Food Allergies Unit
What Happens in the Cells of Some People that Causes the Structure and Function of Certain Proteins to Change?
Sensemaking Checklist




Lesson Snapshot
High school students, as scientists, investigate protein differences resulting from changes in the DNA sequence to answer the following driving question: What happens in the cells of some people that causes the structure and function of certain proteins to change? Students interact with images, videos, and simulations to discover that a change in the DNA sequence of a gene can result in changes to the final protein's structure and function to varying degrees. This discovery can help explain what happened to cause some people to have lactose intolerance, and may also help them explain why some people have food allergies.
This is Lesson 5 of the Food Allergies Unit.
Click the Download PDF button above for the complete Lesson Plan.
Materials
Student Materials
Per Student
- Zooming in on Lactase Structure and Function
- Lesson 5 Reading - Mutations that lead to Congenital lactose intolerance
- Effect of Mutations on Proteins Activity Sheet
- Mutations Simulation - Student Link
- Lactase Mutations Investigation Organizer
- Lactase Mutations Investigation or Lactase Mutation Investigation (paper and pencil version)
- Codon Wheel and Chart
- Amino Acids Chart
- A computer to work with the simulation and modeling investigations
Teacher Materials
- Several pieces of chart paper and chart markers or another space to record student ideas publicly
- Zooming in on Lactase Structure and Function
- DNA Replication
- DNA Mutations
- Mutations Simulation - Teacher Link
- Lactase Mutations Investigation Organizer KEY
- Lactase Mutations Investigation KEY
- Lesson 5 Slides
Optional Teacher Resources
- Colorado State University: Lactose Intolerance (Lactase Non-Persistence)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Lactase Persistence: Evidence for Selection