Secondary Smorgasbord: A Buffet of Resources for Secondary Teachers

The Secondary Smorgasbord Theme of the Week??

Free and Fabulous!!

I am super excited to be participating in a new monthly blog hop / linky for secondary teachers.  This terrific idea is the brainstorm of two friends Darlene Anne Curran (The ELA Buffet) and Pamela Kranz (Desktop Learning Adventures).  I was fortunate enough to finally meet both new friends this past summer at the TeachersPayTeachers convention in Las Vegas.

The idea behind this blog hop is to provide you secondary teachers with some new ideas, tips for your classroom, free teaching materials, and anything else we can think of.  So welcome to the first installment of the Secondary Smorgasbord!  The theme for this month is "Free and Fabulous!"  Be sure to click on the links in the first paragraph of the post so that you can grab all of the awesome free teaching materials.

What is on the smorgasbord menu from Science Stuff?  I have decided to highlight two freebies that I have in my store.  Both are simple one-page references tables, but I have used both of these in just the last week!  If you are a biology or a chemistry teacher you know that both of these play a very important role in our classes.  I know you already have these tables, but I have spruced them up to make them attractive for our students.

For the Biology teachers:  Here is a chart of all 64 mRNA codons and the amino acids they code for.  This is a must-have during your unit on DNA, RNA and Protein synthesis.  (Click image or red text to download freebie.)

For the Chemistry teachers:  This is a table of electronegativities.  This is a must-have during units on the periodic table and bonding.  Click image or red text to download freebie.)

Again, be sure to check out all the posts / freebies by clicking the links in the first paragraph.  I hope you find something you can use!  Be sure to watch each month for the Secondary Smorgasbord Buffet of Resources!

An InLinkz Link-up

DNA and RNA and Protein Synthesis: Warm Ups or Interactive Notebooks

There are so many possibilities for these interactive pages!

The concepts involved in a unit on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis are difficult and complex. Although this is one of my most favorite topics to teach, I fully realize that some of my students will struggle and will have a hard time "visualizing" the information.

I began "dabbling" with the use of warm ups / bell ringers / interactive notebook pages at the end of last school year.  I was pleased with the results, but wished I had started my students on this path from the start of the school year.  So this year, I did.  I love the flexibility of the different ways they can be used:  Interactive notebooks, warm ups, bell ringers, exit slips, homework assignments, or short daily quizzes.

This set on DNA and RNA is actually the 5th set of these activity pages that I have completed. If interested, here are the previous blog posts on the other 4 sets:
Introduction to Biology: Great Classroom Management Tool
Biology Interactive Notebooks (Cell Structure and Physiology)
Ecology Warm Ups
Genetics Activities for Interactive Notebooks

I ended up with 35 student pages in this set on DNA and RNA.  They have a really good range in difficulty.  When taken in order, the first few pages are very basic, and they increase in complexity as you move through the entire set. Teachers of middle school students will find plenty of pages that are suitable for their students, and the high school teachers will find the advanced topics they need to move their students to a higher level.

The 35 pages have a good mix of question types.  Some pages require drawing, while others require more problem solving and critical thinking skills.  But the key element of every page is reinforcement and review of the concepts and details of protein synthesis.

Below you will find the titles of the 35 pages included in this product.

DNA and Replication Titles (14 pages):

·    The Early Experiments

·    The Basics of DNA Structure

·    Nucleotides

·    DNA: Label It!

·    Complete the Drawing

·    Can You Draw It?

·    DNA Structure

·    DNA Replication

·    A Detailed Look At Replication

·    Proofreading the DNA

·    Repairing the Damage

·    The Genetic Code

·    Deciphering the Code

·    Thinking Critically About DNA

RNA and Transcription Titles (8 pages):

·    Differences Between DNA and RNA

·    RNA: The Big Picture

·    Types of RNA

·    Overview of Transcription

·    Steps to Transcription

·    Transcription: Complete It!

·    RNA Processing and Editing

·    The Genetic Code

Translation and Protein Synthesis Titles (5 pages):

·    Overview of Protein Synthesis

·    Translating the Code

·    Translating the Code 2

·    Mutations

·    Mutations 2

Gene Expression Titles (3 pages):

·    Gene Expression in Prokaryotes

·    Gene Expression in Eukaryotes

·    Cancer

Genetic Engineering Titles (5 pages):

·    Changing the Living World

·    Manipulating DNA

·    Cell Transformation

·    Transgenic Organisms

·    Thinking Critically About Genetic Engineering

These are fantastic for your interactive notebooks.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  I hope you are having a wonderful school year!

Links to products in my TpT Store:
Introduction to Biology Warm Ups
Cell Structure and Physiology Warm Ups
Ecology Warm Ups
Genetics Warm Ups
DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis Warm Ups

Informational Text Reading with Graphic Organizers

Here's a great new free item for your science classroom:  

DNA Informational Text Reading with Graphic Organizers

I teach in a Common Core state, and in a school that is really pushing the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.  We have to show evidence of this implementation in our classroom.  I obviously have to do what is required of me by my admin, but at the same time, I do not want to lose valuable classroom teaching time and get behind on the vast amount of course content that I am also required to teach.

I recently developed this lesson for my students.  In our unit on DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis, I love to tell the history of Watson and Crick and their discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule.  In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick rocked the scientific world with their discovery, and with the publication of their one-page paper in Science magazine describing the DNA molecule.  This one-page paper is a marvelous bit of history, and it is a fascinating read.  It is also a perfect piece of informational text that can be used to teach the Common Core State Standards.

The one-page article can be printed and used in your science classroom.  I developed a 4-page set of graphic organizers to go along with this article.  As students read the article they are required to complete the graphic organizers. You can have your students complete all four organizers (I usually do!) or each graphic organizer can be used alone. The printable lesson is perfect for traditional classroom settings, and the paperless, digital Google Apps version is perfect for distance learning and 1:1 classrooms.

You can, of course, use class time for this activity, but I usually assign this as a homework assignment.  I assign this at the beginning of my unit on DNA, and usually give a week to complete the assignment. The article and the graphic organizers provide great review on the topics I am teaching in class, as well as a lesson in the reading of informational text.  It's a win-win!  (Pssst...This is also a great activity to leave in your sub folder in the event of your unexpected absence from school!)

Here is a look at each of the graphic organizers:

(They look best if printed in color, but print perfectly fine in grayscale.)

This is a free download, and will always remain a free download.  Enjoy!

Related products include:

DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis Complete Unit Plan Bundle

Genetics Complete Unit Plan Bundle

FREE DNA Extraction Lab

What is DNA, and How does It Work? A Free Animation!!

I am delighted to have discovered this FREE animation called "What is DNA and How Does It Work?"

I first ran across this animation on TeachersPayTeachers.com in the store of Jon Perry.  I watched the video and immediately became so excited about it!  Teaching about DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis is a very difficult process for many of our students.  This video presents the information in a very clear, concise and meaningful way.  The animations are cute, but appropriate for all grade levels.  The information is accurate, and explained in terms that can be understood by learners of all ages.  The animation is not overly technical nor overly simplified, but provides just the right mix of information to students who are beginning their study of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis.

The best news is that Jon freely gives away his animation.  It is listed for free in his TpT store, and it also can be viewed on YouTube.

I was so impressed with the video, that I discovered that Jon has a web site called "Stated Clearly"  This information comes from his site:  "Stated Clearly was started by graphic artist Jon Perry in 2011. Since then, videographer Jeremiah Deasey, hip hop artist Anthony Danzl, and biological researcher Varinia Acosta have joined the team to add their skill and expertise."  I was delighted to read on Stated Clearly that the team has big plans for more videos covering all sorts of topics from genetics to evolution.

I encourage you to watch the video and make immediate plans for incorporating it into your instruction on DNA.  To Jon and his team, "GREAT JOB!!"

Jon's web site:  Stated Clearly
Find Jon on Facebook:  Stated Clearly on Facebook
Jon's store on TpT:  Jon Perry - Stated Clearly

Reinforce Protein Synthesis with this Fun Game

Click image to view in my TpT store.

Sometimes when I teach  DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, I feel like the only person in the room that "get's it" is me!    Many of my standard Biology I kids struggle with these concepts.  The whole idea of transcription and translation just leaves them looking like a deer in the headlights!  So I use this little activity to help get the point across.  It is called:

Determining the Traits of a Mystery Organism Through Protein Synthesis

After teaching the basics of protein synthesis, have your students work through this.  Given the DNA sequence of 6 genes, the student will determine the mRNA sequence, followed by the tRNA sequence.  Students will then de-code the codons to see what amino acids are needed to build a particular protein.  I have found that my students understand the concept of protein synthesis much better after doing this activity.  And best of all, they get to color their mystery organism at the end.  It never ceases to amaze me how much high school students still love to color!  This activity is appropriate for grades 7 through 10.

The printable lesson is perfect for traditional classroom settings, and the paperless, digital Google Apps version is perfect for distance learning and 1:1 classrooms. 

Protein Synthesis Made Fun!

Click image to view in my TpT store.

Sometimes when I teach  DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, I feel like the only person in the room that "get's it" is me!    Many of my standard Biology I kids struggle with these concepts.  The whole idea of transcription and translation just leaves them looking like a deer in the headlights!

I developed this activity to help get the point across:

Determining the Traits of a Mystery Organism Through Protein Synthesis

After teaching the basics of protein synthesis, use this activity to ensure that your students understand the concepts involved in transcription and translation.  I have found that my students understand the concept of protein synthesis much better after doing this activity.  And best of all, they get to color their mystery organism at the end.  It never ceases to amaze me how much high school students still love to color!  This activity is appropriate for grades 7 through 10.

The printable lesson is perfect for traditional classroom settings, and the paperless, digital Google Apps version is perfect for distance learning and 1:1 classrooms.