Start of DNA Unit for INB

A typical unit for different teachers can vary a lot. As some of you may know, the notebooking for my class does not follow the popular left side-right side or input-output, as discussed in my previous post. Instead, we focus on creating a reference tool for students, like a personalized textbook.

To give you an example, I wanted to share some of my DNA resources with you!

First, we start with DNA structure and function. I use this organizer to do "notes" with my students. We also color code the parts of the nucleotide (sugar - red, phosphate - purple) and each different base gets its own color that corresponds to a lab we do later (A - Green, C - Pink, G - Yellow, T - Orange). We are all about color coding and carry macromolecule color coding all the way through the school year!

Below the structure and function organizer you can see the top of our DNA organization flipbook. We cut and glue it together as we discuss it as a class and we watch a video afterward about how DNA is organized (portion of this video from TedEd).

Our first lab is a candy DNA lab. This is maybe a little different than ones you have seen before. Students first string together their backbones (Cheerio phosphates and Twizzler sugars) and then add their nucleotides following our color coding rules from before. Students can even twist it into a double helix shape after. They really love this lab and it helps reinforce the structure of both the backbone and the nucleotides. Students answer questions on the lab in their notebook.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for how to start your DNA unit!

I wanted to share some of my resources with you all! You can get copies of them by clicking the links below. 

Intro. DNA Structure and Function

DNA Organization Flip Book

Types of RNA Diagram