Lesson Plan

Should States Repeal Their Laws Banning First Cousin Marriage?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Should States Repeal Their Laws Banning First Cousin Marriage? lesson plan also includes:

Around half of the states in the US ban first cousin marriage, but does science support that ban? Scholars work through genetic analysis of the risks to understand if more states should ban the practice—or if some should remove it. They create Punnett squares, apply knowledge of sex-linked traits, and more to come to their conclusions.

7 Views 8 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Research how many states currently ban first cousin marriages
  • Discuss the cultural differences in countries with higher rates of cousin marriage
Classroom Considerations
  • Relies on prior knowledge of Punnett squares, recessive alleles, and family trees
Pros
  • Applies science topics to public debate
  • Connects science and social studies topics
Cons
  • None
Common Core