Welcome to Teach.Genetics
Here you’ll find a wealth of resources and information aimed at helping educators bring genetics, bioscience and health alive in the classroom. A companion to the popular Learn.Genetics website, Teach.Genetics offers additional tools and resources to support your curriculum, all free of charge.
Sample:
Suggested Implementation
Below is a suggested sequence for implementing the activities contained in the unit. Please see each individual activity for implementation instructions, suggestions for adaptations and extensions, and applicable standards.
Day Activity Notes
Day 1 (40 mins.) An Inventory of My Traits Students take an inventory of their own easily-observable genetic traits and compare those inventories with other students in groups.
Observable Human Characteristics This web page shows many of the traits included in An Inventory of My Traits.
A Tree of Genetic Traits Students find the most and least common combination of traits in the class by marking their traits for tongue rolling, earlobe attachment, and PTC tasting on paper leaf cut-outs. Students then organize the leaves on a large “tree of traits.”
Family Traits Trivia (Homework) Students use game cards to inventory the traits in their family. (Note: individuals in families do not need to be related to participate in this activity.)
Day 2 (40 mins.) Generations of Traits Students track and record the passage of colored “pom-pom traits” through three generations of ginger-bread people.
Traits Bingo In this review activity, students cross off or color bingo squares in response to questions about their traits.
Handy Family Tree (Homework) Students distinguish between inherited and learned traits by creating a “family tree of traits” using handprints. (Note: Individuals in families do not need to be related to participate in this activity.)
Day 3 (40 mins.) A Recipe for Traits Students learn that differences in DNA lead to different traits by: 1) randomly choosing strips of paper that represent DNA, then 2) decoding the DNA strips to complete a drawing of a dog.
Family Traits and Traditions (Homework) Students and their families play a matching game with cards to identify traits that are inherited and traits that are learned or passed on through tradition.
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