In this 45 minute hands on lab activity, students learn about the molecule that is the basis for all life on earth by extracting DNA from strawberries and visualizing the DNA with their naked eye and then magnified under a microscope. This activity is coupled with a Guided Field Trip Exploration in the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins. 

Grades 8 or 9 Science

Essential Questions:
1. Where is DNA found in all organisms?
2. How can you extract DNA from cells?
3. Does DNA have the same basic structure in all organisms?

When: Monday - Friday
Morning Lab: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Afternoon Lab: 1:00-pm - 2:30pm

Students will be able to compare and contrast the DNA of plants and animals.

New York City Science Scope and Sequence
Grade 8: Unit 1
Reproduction, Heredity, and Evolution

Living Environment Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things. 
New York State Science Core Curriculum

New York State Science Core Curriculum
Major Understanding: LE 1.1c: Most cells have cell membranes, genetic material (DNA), and cytoplasm. Some cells have a cell wall and/or chloroplasts. Many cells have a nucleus, in which DNA is found.

PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS FOR THEIR TRIP WITH THE FOLLOWING PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES:

Spitzer Hall of Human Origins Educator Guide
For Teachers: Pre-visit Activities, Grades 5-8
Click here.

What's the Big Deal About DNA?
What do you share with daisies, flying foxes, and microscopic bacteria? DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. Take a virtual look at this chemical that's too tiny to see, even with a powerful microscope.
Click here.