DNA PAPER MODEL to cut and assemble

This model of DNA is more detailed than most paper models designed for students.  Here you can see every atom!  You can see how and why the bases connect, and you can see the difference between ribose and deoxyribose.  Explaining the 5′ and 3′ directions is easy because the carbons are numbered.  The downside of this model is that it is flat, not a 3D helix shape, but I have yet to find a 3D model that can also show all the atoms, so I took the downside here in favor of making the chemistry visible.  You can always twist your model when it is done.  (Ten rungs for each full twist.)

No paper model is perfect. You either emphasize the 3D shape of DNA or you choose to show its correct atomic structure. Doing both is almost impossible

when considering the constraints of trying to make a craft that is doable by the average middle or high school student. Models that show all the atoms are usually made of plastic beads or other supplies that are expensive or hard to obtain. This model attempts to provide an easy and inexpensive way to study the atomic structure of DNA. The finished ladder can be twisted into a helix but it is mainly designed to lie flat and let the students see the way the atoms connect.

You will need:

•copies of the pattern pages printed onto pastel colors of regular paper (or card stock can be used if you wish)

•a pair of scissors for each student

•glue sticks, or clear tape (1/2 inch is best if you can find it), or staplers (and lots of staples)

• Optional: paper clips (if you want to have your DNA able to “unzip”)