Name: ______________________________ Rating: ___________________

Grade Level & Section: _________________ Date Performed: ____________

Activity 3.2
“What’s the Message?”

Objectives:
1. Make a model to show how the order of bases in DNA determines the order of bases in mRNA.
2. Infer why the structure of DNA enables it to be easily copied.
Materials:
• crayons
• scissors
• paste/tape
• 1/4 size illustration board or long size folder

Procedure:
1. Use the patterns of the components of the DNA provided by your teacher. Color code phosphate = blue,
deoxyribose sugar = green and nitrogenous bases as follows: adenine = yellow, thymine = pink, guanine =
violet and cytosine = red.
2. Cut out the shapes of each nucleotide.
3. Build a model of a strand of a DNA molecule. The strand should contain 6 base “rungs” following the given
order of the nucleotides below.
Guanine
Adenine
Cytosine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
4. Fasten your molecule together using a clear tape. Do not tape across base pairs.
5. Step 1, use the patterns of the components of the RNA provided by your teacher. Color code phosphate =
blue, ribose sugar = brown and nitrogenous bases as follows: adenine = yellow, uracil = orange, guanine =
violet and cytosine = red.
6. Cut out the shapes of each nucleotide.
7. With your DNA model in front of you, demonstrate the process of transcription by first pulling the DNA model
apart between the base pairs.
8. Using the right strand of the DNA model in step 3, begin matching complementary RNA nucleotides with the
exposed bases on the DNA model to make mRNA.
9. Tape the RNA nucleotides.
10. When you are finished, tape your new mRNA molecule together.

Guide Questions:
Q1. Does the mRNA model more closely resemble the DNA strand from which it was transcribed?

Q2. Explain how the structure of DNA enables the molecule to be easily transcribed. Why is this important for
genetic information?

Q3. Why is RNA important to the cell?

Q4. How does a mRNA molecule carry information from DNA?