Plaque, Past, and Proof
How DNA in Teeth Tells the Story of Human History Categories
Authored by and Designed by Emma Tillman
:Sequence, Plaque, Calculus, Microbiome, Ancient DNAModule Information
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Oral Health Subjects: Dental Plaque, Dental Calculus, Oral Microbiology, DNA
Keywords: DNA, Sequence, Plaque, Calculus, Microbiome, Ancient DNA
Learning Goals:
- Define DNA and explain its basic structure
- Describe how DNA is used to study the past
- Explain how DNA is preserved in teeth
- Identify what information scientists can learn from dental DNA
- Interpret simple scientific visuals and data
Educational Standards
National Health Education Standards
Standard 1 — Functional Health Information
Use functional health information to support health and well-being of self and others.
Standard 3 — Accessing Valid and Reliable Resources
Evaluate and use valid and reliable health information and scientific resources.
National Social Studies Standards
- D2.Geo.7.9-12 — Analyze how historical events and the spread of ideas, technologies, and cultural practices have influenced migration patterns and the distribution of human populations. This fits your use of DNA evidence to trace human migration.
- D2.His.1.9-12 — Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by circumstances of time and place and broader historical contexts. This works with using dental DNA and biological evidence to better understand people in the past.
- D2.His.2.9-12 — Analyze change and continuity across historical eras. This can connect to changes in diet, disease, oral bacteria, and human populations over time
Standards for the English Language Arts
- RI.9-10.1 / RI.11-12.1 — Use textual evidence to analyze informational texts.
- RH.9-10.1 / RH.11-12.1 — Use evidence from primary and secondary sources.
- Writing in Science and Technical Subjects — Communicate explanations using evidence and discipline-specific vocabulary.
Next Generation Science Standards
HS-LS3-1 — Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.
HS-LS4-1 — Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.
I would make HS-LS4-1 the main standard and HS-LS3-1 the supporting standard. Your activities about comparing DNA sequences, interpreting genetic similarities, and using dental DNA to investigate human history line up particularly nicely with HS-LS4-1.