From an early age my children loved to take things apart and rebuild them. From Lincoln Logs to LEGO bricks, kids the world over share this fascination with how things are built!
Isn’t it amazing then, that in today’s world, we have the capability to take a peek at the tiny structure that builds our human bodies: DNA! This DNA activity for kids does this and so much more.
Teaching Children About DNA
One aspect of DNA that immediately draws kids’ attention is that familiar spiraling structure. It’s simply beautiful to look at, isn’t it!? Kids will be captivated to learn that DNA is made up of only four building blocks. Challenge them to make something with only 4 types of LEGO bricks to see how awesome it is that from so few pieces can come the immense variety of human attibutes we see around us!
Another fun fact to share with your kids is that humans share 99.9% of their DNA with everyone else! So, just a teensy tiny part of our DNA is what makes each of us as unique as snowflakes! Show kids one hundred pennies next to a dollar, and demonstrate how just one penny is larger, percentage-wise, than the amount of DNA that makes us, US!
As tiny as DNA is, it is also quite L-O-O-O-O-n-g! All your DNA molecules lined up could travel from Earth to the Sun and back over 600 times! Since the Sun is 92 million miles away, have your kids do some math to see how many miles long their DNA is!
See how fun it is to consider something so incredibly small? (Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-dna-facts-608188)
So DNA can be a really fun science topic. But it’s also a valuable topic of study as well. After all, DNA determines what traits and characteristics kids will inherit from their parents. The study of DNA gives students a better understanding of how they are made.
It’s my hope as a parent that introducing my children to the facts of DNA will draw their minds and hearts to consider the intricate beauty of creation.
Hands-On DNA Activity For Kids
Of course, it can be difficult for children to contemplate a thing as small as DNA. That’s where a science art lesson can help.
In our homeschool we love to make learning visual, especially in the sciences. So much of science is “unseen” by the naked eye, so bringing microscopic beauty to life on the page creates wonder for our young students.
The DNA Diagram video art lesson from Nana gives you the jump start to spark your child’s interest in this still mysterious and relatively “new” scientific discovery.
What’s Covered In This DNA Lesson
A few facets of this lesson especially appealed to me for my older students (younger students will benefit too! That is the beauty of these lessons – they cover all the bases for a wide age-range!). One is that Nana names and defines several vocabulary words relating to DNA. For instance, she talks about the sections of DNA called genes, and what their role is in our makeup.
Children will be introduced to the bases of DNA, the building blocks of specific chemicals that get repeated throughout our DNA chain. Nana shares interesting details in her gentle teaching style as she guides students through the art lesson.
My boys especially loved the parts of the lesson where they labeled the genes and drew small pictures to describe what various genes do. They got a little creative and added extra details to some of them! Nana discusses how DNA makes inheriting traits possible, sharing her joy in the uniqueness of every person.
Truly, this DNA lesson is a dynamic learning activity for kids, because it will move them from the microscopic nature of DNA, to the material makeup of our bodies, to the immaterial beauty of our design.
A science lesson that delights in the details of sciences as much as the beauty of creation is the perfect way to encourage kids to not only take an interest in science, but all appreciate how wonderfully they are made!
More Science Learning Activities Your Kids Will Love!
The DNA diagram isn’t the only hands-on science lesson my boys have enjoyed! The Science Clubhouse Edition at ChalkPastel.com has grown over the years to include a delightful array of scientific themed lessons.
After studying DNA, investigate the intricate world of the cell in this Diagram of a Cell chalk pastel art lesson.
I highly suggest following DNA and Cell study up with lessons on the human body systems like the Circulatory System or the Diagram of Digestive System.
Next, you can take a deep dive into specific human body organs. Nana has created several lessons that give kids a virtual tour of the inner workings of our body parts in these lessons:
And there are even more human anatomy art activities for your homeschool!
If your students are interested in other science themes, there are several art lessons about chemistry, biology, and famous scientists!
Every time our family has done a science art lesson with our chalk pastels, we come away with more than just colorful fingers. We leave the art lesson with our brains fired up with facts, curiosity, and delight at creating beautiful artwork that expresses our learning!
Chalk pastel lessons have been my go-to resource for a rainy day, a blah day, a fun day, starting out unit studies, and ending the school year strong. There’s always more to explore!
Your family will be blessed by all that the You ARE an Artist Clubhouse memberships have to offer. Beyond science, kids can explore literature, history, space, Bible, books, movies, and just about any topic that interests them through the 800+ video lessons available.
Julie is a teacher, writer and homeschool mom. Her blog Happy Strong Home shares encouragement for cherishing children, enjoying motherhood, and growing strong families. Discover homeschool resources, natural living tips, and family activity ideas. Julie has been featured on Million Praying Moms, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and the Melissa and Doug blog. She offers writing workshops and a “homeschool neighborhood” community to support parents in their homeschool adventures. Find Julie on Instagram to be the first to know when new workshops and community events are available.