Help me give my students DNA modeling kits and a demonstration model for visualizing the structure of DNA and understanding the process of replication via a hands-on lab activity.
My students are freshman at a suburban high school in the San Francisco Bay Area taking foundational Biology. Many of them are bilingual and some are learning English. I see them developing confidence in their knowledge of scientific concepts as well as academic language when they have access to hands-on materials that allow them to explore for themselves how things work in the natural world.
My Project
Hands-on activities that demonstrate concepts that they can see and understand for themselves help my students develop confidence and academic language when learning about Biology. Especially when learning about structure and function at the molecular level, students often struggle to understand what they can't visualize. With these modeling kits, students will be able to model DNA molecules individually and then link them together in small groups to deepen their understanding of organic chemical bonding.
These modeling kits will deepen understanding for a wide range of learners by providing the opportunity to see, feel, as well as discuss the structure and function of DNA.
The larger model will be used to demonstrate DNA structure and the process of replication before students use their own hands to build a model DNA strand using individual kits. Trays for each table will keep the kits safe and usable for multiple classes. Whether using these materials in a lab activity in school or using them in a demonstration during distance learning, I know these models can help my student understand these concepts at a deeper level.
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