For day one of our two-day lesson on the structure and function of genes, students were tasked with modeling the four types of DNA mutations described in yesterday’s case study on cystic fibrosis. Students were given a wild-type DNA sequence and then had to solve the RNA and resulting amino acid sequences (see Structure and Function of Genes – Day 1 Power Point). After a review of the types of mutations, students then introduced each type of mutation into the DNA sequence, solving both the RNA and amino acid sequences and connecting the vocabulary with the actual process of mutating DNA in specific ways to effect a specific outcome on the amino acid sequence.
Update: January 19
For day 2 of this lesson, we took notes on the structure of genes, including a review of how chromosomes are found in the nucleus of cells, how chromosomes consist of DNA coiled around histone proteins, and how genes consist of regulatory regions, exons, and introns. At the end of the lesson, we previewed single-trait Punnett Squares to prime students for next week.
The Art of Science 
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