The breakthrough of Mendelian genetics solved many puzzles for biologists. Then, scientists decided to apply the theory to human behavior. Learn the story and struggle of finding a genetic explanation for hobbies, interests, and mental...

A red delicious apple tree with a simple mutation means we now benefit from the existence of golden delicious apples. Learn how simple mutations change genetic information in DNA sequences. Using biographies, videos, and animations,...

Can a high school program alter the entire course of your life? David Baltimore and Howard Temin participated in high school programs working in research laboratories and went on to win the 1975 Nobel Prize. Learn about these two...

Use a familiar song and adorable baby animal pictures to teach youngsters about genetic variation. Begin by listening to "Twelve Variations on 'Ah vous dirai-je Maman,'" which you will need to find online (there are several versions...

Students examine genetic inheritance patterns and pedigrees. After discussing sex-linked genes, students use pedigrees to determine the genotypes of parents in the P1 generation. They complete worksheets and disuss the results.

Can organic molecules come from a pre-biotic environment? Stanley Lloyd Miller proved it is possible when exactly the right conditions exist. Learn about his experiment and the other experiments later building off of it that changed the...

Teach young biologists the language of life with this series of worksheets on DNA. By working through these pages, students expand their understanding of genetics as they learn about the process of transcription and the...

Can you identify mutations just by viewing DNA sequences? Scholars apply prior knowledge of DNA sequences to do just that in an engaging activity. They transcribe and translate genes, thus identifying the locations of mutations. Then,...

Students use this following the study of pedigree designs and human genetics. Four pedigree designs are prepared of your (student's) family's genetics. They construct the pedigree representing two, three, or four generations.

Fifth graders understand that traits are inherited and change over time. In this physical traits instructional activity, 5th graders compare produce items for similar traits. Students create large graphs to show their results. Students...

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...

In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all...

More than half the world's population eats rice as a daily staple ... imagine if that rice could prevent illness. Scientists genetically engineered rice to include vitamin A for just that purpose. However, room for debate still exists....

Seventh graders examine genetics combination using statistics. In this statistics lesson, 7th graders examine genetic trait using a table or punnett square to identify genotype and phenotype. This assignment requires more than one class...

Students, in groups, research, analyze and synthesize information on genetic diseases. After watching a video on genetics, groups perform research on a variety of genetic diseases and present their findings to the class.

Students use this interactive tutorial program to directly observe a variety of inheritance patterns. They develop mastery over the variety of genetics problems presented. This simulation is designed to promote the acquisition of skill...

Students review genetic concept of traits, define and discuss phenotypes and genotypes, examine differences between single gene traits and multiple gene traits, and compare and record phenotypes with every other student in class.

Biotechnology changes lives every day, but how did it all start? Learn about Cohen and Boyer's technique for recombinant DNA and the founding of this new scientific study. Then, scholars use the online interactive to discover how Hanahan...

Students explore biotechnology and examine how it is used to improve plants and animals.  In this genetic plant lesson plan students investigate how plants are crossed to create a plant with more desired traits. 

Ninth graders complete a monohybrid cross and a dihybrid cross. In this biology instructional activity, 9th graders predict the traits of offspring using the Punnett square. They differentiate recessive and dominant genes.

Students compare three sets of unlabeled human chromosomes and gather related data, trace chromosomes to pair them, and make observations about them.

Today researchers identify a gene suspected of causing a genetic disease in a matter of days rather than years, thanks to the Human Genome Project. Young scientists learn about the Human Genome Project and the scientists who designed the...

High schoolers analyze genetic characteristics in a given family tree through the F2 generation. Students apply prior knowledge from Gregor Mendel's study with pea plants and his Laws of Heredity to answer questions.

Ninth graders identify and relate terms in biotechnology. They discuss genetic engineering in the world today. Students are given a worksheet to determine the father in the paternal case. They complete answers on the worksheet.