Skip Navigation

Unique Changes in Genetic traits

Time Frame

1 class periods of 60 minutes each

Group Size

Pairs

Authors

Utah LessonPlans

Summary

Students will look at various pictures of organisms with unique characteristics or mutations.


Materials


Background for Teachers

This is a fun activity that catches the students' interest with various strange or mutated organisms. Students will look at various pictures of organisms with unique characteristics or mutations. As you go through the slides discuss with the students whether the organism is real or fake, natural or man-made, & if the change will help, hurt, or not affect the survival of the organism.

Most of the PowerPoint slides have information in the notes explaining about the organism, and the unique characteristic it has. Some of the notes also include links to sites for more in-depth info if you want to provide that to your students.


Instructional Procedures

Websites

  1. Hook activity: have the students do a Journal entry responding to the question: If you could have any super powers which would you have and why? (If you want some ideas refer to this Wikipedia article on Superhero Powers.) Have students share with each other, then have some of them and discuss where the powers in some super heroes come from. (Spiderman = bit by radioactive spider, superman = inherited from parents, & etc.) Most are mutations or a change in genetic traits. The super powers students want give them some kind of advantage, discuss some problems that having the superpower might cause.
  2. Go through the PowerPoint, and for each slide discuss the following questions:
    1. Is this organism real or fake?
    2. Is this genetic change natural or man-made?
    3. Would this genetic change be an advantage or disadvantage to the natural environment of the organism? (camouflage, getting food, sexual selection/ would it help attract a mate, etc.)
    4. Think of a situation where the genetic change would be the opposite of what was selected above.
  3. Either discuss as a class or have them fill out a student page. Questions 2 & 3 could be answered on the student sheet after going through all the slides.
  4. Following this, you can do an extension research activity where students select a unique or rare organism and find out a few basic facts, and how it is adapted to where and how it lives. Be careful if you are letting them do mutated animals, it may be hard to find information that is on their level.


Assessment Plan

Scoring Rubric:

1. Participation……………………………………4
2. Journal Page…………………………………..4


Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.


Created: 10/06/2014
Updated: 02/03/2018
1604
/>