Celebrate National DNA Day on April 25th!
National DNA Day is the perfect time to share what you know about DNA and learn more. Visit the National DNA Day website to find resources for teachers, students, and anyone else who wants to improve their understanding of DNA, genetics, and genomics. The website also has information for experts in genetics and genomics who are interested in outreach to schools and other places in their community. Read more about how you can participate in National DNA Day.
National DNA Day offers the chance for teachers, students, and the public to learn more about genetics and genomics through activities and resources that include
- Teaching Tools and Student Contests Whether you’re a teacher who wants to help your students learn more about DNA or a scientist who needs ideas for how to talk to students in your community about genetics, visit the National DNA Day website for helpful resources. Modules for classroom outreach, lesson plans, and educational videos on scientific topics and experiments are among the many resources listed. Teachers and parents: there are even contests where your students can show off what they’ve learned!
- DNA Day lectures Join the live Louise M. Slaughter National DNA Day lecture, “Using the past to better understand health disparities in living African Americans and the urgency for diversity in genomic databases” by Dr. Carter Clinton from 1-2 pm EDT on April 25. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Twitter account will be live streaming the event. Visit Celebrate DNA Day (genome.gov) to hear recordings of past webinars, including H3Africa DNA Day Webinars.
- Talking Glossary Check out NHGRI’s talking glossary to learn more about current genomics terms. To celebrate the April 25th update of the glossary, join NHGRI Director Eric Green on Twitter April 25-29 as he posts daily pop quizzes on new talking glossary terms.
- NHGRI Twitter account Follow for daily posts April 25-29 on DNA Day-related topics including new talking glossary terms, DNA Day activities, genomic facts and memes. Use #DNADay2022 to join the conversation. You can also find past posts, including the April 21 live chat with Dr. Carter Clinton, the 2022 Louise M. Slaughter DNA Day speaker, who discussed his work on identifying how ancestry affects risk for complex diseases like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.
- Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code Learn more about this traveling exhibit and find DNA Day activities that you can do at home.
- Genetics Engagement and Education Network Search this American Society of Human Genetics network to find genetics experts near you who can answer your genetics-related questions. The Genetics Engagement and Education Network Toolkit is geared toward scientists planning to present at schools, but teachers and parents might also find helpful resources. The toolkit includes lessons, games. case studies, direct-to-consumer kit information, and helpful tips on presenting at schools.
- American Society of Human Genetics’ DNA Day Essay Contest for High School Students Read selections from winning essays on how Mendel’s discoveries about genetic inheritance help us understand single gene disorders and complex conditions.
Use the starter kit if you’d like to plan an event yourself and register your event so it can be listed on the National DNA Day Network Map.
Congress approved the first National DNA Day in April 2003 to celebrate both the completion of the Human Genome Project and the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. NHGRI at the National Institutes of Health sponsors National DNA Day.