Escape the Cell!
Use each of these activities separately to show transcription, translation, and protein folding/excretion or use them all together as an Escape the Cell challenge!
Try with your students...
Solve the DNA Puzzle to Make RNA
Materials
Classroom Materials
- Markers, in four colors
- Scissors
Store Items
- Foam core
- Felt, in four colors
- Velcro dots (need hook side only)
Color Printed Items
- DNA –> RNA decoder (see downloadables), one per transcription station
- Nucleus sign (see downloadables), one per transcription station
Procedure
- Hand each student a blank MESSAGE BOARD.
- Have students work at a nucleus station to perform the transcription exercise using a SEQUENCE BOARD and the DNA –> RNA decoder by placing an appropriately colored felt onto each velcro dot on their MESSAGE BOARD.
- Once their MESSAGE BOARD is complete, students leave the SEQUENCE BOARD in the nucleus transcription station and escort their MESSAGE BOARD into the cytoplasm
From here students can continue toward Escaping the Cell by doing the Translation exercise, or you can talk about transcription editing and damage repair, introduce students to the nuclear pore complex, or discuss other roles for RNA in the cell (RNAi, siRNA, etc.).
Fold Properly and Escape the Cell
Materials
- Prepared “amino acid sequence” aka a set of colored beads on a pipe cleaner that correspond to the sequence of a particular protein in the activity (from the Translation Activity or pre-prepared specifically for this activity)
- (optional) 3D examples of each folded protein (requires a few additional pipe cleaners and beads)
Color Printed Items
- Golgi Apparatus sign
- Information sign for each protein being folded
- Pictures of the folded shape (if not providing your own 3D examples)
- (optional) Printed stickers or certificates for completion of the Escape the Cell challenge
Procedure
- Students bring their prepared peptide/protein sequence (aka beads on a pipe cleaner) to the Golgi apparatus for sequence recognition and folding instruction
- Students fold their pipe cleaner protein according to the model
- Students cross the finish line/cell membrane with their final secreted, folded, accurate protein as mastery of the Escape the Cell challenge
Further discussion can include exploration of protein folding diseases and other protein functions in the cytoplasm, membranes, organelles, etc.
This could also be an opportunity to talk about the difference between mutations to DNA and effects to protein form and function.
If you had one mis-colored or missed bead on your amino acid sequence, could you still properly identify the protein shape you needed to fold? Could this happen in your cells too? What might be the effects?
Cracking the Code to Make Protein
Materials
MESSAGE BOARD
- Students can use their MESSAGE BOARD from the Transcription Activity or you can prepare a color-coded sequence specific for this exercise if needed
Store Items
- Pipe cleaners, any color(s)
- Pony beads, in 8+ colors (our print materials use white, green, blue, black, purple, red, orange, and yellow)
Color Printed Items
- RNA –> protein decoder (see downloadables)
