Explore the science behind Earth's amazing diversity of life with this lesson on genetics. Looking at specific traits in piebald deer, carnations, and roan cattle, young scientists use Punnett...

If you knew people would pay extra for a bald dragon, could you pick which parents you should breed in order to get the highest number? The unit examines heredity and genetics through breeding dragons, mice, dogs, and tries to figure...

Two fish appear different, but how do scientists determine their genotypes? Scholars practice performing test crosses to determine the genotypes of fish given their phenotypes. They answer in-depth comprehension questions and complete...

Young scholars learn that heredity comes down to the flip of a coin with this cross-curricular math and science lesson. Using smiley faces as a model, students toss coins to determine which dominant or recessive traits...

What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...

Fifth graders explore genetic traits. In this genetic traits lesson, 5th graders investigate dominant and recessive traits. Students identify similar traits between a parent organism and its offspring.

How has the concept of race changed over time? Explore the genetic, cultural, and social aspects of race through a series of impactful activities. Scholars discover how race is influenced by inherited traits, examine census records to...

It turns out blue is not just for the Smurfs! Introduce young geneticists to the Fugate family, known throughout Kentucky for their unusual skin tone. A two-day lesson from K20 explores dominant and recessive traits through partner...

Fifth graders examine the difference between dominant and recessive genes, and what happens when genes are combined. They complete a worksheet on genetics after observing if they can wiggle their ears or roll their tongues. They...

How did the beginnings of genetic research influence the Nazi party? A thorough, engaging unit incorporates the work of Gregor Mendel, the study of inherited traits, and the use of racism and discrimination during the Holocaust.

Can your class solve the Mystery of the Crooked Cell? Junior geneticists collaborate to learn about sickle cell anemia in a fascinating lesson plan. The included materials help them to examine the genetic factors behind the disease...

How did scientists determine the cause of illness before technology? Science scholars play the role of medical researcher in an engaging guided inquiry activity. Using observations, technical reading, and Punnett squares, learners...

Animal reproduction in sheep and cattle is explored with the help of Punnet squares. Scholars employ tools using probability to conclude the color of wool a sheep's offspring will have. Acting as animal geneticists, pupils then take...

A discussion of bioluminescence launches an investigation of animal adaptations. After re-watching the opening minutes of Dark Water, class members listen to a reading of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This, and then create a new...

Students experiment with pea pods to observe/appreciate the diversity of individuals within a population, and to explain of how dominant and recessive traits, genotypes, and phenotypes help produce variation in a population.

Young scholars investigate genetics and the process of reproduction in living organisms.

The proteins inside a cell determine the shape of the cell. While most red blood cells have a circular shape, those with sickle cell take the shape of a sickle. This change in shape causes multiple issues in the system. Scholars solve...

Students research genetic adaptations. In this chromosome lesson, students investigate dominant and recessive genes using spiders indigenous to Hawaii. Students create Punnett squares to determine the probability of passing specific...

Around half of the states in the US ban first cousin marriage, but does science support that ban? Scholars work through genetic analysis of the risks to understand if more states should ban the practice—or if some should remove it. They...

Students determine if they are tasters or non-tasters and then replicate the experiment with family and peer group members. They collect data from the experiment to determine which trait is dominant.

Did she cheat on her husband? Did the hospital switch the babies? Should they have children? As much as this sounds like the plot for a soap opera, all of these questions fit into a single lesson on genetics. Scholars read about three...

Students describe the inheritance patterns other than simple dominance. They are taught how Mendel's principles apply to all organisms. Students review the use of Punnett Squares. They are taught the principles of probability and...

Learners come to understand that in sexually reproducing organisms, such as humans, typically half of the genes come from each parent. Students examine a fictional pedigree and determine which gene is responsible for a given trait. The...

Students flip a pair of coins to determine what genotype and what phenotype their child have for 29 given traits. They draw a picture of their kid based on their coin flip phenotypes.