DNA: Expressions in Agriculture

This lesson centers around the activity of extracting DNA from a strawberry while highlighting careers in biotechnology and agriculture.

Grades
6 – 8
TX: Grades 6 – 12
Estimated Time
Two 45-minute sessions
Updated
January 31, 2024
DNA helix
Image: swiftsciencewriting/Pixabay

Background

Lesson Activities

Credits

Author

Debra Spielmaker and Denise Stewardson | Utah Agriculture in the Classroom

Sources

  1. http://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/err162/43667_err162_summary.pdf

Standards

Texas Content Area Standards

  • Investigating Careers: 7/8.127.2.c.1

    The student investigates one or more careers within the 16 career clusters.

    • Investigating Careers: 7/8.1.A: The student is expected to identify the various career opportunities within one or more career clusters.
  • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1

    The student takes one or more career interest surveys, aptitude tests, or career assessments and explores various college and career options. The student is expected to:

    • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1.C: identify various career opportunities within one or more career clusters.
    • Career and College Exploration: 127.2.d.1.D: research and evaluate emerging occupations related to career interest areas.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1

    The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.B: apply competencies related to resources, information, interpersonal skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and systems of operation in agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.C: demonstrate knowledge of personal and occupational safety, environmental regulations, and first-aid policy in the workplace.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.1.E: identify careers in agriculture, food, and natural resources with required aptitudes in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, language arts, and social studies.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4

    The student explains the historical, current, and future significance of the agriculture, food, and natural resources industry. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.B: analyze the scope of agriculture, food, and natural resources and its effect upon society.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.C: evaluate significant historical and current agriculture, food, and natural resources developments.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.E: describe how emerging technologies and globalization impacts agriculture, food, and natural resources.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.F: compare and contrast issues impacting agriculture, food, and natural resources such as biotechnology, employment, safety, environment, and animal welfare issues.
    • Principles, of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.4.D: identify potential future scenarios for agriculture, food, and natural resources systems, including global impacts.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6

    The student demonstrates appropriate personal and communication skills. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.A: demonstrate written and oral communication skills appropriate for formal and informal situations such as prepared and extemporaneous presentations.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.6.B: demonstrate effective listening skills appropriate for formal and informal situations.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7

    The student applies appropriate research methods to agriculture, food, and natural resources topics. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7.B: use a variety of resources for research and development.
    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7.C: describe scientific methods of research.
    • Principles of Agricultures, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.7.A: discuss major research and developments in the fields of agriculture, food, and natural resources.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.11

    The student develops technical knowledge and skills related to plant systems. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.11.C: describe plant reproduction, genetics, and breeding.
  • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.12

    The student develops technical knowledge and skills related to animal systems. The student is expected to:

    • Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources: 130.2.c.12.D: explain animal selection, reproduction, breeding, and genetics.
  • ELA: 6.110.22.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 6.1.B: The student is expected to follow and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps.
    • ELA: 6.1.D: The student is expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members, taking notes, and identifying points of agreement and disagreement.
  • ELA: 7.110.23.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 7.1.B: The student is expected to follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems.
    • ELA: 7.1.D: The student is expected to engage in meaningful discourse and provide and accept constructive feedback from others.
  • ELA: 8.110.24.b.1

    Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking- oral language. The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and discussion.

    • ELA: 8.1.B: The student is expected to follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions, or solve problems.
    • ELA: 8.1.D: The student is expected to participate collaboratively in discussions, plant agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.
  • Science: 6.112.26.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 6.112.26.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations
    • Science: 6.112.26.b.1.D: use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals;
  • Science: 6.112.26.b.2

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 6.112.26.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs.
  • Science: 6.112.26.b.4

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 6.112.26.b.4.C: research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers.
  • Science: 6.112.26.b.5

    Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 6.112.26.b.5.A: identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions;
  • Science: 7.112.27.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 7.112.27.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;
    • Science: 7.112.27.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;
    • Science: 7.112.27.b.1.D: use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals;
  • Science: 7.112.27.b.2

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 7.112.27.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs.
  • Science: 7.112.27.b.4

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 7.112.27.b.4.C: research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers
  • Science: 7.112.27.b.5

    Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 7.112.27.b.5.A: identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions;
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.1

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.A: ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;
    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.B: use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;
    • Science: 8.112.28.b.1.D: use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, weather maps, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals;
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.2

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.2.D: evaluate experimental and engineering designs.
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.4

    Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.4.C: research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers.
  • Science: 8.112.28.b.5

    Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:

    • Science: 8.112.28.b.5.A: identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions;