Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Guiding Question
Objectives
genes
Concepts
Principles
Every person has his or her own looks, traits, and characteristics. Every person is unique.
Facts
Traits and characteristics are often genetic, or passed on to you from your parents.
You may have some traits like your mother, some like your father and some like both your father and
your mother.
Skills
Observation skills
Documentation skills
Research skills
Materials
Hand-Out
Pencil
Room Preparation
No special needs
Safety Precautions
No special needs
Introduction
Look around our group. Is anyone else here just like you? Every person you know, or ever will know, is
unique. No two people are just alike (even identical twins).
Many of our traits or characteristics are “inherited” or passed down to us from our parents.
Today, we are going to identify some of our genetic or inherited traits. Then you will go home and see
if your parents have the same traits. If you have a trait, then usually at least one of your parents will,
too.
Activity
Give students hand-outs. Review traits we are looking for, how to decide if you have the trait and how
to document it on the hand-out.
Have the students take the hand-out home so they can see and document their parents’ traits.
Evaluation
Let each student share which traits they have and which traits their parents have. Listen for evidence
that they understand the concepts of genetics and the inheritability of traits.
Extension Ideas
Ask students to expand their charts of inherited traits. Brainstorm traits they could research, such as
color-blindness, bloodtype, hair color, etc. After research and documentation, students can share their
finding either orally or in a written report.
Have students make thumb- and footprints. They can dip into a stamp pad or paint. Look at the design
of lines and rings. See if anyone else has the same print. Share why we can use these prints to track
people, identify thieves, and tell the difference between newborn babies in the hospital.
Biomedical researcher
Criminologist
FBI investigator
Police officer
Prerequisite Vocabulary
Genetics
Inherited
Traits
Personal Characteristics, things about you—such as eye color, skin color, and blood type—that are
specific to you
Unique
One of a kind