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Programs for Talented Youth

Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 4, Dabbling with DNA (Jenkins) (3rd – 4th)

Posted by on Thursday, June 27, 2024 in blog, SAVY.

Hello! We had a thrilling Thursday! After our morning meeting, we continued working on our foldable notes where we explored the double helix more in depth. We investigated sugars, phosphates, and bases of the double helix structure and the function of each one. The geneticists became “private detectives,” where they learned how to decode a codon, which is a strand of DNA. They did such an amazing job! We had several mystery strands of DNA, and they were able to decode them in no time! We then watched a short video clip that enhanced our understanding of the sugars, bases, and phosphates that make up the double helix. Students then identified, labeled, and colored these specific parts of DNA. Be sure to ask your scientists what they learned and how they identified the mystery strands!

After lunch, we completed a slide show and discussed traits, DNA, and genetic mutations more in detail. We were able to understand the deletion, substitution, and extra chromosomes that some organisms were born with that caused specific genetic disorders. Students were extremely curious about genetic disorders and asked questions such as, “How are humans diagnosed with these disorders?” We also learned that genetic mutations can occur in other organisms, such as plants and animals. Students also learned that identical twins have the same DNA and fraternal twins do not. They were very excited to discuss this concept!
To wrap up our learning and recap what we learned, we played a Blooket education game on DNA. This is a great resource to use at home to review and enhance your student’s learning! They had a blast playing the DNA dinosaur game!
Key takeaways/questions for today:
  • What does the double helix look like?
  • What are the major structures and functions of the double helix? (sugars, phosphates, and bases)
  • What are the 4 bases of DNA and how do they pair together?
  • What are some ways that genetic mutations occur?
  • What causes a genetic disorder?
Have a wonderful evening! 🙂
Warmly,
Shelley Jenkins