Molecules Of Life Modeling Kit©

What better way to engage your students’ interest in macromolecules than with the Molecules of Life Modeling Kit©?

• Bringing abstract molecular structures to life – with modeling!

• Grade 6+

Your students will first model amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates, and phospholipids to gain an understanding of their monomer structure. Then they explore how the monomers join to form a protein, DNA, or a carbohydrate polymer like starch or cellulose, and a phospholipid bilayer macromolecule. And finally, they will see that phospholipids are not joined together by covalent bonds to make a polymer but spontaneously form a lipid bilayer membrane due to their amphipathic nature.

Designed for bioscience classrooms from middle school through college, your students engage in inquiry by observing and comparing models, noting similarities and differences between molecular structures, discussing their understanding, and sketching diagrams with labeled parts. The slide decks emphasize active participation, group discussion, and reflection in lab notebooks to reinforce connections between molecular structure and its roles in living organisms.

Ordering information: One group set includes 5 amino acids, 4 glucose sugars, 1 fructose sugar, 4 DNA nucleotides, 2 phospholipids, 40 water molecules, free printable chemical structures and graphics placemats, assembly video, and a bag of sticker labels.