DNALC Strawberry DNA Extraction Kit

Product Details
Beginning—Easy to perform; requires little or no prior knowledge.

In this exciting activity students are introduced to DNA, literally, by removing it out of a strawberry! Using a technique like those used by scientists, this kit is an easy and fun way to teach DNA and cell structure and function that is appropriate for all grade levels.

Product Features

• No equipment required; just add strawberries—kit includes everything else needed
• Easy and safe for young students; interesting and informative enough for older students
• Transforms the abstract concept of DNA into something concrete
• Complete visual lab procedure complements written protocol
• Resource section connects the kit activities to authentic lab techniques, real-world careers, historical perspectives, and more
• Kit designed for 32 students working in pairs
• Can be stored at room temperature for up to a year

Time Requirement
Teacher prep, 40 min. Approximately one to two 60-minute lab periods for prelab, investigation, and assessment.

Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that include a teacher’s manual, student guide, videos, interactive digital lessons, and more.

Performance Expectation(s)
MS-LS1-2

Crosscutting Concepts
Structure and Function

Disciplinary Core Ideas
HS LS1.A: Structure and Function

Science and Engineering Practices
Developing and Using Models

Learning Objectives

• Use evidence to construct an explanation that all living things are made of cells, and therefore must contain DNA.
• Understand cell wall and cell membrane composition.
• Understand how cell barriers are broken and how to extract DNA from strawberry cells.
• Develop a model to describe a causal account for the precipitation of DNA and the visualization of microscopic structures within the plant cell.
• Use a model to describe how the structure of the plant cell wall, cell membrane, and nuclear membranes function together to compartmentalize cell function and to control what enters and leaves the cell.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills
Students should be familiar with the basic structure and function of eukaryotic cell organelles, the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, and the packaging and structure of DNA.