DNA barcoding: Secondary unit

An Acknowledgement of Country is a statement that pays respect to the Traditional Custodians of the Country that you are learning or meeting on and recognises their ongoing relationship with Country. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the Custodians of the land on which the Museum stands.

Which First Nations Country or Nation was your school built upon? If you are unsure contact a local First Nations organisation to find out. You might like to start with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.

Ask your students to write an Acknowledgement of Country for your school. To get them started, read more about why an Acknowledgement of Country is important and how to write one in this ABC article.

Function of DNA

Objective: Students will learn that DNA contains instructions for building proteins, which determine traits and functions in living organisms.

Activity 1: Class discussion

Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is the building block of life. It stores all the information in our body to help us function.

Guiding Questions:

• What kind of information is stored in DNA?
• Does everything have DNA?
• How does DNA help build proteins?
• Why are proteins important for our bodies?
• What does DNA look like?

In small groups, come up with an analogy for DNA. e.g. DNA is like a recipe book

Structure of DNA

Objective: Students will understand the basic structure of DNA and how its shape helps it do its job.

Activity 2: Model your own DNA

1. Introduce the double helix structure with a short video or diagram.
2. Hands-On Task: Students build a DNA model using coloured beads, pipe cleaners, or paper cutouts. Each colour represents a base (A, T, C, G).
3. Students label the backbone, base pairs, and explain why A pairs with T and C with G.

Materials:

• Craft supplies or printable templates
• DNA structure diagram
• Instruction sheet

Guiding Questions:

• What are the building blocks of DNA?
• Why do A and T always pair together? What about C and G?
• What is the double helix and why is it important?
• How does the structure of DNA help it copy itself?

Guiding questions

• What are the eight levels of taxonomy?
• Think of your favourite animal. Write down the name of its taxonomic group at each level of classification (for example, domain = eukarya, kingdom = animalia etc.). What features does it have with other organisms in each of these groups?
• What gene do scientists look at when they do DNA barcoding in animals? Can you think of two ways DNA barcoding can be used to answer a biological question?

Guiding questions

• You are to measure 0.4 mL of a solution with a pipette. How many microlitres is this?
• What are three ways you might contaminate a DNA sample in the laboratory? Describe how good laboratory practice could reduce the chance of this happening to you.

Guiding questions

• What is the name of the DNA structures inside the nucleus of a cell? Which organelle in animal cells also contains DNA? What is the main function of this organelle?
• What forms the outer border of an animal cell? Research a little further to describe how this is different to a plant cell.
• Name three of the unlabelled structures in the cell diagram in the video. What is the function of each of them?
• List the three main stages in a DNA extraction.

Guiding questions

Are the following statements about agarose gel electrophoresis TRUE or FALSE?

– It separates pieces of DNA based on their shape.
– Long pieces of DNA migrate through an agarose gel faster than short pieces.
– DNA has a negative charge and moves towards the positively charged terminal.
– A dye in the agarose gel binds to DNA as it moves through the gel. This is illuminated by blue or ultraviolet light.

Guiding questions

• What is the sequence of events that occur in this reaction?
• How does a sequencing machine produce a DNA sequence trace?

Visit and explore our exhibitions which showcase the history and heritage of Australia and around the world. In Wild Planet you will come face to face with nature's giants: an elephant, a rhinosceros, a giraffe, a lion, a tiger and a bear. In Wild Planet there’s more to do than look. Learn how the Museum is helping to preserve Australia’s biodiversity, and explore the tree of life in our fascinating interactive.

We have also a range of free learning resources to support your visit, which you can access below.

This 1-hour program is designed for Stage 5 Science. In this hands-on workshop, students will explore how genetic information is transferred in DNA and watch how it can be extracted for genetic analysis. Students will also learn about the important research conducted in the Australian Museum Research Institute and will complete their own investigation to determine how DNA can be used to compare and identify species.

This 1.5- hour long program is designed for Stage 5 Science. Students will use gel electrophoresis to visually examine extracted DNA, applying genetic and phenotypic analysis to formulate hypotheses and identify an unknown bird species.

Access an audio guide of the Wild Planet gallery at the Australian Museum website here.

Understanding DNA & Genetics

1. What did you learn about how DNA is structured and how it functions?
   
2. How does DNA help scientists identify different species?
   
3. Why is it important for scientists to understand genetic information when studying biodiversity?
   
4. What tools or techniques did you use in the genetics experiment, and why are they important in real-world science?
   
5. How did your group work together to solve a scientific question during the workshop?
   
6. How do you think genetic research can help protect endangered species?
   
7. What are some ethical questions scientists might face when using genetic information?
   

In small groups research a current genetic technology.

1. Select your genetic technology:

• Gene therapy
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• Epigenetics

2. Research questions

• How does the technology work?
  Describe the basic science behind it.
• What is it used for?
  Identify current or potential applications in medicine, agriculture, or industry.
• What are the benefits and risks?
  Consider both scientific and societal perspectives.
• What ethical issues are involved?
  Discuss any concerns or debates surrounding its use.
• How is the technology regulated in Australia or globally?

3. Presentation:

• Design a poster, infographic or PowerPoint presentation
• Deliver a 3–5 minute oral presentation