Bead DNA model

Directions:
Materials:
Each student needs:
I bead organizer sheet and instructions (See Bead Organizer sheet below).
2 pipecleaners
5 different colors of pony beads in these amounts:
Side Beads
24: DNA sides
Base Pair One
8: Thymine
8: Adenine
Base Pair Two
6: Guanine
6: Cytosine
Always paired together: Base Pairs (8
beads each)
Thymine
Adenine

Always paired together: Base Pairs (6

beads each)
Guanine
Cytosine

Have students collect their two pipecleaners and the number of beads they need in
the colors they choose. Using the Bead Organizer, have students lay out the correct
number of beads in each square of the organizer.
1. Have students twists the ends of their pipecleaners together to form one long
pipecleaner.
2. Creating the first Base Pair: Pick two of the Thymine colors and thread them
on one end of the pipecleaner, pushing them down to the twist at the bottom.
3. Pick two of the Adenine colors and thread them onto the other end of the
pipecleaner and push them down to the bottom. This creates the first Base
Pair.
4. Now add side colors. Pick two side color beads, thread them onto one side of
the pipecleaner, and push them down to meet the base pair. Pick two more
side color beads, add them to the other side of the pipecleaner and push
them down.

5. Second Base Pair: Pick two of the Guanine color beads, thread them onto one
side and push down. Pick two of the Cytosine color beads, thread them onto
the other side and push down.
6. Start the DNA strand: Take left side of pipecleaner and cross-thread it through
the right side Base Pair. Take the right side of the pipecleaner and crossthread it through the left side Base Pair. The pipecleaners will be doubled up,
or laying side by side, in the two Base Pairs, and pointing opposite directions.
Do not go through the side beads. The pipecleaner should form a square loop
with the first Base Pair on the bottom, the two sets of side beads on the sides,
and the second Base Pair on the top. The ends if the pipecleaners should be
sticking out either side of the second, top Base Pair.
7. Continue by threading two side colors on each side of the pipecleaner.
8. Choose another two Base Pair colors and add two of each color to each side
of the pipecleaner. It does not matter which order the Base Pairs go in, but
the Base Pairs must stay together.
9. Repeat Step 6- cross-threading the pipecleaners through the top base pair
beads.
10.Add two more side color beads to each side, choose another base pair, and
repeat steps 6 and 7 until the beads are used up and all the pairs are on the
pipecleaner.
11.Tuck the ends of the pipecleaner into the last pair of beads and twist them
gently to stay.
12.Holding the whole model vertically in your hands, gently twist the top of the
model to the right and the bottom to the left to create the spiraling double
helix of the DNA strand.

See Bead Organizer sheet below.

DNA BEAD ORGANIZER

DNA Sides = 24
Color_____________

Base Pair 1
Thymine (T) = 8
Color _________________________

Adenine (A) = 8
Color _______________________

Base Pair 2
Guanine (G) = 6
Color_________________________

Cytosine (C) = 6
Color _________________________