DNA: Discovering the Blueprint 2003
Distributed by Fanlight Productions, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Director n/a
VHS, color, 10 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Biology, Science, Genetics
Date Entered: 01/10/2005
Reviewed by Zana Etter, EdM, MLS, Director, Media Library, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, UMDNJ, Piscataway, New JerseyThis short educational documentary report from a Canadian news program focuses on the discovery of DNA. It begins abruptly by introducing a seventeen year old high school student who is demonstrating DNA extraction from an onion. It then jumps to an interview with a biologist who studied insect reproduction and launches into a brief review of the discovery of DNA by Watson and Crick at Cambridge University, using a few black and white clips and photos. Mentioning Rosalind Franklin’s contribution, it then switches to current research being conducted in Canada and concludes by commenting on DNA’s importance in genetic engineering, forensic uses, inherited diseases and proteomics.
This tape is poorly organized, lacks a proper introduction, and doesn’t transition well from one topic to another. Since it is so brief, it would not be very valuable in any library collection, but may be useful for a teacher to use in a junior high science class if time is limited.