Heredity

Objective:

• The learner will realize that certain characteristics are passed from parent to offspring

In this activity you will:

• Learn about characteristics that are passed from parents to offspring

• At the end of this lesson, you will write a report about what characteristics you share with your parents, brothers or sisters. You may also choose to write about what characteristics someone you know shares with his or her parents, brothers or sisters.

Do you see any ways that these children are similar to their parents or

brothers and sisters?

Look around. Is anyone just like you? You and everyone else are unique. No two people are exactly alike, including identical twins. However, many of your traits are inherited.

People in a family may have things in common. They can share traits. You can inherit traits from your parents.

Some traits include:

Eye Color

Hair color

Hair Texture

Skin Color

Body Shape

Heredity and GeneticsYour genes determine whether or not you possess certain physical traits. Your genes make you blue eyed or brown eyed, or have brown or blond hair. These traits are highly complex, and involve the interaction of many genes.

To explore more traits that are determined by your genes, click below.

http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/heredity/worksheet_heredity.html

http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/inheritance.swf

Exactly how do we get these traits from our parents?

Click below to find out!

To find out more about genes and what they do for us, watch this

movie:

http://www.brainpop.com/health/growthanddevelopment/genes/index.weml

Your assignment:

Write a paragraph about at least three traits you share with your parents, brothers or sisters.

You may also choose to write about what traits someone you know shares with his or her parents, brothers or sisters.

Other Activities• Make a poster of your family that shows things

that you have in common. You can highlight the traits that are the same.

• Make a family tree that shows traits that have been passed down in your family.

• Invite a hair care specialist to come in and talk about baldness, hair color, and hair texture.

• Invite a professional animal breeder in to talk about different breeds.

• Invite a doctor in to talk about diseases or traits that are inherited.