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...

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

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...

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...

Discuss an article about families affected by genetic disorders and their decisions about whether or not to evaluate their own genetic information. Investigate four different inherited disorders. Participate in a probability exercise....

What makes each one of us unique? Lead your class in this exciting and educational activity as you uncover traits that show how each individual is different from another. Pupils explore facts about DNA technology and predict the...

Students investigate their own inherited traits by using taste papers. In this genetic traits lesson, students test their ability to taste various substances, which is determined by inherited genetic traits. They take home taste papers...

Comprehend that many human characteristics-all physical traits and possibly many personality traits-are determined by our genetic makeup. These activities demonstate that all physical traits are genetically determined, some evidence...

Learners examine how living cells reproduce and how traits are passed on.  In this genetic reproduction lesson students research a topic and present it to the class. 

Students examine how living cells create new cells and how genetic mutations can cause disorders and be inherited.  In this genetic reproductionn lesson students create their own PowerPoint presentation. 

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...

Two individuals share 99.9 percent of their genetic codes, yet diversity is observed everywhere. Young scientists learn about diversity through hands-on activities and an experiment. They apply the concepts of independent assortment and...

If Parseltongue is a genetic trait, what is the probability a wizard will inherit the ability to speak Parseltongue? Scholars investigate magical and biological genetics with Punnett squares.

Rotating through five stations, evolutionary biologists explore the question of how changes in DNA facilitate the changes in a population over time. High-quality, colorful cards of animals, skeletons, skulls, and DNA sequences can all be...

High schoolers investigate the inheritance pattern of eye color in Nasonia wasps. In this genetics and inheritance lesson plan, students read about the life cycle of Nasonia wasps and hypothesize about the possibilities of eye color...

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...

Students enter personal information into a database. The information is used to reinforce the ideas of inheritance that is found in 1st Grade Science. Access to technology is essential for this lesson. Adding the use of a mirror for...

Young learners examine how different traits could give one organism an advantage over another. In groups, they view two different organisms in different environments. To end the lesson plan, they complete a Venn Diagram on the two...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

Sixth graders list traits that all sixth graders share. They receive worksheets "Tracking Down Traits," working in groups to complete the chart. Students share results with the class and a class summary is tallied. Students discuss the...

Young scholars work with a partner to complete an inventory of their traits and compare and discuss their unique qualities. In this biology lesson, students determine percentages for the frequency of observed traits of classmates,...