Connect the pop-it beads to build the chain of amino acids

Question

1. Use a pen or pencil to write a five word sentence using no more than eight different letters in the space below.
2. Now, use the red, blue, green, and yellow beads to form "codons" (three beads) for each letter in your sentence. Then, create codons to represent the "start, "space" and stop" regions within your sentence. Write the sentence using the beads in the space below:
3. How many beads did you use?
4. Assign one Pop-It® bead to represent each codon. You do not need to assign a Pop-It® bead for the start, space, and stop regions. These will be your amino acids.
5. Connect the Pop-It® beads to build the chain of amino acids that code for your sentence (leave out the start, space, and stop regions).
6. How many different amino acids did you use?

How many total amino acids did you use?