Lesson Plan: DNA as the Genetic Material Biology
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to summarize the evidence, based on scientific investigations, that shows that DNA is the genetic material of cells.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- outline evidence for DNA being the genetic material in living organisms, including bacterial transformation and the quantity of DNA in body (somatic) cells compared to sex cells (gametes),
- summarize the experiments carried out by Griffith, Avery, and Hershey and Chase and their conclusions.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the basic structure of DNA,
- the fact that DNA is inherited from parent to offspring.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- details of bacterial cell structure,
- details of DNA/RNA structure.