Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Twisting Tale of Dna

For Students 9th - 10th
Video describing the structure and function of the DNA molecule. [4:27] Includes a short quiz and a list of additional resources to explore.
Handout
PBS

Pbs: Watson and Crick Describe the Structure of Dna

For Students 9th - 10th
From a PBS databank of twentieth-century scientists and their stories comes this brief description of the discovery by Watson and Crick of the double-helix structure of DNA. The work of other scientists on whom Watson and Crick relied...
Website
American Academy of Achievement

Academy of Achievement: James D. Watson, ph.d.

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of James Dewey Watson who, along with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA. They were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1962. Watson was later the first person to lead the Human Genome Project....
Handout
University of California

Ucmp: Computer Model of Dna

For Students 9th - 10th
A slight departure from the classic view of DNA showing that the molecule is not exactly a twisted ladder. Good image and explanation to go with it.
Unit Plan
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Optical Tweezers and Applications

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you ever imagine that you can use light to move a microscopic plastic bead? Explore the forces on the bead or slow time to see the interaction with the laser's electric field. Use the optical tweezers to manipulate a single strand of...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Use Dna Sequencing to Trace the Blue Whale's Evolutionary Tree

For Students 9th - 10th
Around 50 million years ago, the mammalian ancestor of today's whales returned to the ocean. In this genomics science fair project, you will use mitochondrial protein sequencing to trace the evolution of whales and identify their closest...
Activity
National Health Museum

Access Excellence: Dna Sequencing (Dry Lab Activity)

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is an advanced level hands-on activity to explain the Di-deoxy sequencing of DNA.
Graphic
Other

Beautiful Chemistry: Beautiful Structures: Dna Nanostructures

For Students 9th - 10th
DNA is the molecule of life, as life's secrets are encoded in DNA. In this interactive activity. we see the famous double helix structure of DNA.
Website
University of Utah

University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Center: The Basics and Beyond

For Students 9th - 10th
This website offers a clear definition of the science of Genetics, highlighting DNA and genes. There is a neat, easy-to-understand animated tour of the basics and an opportunity to go inside an animated cell. Student can build a DNA...
Unit Plan
University of Oxford (UK)

Univeristy of Oxford: Self Sustaining Chemical Systems: Living Cells

For Students 9th - 10th
36-page tutorial takes a look at the organization of living cells.
Activity
Genome British Columbia

Genome British Columbia: Dna Code Bracelet

For Students 9th - 10th
For this activity, students create a bracelet of beads using DNA code. Each letter represents an amino acid and is three beads. The authors suggest that even younger students would enjoy this activity, although older students will...
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: Why Is Dna Important

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what DNA is and how much information lies stored in its structure, and discusses the many applications of the science of DNA in agriculture, forensic science, human genetics, etc.
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: Codon Chart

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains the workings of the codon translation chart which provides the keys to the structure of amino acids. Includes a widget where one can input a nucleotide triplet combination and see which amino acid it represents. Includes RNA and...
Handout
Other

San Diego Supercomputer Cente: Rosalind Elsie Franklin

For Students 9th - 10th
The story of Rosalind Franklin, pioneer DNA researcher whose career was cut short by her early death is told here, including the role she played in the discovery of the structure of DNA.
Handout
Other

N zedge.com: Heroes: Maurice Wilkins

For Students 9th - 10th
New Zealander Maurice Wilkins was a key researcher in the discovery of the structure of DNA. This resource offers a detailed biography of his life and career.
Unit Plan
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Biology: Unit 3: Cell Structure

For Students 9th - 10th
In this third unit of a Biology course, students learn about cells and cell structure. They compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and learn about the specialized structures in a cell and what their functions are. They will also learn...
Interactive
Other

University of Cincinnati: Cells and Organelles

For Students 9th - 10th
An in-depth discussion of the different parts of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells as well as a thorough explanation of organelles within the cell. The text is better suited to high school and middle school. However, there is a picture of...
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: Chromosomes: The Carriers of Genetic Information

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what chromosomes are, their structure, their functions within a cell, and the health impact of mutations in a gene sequence.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Rosalind Franklin: Dna's Unsung Hero

For Students 9th - 10th
The discovery of the structure of DNA was one of the most important scientific achievements in human history. The now-famous double helix is almost synonymous with Watson and Crick, two of the scientists who won the Nobel prize for...
Handout
PBS

Pbs/francis Crick

For Students 9th - 10th
This short biography centers around the discovery of the structure of DNA. A link to the interactive DNA workshop is also posted at the bottom of this page.
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: How Do Cells Make Proteins?

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn how the code on a strand of DNA can be used to make a protein.
Lesson Plan
National Health Museum

Nhm: Amino Acid Sequences Show Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson plan focuses on differences in the amino acid sequence of hemoglobin and myoglobin proteins. They use the number of differences to create a phylogenetic tree.
eBook
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Eukaryotic Pre M Rna Processing

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the role of the chemical groups on the ends of the pre-mRNA called the 5' cap and poly-A tail. Also learn about splicing, introns, and exons.
Handout
University of Arizona

University of Arizona/biochemistry

For Students 9th - 10th
Tutorial provides an overview of the structural features of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.