by Charlene Liesveld

Grade Level: 5-12

Content Area: Science

• Students will learn basic information about the passing of traits from generation to generation.
• Students will be able to list several traits that are inherited.
• Students will show their understanding of the probability of inheriting certain traits.
• Students will construct further knowledge of how some traits are dominant and some are recessive.

Procedures

1. Students will read about how traits are passed from generation to generation: (Use classroom texts or go on-line to The Gene School—Heredity.
2. Students will create either a Sketchy or a PicoMap illustrating their understanding of the concepts of dominant and recessive traits and the probability of these traits showing up in first and second generations.
3. Students will share their PicoMaps and Sketchy’s with each other.
4. Have the students create a Quizzler to review the basic concepts they have learned. (See sample questions)
5. Students will apply what they have learned by playing the Palm Game Geney.
   1. Beam the Geney application to the class.
   2. Explain the “rules” that can be found on the website.
   3. Allow the students to practice individually and try to discover which traits are dominant and which are recessive.
   4. Once the students understand how to “breed” the pairs of creatures, allow them to work with each other in an effort to create the target creature.
   5. Have the students discuss their progress and their frustrations in creating their target creature. Discuss which characteristics appear to be dominant and which recessive. Discuss which characteristics of the target creature are dominant and which are recessive.

Web Sites

Geney: Exploring Genetics Together. www.geney.net . This is an interactive game for Palm handheld computers. The students try to “create” a target creature that exhibits certain traits, by “breeding” characters with four different traits. Creatures can be beamed from one handheld to another to aid in the breeding process.

The Gene School--Heredity
http://library.thinkquest.org/19037/heredity.html.
Excellent basic information, with additional links to other sites with more in-depth information on cloning, gene theory, agriculture, inherited diseases, human genome project, and DNA in the courtroom. The interactive section contains several experiments, a self-checking quiz, games, (including crosswords, word searches, probability, key words, etc.), as well as a message board, polls, and many teacher links to other journals and articles on heredity and genetic study. It contains an extensive glossary.

The Heredity of Eye Color
http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch02/eyes.mhtml.
Simple, clear explanation, published by McGraw Hill, 2003.

Resources for Middle School Science 2-9—Heredity, the Code of Life , published by Prentice Hall.
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/rtmss/2.9.html.
Has many additional links to related topics.

Science Connection: Heredity and Genetics: University of Arizona http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/worksheet_heredity.html.

appropriate for beginning learners and learners with some cell biology background. Need to be able to think abstractly.

http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/heredity.html (student worksheet)—used in an 8th grade class

http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/teacher_heredity.html (teacher notes.

Sixth Grade Science: Reproduction and Heredity
http://www.utm.edu/departments/ed/cece/sixth/6E1.shtml.

NOVA online/Cracking the Code of Life/Understanding Heredity/(c.550B.C.– 2001A.D..)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/heredity.html.

Books

Bryan, J. Genetic Engineering. New York: Thomson Learning, 1995.

Cohen, D., Cloning. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century Books, 2002.

Gardner, R. Health Science Projects About Heredity. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, Inc. 2001.

Jenkins, M. Genetics. Lincolnwood (Chicago): NTC/Contemporary Publishing, 1998
Popular Science Teach yourself Series

Kidd, J.S. and Kidd. R.A. Life Lines: The Story of the New Genetics. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1999.

ScienceSaurus: A Student Handbook. Wilmington, MA: Great Source Education Group, Inc., 2002.
Appropriate for middle school students

Torr, J.D., ed. Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2001

Yount, L. Genetics and Genetic Engineering. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1997.

An article for high school researchers:
Sandler, I., “Development: Mendel's Legacy to Genetics,” Genetics, Vol. 154, 7-11, January 2000, Copyright © 2000.