Lesson Plan
MENSA Education & Research Foundation

Peas in a Pod: Genetics

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Can peas have grandparents? Learn about inherited traits and heredity with a set of activities focused on Mendelian genetics. As your class learns about the process of passing traits along in Punnett squares, they take on the role of...
Lesson Plan
Towson University

Mystery of the Crooked Cell

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can your class solve the Mystery of the Crooked Cell? Junior geneticists collaborate to learn about sickle cell anemia in a fascinating lesson plan. The included materials help them to examine the genetic factors behind the disease...
Lesson Plan
Towson University

Mystery Disease

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
Handout
eSchool Today

E School Today: Your Cool Tips on Genetics

For Students 3rd - 8th
Explains basic genetics concepts, including genes, DNA, chromosomes, sex chromosomes, how traits are inherited, genetic variation, cloning, and stem cells.
Handout
California State University

Csu Chico: Population Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a group of Mendelian Genetics exercises that are designed to show the evolution of a trait within a population. The site covers instruction in calculating genotypic and allelic frequencies, determining dominance, the...
Handout
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Complex Modes of Inheritance

For Students 9th - 10th
A tutorial reviews polygenic and multiple alleles, Punnett Square, sex-linked trait, and inheritance patterns. Follow the slides to ensure comprehension of inheritance.
Handout
Palomar Community College District

Palomar College: Mendels' Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Palomar College provides a good background on exactly what Mendel did. Vocabulary links throughout make this a very good introduction article for genetics.
Handout
Estrella Mountain Community College

Estrella Mountian College: Introduction to Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains genetic beliefs before and after Mendel, and also includes a section on Mendel himself and his experiments, entitled, "The Monk and his Peas".
Handout
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Behavioral Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
A useful introduction from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on the study of how genetics and behavior are linked. Many useful resource links are included.
Handout
Other

Suny: Biology: Pedigree Analysis

For Students 9th - 10th
Pedigree inheritance is a method of examining inherited traits. Learn how to use this method and develop conclusions through these examples.
Handout
Estrella Mountain Community College

Online Biology Book: Introduction to Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This college-level biology reference book introduces the study of heredity and genetics using diagrams and descriptive illustrations.
Handout
Palomar Community College District

Waynes Word: Multiple Gene (Polygenic) Inheritance

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Explains and gives examples of polygenic inheritance.
Handout
University of Hamburg

University of Hamburg: Deviations From Mendelian Laws And: What Is the Meaning of Dominance?

For Students 9th - 10th
Upper level discussion of several of Mendel's experiments and laws.
Handout
Treehut

Suzy's World: Genetics Why Do You Look Like You?

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site explores the role genetics plays in making you look the way that you do. Content includes fun facts and a classroom experiment.
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Biology: Mendelian Inheritance Study Guide

For Students 4th - 9th
Review the processes of basic Mendelian genetics.
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Variations on Mendel's Laws (Overview)

For Students 9th - 10th
Article reviews Mendel's basic model of inheritance then provides an overview of variations on Mendel's laws, including multiple alleles, incomplete dominance, co-dominance, pleiotropy, lethal alleles, sex linkage, genetic interactions,...
Handout
Other

Lawrence Livermore National Lab: Probabilities of Traits

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains how to determine the chances of inheriting certain traits from our parents. It gives mathematical examples and exercises.
Handout
Other

Human Genetics Multifactorial Inheritance

For Students 9th - 10th
On this University of Illinois at Chicago site you can get the importance of multifactorial inheritance, and numerous models to help illustrate the idea. There is a summary at the bottom for review, and an address to send questions to...
Handout
Other

North Dakota State Univ.: Mendel's Law of Ind. Assort.

For Students 9th - 10th
Mendel's second law and how he arrived at it through his experiments. Includes vocabulary and examples.
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Other

Personal Site / Mendels Discoveries

For Students 9th - 10th
This personal site gives the seven characteristics that Mendel observed and a fairly large background to what Mendel saw and interpreted.
Handout
University of Utah

University of Utah: learn.genetics: Ptc: The Genetics of Bitter Taste

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the PTC gene, and listen to scientists discuss this accidental discovery which lead to important clues about human evolution.
Handout
Other

Your Doctor: Sickle Cell Anemia (In Arabic)

For Students 9th - 10th
Photos of slides and genetics charts accompany the text and explain the differences between sickle cell train vs. sickle cell anemia, symptoms of sickle cell disease, secondary diseases/conditions associated with sickle cell, mechanism...
Handout
Sophia Learning

Sophia: X Linked Traits

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson will give examples of disorders that are linked to genes on the X chromosome.
Handout
University of Utah

University of Utah: Learning Center: The Epigenome Learns From Its Experiences

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out how epigenetic tags that tell genes whether to turn on or off in their lifetime, act as a cellular memory.