5/21/2020 0 Comments DNA Basics Interactive NotesSo this year, I really tried to do a modified version of sketch notes. I love the idea of student's using images and symbols in order to organize their thinking. With freshmen, however, I need to create most of the notes and leave certain area blank for them to fill in. This was a mixed success, with some students being really into it and others not wanting to put in the effort (but isn't that always the case). I loved that students were able to color code their notes and use color to organize their learning. When thinking ahead to the possibilities of next year, I wanted to start creating note type activities that also incorporated other types of learning. I wanted students to still be able to use color, but I also was keeping in mind that many of my students would not have access to markers, colored pencils etc. So I figured out a way for students to click on a section of the notes and use the "fill in" tool to "color" the document. Once students complete these notes, they can then save it to their google drive for future reference. I started with just the basics of DNA which includes structure, base pairing and coding for traits. I kept it streamlined but focused on the most important concepts of DNA. All of this is made in google slides and includes built in areas for student's to type in their answers. In the "coloring section" students just have to click on the portion they want to add color to and then use the "fill in" (paint bucket icon), tool to choose the color. I have also included the student version and an editable teacher version if you need to make changes. Please keep in mind that any changes made to the teacher version need to be manually changed in the student version by "changing the background" of the student slide and selecting the image of the teacher version slide (snip it and save it as a PNG or JPG). So here is the breakdown of the notes: Page 1 Students read the paragraphs on the discovery, structure, base pair rule and Chargaff's rule. They then use the built in boxes for them to type in to summarize each paragraph. Key words and phrases are also highlighted to assist with ELL and SPED students in their reading. Page 2: Using the fill in tool on google slides, students use the key and their knowledge of the base pair rule from the last page to color code the DNA strand. They also fill in the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA to complete the structure. Students then must also color code a single nucleotide to highlight its structure and use the word "double helix" to label the twisted ladder shape of the DNA. At the bottom is a mnemonic device to help students remember the base pair rule. Page 3: This section was made to reinforce the idea that the sequence or order of the nucleotides determines the traits of organisms. We complete this activity right before we do a unit on Protein Synthesis, so this is a great introduction. Students see a short DNA sequence which codes for a fluorescent protein in jellyfish. Student use the link to roll a virtual die and that determines which base pair in inserted to the DNA sequence. Students then use a key to see which amino acid is coded for (student do not need to be able to read a codon chart). They then look to see which color the jellyfish will be based on that amino acid. Students then "color" the jellyfish based on that key. At the bottom, there are 3 statements about how DNA contributes to the diversity of organisms and students fill in the blanks using the provided word bank where they can drag the words into the correct blanks. This activity was made to introduce students to DNA, so they do not need any prior knowledge of DNA. I usually have briefly introduced DNA, amino acids and proteins through my unit on Biochemistry, but only at a very basic level. If you would like to purchase this activity, you can do so through TpT
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August 2021
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