Inheritance Model

It is time for us to put together our learning in the genetics section, and have some fun in the process.

Part 1: Breeding Critters

Imagine that there were 2 little critters:

a white-colored female with 3 body segments, orange legs, a red curly tail, a green nose, 1 red antenna, small eyes, and 2 long green spikes (Grandma), and 

a black-colored male with 2 body segments, blue legs, a white tail, a pink nose 2 red antennae, large eyes, one short purple spike (Grandpa). 

At the zoo the zookeepers put these 2 critters together and were surprised that the offspring were striped white and black. All the offspring had 2 black-and-white striped body segments, blue legs, pink noses, white tails, medium eyes, 2 red antennae, and 3 spikes (2 long green and one short purple). 

Your job is to breed 2 of these striped offspring (Maggie and Ralph) and see what the “baby’s” traits are!

What will the baby look like?

Complete the Breeding Critters assignment sheet.

Then make sure your bin is fully stocked.

Ziplock bag has:

• 2 paper bags, one labeled "Ralph" and one "Maggie"

• 2 "Dominant" sticks + 2 "Recessive" sticks

• 2 "B" sticks + 2 "W" sticks

• 2 "G" sticks + 2 "H" sticks

• 3 "X" sticks + 1 "Y" stick

• 1 penny

Bin also has:

• 1 pair of scissors

• 1 glue stick

• 1 small paper cup

• Markers for coloring critter on assignment page

Notes for the breeding critters activity: 

• "Eye Size" is an example of incomplete dominance because offspring with both the dominant and recessive alleles, E and e, get a combination of the two traits, medium-sized eyes 

• "Spikes" is an example of codominance, which normally uses all capital letters for alleles, because offspring with both alleles G and H and both alleles get all of both traits, meaning one short purple spike and two short green spikes.

• "Body Color" is an example of codominance because offspring with both alleles B and W have both traits showing in their black and white stripes. (If you were to have the offspring with black and white alleles blended into grey, then it would be incomplete dominance.)

• "Tail Style" is an example of the environment affecting the trait because any allele combination will result in a curly tail if there is the made-up "critic acid" present, which we flip a coin to see if it happens.

See past breeding critters here.

Part 2: Sea Star Inheritance Model

If you are in class doing this, please follow these instructions: 

• Turn on a Chromebook but do not log in. Go to "Apps" -> "Secure TestBrowser"

• In the lower-left corner, click "Practice and Training Tests Site"

• Click "Guest Session" and then "Guest User" to turn them both off.

• Enter your SSID student number and test code: TRAIN-4B23-2 

• Click "Sign In" and go through the test. Skip quickly past questions 1-3.

• Take your time working through questions 4-8 about sea star genetics.

• Then, check your answers on the class website at "Inheritance Model Part 2."

  • Scroll down from here to see the correct answers.

If you are not in class or not using a school Chromebook, please follow these instructions:

Go to the following site and click through the prompts to take the 8th grade science practice test.

Click the following in order from the link below: 

• the green "Sign In" button, then

• Grade Level 8, then 

• "WCAS Training Tests", then 

• "Start Grade 8 Science - Training Test", then 

• "Select" (other options can be modified for students who want read-aloud or other accommodations on the practice items), and then 

•  "Begin test now"

https://login3.cambiumtds.com/student_core/V77/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Washington_PT&a=Student

Breeze quickly through the first 3 questions about Saturn's moon, molecules, and earthquakes, then take your time to properly complete all of the subsequent items about sea star genetics.

If you finish early, go back to the training tests link above and challenge yourself to take the grade 10 training test.

Then, check your answers here:

Item 4

Inheritance Model Extension:

Read and follow directions in the Genetics Book (pp. D-59 to D-63).

1. Write a summary of what you learned from this lesson. 

2. Then, evaluate the lesson.  In your evaluation, give your opinion on how appropriate the material from it would be for the rest of your class, judge the pros and cons of the lesson, and predict how well students will do with the lesson (one paragraph). 

3. Then, write a single paragraph with a recommendation for whether the lesson should be used by the full class in the future.