Virginia Department of Education
Mendelian Genetics
How did Mendel know which pea plants would demonstrate certain characteristics? Pupils explore the answer this question, among others, as they complete Punnet squares, research dominant and recessive traits, and explore hereditary...
Curated OER
TE Lesson: What's Dominant?
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...
Oklahoma State University
Hairy Heredity
Young scholars learn that heredity comes down to the flip of a coin with this cross-curricular math and science lesson. Using smiley faces as a model, young scholars toss coins to determine which dominant or recessive traits will be...
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
"Easter" Egg Genetics
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...
Beyond Benign
Lucky Brand Genes: Genetic Traits
Explore single-gene traits in humans. After viewing a video introducing genetic vocabulary, individuals identify their phenotype and possible genotypes of specific traits. They consider both dominant and recessive traits. This is the...
Curated OER
Evolution and Gene Frequencies: A Game of Survival and Reproductife Success
Young scholars 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...
University of Washington
Toothpick Fish
With colored toothpicks representing genes, youngsters practice passing them through generations of fish and learn about heredity. Consider this as an introductory activity since it does not represent recessive genes with lowercase...
Curated OER
Pre-Activity Worksheet: Natural Selection
Although the instructions include reading from a specific textbook, the tasks are appropriate for any unit dealing with how genotype frequency changes over time. Junior biologists define five vocabulary terms and then answer five...
Curated OER
Principles of Heredity
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...
Curated OER
Using the Internet to Do Punnett Squares
What a fun way to explore Mendelian Genetics! Using a computer connected to the Internet, beginning biologists construct and use Punnett squares of monohybrid crosses to explain how genetic traits are passed to offspring. Other websites...
LABScI
Genetic Equilibrium: Human Diversity
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...
Curated OER
Genetics
Students explain the difference between dominant and recessive genes, identify what causes differences in the traits of parents and their offspring, and explain how sex is determined. They will also improve their reading and...
Curated OER
Plant Reproduction
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...
Curated OER
Happy Face Spider Propagation
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...
Curated OER
How Unique Are You?
Students explore how genetic information is passed down from parent to offspring. Because of this, they examine how this causes the variation in each species.
Curated OER
Dragon Genetics Lab-Principles of Mendelian Genetics
Young scholars study genetic traits using popsicle sticks as chromosomes. In this biology activity, students explain how traits are inherited from parents. They differentiate dominant and recessive genes.
Curated OER
The Genetics of Parenthood
High schoolers draws the child's face and compares "mother's" and "father's" perception of characteristics. One student draws the child's face; partner writes a biography of the child at age 30- what is the child like, what have they...
Curated OER
Peter Rabbit Meets Charles Darwin
Learners start to think of evolution in terms of populations. The class follows a cartoon scenario of a rabbit population in which there is selection and change of gene frequency. They receive copies of the scenario or the whole thing...
Curated OER
Sex-Linked Genes
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, they examine possible...
Serendip
Soap Opera Genetics – Genetics to Resolve Family Arguments
Did she cheat on her husband? Did the hospital switch the babies? Should they have children? As much as this sounds like the plot for a soap opera, all of these questions fit into a single activity on genetics. Scholars read about three...
Curated OER
Using the Internet: Punnett Squares
Seventh graders discuss their own genetic traits. Using computers, they research the creation of Punnett Squares. They preform online experiments with peas, predicting the appearances of the offspring. They determine how genetic traits...
Serendip
Should States Repeal Their Laws Banning First Cousin Marriage?
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...
University of Colorado
Punnett Squares with Piebald Deer
Explore the science behind Earth's amazing diversity of life with this lesson plan on genetics. Looking at specific traits in piebald deer, carnations, and roan cattle, young scientists use Punnett squares to determine the possible...