There are four bases in DNA that pair up with phosphate and sugar to form nucleotides, which are defined as the building blocks of nucleic acids. Those bases are guanine, thymine, adenine and cytosine. The nucleotides are always in pairs and they form a curving strand that is called a double helix. It is essential to know this before starting any DNA project.
Elementary school students can learn about DNA by making a double helix strand with red and black licorice, gum drops, marshmallows, toothpicks and string. Cut the red and black licorice into 1-inch strips. Thread the licorice onto the string, alternating red and black pieces. Make several licorice strings in this manner. Pair similar-colored gum drops into two pairs. Stick a toothpick in the middle of the first gum drop and place a marshmallow and the second gum drop of the same color on the toothpick. Make several of these toothpicks and attach them to the licorice strings.
In this project you will need painted Styrofoam balls, toothpicks and a laboratory stand. You should have four different colors of Styrofoam balls to represent the guanine, thymine, adenine and cytosine. Pair the adenine with thymine and the guanine with the cytosine. A separate color should be used for the phosphate, which is between the bases. Build the DNA strands up, using toothpicks as your connectors. Place them on the base of the laboratory stand to make it easy to transport.
In addition to knowing what DNA looks like, it's important for school projects to include information about the genetic information that DNA contains. According to the University of Southern California, DNA molecules contain the "programming" that directs cellular activity. Humans get one set of chromosomes from each parent. A chromosome contains about 1,000 genes. Put these facts on note cards or sticky notes and place them on your DNA projects.