Genome Projects Lesson Plans

Tenth graders discuss their physical features, and why they look the way they do. They listen as the teacher discusses DNA, alleles, and dominant or recessive genes. Students perform an experiment with different colored markers representing alleles to determine genotypic and henotypic ratios among offspring.

Learners discuss information about genes and consider how that information is changing thoughts about human behavior and scientific research. They write essays about how information about genetics affects private homes, the research laboratory, and hospitals and clinics.

Evaluate opposing sides to the debate regarding whether or not there is a future for scientific discovery. Middle and high schoolers assess quotations from the articles to evaluate claims, and write final reflections about their views about science's future. They can practice writing a summary of informational text at the end of the activity.

Students participate in a hands-on experiment that illustrates how taste and smell are related. They create their own experiments to help them explore all five senses and the relationships between them.

Young scholars interact with a video to explore the basis for the science of chromosomes. They perform a chromosomal analysis called a karyotype and explore how seemingly minute errors in chromosomes can lead to devastating illnesses.

Students explore experimental and theoretical probability.  In this middle school data collection and analysis lesson, students investigate the possible combinations of genotype using a Punnett Square.  Students generate data using experimental probability and the laws of heredity. 

Students perform different activities about DNA for a week in order to celebrate DNA Week and raise their awareness of DNA. The teacher is provided with a different theme for each day.

Students explore the ways in which DNA research is changing the ways in which we fight disease.

Students examine the genome and discuss the ethical and moral issues surrounding it. In groups, they discover the differences between ethics and morals and discuss where the concepts of good and bad come from in society. After reading an article on cloning, they research how technology has changed the major ethical issues today and write an essay on their findings.

Young scholars brainstorm important scientific advancements of the twentieth century. They examine the implications of the completion of the first rough draft of the human genome on society. They research a selected scientific advancement of the past one hundred years to contribute to a class book and assemble individual and group research efforts into a complete and published chapter.