Curated OER
Characterization of the Bioluminescence (Lux+) Gene E. coli
Students grow E. coli strain HB101, which contains the plasmid pUCD607 with the bioluminescence (Lux+) gene. The plasmid containing the Lux+ gene is isolated from the E. coli, then characterized by restriction analysis.
Agriculture in the Classroom
"Steer" Toward STEM: Careers in Animal Agriculture
Think like an engineer and an agricultural scientist over the course of 12 lessons in a STEM based unit. Young scientists take on the roles of animal physiologists, animal geneticists, agricultural engineers, animal nutritionists,...
Curated OER
Beauty: Patterns in Nature
Students explore the patterns of nature. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine beauty in nature and participate in a hands-on simulation that demonstrates how human preferences for beauty have led to an increased frequency...
Curated OER
The Effect of Natural Selection on Genes, Traits and Individuals
Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...
Teach Engineering
Tell Me Doc—Will I Get Cancer?
Can you beat the odds of cancer? In the first installment of a seven-part series, future biomedical engineers consider how to detect and diagnose cancer. An article on biosensors provides useful information toward this goal.
Curated OER
Reaching Into Your Genes
Students 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.
Curated OER
Producing a Strain of E. coli that Glows in the Dark
Learners observe the experimental process called bacterial transformation and demonstrate phenotype changes in bacteria that have been transformed with an antibiotic-resistance gene and a metabolic marker. They create a luminescent...
Curated OER
Design Yer Genes
Seventh graders explore general structure of and natural changes that occur in DNA strands, and discuss concept of genetic engineering by creating small portion of strawberry chromosome with three genes, modeling naturally occurring...
Curated OER
A Microscopically Enormous Look at Genetic Inheritance
Students use microscopes to examine fly families and analyze their genetic inheritance. In this genes lesson plan, students also use the chi square for comparing genes and compare the class results as a whole.
Curated OER
Genes
Students explore the history, inheritance and mutations of genetics. In this genetic lesson students complete experiments on DNA sequences.
Curated OER
Genes and Inheritance
Students explore genes and inheritance. After listening to a story describing a rare genetic disease, students discuss inheritance and how living things pass on traits to their children. In groups students, students decipher code...
Curated OER
Evolution and Gene Frequencies: A Game of Survival and Reproductife Success
Students research the population of Bengal tigers and their existence as either dominant or recessive. They explore the presence of fur on these tigers and its lethal combinations. Determinating the effect of random mating in a...
Curated OER
Follow a Fish
Students choose a fish from anywhere within the Ocean Center. They observe it for a given time, recording its behavior. Students comprehend the concept that living things have individual characteristics that enable them to live in their...
Curated OER
Variation in Human Skin Color
Students explore factors that control variation in human skin color and the implications of this information for human society. They understand that skin color is no longer considered a credible scientific standard by which to classify...
BBSRC
Discovering DNA: The Recipe for Life
A pinch of adenine, a dash of thymine and ta-da, you have life! Well, it's not quite that simple, but through this series of activities and experiments young scientists learn about the structure of DNA and how it contains the recipe...
Curated OER
Sex-Linked Genes
High schoolers review the concepts of incomplete dominance, co-dominance and multiple alleles. As a class, they are introduced to the concept of sex-linked genes and how they are passed to offspring. To end the lesson, they examine...
Curated OER
DNA, Genes, and Chromosomes
Learners review the structure and function of DNA, genes, and chromosomes and are engaged by a demonstration illustrating the relative size of DNA, genes and chromosomes. They also describe through analogy and model the structure and...
Curated OER
Gene Switches- A Model
Students explore genetic variation within a population. In this genetic adaptation instructional activity, students investigate the reasons contributing to genetic adaptation. Students collaborate and analyze DNA models. Multiple...
Curated OER
Simulation of Gene Splicing
Learners simulate gene splicing by examining bacteria. They create a bacterial DNA into which they insert the human DNA (gene) that codes for growth hormone. They cut the sites of the enzyme to study how the human DNA can be joined to...
Curated OER
Mendelian and Non-Mendelian Heredity
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...
Curated OER
How Does Chance Influence Inheritance?
Students complete a lab based on how chance affects which genes appear in gametes as in Mendel's Law of Segregation. They review the theories, vocabulary words, and historical background of Gregor Mendel's work with pea plants. They...
Curated OER
Happy Face Spider Propagation
Students research genetic adaptations. In this chromosome lesson plan, students investigate dominant and recessive genes using spiders indigenous to Hawaii. Students create Punnett squares to determine the probability of passing specific...
Science 4 Inquiry
Monster Mash-Up of Genetics
It's alive! Young mad scientists create monsters as they explore the probabilities of genetic traits during a well-structured inquiry lesson. Pairs travel from station to station, rolling the dice and adding traits to their creations as...
Curated OER
Sequencing the Cystic Fibrosis Gene: A Simulation
Ninth graders use this activity to simulate the sequencing of gene and to detect the presence of possible genetic defects. They use diagrams that represent bands of nucleotides in order to determine the sequence of a small piece of the...