Author: Maddie Van Beek
Fingerprints
Take a close look at your fingertips. All those swirly marks in your skin are your fingerprints, and yours are incredibly unique. Did you know that just like snowflakes, no two fingerprints are alike?
Fingerprints are just one tool used in a field called forensic science. Forensic science is the science of gathering information about past events, and using that information in a court of law. When investigators are trying to determine who committed a crime, they use forensic science! Crime scene investigators often use fingerprints to help catch the criminal.
Play the Whodunit game to learn more about fingerprint types and solve a crime scene!
Fingerprints
Take a close look at your fingertips. All those swirly marks in your skin are your fingerprints, and yours are incredibly unique. Did you know that just like snowflakes, no two fingerprints are alike?
Fingerprints are just one tool used in a field called forensic science. Forensic science is the science of gathering information about past events, and using that information in a court of law. When investigators are trying to determine who committed a crime, they use forensic science! Crime scene investigators often use fingerprints to help catch the criminal.
Play the Whodunit game to learn more about fingerprint types and solve a crime scene!
Now that you’ve played the Whodunit game, you should know that there are THREE types of fingerprints: Loop, Arch, and Whorl.
 Image 1: Arch |  Image 2: Loop |  Image 3: Whorl |
Take your own fingerprints!
What kind of fingerprint do you have?
YOU WILL NEED:
Paper
Pen
Ink pad
YOU WILL DO:
1. Draw 10 boxes on a white piece of paper.
2. Label each box for each finger (Left Pinky, Left Ring, Left Middle, etc.)
3. Press your right thumb on an open ink pad. Make sure you start with your thumb tilted to the left and then roll to the right so that the whole pad of your thumb is covered in ink.
4. Press your right thumb on the box labeled “Right Thumb” and roll your finger just like you did to apply the ink.
5. Repeat this for each finger on your right hand, and then your left hand.
6. Analyze your prints! Are you Loop, Arch, or Whorl?
Fingerprints are just one way that our bodies are uniquely different from one another!
What kind of fingerprint do you have?
YOU WILL NEED:
Paper
Pen
Ink pad
YOU WILL DO:
1. Draw 10 boxes on a white piece of paper.
2. Label each box for each finger (Left Pinky, Left Ring, Left Middle, etc.)
3. Press your right thumb on an open ink pad. Make sure you start with your thumb tilted to the left and then roll to the right so that the whole pad of your thumb is covered in ink.
4. Press your right thumb on the box labeled “Right Thumb” and roll your finger just like you did to apply the ink.
5. Repeat this for each finger on your right hand, and then your left hand.
6. Analyze your prints! Are you Loop, Arch, or Whorl?
Fingerprints are just one way that our bodies are uniquely different from one another!
Introduction to DNA/Traits
| Genes are the individual components that make up our DNA. Genes are like ingredients in your DNA recipe. The combination of our parents’ genes determine what kinds of physical traits we acquire. You get half of your genes from your mom and half of your genes from your dad. If you look to the image on the right, you see that parents' genes can combine to produce a number of outcomes. Each child may end up with different traits, depending on how the genes combine. That's why sibling might not always have the same color eyes, hair, etc. |  Image 4: Gene |
 Image 5: Snowflake | Think of yourself as a snowflake; Your DNA is unique and different from anyone else's DNA! |
| DNA is the unique code that formulates our traits. It’s like a set of blueprints, a recipe, or a set of instructions for our body. |  Image 6: Blueprint |
DNA resides in the nucleus of a cell. Remember, cells make up EVERY LIVING THING, including EVERYTHING in your body! The nucleus of the cell is like the hub of the city--it’s the brain that tells the rest of the cell what to do. In the image below, the purple ball is the nucleus.
Image 7: Eukaryotic Cell
What exactly IS DNA, anyway? DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid, and is made of phosphate, deoxyribose (sugar), and nitrogen bases. There are four different bases: Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine. The sequence of these bases creates genes. When these bases are repeated in different orders, they create differences in genes, which then influence our traits. On the left, you can see how the bases connect to create the DNA's structure. On the right, you can see what a section of DNA looks like; this structure is called a double helix.
 Image 8: DNA Structure |  Image 9: Double helix |
Traits are hereditary characteristics. For example, your hair color is just one characteristic that is coded in your DNA. Other examples would be eye color or height.
Species have relatively similar genes, but genes come in different forms, called alleles. Alleles determine what variety of a certain trait we have. For example, all dogs have tails, but kind of tail will they have? All cats have fur, but how long is their fur?
Today, you are going to see how different alleles affect the physical traits of a dog. In the following, you will select one of four different alleles for each of the nine genes of your dog. In this simulation, the combination of the nine genes builds a single DNA strand for your dog.
Draw a dog based on its DNA!
YOU WILL NEED:
Pink, Yellow, Orange, and Green sticky notes or colored strips of paper.
Markers/crayons/colored pencils.
Tape (if you didn’t use sticky notes)
YOU WILL DO:
1. Throw all the colored papers in a bowl or bag that you can’t see through.
2. The colored papers represent traits. As you draw traits out of the jar, you are building your dog’s DNA!
3. Draw a paper out of the bowl/bag. What color is it? Refer to the key for the body of your dog. If you drew a pink paper, your dog body will be medium-sized, short, and stocky.
4. Draw a paper out of the bowl/bag. What color is it? Refer to the key for the ears of your dog. If you drew a yellow paper, your dog ears will be large and floppy. Stick this piece of paper on the bottom of your first piece. If you used paper instead of sticky notes, use tape to connect them. By the end, you will have a chain of genes that made up your dog.
5. Continue on for each part of your dog’s body.
6. Draw your dog!
Species have relatively similar genes, but genes come in different forms, called alleles. Alleles determine what variety of a certain trait we have. For example, all dogs have tails, but kind of tail will they have? All cats have fur, but how long is their fur?
Today, you are going to see how different alleles affect the physical traits of a dog. In the following, you will select one of four different alleles for each of the nine genes of your dog. In this simulation, the combination of the nine genes builds a single DNA strand for your dog.
Draw a dog based on its DNA!
YOU WILL NEED:
Pink, Yellow, Orange, and Green sticky notes or colored strips of paper.
Markers/crayons/colored pencils.
Tape (if you didn’t use sticky notes)
YOU WILL DO:
1. Throw all the colored papers in a bowl or bag that you can’t see through.
2. The colored papers represent traits. As you draw traits out of the jar, you are building your dog’s DNA!
3. Draw a paper out of the bowl/bag. What color is it? Refer to the key for the body of your dog. If you drew a pink paper, your dog body will be medium-sized, short, and stocky.
4. Draw a paper out of the bowl/bag. What color is it? Refer to the key for the ears of your dog. If you drew a yellow paper, your dog ears will be large and floppy. Stick this piece of paper on the bottom of your first piece. If you used paper instead of sticky notes, use tape to connect them. By the end, you will have a chain of genes that made up your dog.
5. Continue on for each part of your dog’s body.
6. Draw your dog!
Image 10: Boxer
DNA Project Key
Body:
Pink = Medium, short and stocky
Yellow = Tall and lean
Orange = Tall and muscular
Green = Small and thin
Ears:
Pink = Pointed
Yellow = Large and floppy
Orange = Medium square
Green = Medium and floppy
Nose:
Pink = Pink/Red
Yellow = Black
Orange = Brown
Green = Spotted
Snout:
Pink = Long and thin
Yellow = Short and smushed
Orange = Droopy jowls
Green = Medium and square
Eyes:
Pink = Blue
Yellow = Brown
Orange = Grey
Green = Green
Coat Color:
Pink = Brown
Yellow = Black
Orange = Spotted
Green = White
Fur:
Pink = Short and Curly
Yellow = Short and course
Orange = Long and shaggy
Green = Long and curly
Tail:
Pink = Long and lean
Yellow = Short and stubby
Orange = Medium
Green = Curly
Legs:
Pink = Short and stubby
Yellow = Long and lean
Orange = Medium
Green = Muscular
References:
Image Credits:
Image 1: Fingerprint arch. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Fingerprint_Arch.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 2: Fingerprint loop. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Fingerprint_Loop.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 3: Fingerprint whorl. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Fingerprint_Whorl.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 4: Shaffee, 2015. Autosomal recessive - mini. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Autosomal_recessive_-_mini.svg/800px-Autosomal_recessive_-_mini.svg.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Image 5: Lynch, 2011. Snow flakes. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Snow_Flakes.jpg/800px-Snow_Flakes.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 6: 1936. Joy Oil gas station blueprints. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Joy_Oil_gas_station_blueprints.jpg/1024px-Joy_Oil_gas_station_blueprints.jpg File is in the Public Domain.
Image 7: Zaldua, Equisoain, Zabalza, Gonzalez & Marzo, 2016. Cell animal. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Cell_animal.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Image 8: Madprime, 2016. DNA chemical structure. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/DNA_chemical_structure.svg/800px-DNA_chemical_structure.svg.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 9: Zephyris, 2009. DNA orbit animated static thumb. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/DNA_orbit_animated_static_thumb.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 10: Skovgaard, 2007. Boxer puppy fawn portrai. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Boxer_puppy_fawn_portrai.jpg/1024px-Boxer_puppy_fawn_portrai.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Body:
Pink = Medium, short and stocky
Yellow = Tall and lean
Orange = Tall and muscular
Green = Small and thin
Ears:
Pink = Pointed
Yellow = Large and floppy
Orange = Medium square
Green = Medium and floppy
Nose:
Pink = Pink/Red
Yellow = Black
Orange = Brown
Green = Spotted
Snout:
Pink = Long and thin
Yellow = Short and smushed
Orange = Droopy jowls
Green = Medium and square
Eyes:
Pink = Blue
Yellow = Brown
Orange = Grey
Green = Green
Coat Color:
Pink = Brown
Yellow = Black
Orange = Spotted
Green = White
Fur:
Pink = Short and Curly
Yellow = Short and course
Orange = Long and shaggy
Green = Long and curly
Tail:
Pink = Long and lean
Yellow = Short and stubby
Orange = Medium
Green = Curly
Legs:
Pink = Short and stubby
Yellow = Long and lean
Orange = Medium
Green = Muscular
References:
- http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/inheritance/activities/pdfs/A%20Recipe%20for%20Traits_Public.pdf
- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dillinger/sfeature/sf_whodunit.html
- http://www.slideshare.net/MrsTabor/dna-for-7th-grade
- http://www.chem4kids.com/files/bio_dna.html
- http://tfscientist.hubpages.com/hub/explaining-dna-to-a-six-year-old
Image Credits:
Image 1: Fingerprint arch. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Fingerprint_Arch.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 2: Fingerprint loop. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Fingerprint_Loop.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 3: Fingerprint whorl. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Fingerprint_Whorl.jpg Image was created by the United States Department of Commerce and is in the Public Domain.
Image 4: Shaffee, 2015. Autosomal recessive - mini. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Autosomal_recessive_-_mini.svg/800px-Autosomal_recessive_-_mini.svg.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Image 5: Lynch, 2011. Snow flakes. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Snow_Flakes.jpg/800px-Snow_Flakes.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 6: 1936. Joy Oil gas station blueprints. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Joy_Oil_gas_station_blueprints.jpg/1024px-Joy_Oil_gas_station_blueprints.jpg File is in the Public Domain.
Image 7: Zaldua, Equisoain, Zabalza, Gonzalez & Marzo, 2016. Cell animal. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Cell_animal.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Image 8: Madprime, 2016. DNA chemical structure. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/DNA_chemical_structure.svg/800px-DNA_chemical_structure.svg.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 9: Zephyris, 2009. DNA orbit animated static thumb. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/DNA_orbit_animated_static_thumb.png File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 10: Skovgaard, 2007. Boxer puppy fawn portrai. Uploaded from Wikimedia Commons on 7/17/2016. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Boxer_puppy_fawn_portrai.jpg/1024px-Boxer_puppy_fawn_portrai.jpg File used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
