1. Get out your cookie cartoon.
Cookie making analogies

2. The Cookbook is like: the DNA

3. The Cookie Recipe is like: A gene (A small segment of DNA)
A Gene holds the instructions for making a specific protein. There are 1000’s of genes in our DNA

4. The Cookie is like: a protein (the final product)
Instructions for making proteins are found in genes.

5. Bobby’s house is like: the nucleus

6. The transcribed (written out) recipe is like: the RNA
RNA is a molecule very similar to DNA.

7. Outside of Bobby’s house is like: the cytoplasm of the cell

8. Stacey the Cookie Maker is like: the ribosome and tRNA
Ribosomes and tRNA are molecules that help build proteins– using instructions from RNA.

9. 1. The cookbook has a lot of recipes. 2
1. The cookbook has a lot of recipes. 2. There is a recipe for making cookies. 3. The cookbook with the recipes cannot leave the house. 4. The recipe gets transcribed into a written out recipe. 5. The written out recipe leaves the house. 6. Stacey follows the instructions on the written out recipe. 7. Cookies are made.

10. 1. The cookbook has a lot of recipes. 2
1. The cookbook has a lot of recipes. 2. There is a recipe for making cookies. 3. The cookbook with the recipes cannot leave the house. 4. The recipe gets transcribed into a written out recipe. 5. The written out recipe leaves the house. 6. Stacey follows the instructions on the written out recipe. 7. Cookies are made.

11. 1. How is DNA like a cookbook?
DNA has the instructions for making everything in the cell. DNA is a very important molecule.

12. 2. Why are genes like recipes?
Inside of our DNA are genes. Genes are small segments of DNA that hold the information needed to make a specific protein.

13. 3. What happens when proteins need to be made?
When a certain protein is needed in the cell, the gene with those instructions is needed. Proteins are made outside the nucleus, but the information for making proteins is found in the nucleus. DNA cannot leave the nucleus.

14. 4. How does the information needed to make proteins get out of the nucleus?
The needed gene is transcribed (copied) into a molecule called RNA.

15. 5. What happens once the RNA is made?
RNA is a molecule very similar to DNA. RNA can leave the nucleus.

16. 6. How do the instructions in RNA get made into a protein?
Molecules called tRNA and ribosomes follow the instructions found in RNA and help create the needed proteins.

17. 7. The final product
The protein is now made and can be used by the cell.

18. Post-Note Questions
1. Explain why transcribing (copying) DNA into RNA is an essential step for making proteins?

19. Post-Note Questions
2. In step 4, genes (small segments of DNA) get transcribed into RNA. Why is only the gene transcribed and not all of the DNA?

20. Making Proteins vs. Making Cookies
Cookie Cartoon Summary Statements in between. Protein Cartoon