#1578. Human Genetics

Science, level: Middle
Posted Tue Feb 15 20:04:16 PST 2000 by Jean Provine (provinej@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us).
Houston Middle School, Germantown, TN
Materials Required: Text: Prentice Hall Science - Heredity; overhead; networked computers; research books
Activity Time: 8 - 9 days; 50 minute lessons
Concepts Taught: Inheritance of traits, Sex-linked traits, and genetic mutations

This is a unit plan designed to follow our textbook and incorporate groupwork and technology.

Day 1 - Inheritance in Humans
This lesson covers the inheritance of human traits, the purpose of sex chromosomes, genetic mutations, and nongenietic fators that affect traits. As a class we will discuss this lesson and take notes.

Day 2 - Sex-Linked Traits
This lesson discusses how sex-linked traits are inherited and differentiates between sex-linked and sex-influenced traits. Students will work in small groups to discuss this lesson. Each group will create a brochure that explains these types of inherited traits.

Days 3 & 4 Human Genetic Disorders
This will take at least two days because of the limited number of computers. Students will be working with a partner on a project to create a slide on a genetic disorder for a class slide show. Some children will be working from the textbook on lesson three; some will be researching their assigned disorder on the internet; and some will be researching their disorder from research books I provide in the classroom. Students will rotate on the two networked computers in my class.

Days 5 & 6 - Slide Design
Students will again be working with their partners to design their slide with the correct information. Slides should include the name of the disorder, how it affects the body, how it is inherited, and a graphic of how the disorder is transmitted, a picture of a person with the disorder, or another relevant graphic. After students have completed the design process and have a visual plan of their slide on paper, they will begin rotating to the computers to add their slide to the class slide show. There will be two slide shows per class because I have two computers to create the shows.

Day 7 - Slide Show Viewing
Today the students will take their Vocabulary Test and view the class slide shows. They will also review for tomorrow's test.

Day 8 - Test
This will be the chapter test for a final evaluation. Students will also be graded on the slide they created. Daily evaluation of the lessons may be observation or written review questions. The brochre created on Day 2 will also be checked.

Please email me if you have questions.