Abstract:

I present here engaging and fun educational STEAM activities in which students transform milk into a plastic-like substance to build a 3D model of a DNA molecule with the aim to stimulate their interest, encourage teamwork, investigation, problem solving, catalyzing understanding and learning of the properties of green materials and of the physicochemical properties of DNA, the macromolecole that holds the blueprint for life in all living beings on Earth.

I conceived these activities, initially, as part of the innovative Italian Next-Land experimental educational project on STEAM themes characterized by both gamification and hands-on integrated activities and, experiential insights.

On June 1st, on the occasion of World Milk Day, in collaboration with some undergraduates from the Biology degree course, I presented some of the activities that make-up the Project Based Learning (PBL) “Turn Milk into Colorful Double Helix: a GENE-IUS STEAM Activity", adding to the main objective of molecular biology innovative teaching also the objective of inspiring young generations to change in agreement with some of the sustainability objectives (SDGs) of the 2023 agenda.

In fact, the concepts of conscious eating, sustainability, green chemistry and, reduction of food waste because, it is also possible to operate with expired milk and/or use processing waste resulting from cheese production. The dual objective of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector on a global level. World Milk Day, in addition to being a moment in which the milk nutritional properties and its derivatives are enhanced, could also be a further opportunity to reflect in economic and social terms on the sustainability and valorization of this precious raw material. This year, the occasion has been made more memorable because we remembered another important anniversary, the 71st anniversary of the discovery of the DNA molecule which is celebrated every year about a month earlier: on April 25th, the date when in 1953 when scientists James Watson and Francis Crick published papers in the journal Nature on the structure of DNA. The DNA Day is celebrated annually by biologists, science teachers and anyone who's interested in genetics (http://www.cittadellascienza.it/notizie/la-scienza-in-un-bicchiere-di-latte-30-31-maggio- e-1-June-2024/).

More specifically, the young students and visitors were involved in simple experimental activities and equipped with paper, pencil, ruler, multicolored sticky, milk, heating plate, vinegar, beaker, graduated test tubes, spoons, gloves they have built 3D DNA models with ( bio)plastic casein-based from milk learning the basic structural elements of DNA and their 3D molecular organization. The manual activities were integrated with online quiz games using remote platforms (www.mentimer.com and quizziz.com) that I have implemented with my original quizzes with the aim of discovering the many types of dairy milk available, not only cow's milk but, also plant-based milk options.

Students were involved through the game to deduce the numbers related to different milk nutritional composition and the role in human health. Again, through gamification they learned the genetic complexity of different milk-producing organisms while also discovering the C-value paradox, the K-value or N-value paradoxes and other molecular biology key concepts.

Keywords:

STEAM activities, PBL, 3D DNA Structure, Worldmilkday, DNA Day, Bioplastic, Green chemistry, hands-on-activity, Tailor-Made education, Hands-on Learning, Creativity, Sustainable Science, eDNA.