1. All with black magnet and large and small gray tubes on ends
DNA LEGO Kits
Content Check:
12 RED assembled blocks
12 GREEN assembled blocks
12 BLUE assembled blocks
12 YELLOW assembled blocks
All with black magnet and large and small gray tubes on ends

2. Baggie with other Legos to be used later.
One direction booklet
2 white plastic squares
Baggie with other Legos to be used later.
Please tell Mrs. Cohen NOW if you are missing any pieces.

3. A few questions
#1 – What part of the DNA molecule do the colored blocks (and their attached pieces) represent?
Describe the item used to represent the base (A,T,G,C)portion of the structure.
What is used to represent the sugar?
What is used to represent the phosphate?

4. Ready . . .
Get these items out of the box and put them on the table between you:
3 RED nucleotides
3 BLUE nucleotides
3 GREEN nucleotides
3 YELLOW nucleotides

5. Attach all 12 nucleotides together in
SET. . .
Attach all 12 nucleotides together in
ONE LONG CHAIN
in any order you wish

6. GO! Start building the other side of the DNA molecule Two Rules:
The bases must “bond” together
(magnets must stick)
The sides of the ladder must be parallel to each other.

7. Chargaff’s Rule Questions What color goes always pairs with RED?
If red is thymine, what is yellow?
What is it about the T and A that makes them pair off?
What color always pairs with BLUE?
If green is cytosine, what is blue?

8. Genes? Chromosomes?
Is your section of DNA long enough to be a chromosome?
Is your section of DNA long enough to be a gene?
Let’s pretend it is long enough to represent a gene…. Did you all make the same gene? How many possibilities are there?

9. Unzipping…….
There are two situations when DNA unzips….can you name them?
Genes ‘Unzip” to send signals/directions to the rest of the cell. Which do you think can unzip more easily - stem cells or differentiated cells?
What is the “trick” to turn a somatic cell back into a stem cell so it can become all other cell types?

10. Ready, SET…… Remember those two white plastic squares?
Place one on the end of each half of the DNA ladder.
This is to mark your original DNA strands.

11. GO!
From the bottom up, one partner should unzip the bottom three nucleotide bases and hold them open.
The other partner will bring in the correct nucleotides to complete the exposed bases.
Continue up to the top of the DNA ladder until you have two molecules.

12. Tomorrow – genes in action!
What did you just do?
There are three (or more) different names for what you just did to your DNA molecule – what are they?
Tomorrow – genes in action!