Curated OER
Blending Butterflies
Students create camouflage butterflies. In this camouflage lesson plan, students read about the different types of camouflage. Each student in the class chooses a spot in the classroom and creates a camouflaged butterfly. They hang up...
Curated OER
Lesson 16: DNA Technology
Students research different areas of biotechnology. In this biology lesson, students create a presentation about their research. They debate the topic presented and share their views on the subject.
Curated OER
Born of Blood
Eighth graders use a large Punnett Square and infer how genes determine blood types. In this blood type lesson students predict blood types and demonstrate how Punnett Squares are related to genes and chromosomes.
Curated OER
Square Dancing
Fourth graders investigate the concept of using punnett squares in the determination of the offspring.They collect drawings and pictures and create a collection for student science journals.
Curated OER
Candy Dish Selection
Students explore natural selection. They explore the concepts of adaptations, and the way which random factors affect the survival of individuals and populations.
Curated OER
Drosophila Melanogaster
Students cross wild type flies and mutants, both purchased from a biological supply house (Carolina Biological Supply or Wards, for example) in groups from lesson one.
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Biology: Genetics Ii: Mendel and Multiple Genetic Traits
Instructional module focusing on Gregor Mendel's scientific legacy and analysis of multiple genetic traits. Discussion includes Mendel's work on his second law, the Law of Independent Assortment, which states that different traits are...
University of Utah
University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Center: teach.genetics: Introduction to Heredity
A three-day unit introduces heredity by helping students identify their own genetic traits and then leading them in an exploration of generational traits and variation. Find printable worksheets, data tables, and graphs, as well as...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Dolan Dna Learning Center: Inheritance Calculator: Genetic Traits
An interactive Punnett Square inheritance calculator helps students work out patterns of recessive inheritance for a trait, such as straight or peaked hairline.
Read Works
Read Works: Inheritance of Traits
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about learned and inherited traits. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
eSchool Today
E School Today: Your Cool Tips on Genetics
Explains basic genetics concepts, including genes, DNA, chromosomes, sex chromosomes, how traits are inherited, genetic variation, cloning, and stem cells.
University of Washington
Genome Sciences Education Outreach: State Your Traits [Pdf]
Multi-activity instructional activity in which students engage in learning about the inheritance of genetic traits.
University of Utah
University of Utah: Genetic Science Learning Center: Traits Activities
A collection of genetic learning activities provides an engaging way to learn about traits, or better understand disease risk.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Dolan Dna Learning Center: Inheritance Calculator: Blank Make Your Own
An interactive Punnett Square calculator which allows students to work out patterns of inheritance for any autosomal recessive genetic trait or disease.
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Complex Modes of Inheritance
A tutorial reviews polygenic and multiple alleles, Punnett Square, sex-linked trait, and inheritance patterns. Follow the slides to ensure comprehension of inheritance.
Bryn Mawr College
Serendip: Dragon Genetics: Understanding Inheritance
Brief text summary of what students learn in the Dragon Genetics II lab along with links to download Student Handouts and Teacher Preparation Notes in PDF and Word formats. Using Popsicle sticks, students experiment with different...
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Ciese: Human Genetics Project: Is the Dominant Trait Most Prevalent?
Human-Genetics: A Worldwide Search for the Dominant Trait allows you to collect data and share your results with students around the world. Register your class, complete the student survey, participate in discussion boards, and interact...
Open Curriculum
Open Curriculum: Human Inheritance
This illustrated article describes the difference between a genetic trait and a genetic disease/disorder.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Mendel's Laws of Genetic Inheritance
This interactive activity, adapted from the Dolan DNA Learning Center, uses Punnett squares to illustrate Mendel's laws of inheritance and how a particular gene combination results in a 3-to-1 ratio of dominant-to-recessive traits.
University of Washington
Genome Sciences Education Outreach: Genetic Traits [Pdf]
Shows examples of genetic traits such as earlobes, tongue rolling, and mid-digital finger hair.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Reebops: A "Model" Organism for Teaching Genetic Concepts
For this lesson students create imaginary creatures, called "Reebops," to explore the relationships between genes and inherited traits. Using Reebops as a model, students learn how hereditary information is passed from one generation to...
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Biology: Genetics I: Mendel's Laws of Inheritance
Instructional module focusing on Gregor Mendel's Laws of Inheritance. Discussion includes Mendel's discovery of dominant and recessive traits as well as co-dominance and incomplete dominance in genetics. Site also includes an interactive...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Modern Genetics
Try your hand at mating dragons to learn about genetic recombination, meiosis, and inherited traits. Understand how chromosomes separate in meiosis with a science animation. Then change alleles for the dragons to see what happens to...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Biology: Genetics
Through informational text, interactive activities, practice problems, and video clips, students analyze how biological traits are passed on to successive generations.