Genetic Wheel (Reuben Kirsh)

Title: Genetic Wheel

Principle(s) Investigated: Genetics, Genes, Homozygous, Heterozygous, Recessive, Dominant

Standards :7.2.c.Students know an inherited trait can be determined by one or more genes.

7.2.d Students know plant and animal cells contain many thousands of different genes and typically have two copies of every gene. The two copies (or alleles) of the gene may or may not be identical, and one may be dominant in determining the phenotype while the other is recessive.

7.2.e Students know DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material of living organisms and is located in the chromosomes of each cell.

Materials: Computers and students.

Procedure:

Complete survey on what traits you notice. After lecture :

1) Find a partner

2) Open up shared google slide (Genetic Web)

3) Put name on a slide to indicate it is your slide

4) With your partner identify what traits you have by using the first slide within the shared google slide.

5) Fill out Genetic Web by using shape tool

6) Complete second survey.

Student prior knowledge: Students should have previously gone over Mitosis along with the shape and number of chromosomes. The students should have already learned about DNA and its structure. They also should have learned how DNA is transcribed into RNA and how RNA is translated into protein. Finally they should have learned how proteins produce physical characteristics.

Explanation:

Start google slide Mr. Kirsh Genetic Wheel and describe how we are all different and what phenotypes are. There will be a slide that tells students to fill out traits they see.

Ask the students to look at each other for physical characteristics (traits). Have them write down their physical characteristics they notice (example :hair, eye color, height, etc.) in the survey provided (survey part 1).

Discuss their answers and then go on to present the google slideshow below.

The google slideshow will help explain genes, alleles, and phenotypes with the examples of physical traits that will be tested later in the experiment.

Have the students open up the shared google slide ( Genetic Wheel) and assign them a partner. Go over how to do the first part of the Genetic Wheel with them (instruction are on google slide). The students will then work with a partner and fill out their own Genetic Wheel on their own slide.

Have the students fill out survey part 2, while the teacher fills out the outside of the wheel with everyone's numbers. Once students are done taking the survey go over and discuss results.

Questions & Answers: Give three thought-provoking questions and provide detailed answers.

Why would you think genetic differences are important within a population? To provide a variety of different organisms within a population that have the ability to deal with a multitude of environmental factors, instead of a homogeneous population that have the exact same abilities within a particular environment.

Some scientist estimate there are around 25,000 different genes. In this class we tested 7, and that lead us to a possibility of 128 genes. Assuming only two different types of allele, how many genetically different combinations of people can there be? It would be a number that is very high, in practical terms it would be infinite.

Do all differences among individuals result from differences in their genes? No some differences are a result of environmental factors, and others are a combination of both genes and environmental factors.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1d3ETIgRPrTLboWx_LGe5Kz-sg7keX9ZVVHIQTAvGoBI/edit?usp=sharing

Applications to Everyday Life: If any one of the physical characteristics are caused by one homozygous recessive gene and both parents have the trait but their child does not have the trait, the child can tell that he or she is not genetically related to their parents. By looking at physical characteristics and the differences between and among people scientist may be able to tell what physical characteristics are genetic and what are caused by environmental factors. When people are deciding to have children they may look at their families genetic traits and have a greater outcome in determining what physical traits their children may have.

Photographs: The photographs are located in the google slide part 1

Videos: