Lesson Plan
Beyond Benign

Lucky Brand Genes: Genetic Traits

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parental Genes

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore how different organisms pass their traits to their offspring. In this life science lesson plan, 8th graders differentiate recessive and dominant alleles. They predict the phenotype based on the genotype of an...
Lesson Plan
LABScI

Genetic Equilibrium: Human Diversity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Serendip

Soap Opera Genetics – Genetics to Resolve Family Arguments

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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 lesson on genetics. Scholars read about three...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Standard 4 Review Sheet-Genetics and Inheritance

For Teachers 9th - 11th
For this genetics worksheet, students answer a variety of questions about inheritance, DNA, the genetic code, genes, sexual and asexual reproduction, mutations, protein synthesis and genetic engineering.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Basic Genetics

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders discover where their physical appearance and personality traits come from. In this genetics lesson, 9th graders learn about cells, chromosomes, DNA and genes. Students discover where genes come from as well as dominant and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genes

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the history, inheritance and mutations of genetics.  In this genetic lesson students complete experiments on DNA sequences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetic Variations in Hand Span Size

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study genes. In this biology lesson plan, students measure their handspan size to determine if one pair or many pairs of genes control that trait.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teacher Preparation Notes on Genetics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students explore genetics through various hands-on activities. In this biology lesson, students predict the probability of offspring genotypes and phenotypes using the Punnett Square. They explain the causes of genetic abnormalities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fruit Fly Ranch Activity

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders describe how the traits of an organism are passed from generation to generation. They distinguish between asexual and sexul reproduction. Students identify traits through genes and those resulting from interactions with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetics of Parenthood

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students participate in an activity where they flip coins to determine which allele they pass on to the F1 generation and draw the resulting child's face. They identify several inheritance patterns including dominant, recessive,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mendelian and Non-Mendelian Heredity

For Teachers 10th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Human Traits

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore human behavior by participating in a class science game. In this human characteristics lesson, students identify different human traits that are passed down by each generation and the purpose each of them have. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Just Like Me

For Teachers 7th - 9th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Patterns of Heredity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students describe the differences between incomplete dominance and codominant alleles, and between multiple alleles and polygenic inheritance. They describe how internal and external environments affect gene expression. They then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetic Disorders

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders discuss traits, traits that are inherited and how genes and chromosomes carry the code for traits. They research genetic disorders and their link to chromosome abnormalites and write a report on their findings. which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Genetics of Parenthood

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Organisms Vary?

For Teachers K - 8th
Students study variation of organisms. They determine this variation arises from genetic and environmental causes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Variety is the Spice of Life

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners explore Gregor Mendel's work with genetics. They complete a survey of their friends and family in order to identify dominant and recessive traits. Once their surveys are complete, students discuss the ways in which dominant...
Lesson Plan
Serendip

DNA

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Get up close and personal with DNA! A two-part hands-on activity has learners extract DNA from a small organism and then their own cheek cells. Scholars then explore DNA replication using questions to guide their analyses.
Lesson Plan
American Psychological Association

Using Psychological Perspectives to Answer Questions on Behavior

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Perspective is everything when it comes to assessing human behavior. Class members examine a series of statements and identify the perspective represented by each to demonstrate their understanding of different psychological perspectives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's All in the Genes

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders investigate the inheritance of traits through several hands-on activities that illustrate the transmission of genetic characteristics. Students study advanced topics including multiple alleles, polygenic traits,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heredity: Your Connection To The Past

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars investigate genetics and the process of reproduction in living organisms.
Lesson Plan
University of California

Artificially Selecting Dogs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Selective breeding has resulted in some novel and beautiful or useful dogs over the years. Using the American Foxhound as an example, genetics learners find out how and why they came about. Then, in small groups, they select breeds to...