Heredity, Inheritance and Variation in Traits Learning Activities for Middle School

This product contains a zip file with five different activities that provide the basis for a Middle School level Life Science Learning Unit on the topics of Heredity, Inheritance and Variations in Traits. The activities within the file are correlated to the MS-LS 3-1 and MS-LS 3-2 NGSS Learning Standards. 

Answer keys are included for all the student activities. The product contains 22 pages of student resources and 101 total PowerPoint slides. The Learning Standards and Learning Goals addressed by these activities can be viewed below the list of activities. 

This product does not include activities on Mendelian Genetics.    The Heredity, Variations and Mendelian Genetics Learning Activities for Middle School includes the activities in this learning package as well as many activities involving Mendelian Genetics.

Teachers with advanced Middle Level students may wish to consider the Heredity, Variations, Mendelian Genetics and Beyond Learning Activities. This package includes these activities, Mendelian genetics activities, as well as activities pertaining to incomplete dominance, codominance, A-B-O blood inheritance and sex-linked crosses.

The activities contained in the zip file are as follows: 

• Heredity, Inheritance and Variation in Traits Scaffolded Completion Notes (10 pp.)
• PowerPoint to support the Scaffolded Completion Notes (27 slides)
• Inheritance and Variation Worksheet (50 completion questions/multiple choice questions) (5 pp.)
• Heredity, Inheritance and Variations in Traits quiz (40 matching, multiple choice and free response questions) (5 pp.)
• Heredity, Inheritance and Variation Jeopardy (31 questions) (74 slides)
• NGSS, Common Core Learning Standards and Learning Goals (2 pp.)

NGSS Standards 

MS-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

MS-LS3-1. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.

MS-LS3-2. Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

Common Core State Standards Connections:

ELA/Literacy

RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
RST.6-8.7 Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
SL.8.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

Mathematics 

MP.4 Model with mathematics.
6.SP.B.5 Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context.

Learning Objectives (Heredity, Inheritance and Variation in Traits) 

Upon the completion of this unit the student will be able to: 

1. define the terms chromosome, gene and allele.
2. discuss the relationship between the cell nucleus, chromosomes and genes.
3. describe the shape of the DNA molecule.
4. briefly explain why DNA replication is important.
5. recognize humans normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
6. explain the difference between autosomes and sex chromosomes.
7. discuss differences in sex chromosomes in determining the gender of many people.
8. define the term karyotype.
9. briefly discuss how genes direct protein making by the ribosomes.
10. define the term mutation.
11. recognize the only mutations in gametes are passed on by sexually reproducing offspring.
12. explain how mutations may result in changes in organism traits.
13. recognize the offspring of sexually reproducing parents have many variations from the parents.
14. recognize meiosis is the process producing gametes in animals.
15. discuss two sources of genetic shuffling in meiosis.
16. list three sources of variation in sexually reproducing offspring.
17. define the term crossing over.
18. explain the roles of independent assortment, segregation and recombination in producing genetic variation.
19. define the terms fertilization and zygote.
20. recognize a zygote divides by mitosis to form a multicellular organism.
21. explain how neutral, beneficial and harmful mutations differ.
22. list two examples of helpful mutations.
23. list two examples of harmful mutations.
24. briefly discuss the role of checkpoint proteins.
25. describe some characteristics of cancer.

Terms of Use

Purchase of the product is for classroom use by the purchaser only. It is a violation for individuals, schools, and districts to redistribute or sell this item on the Internet or to other individuals. I do encourage you to use and edit these documents to suit your needs with your own students in distance learning environments.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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