For educators

Built with teachers, for real class periods

HANDS kits are designed around the constraints teachers actually have: limited minutes, mixed group sizes, and the need to reset quickly between classes. Every kit is refined from classroom pilot feedback.

How it works

  1. Pick a kit

    One kit supports a small group of 2–4 students. Most classrooms run a set of kits across stations or lab groups.

  2. Request a quote

    Tell us your class size and timeline. We provide classroom bundles, educator pricing, a W-9, and accept purchase orders from schools and districts.

  3. Run the lessons

    Kits arrive with sequenced lessons, each with learning goals, a guided activity, practice exercises, and reflection questions. Activities are designed for quick setup and repeat use across multiple classes a day.

What ships with a kit

The DNA & RNA Assembly Kit includes 3 sequenced lessons designed for 15–45 minutes blocks, each with a guided activity, practice exercises, and reflection questions.

Lesson sequence

  1. DNA to RNA (Transcription) — Students build a six-base DNA coding strand with the kit, then transcribe it into RNA by replacing thymine with uracil and leaving adenine, cytosine, and guanine unchanged.
  2. RNA to Amino Acids (Translation) — Students divide a six-base RNA sequence into two codons and read each one against the codon chart, building a two-amino-acid chain and meeting the start and stop codons.
  3. Mutations and Their Effects — Students change one or two bases in a sequence from the earlier lessons, re-transcribe and re-translate it, and classify the result as a silent, missense, or nonsense mutation.

Standards alignment

The lesson sequence is designed to support NGSS HS-LS1-1, which asks students to explain how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins. Each lesson opens with explicit learning goals and closes with reflection questions, so it maps onto an existing lesson plan. A dimension-by-dimension crosswalk is available on request.

Support for schools

  • Classroom bundles and educator pricing
  • W-9 on request; purchase orders accepted
  • Replacement part packs for bases, backbones, and jigs
  • Pilot programs with direct feedback into kit design

Planning for next semester?

Tell us your grade level, class size, and timeline. We will put together a quote or set up a pilot.