Help your students learn what DNA is and where it is found. They hear about DNA in the news and may associate it with very high-tech science. However, DNA occurs in the cells of all living things and its extraction is the first step in many laboratory procedures. Students may be surprised to know that they eat about 93,205 miles of DNA in an average meal. Students will:

• Learn basic cell components.
• Demonstrate how DNA is structured.
• Work with the 4-letter DNA alphabet.
• Associate DNA, genes, and inherited traits.
• Extract DNA from a common food such as banana or kiwi.
• Explore the past and current uses of biotechnology in agriculture.

Materials Available: Extension Youth Development Educator is available to give a classroom presentation and assist the students in the laboratory exercise of extracting DNA. The activity can be done in a typical classroom setting. Supplies for extraction are furnished. Teacher's manual gives activities for classroom lessons in advance of extraction or after.

Duration: Presentation and extraction activity take 50-60 minutes. Choose from over 15 additional activities to meet your needs or timeframe.

Illinois Learning Standards: Science: 11A – Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry. 12A – Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change. 12B – Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment. 13A – Know and apply the accepted practices of science. 13B – Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology and society. Mathematics: 7A – Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instruments and methods. 10B – Formulate questions, design data collection methods, gather and analyze data and communicate findings.