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The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Practical Proteins lesson (2 of 4)

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Practical Proteins:

The Protein Code

(2 of 4)

An 8th grade STEM lesson

Mollie Grove

1/5/2024

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Notes for teachers

Context: This lesson takes place in a classroom for one 50-60 minute class period.
This lesson follows lesson 1, in which students build a prototype of a protein that successfully serves a function.
Students should work in the same groups as in lesson 1.
An emphasis on creating a physical example of the code to build the protein.

List of Materials

For each pair

Protein Worksheet (from lesson 1)
Decoding worksheet

Make kits for each table.

red pony beads
blue pony beads
yellow pony beads
green pony beads
black or clear or white pony bead (Each team will only need 2 of these)
string

Alternative to beads: Protein Strips sheet

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Example of a protein next to the beaded code

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AZ Science Standards

8.L3U1.9 Construct an explanation of how genetic variations occur in offspring through the inheritance of traits or through mutations.

Science and Engineering Practices

ask questions and define problems
develop and use models
plan and carry out investigations
analyze and interpret data
use mathematical and computational thinking
construct explanations and design solutions
engage in argument from evidence
obtain, evaluate and communicate information

Mathematical Practices

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

AZ Technology Standards

6-8.4.c. Students engage in a design process to develop, test, and revise prototypes, embrace the iterative process of trial and error, and understand setbacks as potential opportunities for improvement.

6-8.4.d. Students demonstrate an ability to persevere and handle greater ambiguity as they work to solve open-ended problems.

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Objective(s):

Today we will be able to explain how DNA uses a 3-part code as instructions for building proteins.
Today we will generate the code for building our protein designs.
Today we will create the code to build our protein.
Today decode a protein, using another team’s code.

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Agenda (60 Minutes)

Read the Monster Manual.
Create a set of instructions for building a protein.
Decipher another team’s protein instructions.

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How many different parts do we need to build all of the proteins in a human? Explain your answer.

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Read: How to Build a Monster

(Moeller, 2011)

How to Build a Monster | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu)

By Karla Moeller

Illustrated by Sabine Deviche

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

With your partner, create a beaded string with the instructions to build your protein.
Use the code to the right to create your instructions.

Use either this slide or the next one. This one has is more simple, and the other one has a bit more ambiguity in the code. However, the more complex one on the next slide is the code that will be used in lesson 3.

Group students in the same groups used in lesson 1.

Give teams a set amount of time to build (this should probably take about 10 minutes).
Give each table or each group a set of pony beads and a string (12-15 inches in length).
Have each group place one black bead at the end of the sting and then tie a knot around it.
Each team should use the Protein Part code to create a beaded set of instructions for their protein assembly. (alternatively, you can use the next slide with the full protein code, if your students can handle the ambiguity of having more than one possibility for each part.

Alternatively, you can have students generate their code using the Protein Strips sheet to color it in. you can make either one per team or one per person so they can put them in their notebooks.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

With your partner, create a beaded string with the instructions to build your protein.
Use the code to the right to create your instructions.

Use either this slide or the previous one. This one has a bit more ambiguity in the code, and the other is more simple. However, this is the code that will be used in lesson 3.

Group students in the same groups used in lesson 1.

Give teams a set amount of time to build (this should probably take about 10 minutes).
Give each table or each group a set of pony beads and a string (12-15 inches in length).
Have each group place one black bead at the end of the sting and then tie a knot around it.
Each team should use the Protein Part code to create a beaded set of instructions for their protein assembly. (alternatively, you can use the previous slide with the limited protein code, if your students will struggle with the ambiguity of having more than one possibility for each part.

Alternatively, you can have students generate their code using the Protein Strips sheet to color it in. you can make either one per team or one per person so they can put them in their notebooks.

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Decode a Protein

Use the Protein Part code to decode the protein you were given.
Record each of the parts needed.
Sketch a diagram of the protein.

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Assessment

The beaded string of instructions accurately code for the protein parts in the order they are constructed.
Students are able to “read” the instructions of another team, and accurately list the order of the parts needed to build the protein.
Students can explain how having a 3-part code for each part allows for a larger set of possible parts, while still only using 4 colors.

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Differentiation

Use the simpler Protein Part code.
Use the pre-printed example worksheet (page 2 of the decoding proteins worksheet.)

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students build a monster using the Monster game:

You can find the instructions here: Monster Maker Game - Instructions | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu)
They can play online here: Monster Maker Game - Play | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu)
Or you can generate worksheets here: Monster Maker Game - Worksheet Generator | Ask A Biologist (asu.edu )

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Sources

Moeller, Karla. (2011, September 12). How to Build a Monster. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved January 5, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/build-monster