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I extracted DNA from a banana today with my ds.


Catherine
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I love homeschooling!! It is SO much fun or me to do these kinds of things at home with him.

 

I am also very happy that I happened on a demonstration that was well-thought out and used easily located ingredients. So often my "experiments" don't work and that's discouraging.

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I love homeschooling!! It is SO much fun or me to do these kinds of things at home with him.

 

I am also very happy that I happened on a demonstration that was well-thought out and used easily located ingredients. So often my "experiments" don't work and that's discouraging.

 

Isn't that a fun one? Strawberries work great for this too.

 

Who'd've thought that such a cool experiment could be so straightforward and need no special equipment? That one really makes me feel like I did "science" (much more than making polymer goo with glue and laundry starch...)

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To post that & not include a link is just mean!:tongue_smilie:

 

Don't know what she used, but I used the instructions at this link.

 

Watch the video - the instructions are a bit different, more explicit and easier to follow than the print instructions at the same site. Also, watching her made it easier for me to do the demonstration with flair with a bunch of kids.

 

Wait... that's the link I used, but where's the video??

Edited by matroyshka
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Don't know what she used, but I used the instructions at this link.

 

Watch the video - the instructions are a bit different, more explicit and easier to follow than the print instructions at the same site. Also, watching her made it easier for me to do the demonstration with flair with a bunch of kids.

 

Wait... that's the link I used, but where's the video??

 

when I click on your link it takes me to google maps :confused:

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:hurray: for the experiment, but the link sent me to Google maps!

 

Whoops! My Firefox has a bug that if I open too many tabs it stops putting the current link in the address window - and my kids were distracting me and I didn't notice it was the wrong one! :tongue_smilie:

 

I fixed the link. :)

 

But the video is still AWOL. :glare:

 

The printed instructions are still there, though.

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I have not tried this, but here is a link that describes banana DNA extraction, and it seems very straightforward: http://biology.about.com/od/biologylabhowtos/ht/dnafromabanana.htm

 

As for the "science" involved in making oobleck, I understand where you are coming from. Mixing up different goos can seem no different from opening a jar of play-doh! ;) But a few years ago, when we were doing a similar science demo, my chemist bil got very excited that I was doing that with my kids, and he told me to explain to them things like: polymers in real life can range from slippery nylons to bouncy balls to solid skateboards; polymers are often like huge, long chains of paperclips that can swivel on themselves, and that layers of them slide around over and under each other the same way paperclip chains would; etc. It made me realize that I need to be sure to give some scientific explanation to demos we do, especially when they are things that don't immediately look like science. I've never looked at oobleck the same way since... That being said, my kids still enjoy those projects primarily for the playtime and mess involved, but I am hoping they get a little science at the same time.

 

Thanks for posting about the banana - we have never extracted DNA, but we are going to try this today!!

 

Shelly

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Aha aha aha!!!

 

I found the video. It was bugging me! Apparently the link I had bookmarked is not the same one I used the instructions from. :confused:

 

At any rate, the link above is the right site with the video (I promise it's not google maps again :tongue_smilie:) - I find it much easier to follow a video for something like this than the printed instructions! i love how cheerily she mashes the strawberries (no blender needed!)

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Aha aha aha!!!

 

I found the video. It was bugging me! Apparently the link I had bookmarked is not the same one I used the instructions from. :confused:

 

At any rate, the link above is the right site with the video (I promise it's not google maps again :tongue_smilie:) - I find it much easier to follow a video for something like this than the printed instructions! i love how cheerily she mashes the strawberries (no blender needed!)

Thank you!

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