Active Inquiry The Probability of a Genetics Creature

1. Active InquiryThe Probability of a Genetics Creature Maria Sabetta Roger Williams University msabetta711@hawks.rwu.edu

2. Developer Page Student Materials Introduction Learning Goals Assessment Student Worksheet Developer Materials Lesson Overview Targeted Standards Formative Assessment Lesson Organization Opening the Lesson Developing the Lesson Closing the Lesson Materials, Resources, Credits

3. 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.

4. 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

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

6. 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 student’s ‘offsprings’ probable outcomes. Note: The probability of this cross should be explained carefully, to help the students with their task. • 5-10 minutes

7. 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 parent’s genotypes as well as the probabilities found through the punnett squares. • 1 whole class period plus 20 wrap up minutes the next class.

8. 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).

9. 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

10. Student Materials Introduction Learning Goals Assessment Student Worksheet

11. 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 you’ve decided your baby, you’ll write a summary paper and present your creature family to the class.

12. Learning Goals At the end of this activity, you’ll 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.

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

14. 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 you’ve decided your baby, you’ll 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 baby’s characteristics. •  Write a summary paper on your baby creature. You must explain why your baby looks (genotype/phenotype) the way it does. Use the parent’s 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.

15. Student Worksheet (continued) Determining your Creature Use the following chart to determine your creature’s 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.