Carolyn C. Smith
Genes
Objectives The students will be able to:.
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1. distinguish between dominant genes and recessive genes.
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2. determine some of the genes that they inherited from their parents.
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3. determine some of the genes that they inherited from an ancestor such as grandparents and/or great grandparents.
Vocabulary dominant genes, recessive genes, ancestors, inherit, phenotype, genotype
Materials Needed Charts illustrating dominant and recessive genes, paper, pencil, blank chart of ‘Tracing Inherited Genes’
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1. Are you more like your father’s family or your mother’s family?
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2. Do you ever wonder why you don’t look exactly like your brother(s) and sister(s)?
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3. What traits can sisters and brothers have which are nearly the same?
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4. What traits can sisters and brothers have which are totally different from yours?
Procedures Introduce the vocabulary. Using the chart illustrating the several traits that Mendel observed with his peas, discuss how traits can be passed on to an offspring. Discuss dominant and recessive genes. Allow the students to discover at least one trait which is dominant and can be seen (phenotype) in their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents such as hair color, eye color, height, and skin color.
Related Activities
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1. Reproduce the chart titled ‘Tracing Inherited Genes’. Have the students to choose a specific phenotype (visible) trait and trace it for at least four generations. Record heights, length, or colors on the lines provided. (This would be a good time to introduce and discuss a family tree.
TRACING INHERITED GENES
(figure available in print form)
