The Process

The Process

It is time to start your research into DNA. You will work in groups of 2 people per team. If your teams want to have team names, keep the names DNA-ish to match the theme. You will work through 2 sets of worksheets that will take you through the internet. You will look through a given website to answer questions on history and structure. The answers are found in the corresponding website, but you will have to read through the site to find the answers. Several sites are interactive and therefore require you to go through several pages within the site. Once your worksheets are completed, you will follow the steps given to design and build your DNA project that will be displayed at your party. Then it is time to plan the big day!

Worksheets

Copy and Paste the following questions on a Word document. Save your work as you work. Print the worksheet when you are finished. This worksheet will be turned in to your teacher.

History of the DNA Discovery

1. Name the 5 people responsible for the DNA double helix structure discovery. What were their fields of study? http://www.ba-education.demon.co.uk/for/science/dnamain.html

2. What is the title of the picture in this article? http://www.ba-education.demon.co.uk/for/science/dnamain.html

3. What did Francis Crick read by Schrodinger that provoked him to begin the study of biology? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bocric.html

4. What did Rosalind Franklin use to conduct her research? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bocric.html

5. In 1948, what did Linus Pauling discover about proteins? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53dn.html

6. What type of attitude did Crick have toward Rosalind Franklin? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53dn.html

7. What has the discovery of DNA been called? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53dn.html

8. This is the actual article that was published in NATURE. What is the issue number and pages that the article is found? http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/coldspring/ideas/printit.html

9. What are the two types of bases that hold the two chains together? http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/coldspring/ideas/printit.html

10. Hydrogen bonds hold a single base to another single base. How do the base pairs combine for bonding to occur? http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/coldspring/ideas/printit.html

11. About half way through this article, start at “After everything…”. Was Rosalind Franklin bitter about not receiving credit for the discovery of the structure of DNA? http://elvis.engr.wisc.edu/uer/uer96/author9

12. Many articles have been written about Rosalind Franklin. All these articles agree on one point. What is this point? http://elvis.engr.wisc.edu/uer/uer96/author9

13. How did Watson & Crick refer to Rosalind Franklin, but only from a distance? http://elvis.engr.wisc.edu/uer/uer96/author9

14. What book did Brenda Maddox write about Rosalind Franklin? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51

15. What year and in what category did Watson & Crick win the Nobel Prize? http://almaz.com

16. What did Crick announce to the Eagle Pup on Feb. 28, 1953? TIME 100: James Watson & Francis Crick

17. Watson & Crick were an odd pair. What did each of these scientists study before they began work to work on DNA? TIME 100: James Watson & Francis Crick

18. What type of toys did their models resemble? Gallery Guide - Crick and Watson's DNA model (1953)

19. Reading the biography on Rosalind Franklin. List her birthday, date of death, & cause of death. Rosalind Elsie Franklin: Pioneer Molecular Biologist

20. What is the only difference between people? http://protist.biology.washington.edu/fingerprint/whatis.html

21. What do scientists use in the DNA fingerprinting process? http://protist.biology.washington.edu/fingerprint/whatis.html

22. What are 5 of the 8 areas that the Human Genome Project (HGP) addresses? What dates were they achieved? http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/project/about.html

23. What are some of the ethical concerns of the HGP? http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/project/about.html

24. What is one area in which DNA is used in “real” life? You have to think about this one!

25. The last paragraph mentions that Rosalind Franklin died before the Nobel Prize was awarded. Answer the final question that is posed in this article. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/do53dn.html

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Copy and Paste the following questions on a Word document. Save your work as you work. Print the worksheet when you are finished. This worksheet will be turned in to your teacher.

The Structure & Function of DNA

1. Read the original article that was published in NATURE. Hydrogen bonds hold a single base to another single base. How do the base pairs combine for bonding to occur? http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/coldspring/ideas/printit.html

2. Paste a web picture of DNA here. You will need to search for the pictureJ.

3. What are the four base pairs? How do they combine? http://www.ba-education.demon.co.uk/for/science/dnamain.html

4. What explains how identical copies of parents DNA can be passed to daughter cells? http://www.ba-education.demon.co.uk/for/science/dnamain.html

5. Reading Structure- How many Hydrogen bonds connect A&T and C&G? http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/structure.html

6. Reading DNA Molecule- How many rings make up the C & T? and the G & A? http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/structure.html

7. What are the two parts of the backbone of the DNA molecule? http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/structure.html

8. Work through the DNA Workshop Activity (requires Shockwave). What is DNA replication? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

9. All 46 chromosomes contain how many pairs? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

10. What is protein synthesis? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

11. What is the difference in the base pairs of DNA replication and protein synthesis? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

12. What is mRNA? Where does it travel? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

13. What organelle is the site of protein synthesis? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

14. How long can a polypeptide chain grow? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

15. Write the three amino acids to your newly constructed “protein”. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html

16. When wee the processes of mitosis & meiosis discovered? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

17. Hershey-Chase Experiment: What did this experiment conclude? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

18. In what direction do the 2 DNA backbone strands run? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

19. What is semiconservative replication? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

20. What is an anticodon? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

21. Follow the steps at the “Transcription & Translation Practice”. Write the amino acid sequence that you have coded for in this practice. Did you get it? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

22. A mutation is a change in DNA message. How many nucleotides are mutated in sickle cell anemia? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

23. What virus uses reverse transcription to pass its genetic information to the next generation of viruses? http://www.biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm

24. Take the Journey Into DNA- What comprises the human genome? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51

25. What is chromatin? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51

26. What charge does DNA carry? Does the histone carry? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51

27. What is Z-DNA? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/photo51

28. How many feet is a typical DNA strand? http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar2000/953155989.Mb.r.html

29. Go Zoom into DNA- Where is DNA housed in the basic cell? http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/genome/overview.html

30. Send your teacher a DNA-o-gram. Get the teacher’s school email. The follow the instructions, make a short message, and send it to the teacher. Write down your original message here. DNA-o-gram

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Excellent Work!! You now know enough to start working on you DNA project. You will have the option of doing one of several types of project.

DNA Project

Look at the pictures of DNA found on the following websites:

http://members.lycos.nl/TheDNApage/dnapixlb.html

http://academy.d20.co.edu/kadets/lundberg/dna.html

You will use these pictures to build your DNA project.

Choose the type of project and follow the basic steps. You will have to design the actual project but this will give you a few guidelines to get started. Remember, these projects will be displayed during your DNA Day party. You need to have a high quality of projects because everyone will be seeing it. This is your chance to shine!

DNA Projects

— Model of the structure of DNA

Build a model of DNA. You can choose to make it out of recycled materials, food, paper, foam, beads, or anything else you can think of. Your class needs to decide if each team will be allowed to go by their own guidelines or if you will all use the same rules; such as all models built out of food. Models must be accurate! You must also remember to use the least amount of money to build the projects. You need to give a certain size that the projects will be and how they are mounted.

— DNA Power Point

Create a Power Point about the things that you have learned. You may choose to do it over the history or structure or future of the DNA molecule. You need to have 15 – 20 pages, and be able to fully explain your area. You can use pictures and information from the websites that you saw earlier, but you MUST make a bibliography page! Your program should be easy to watch and easy to follow. Do not try too hard to make it cutesy and wild. It should be clean and informative. Integrate some of the web info and some of the graphics that you found. You might even want to take a DNA poll around your school and have that information in your program. Creativity is the key!

— DNA Newsletter or Brochure

Design a newsletter or brochure about DNA. You can present the newsletter from many different perspectives. You can be selling DNA on an eBay type site, informing the cell why it needs DNA, a DNA Wanted newsletter, a CSI approach, and so on. You must use accurate data and have a picture of DNA. Be creative, this project can be a lot of fun!

— DNA Poetry or Artwork

This is for the creative student that uses art or words to express your thoughts. You will have to work with your teacher to develop guidelines. Each teacher will require something different.

Party Time

It is finally time to make the plans for you DNA Day reception. Follow this checklist to make your plans; if you need to print the checklist, copy & paste the list to a Word document. The party should be planned as a class and everyone must help!

You will need to find what day to plan your party. Go to these sites to find the right day to plan your party for and other DNA Day information.

http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/features/dnaday

http://library.cshl.edu/nationaldna

Checklist for party

— Plan the who, what, where, when, and why of the party. This must be done first and scheduled with the school to avoid conflicts with other school groups.

— DNA food – think, this can be very fun if you use your head. Possible items are a cake, drinks, DNA cupcakes, thumbprint cookies, sugar candy, base pair cookies, etc

— Decorations – use your DNA projects as the main decorations, but do you need any signs, posters, streamers, etc

— Displays for the DNA projects

— Publicity – you will need to advertise the party. Will you invite other classes & grades? Do you want to invite the local media to the party? If so, you will need to write a press release that includes date, time, theme, location, who is hosting, and a brief description of the day’s events. You should send a press release to you school district.

— Invitations – these can be done on the class computer. Hand-deliver as many invitations to the party as possible. Make a list of everyone that is formally invited.

— Speaker – if you live in a town with a college, contact the Biological Sciences Department. They may have a professor that they could suggest. If not, contact someone in the community; such as police or researchers that could talk about the use of DNA in society. If that is still not possible, plan to have someone at the school, either teacher or student, prepare a lecture as their DNA project from above. It will help the speaker if you have a topic already chosen for the lecture and the approximate time that they have to talk. 10-15 minutes is plenty of time, but know now that they will take more that the time you give them.

The Party

It is time now to enjoy the party. Before everything starts, make sure you have double checked everything. Make sure you have someone from the school paper at the party to take pictures. You need to make sure that all the projects are available to see and that you have fun. You have worked very hard, sit back and enjoy!