Year 6 continued their work on inheritance, evolution and Darwin by exploring what DNA is, how it helps decide what type of person we will be and how genetic engineering and selective breeding have affected living things around us.
We studied selective breeding in dogs, looking at how species have been selectively bred to create new species.
We then studied DNA. We decided that the best way to explain what DNA is is to imagine it as an instruction manual full of individual instructions. Each of these instructions on their own is called a gene. All of these instructions work together to tell cells how to form, which then forms who we are. To study DNA for ourselves, we used a dish soap, salt and water solution, along with extremely cold surgical solution, to extract the DNA from a strawberry.
As part of our research into DNA and genetic modification, we studied the physical and behavioural traits of different dinosaurs. We then took on the role of Head of Genetic Engineering at Jurassic Park. We studied dinosaurs, chose traits we liked most, and combined the DNA of two dinosaurs to create a new species.
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