Got milk? Only two cultures have had it long enough to develop the tolerance of lactose as an adult. Learn how the responsible genes evolved along with the cultures that have been consuming milk. This rich film is supplied with a few...

Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...

In a sweet simulation, junior geneticists examine the chromosomes of a fictitious Reebop marshmallow animal, combine chromosomes to produce offspring, and then make a model of the resulting Reebop baby. Phenotypes include number of...

Students complete a pre-test on the relationship between heredity and the environment. As a class, they write down descriptions of themselves and identify which traits can be changed and not changed. In groups, they determine which...

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...

Junior geneticists tally eye color and height in their lab groups. They examine certain traits in soybean and corn seedlings. For each activity, they gather data and learn about continuous and discontinuous genetic variation. In another...

Investigate the relationships between different deep-sea organisms by DNA sequencing. A worksheet provides instructions for DNA sequencing and space to work. They simulate gel electrophoresis by cutting out paper "DNA strands."...

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

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...

Personality traits and physical appearance traits within families are the focus here. Learners make a poster which lists the shared physical traits they have with their family. Peers look at each poster and write down the traits they see...

How do genetic mutations within a population lead to future variations? Provide your class with the resources to answer this question and more upon completing an activity on natural selection. The entire class participates in a...

How do changes in DNA affect an organism? Scholars explore chromosomes, genes, DNA, and mutations by modeling the DNA of a strawberry. They build a DNA model, then manipulate it to show how changing the genes transforms the strawberry...

Four different-shaped and dyed pasta types represent four different alleles. Following a guide sheet, young geneticists practice randomly selecting alleles and discover the traits of the resulting offspring. This is a fun and solid...

Young scientists demonstrate their creativity while completing several activities, to assess genetic variations and mutations. Instructors provide a list of options and scientists choose to write a comic strip, create a book,...

Learners are introduced to the basic principles of heredity. Through discussion and discrimination activities, they review the role of chromosomes and distinguish between those traits that can and cannot be inherited. Young scholars use...

Eighth graders explore how different organisms pass their traits to their offspring. In this life science lesson, 8th graders differentiate recessive and dominant alleles. They predict the phenotype based on the genotype of an organism.

With colored toothpicks representing genes, youngsters practice passing them through generations of fish and learn about heredity. Consider this as an introductory activity since it does not represent recessive genes with lowercase...

Six different chromosome activites introduce biology aces to heredity, chromosomal abnormalities, sex-linked traits, and the human genome. The hands-on activites are fairly simple for the teacher to prepare and will prove to be both...

The New York Regents High School Examinations are comprehensive and include various question formats, including multiple choice and graph analysis. This particular version, the 2008 Living Environment exam, surveys a variety of topics....

Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...

Tenth graders discuss their physical features, and why they look the way they do. They listen as the teacher discusses DNA, alleles, and dominant or recessive genes. Students perform an experiment with different colored markers...

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...

Can peas have grandparents? Learn about inherited traits and heredity with a set of activities focused on Mendelian genetics. As your class learns about the process of passing traits along in Punnett squares, they take on the role of...

Students model traits on genes using colored paper and tongue depressors to represent chromosomes. In this heredity lesson plan, students use their "chromosome sticks" to understand chromosome pairs, genes, dominant traits, recessive...