| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: |
Date: 25/02/2026 |
| Subject: Biology |
| Lesson Topic: outline the benefits of using databases that provide information about nucleotide sequences of genes and genomes, and amino acid sequences of proteins and protein structures |
Learning Objective/s:
- Describe key benefits of nucleotide‑sequence databases for gene identification, primer design, and variant analysis.
- Explain how protein‑sequence and structure databases support functional inference, drug design, and protein engineering.
- Compare analytical tools used for DNA/RNA versus protein data (e.g., BLAST vs BLASTp, ClustalW vs PyMOL).
- Apply database searches to retrieve a gene sequence and a protein structure and interpret the results.
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Materials Needed:
- Computer lab with internet access
- Projector and screen
- Worksheet with guided activity prompts
- Access to NCBI GenBank, UniProt, and PDB websites
- Free molecular‑visualisation software (e.g., PyMOL or UCSF Chimera)
- Primer‑design tool (Primer‑3) or online equivalent
- Handout summarising database features
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Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: how many students have ever looked up a gene or protein online? Remind them that modern biology relies on digital repositories that store curated sequence information. Explain that today they will explore why these databases are essential and how to use them, with success measured by completing a mini‑research task.
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Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5') – Students list examples of sequence databases they know (e.g., GenBank, UniProt, PDB) and share briefly.
- Mini‑lecture (10') – Overview of benefits of nucleotide‑sequence and protein‑structure databases, using the comparative table as visual aid.
- Guided Activity 1 (15') – In pairs, retrieve the lacZ gene from GenBank and design PCR primers with Primer‑3; record primer sequences.
- Guided Activity 2 (15') – Search UniProt for human hemoglobin β‑chain, identify conserved residues, then download PDB entry 1A3N and visualise the α‑helical structure in PyMOL.
- Group discussion (10') – Compare findings, discuss how database information speeds research and informs experimental design.
- Check for understanding (5') – Quick quiz (Kahoot or paper) with three questions on benefits and tools; collect responses.
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Conclusion:
Summarise that sequence databases accelerate discovery, enable precise experimental planning, and bridge genotype to phenotype. Ask students to write one key benefit they will remember on a sticky note as an exit ticket. For homework, assign a brief report describing how they would use a database to investigate a gene of personal interest.
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