1. DNA Structure & Replication
LEGO Lesson 2 PPT DNA
LEGO® DNA
DNA Structure & Replication
With slides from
LEGO DNA/RNA Booklet 1
Kathy Vandiver, Ph.D. and Amanda Gruhl, Ph.D.
Community Outreach and Education Program, Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS),
MIT, Cambridge MA
KV Version
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

2. DNA what else do they call it?
Demonstrate the structure of DNA with teacher LEGO Model
DNA what else do they call it?
KV Version
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

3. DNA what else do they call it?
Demonstrate the structure of DNA with teacher LEGO Model
DNA what else do they call it?
A double helix…. Why?
KV Version
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

4. DNA what do they call it? 1) Look at the LEGO model
Demonstrate the structure of DNA with teacher LEGO Model
DNA what do they call it?
1) Look at the LEGO model
See the twist/ spiral? that is a “helix”
See the 2 strands?
See why DNA is called “the double helix?”
2) See how the 2 strands look like backbones?
“Sugar + phosphate” LEGO = backbones
3) See any repeating parts? Nucleotides
These small molecules are found in the nucleus.
“Nucleotides are in the nucleus”. Easy to remember!
KV Version
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

5. DNA opens up in the middle!
Demonstrate the structure of DNA with teacher LEGO Model
DNA opens up in the middle!
Demonstrate how DNA can unzip!
REASON– The nucleotides are held together
in the middle by very weak bonds.
KV Version
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

6. Remember about the nucleus. It has lots of free nucleotides + DNA

7. Look at kit compartments/ see labels. Learn about DNA & RNA nucleotides

8. What makes a nucleotide? Base, sugar, phosphate
Each person can do this activity. Do this page and continue on page 7

9. What makes a nucleotide? Base, sugar, phosphate
Which two are bigger?

10. Discover which DNA bases work together to make the DNA ladder
Each person can do this activity. Do this page and continue on page 7

11. Early scientists were puzzled by Chargaff’s rules #A=#T and #C= #G
Each person can do this activity.
Count your A, T, C, Gs
A = ? C= ?
T = ? G= ?
Chargaff’s rules: A=T and C= G
Did it work? Why must they be equal ?
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

12. Practice opening up the DNA. When does the cell open the DNA ?
Each person can do this activity.
Review: DNA is like a street –it has strands running in 2 opposite directions.
DNA always pairs a big and a small nucleotide together.
© The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved

13. Model the vocabulary words: DNA Gene and Chromosome
4 Students join their DNA sections (genes) together into one chromosome.

14. DNA Replication. The cell will become two cells soon
DNA Replication! The cell will become two cells soon. Needs to copy the DNA
Put away nucleotides. Each team builds the DNA below. Continue pages 10, 11, 12

15. Continue Replicating the DNA pages 10, 11, 12

16. Continue Replicating the DNA pages 10, 11, 12

17. DNA Replication! Check out what happened.
DNA Replication is complete ! Look at the results.
Are both the same? Where did the original DNA go?

18. DNA Replication Lesson Completed. Next slides are about DNA codons.

19. Three nucleotides in a row means a certain amino acid.
Use the gene strips to help you learn about codons.

20. Three nucleotides in a line means a certain amino acid.
Build with the gene strips

21. Three nucleotides means a amino acid. Decode the protein message here !
Look up the DNA codons on page 16 & Place the cards under the codon