Lesson Plan
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Dinosaur and DNA Days

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Biology stars extract DNA samples from beef thymus and then examine its properties. They use enzymes to digest the DNA samples, and then use electrophoresis to separate fragments. Finally, they discuss methods and principles of...
Lesson Plan
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DNA Detectives

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In order to understand DNA fingerprinting, advanced biology aces divise a crime scenario and analyze three different samples of lambda DNA. This creative lesson plan provides practice with micropipettes, electrophoresis boxes, and other...
Lesson Plan
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DNA Fingerprinting

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners study the process of DNA Fingerprinting and how DNA Fingerprinting is used in solving crimes. They examine a crime scenario that involves collecting DNA Fingerprinting information from blood collected at the crime scene. They...
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DNA on Stick

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners experience a "hands-on" activity to get visual evidence of the physical nature of DNA and the process of DNA purification. They explore one method of chromosomal DNA isolation and DNA extraction.
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Innocent or Guilty: A Lab on DNA Gel Electrophoresis

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners use the prelab as an introduction to the importance of DNA fingerprinting- a form of identification that us being accepted by both scientific and leagl experts. They prepare a gel for electrophoresis. DNA fragments, which have...
Lesson Plan
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DNA Replication

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are able to distinguish between transcription and replication. They are able to distinguish between DNA and RNA. Students name some of the proteins and enzymes used in replication and transcription. They are able comprehend the...
Lesson Plan
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Forensic Files: A DNA Dilemma

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Seventh-graders come in to science class to find a file on their desks detailing a crime to be solved! As a demonstration, you simulate the restriction of DNA samples and separate them by electrophoresis. From the gel, learners can...
Lesson Plan
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Cell Wall Recipe: A Lesson on Biofuels

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...
Lesson Plan
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Genetics 5 Technology

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after studying extraction and gel electrophoresis, recombinant DNA, transgenic organisms, and reproductive cloning, summarize the main concepts in DNA technology. They analyze the applications of DNA: forensics, medicine,...
Lesson Plan
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Science Lesson: Chocolate Flavored Cherries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are able to identify start and stop sequences in DNA. They are able to model using restriction enzyme and ligase to remove sections of DNA and reattach them. Students are introduced to the process of recombinat DNA through the...
Lesson Plan
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The Great Cafeteria Caper

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students extract DNA from their own hair roots. They run an electrophoresis gel to examine patterns of their DNA along with standard DNA. The experiment is based on a crime scene scenario.
Lesson Plan
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The Way We Were: Embryological Development and Disease

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use microscopes to study live fish embryos and animated diagrams of cell division on the Internet. They see that scientists rely on technology to enhance the gathering and manipulation of data. They create web pages on cloning.
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Learning the Structure and Function of DNA

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students read about Humane Genome Project, examine structure and function of DNA, and participate in gel-electrophoresis lab. They complete Internet activity to test their knowledge of DNA.
Lesson Plan
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What Does Dna Look Like?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students build DNA strands and practice base pairing rules using an interactive website in this technology-based lesson for a high school science class. This lesson includes links to the interactive website, a worksheet, and a video...
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Macro-DNA: Doing DNA Fingerprinting

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students explore gel electrophoresis using paper models. They model DNA sequences and shade the boxes on their Gel Electrophoresis Sheet which represent the individual fragments.
Lesson Plan
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DNA Extraction

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students extract the DNA from a strawberry. In this DNA technology activity, students describe what they think DNA looks like. They use a procedure to isolate and extract the DNA from a strawberry.
Lesson Plan
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DNA AND BLOOD TYPING

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students list three descriptive characteristics and three functions of DNA, describe two ways that genetics is important in a forensic investigation, and list the four major human blood types.
Lesson Plan
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Macro-DNA: Doing DNA Fingerprinting and Gel Electrophoresis

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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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Genetically Engineered Food: Altering the Blueprint

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the genetic engineering of food.  In this health lesson students explain how DNA technology can be used to produce food. 
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Vaccines

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore and explain the role of vaccines in infectious disease, They emphasize immunological principles and viral/bacterial infection processes. Students explore the three main vaccine types: DNA vaccines ("gene gun"),...
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Disease Diagnosis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students comprehend how biotechnology can be used to diagnose infectious disease such as protein technologies vs. DNA technologies. They comprehend procedure and uses of PCR, Western Blot, and ELISA as diagnostic tools. Students know how...
Lesson Plan
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Pharmaceuticals and Treatments

For Teachers 12th - Higher Ed
Students perform an experiment involving reverse transcriptase-polymerized chain reaction HIV replication to better examine the biotechnology used by scientists in pharmaceutical research of infections diseases like HIV. Students examine...
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Producing a Strain of E. coli that Glows in the Dark

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners observe the experimental process called bacterial transformation and demonstrate phenotype changes in bacteria that have been transformed with an antibiotic-resistance gene and a metabolic marker. They create a luminescent...
Lesson Plan
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DNA-a Molecular Identity

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore about what DNA is and several different DNA typing techniques. They examine three different situations where DNA typing was used to carry out justice. Students also identify and evaluate different uses of DNA typing...