Who Did
What?
Overview:
The
major focus of the first trimester is the study of DNA. To understand
the
structure and function of DNA is not a complete view of the science of
molecular genetics. To appreciate the work that was involved in
the
original discoveries, gives one a sense of the personal side of
science.
As a magnet science and technology high school, it is our duty to you
to
provide you with a feeling of the realities of the lives of
scientists.
Hopefully, someday our future teachers will be teaching about your
lives
as scientists!
A
unique film will be viewed this year to explore the history of the
discovery
of DNA. The film is Race for the Double Helix (a.k.a. Life
Story)and
stars Jeff Goldblum. Make sure you attend class during its
showing
as it is very difficult to find elsewhere.
It
is the story of the diligent research, creative analysis, and
perseverance
of James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin
that
led to the discovery of the structure of DNA. In the viewing of
the
film do not simply focus on Watson and Crick... you should focus on the
other people who helped to bring us to the understanding of the
significance
of DNA.
Assignment
Details:
CONCEPT:
- James
Dewey Watson, Ph. D. received a Nobel
Prize in 1962 for his work in the early 1950s that affects your
life
every day. A few years later, he wrote The
Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of
DNAto
describe his point of view of the events.
- I
will distriubte this book in class on September 30th/October 1st.
This paperback is now out of print however I am sure there are a
jillion
used copies out there and of course in local libraries. The Amazon.com
and Barnes&Noble.com
prices were $6.29 plus shipping. It is less than 150 pages and reads
quite
fast. While you are reading this book, print out this website
to gather 163 terms that you may find on the SAT!!
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NOTE:
I have about 10 copies of the OLD edition left from last year and have
40 copies of a more expensive edition from Barnes and Noble. If
you wish to have your own copy so that
you can highlight or underline sections of the book, then I will sell
you
a copy of the old edition for $6. If you borrow a copy of either
the old or new editions from me and you highlight or otherwise deface
the
textbook, then you will be charged $6 (old) or $10 (new) for a
replacement
at the end of the trimester. I will not sell any of the new
editions
until all of the old editions are sold. If all old editions are
sold,
then new editions will be sold for $10.
The new
edition is: The Double Helix : A Personal Account of the Discovery
of the Structure of DNA, edited by Gunter Stent, published by Norton,
W.
W. & Company, Inc. in 1980. ISBN 0393950751. It retails
in the $12-15 range. (amazon.com
or barnesandnoble.com)
Although
the new edition contains extra essays and articles, the first section
(pg.
1-136) is identical to the text of our OLD edition and will be the only
material involved with this project.
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Your
task is to determine the relative contributions to the discovery of the
structure of DNA by Watson and his colleagues.
Along the way you will learn the structure of DNA which is a
requirement
of this course and will be assessed later in the trimester. (see the
Mol Gen Crossword Puzzle
and the PPAO) So this
project provides
a foundation for subsequent activities in Cell Biology.
Along
with Watson's book, two other valuable resources will be available:
- In
class we will view the film Race for the Double Helix (a.k.a. Life
Story) starring
Jeff Goldblum as James Watson. You should check to make sure you attend
class during the showing of this film as it is extremely
difficult
to find.
- In
your classroom, the multimedia program Life Story produced by WINGS
for Learning and Apple Computer is available on all
computers.
This program is linked to the film, and allows you, the student, to
explore
the topic in greater depth in any order. Short Quicktime videos
from the film can be viewed in addition to a huge bank of information
about
the science and the scientists who worked so diligently in the early
1950s
to discovery DNA structure. YOU MUST obtain a Mac CD from me to
view
this program in room 14 only.
FORMAT:
This
paper should be divided into sections that deal with each individual.
This
makes the paper much easier to grade and ENHANCES the probability of
maximum
credit for your work. Photographs
(of
people as well as photographs of other "things") and drawings should be
included to enhance your report. Each graphic must be labelled as
a Figure and include a short sentence describing the graphic. ALL
graphics
must be referred to in the text of your paper.... if not... the graphic
will be ignored. A maximum of 7 pages should be used to create your
paper including
your reference list. The document should be written using the Cell
Bio formatting rules. Any paper longer than SEVEN pages will be
subject
to the Heather Rule. All
references
for information, drawings or photographs should be included in your
References
section. If you use the internet, please make sure the URL works
correctly.
COURSE
VALUE and DUE DATES:
This
assignment has a value of 12% of your final grade. This
paper
is due as listed on the Assignment
Values
and Due Dates Webpage.
*References:
Life Story by Wings for Learning, Scotts Valley, CA 1993
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