Science

13/2/17
Aim: To extract DNA from a banana
Materials: 1/2 peeled ripe banana                    1/2 cup hot water                   1 tsp salt                   1/2 tsp liquid dishwashing soap                    resealable zip-top bag                    very cold rubbing alcohol                     coffee filter                    narrow glass                    wooden stirrer

1. Mush the banana in the resealable bag for about a minute until all the lumps are gone and it almost looks like pudding.
2. Fill a cup with the hot water and salt.
3. Pour the saltwater mix into the bag. Close the bag and very gently squeeze and move the saltwater and banana mush together. Do this for 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Add the dishwashing soap into the bag and gently mix the contents. Try to avoid making too much foam.
5. Place the coffee filter in a clear glass cup, securing the top of the filter around the lip of the cup.
6. Pour the mix into the filter and let it sit until all of the liquid drips down into the cup.
7. Remove and discard the used coffee filter.
8. Tilt the glass and slowly add cold alcohol down the side of the cup. You want the alcohol to form a layer on top of the banana mix, staying separated, so be careful not to pour it too fast. Make a layer of alcohol that is 2.5-5cm (1-2in) thick.
9. After the alcohol layer is set up, wait for eight minutes. You may see some bubbles and cloudy material moving around in the alcohol. This is the DNA pieces clumping together.
10. Use the wooden stirrer to start poking the cloudy stuff in the alcohol layer. Spin the stirrer it in place to start gathering the cloudy stuff. When you are done, take a closer look at the stuff on the stirrer. You are looking at DNA!

8/3/18

Experiment

Aim: I want to find the different tissues and structures of the drumstick and thigh of a chicken leg

Equipment:

• Chicken drumstick with thigh
• dissecting probe 
• scalpal
• dissecting scissors
• paper towels 
• forceps
• dissecting tray
• gloves 
• disinfectant
• hand sanitiser

Safety

Wear gloves

Do not put anything in your mouth (fingers,pens....)

Wash your hands at the end. Use sanitiser and dry your hands

Spray surfaces with disinfectants 





14/5/18

Today we are trying to make a acid and base indicator from everyday household items 

Equipment

• Red cabbage
• Tea
• Beetroot
• Turmeric 
• Cranberry Juice 
• Beaker
• Water 
• Tripod 
• Bunsen Burner
• Gauze Mat
• 1L Hydrochloric Acid
• 1L Sodium Hydroxide

Method

1. First we cut up some beetroot into small pieces 
2. We boiled a beaker full of water with a bunsen burner
3. We put the little pieces of beetroot in the water 
4. We let it cool down and filter it out to beetroot water
5. We let it sit over night 
6. We add acid and bases to make colours

17/5/18

Aim: To observe a neutralisation reaction

Equipment

• Test Tubes
• 0.1 mol/L Sodium Carbonate
• 0.1 mol/L Hydrochloric Acid
• Universal Indicator Solution 

Method

• Put 4 drops of universal indicator in the test tubes 
• We add acids and bases to try make a rainbow 
• And we succeeded.