Celebrate DNA Day!
April 25, 2023

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Two bundles of bananas and words saying "Did you know? You share 41% of  your DNA with a banana?"

Celebrate DNA Day! Explore these resources:

  • As a part of Illumina’s The Future is Bright Campaign celebrating DNA Day, Million Girls Moonshot is partnering to provide a number of resources for programs to celebrate DNA day! Featured opportunities include a Virtual Lab Simulation; a Virtual Field trip; and DNA Decoded, ready to go, lessons and activities for educators!
  • Resource Library: 23 and Me Educator Resources – Find a list of picture books on DNA and more information about the 23andMe Education Program, which is designed to support and advanced genetics education. By joining the community, educators and students will receive important updates from the 23andMe Education team about new educational resources, events, programs, and opportunities to engage with 23andMe. 
  • Lesson Plan: Teach Engineering Lesson Plan: DNA – In this lesson for grades 5-7 students work through an example showing how DNA provides the “recipe” for making human body proteins. They see how the pattern of nucleotide bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine) forms the double helix ladder shape of DNA and serves as the code for the steps required to make genes. Students extend their knowledge by conducting the associated activities to learn ways that engineers and scientists are applying their understanding of DNA in our world.
  • Coding Resources: Boston College Bioengineering Curriculum Resources - CRISPEE is a tangible tool for young children ages 5-8 to explore the metaphor of a coding language for living organisms. Through developmentally appropriate tools and curriculum resources, children can explore concepts from bioengineering and gene editing. Access free resources from the NSF-funded CRISPEE project on this page.