Eighth Graders Conduct Original Research in DNA Unit with DNALC

Our Eighth Grade boys are at an exciting culminating point in their DNA unit, now working in small groups on a DNA analysis project that will answer a research question of their choice.

Questions posed by the teams include: Do the herbal and fruit teas from Teavana contain what they advertise? What is the composition of four different brands of hot dogs? Does a sample of catfish contain parasites? What are the different varieties of moss in Central Park?

Recently, the boys extracted DNA from samples of the substances they are investigating. Next, they will perform gel electrophoresis and analyze the results. They will present their findings to boys in younger grades in June.

This inquiry-based unit, conducted in an expanded partnership with the DNALC (last year we introduced a program in the Fifth Grade), harnesses boys' natural curiosity about the world around them. It enables our boys to engage in hands-on work with actual DNA scientists to generate ideas that will solve real-world problems.

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