Active Inquiry The Probability of a Genetics Creature

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Active InquiryThe Probability of a Genetics
Creature

• Maria Sabetta
• Roger Williams University
• msabetta711_at_hawks.rwu.edu

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Developer Page

• Developer Materials
• Lesson Overview
• Targeted Standards
• Formative Assessment
• Lesson Organization
• Opening the Lesson
• Developing the Lesson
• Closing the Lesson
• Materials, Resources, Credits

• Student Materials
• Introduction
• Learning Goals
• Assessment
• Student Worksheet

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Lesson Overview

• This lesson is designed to help students make
  connections between probability and genetics
  using punnett squares. Students will work
  individually and in a group to create parent
  creatures as well as a probable offspring.
  Students will present their products to the class
  as well as write a summary paper using
  probability to justify their results.
• This lesson would be most effective at the end of
  a genetics unit to help students review terms,
  definitions and applications.

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Targeted Standards

• RI Mathematics as Problem Solving-
• Students will engage in problem solving to
  construct their own understanding, so that by the
  end of grade 10 they will
• Apply integrated technological and
  non-technological problem-solving strategies to
  solve problems.
• RI Math Content Standards-
• Statistics and Probability
• -Through problem solving situations, all
  students will construct their own understanding
  so that by the end of grade 10 they will
• Apply the laws of chance to predict and
  communicate probable events
• MA Science State Standards
• Biology High School Level
• 3. Genetics
• 3.6 Use a punnett square to determine
  the probabilities for genotype and phenotype
  combinations in monohybrid crosses

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Formative Assessment

• Students will be assessed formally and
  informally
• Informally- Students progress and group work
  will be monitored throughout the project for on
  task behavior.
• Formally- Student will produce a final paper and
  small presentation. Students final creature
  project will be graded based on the criteria in
  the rubric provided.

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Opening the Lesson

• The lesson will be opened with a whole class
  discussion on heredity. Students will already
  have learned about genetics and heredity, so this
  serves as a quick review. The teacher will pick
  two students with easily discernible opposite
  traits (ex. brown hair and blonde hair). The
  teacher will guide the class on the board through
  a punnett square to determine the students
  offsprings probable outcomes. Note The
  probability of this cross should be explained
  carefully, to help the students with their task.
• 5-10 minutes

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Developing the Lesson

• Students will be given their assignment sheet
  that will guide them into picking a creature.
  Students individually will pick traits and their
  corresponding genotypes for a creature of their
  choice.
• Students will then individually draw their
  creature, being as creative as necessary since
  this drawing will be part of the final
  presentation.
• Students will then seek a mate in the class.
• Once the two students creatures have mated, the
  group is responsible for doing a punnett square
  for each trait their parent creatures have to
  determine what the offspring will look like.
• The team will then draw the offspring after
  choosing from the possible outcomes.
• The team then writes a summary report about their
  offspring. In order to describe the offspring,
  students must describe how it came to be using
  the parents genotypes as well as the
  probabilities found through the punnett squares.
• 1 whole class period plus 20 wrap up minutes the
  next class.

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Closing the Lesson

• The teams will then present their parent and
  offspring creatures to the rest of the class,
  giving a brief overview of what they found as
  they made their offspring creature.
• The rest of the second class period ( 40
  minutes).

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Materials, Resources, Credits

• Students will need access to plain white paper,
  construction paper, scissors, markers and
  crayons.
• Students assignment sheets will contain a list
  of web pages they can visit if they forget how to
  do the probability and genetics portion
• Genetic Terms and Monohybrid Crosses
• Inheritance Explanation Video
• Probability and Genetics
• Gender Determination
• Sources
• Next Generation Tools CD
• Standards locator

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Student Materials

• Introduction
• Learning Goals
• Assessment
• Student Worksheet

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Introduction

• Your mission is to create a creature by choosing
  phenotypes and genotypes. You will draw your
  creature, and then pick a mate in the class. Once
  your two creatures mate, it is up to the team to
  discover the phenotype and genotype possibilities
  of your baby creature using punnett squares. Once
  youve decided your baby, youll write a summary
  paper and present your creature family to the
  class.

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Learning Goals

• At the end of this activity, youll be able to
• Use a Punnett square to determine the probability
  of genotypes and phenotypes.
• Use probability to explain the possible outcomes
  of a monohybrid cross.
• Use the websites and other resources available to
  you to solve problems.

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Assessment

• You will be assessed on your group work, your
  final paper and your class presentation.

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Student Worksheet

• Genetics Creatures
• Your mission is to create a creature by choosing
  phenotypes and genotypes. You will draw your
  creature, and then pick a mate in the class. Once
  your two creatures mate, it is up to the team to
  discover the phenotype and genotype possibilities
  of your baby creature using punnett squares. Once
  youve decided your baby, youll write a summary
  paper and present your creature family to the
  class.
• Directions
•  
• Using the given chart below, determine the
  phenotype and genotype of your creature.
• Create a creature or human individually. You must
  have a physical creature to show during the
  presentation. You may be as creative as you like
  with the supplies given.
•  Pair up (mate) with someone else and create a
  punnett square for each genotype of your parent
  creatures.
•  Use these punnett square results to create a
  baby creature. Choose from the probable outcomes
  of your parent crosses to determine the babys
  characteristics.
•  Write a summary paper on your baby creature. You
  must explain why your baby looks
  (genotype/phenotype) the way it does. Use the
  parents characteristics and the probability
  found in your punnett squares as your reasoning.
•  Your group will present your family of creatures
  to the class. Show the class your parents and
  your baby, and give a brief summary of what you
  discovered during this project.

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Student Worksheet (continued)

• Determining your Creature
• Use the following chart to determine your
  creatures characteristics. Your creature can
  be human, or you can be more creative and make
  some sort of creature with the characteristics
  given. Remember, there are two genotype
  possibilities for dominant characteristics and
  you must pick one.