Gold Seal Lesson:
Genetic Census Taker

Copernicus Education Gateway

Subject:

Science

Grade:

9-12

ICLE Standards:

Science:  Develop an understanding of the statistical analysis of a trait within a given population.

Math:  Develop an application of probability within the real world.

Writing:  Report findings in a written lab report.

Performance Task:

You are a geneticist working for a major university. An interested group of eye, ear, and throat doctors wants to know how many of their patients they could expect to be able to roll their tongues. They are concerned that the inability to roll the tongue could interfere with their patient's ability to swallow a particular medication.

You have the following information:
Tongue rolling is a genetically inherited trait. Rolling the tongue is dominant over non-rolling. The doctors' patients are residents of your school.

Use the given information to design and implement a procedure for determining the percent of rollers vs. non-rollers in the given population. Write a report for your clients. The report should include a description of your procedure and your findings.

Knowledge / Skills:

Know the features of genetic patterns such as sex inheritance and sex linkage and how dominant and recessive traits explain variations that are hidden in one generation can be expressed in the next.  S.54

Know and apply the principles of scientific inquiry.  (Implicit in this statement are the processes of prediction, estimation, developing hypotheses, drawing conclusions, evaluation, and following ethical principles and professional procedures.)  S.114

Present information in well-organized fashion that will be clear to the target audience.  ELA.11

Rubric:

(For a team of students)

4 POINTS:  The students complete the assigned task. They show an understanding of the genetic principles involved. They generate a neat, complete report including procedures used and the analysis of the data.

3 POINTS:  The students are able to perform the task with help from the teacher. They have some understanding of genetic principles involved. They generate a report that lacks neatness, is incomplete and fails to include a clear explanation of the procedure used.

2 POINTS:  The students need a great deal of assistance in performing the task. They show a lack of knowledge of the principles involved. Their work is sloppy and several components are missing. The report shows minimal understanding of the required components. The show limited understanding of the procedure followed. Their conclusions are not supported by their data.

1 POINTS:  The students do not complete the task. They show little or no understanding of the principles involved. Their work is messy, inaccurate and poorly organized. They show no real understanding of the procedures followed. They are unable to reach a conclusion.

0 Point:   The student did not attempt to do the task.

Keywords:

LIFE SCIENCE
GENETICS
HEREDITY
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
EXPOSITION

Grades:

Kg [] - 1 [] - 2 [] - 3 [] - 4 [] - 5 [] - 6 [] - 7 [] - 8 [] - 9 [x] - 10 [x] - 11 [x] - 12 [x]

ICLE Application:

D

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