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DNA Function, Structure and Replication
In this analysis and discussion activity, students learn the basics of DNA function, structure, and replication.
The sequence of nucleotides in a gene determines the sequence of amino acids in a protein, which determines the structure and function of the protein. Different versions of a gene give the instructions to make different versions of a protein, which can result in different characteristics.
Since many different proteins are needed for a cell to be alive, each cell needs a complete copy of the DNA with all of the genes. Therefore, before a cell divides, it needs to make a copy of all its DNA. Students analyze DNA replication to understand how the double helix structure of DNA, the base-pairing rules, and DNA polymerase work together to produce two identical copies of the original DNA molecule.
This activity can be used to introduce your students to key concepts about DNA or to review these concepts.
The Student Handout is available in the first two attached files and as a Google doc designed for use in online instruction and distance learning. The Teacher Notes, available in the last two attached files, provide instructional suggestions and background information and explain how this activity is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). For question 12, students can use the online DNA Replication Simulation.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| DNA SHO .docx | 3.33 MB |
| DNA SHO .pdf | 909.21 KB |
| DNA TN .docx | 2.97 MB |
| DNA TN .pdf | 1.15 MB |
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 improved the figures in the Student Handout and reorganized the questions in a more logical sequence. Correspondingly, the Teacher Notes have been reorganized and revised.
Ingrid
Second revision in 2020
The Student Handout has been reorganized, revised, and expanded to enhance student understanding of the structure, function and replication of DNA. The revised and expanded Teacher Notes provide additional background information and instructional suggestions.
Ingrid
2020 revision
The Teacher Notes have been enhanced with:
– suggestions about how to help the students interpret the first figure in the Student Handout
– a DNA Quiz that can be used to assess and reinforce student learning, and
– corrected templates for the nucleotide letters in the pieces for the DNA replication activity.
DNA nucleotide letters
Thank you for sharing this activity. I used it with 9th graders. The only issue that I had was some of the "S" and "P" letters on the nucleotides were flipped. Therefore, after the students created their models some were confused if the strands of DNA were really the same. Otherwise, the activity worked well.
Problem resolved
I have been unable to figure out how to fix the reversed letters, so I changed question 9 to ask whether the sequence of nucleotides is the same, instead of asking whether there are any differences between the DNA molecules. This should avoid the problem mentioned in the above comment.
Thank you for your comment
Thank you for your input. I have been aware of the reversed letters, but have not fixed them because of my technical limitations. Now that I am aware that this creates a problem for student learning, I will put this on my list of things to fix this summer.
Ingrid
I need the key to DNA show doc- first doc
I need the key to DNA show doc- first doc
Key for activity
Please read the comments below and the Teacher Preparation Notes.
Ingrid
Biology
I need the key
Key
Please see my reply to the message below.
Answer Key for the DNA Structure, Function and Replication Wksht
Hello, I was asking if you guys had an answer key for the wksht? It would be great!
Answer Key
Please see the Teacher Preparation Notes for background information and instructional suggestions, as well as information about the key.
2015 revision
The questions in the Student Handout have been streamlined to improve the focus on key points. The Teacher Preparation Notes provide improved instructions for the hands-on simulation of DNA replication.
2014 revision
The 2014 revision of the Student Handout has substantially revised questions to improve student learning of the most important concepts related to the structure, function and replication of DNA. The revised Student Handout also incorporates hands-on modeling of DNA replication. The Teacher Preparation Notes have been revised to accommodate these changes, to indicate alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards, and to suggest follow-up activities.
biology
please consider me as one of your client. i need more minds on and hands on activities for my students to improve and increase their learning retention.
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