My sixth grade students are learning about DNA and genetics this trimester, and we’ve got a bunch of great labs lined up. Last week we started with a simple and fun activity, making edible DNA. The students used Twizzlers, colored mini-marshmallows, and toothpicks to create an edible representation of a DNA helix. They had a wonderful time matching up the bases (the mini-marshmallows) and creating their DNA. The best part (in their minds) was being able to eat their project when they were finished. This was a fun and tasty way to review DNA before we jump into inheritance of traits this week. The lesson we used was this wonderful resource from the University of Utah’s Teach Genetics page. I was very happy that on Friday our Superintendent and several Board of Education members stopped into the lab during this lesson and had a chance to talk with the students and see what we were doing. I love sharing all the great activities we do in our lab.
