Inheritance Simulated Laboratory

What is the inheritance lab demonstrating?

This simulated lab is showing students how to analyze and interpret traits that have been inherited from parents and their offspring. This lab also allows for students to develop and use models to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation. Also, this lab allows students to develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism and gather synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms. This lab is organized into four levels. The first level is designed for 1st grade students. The second level is designed for 3rd grade students. Level 3 is designed for 6th grade students. Lastly, level 4 is designed for 8th grade students.

How do I teach this lab?

 LEVEL 1: 

First, you will ask students to think, pair, and share and ask the students to discuss the similarities and differences of the parent and offspring represented in the resource pages.

Next, you will provide students with 2 large stickers and one small stickers of the same color.

You will then ask the students to place the parents in the inter squares as illustrated in Figure 1. (Ask the students to place the offspring that is produced by crossing parent 1 and parent 2 in the squares between the parents)

Then you will give the students another set of large and one small different colored stickers. The students will then repeat the process again.

You will then ask the students to sort the stickers by “families” or colors.

LEVEL 2:

First, the instructor will show pictures of different animals to the students- these will be provided

Next, you will ask the students to “think, pair, and share” to discuss the similarities and differences of the herds health represented in the pictures.

For the activity, you will have students make a keep cull chart shown in Figure 2

You will then explain the difference between keep and cull and have the students identify if a healthy black cow/ bull is better to keep or cull. Refer to figure 3.

LEVEL 3:

Show a presentation to the class on different animals and their offspring to the class. Students will need to use the “think, pair, and share” to discuss the similarities and differences of the parents and the offspring.

Then, you will provide the students with a copy of the Punnett Square worksheet.

LEVEL 4:

First, show the video- How Mendel’s Peas Help Us Understand Genetics- this is an animated video from Youtube.

Then use the Classroom Seed kits that are provided in the kits. Use the pdf booklet for instructions on how to use the kits.

Lesson Plan:

To access the lesson and resources, please click on the following links: Lesson Plan – Inheritanc

Figure 3.