Name:____________________
Pd._____
Date:_______________
“Create your own enzyme!”
Project Rubric
Background: There are multiple chemical reactions that are catalyzed by different enzymes. Many enzymes are
involved in digestion. Different types of enzymes are used to digest different types of food molecules. For example,
lipase breaks down lipids, sucrose breaks down sucrose, and lactase breaks down lactose. But enzymes do more
than just breaking down molecules. Some enzymes are also required to build molecules. There are many enzymes
in ribosomes (such as peptydil synthetase) that are responsible for building new proteins by connecting chains of
amino acids. Other enzymes cause organelles and other molecules to move or change shape within the cell. For
example, DNA polymerase is responsible for unwinding DNA before it can be copied.
Your Task: Create/invent your own enzyme that does something that interests you! You will come up with an
enzyme, name it and draw it, and identify its important parts and properties.
Ideas:



Make an enzyme that breaks down a food you love. For example, pizzase would break down
pizza!
Make an enzyme that builds or creates something you’re interested in. For example, jewelrase
would create jewelry!
Make an enzyme that builds or creates something you’d like to make or invent. For example,
choco-tacoase would create choco-tacos!
Requirements:
1.
2.
3.
Enzyme must have a name that gives you some idea of what it does. Name should end in “ase”
You must draw a picture of your enzyme, labeling the enzyme, active site, substrate(s), and product(s)
You must explain what conditions your enzyme works best in (temperature, pH, and anything else that
may be important to your particular enzyme)
Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to gain a better understanding of how enzymes work by creating an
analogy that relates to your everyday life and interests. You are encouraged to be creative, but to also keep the
actual functions of enzymes in mind so that your analogy actually makes sense!
Rubric:
0 – Not complete or
doesn’t meet
minimum
expectations
Name: Follows
enzyme pattern,
explains what the
enzyme does
Picture: Clearly
labeled, easy to
understand, includes
all parts
Analogy: Clearly and
accurately
represents what
enzymes do
Conditions: Clearly
explained, fit in with
the analogy
1 – Present, but not
accurate or coherent
2 – Makes sense, but
with some minor
mistakes
3 – Makes sense,
with just a few minor
mistakes
4 – Clearly and
convincingly
represents actual
enzyme
functions