Breakfast Proteins

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In this activity, learners construct a cereal chain as a model of how proteins are made in the cell. Learners build their chain off of an initial template which represents a single copy of DNA and hand-written notes, replicating the process of transcription and translation. In this model, the letters of the chain correspond to the colors of the cereal (not the amino acids).

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per student
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 18
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • Fruit flavored, donut-shaped cereal (ie. Froot Loops, Fruity Cheerios)
  • String or chenille stem
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Paper

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Cells
      • Cell Structure and Function
      • Cell Division
    • Heredity and Genetics
      • DNA Structure and Function

Informal Categories

  • Food and Cooking

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • read
  • be mobile
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Yu, Julie

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Exploratorium, 2009

Funding Sources:

  • National Science Foundation, 0610238
  • National Science Foundation, 0925383