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Weird Science

Who knew science could be so fun? The talented and inspiring Ms. Smith makes science memorable for our students.


Seeing is Believing – Strawberry DNA Extraction Lab

There’s a powerful "aha!" moment that happens when our Middle and High School students hold a visible clump of DNA in their hands for the first time. It moves DNA from a conceptual diagram to a tangible reality.




Sweet Science – Cookie Recipe Mutations

While the strawberry lab focused on what DNA is, this activity explored what happens when DNA changes. Understanding mutations can be incredibly abstract. The cookie recipe analogy is a brilliant tool to make this concept relatable and clear.


A recipe is like a gene, and the final cookie is the resulting protein. Just as a sequence of nucleotides (A, C, T, G) in a gene provides instructions for building a protein, a list of ingredients and steps in a recipe provides instructions for baking a cookie.

A genetic mutation is simply a change in that instruction sequence. By altering a cookie recipe, students can model different types of mutations and observe the effect on the "protein" (the cookie's taste and texture). We certainly had some creative mutations: no sugar, no flour, extra chips, no vanilla, Worcestershire and black beans added.



The Science of Attraction: DIY Magnetic Slime Lab

Creating magnetic slime in our Primary and Intermediate groups with Ms. Vencill brought wonder to the classroom as they made a puddle of goo actually move and crawl without even touching it.


These are the things we remember.


Until next time,

Ms. Dawnshelle



For specific class details from this past week, click on the teacher links below:


 
 
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