Genetics Lesson Plan

Unit Essential Question:

What is Genetics?
What is heredity?
What is trait?

Standard(s) Addressed:
12 (D) identify the basic characteristics of organisms, including mode of reproduction
11 (C) identify some changes in genetic traits that have occurred over several generations
through natural selection and selective breeding
14 (A) define heredity as the passage of genetic instructions from one generation to the
next generation.
(B) compare the results of uniform or diverse offspring from asexual or sexual
reproduction; and
(C) recognize that inherited traits of individuals are governed in the genetic material found
in the genes within chromosomes in the
Biology 6 (A) identify components of DNA, identify how information for specifying the
traits of an organism is carried in the DNA.
(E) identify and illustrate changes in DNA and evaluate the significance of these changes.
(F) predict possible outcomes of various genetic combinations such as monohybrid
crosses.
(G) recognize the significance of meiosis to sexual

** Student Friendly Learning Objective to be Posted:

Students will be able to Define heredity, Describe and differentiate between
sexual and asexual, Identify the components of, explain how allele forms
determine an organism’s traits. Distinguish between genotype and Create
Punnett squares to predict the genotype and phenotype of offspring,
Describe the various ways for variation to occur in

Target Questions:
Low Middle High
(Knowledge, Comprehension) (Application, Analysis) (Synthesis, Evaluation)

1. What is a gene? 1. what are the types of alleles? 1. What is a genotype?

2. What are alleles? 2. How are they different? 2. What is a phenotype?

Academic Vocabulary
Allele – an alternate form that a gene may have for a single trait; can be
dominant or recessive.
Asexual reproduction – a type of reproduction in which a new organism is
produced from one parent and has DNA identical to the parent.
Chromosome – structure in a cell’s nucleus contains genetic material.
DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the genetic material of all
organisms, made up of two twisted strands of sugar-phosphate molecules
and nitrogen bases.
Dominant – describes a trait that covers over or dominates another form
of that trait.
Fertilization – in sexual reproduction, the joining of a sperm and egg
Gamete – the male or female reproductive cell that contains half the
genetic material of the organism.
Gene – section of DNA on a chromosome that contains instructions for
making specific.
Genotype – an organism’s genetic makeup
Heredity – the passing of traits from parents to offspring
Heterozygous – describes an organism with two different alleles for a trait.
Homozygous – describes an organism with two of the same alleles for a
trait.
Meiosis – reproductive processes that produces four haploid sex cells from
one diploid cell and ensures offspring will have the same number of
chromosomes as the parent organisms.
Mitosis – cell process in which the nucleus divides to form two nuclei
identical to each other, and identical to the original nucleus.
Mutation – any permanent change in a gene or chromosome of a cell; may
be beneficial, harmful, or have little effect on an organism.
Natural selection – the process where organisms with favorable traits are
more likely to survive and reproduce.
Phenotype – outward physical appearance and behavior of an organism
Recessive – describes a trait that is covered over, or dominated, by
another form of that trait and seems to disappear.
Sexual reproduction – a type of reproduction in which two sex cells, an
egg, and a sperm, join to form a zygote which will develop into a new
organism with a unique

Materials Needed:
Sheets of paper for punnent square
Journal for vocabulary writing

First Five Minutes with Bellringer/Lesson Starter:

Bell ringer: Answer the questions below under “My Idea.” When we go over it together
as a class, fill in “Class Ideas.”
1. Why do some kids look more like their mom and dad?
My idea:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
Class Ideas:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________

2. Why do kids from the same two parents look different?

My idea:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________
Class Ideas:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________

Lesson Outline (Whole group, small group, rotations, independent work,

etc.): 30 minutes

Punnent Square
This will be done in partners, normally punnent squares go into depth about percentages
and fractions but as an introduction only the basic ideas of dominant/recessive alleles and
homozygous and heterozygous pairs will be discussed.
Students will get an example punnent square and complete the chart according to the
punnent square.

Complete the following monohybrid crosses: draw a Punnett square, list the
ratio, and describe the offspring. Be sure to remember that the capital letter is
dominant.
Example)
A green pea plant (GG) is being crossed with a green pea plant
(Gg).

G G

Genotype= 2 GG: 2 Gg; 0 gg

g
GG GG

g Gg Gg

Phenotype= 4 Green pea plants: 0 other color

1) A green pea plant (Gg) is crossed with a yellow pea plant (gg).
2) A tall plant (TT) is crossed with a tall plant (Tt).

3) A tall plant (Tt) is crossed with a short plant (tt).

4) A red flower (Rr) is crossed with a white flower (rr).

5) A white flower (rr) is crossed with a white flower (rr).

6) A black chicken (BB) is crossed with a black chicken (BB).

Complete the following problems. List the parent genotypes, draw, and fill in a Punnett square, and
then list the offspring genotypes and phenotypes.

1. A homozygous dominant brown mouse is crossed with a heterozygous brown mouse (tan
is the recessive color).

2. Two heterozygous white (brown fur is recessive) rabbits are crossed.

3. Two heterozygous red flowers (white flowers are recessive) are crossed.

4. A homozygous tall plant is crossed with a heterozygous tall plant (short is the recessive size).

5. A heterozygous white rabbit is crossed with a homozygous black rabbit.

CHAMPed
Activity: Punnent Square
C – Partner work- 2-only one person can hear, Group work- 3-2 to 3 peers can hear
H – Raise hand or send one group member to the teacher for questions
A – Partner/Group work
M – Only 1 group member out of their seat at a time.
P – Working the entire time, engage in the assignment, complete tasks
S – Success in learning

Last Ten Minutes with Wrap-Up/Exit Ticket:

Define:
Homozygous: _________________________________________________________________________

Heterozygous: ________________________________________________________________________

IDENTIFY for each gene below whether it is HOMOZYGOUS (HO) or HETEROZYGOUS (HE) by writing the
appropriate word in the blank.

1. AA____________
2. Bb ____________
3. Ee _____________
4. ff _____________
5. Ii ______________
6. Jj ______________

Identify the following genes as HOMOZYGOUS DOMINANT (HD) or HOMOZYGOUS RECESSIBE (HR) or
HETEROZYGOUS (HE) by writing appropriate word in the blank.

1. BB ____________
2. Jj ______________
3. kk _____________
4. LL _____________
5. Mm ____________
6. nn _____________
7. UU _____________
8. Pp _____________

Formative Assessment(s):

Identify the following alleles as DOMINANT (D) or RECESSIVE (r)

1. F _______
2. e _______
3. Z _______
4. m ______
5. j _______
6. K ______
7. Q _______
8. J ________

For each gene below, indicate whether it is HOMOZYGOUS (HO) or HETEROZYGOUS (HE) by writing the
appropriate word in the blank.

1. FF _______
2. Jj ________
3. ee _______
4. KK _______
5. Zz ________
6. JJ ________
7. mm _______
8. Qq _______

Identify the following as HOMOZYGOUS DOMINANT or HOMOZYGOUS RECESSIVE or HETEROZYGOUS

1. Ii ___________
2. Pp _________
3. Ee _________
4. kk __________

For each GENOTYPE listed below determine the possible PHENOTYPES

1. Red Flowers are dominate to polka dot flowers.

RR ______________
Rr ______________
Rr ______________
2. Large ears are dominant to small ears.
EE _______________
Ee _______________
ee _______________

Modifications/Differentiation:

Students can type, verbally record with speech-to-text software, and draw their answers.