Looking for a quick and fun project to go with a unit or lesson on DNA? Create a DNA model with your students with candy! This activity works well with a student who is is around age 7 and up. You can make the model with either candy (as shown below) or clay if using candy is not your style.
Video
I have two videos listed below. The first video I recommend for ages 5th grade and under. We are a big fan of the Dr. Binoc show. In this easy to understand video, Dr. Binoc talks about the basics of DNA.
For students who are in middle school, I recommend this video instead: https://youtu.be/6rv5Z8EBXwY
DNA Model – Helix Project
After watching this short video, your student can then construct their own DNA model using candy or clay! My kids love edible models, so we typically will use candy or other food to create one. For this model, the supplies are simple:
- Twizzlers or other rope candy
- Toothpicks
- Jelly Beans in four colors (bigger jellybeans will work better than small ones)
To complete the project, attach a jellybean to each side of a toothpick. Then, you can attach the Twizzlers to each end as shown. Once the model is made, have student see if they can twist it to look like a true DNA strand.
Each jelly bean will represent one of the four bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) or thymine (T). Your student can practice making different combinations of DNA and also (if you have older students) making sure that the bonds of the DNA are correct. The two nucleotide strands should be connected with base pairs: G-C and A-T. You can let the students know that the toothpick represents the hydrogen bond holding the two bases together.
Picture of our completed DNA Model:
We hope you’ll try this model at home! Hands on and visual activities are our favorites! If you’re looking to continue studying the human body, check out our modeling project on human cells. This is another candy model, so you may want to space these out over a week or two!