The stories in your DNA
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "An open book."
Educator Guide: An Open Book
Science News reporter Tina Hesman Saey had a lot of info to make sense of after getting her DNA tested by eight different companies.
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About this guide
The article “An open book” discusses the different types of personalized genetic testing and focuses on the medical information that can or cannot be learned from such testing. Students can focus on information reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about analyzing genomes, including the human genome, and pursue cross-curricular connections in biological and chemical sciences, as well as engineering and experimental design. In a related forensics activity, students can work individually or in small groups to interpret simulated DNA data from different people.
This Guide Includes:
The human genome reviewed
Students will explore and compare articles about genomes in general, and the human genome in particular.
All about genes
These discussion prompts examine student knowledge of DNA and genes, and then explore DNA sequencing and gene therapy.
DNA fingerprinting
In this activity, students will analyze simulated DNA data from different people to understand how such data can be interpreted and applied.