Really a unit, this resource exposes middle schoolers to genetics at their level. They read interviews and biographies, trace a family tree, play games that simulate inheritance concepts, and more! Teacher's procedures, student...

Where is a geneticist's favorite place to swim? A gene pool. Young geneticists complete hands-on activities, experiments, and real-world problem solving throughout the unit. With extra focus on dominant and recessive genes, Punnett...

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...

Students plant seeds in order to investigate and explore the questions: "How do seed companies develop varieties of plants?" and "What is the ideal plant?" Students will study related vocabulary and sketch seeds as they emerge. Students...

How did scientists determine the cause of illness before technology? Science scholars play the role of medical researcher in an engaging guided inquiry activity. Using observations, technical reading, and Punnett squares, learners...

Using plastic Easter eggs to represent parent phenotypes, genetics enthusiasts simulate the passing of alleles. They record the phenotype of each half of the egg, one representing the mother's and one representing the father's. They...

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...

Explore the difference between stochastic and deterministic modeling through programming. First have the class write algorithms for relatively simple tasks using pseudocode. Use the Python 2.7 program app to simulate Mendel's Pea Pod...

Fifth graders understand the meaning of dominant and recessive. In this dominant and recessive traits instructional activity, 5th graders participate in a game and record results on a chart. Students relate experiment to genes. Students...

Students model traits on genes using colored paper and tongue depressors to represent chromosomes. In this heredity lesson plan, students use their "chromosome sticks" to understand chromosome pairs, genes, dominant traits, recessive...

Students explore the history, inheritance and mutations of genetics.  In this genetic lesson students complete experiments on DNA sequences.

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...

Students explore heredity. In this science lesson plan, students examine what heredity is, distinguish the difference between the dominant and recessive genes, explain the difference between phenotype and genotype, and predict the...

Fifth graders examine the difference between dominant and recessive genes, and what happens when genes are combined. They complete a worksheet on genetics after observing if they can wiggle their ears or roll their tongues. They...

Students 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 plan, they examine...

A great handout to introduce genetics. Young geneticists will begin to examine which traits are prevalent in their own families, helping them begin to understand the concept of dominant and recessive genes. This is an excellent resource...

Students experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.

Students research genetic adaptations. In this chromosome lesson, students investigate dominant and recessive genes using spiders indigenous to Hawaii. Students create Punnett squares to determine the probability of passing specific...

Students use 2 sets of colored beans to represent the genes of an organism. In this genetic probability lesson plan, students use the colored beans to represent the genotypes of offspring which they pull out of a box at random while the...

Students study the number of chromosomes in the body cells, sperm cells, and egg cells of humans. They define allele, and examine the difference between dominant and recessive alleles. They complete an activity with jelly beans that...

Students are introduced to genetics along with genetic diseases and heredity. In groups, they complete a Punnett Square to determine the dominant and recessive genes. After viewing diagrams, they identify the characteristics of DNA and...

Investigate the Hardy-Weinberg Principle to explain genetic equilibrium. The 10th lesson plan of a series of 12 is a laboratory exploration of genetic equilibrium. Your classes use a mixture of beans to model allele and genotype...

Become familiar with the basic concepts of inheritance. Your junior high students work through mulitple examples of crosses and calculate probabilities of trait occurance. The explain the concept that each parent contributes one half of...

Students discern that dominant and recessive traits occur in a variety of combinations in any given group of people.