Genetics and Your Environment

In this unit, students will consider how radiation affects humans, and how to best protect ourselves from sources of radiation. To do this, students would participate in hands-on modeling to learn about the central dogma for how DNA codes for proteins and how mutations in DNA (from replication errors or environmental factors) can cause changes to traits. They will connect this to a place-based, relevant topic: cancer rates following nuclear weapons testing in Southern Nevada. They will also learn about careers in nuclear science and ways to protect humans from radiation, including time, distance, and shielding. 

Hands-on Activities:

• Students extract the DNA from a strawberry to consider the timeline for the discovery of DNA 
• Students use paper chromatography to separate black marker into its constituent colors and consider how this was used during the discovery of DNA 
• Students use foam nucleotides to model DNA replication 
• Students use foam hair curlers to model mitosis 
• Students play the game of telephone and connect it to how mutations might occur during replication 
• Students throw radiation (ping pong balls) at a model cell and consider how time, distance, and shielding can be used to protect from radiation 
• Students play the part of RNA polymerase, RNAse, and tRNA to transcribe and translate a mystery DNA sequence using foam nucleotides

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

HS-LS1-1 •  HS-LS3-1 •  HS-LS3-2 •  HS-LS1-4