and then simulate DNA replication.
DNA Extraction with
Kitchen Chemistry- Students will learn that you can extract DNA from
various foods that are found in your refrigerator. This lesson is designed
for middle school grades.
DNA
Scavenger Hunt- The code shown is the DNA code; students change the
code to the m-RNA codon and then look up each triplet codon to determine
the letter the coden equals. The letters will form words, in this case,
items to find in a scavenger hunt. The items must be listed in the order
the code dictates.
DNA
Sequencing- In this paper lab, students learn to read a gel electrophoresis
sequence, learn a technique of DNA sequencing through gel electrophoresis
convert the DNA sequence into amino acid sequence.
DNA/Genetics- Helps
students understand DNA, which is the genetic material for every person
and every other living thing.
Double
Helix Film Guide- This film guide consists of several "attention extorters"
to help students focus while watching the film "Race for the Double Helix.
Included are 5 questions to accompany the April, 1953 Nature reprint article
which can be used in conjunction with the film.
Drosphilia:
Introduction and Genetics- Introduction to Drosophila including life
cycle, sexing, and identifying mutations. Used as the introductory lab
to Drosophila Genetics.
Easter
Egg Genetics- This is a small activity to do immediately following
your introduction to the concepts of dominance, recessiveness, related
vocabulary and Punnett Squares. It uses different colored halves of plastic
eggs (and their tasty candies inside!) to reinforce these concepts in
a quick, fun and memorable way.
Easy
DNA Extraction- This extraction of DNA from calf thymus uses easily
obtainable materials and can be done in classes at any level.
Genetic
Disorders and Genetic Testing- Students will understand that a gene
may be defective or abnormal and that this may adversely affect the individual
physically, mentally, or socially. Students will understand that defective
genes may be passed from parents to their offspring and that the parents
may not possess the disorder and may be unaware that they carry the defective
gene.
Genetic
Revolution Overview- An overview of the revolution in genetics and
genetic technology, from Mendel to cloning of mammals.
Genetics
and Heredity - Students will understand that genes come in pairs,
and that one set of genes is contributed by the mother, while the other,
corresponding set of genes is contributed by the father.
Genetics
Role Play- This activity is an excellent way to involve your students
in discovering more about various genetic anomalies.
Groovy DNA Beads-
The main objective of this mini-teach is provide students with a hands-on
experience matching DNA nitrogenous base pairs, arranging nucleotides
into codons, and visualizing the size of a single gene.
History,
Hieroglyphs, and DNA- This activity gives students the opportunity
to experience, first hand, what it is like to dechipher an unknown code
- whether it is an ancient language or DNA.
INSULIN
from DNA- This excersise is divided into three sections. Each section
contains either the beginning, the middle, or the end of the molecule.
Students will be divided up into three groups. Each group will receive
one of the segments. Based on the DNA code, the group will determine what
segment they received.
Mini-Symposium
on Genetic Disorders- Each student will select one disorder from the
list, research information on the disorder, and prepare and deliver a
comprehensive, concise, and complete oral presentation to the class.
Modeling
the Mitochondrial DNA "Clock"- This activity is designed to help students
understand the concept of a molecular clock and how the accumulation of
mutations reflect the length of time two populations (or two species)
have been geographically or reproductively separated from one another.
Monstrous Mutations-
To understand and observe mutations. To recognize and adapt to mutations.
People Are Like Peas
in a Pod- To promote student understanding of how dominant traits,
recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in
a population.
Principles of Heredity-
To understand the idea of dominant and recessive genes. To understand
the role of chance in the inheritance of traits.
Protein
Synthesis and Words- In this activity students do more than simple
decoding. Students display an understanding of process order and placement
within the cell. Needs no special equipment.
The
Secret of Life: Conquering Cancer- The students will demonstrate an
ability to apply their knowledge of genetic engineering and decision making
strategies to recommend a decision concerning the future use of genetic
engineering in humans.
Traits- Students
will understand that certain physical traits are inherited from their
parents through the genes.