Prepare for lesson:

1. Review Breakfast Proteins activity guide
2. Supplies:
   1. Small box of colored, donut shaped cereal like Fruit Loops or Fruity Cheerios
   2. Cups
   3. Chenille stems
   4. String
   5. Pencils
   6. Paper
3. Identify what colors exist for cereal, think of ideas for a possible code with the colors

During the lesson:

1. Show the class all the cereal colors. With them, decide on a code with at least 20 letters (or you can design a code beforehand).
2. Note legend: Y is yellow, Red is R, Green is G, etc.
3. Tape the code on a wall in the corner of the room. Provide pencils and paper near the code. Section the code area with string/rope.
4. Give youth 15 minutes to complete using only the cereal they are given.
5. Have youth work in small groups, one person writes the code down, another collects a cup of cereal and chenille stems.
6. Together, or individually, youth replicate the code with cereal.
7. As a class, youth compare their cereal chains.
8. Is everyone’s the same?
9. How many were able to successfully copy the code? Turn that number into a percentage. What percentage is that?
10. What are some reasons for the errors? May share that the handwritten note was copied wrong, not enough cereal in the right color, not enough time.
11. Share that this is a process our genes go through. 
12. The copying process is called transcription.
13. The handwritten notes are RNA.
14. When our DNA is copied, sometimes it’s not copied right, and we get something different. Ask if anyone knows what that’s called? (Mutation)
15. Can anyone think of real-life examples of a mutation?