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Introduction to Proteins and DNA
The Teacher Notes present a sequence of activities that will help students understand the basic structure and function of proteins and DNA.
To understand how genes influence our characteristics, students learn that different versions of a protein can result in different characteristics, and a gene in the DNA determines which version of a protein is synthesized by a person’s cells.
This information is conveyed through a PowerPoint with a sequence of discussion questions and videos, a Student Handout, and an optional hands-on learning activity. This sequence can be used in an introductory unit on biological molecules or to introduce a unit on molecular biology.
The first two attached files have the Teacher Notes, with the suggested sequence of questions for class discussion, videos and activities, together with an explanation of how the activity is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. The PowerPoint is available as the third attached file. The Student Handout is available in the last two attached files and as a Google doc designed for use in distance learning and online instruction. (For additional instructions, see https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/bioactivities/Googledocs, especially item 7.)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Proteins DNA TN .docx | 4.41 MB |
| Proteins DNA TN .pdf | 866.79 KB |
| proteins DNA ppt.pptx | 3.84 MB |
| proteins DNA SHO.docx | 1.4 MB |
| proteins DNA SHO.pdf | 275.92 KB |
Download Minds-On Activities for Teaching Biology
Introduction and Activities Listing
Intro and Biological Molecules
- Characteristics of Life
- Levels of Organization in Biology (NGSS)
- Introduction to Proteins and DNA (NGSS)
- Enzymes Help Us Digest Food (NGSS; hands-on)
- A Scientific Investigation – What types of food contain starch and protein? (NGSS; hands-on)
- Coronaviruses – Introduction (NGSS)
- Who Took Jerell’s iPod? -- An Organic Compound Mystery (hands-on)
- Is Yeast Alive? (hands-on)
- Macromolecules Jeopardy
Cell Structure and Function
- Cell Structure and Function – Major Concepts and Learning Activities
- Cells – How do they carry out the activities of life? (NGSS)
- Why do some plants grow in odd shapes? (NGSS)
- Introduction to Osmosis (NGSS; hands-on)
- Cell Membrane Structure and Function (NGSS; hands-on)
- Cell Vocabulary Review Game
Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis - Key Concepts and Activities
- How do organisms use energy? (NGSS)
- Using Models to Understand Cellular Respiration (NGSS)
- Using Models to Understand Photosynthesis (NGSS)
- Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration and Plant Growth (NGSS; hands-on)
- Food, Physical Activity, and Body Weight (NGSS)
- How do muscles get the energy they need for athletic activity? (NGSS)
- Alcoholic Fermentation in Yeast – A Bioengineering Design Challenge (NGSS; hands-on)
- Plant Growth Puzzle (NGSS)
- Where does a tree’s mass come from? (NGSS)
- Photosynthesis Investigation (NGSS; hands-on)
Cell Division
- Mitosis and the Cell Cycle (NGSS; hands-on)
- Mitosis and the Cell Cycle (NGSS)
- Meiosis and Fertilization – Understanding How Genes Are Inherited (NGSS; hands-on)
- Understanding How Genes are Inherited via Meiosis and Fertilization (NGSS)
- Comparing Mitosis and Meiosis
- What causes melanoma and other types of cancer? (NGSS)
- Mistakes in Meiosis – Down Syndrome or Embryo Death (NGSS)
- Mitosis, Meiosis and Fertilization Vocabulary Review Game
Genetics
- Genetics Concepts and Activities (NGSS)
- Genetics (NGSS; hands-on)
- Genetics Intro – Family Members (NGSS)
- Genetics Sickle Cell Anemia and Trait (NGSS)
- Genetics Probability – Sex Ratios (NGSS)
- Mistake in copying DNA & Dwarfism (NGSS)
- Soap Opera Genetics (NGSS)
- Were the babies switched? The Genetics of Blood Types (NGSS; hands-on)
- Dragon Genetics I (hands-on)
- Dragon Genetics II (hands-on)
- Learning about Genetic Disorders
- Genetics Vocabulary Review Game
- Genetics Jeopardy
Molecular Biology
- Molecular Biology: Major Concepts and Learning Activities (NGSS)
- DNA (NGSS; hands-on)
- DNA Function, Structure and Replication (NGSS)
- How Genes Can Cause Disease - Introduction to Transcription and Translation (NGSS; hands-on)
- How Genes Can Cause Disease - Understanding Transcription and Translation (NGSS)
- UV, Mutations and DNA Repair (NGSS; hands-on)
- What types of mutations cause more vs. less severe muscular dystrophy? (NGSS)
- Making Red Blood Cells (NGSS)
- Genetic Engineering Challenge – Preventing Vitamin A Deficiency (NGSS)
- Gene Editing with CRISPR-Cas – Potential Sickle Cell Anemia Cure (NGSS)
- Molecular Biology Vocabulary Review Game
Evolution
- Resources for Teaching and Learning about Evolution
- Evolution by Natural Selection (NGSS; hands-on)
- What is natural selection? (NGSS)
- Natural Selection and the Peppered Moth (NGSS)
- How have mutations and natural selection affected fur color in mice? (NGSS)
- How Whales Evolved (NGSS)
- How Eyes Evolved – Analyzing the Evidence (NGSS)
- How does evolution result in similarities and differences? (NGSS; hands-on)
- What is a species? (NGSS)
- Coronavirus Evolution and the COVID-19 Pandemic (NGSS)
- Evolution and Adaptations (NGSS)
Ecology
- Ecology Concepts and Learning Activities (NGSS)
- Exponential and Logistic Population Growth Models vs. Complex Reality (NGSS)
- Some Similarities between the Spread of Infectious Disease and Population Growth (NGSS; hands-on)
- Stability and Change in Biological Communities (NGSS)
- Food Webs, Energy Flow, Carbon Cycle and Trophic Pyramids (NGSS)
- Food Webs (NGSS)
- Carbon Cycles and Energy Flow through Ecosystems (NGSS)
- Trophic Pyramids (NGSS)
- Introduction to Global Warming (NGSS)
- Food and Climate Change – How can we feed a growing world population without increasing global warming? (NGSS)
- Coral Bleaching (NGSS)
- Global Warming (NGSS) (NGSS)
- Resources for Teaching about Climate Change
- The Ecology of Lyme Disease (NGSS)
Human Physiology and Health
- Negative Feedback, Homeostasis, and Positive Feedback, with Breathing Experiment (NGSS; hands-on)
- Homeostasis, Negative Feedback, and Positive Feedback (NGSS)
- How do food molecules reach our muscles? (NGSS)
- How do we Sense the Flavors of Food? (NGSS; hands-on)
- COVID-19 Vaccines (NGSS)
- Molecular and Evolutionary Biology of HIV/AIDS and Treatment (NGSS)
- Resources for Teaching Cancer Biology
- Carbohydrate Consumption, Athletics, Health – Using Science Process Skills
- Vitamins and Health – Why Experts Disagree
- Regulation of Human Heart Rate (hands-on)
- Should You Drink Sports Drinks? When? Why?
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Comments
2023 revision
I have revised the Teacher Notes, PowerPoint and Student Handout with multiple clarifications and additions.
Ingrid
2020 revision
In the Teacher Notes, I have clarified the Instructional Sequence. I have enhanced the PowerPoint with additional figures and links to videos. The Student Handout has also been revised.
2019 revision
To enhance the teacher-friendliness of this learning activity, I have added a Student Handout to accompany the sequence of learning activities presented in the Teacher Notes. In addition, I have incorporated improved resources in the sequence of learning activities.
Closed captioned videos needed
I have had to find alternative videos and do some related editing because the videos need to be closed captioned for our hearing impaired students. Auto-generated captions usually do not make sense.
Because of several days missed this semester due to bad weather, our school finds itself almost two weeks behind in our curriculum. These lessons have given me an easy and effective way to teach genetics, DNA, and protein synthesis at one time and in the little amount of remaining classes I have to cover these concepts. You have greatly reduced this teacher's stress level.
2017 revision
This revision has clarified some of the explanations and updated links to suggested resources.
Video not available?
The video described in this step:
Introduce or reinforce a basic understanding of protein structure, using the 2 minute video available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKwSIu_XxnY .
Is listed as "private" and is inaccessible. Are there suggested substitutes that you have?
Thank you so much for your work on this site!
Mike
Substitute videos
Hello,
Thank you for calling my attention to this broken link. Here are three suggested substitutes.
Introduce or reinforce a basic understanding of protein structure, using a 1-minute video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijQ3a8yUYQ), a 12 minute video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH-LQSr7rHs), or a 10-minute video with an emphasis on secondary structure (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MODnIkQvyz0.)
I will post a revised version of these Teacher Notes with these new suggested videos.
Ingrid
Understanding the Functions of Proteins and DNA
Thank you so much for this valuable & well organized data .As well as its helpful website with so much great information and wonderful ideas
2015 Revision
This revision provides additional suggestions for discussion and resources to help students develop a strong basic understanding of the functions of proteins and DNA.
Thanks!
Thanks!
2013 revision
The 2013 revision includes additional background information to facilitate teaching the suggested activities.
Thank you
Thank you so much for this well organized easy to use website with so much great information and wonderful ideas!
August 2012 revision
The main change in this revision has been to add background information on each of the conditions used to illustrate the effects of proteins (lactose intolerance, albinism, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia).
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