GENETICS
WEBQUEST
Andrew Willems
Trinity-St. Luke's Lutheran School
Watertown, WI 53094
920-206-1844
Topic: Genetic
Inheritance--7th and 8th Grade Life Science
Introduction
The Family You Will Never Have!
So, now
you think you know a little bit about genetics, do you? You and your partner
are going to be given two mice. You will have to predict the traits of your
mouse children accurately. Are you up to the challenge? Oops! I forgot to tell
you! You won’t actually get real mice, but feel free to call the mice you will
use on the Internet your own J
Tasks:
Welcome
to your genetics culminating activity. In this activity you and your partner
will be “given” two mice. After reviewing previously taught principals of
genetics, you will explore some human traits. You and your partner will then
try to predict the traits of your mouse children and evaluate your predicted
traits after your parents have “mated”.
Process:
1) Review
previously taught principals of genetics.
a) You
should go back into the text book, and the study guides from class to review
the genetic topics we discussed in class. With your partner, take the open book
quiz (DO) to review your strengths and weaknesses in genetics.
b) Next, get
out your eye color pedigree chart from your family. Review the dominant trait
in eye color, and why someone in your family may have a recessive trait for eye
color showing.
c) Next, go to
Understanding Genetics: What is a Gene? http://www.thetech.org/genetics/art01_what.cfm
d) Finally,
view Understanding Genetics: Go To “Zooming in on DNA”
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/
2) Explore online examples of human traits and genetic probabilities.
a) Explore
the following website: Understanding
Genetics: Go To “What Color Eyes Will Your Children Have”
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/
b) This is the
page that accompanies an episode about genes from the popular children's
television series. It contains brief information about genetics which can be
used to supplement a biology lesson for children.
http://www.kcts.org/nyelabs/nyeverse/episode/e83.html
c) This page
of annotated links was put together by Mrs. Vaughn's 6th grade class at Metcalf
Laboratory School in Illinois. http://www.ilstu.edu/depts/labschl/metcalf/vaughn/
3) Take
a male and female "mouse" (electronically) and predict the traits of
their mouse children.
a) Mouse
Genetics Activity
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspView&ResourceID=35
b) After
viewing and playing around with the mice, fill out a Punnett Square to show
your male and female mice, and to predict the possible outcome of their traits.
4) Actually
"mate" (electronically) your mice, and evaluate the predicted traits
of their mouse family.
Compare
statistically your Punnett Square predictions, with those of your “mated” mice.
Please write them down on the bottom of your Punnett Square, as well as showing
it to your teacher so he can check it off on your Rubric when done.
Resources:
Besides the links referenced above in the tasks, you may check out the following websites to help you.
Pea Soup Mendelian Pea Experiment
http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/projects/anthro201/exper/
Nova, build a family tree
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/israel/family.html
Prentice Hall Science Explorer Text Book (2005) From Cells to Heredity
Various on-line activities and sources referenced in text
Also use the text itself and accompanying study guides.
Conclusion:
Way to go!
You have just survived our three week genetics unit, and your first WebQuest of the Science year! We should all go and get ice cream now! Better yet, I will NOT give you a written test on this unit. No applause please, just throw money!!
Bibliography:
The above mentioned websites, plus the following:
Copyright issues
http://www.cesa12.k12.wi.us/teach/copyright.html
WebQuests and more
http://www.ozline.com/learning/
Report Writing tools from Cesa 12
http://www.cesa12.k12.wi.us/teach/tools.html
Research note taking made easy
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp322-04.shtml
Evaluation
Follows on separate sheet
We all benefit by being
generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to
copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere
provided that the original author's name is retained and school and e-mail
address is retained.
Rubric for Genetics Webquest
Task
Open
Book Quiz
Pedigree
Eye Color Chart
What
is a Gene?
Zooming in on DNA
Mouse
Genetics Activity prediction
Punnet
Square
Complete
comparison of prediction vs. actual
1
Partners got one or two correct.
Unable to clearly read the
pedigree chart
Unable to find the website
Unable to produce the four parts
of a Punnett Square
No comparison
2
Partners got three to five
correct
Unable to identify recessive
family trait
Unable to navigate the website
Unable to produce the parts of
a Punnett Square, but can interpret predicition
Verbal, but not statistical
comparison
3
Partners got six to nine correct
Able to identify recessive trait,
but not the carrier
Unable to summarize the website
or the video
Able to navigate the website
Has the four parts of a Punnett
Square, but has an incomplete prediction
Complete comparison, but
prediction way off
4
Partners got all 10 correct
Able to identify recessive
trait, and the carrier
Demonstrate
understand-ing of the video
Able to navigate and explain the
website
Has the parts of a Punnett
Square and has an accurate prediction
Excellent comparison and
accurate prediction
Points
TOTAL