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
Deliberating in a Democracy

Cloning

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers  explore the issues and challenges of cloning.  For this cloning lesson plan, students read about how cloning affects people and the types of cloning, then they prepare a debate either for or against cloning.
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Curated OER

Animal Testing

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Animal testing: cruel and inhumane, or innovative and life-saving? Scholars explore the topic and form their own opinions with help from the highly informative website. Pupils read a comprehensive overview of the topic, including...
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PBS

Pbs News Hour Extra: The Human Genome Project, a Decade Later

For Students 9th - 10th
This article reviews advances made by medical researchers since the complete mapping of the human genetic code ten years earlier. Although the expectation then had been that cures could be found for many diseases based on this new...
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Other

University of Illinois Chicago: Human Genetics: Mendelian Inheritance

For Students 9th - 10th
Great genetics site with a very good section on Punnett squares.
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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

Abpi: Human Genome Project

For Students 9th - 10th
An in-depth look at the human genome project and its scientific and social implications. Students work through interactive learning material, understanding the ethics involved in genetic studies. There is a suggested classroom activity...
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PBS

Pbs Learning Media: How to Conquer a Genetic Disease

For Students 9th - 10th
In Blazing a Genetic Trail, by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, follow this three-step approach to treating genetic diseases.
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Other

University of Illinois: Population Genetics [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the University of Illinois at Chicago provides an in-depth article on Human Genetics, with a focus on primarily population genetics. The article is factual and informative full of charts, formulas, and extensive text. A...
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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.
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PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What's Coming to Dinner? Genetically Modified Foods

For Students 9th - 10th
Browse through a table full of genetically modified (GM) foods to see what's available now and what's to come. From FRONTLINE/NOVA: "Harvest of Fear."
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University of Kansas Medical Center

Univ of Kansas Medical Center: Careers in Human Genetics

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the University of Kansas Medical Center provides an excellent list of resources for additional information about careers in genetics.
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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.
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CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Biology: Human Inheritance Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive study guide covers the main terms and concepts needed for a unit on human inheritance.
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Human Genome Project: Genome Glossary

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Human Genome Project of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a glossary of terms associated with Genetics and Biosciences. The site lists the terms alphabetically and they can be viewed by clicking on the letter.
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Other

Human Genome Sequencing Center (Baylor College of Med)

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource presents information about the human genome sequencing project and has links to other genome projects besides the Human Genome Project.
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Human Genome Project: Project Information

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides from the Human Genome Project provides basic information on the Human Genome Project. Among the items discussed is how genome sequencing is done, as well as information about the genome and proteome.
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University of Utah

University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Center: Single Gene Disorders: Cystic Fibrosis

For Students 9th - 10th
Click on "Cystic Fibrosis (CF) to learn about this is a disorder that affects respiration and digestion. This article explains causes, inheritance, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
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PBS

Pbs Learning Media: On Human Cloning

For Students 9th - 10th
Three cloning experts share their opinions of cloning in these interviews from NOVA: "18 Ways to Make a Baby."
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Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Dna From the Beginning: Mutations Are Changes in Genetic Information

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explains how and why mutations are so important to genetics.
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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
Georgetown University

Georgetown Univ.: Scope Note 24, Human Gene Therapy

For Students 9th - 10th
Georgetown University site with a lengthy article on many aspects of gene therapy. Includes background and historical information and numerous resources on the topic. Focus here is on the ethics of these types of therapies.
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BiologyWise

Biology Wise: Genetic Mutations in Humans

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses common mutations that occur in the human population and describes the many different types of genetic mutations and their impact.
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University of Utah

University of Utah: Learn Genetics: Genes and Blood Type

For Students 9th - 10th
For a concise summary of human blood types, this is a great resource. Discussion includes the topics of genotype, phenotype and agglutinins. There is also a nice pictorial table that summarizes the three blood types.
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University of Utah

University of Utah: Learning Center: learn.genetics: Scientists Read Chromosomes

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out how scientists read human chromosomes using three features: size, banding pattern, and centromere position.

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