Lesson Plan

Toothpick Fish

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

With colored toothpicks representing genes, youngsters practice passing them through generations of fish and learn about heredity. Consider this as an introductory activity since it does not represent recessive genes with lowercase letters or teach learners how to use Punnett squares. Natural selection can be addressed, however, since the skin color trait is beneficial as camouflage when fish have green skin in a plant-filled environment.

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Pros
  • Lab activity sheet and several data tables provided for students
  • Thoroughly written teacher's notes and a diagram help you to conduct the lesson clearly
  • Introduced codominance
Cons
  • Does not teach the use of Punnett squares and probability