Power of Point of my unit plan for DNA

1. By Victoria Catherine Browning-Carter
DNA

2. Analyze the Learner
The spring semester of a 6th grade classroom
made up of 21 students, 12 of which are
female and 9 are males. Two students are
labeled as having learning disabilities. 75% of
the students are white and 10% are black.

3. Main Objective
The students of the 6th grade will demonstrate
how DNA is structured by watching videos,
doing a WebQuest, reading the class blog,
playing an online game, listening to a podcast
and fill out think maps, following homework
instructions on Facebook, and picking up fun
DNA facts from Twitter. After 5 days they will
demonstrate this with an 82% accuracy

4. Day by Day
 Monday: Background Knowledge of DNA
 Tuesday: Nucleotides
 Wednesday: Variances and Effects in Genetic
Code
 Thursday: Applying New Knowledge
 Friday: Applying New Knowledge
 Monday: Assessment

5. Use of technology
 Digital Story Telling – The students will watch a YouTube
video on the basics of how DNA is structured.
 Podcast – The students will listen to a 3 minute podcast
on how cell nucleus, chromosomes, nucleotides, and
structure all work together for a working body. While listening
to the podcast they will complete an online think map to keep
them focused on the topic. The online part will be found at
https://bubbl.us/mindmap.
 WebQuest – the students will complete a webquest
journey on what a geneticist does and how important DNA
and genetics are even if you are not a geneticist.
 Social Media – A twitter and facebook page for the class
have both been created and will be updated with daily
assignments and fun facts that may appear for extra points
sometime during the lesson.

6. Use of Technology cont
 Blog – there is an online blog that will give a weekend
assignment that is not rigorous it is actually pretty fun
to keep the students engaged and excited about what
they have discovered and bring back on Monday. The
first question is to come up with their own pneumonic
devices for A-T, and C-G. Then the second question
asks them to research a disease that is hereditary and
what symptoms it comes with and what makes it
hereditary.
 Poster – the students will be split into four groups,
and each group will compose a large poster on
powerpoint like the example one I created and
brought to class. They need to have graphics and hit
the important parts of DNA. This way I can assess if
they are grasping what is truly important about the
make up of DNA.

7. Use of Technology cont. 2
 Glogster- After seeing my glogster on DNA I
will let them chose if they want to make theirs on
nucleotides, phosphate groups, chromosomes, or
Watson & Crick. This will give them creative
freedom while still researching their topic.
 Arts and Bots – They will get in groups of
three and design and create their very own
creature and will write out a small sequence of
their creature’s DNA. Then separately each
student will write a small report on how DNA is
important to their creature and to humans and
how DNA works.

8. Works Cited
 Genes:DNA. (n.d.). Genes:DNA. Retrieved
September 20, 2014, from
http://www.yourgenome.org/dgg/detailed/cell/c
ell_3.shtml
 Amino Acids to Proteins. (n.d.). Amino Acids to
Proteins. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBRFIMcxZ
NM