English National Curriculum Science

4. Describe how scientists developed the DNA model

Mission Objectives

Explain the basic structure of the DNA molecule

Identify the key scientists involved in the discovery of the DNA model and describe their contributions to our understanding of DNA

Describe how the discovery of the DNA model has impacted modern biology and medicine, and why it is considered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century

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Keywords

Words and meanings to learn

crystallography

the branch of science concerned with the structure and properties of crystals

Francis Crick

the co-recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, stemming from his discovery of the structure of DNA

Maurice Wilkins

New Zealand-born British physicist and molecular biologist, and Nobel Laureate whose research contributed to the scientific understanding of optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction

Rosalind Franklin

an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer who made contributions to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite

James Watson

an American molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin

This lesson has been written by

Maria Bateson

Maria completed her PGCE at Oxford in 2005 and taught at schools in Oxford and London before taking time out for family and travel. Maria has led INSET for teachers in Ukraine and gained her Scouting Wood Badge in Belgium. Since returning to the UK and the classroom in 2019, Maria has been awarded Chartered Science Teacher status and more recently, Lead Practitioner. She is also on the Editorial Board for School Science Review, the ASE Journal, and currently teaches at The Charter School East Dulwich as KS5 Science Lead.

Required Resources

Resources: The handout. 

Core Handout: ‘The DNA timeline’ activity sheet.

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