Teach your student about DNA and genetics to explain their familial history and what makes them unique! My First Lab has some great ideas for improving your kid’s understanding of genetics through fun homemade experiments!
First, explain to them what DNA and genetics are. DNA carries information on a gene that describes who we are and what we will look like. For example, DNA shows us our:
- Hair Color
- Eye Color
- Height
Genetics studies our genes and how our characteristics come from our family.
To explain dominant and recessive genes, let’s examine Mad Maxx’s Punnett Square Activity. Dominant genes take over recessive genes! Complete the activity below to learn more!
M&M Punnett Square Activity
What You’ll Need:
- Blue and Green M&Ms
- Construction Paper
- Marker
What You’ll Do:
- Use two blue and two green M&Ms.
- Create a grid with four squares.
- Place the blue M&Ms over the two top squares.
- Put the green M&Ms to the side of the left squares.
- Place the candies that reflect the colors of each gridline in each square.
Each candy “offspring” will have a 50/50 mix of blue and green. However, suppose you want to make this experiment more complicated. Add a second color to the second square on the left and the second square on the top to reflect a recessive gene and the likelihood of developing that gene. To elaborate on the simple M&M explanation, you can now add traits that an uppercase and lowercase letter can represent.
Make a DNA Model
What You’ll Need:
Colored Styrofoam balls that represent the following:
- Sugar: 16 white
- Phosphate: 14 purple
- Cytosine: 4 yellow
- Guanine: 4 green
- Thymine: 4 red
- Adenine: 4 blue
The following materials:
- Toothpicks
- String
What You’ll Do:
- Make the center section of the DNA helix with toothpicks.
- Put red and blue Styrofoam balls on seven toothpicks.
- Put green and yellow Styrofoam balls on seven toothpicks.
These will represent the base pairs and hydrogen bonds.
- Place the red couple and then place the green pair above it.
- Continue stacking until no pairs are left.
Form parallel structures when you:
- Add white Styrofoam balls next to the green balls.
- Add purple Styrofoam balls next to the red balls.
The last step is to:
- Connect the toothpicks with string to form your ladder.
You now have a DNA double helix that can bend!
Extract DNA from a Strawberry
What You’ll Need:
- A Plastic Bag
- 2 Fresh Strawberries
- 2 tsp Dish Detergent
- ½ cup Water
- 2 Plastic Cups
- 1 Coffee Filter
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ cup Chilled Rubbing Alcohol
- 1 Stirrer
What You’ll Do:
- Take the green leaves off your strawberries.
- Place the strawberries into a plastic bag.
- Smash the strawberries for two to three minutes.
- Mix detergent, salt, and water in a bowl.
- Add 2 tsp of this mixture to the strawberry bag.
- Smash the mixture into the strawberries.
- Place a coffee filter into a plastic cup.
- Pour your final product into the filter.
- Remove the filter.
- Pour chilled rubbing alcohol down the side of the cup until there is an equal amount of strawberry liquid and rubbing alcohol.
- Do not mix or stir!
You will see a white material form at the top of this mixture. This material is DNA that you have isolated!
My First Lab’s Mission
Teach your kids about DNA to help explain their curious questions about how the body functions and how we pass down traits. Is your child curious about learning more about the world around them? If so, check out our line of educational products at My First Lab to help enrich your child’s learning.
My First Lab has led in developing STEM equipment for the past 30 years. With products ranging from microscopes and bundles to prepared slides and accessories, we are sure to have any product that a junior investigator, hobbyist, or educational leader could need. Learn how to create hands-on experiments by browsing our blog or checking out our award-winning products.
