NIMBIOS Presentation
Dr. Bill Stafford
It’s in Your Genes
Biology in a box
Class
• Primarily for first year biology
Unit/Topic
• DNA
– Structure
– Replication
– function
Learning Goals
• 1. Structure of DNA
– Double helix – model
– Amount of DNA – work with the numbers
– Nucleotide
• Structure
• Pyrimidine vs. purine – importance
– A-T, C-G – complementary base pairing
Learning Goals
• 2. DNA replication
– Reason
– Process
– Complementary base pairing again
Learning Goals
• 3. Function of DNA
– DNA  protein – overview
– Mutations
– Inheritance
Lesson Overview
• Structure of DNA
– 1. Overview of what DNA is and what it does
• Include a short video that shows the double helical
structure of DNA
• Manipulation of the double helix from the box
• Discussion of the total number of base pairs in our
DNA, average base pairs in a chromosome and gene,
size of DNA related to a cell or its nucleus – show the
model next to a marble – how does it fit in the marble?
Lesson Overview
• 1. Structure of DNA (cont.)
– Build the nitrogen bases using the model kit in the
box– compare purines and pyrimidines – Why is this
important? – Build nucleotides using the DNA puzzle kit in the box (I
have a better DNA building kit that I use)
– Connect the nucleotides together to form a double
strand using a sequence of six bases written on the
whiteboard – enforce the backbone (sugarphosphate) and “rungs of the ladder” (nitrogen base
pairs.
Lesson Overview
• Structure of DNA (cont.)
– Enforce purine to pyrimidine and why suing the
models – introduce complementary base pairing –
A-T, C-G
Lesson Overview
• DNA Replication
– Overview/discussion on DNA replication – where,
why, when. And how
– Use DNA puzzle to replicate DNA replication – I
will use my model kit – replicate the double strand
built earlier
– Solve mathematical problem on number of bases
knowing how many of one particular base
Lesson Overview
• Overview/discussion of the role of DNA in the
body – central dogma DNARNAprotein
• Discuss again chromosomes and genes
• Discuss mistakes/mutations
– Activity – divide class into two groups – whisper a
sequence of six bases (A, T, C, G) – whisper down the
line and write down the final product and compare to
the original
– Calculate the rate of mutation for each group
– Discussion of result of mutations
Assessment
• 1. Questioning at random throughout lesson
• 2. Individual and group questioning during
activities/model building
• 3. Model critiques
• 4. Exit ticket
• 5. Unit Test eventually