student teaching work sample
DESCRIPTION
This project consists of the findings of a research project conducted as a student teacher. The purpose was to show my teaching had an impact on student learning, statistic analysis was used to prove my teaching had an impact on student learning. In the end, it was proven my teaching had an impact on student learning.TRANSCRIPT
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STUDENT TEACHING WORK SAMPLE
George E. Tickerhoof III
Spring 2013
Indiana Area Senior High School, Indiana, PA
1st Period – 8 Grade 9 students, 12 Grade 10 Students
2nd
Period – 10 Grade 9 Students, 9 Grade 10 Students, 1 Grade 11 Student
4th
Period – 4 Grade 9 Students, 16 Grade 10 Students, 4 Grade 11 Students
Academic Biology – All periods listed above
Genetics Unit
Textbook: Biology by Stephen Nowicki, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012
Software: Biology, Teacher One Stop, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012
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A. Description of Learning Environment
The Indiana Area Senior High School is part of the Indiana Area School District in Indiana,
Pennsylvania. The Indiana area is considered rural. Below are the ethnic demographics for the
Senior High School. The largest minority groups in the school are African Americans and
people of Asian decent. A large number of students participate in at least 1 athletic event such as
lacrosse, track and field, and baseball.
Grade
Total
Students in
Grade
American
Indian/Alaskan
Native
Pacific
Islander
African
American Hispanic White Asian
9 214 2 0 9 2 188 13
10 197 1 1 6 1 180 7
This overall pattern did not hold true in my classes. Below are the ethnic demographics for
each of the classes I taught.
Period
Total
students
in period
Number
of male
students
Number
of female
students
American
Indian/Alask
an Native
Pacific
Islander
African
American Hispanic White Asian
1 19 9 10 0 0 0 1 17 0
2 21 13 8 1 0 0 0 20 0
4 24 15 9 0 0 1 0 23 0
Many of the students in all classes were socially and cognitively on target for their age group.
The exceptions were the students with IEPs in each class. My first period class had 4 students
with an IEP, second period had 7 students with an IEP, and fourth period had only 1 student with
an IEP. I was unable find the reasons for everyone’s IEP, but the ones I was able to learn a few
of them. Many of the IEPs I was able to learn about were due to learning disabilities. Two
exceptions existed for a student with autism and a student with a severe vision disability.
Most students in each class do well academically. The number of high academic performing
is slightly lower in fourth period. This has been cited to be a result of many students in fourth
period being students who go to the Indiana County Technology Center for part of the day. In
first period there are 5 students who do not perform well academically and have not done so all
year. The same is the case for fourth period. In second period, all students put forth a good
effort and try to do well academically. However, there are students who do not do well, likely
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because they do not understand the information. Most students in second period and several
students in fourth period participate in at least 1 sport.
B. Planning for Instruction
This topic is important to students because they must know it for the Keystone tests. More
than that though, the students will have a basic understanding of how inheritance works and the
different types of inheritance. By students learning the material in this genetics unit they will be
better able to understand how traits are passed from parents to offspring. The timing for the unit
is due to the students having just finished learning about the structure of cells, mitosis, and
meiosis. Students are able to add to what they learned during those topics by using the
information they learn in this topic.
The skills the learners must come into the unit with include a good understanding of the
processes of mitosis and meiosis, an understanding of cell structure, and organelle function.
Understanding of these skills will come from assessments during the instruction of those topics.
The information will be gathered based on their test grades, class discussions and exit slips
completed during mitosis, meiosis, cell structure, and organelle function.
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UNIT PLAN:
Title: Mendel, Heredity, Chromosomes, and Phenotypes
Date: April 4, 2013
Grade Level: 9-10
Standard(s) Met: 3.1.B.B5
Objectives:
1. Students will know that inheritance is random.
2. Students will know inheritance as discovered by Mendel.
3. Students will be able to identify traits as inherited on autosomes or sex chromosomes.
Materials:
Computer
Projector
Microsoft PowerPoint
Textbooks (optional)
Pictures of brown eyed parents and blue eyed child
o See engage.
Procedure:
Engage:
o QOTD
“How can these 2 parents have this child?”
USE MORE CLEAR PICTURES NEXT TIME
o Time to complete: 3min
Explore:
o Students will listen to a presentation on sections 6.3 and 7.1 of textbook.
Presentation will focus on Mendel’s work that led to his Law of
Segregation, Test crosses, autosome trait expression and sex chromosome
expression.
o Time to complete: 25min
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Explain:
o Students will answer questions after the presentation.
“What plants did Mendel use in his experiments?”
Peas
“What is meant by purebred?”
They are genetically uniform
“What is Mendel’s Law of Segregation?”
Organisms inherit 2 copies of a gene, 1 from each parent
Organisms donate 1 copy of each gene in their gametes
Traits are inherited as discrete units.
“What is a carrier?”
Unaffected person with a certain harmful or fatal allele
o Time to complete: 5min
Elaborate:
o Students will answer more complicated questions
“Men have facial hair. Why don’t women, usually?”
“If one of your parents has Huntington’s disease, what is the chance you
will have it?”
“Colorblindness is more common in men than women. Why might this be
the case?”
Genetics problem using a sex linked trait.
On Y chromosome, gene for body hair
Couple has kids, what is the chance their children will have it.
o 100% if male, 0% if female.
o Time to complete: 5min
Evaluate:
o Responses to student questions
o Students will complete an exit slip stating something they learned during the class
period. MAKE THIS MORE SPECIFIC NEXT TIME.
o Time to complete: rest of class
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Anticipated Problems and Adaptations:
Lesson over before anticipated
o Students will work on homework
Read sections 6.4 and 6.5 of textbook
o Students will be asked more questions
Does the Y chromosome carry a small number of genes do to its small
size?
No, estimates put between 70 and 400 genes on the Y chromosome
with more than 1,000 on the X chromosome. 27 genes are shared
with the X chromosome. 78 are currently known.
“X chromosome inactivation accounts for the color splotches in calico
cats. Is there something in humans that X chromosome inactivation could
cause?”
“X linked genes can be passed from who to who?”
Mom to daughter/son
Dad to daughter
“Why not dad to son?”
“Y linked genes can be passed from who to who?”
Dad to son
Students with IEPs and note-taking difficulties will be given printouts of presentations to
help with note-taking.
Prior Knowledge Needed:
Students must understand the process of meiosis and what the ending result is from
meiosis.
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Title: Traits and Probability (6.4/6.5)
Date: April 5, 2013
Grade Level: 9-10
Standard(s) Met: 3.1.B.B5
Objectives:
1. Students will know that inheritance is random.
2. Students will know the difference between an allele and a gene.
3. Students will be able to calculate probability given a set of alleles.
Materials:
Computer
Projector
Promethean Board
6.4 and 6.5 reinforcement worksheets
Procedure:
Engage:
o QOTD
“What is the probability you will have sickle-cell disease if your dad is Ss
and your mom is SS?”
o Time to complete: 3min
Explore:
o Students will listen to a presentation on traits and probability
Students will have definitions for gene, trait, allele, homozygous, and
heterozygous.
HAVE THE STUDENTS DO MORE PUNNETT SQUARES
COMPLETELY FROM SCRATCH
DON’T GIVE AS MUCH GUIDANCE FOR THEM.
o Time to complete: 25min
Explain:
o Students will answer questions after the presentation.
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“What is a gene?”
“Where are genes located?”
“What is an allele?”
o Time to complete: 5min
Elaborate:
o Students will answer more complex questions
“Are dominant alleles more common than recessive alleles?”
“Why?”
“What could the genotype be for an individual with Blue feathers and
Long feathers?”
Students will be given a key to work from
BBLL, BbLL, BBLl, or BbLl
o Time to complete: 5min
Evaluate:
o Students will construct their own punnett square and calculate genotype and
phenotype frequencies
Given genotypes
Exit slip activity PUT MORE TIME ASIDE TO ACTUALLY USE
THIS, RAN OUT OF TIME!
o Time to complete: 3min in class, or done as homework
Anticipated Problems and Adaptations:
Lesson ends before anticipated
o Review previous day’s information if needed.
o Students will be given extra time if needed to work on punnett square exit slip
activity
Students with IEPs and note-taking difficulties will be given printouts of presentations to
help with note-taking.
Prior Knowledge Needed:
Students will need to know the difference between genotypes and phenotypes.
Students will need to understand the process of meiosis.
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Title: Probability Lab
Date: April 8, 2013
Grade Level: 9-10
Standard(s) Met: 3.1.B.B5
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to explain probability’s relationship to genotype and phenotype
2. Students will be able to explain why the results from each cross are 50%-50%.
Materials:
Pennies
Masking tape
Markers
Lab worksheets
Computer
Projector
Microsoft Excel
Procedure:
Engage:
o QOTD
“How does probability relate to phenotypes and genotypes?”
o Time to complete: 3min
Explore:
o Students will conduct the lab as described on the lab worksheets.
o GIVE THE STUDENTS MORE CROSSES OTHER THAN HOMOZYGOUS
AND HETEROZYGOUS.
o GIVE STUDENTS HETEROZYGOUS AND HETEROZYGOUS IN
ADDITION TO THE OTHERS.
o Time to complete: 30min
Explain:
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o Students will answer the first 2 questions on the lab worksheets
o Students will share their findings with the class
o Time to complete: rest of class time
Elaborate:
o Students will relate their data to the class data and answer the last question on the
lab worksheets
o Students will answer the last 2 questions on their lab worksheets
Evaluate:
o Lab worksheets
o Student responses to questions
o Students’ discussions about the lab material during the lab.
Anticipated Problems and Adaptations:
Lab over before anticipated
o Students will work on their lab worksheets and answering questions.
Not enough time to complete lab entirely.
o Cut the number of trials down.
Students with IEPs and note-taking difficulties will be given printouts of presentations to
help with note-taking.
Prior Knowledge Needed
Students will need to know the difference between genotypes and phenotypes.
Students will need to be able to calculate genotype and phenotype ratios.
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Title: Complex Inheritance and Pedigrees
Date: April 9, 2013
Grade Level: 9-10
Standard(s) Met: 3.1.B.B5
Objectives:
1. Students will know that inheritance is random.
2. Students will be able to differentiate between all different types of inheritance (dominant,
recessive, codominant, incomplete dominance).
3. Students will be able to determine what type of inheritance is at play given a set of
circumstances.
4. Students will be able to explain how traits are traced through families
Materials:
Computer
Projector
Promethean board
ActivInspire software
Dominance Worksheet
Procedure:
Engage:
o QOTD
“Are there genes that are equally dominant?”
o Time to complete: 3min
Explore:
o Students will listen to presentation on codominance, incomplete dominance,
polygenic traits, and epistasis. Additionally, pedigrees will be included.
o Time to complete: 25min
Explain:
o Students will answer questions throughout the presentation.
Elaborate:
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o Students will provide examples of a dominant genotype, recessive genotype,
codominant genotype, incomplete dominant genotype.
o Students will work on worksheet with different problems.
Problems will focus on the different types of dominance.
Can be done with partners or alone.
o Students will complete punnett square calculations for genotype and phenotype
ratios for given examples of incomplete and codominance.
o Time to complete: 10min
Evaluate:
o Dominance worksheet.
o Student responses to questions
o Exit slip (if done) SET TIME ASIDE TO INCLUDE EXIT SLIP TO BETTER
EVALUATE STUDENT UNDERSTANDING
Anticipated Problems and Adaptations:
Lesson over before anticipated
o Students will complete exit slip of something they learned that day
Compare and contrast different kinds of dominance
o Students will work on dominance worksheets
o Introduce Pedigree project
Students with IEPs and note-taking difficulties will be given printouts of presentations to
help with note-taking.
Prior Knowledge Needed:
Students must understand the difference between dominant and recessive genes.
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Notes:
Mendel, Heredity, Chromosomes and Phenotype Notes
QOTD
o “How can these 2 parents have this child?”
Pictures of 2 brown eyed parents, blue eyed child
o “To figure this out, let’s take a time trip to the mid-1800s in Austria”
Gregor Mendel
o Austrian monk
o Worked with pea plants in mid-1800’s
Bred them
“Why might he have bred pea plants?”
Write your reasons in your notes
o Give students 2 – 3 minutes to do this.
Choose 2 people at least from each class to share answers
o People during this time thought traits blended like 2 different colors of paint when
mixed
o Mendel’s work uncovered something very interesting
o “What do you think his work uncovered?”
Mendel’s Discovery
o Traits do not blend
o Some traits are dominant over others which are called recessive.
o “What does dominant mean?”
The trait typically expressed
Symbolized by a capital letter
Always when present (Heterozygous show it)
o “What does recessive mean?”
Trait expressed when it is the only one present
Symbolized by a lowercase letter
Can be hidden
o “Is a dominant trait necessarily the best one?”
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**Call on different students in each class
At least 3 students per class
***Dominant is not the most common.***
Conclusions
o Mendel’s work led to his Law of Segregation
Organisms inherit 2 copies of each gene, 1 from each parent
Organisms donate 1 copy of each gene in their gametes
Carriers
o “In genetics, some organisms are considered carriers.”
o “What could a carrier be?”
o Disorders
“Think back to the question before about whether or not the dominant trait
is necessarily better.”
Recessive
Work through punnett square with student input
Use sickle cell disorder
Dominant
Do quick punnett square introduction
o Explain where each parent’s gametes go
o How to interpret them.
Work through punnett square with student input
“We get 1 copy of each gene from each parent.”
o “What are the genes found on?”
“Chromosomes fall in 2 categories. What could the categories be?”
o Autosomal and sex
o “What traits have their genes on autosomes?”
Hair color, eye color, number of fingers, etc.
o “What traits have their genes on sex chromosomes?”
Facial hair/body hair
Sex linked expression
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o “Do you think the genes are the X chromosome are the same as on the Y
chromosome?”
Yes to a short limit, only 27 of the more than 1000 on the X chromosome.
o “Assuming they are not the same, what could happen if all genes on the Y
chromosome are recessive?”
They will be expressed
“Why?”
“Are recessive genes usually expressed?”
No
o “How do you think this would happen?”
Show picture of calico cat.
X chromosome inactivation
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Traits and Probability Notes
QOTD
o “What is the probability you will have sickle-cell disease if your dad is Ss and
your mom is SS?”
Genes vs. Alleles
o “What do you think is the difference between alleles and genes given the picture
here?
Ask at most 3 students
o Allele
Alternate forms of a gene
Can be dominant or recessive
o Gene
Piece of DNA with instructions to make certain proteins
Kinds of allele pairs
o Homozygous
o Heterozygous
o “What do you think these 2 words mean?”
“Alleles and genes influence our traits. In biology there are 2 ways to describe the allele
pair. These ways are genotype and phenotype.”
o “What does each one refer to?”
Call on students until right answers are given.
Guiding questions
“Genotype refers to…”
o Genotype
Genetic makeup of organisms
Example: AA, BB, Aa, AABb, etc.
Ratios
Give samples for students to work with
3 AA, 1 Aa
1 AA, 2 Aa, 1 aa
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o Students will work in pairs to do this
o Phenotype
Physical makeup of organisms
Examples: red hair, blue eyes, tall, blue feathers, red flowers, etc.
Have pictures of these
Ratios
Give students same examples as before, but this time the genes will have
characteristics assigned.
“These traits come from our parents. Remember back to meiosis…what was the key
principle with meiosis?”
o Variation
“We can calculate the chances of inheriting traits from our parents.”
o This can be done using a punnett square
o Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
“What does each one refer to?”
“How many traits are used in each one?”
o Monohybrid
1 gene
o Dihybrid
2 genes
Independent assortment review
Example: AaBb = AB, Ab, aB, ab
Students will work in pairs to setup a dihybrid cross
Be given 3 min to get as much done as possible.
“Punnett squares are not the only way to calculate the chance you will inherit a trait.”
o Math way
Use QOTD as example
Explain as I go through it.
Other examples to use
Get AABb if cross AABB and AaBb
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Complex Inheritance Notes
QOTD
o “Are all genes dominant or recessive?”
Incomplete dominance
o “What could this mean/”
Ask 3 students
o Give students example
Flowers
o Punnett square calculations
Codominance
o “What could this mean?”
Ask 3 students
o Give students example
Black and white cat
Calculate genotypes
Flower
Calculate genotypes
Roran cattle
Calculate genotypes
Blood types
Why blood types are very important to know for donations
o Immune system
o Antigens
o O lacks antigens
Can be given to anyone.
o Punnett square calculations
Have students give phenotype and genotype ratios
“This is all when traits are either dominant or equally dominant and when there is only 1
gene involved.”
o Skin color example
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“What accounts for this?”
Ask individual students, 5/class
o “Yes, we call these traits polygenic?”
Polygenic traits
o “What does polygenic mean?”
Many genes involved
o “Can you think of any examples?”
Ask students if they don’t volunteer answers.
o Give examples
Hair color
Height
Skin color
Epistasis
o Genes interfering with each other
Have picture of chromosome with genes
“What do you think could cause this interference?”
Proximity
Other genes
“With all of this being said, do you think we can trace back through a family?”
o “How might we do this?”
Pedigrees
o Charts for tracing traits
o Can be used for genotypes and phenotypes
o Example
Eye color in my family
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o Explain how you can trace the genotypes back and determine how you can show
what people were based on what you know.
Student input will be taken throughout this period.
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Activities/Worksheets:
16.4/6.5 Reinforcement Worksheets
Probability Lab Worksheets
Name: _______________________________ Pd: _______ Date: ______________________
Objective: Learn how probability relates to genotypes and phenotypes.
Procedure:
1. Obtain 2 pennies, marker, and a strip of masking tape from the front.
2. Put a piece of Masking tape on each side of each coin.
3. Call me over to get the index card with your needed cross.
4. Use 1 penny per allele pair. On each side of the pennies write 1 allele as it is written on
the card.
5. Flip both coins at the same time and write the result on the answer sheet.
6. Do this a total of 50 times, write all results on the answer sheet
7. After you have completed your 50 trials count up all different genotypes and phenotypes
and write down the ratios.
8. After you have done this, bring your index cards and results up to me for class tally.
9. Work on answering the questions while everyone finishes up.
Questions
1. The crosses below show the predicted phenotypes of the offspring based on Mendel’s
Laws. Compare your genetic cross results (phenotypes) to those of Mendel. Explain
possible reasons for any differences you observe in the data.
AA × aa = 100% dominant
aa × aa = 100% dominant
Aa × aa = 50% dominant, 50% recessive
2. Did the genotype of any one trial depend on the results of another? Explain.
3. Meiosis accounts for the distribution of alleles to gametes. Explain how meiosis is
related to genetics.
1 See the end of this report for the 6.4/6.5 Reinforcement Worksheets
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4. What do you notice about your results when compared to the groups who had the same
cross as you?
Trial Results
1. _________
2. _________
3. _________
4. _________
5. _________
6. _________
7. _________
8. _________
9. _________
10. _________
11. _________
12. _________
13. _________
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48. _________
49. _________
50. _________
Name: ________________________________________
Pd:
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My totals: _______ _______
Aa × aa Class Results: _______ _______ _______
AA × Aa Class Results: _______ _______ _______
Answers to Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Dominance Worksheet
Name: ________________________ Pd: ______ Date: _______________
Directions: Read over the genetics problems below and determine what type of dominance is
present in each. Additionally, calculate the phenotype and genotype ratios and list
the genotypes for each cross mentioned in the problems. This worksheet is worth
15 points.
Types of dominance: Complete dominance, codominance, incomplete dominance.
1. A dog that is homozygous with black fur mates with a dog that is homozygous for white
fur. All of the puppies have gray fur. What type of dominance is present here? Explain
your answer.
2. An iris that is homozygous for dark blue flowers pollinates an iris that is homozygous for
white flowers. The resulting irises have light blue flowers. What type of dominance is
present here? Explain your answer.
3. A white horse and a brown horse mate. The offspring are white with brown spots. What
type of dominance is present here? Explain your answer.
4. In the case of codominant alleles, a plant that is homozygous for red flowers that is
crossed with a plant that is homozygous for white flowers will produce flowers that are
what color(s)? Show the genotypes.
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5. A person who is homozygous for widows peak hair line marries a person who is
homozygous for a straight hair line. They have kids, all with widows peak hair line.
What type of dominance is present here? Explain with a punnett square.
6. A person with black hair marries and has kids with a person who has blonde hair. They
have 3 kids, one with black hair, one with red hair, and one with brown hair. What is the
reason for the wide array of hair colors among this family?
7. What is it called when genes interfere with each other?
8. What does epistasis produce in terms of dominance? Explain your answer with an
example.
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Assessments:
Punnett Square Project
Name: _______________________________ Pd: _______ Date: __________________
Directions: Using the provided information, create a 4x4 punnett square. Write in the parent’s
genes and the cross results in the squares. After you have completed the punnett
square, pick 2 offspring and do another cross. Be sure to circle the selected
offspring!! After you have completed this cross. Answer the questions at the end
of this worksheet. This project is worth 50 points. When you turn everything in,
please be sure your name is on everything and staple all pages together!
B = brown fur
b = white fur
R = runs fast
r = runs slow
‘B’ is dominant to ‘b’ and ‘R’ is dominant over ‘r’
Parent Deer: Mom – BbRr
Dad – bbRr
Grading Rubric:
Parental cross successfully completed: 10 points max
(10 = all correct, 8 = most correct, 6 = half correct, 4 = few correct, 2 = 1-2 correct, 0 = none
correct)
Offspring cross successfully completed: 10 points max
(10 = all correct, 8 = most correct, 6 = half correct, 4 = few correct, 2 = 1-2 correct, 0 = none
correct)
Circle the selected offspring: 2 points max
(2 = both offspring circled, 1 = only 1 offspring circled, 0 = no offspring circled)
Completed neatly: 4 points max
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(4 = very neat, well organized, 3 = mostly neat, decent organization, 2 = somewhat neat,
some organization, 1 = minorly neat, very little organization, 0 = not neat, not organized)
Questions answered, each worth 3 points: 14 points max
(2 = question completely correctly, 1 = question partly correct, 0 = question not correct)
Total: 40 points
Questions: Answer the questions based on the results of your crosses.
1. A. For which genes is each parent homozygous?
B. For which genes is each parent heterozygous?
2. What are the genotypes and the genotype ratio in the first generation?
3. What are all of the phenotypes and the phenotype ratio in the first generation?
4. What are all of the genotypes and the genotype ratio in the second generation?
5. What are all of the phenotypes and the phenotype ratio in the second generation?
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6. Which genotype do you think would be the worst for the deer to have? Why?
7. Which phenotype do you think would be the worst for the deer to have? Why?
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Name: __________________________________________ Pd: _______ Date:
_______________________
Parent Cross
Parent 1 Gametes
Parent 2
Gametes
Offspring Cross
Parent 1 Gametes
Parent 2
Gametes
Parent Genotypes:
Parent Genotypes:
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Pedigree Alternate Assessment
Name: _________________________________ Pd: _________ Date: _____________________
Objective: Understand inheritance by applying Mendelian genetics to a real application, such as
a family trait.
Directions: After picking one of the traits below, ask brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents,
cousins, and grandparents if they have the trait or not. Some of the traits are
dominant, others are recessive. You will have to look this up for the trait you
choose.
Once you have asked everyone you can, begin drawing a pedigree (look at page 202
and 203 for help on pedigrees) starting with yourself, brothers, and sisters and work
your way back. Include: grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers/sisters, and cousins.
Be sure to include all family members and use the key as is shown on page 203.
Note: it will be difficult to determine who is a carrier so only work with if they have
the phenotype or not. Label each person’s relation to you and whether they have the
trait or not. Include all possible genotypes for each person in the pedigree.
Traits to pick from:
Widow’s peak
Attached earlobes
Ability to roll tongue
Grading:
Number of people in pedigree: 5 points max
(5 = 9 or more people, 4 = 6 to 8 people, 3 = 5 people, 2 = 4 people, 1 = 3 people only, 0 =
less than 3 people)
***See me if finding relatives is a problem!
Labeling: 5 points max
(5 = everything labeled correctly, 4 = 1–2 labels lacking, 3 = 3-4 labels lacking, 2 = 5-6
labels missing, 1 = 7 or more labels lacking, 0 = nothing labeled correctly.)
Neatness: 5 points max
(5 = Very neat, good looking, 4 = Good attempt at neatness, 3 = OK in terms of neatness, 2 =
somewhat messy, 1 = very messy, minor attempt at neatness made, 0 = unreadable, no
attempt at neatness made).
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Genetics Unit Test
Name: ________________________________ Pd: ________ Date: _____________________
Directions: Read all directions for each section. When you are done please wait quietly. This
test is worth 60 points.
Section 1 – Multiple-choice. Circle the correct answer for each question. Questions without
clearly marked answers will not be given credit. Each question is
worth 1 point.
1. Who is considered the father of genetics?
A Jean-Luc Picard
B Gregor Mendel
C Albert Einstein
D Charles Darwin
2. The term “pure-bred” refers to…
A Being genetically the same
B Being genetically different
C Only breeding with own self
D Only breeding within own species
3. Which of the traits below is homozygous recessive?
A AA
B Aa
C aa
D A and C
4. What is the ratio of phenotypes in the cross, Aa X aa?
A All recessive
B 25% dominant, 75% recessive
C 50% dominant, 50% recessive
D All dominant
5. Blood types are often used as an example of…
A Incomplete dominance
B Complete dominance
C Codominance
D Genetic fluke
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6. You have a gray dog. Its parents were black and white. This would be an example of…
A Incomplete dominance
B Complete dominance
C Recessiveness
D Genetic fluke
7. Polygenic traits such as hair color and eye color…
A Are very rare
B Are influenced by many genes
C Are only found in plants
D Are only found in animals
8. Sex-linked traits are called “sex-linked” because they…
A Are generated during asexual reproduction
B Are found on the 23rd
pair of chromosomes, the sex chromosomes
C Do not exist until sexual reproduction happens
D Come from organisms with a long asexual background
9. An organism with the alleles AA is crossed with an organism with alleles Aa, which of the
following would not result from the cross?
A AA
B aa
C Aa
D B and C
10. Which of the following is an example of a phenotype?
A AA
B Gray fur
C Aa
D A and C
11. Genotype refers to the...
A Physical appearance of the organism
B Mental makeup of the organism
C Genetic makeup of the organism
D A and C
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33
12. To say 1 allele is dominant over another means that…
A The dominant allele is expressed over the other allele
B The other allele is recessive
C The dominant allele will not be expressed
D A and B
13. What do punnett squares help us to figure out?
A Probability
B Size of organism
C Color
D Time the sun sets
14. Which of the allele pairs below is heterozygous?
A AA
B Aa
C aa
D A and C
15. According to the book, which of the following plants were used by Mendel during his
experiments?
A Roses
B Peas
C Cucumbers
D Irises
16. The F1 offspring of Mendel’s classic cross always looked like one of the two parents
because…
A One allele was completely dominant over another
B Each allele affected phenotype expression
C Traits blended together during fertilization
D No genes interacted to produce the parental phenotype
17. Which of the following crosses will result in a 9:3:3:1 ratio?
A AABB x aaBb
B AABb x aabb
C Aabb x aaBB
D AABB x aabb
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34
18. The parent genotypes are AA and aa. When 2 F1 generation offspring are crossed the result
is…
A All heterozygous offspring
B All homozygous offspring
C 75% heterozygous, 25% homozygous
D 50 % heterozygous, 50 % homozygous
19. A person breeds dogs. They have a dog with black (BB) fur and a dog with white (bb) fur.
What is the chance they could have puppies with white fur? B = black (dominant),
b = white (recessive).
A 0%
B 25%
C 50%
D 100%
20. A mom and dad are wondering what blood types their children might have. Mom has IAiO
and dad has IAIB. Which of the following blood types are not possible for their children?
A A
B B
C O
D All types are possible.
21. An organism has the genotype HhTt, which of the following is possible for their gametes?
A HT
B Ht
C hT
D All of the above
22. From the question above, which gamete is most likely to form?
A HT
B Ht
C hT
D All are equally likely to form
23. A chromosome is found to be missing genes, which of the following most likely happened?
A Insertion
B Duplication
C Deletion
D Relocation
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35
24. Huntington’s disease is caused by a dominant allele. If one of your parents has the disease
and is heterozygous, what is the probability you will also have the disease? The other parent
does not have the disease.
A 1
B 3/4
C 1/2
D 1/4
25. Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that…
A Allele pairs separate during gamete formation and randomly unite at fertilization.
B There is no method to remotely predict the outcomes of a cross
C Some alleles are better than others
D B and C
26. What is found on blood cells that is used to differentiate between blood types?
A Viruses
B Antigens
C Enzymes
D Shapes
27. A polar bear has the genotype WWFf, (W; white fur is dominate over w; brown fur, F; fat is
dominant over f; skinny). Which of the following genotypes would be the best for it to mate
with for the species to continue surviving? Assume having white fur and being fat is
desirable for species survival.
A wwFF
B WWff
C WwFf
D WWFF
28. Why did Mendel likely use pea plants over other possible organisms for his study?
A Pea plants reproduce quickly
B Pea plants are “simple” organisms
C Pea plants are easy to come by
D All of the above
29. If you and your husband/wife are carriers (heterozygous) for a recessive trait, what is the
chance your children will display the trait you are carriers for as part of their phenotype?
A 5%
B 50%
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C 75%
D 25%
Section 2 – True/False. Circle “T” for true or “F” for false. If the statement is false, rewrite it
so it is true!! Each question is worth 2 points.
30. T or F – You can tell someone is homozygous dominant or heterozygous just by looking at
them.
31. T or F – Phenotypes are observable traits
32. T or F – Punnett squares are the only way to calculate possible genotype/phenotype
frequencies.
33. T or F – If ‘F’ is dominant and ‘f’ is recessive, then FF and Ff would appear differently in
phenotype.
34. T or F – Some traits are only located on the sex chromosomes.
35. T or F – Depending on gender, some traits will be dominant or recessive.
Section 3 – Short Answer. Write a short sentence or two for each question. Partial credit is
possible for all questions. Each question is worth a different point
value.
36. What is the difference between an allele and a gene? (2pts)
37. Two men are claiming they are the father of a woman’s child. The court orders blood tests to
determine which one is the father. The mother is found to have type A blood (IAiO), the find
Man 1 has type B blood (IBIB) and they find Man 2 has type O blood (i
OiO). The baby has
type AB blood. Which man is most likely the father? Why? (4pts)
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37
38. In the case above (in #37), if the court ruled a third man who had type A blood (IAIA) was the
father would you agree with their ruling? Why or why not? (2pts)
39. You are charged with determining the genotype frequencies and phenotype frequencies of
breeding 2 horses. Black hair (B) is dominant to brown hair (b) and Short mane (H) is
dominant to long mane (h). Horse 1 has the genotype BBHH (black hair, short mane) and
Horse 2 has the genotype Bbhh (black hair, long mane). Create a punnett square and predict
the phenotype and genotype frequencies of their offspring. (5pts)
Section 4 – Genetic Problems. Use the information provided below to answer each question in
this section. Each question is worth 2 points.
‘W’ is dominant over ‘w’ and ‘B’ is dominant over ‘b’
W = Widow’s peak, w = straight hair line; B = brown eyes, b = blue eyes
Mom’s genotype: WWbb, Dad’s genotype wwBB
40. Mom and dad have their third child. What is the chance their baby would have a widow’s
peak hair line and blue eyes at the same time.
41. Can any of their children have a straight hair line? Why or why not?
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38
42. In time, their first child, a daughter with the genotype WwBb, gets married to a nice straight
hair line, blue-eye man (wwbb). They have their first child. List 2 possible genotypes the
child could have.
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Unit Test Short Answer Grading Rubric
Grading Rubrics for Genetics Unit Test
36. Alleles are alternate forms of a gene
0pts 1pt 2pts
Not correct, nothing written Partially correct Completely correct.
37. Man 1. Man 1 has the only blood type to work with the mom’s to create the baby’s blood
type.
0pts 1pt 2pts
Correctness Not correct Partially correct Completely correct
Reference blood types No reference to blood
types
Reference only 1
blood type
Reference both blood
types
38. No, because the baby has AB blood, the 3rd
man has AA for blood type. There isn’t a
contributor for the B in the blood type.
0pts 1pt 2pts
Incorrect answer, no
explanation
Correct answer, no
explanation
Correct answer with
explanation
39. Horse 1 gametes: BH, BH, BH, BH
Horse 2 gametes: BH, BH, bH, bH
Genotype frequencies: 1:1, 8:8
Phenotype frequencies: 16, 1
Punnett Square
Each thing is worth 1 point.
40. 0%
0pts 1pt
No work Work present
Incorrect Answer Correct answer
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40
41. No, because mom is homozygous dominant for widow’s peak.
0pts 1pt
No explanation, incorrect
explanation.
Explanation present and
correct.
Incorrect Answer Correct answer
42. WwBb, Wwbb, wwBb, wwbb
0pts 1pt 2pts
No genotypes, incorrect
genotypes
1 correct genotype 2 correct genotypes
PowerPoints/Presentations:
**See end of report for all presentations.
This unit addresses the standards (3.1.B.B5) in that students learn about different types of
inheritance and are asked to differentiate between them on different assignments. Additionally
students had to use what they knew about Mendel’s laws of inheritance in order to complete the
pedigree project successfully. All of this points back to the requirements for standard 3.1.B.B5
which states, “Distinguish among observed inheritance patterns caused by several types of
genetic traits (dominant, recessive, codominant, sex-linked, polygenic, incomplete dominance,
multiple alleles).” The same standard also references being able to describe how Mendel’s laws
can be observed through patterns of inheritance. This was targeted during the Pedigree project.
The critical thinking levels to be addressed in this unit are knowledge, comprehension, and
application. The unit focused on primarily comprehension and application. The students
answered questions during class discussions and on assessments to check comprehension and
application abilities of the students.
Throughout the unit I added examples that were relevant to the culture the students are part
of. For example, I used a common internet joke that students were very familiar with as a basis
to explain part of complex inheritance. The use of technology and interdisciplinary connections
did not come up during the unit being tested.
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**See the included unit plan above for lesson plans.
C. Evaluation of Instruction
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During the unit and my time at Indiana High School I did my best to make all students feel
welcome and safe. On several occasions I noticed what I thought was a student being harassed
by other students. I pulled the student who I thought was being harassed by students aside after
class and asked them if they were being harassed or if they felt like it. The student said that the
other students were just joking and did not say anything else about it.
**See included lesson plans for self-evaluations.
D. Assessment of Student Learning
Pretest
Name: ________________________________ Pd: ________ Date: _____________________
Directions: Read all directions for each section. When you are done please wait quietly. This
test is worth 60 points.
Section 1 – Multiple-choice. Circle the correct answer for each question. Questions without
clearly marked answers will not be given credit. Each question is
worth 1 point.
1. Who is considered the father of genetics?
A Jean-Luc Picard
B Gregor Mendel
C Albert Einstein
D Charles Darwin
2. The term “pure-bred” refers to…
A Being genetically the same
B Being genetically different
C Only breeding with own self
D Only breeding within own species
3. Which of the traits below is homozygous recessive?
A AA
B Aa
C aa
D A and C
4. What is the ratio of phenotypes in the cross, Aa X aa?
A All recessive
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B 25% dominant, 75% recessive
C 50% dominant, 50% recessive
D All dominant
5. Blood types are often used as an example of…
A Incomplete dominance
B Complete dominance
C Codominance
D Genetic fluke
6. You have a gray dog. Its parents were black and white. This would be an example of…
A Incomplete dominance
B Complete dominance
C Recessiveness
D Genetic fluke
7. Polygenic traits such as hair color and eye color…
A Are very rare
B Are influenced by many genes
C Are only found in plants
D Are only found in animals
8. Sex-linked traits are called “sex-linked” because they…
A Are generated during asexual reproduction
B Are found on the 23rd
pair of chromosomes, the sex chromosomes
C Do not exist until sexual reproduction happens
D Come from organisms with a long asexual background
9. An organism with the alleles AA is crossed with an organism with alleles Aa, which of the
following would not result from the cross?
A AA
B aa
C Aa
D B and C
10. Which of the following is an example of a phenotype?
A AA
B Gray fur
C Aa
D A and C
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11. Genotype refers to the...
A Physical appearance of the organism
B Mental makeup of the organism
C Genetic makeup of the organism
D A and C
12. To say 1 allele is dominant over another means that…
A The dominant allele is expressed over the other allele
B The other allele is recessive
C The dominant allele will not be expressed
D A and B
13. What do punnett squares help us to figure out?
A Probability
B Size of organism
C Color
D Time the sun sets
14. Which of the allele pairs below is heterozygous?
A AA
B Aa
C aa
D A and C
15. According to the book, which of the following plants were used by Mendel during his
experiments?
A Roses
B Peas
C Cucumbers
D Irises
16. The F1 offspring of Mendel’s classic cross always looked like one of the two parents
because…
A One allele was completely dominant over another
B Each allele affected phenotype expression
C Traits blended together during fertilization
D No genes interacted to produce the parental phenotype
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45
17. Which of the following crosses will result in a 9:3:3:1 ratio?
A AABB x aaBb
B AABb x aabb
C Aabb x aaBB
D AABB x aabb
18. The parent genotypes are AA and aa. When 2 F1 generation offspring are crossed the result
is…
A All heterozygous offspring
B All homozygous offspring
C 75% heterozygous, 25% homozygous
D 50 % heterozygous, 50 % homozygous
19. A person breeds dogs. They have a dog with black (BB) fur and a dog with white (bb) fur.
What is the chance they could have puppies with white fur? B = black (dominant),
b = white (recessive).
A 0%
B 25%
C 50%
D 100%
20. A mom and dad are wondering what blood types their children might have. Mom has IAiO
and dad has IAIB. Which of the following blood types are not possible for their children?
A A
B B
C O
D All types are possible.
21. An organism has the genotype HhTt, which of the following is possible for their gametes?
A HT
B Ht
C hT
D All of the above
22. From the question above, which gamete is most likely to form?
A HT
B Ht
C hT
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D All are equally likely to form
23. A chromosome is found to be missing genes, which of the following most likely happened?
A Insertion
B Duplication
C Deletion
D Relocation
24. Huntington’s disease is caused by a dominant allele. If one of your parents has the disease
and is heterozygous, what is the probability you will also have the disease? The other parent
does not have the disease.
A 1
B 3/4
C 1/2
D 1/4
25. Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that…
A Allele pairs separate during gamete formation and randomly unite at fertilization.
B There is no method to remotely predict the outcomes of a cross
C Some alleles are better than others
D B and C
26. What is found on blood cells that is used to differentiate between blood types?
A Viruses
B Antigens
C Enzymes
D Shapes
27. A polar bear has the genotype WWFf, (W; white fur is dominate over w; brown fur, F; fat is
dominant over f; skinny). Which of the following genotypes would be the best for it to mate
with for the species to continue surviving? Assume having white fur and being fat is
desirable for species survival.
A wwFF
B WWff
C WwFf
D WWFF
28. Why did Mendel likely use pea plants over other possible organisms for his study?
A Pea plants reproduce quickly
B Pea plants are “simple” organisms
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47
C Pea plants are easy to come by
D All of the above
29. If you and your husband/wife are carriers (heterozygous) for a recessive trait, what is the
chance your children will display the trait you are carriers for as part of their phenotype?
A 5%
B 50%
C 75%
D 25%
Section 2 – True/False. Circle “T” for true or “F” for false. If the statement is false, rewrite it
so it is true!! Each question is worth 2 points.
30. T or F – You can tell someone is homozygous dominant or heterozygous just by looking at
them.
31. T or F – Phenotypes are observable traits
32. T or F – Punnett squares are the only way to calculate possible genotype/phenotype
frequencies.
33. T or F – If ‘F’ is dominant and ‘f’ is recessive, then FF and Ff would appear differently in
phenotype.
34. T or F – Some traits are only located on the sex chromosomes.
35. T or F – Depending on gender, some traits will be dominant or recessive.
Section 3 – Short Answer. Write a short sentence or two for each question. Partial credit is
possible for all questions. Each question is worth a different point
value.
36. What is the difference between an allele and a gene? (2pts)
37. Two men are claiming they are the father of a woman’s child. The court orders blood tests to
determine which one is the father. The mother is found to have type A blood (IAiO), the find
Man 1 has type B blood (IBIB) and they find Man 2 has type O blood (i
OiO). The baby has
type AB blood. Which man is most likely the father? Why? (4pts)
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48
38. In the case above (in #37), if the court ruled a third man who had type A blood (IAIA) was the
father would you agree with their ruling? Why or why not? (2pts)
39. You are charged with determining the genotype frequencies and phenotype frequencies of
breeding 2 horses. Black hair (B) is dominant to brown hair (b) and Short mane (H) is
dominant to long mane (h). Horse 1 has the genotype BBHH (black hair, short mane) and
Horse 2 has the genotype Bbhh (black hair, long mane). Create a punnett square and predict
the phenotype and genotype frequencies of their offspring. (5pts)
Section 4 – Genetic Problems. Use the information provided below to answer each question in
this section. Each question is worth 2 points.
‘W’ is dominant over ‘w’ and ‘B’ is dominant over ‘b’
W = Widow’s peak, w = straight hair line; B = brown eyes, b = blue eyes
Mom’s genotype: WWbb, Dad’s genotype wwBB
40. Mom and dad have their third child. What is the chance their baby would have a widow’s
peak hair line and blue eyes at the same time.
41. Can any of their children have a straight hair line? Why or why not?
42. In time, their first child, a daughter with the genotype WwBb, gets married to a nice straight
hair line, blue-eye man (wwbb). They have their first child. List 2 possible genotypes the
child could have.
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49
Pretest Results
1st Period 2
nd Period 4
th Period
Student Points out of 60 Student Points out
of 60 Student
Points out
of 60
1 17 1 26 1 31
2 19 2 33 2 18
3 26 3 27 3 29
4 25 4 27 4 28
5 19 5 15 5 26
6 28 6 26 6 31
7 30 7 25 7 27
8 25 8 37 8 26
9 36 9 22 9 31
10 19 10 17 10 18
11 28 11 29 11 20
12 32 12 23 12 31
13 30 13 20 13 25
14 27 14 30 14 13
15 21 15 30 15 30
16 34 16 22 16 29
17 29 17 30 17 33
18 17 18 23 18 26
19 29 19 27
20 34 20 21
21 34
22 15
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50
Formative assessments
Punnett Square Project
Name: _______________________________ Pd: _______ Date: __________________
Directions: Using the provided information, create a 4x4 punnett square. Write in the parent’s
genes and the cross results in the squares. After you have completed the punnett
square, pick 2 offspring and do another cross. Be sure to circle the selected
offspring!! After you have completed this cross. Answer the questions at the end
of this worksheet. This project is worth 50 points. When you turn everything in,
please be sure your name is on everything and staple all pages together!
B = brown fur
b = white fur
R = runs fast
r = runs slow
‘B’ is dominant to ‘b’ and ‘R’ is dominant over ‘r’
Parent Deer: Mom – BbRr
Dad – bbRr
Grading Rubric:
Parental cross successfully completed: 10 points max
(10 = all correct, 8 = most correct, 6 = half correct, 4 = few correct, 2 = 1-2 correct, 0 = none
correct)
Offspring cross successfully completed: 10 points max
(10 = all correct, 8 = most correct, 6 = half correct, 4 = few correct, 2 = 1-2 correct, 0 = none
correct)
Circle the selected offspring: 2 points max
(2 = both offspring circled, 1 = only 1 offspring circled, 0 = no offspring circled)
Completed neatly: 4 points max
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(4 = very neat, well organized, 3 = mostly neat, decent organization, 2 = somewhat neat,
some organization, 1 = minorly neat, very little organization, 0 = not neat, not organized)
Questions answered, each worth 3 points: 14 points max
(2 = question completely correctly, 1 = question partly correct, 0 = question not correct)
Total: 40 points
Questions: Answer the questions based on the results of your crosses.
1. A. For which genes is each parent homozygous?
B. For which genes is each parent heterozygous?
2. What are the genotypes and the genotype ratio in the first generation?
3. What are all of the phenotypes and the phenotype ratio in the first generation?
4. What are all of the genotypes and the genotype ratio in the second generation?
5. What are all of the phenotypes and the phenotype ratio in the second generation?
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6. Which genotype do you think would be the worst for the deer to have? Why?
7. Which phenotype do you think would be the worst for the deer to have? Why?
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Name: __________________________________________ Pd: _______ Date:
_______________________
Parent Cross
Parent 1 Gametes
Parent 2
Gametes
Offspring Cross
Parent 1 Gametes
Parent 2
Gametes
Parent Genotypes:
Parent Genotypes:
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Discussion Questions
“Men have facial hair. Why don’t women, usually?”
“If one of your parents has Huntington’s disease, what is the chance you will have it?”
“Colorblindness is more common in men than women. Why might this be the case?”
The discussion results determined if any material was revisited or not. A few things had to be re-
explained during the discussions based on the answers students gave or the misconceptions they
had.
Dominance Worksheet
Name: ________________________ Pd: ______ Date: _______________
Directions: Read over the genetics problems below and determine what type of dominance is
present in each. Additionally, calculate the phenotype and genotype ratios and list
the genotypes for each cross mentioned in the problems. This worksheet is worth
15 points.
Types of dominance: Complete dominance, codominance, incomplete dominance.
1. A dog that is homozygous with black fur mates with a dog that is homozygous for white
fur. All of the puppies have gray fur. What type of dominance is present here? Explain
your answer.
2. An iris that is homozygous for dark blue flowers pollinates an iris that is homozygous for
white flowers. The resulting irises have light blue flowers. What type of dominance is
present here? Explain your answer.
3. A white horse and a brown horse mate. The offspring are white with brown spots. What
type of dominance is present here? Explain your answer.
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4. In the case of codominant alleles, a plant that is homozygous for red flowers that is
crossed with a plant that is homozygous for white flowers will produce flowers that are
what color(s)? Show the genotypes.
5. A person who is homozygous for widows peak hair line marries a person who is
homozygous for a straight hair line. They have kids, all with widows peak hair line.
What type of dominance is present here? Explain with a punnett square.
6. A person with black hair marries and has kids with a person who has blonde hair. They
have 3 kids, one with black hair, one with red hair, and one with brown hair. What is the
reason for the wide array of hair colors among this family?
7. What is it called when genes interfere with each other?
Modifications:
For the punnett square project, students with disabilities were only told to do the 1st
generation cross and were able to have the Learning Support teachers present to walk
them through the project step-by-step. Additionally, in 1 case, a Learning support teacher
was permitted to complete the cross for a student and then help them through the
questions.
The only modification made for the discussion questions was to print out the questions
for students with special needs so they could have them to look off of as we discussed the
questions.
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Alternate Assessment
Name: _________________________________ Pd: _________ Date: _____________________
Objective: Understand inheritance by applying Mendelian genetics to a real application, such as
a family trait.
Directions: After picking one of the traits below, ask brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents,
cousins, and grandparents if they have the trait or not. Some of the traits are
dominant, others are recessive. You will have to look this up for the trait you
choose.
Once you have asked everyone you can, begin drawing a pedigree (look at page 202
and 203 for help on pedigrees) starting with yourself, brothers, and sisters and work
your way back. Include: grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers/sisters, and cousins.
Be sure to include all family members and use the key as is shown on page 203.
Note: it will be difficult to determine who is a carrier so only work with if they have
the phenotype or not. Label each person’s relation to you and whether they have the
trait or not. Include all possible genotypes for each person in the pedigree.
Traits to pick from:
Widow’s peak
Attached earlobes
Ability to roll tongue
Grading:
Number of people in pedigree: 5 points max
(5 = 9 or more people, 4 = 6 to 8 people, 3 = 5 people, 2 = 4 people, 1 = 3 people only, 0 =
less than 3 people)
***See me if finding relatives is a problem!
Labeling: 5 points max
(5 = everything labeled correctly, 4 = 1–2 labels lacking, 3 = 3-4 labels lacking, 2 = 5-6
labels missing, 1 = 7 or more labels lacking, 0 = nothing labeled correctly.)
Neatness: 5 points max
(5 = Very neat, good looking, 4 = Good attempt at neatness, 3 = OK in terms of neatness, 2 =
somewhat messy, 1 = very messy, minor attempt at neatness made, 0 = unreadable, no attempt at
neatness made).
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Sample 1 – Meets Expectations
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Sample 2 – Does Not Meet Expectations
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Sample 3 – Exceeds Expectations
Unit Test
**See unit plan above for the Unit Test
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60
E. Analysis of Student Learning
Unit Grades
Student Pre-test
Score
(out of 60)
Post-test
Score
(out of 60)
Difference
between
Pre- and
Post-Test
Punnett
Square
Project
(out of 40)
Pedigree
Project
(out of 15)
Final Unit
Grade
(%)
1 17 16 -1 37 0 46.1
2 19 40 21 30 12 71.3
3 26 42 16 31 14 75.7
4 25 40 15 31 16 75.7
5 19 43 24 36 11 78.3
6 28 39 11 28 12 68.7
7 30 39 9 32 14 73.9
8 25 44 19 36 10 78.3
9 36 48 12 38 9 82.6
10 19 23 4 40 12 65.2
11 28 45 17 36 16 84.3
12 32 53 21 32 16 87.8
13 30 39 9 34 14 75.7
14 27 43 16 37 0 69.6
15 21 34 13 0 0 29.6
16 34 56 22 40 15 96.5
17 29 33 4 40 14 75.7
18 17 39 22 24 15 67.8
19 26 50 24 31 15 83.5
20 33 46 13 29 15 78.3
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21 27 44 17 35 12 79.1
22 27 46 19 28 11 73.9
23 15 39 24 31 0 60.9
24 26 48 22 34 12 81.7
25 25 51 26 0 0 44.3
26 37 43 6 0 15 50.4
27 22 46 24 29 11 74.8
28 17 37 20 40 15 80.0
29 29 53 24 38 12 89.6
30 23 50 27 38 12 87.0
31 20 49 29 38 14 87.8
32 30 55 25 40 0 82.6
33 30 47 17 36 10 80.9
34 22 41 19 31 10 71.3
35 30 52 22 38 12 88.7
36 23 30 7 0 0 26.1
37 29 45 16 38 12 82.6
38 34 52 18 33 0 73.9
39 31 47 16 40 15 88.7
40 18 29 11 20 14 54.8
41 29 47 18 38 11 83.5
42 28 57 29 38 11 92.2
43 26 33 7 34 12 68.7
44 31 42 11 38 14 81.7
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45 27 42 15 17 0 51.3
46 26 39 13 34 12 73.9
47 31 42 11 20 12 64.3
48 18 39 21 34 10 72.2
49 20 47 27 34 10 79.1
50 31 42 11 0 0 36.5
51 25 55 30 34 12 87.8
52 13 27 14 0 0 23.5
53 30 42 12 0 11 46.1
54 29 39 10 38 15 80.0
55 26 54 28 34 13 87.8
56 27 39 12 0 12 44.3
57 21 40 19 32 10 71.3
58 34 44 10 35 12 79.1
59 15 43 28 31 14 76.5
Statistical Analysis of Data
Pre-Test
Average
Post-Test
Average n p Value t Value
25.81 42.86 59 < .0001 18.22
Each Student’s Performance During Unit2
1. This student has an IEP and has a long history of not succeeding in the class. The student
has refused on multiple occasions to do their work, work with groups, and has also been
2 All students had the same knowledge coming into the unit.
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very against anyone helping them. These factors are what likely led to the failure of this
student.
2. This student performed well during the unit. They were responsive to help on many
occasions. This student also does well when they put the effort forth, which they did
during the unit.
3. Performed well during unit. Usually performs very well during class. The student was
absent during unit for several days. This likely led to the low level of improvement
during the unit. The student made up missed work and obtained notes from classmates.
4. Worked well during unit. Asked many questions and did well when working with group
members.
5. Showed excellent improvement during unit. Didn’t work well in groups but still did the
work. This student normally performs well academically.
6. This student sometimes does well, but will often daydream during class or not pay
attention. Did all of the work assigned.
7. This student usually does well on their assignments and in class. During the unit, this
student was absent for a trip. Though they made up the work needed and received extra
help, they did not do well on the final test.
8. This student has always been an average performer in the class. Although his
performance improved slightly during the unit. When this student puts forth the effort
they do well.
9. Performed very well during the class overall, had one of the largest increases in the class
from pretest to post-test. He had a very good work ethic and worked very well during the
class.
10. This student has struggled all year and has an IEP. A special case was made for this
student. They are taking Biology as pass or fail due to their IEP and difficulty in class.
This student works well with others and does well when given guided questions and help.
11. This student did very well during the unit and had a wonderful work ethic. The student
asked many questions which is likely what added to his success. This student needed
some prodding to participate in class discussions.
12. Higher performing student. This student is able to apply information well to new cases
and actively participated in class discussions. This likely added to their success.
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13. This student usually has some trouble with material. They needed some prodding to
participate in class discussions, this together may have contributed to the limited success
during the unit.
14. Very active in class discussion, overall high performing student. The success is likely
attributed to this.
15. This student has an IEP, but was still one of the more improving students during the
lesson. This is likely attributed to the relationship this student and I developed. They
responded very well to help and guidance. The student would often sleep during class
which also led to the limited success of this student.
16. This is the highest performing student in the class and one of the most involved in class
discussions. Together, these factors likely attributed to this student’s success.
17. This student was active in class discussion, but had limited success. The exact reasons
for this are unknown. They did all work and came in for extra help after school on 2
occasions.
18. One of the more high performing students, this student has good work ethic and is active
in class discussion. This student did very well overall during the time of the unit.
Additionally, this student, as with students 1 to 17, was in the class I had just taken over
so they were unfamiliar with my testing style. This could have also led to the limited
success with several students.
19. This student did very well during the class. They were active during class discussions
and asked questions when they were not sure about something. The student also had a
wonderful work ethic, all of these likely led to the student doing very well during the
unit.
20. This student would often get distracted and talk during class to the person beside them.
While this student did show improvement during the class, the distractions they were part
of likely led to the improvement being as limited as it was.
21. This student, while very active during class discussion, showed limited improvement.
This is likely due to simply not understanding the information and not asking questions
when needed.
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22. This student, while active during class discussion, showed limited improvement. This is
likely due to simply not understanding the information and not asking questions when
needed.
23. This student has an IEP and is usually one of the lower performers in the class. However,
they showed some of the highest improvement during the class. This is possibly due to
staying after school to get extra help and due to their increased participation during class
discussions.
24. This student usually does not participate during class discussions but did come after
school and during study hall for extra help. This likely led to their increased
improvement, one of the highest improvements in their class.
25. This student had the largest improvement during their class. This is likely due to their
increase participation during discussion and seeking help from an IUP Biology major for
tutoring.
26. Even though this student has an IEP, they usually do very well during class. However,
for some reason during this unit, they did not improve much. Possible reasons for this are
unknown.
27. This is another IEP student. They perform well when receiving extra help. During the
unit, this student received extra help from the Learning support staff and myself. This is
what likely led to the great increase in improvement during the unit.
28. This student would often get distracted and talk during class to the person beside them.
While this student did show improvement during the class, the distractions they were part
of likely led to the improvement being as limited as it was.
29. This student is a higher performing student. They asked questions and were active
participators during class discussions. These factors, together with the student’s work
ethic are likely the reason for the student’s success during the unit.
30. This student is a higher performing student. They asked questions and were active
participators during class discussions. These factors, together with the student’s work
ethic are likely the reason for the student’s success during the unit.
31. This student is an IEP student. They perform well when receiving extra help. During the
unit, this student received extra help from the Learning support staff and myself. This is
what likely led to the great increase in improvement during the unit.
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32. This student has a wonderful work ethic and puts forth a lot of effort. They are very
diligent in their work. These factors likely attributed to their success.
33. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. This student’s success is attributed to this.
34. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. Actively participates in class discussion. This student’s success is
attributed to this.
35. This student is a higher performing student. They asked higher level questions and were
active participators during class discussions. These factors, together with the student’s
work ethic are likely the reason for the student’s success during the unit.
36. This student has an IEP and is a very diligent worker. They did not actively participate in
class discussions, but they were willing to answer questions when asked. The limited
success of this student is likely due to their abilities on tests since they do not usually
score high on tests, even though they have an aid available.
37. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. They actively participated in class discussions. This student’s success is
attributed to this.
38. This student would often get distracted and talk during class to the person beside them.
While this student did show improvement during the class, the distractions they were part
of likely led to the improvement being as limited as it was. Furthermore, the successes in
this class (students 19 to 38) are likely due to the long period of time of which I was in
charge of the class.
39. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. They actively participated in class discussions. This student’s success is
attributed to this.
40. This student has expressed their lack of caring several times and has also not turned many
things in to me during my time in charge of the class. This student has had this habit all
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year. Furthermore, the student became very hostile when offered help or reminded of
assignments. While they did have some success during my time, the success was very
limited to this.
41. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. This student’s success is attributed to this.
42. This student is one of the higher performing students. They normally participate in class
discussion with minimal action from the teacher. Also, the student works hard and
diligently on all assignments. The success of this student is attributed to these factors.
43. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will sometimes try to answer the questions, other times they would
just say “I don’t know” without trying even after being given guiding questions. This
student’s success is attributed to this.
44. This student performed on an average level. They asked occasional questions and
participated in some class discussions. They paid attention and worked diligently during
the unit. Their success is attributed to this.
45. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will sometimes try to answer the questions, other times they would
just say “I don’t know” without trying even after being given guiding questions. This
student’s success is attributed to this.
46. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will answer the question to the best of their ability. This student’s
success is attributed to this.
47. One of the higher performing students, this student was absent during a day of the unit.
They got the notes and stuff from other students and myself, but must not have
understood stuff completely; this is likely what led to their limited success. The limited
success here is lower than usual.
48. A higher performing student, but they sometimes get distracted by their group members
who do not usually do well on assignments. These factors likely led to this student’s
improvement being slightly lower than usual.
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49. This student had a significant increase in improvement. Normally this student does
average in terms of performance, but they did well during this unit. I attribute this to the
student being more involved in class discussions and putting more effort forth in their
work.
50. This is another student who has refused to do work all year long. When confronted, they
become very defensive and state, that they have “already failed for the year, so what is
the point?” This student does not work in groups and rarely turns assignments in for
grading. I attribute the very limited success of this student to their attitude towards the
class.
51. A higher performing student, but they sometimes get distracted by their group members
who do not usually do well on assignments. This student actively participated in class
discussions. These factors likely led to this student’s improvement being slightly lower
than usual.
52. This student has had a difficult time all year. Their performance did increase slightly
during the unit. This could be attributed to the student asking more questions when they
are unsure of the information and when they did not understand something completely.
53. This student did well during the class. They were active during class discussions and
asked questions when they were not sure about something. The student also had a
wonderful work ethic, all of these likely led to the student doing well during the unit.
54. This student usually does much better than during the unit. The factors for this are
unclear. The student asked questions and participated during class discussions.
55. This student’s performance did increase slightly during the unit. This could be attributed
to the student asking more questions when they are unsure of the information and when
they did not understand something completely. Furthermore, they became much more
active in class discussion by participating more.
56. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
the answer is. They actively participated in class discussions. This student’s success is
attributed to this.
57. This student usually has average performance, but works hard and is very diligent. When
asked questions they will do their best to answer them even if they are not sure of what
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the answer is. They participated in class discussions, on occasion they gave irrelevant
answers. This student’s success is attributed to this.
58. This student performed at an average level during the unit. Overall, they worked hard
and had a wonderful work ethic, but their success was limited due to unknown factors.
Their participation in class discussions decreased slightly which could have led to the
lowered success for this student.
59. This student showed significant increase in comparison to prior work. This is likely a
result of the student becoming more active in class discussions and putting more effort
into their work.
Overall, nearly every student improved from the pre-test to the post-test. The only exception
is student 1 who reduced in score. Students improved anywhere from 4 points to 30 points when
comparing the pre-test and post-test. In general, the higher performing students had larger
improvements, though there were some exceptions such as student 59 who is a lower performing
student but had one of the highest improvements out of everyone.
Students 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 40, 43, 44, 47, 50, 53, 54, 56, and 58 all had low increases
from pre-test to post-test. Low increase was considered 0 points to 12 points. Students 8, 11, 14,
15, 20-22, 33, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 45, 46, 52, and 57 all had medium increases from pre-test to
post-test. Medium increase was considered 13 points to 19 points. All other students had high
increases which were considered to be 20 points to 30 points. The only exception to all of this
would be student 1 who dropped in grades from Pre-test to post-test.
The unit test was a combination of multiple-choice, true/false, and short answer questions.
The questions targeted the knowledge, comprehension, and application levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy. Many students missed question 17 on the test, on both pre-test and post-test. The
question asked which cross would produce a 9:3:3:1 ratio. The most likely reason for the large
number of students who missed this question is that we were not able to cover it during the unit
due to the time crunch we were under. In the case of this problem, the best way to change it
would be either make sure the information was covered or remove the question from the test. I
feel that the test did accurately measure students’ knowledge about the covered material since the
questions were built off of the objectives used during the unit and the lesson plans and activities
were based on the objectives. If I were to teach this unit again, the first thing I would change
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would be to stretch it out longer and add more activities in to help reinforce the students’
knowledge of the material. I would also add in more inquiry based techniques.
F. Reflection on Teaching Effectiveness and Professional Growth
In the context of Danielson’s four domains, there are several aspects of planning and
preparation that could have been better. These aspects include resources for students and using
more activities. There is nothing in classroom environment that could have been altered that I
can think of to make the instruction during the unit more effective. However, when it comes to
Instruction itself, there are things that could have been better. These things are: more engaging
activities for students, structure and pacing, providing better feedback to students, and
encouraging more student discussion. Finally, for Professional Responsibilities, I feel that if I
had kept better observation records and tried to somehow involved families the unit would have
gone better. Some of the objectives for the unit were not reached and the most likely reason I
feel is that the unit progressed too quickly. I do think that by using the students’ families during
the pedigree project helped the students to understand inheritance better.
The most successful classroom activity would be when the students were working on
complex inheritance during class. I feel this was very successful because several examples used
were things the students were familiar with. For example, I used a common internet joke
commonly called “Grumpy Cat.” The students connected with this and began to better
understand the ideas of complex inheritance. The least successful activity would have been the
Punnett Square Project. In my opinion, this activity was not successful because students did not
fully understand how to conduct dihybrid crosses. I did not conduct sufficient checks to be sure
they understood how to do dihybrid crosses before assigning the project.
To improve student performance, I would use exit slips more often and I would move slower
through the material. By using exit slips more often I would be able to better determine where
the students were when they left class each day. I did not use them often during the unit which
did not allow me to determine how student understanding was of each topic we covered. By
moving slower through the information I would allow time for more activities for the students to
better grasp the material and have more time to understand and ask questions. The activities
would be more hands-on so the students can ‘see’ things happening and have more ways to
understand the information and concepts.
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The most significant insight I have from teaching this unit is that you cannot move through
the unit too fast without hurting the ability of students to learn the information they should be
learning. Additionally, most of this unit was taught by using interactive lecture style teaching
(due to the time crunch for the unit), this did not allow for much of students building their own
knowledge as is emphasized in the learning theory of constructivism.
To this point, my teacher preparation has been very good. In the future I feel that knowledge
of new, engaging teaching strategies and skills with more conceptual based learning would help
me. Within the context of Danielson’s domains, I feel that knowledge about different student
resources and activities would also be of great help to me. Also, skills in working with students’
families would also help because then the families would be involved, hopefully helping the
student better learn the concepts we are covering at the time. Of the many things I have learned
during my time as an Education major at IUP, I do not feel very equipped to work with students’
families.
The following are the personal goals I am setting for myself:
1. Work to better my skills in working with families.
2. Slow down during the “harder” biology topics, such as genetics.
3. Work to use more inquiry based activities and use much less interactive lecture in all
topics.