Science Lesson – DNA Extraction

Candidate Name: Dawn Rauwolf Host Teacher Name: Frankie Urquhart

School: Schoenbar Middle School Grade Level(s): 8th # of Students: 18
Date & Time of Lesson: Nov. 11, 2013 Length of Lesson: 40 minutes
Topic of Lesson: DNA Extraction Content Area(s): Life Science, Biology
Materials including technology:

salt
water
chilled 70% isopropyl alcohol
blue food coloring
dish soap
plastic cups
plastic spoons

overhead projector or smart board

students need personal computer or ipad

Alaska Standards: AK Content Standard: Concepts of Life Science – A student should

understand and be able to apply the concepts, models, theories, facts,
evidence, systems, and processes of life science. Pg. 15

8th grade: SC1 Students develop an understanding of how science explains

changes in life forms over time, including genetics, heredity, the process of
natural selection, and biological evolution.

SE Students develop an understanding of the relationships among science,

technology, and society.

SA1.2 The student demonstrates an understanding of the processes of science

by collaborating to design and conduct repeatable investigations, in order to
record, analyze, interpret data, and present findings.

Technology A. – A student should be able to operate technology-based tools.

1. A students should use a computer to enter and retrieve information.
3. Use local and worldwide networks.
D. – A student should be able to use technology to express ideas
and exchange information.
1. Students should convey ideas to a variety of audiences using
publishing, multi-media and communication tools.
2. Use communications technology to exchange ideas and information

Profile of Your Students (cultural, language, developmental and behavioral characteristics):

8th graders in Ketchikan. 5 Alaska Native, all English speakers, 1 in school with an IEP

STAGE ONE STAGE TWO:

Objective(s): Student Assessment:
1. To access information on the world wide web. 1. Students will take photos of themselves at each step of the lab.
2. To perform a multi-step DNA extraction lab. 2. Students will end up with a visible sample of their own DNA
3. Students will learn about their own DNA strands in their cup.

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to Learn

Introduction/Hook:

Show the video of DNA extraction from the NOVA/PBS site. Tell the students that they are going to be able to see their
own DNA. So cool! Has anyone ever seen strands of your own DNA? Well, today you will! J

Procedure and products Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications

Some students may not have computers to use. These

Have students get their computers out and ready to take students can use a digital camera or they may draw
photos. illustrations of each step.

Some students may not be able to hear the video. In this

Talk to students about DNA. Ask questions and wait for
responses from students. Allow for student’s explanations and
ideas.
• What is DNA?
It is a molecule. It contains the genetic instructions
used in the development and reproduction of all living
organisms and many viruses.
• Where would you find DNA?
In the nucleus of the cell.
• What is significant about DNA?
DNA is found in nearly every cell in a person’s body.
DNA carries the information that makes a person have
brown eyes, long toes, and all other hereditary traits.
• What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
case, use headphones and allow student to watch video
on their own laptop.
Have some information for students who are interested
to read more about DNA.
Allow students to do an internet search for DNA
extraction studies, or other DNA related topics.
Give students information about how dish soap breaks
apart cells. (The cell membranes get broken up because
the soap contains sodium laurel sulfate which pulls apart
the lipids and proteins in the cell membranes.)

Start the NOVA video “How to Extract Your Own DNA”

again and pause at each step. Students will take photos of
themselves performing each step of this lab.
Step 1. Mix 500 ml of drinking water with 1 Tbsp. salt.
Step 2. Stir until salt is dissolved. Then transfer 3 Tbsp. of
salt water into a clear cup.
Step 3. Gargle the salt water for 1 minute. Be sure to take
any gum or candy out of your mouth first. Swish around by
your cheeks, because you want to get plenty of cheek cells for
this experiment to have satisfying results.
Step 4. Spit the water back into the cup.
Step 5. Stir a very small amount of dish soap into the salt
water. Avoid stirring too much – you don’t want to create any
soap bubbles. (Explain to students that the soap is what breaks
down the cell membranes of their cheek cells. The DNA
strands get released from the nucleus and from the cell.)
Step 6. In a separate cup, mix 100 ml chilled isopropyl
alcohol and 3 drops of blue food coloring.
(The colder the alcohol is, the more DNA it will extract.)
Step 7. Gently pour the isopropyl alcohol so that is forms a 3
cm layer on top of the salt water/soap & cheek cells mixture.
(DNA is insoluble in this alcohol, and so the DNA strands tend
to aggregate together.)
Step 8. Wait about 3 minutes, without stirring. White clumps
and strands start to be visible. These clumps kind of resemble
partially cooked egg whites.
Step 9. Now, use your spoon to slowly stir and try to pick up
the strands of DNA.

After the experiment is finished, have students empty out their

salt water cups and their DNA cups.

Students can work on their Powerpoint presentations

documenting each step and their photos to go with each step.
Students should end up with about 10 steps in their powerpoint
presentation, with one photo from each step from above.
By having students document their experience, they get a
chance to 1. Share their experiment with others. 2. Retell how
they did the experiment. Retelling, or explaining each step will
help students retain the information.

Closure: Talk about the lab experience and any thoughts that the students had while performing the lab experiment.
Ask a few questions, such as: Did the DNA look like what you expected? Why would scientists want to extract DNA
from cells?

Resources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/extract-your-dna.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/journey-into-human-dna.html
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/archive/wheatgerm/background.html
http://www.omsi.edu/sites/all/FTP/files/chemistry/NH-PDF/NH-C19-DNAExtraction.pdf
Science Explorer: Cells and Heredity. 2000. Pg. 12-13. Needham, Massachusetts, Prentice Hall.

Reflection

This was a fascinating lab experiment to perform with the students. We talked a little bit about DNA and went over some
of the information and facts they already had learned about cells, the nucleus, cell membranes, and DNA. This lab took
the entire class period, so the discussion time was not very long. We talked about how DNA is unique to each individual,
how it is found in the nucleus of most cells in al living organisms and many viruses. DNA was discovered in the 1800’s
but it was not studied strenuously until over 100 years later.
We watched the video again, and then paused it at each step. The students performed each step and took photos of
themselves using Photobooth on their school-issued laptops.
When the students got to Step 3 , they were swishing the salt water in their mouths for a minute. I took this time to share
some cool facts about DNA. I shared this fact: one strand of DNA is about 2.8 inches long.
The students were genuinely fascinated by this lab. It was very weird and very cool to be able to look at their own DNA
strands. I hope that this lab – and others like it – keeps these students interested in science.
If I could change anything about this lesson – I would have liked to be able to look at the strands through microscopes,
although it was still satisfying to see the thin strands with normal vision. Also, I should have brought more supplies –
more isopropyl alcohol, water, cups, and salt. We had to be really careful with the supply we had. There wasn’t any
extra.
Attachments: 3 artifacts of student work

These are the necessary ingredients for this lab experiment.

Here is one student, performing Step 1. And getting ready to take a photo of
himself performing this step. I love that these students are able to use computers in their class,
right alongside their experiments.

Photo of a student swishing the salt water in his mouth.

This is a photo taken by this 8th grade student. This is a photo he took of himself -
he is carefully pouring the isopropyl alcohol/blue food dye mixture into his salt water/soap &
and cells mixture. This is near the end of the lab experiment. Part of the lesson was for the
students to take photographs of themselves at each step.

These girls are carefully studying their mixtures – looking for changes and for the
DNA strands to precipitate out. Notice the computers on their table. I appreciate the
resources available to these students.

Another photo of a girl carefully looking at her mixture.

This is a photo of an 8th grade student. She took this photo on her computer to
document the final step in this DNA extraction lab. This is a photo of her DNA strands. The
strands are clumped together and can be pulled up out of the salt water/alcohol mixture in a
thin string.

Another photo of a DNA strand. (When I say strand, I mean – this is actually many,
many strands of DNA that are clumped together. The individual DNA strands have been
precipitated out by the alcohol and made visible to our eyes.) The DNA strand is the very thin,
whitish gooey string connected to the end of the spoon.
Check for understanding –

Multiple Choice Question:

Which ingredient breaks down the cell membranes in this lesson?

1. The distilled water

2. The dishsoap
3. The 70% isopropyl alcohol
4. The large amounts of salt
5. The blue food coloring