Download High School INSIDE THE NUCLEUS: DNA

High School
Teacher’s Guide
INSIDE THE NUCLEUS:
DNA
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HIGH SCHOOL | EDUCATOR | INSIDE THE NUCLEUS
Introduction
The Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution at The Field Museum
provides state-of-the-art molecular biology equipment for scientists to study the genetic
diversity of life on earth. It is used by our curators, staff, students, and visiting scientists,
who all contribute to our knowledge of the tree of life and how organisms, past and present,
are related. As technology advances, so does our ability to analyze larger quantities of
genetic data. Systems biology, the study of systems of biological components, is a growing
and exciting field for your students to explore as a career pathway.
Dr. Shannon Hackett is an Associate Curator in the Department of Zoology, and Head of
The Field Museum’s Bird Division. She studies the systematics and evolution of birds using
DNA sequences, morphology, and behavior to reconstruct how populations and species are
related to one another. As part of the Early Bird Project, Shannon, along with many other
scientists, aims to resolve the evolutionary relationship between the major groups of birds.
Shannon will share her expertise with your students to talk about how scientists use DNA
to understand the relationship on life on Earth and how they can prepare for a career in
systems biology.
Erica Zahnle is The Field Museum’s DNA Educator and Researcher. Erica splits her time
between conducting research in the Pritzker Lab and teaching students and teachers about
research happening at the Museum. Each summer, Erica runs the DNA Residency program
for high school students and teachers. She trains them to conduct molecular systematics
research, which they present at the end of the summer. Teachers create standards-aligned
lessons based on their research experience, which are available online at http://www.
fieldmuseum.org/educators/resources/systems-biology and can be used to supplement
your Virtual Visit from The Field experience. Erica will talk to your students about the
research she has conducted at the Museum and how they can get involve with systems
biology as a high school student.
Background
Adapted from the DNA Discovery Center Educator Guide
All living things are made of cells. Each cell contains genetic instructions stored in a molecule
called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and is found in the nucleus of eukaryotes. DNA is the
substance of genes, the units of inheritance that transmit information from “a blueprint”
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for building different parts of the cell. For example, an optical cell uses DNA that specifies
the structure and function of the eye; where as a cardiac cell uses DNA that contributes to
heart functions. Therefore, during development, a cell reads only the part of the DNA that
it needs.
Each DNA molecule forms a chromosome that contains regions called genes, which guides
the production of one particular component of an organism. A set of human chromosomes
contains one copy of each of the 30,000 genes in the human genome. Genes provide
the instructions for producing all the biological components of organisms. Genes govern
metabolic processes, as well as specifying physical characteristics. Traits such as an
individual’s height or skin tone require the actions of many genes working together. Humans
share 100% of the same genes, it is the actual nucleotide sequences that make up any
individual organism’s genome that are not entirely identical. Although the DNA of any two
people on earth is 99.5% identical, it is the little differences that can have a big effect on
how the genes are expressed. The DNA molecule comes in the form of a twisted ladder
shape called a double helix. The ladder’s rungs are built with the four nucleotides: adenine
(A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). These four nucleotides are all that’s needed
to write a code that describes an entire organism’s body plan. These instructions are read
as a string of A’s, C’s, G’s, and T’s, which code for production of various proteins.
How do scientists obtain the DNA of the organisms they are studying? More importantly,
what do they do with the information once they have it? Inside the DNA lab at The Field
Museum, there are numerous projects going on. Some scientists have traveled to the
rainforests of South America to study bats, while others have focused their attention on
lichens from Sweden. In both cases, these scientists collect the DNA of their target species,
analyze the DNA, and use this analysis to understand which species are related, how species
evolved, and how particular species fit into overarching trees of life. Scientists have done
this analysis in the past using the physical traits of organisms as the primary mean of
classification, among other techniques. But now, DNA analysis allows scientists to map
relatedness among species at the molecular level, often resulting in dramatic changes in
how we previously had classified organisms.
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Activity 1
BROADCAST
After this lesson your students will be able to:
• Explain how DNA is used to provide evidence of evolution.
• Describe the processes scientists use to obtain and analyze DNA from
an organism.
• Identify careers in systems biology.
MAIN IDEAS
MATERIALS AND PREP
• Genetic information provides evidence
of evolution. There is genetic diversity
among organisms, but overlap in DNA
of different species can be used to
infer evolutionary relationships and
diversity.
• Broadly, there are four steps in
obtaining genetic information from
an organism: 1) Collect a biological
sample; 2) Extract DNA ; 3) Amplify
4) Analyze.
It is recommended that you do the
following prior to this lesson:
• Read the Virtual Visits Technical
Guide
• Attend the webinar test-run, link and
direction will be provided one week
prior to your Visit
• Check with your IT specialist to
make sure you will have available
bandwidth on the day of your Visit
You will need the following materials:
• Computer connected to the Internet
• Projector
• Optional: Scrap paper or note cards
PREREQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE
• DNA contains instructions
for biological structures and
functions.
• Genetic information is passed
from parent to offspring, from
generation to generation.
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NGSS Alignment
Thanks to the DNA Residency for Educators program, you can accompany your Visit with a
variety of teacher-created curriculum based on Museum research conducted in the Pritzker
DNA Discovery Center. Below, you will find a roadmap that aligns each lesson to the Next
Generation Science Standards or Common Core State Standards for Science & Technical
Subjects. Lesson plans and supplemental materials for these activities can be accessed
from: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/educators/resources/systems-biology
The Case of Darwin’s Finches
HS-LS4-1. Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological
evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.
Crosscutting Concepts
HS-LS4-5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions
may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence
of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
The Case of Gene Regulation in Cells
HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA
determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through
systems of specialized cells.
HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting
systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
The Effect of Natural Selection on Genes, Traits, and Individuals
HS-LS3-3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and
distribution of expressed traits in a population.
HS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to
adaptation of populations.
HS-LS4-5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions
may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence
of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
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The Case of the Mystery Fish Toxin
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when
carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending
to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence
clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the
organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and
task.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects
to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow
or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
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