Project Based Learning Activity

Heredity Project

Inherited and Acquired Traits

Summary

• In this lesson, the students will be exploring inhereited traits by examining their own triaits and their family's.
• To begin, the students will fill out an All About Me chart where they will mark their Inheredited traits, as well as any Acquired Traits.
• The students will then compare their Inhereited Traits with the traits of their family by filling out a chart for each of their family members.
• Finally, the students will draw a self portrait as well as chose a family member to draw. The students will then complete the review questions.

Students

• This lesson is aimed towards 8th grade middle school science with students ranging from 13-15 years old.

• The students participating in the lesson will come from different backgrounds and ethnitcities.

Standards

• L.8.2B Students will demonstrate an understanding of the differences in inherited and acquired characteristics and how environmental factors (natural selection) and the use of technologies (selective breeding, genetic engineering) influence the transfer of genetic information.
• 1.7 Global Collaborator: 1.7.d Local and Global Issues - Students explore local and global issues, and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.

Materials and Technologies

All About Me Chart

Chrombooks to present findings

Self Portrait

Family Traits Chart

Student drawn family protrait

Review questions worksheet

Nine Elements of Project-Based Learning

Anchor: Students will research inheredited and acquired traits.

Task: The students will complete the heredity project by examining their inheredited and acquired traits in relation to their family members.

Directions: The students will fill out the All About Me chart and mark their traits. TSW then fill out their families traits and draw their self-portrait as well as their selected family member. TSW then complete the review questions. TSW create a presentation or poster to represent their findings.

Student Choices: The students will be allowed to choose which family members they want to use in their project as well as how they wish to present their findings.

Student Inquiry: Students will answer the review questions based on their understanding of traits.

Collaboration and Teamwork: The students will then investigate the traits of thier fellow classmates by compairing thier inheredited and acquired traits by completing the traits chart.

Teacher Coaching and Feedback: The teacher will help the students in determining the differences between inheredited and acquired traits. The teacher will provide the students with feedback on their charts and their presentations.

Student Reflection: The students will reflect on their findings by completing the review questions worksheet.

Public Presentation: The students will then present their findings in a presentation showing their traits in relation to their family and friends.

Rubric

Completed All About Me Chart 20 points

Completed Family Traits Chart 20 points

Completed Review questions 20 points

Completed Presentation 20 points - Pictures of self-portraits 10 points - Charts of inheredited and acquired traits 5 points - Comparison of Traits and Classmates 5 points