DNA for Dinner Lesson 1: Dare to Be Different

What You Will Need

Examples of whole plant foods, such as carrots with tops, green onions, lettuce, radishes, and sprouts for participants to observe.
Cookbook or recipes.

Discussion with Participants

Have participants review their lists of fruit and vegetable characteristics and come up with some general conclusions about the foods we eat and their relationship with each other. Follow their lines of thinking and compare their different thoughts or views. The goal is to have participants use the new terms introduced and to come to conclusions about the concepts introduced. If needed, use the targeted questions below to stimulate discussion and bring out the important points of the lesson. Give participants time to discuss each question.

Describe the differences you see in the various characteristics of the fruits and vegetables we have.
Explain why some fruits and vegetables have the same shape or color but are not related.
Explain how you think the different characteristics of the various fruits and vegetables are related to their genes.
Explain what differences you have seen in various kinds of pets. What kinds of similarities have you seen in all dogs? All cats? What differences?
How do you think the similarities and differences of the various kinds of pets and their characteristics are related to their genes?
Look at the person sitting next to you. How do you think their physical features are related to their genes?

All fruits and vegetables that you saw are produced on plants or trees. Can you describe how different the plants or trees are that they grew on. Look at how different a carrot plant is from a green onion or lettuce. This variation is known as diversity. Different kinds of apples – Granny Smith, Delicious, Fuji – are members of the same family, just like your brothers and sisters, but they still have differences in taste, color and size, indicating they have differences in their genes.

Tell me what you think it is about an apple tree that makes it produce apples and not tomatoes?
Why do you think a tomato plant is smaller than a tree?
Explain why cutting an onion makes you cry. Does the same thing happen when you cut a tomato?

Every organism has genetic information that dictates its characteristics – its height, its weight, its color, its smell – and it is all contained in discrete packets called genes. Genes are like recipes in a recipe box or a cookbook. In organisms, the cookbook full of recipes are called genes and you can tell how closely related two organisms are by how similar their genes are.

Next: Dessert



		Final Course What You Will Need Examples of whole plant foods, such as carrots with tops, green onions, lettuce, radishes, and sprouts for participants to observe. Cookbook or recipes. Discussion with Participants Have participants review their lists of fruit and vegetable characteristics and come up with some general conclusions about the foods we eat and their relationship with each other. Follow their lines of thinking and compare their different thoughts or views. The goal is to have participants use the new terms introduced and to come to conclusions about the concepts introduced. If needed, use the targeted questions below to stimulate discussion and bring out the important points of the lesson. Give participants time to discuss each question. Describe the differences you see in the various characteristics of the fruits and vegetables we have. Explain why some fruits and vegetables have the same shape or color but are not related. Explain how you think the different characteristics of the various fruits and vegetables are related to their genes. Explain what differences you have seen in various kinds of pets. What kinds of similarities have you seen in all dogs? All cats? What differences? How do you think the similarities and differences of the various kinds of pets and their characteristics are related to their genes? Look at the person sitting next to you. How do you think their physical features are related to their genes? All fruits and vegetables that you saw are produced on plants or trees. Can you describe how different the plants or trees are that they grew on. Look at how different a carrot plant is from a green onion or lettuce. This variation is known as diversity. Different kinds of apples – Granny Smith, Delicious, Fuji – are members of the same family, just like your brothers and sisters, but they still have differences in taste, color and size, indicating they have differences in their genes. Tell me what you think it is about an apple tree that makes it produce apples and not tomatoes? Why do you think a tomato plant is smaller than a tree? Explain why cutting an onion makes you cry. Does the same thing happen when you cut a tomato? Every organism has genetic information that dictates its characteristics – its height, its weight, its color, its smell – and it is all contained in discrete packets called genes. Genes are like recipes in a recipe box or a cookbook. In organisms, the cookbook full of recipes are called genes and you can tell how closely related two organisms are by how similar their genes are. Next: Dessert
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