Trace simple genetic patterns of inheritance through a small population. Your students create a family pedigree that traces a genetic condition through several generations.

Become familiar with the basic concepts of inheritance. Your junior high students work through mulitple examples of crosses and calculate probabilities of trait occurance. The explain the concept that each parent contributes one half of...

How did Mendel know which pea plants would demonstrate certain characteristics? Pupils explore the answer this question, among others, as they complete Punnet squares, research dominant and recessive traits, and explore hereditary...

Young scientists learn the laws of genetics through data collection and research. They use discussions and online resources to develop an understanding of the related vocabulary.

Using plastic Easter eggs to represent parent phenotypes, genetics enthusiasts simulate the passing of alleles. They record the phenotype of each half of the egg, one representing the mother's and one representing the father's. They...

Really a unit, this resource exposes middle schoolers to genetics at their level. They read interviews and biographies, trace a family tree, play games that simulate inheritance concepts, and more! Teacher's procedures, student...

Students participate in an activity where they flip coins to determine which allele they pass on to the F1 generation and draw the resulting child's face. They identify several inheritance patterns including dominant, recessive,...

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...

It's alive! Young mad scientists create monsters as they explore the probabilities of genetic traits during a well-structured inquiry lesson. Pairs travel from station to station, rolling the dice and adding traits to their creations as...

Students create a checklist of traits common in all of their families. Uisng a table, they compare and contrast their family members to non-family members. They also review dominant and recessive traits and discuss how knowing about...

Students are introduced to the concepts of genetic dominance, recessiveness, related terms, Punnett Squares, etc.

Investigate the Hardy-Weinberg Principle to explain genetic equilibrium. The 10th lesson plan of a series of 12 is a laboratory exploration of genetic equilibrium. Your classes use a mixture of beans to model allele and genotype...

Students draws the child's face and compares "mother's" and "father's" perception of characteristics. One student draws the child's face; partner writes a biography of the child at age 30- what is the child like, what have they...

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 plan on genetics. Scholars read about...

Can scientists really predict genetic outcomes or are they simply making a lucky guess? Scholars first learn about Gregor Mendel and how to make Punnett squares. Then they extract DNA from a strawberry in a lab with included conclusion...

Explore single-gene traits in humans. After viewing a video introducing genetic vocabulary, individuals identify their phenotype and possible genotypes of specific traits. They consider both dominant and recessive traits. This is the...

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, young scholars toss coins to determine which dominant or recessive...

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 instructional activity from K20 explores dominant and recessive traits...

Students study the number of chromosomes in the body cells, sperm cells, and egg cells of humans. They define allele, and examine the difference between dominant and recessive alleles. They complete an activity with jelly beans that...

Students predict the probable mode of inheritance from a pedigree diagram showing phenotypes. They study the genetic basis for Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment. They give a Power Point slide show demonstrating the...

Students are introduced to genetics along with genetic diseases and heredity. In groups, they complete a Punnett Square to determine the dominant and recessive genes. After viewing diagrams, they identify the characteristics of DNA and...

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,...

Students predict possible phenotypic and genotypic outcomes for avariety of common plant hybrids. They review and explain the characteristics of dominant and recessive traits and explore Mendelian genetics. Students plot the possible...

Ninth graders discover where their physical appearance and personality traits come from. In this genetics lesson plan, 9th graders learn about cells, chromosomes, DNA and genes. Students discover where genes come from as well as dominant...