In this lesson, students examine how forensic testing, including DNA fingerprinting, was used to identify bodies found buried in a Russian forest as members of the Romanov family. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will research how DNA testing and other modern forensic techniques have been used in investigations of other historical mysteries.

Students investigate sickle cell anemia to teach the principles of inheritance, genetic diagnostics, and bioethics.

This brief video lesson describes DNA and its role and importance in living organisms. This is a very comprehensive overview of how DNA determines form and function, manages protein synthesis within individuals, and ultimately drives evolution. Discussion/assessment questions and suggested supplemental resources are also included.

Review all diagrams and charts for Investigations 1 through 4 for junco populations DNA.

Students sort lizards by appearances, then generate a phylogenetic tree using the lizards' DNA sequences to evaluate whether species that appear similar are closely related to each other.

In this video lesson, students will learn what DNA fingerprinting is, what it is used for, and how it is used in paternity testing and forensics. Students will see how this technique actually works in lab. Students will learn how to analyze the gels used in this technique to match babies to parents and crime scene evidence to suspects.

In this activity, students examine a series of maps showing the locations where forest elephants were likely poached, based on genetic evidence from ivory seizures. A series of questions is provided to guide a class discussion on the graph characteristics and what the data show.

In this lesson, students will work to develop a prevention plan for an American Indian reservation that is experiencing a new occurrence of West Nile virus infection, while taking into consideration the cultural and environmental implications relevant to this population. To successfully complete these activities, the students should have some knowledge of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis.