This week you are going to look at the fantastic discovery of the structure of DNA. This was groundbreaking and you are going to follow the story, as played by actors in a moving and absorbing dramatisation. The race to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th-century. It is a story of diligent research, creative analysis and perseverance, gender and sexism, and a race for glory. Use your own chemistry knowledge and understanding to follow the story. Notice the overlap with other sciences. Notice the clothes, attitudes, music and male chauvinism and gender issues. It really is a remarkable and thought provoking story!
Are you ready? Then it is over the the music that defined the 1950s to get you in to the time zone decade involved. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzSB_POdJns. What else was going on in the 1950s?
There are six tasks to complete this week.
TASK 1: Watch this amazing dramatisation. In 1987 this award-winning documentary drama was originally produced for the BBC science series Horizon. - Staring Jeff Goldblum as 'Jim Watson' and Tim Piggot-Smith as 'Francis Crick' is about the race to solve one of the greatest mysteries of 20th-century science the structure of DNA. It is the story of the diligent research, creative analysis, and perseverance of James Watson and Francis Crick that led to the discovery. With the help of their colleague, Maurice Wilkins, they also earned the 1962 Nobel Prize. Please bare with the quality of this video.
TASK 2: Study the pictures below.
TASK 3: Now let us look at the actual model created by Crick and Watson, in the SCIENCE MUSEUM.
TASK 4: NOW LISTEN TO CRICK AND WATSON THEMSELVES.
TASK 5: Now let's look at the model used.
TASK 6: Write an open-ended account of this story - what struck you about this story? You decide the title.