Help me give my students microscopes to view DNA that they extract from cells. My students also need wire and beads to complete a simulation about how DNA is transcribed and translated (read and made into proteins).
The majority of my students are in accelerated or advanced courses and are ready to move beyond the basics. We are in a suburban neighborhood that is very supportive of our school. Our school is very competitive, and utilizes all of its resources to make learning experiences for our students fun and rigorous.
Even though my students are high achievers, my school does not receive a lot of extra, categorical funding.
This means that in order to provide many of the high level, costly experiences, I have to utilize my resources to locate additional funding. My students ask many questions that can only be answered with current research. My students love to learn! They are curious and smart. They challenge me everyday to stay current in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
My Project
Students will be removing DNA from wheat germ. Once removed and purified, they will be placing it on slides and looking at it under microscopes. This activity will be followed up with a simulation about how DNA is transcribed and translated.
One of the most exciting tools a student can use to explore STEM is a microscope.
Microscopes allow students into an unseen world. After extracting DNA, students will have the opportunity to look at it under a microscope. My students study the structure and models of DNA, but by having high quality microscopes, they will be able to actually see DNA.
The topic that follows the structure of DNA is to understand how the molecule provides the instructions for making a protein. Students will receive a DNA sequence, translate it, and transcribe it into codes that equate to colored wires. The colored wires will correspond to the coded sections of DNA that will represent different combinations of amino acids. These combinations will be tranformed into three-dimensional protein shapes that the students will be able to construct by shaping colored wires, attaching rings, and connecting with crimp beads. Through this simulation, students will be able to understand how DNA is read, and how it results in a protein that has a 3 dimensional shape. A discussion about how shape determines function will follow. The materials can be reused for multiple years.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Hudlow and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
