STEPP Lesson Plan Form

Teacher: Quinton Thai

Date: 3-8-17

School: Highland High

Grade Level: 10 Content Area: Biology

Title: Introduction to DNA Replication

Lesson #:__ of __

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards

directly from the standard) Physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism
are influenced to varying degrees by heritable genes, many of which encode
instructions for the production of proteins

Understandings: (Big Ideas)

Analyze and interpret data on the processes of DNA replication, transcription,

translation, and gene regulation, and show how these processes are the same in all
organisms.

Recognize that proteins carry out most cell activities and mediate the effect of
genes on physical and behavioral traits in an organism

Analyze and interpret data that show most eukaryotic DNA does not actively code
for proteins within cells.

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of

instruction, select applicable questions from standard)

1. Why is it possible for a cell from one species to express genes from another species
as in genetic modification of organisms?
2. Why are human offspring not genetic clones of their parents or siblings?
3. How is it possible to distinguish learned from instinctual behaviors such as imprinting
etiquette, and suckling by mammals?

Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)

Every student will be able to: (Create your own lesson objectives from the
standard, follow the ABCD format, using student voice)

I can: Explain where DNA replication occurs in the cell cycle, as well as how DNA
replication takes place, and why this process is critical to successful mitosis meiosis.

Illustrate/Create DNA structure including correct pairings of all 4 bases; Adenine,

Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine. Explain with their model how the nucleotide
pairings assist with proper replication.

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STEPP Lesson Plan Form

Analyze and interpret data that show most eukaryotic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
does not actively code for proteins within cells, but rather the different kinds of RNA
interact to do so.

List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with
each assessment

-2D models of DNA structure using the card stock cut outs. The expectations are
that each base is colored as such
Thymine = orange
Adenine = green
Guanine = purple
Cytosine = yellow
Deoxyribose = blue
Phosphate = pink

-After the models are colored, cut out, we can play a game involving matching the
base pairs/coding for certain proteins that I request the class to do, and Ill come by
and check them.
they will keep these models in an envelope for themselves to keep.

-3D models of DNA structure using marshmallows and toothpicks. They will create
their model, have me come by and ask them the following questions

Where are your base pairs? they will state which marshmallows are each of the
4 base pairs.
what are the strands made of? sugar, and phosphate.

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STEPP Lesson Plan Form
Name and Purpose of Lesson
Should be a creative title for you and the
students to associate with the activity.
Think of the purpose as the mini-rationale
for what you are trying to accomplish
through this lesson.
Approx. Time and Materials
How long do you expect the activity to
last and what materials will you need?
Anticipatory Set
The hook to grab students attention.
These are actions and statements by the
teacher to relate the experiences of the
students to the objectives of the lesson,
To put students into a receptive frame of
mind.
To focus student attention on the
lesson.
To create an organizing framework
for the ideas, principles, or
information that is to follow
(advanced organizers)
An anticipatory set is used any time a
different activity or new concept is to be
introduced.
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what
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Planned Lesson Activities
DNA replication and structure modeling.
The purpose of this lesson is to now that we know DNA structure, go
over the creation of proteins and DNA replication including transcription
translation and the central dogma, and show it visually while assessing
for knowledge.
90 minutes
-marshmallows and toothpicks for 3D dna
-Origami 3D modeling templates for differentiation
-2D modeling worksheet cutouts
-scissors, and colors for the DNA templates.
-Worksheet for the 3d models
-quiz review sheet for friday
The bell ringer work for the class will ask the question: decipher where
each of the letters come from in D-N-A
Deoxyribose is the sugar D
Nucleic is the N dna is in the nucleus
Acid is from the phosphate
Teacher Actions Student Actions
I will make sure the students are in Should be in their seats once the
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STEPP Lesson Plan Form
students and teacher will do from the their seats doing their bell work
minute they arrive to the minute they once the bell rings.
leave your classroom. Indicate the length
of each segment of the lesson. List actual I will make sure I have the learning
minutes.) targets written on the board
Indicate whether each is: before the lesson begins.
-teacher input I will explain to the students and
-modeling read the learning targets to them
-questioning strategies for the day.
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice I will present to the students and
-group practice explain the first 2d modeling
-individual practice worksheet. I will explain that they
-check for understanding will color them with the specific
-other colors written on the board for
each part, and have them cut
them out after they color them.
After they have all colored, cut
them out, and created a simple
basic DNA I will then require
certain patterns for one strand,
and they must match the other to
the strand given. This should
assess their ability to understand
matching pairs.
Given the coloring and cutting this
modeling and game will last the
first 45 minutes of class.
During the second half we will
transition into three dimensional
models. DO NOT EAT THE
MARSHMALLOWS because theyre
old, nasty, and I need them for
other classes DNA modeling! If I
Colorado State University College of Health and Human Sciences
bell rings,
Addressing the bellwork. (5
minutes)
decipher where each of the
letters come from in D-N-A
Deoxyribose is the sugar D
Nucleic is the N dna is in the
nucleus
Acid is from the phosphate
The students can be social while
cutting and coloring. They are
expected to color each the same
color as is written on the board,
and once they are finished
coloring and cutting they are to
raise their hands and show me
their completed DNA molecule.
After the first few students start
finishing, they are to start
assembling DNA based on the
problem on the board.
An example problem would be,
let me see X starting codon, and
Y terminating codon on your DNA
strand
I will differentiate the questions as
time goes on and as the students
understand throughout the lesson.
(45 minutes)
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STEPP Lesson Plan Form

see a marshmallow go into

someones mouth they will get no
points for the day.

I will explain each base pair and its

respective color, just like we did on
the worksheet but this time with
marshmallows. Im going to have
an additional color for Uracil, when
me model for RNA strands. I will
present a worksheet along with
the model once the students
complete the models.
For closure I will pass out a review
sheet for each student for Fridays
quiz to make sure they can do all
the content. This should increase
test scores, the goal is to
communicate as best as possible
to my students what they need to
know, and what is going to be on
the quiz.
The students are expected to
refrain from putting anything in
their mouths during this lab day.
They will work with their table
partners (will work much better
now that we have a new seating
chart for 6th hour!) one model per
pair of students. They will create
DNA first, and RNA to follow as the
lesson goes on. They are expected
to have all their base pairs in
correct position for both DNA and
RNA.
The students will fill out the
worksheet on DNA modeling and
RNA modeling as an exit ticket for
the class day.

Closure
Those actions or statements by a teacher
that are designed to bring a lesson
presentation to an appropriate conclusion.
Used to help students bring things
The students will get closure by me handing them a quiz review sheet
for Fridays quiz on DNA structure and replication! It will include
everything they need to know for the quiz. I will go over it the last 5
minutes of class by stating the following:

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STEPP Lesson Plan Form
together in their own minds, to make
sense out of what has just been taught.
Any Questions? No. OK, lets move on is
not closure. Closure is used:
To cue students to the fact that
they have arrived at an important
point in the lesson or the end of a
lesson.
To help organize student learning
To help form a coherent picture and to
consolidate.
Differentiation
To modify: If the activity is too advanced
for a child, how will you modify it so that
they can be successful?
To extend: If the activity is too easy for a
child, how will you extend it to develop
their emerging skills?
Assessment
How will you know if students met the
learning targets? Write a description of
what you were looking for in each
assessment.
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You will need to know
-what DNA is made of
-The bases and their pairs
-how to copy a DNA strand given one strand
-the central dogma
-Differences between DNA and RNA
-How Mrna interacts with DNA.
During coloring and cutting time I will be paying close attention to IEP
And ESL students, coming by and having mini discussions with them
about what theyre coloring. When the students are barely
understanding DNA base pairing, I will provide lower level questions
during the worksheet modeling. For the higher level kids I will include
harder questions dealing with start and stop codons, or longer coded
regions. If they have extra time I can have them look up and create part
of a coded protein. (this would be so cool!)
The students that really understand the information I will have teach
the students who may not understand. Once models are complete the
students who may not understand can use the other students models
as a reference for them during their own modeling.
The models will show me they understand during class on the spot, the
worksheet for the 3d modeling will give me insight into deeper
understanding of the function and structure of DNA.
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STEPP Lesson Plan Form

Post Lesson Reflection

1. To what extent were lesson objectives achieved? (Utilize

assessment data to justify your level of achievement)

2. What changes, omissions, or additions to the lesson would

you make if you were to teach again?

3. What do you envision for the next lesson? (Continued practice,

reteach content, etc.)

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