Road to Reality

One of the most difficult topic in biology is genetics, most of the teachers and students skip this topic especially in high school level. This blog intend to help biology techers in there lesson preparation and so with the students to understand the concept of genetics through linking useful sites that discusses the topic.

TOPIC: Mendelian Genetics

OVERVIEW:

Like begets like. A dog produce a dog thus human only produce human and not a dog. This process is what we call heredity. Heredity is the process of transferring traits from one parents to their offsprings. This is the reason why offsprings look like their parents. Sometimes people are asking about their identity, like Who am I?Are they really my parents?. As you go on with this lesson, you will be able to learn the basic of genetics

I. Objective:

1. Determine the principle of heredity that govern Mendelian genetics

2. Discuss Mendel’s experiments on heredity

II. Lesson Background:

Topic: Mendelian Genetics

Year Level: Second Year

# of class session/time frame: 3 sessions/1 hr per session / 1 hour for online lesson

Materials: PC, LCD, Internet connection

III. Contents:

A. As you go on with this lesson you will encounter unfamiliar terms; try to visit this site to help you in your journey. ( click me )Just type the key word on the search engine.

B. Motivation:

Pay your attention to the traits of your family members. Your family members include your mother, father, brothers and sisters. Answer the following questions:

Who among your family members look similar to you?


Who has the most number of differences with you?

B. Discussion

This site will lead you understand the concept of Mendelian genetics, explore this site and learn things about genetics. (click me!) or try this links that will lead you to individual discussion:

A. Gregor Johann Mendel

B. Laws/ Principles of Genetics

1. Law of Segregation

2. Law of Dominance

3. Law of Independent Assortment

C. Punnet Square

Here are some useful sites in video format that also discuss Mendelian genetics, try to click this and enjoy watching. ( this were included because there were some individuals who love to watch than reading)

The Magic of Genetics with Gregor Mendel

Mendel’sPeas

Gregor Mendel and Genetics

III. Evaluation / hands-on experimentation

A. Since you already know the basic of genetics, try to link on this site and answer the questions given. (click me!)

B. Solve the following genetic problems (5 pts each) ( answers will be sent to teachers email)

1. Suppose you cross-pollinate a purebred red and a purebred white flowering plant. Red is the dominant trait. Using a punnet square, predict the colors of the flowers of the offspring. Determine all the probable genotypes of the offspring and state the phenotypes. What law of Mendelian genetics do the result illustrate?

2. Mendel also performed experiment on hybrids. Suppose you are Mendel and you are doing a study on a flowering plant. Predict the colors of your plant’s offsprings when you cross-pollinate two hybrid red plants. Determine all the probablegenotypes and phenotypes. What law of genetics does the problem illustrate?

3. Mrs. And Mr. Smith both have widow’s peaks (dominant). Their first child also has a widow’s peak, but their second child doesn’t. Mr. Smith accuses Mrs. Smith of being unfaithful to him. Is he necessarily justified? Why or why not? Work the genetics problem predicting the frequencies of the versions of this trait among their prospective children.

4. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have six children. Three of them have attached earlobes (recessive) like their father, and the other three have free earlobes like their mother. What are the genotypes of Mr. and Mrs. Jones and of their numerous offspring

II. Activity

1. Dragon Genetics — Principles of Mendelian Genetics (this activity is intended for inside the classroom lesson, teachers may download this in a PDF or a word format)

Description: Students learn the principles of Mendelian genetics by using Popsicle sticks, each of which represents a pair of homologous chromosomes with multiple genetic traits. Pairs of students use their sets of Popsicle sticks to represent a mating and then identify the genetic makeup and phenotypic traits of the resulting baby dragon.

2. Who’s Your Daddy? (this is an online activity, please click the icon students)

Description: “Who’s Your Daddy” is a web-based project in which students utilize their knowledge of genetics and heredity in order to deliver babies evacuated from a hospital following an earthquake to their correct parents. Students must analyze various genetic traits in order to match babies to parents. Before exploring the scenario, students should first review their knowledge of genetic concepts by completing the tutorials and review sections. This site also contains links for teachers to genetic-based lesson plans and assessment materials.

IV. Enrichment

Long before Mendel did his experiments on pea plants, nobody had a hint of how traits were passed on from one generation to another. Nobody knew about genes and traits.

Discuss some possibilities, if genetics, as a science, were not discovered. Discuss both advantages and disadvantages of such an occurrence. (Let the student realize that genetics is significant in medicine and other fields of science like agriculture). Research on recent studies regarding genetics and submit you reports three days later (answers will be sent to teachers blog and the best output will be posted).

References: www.google.com

www.youtube.com

Science and Technology for the Modern World Manual, PP 162- 166

Add a comment May 22, 2009