Notes in blue highlight how I used resources to aid in my planning

TE 802: UNIT PLAN

Name: Eric David Notes in yellow highlight my attention to student thinking while planning Notice how I use research on students thinking to guide my unit planning

I. Information about the Unit Topic

This unit will focus primarily on Mendelian genetics and will take at 3-4 weeks.

Abstract
Before students can understand the concepts of this unit, they must first have a solid foundation in DNA and protein synthesis as well as the process of Mitosis/Meiosis, which will be provided for them in the previous units. To meet the objectives of this unit, students will be engaging in many practices, including: Asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. This unit will lead into evolution.

II. Clarifying Your Goals Big Ideas

Overview Heredity explains why offspring look like, but are not identical to, their parents and is a core biological principle. Heredity refers to the process by which characteristics or traits are passed from one generation to the next through genes. Genes encode the information for making specific proteins, which are responsible for the specific traits of an individual. Each gene can have several versions, called alleles, which code for different versions of the trait that is expressed. Genes are found in a cells chromosomes, each of which contains many genes. Every cell of any individual organism contains the same set of chromosomes. When organisms reproduce, genetic information is transferred to their offspring. In species that reproduce sexually, each cell contains two versions of each chromosome, one inherited from each parent. Thus sexual reproduction gives rise to a new combination of chromosome pairs with variations between parent and offspring. Very rarely, mutations also cause variations, which may be harmful, neutral, or occasionally advantageous for an individual. Students usually think about mutations negatively, so it is important to illustrate that mutations can also be positive or neutral. Environmental as well as genetic variation and the relative dominance of each of the genes in a pair play an important role in how traits develop within an individual. Complex relationships between genes and interactions of genes with the environment determine how an organism will develop and function (K-12 Science Framework, pp. 157-161). The overarching ideas of the unit are pulled directly from the Science K-12 Framework

In my big ideas, I make sure to cover all of the main ideas and describe all terms language my students would understand

I pay close attention to student ideas and use them to guide my instruction

Inheritance of Traits In all organisms, the genetic instructions for forming species characteristics are carried in the chromosomes. Each chromosome consists of a single very long DNA molecule, and each gene on the chromosome is a particular segment of that DNA. DNA molecules contain building blocks, called nucleotides, linked together in a sequential chain. There are four different kinds of nucleotides, each with a different nitrogen base (A,T,C,G). Before a cell divides, the DNA sequence of its chromosomes is replicated and each daughter cell receives a copy. DNA controls the expression of proteins by being transcribed into a messenger RNA, which is translated in turn by the transfer RNA into a protein. In effect, proteins build an organisms identifiable traits. When organisms reproduce, genetic information is transferred to their offspring, with half coming from each parent in sexual reproduction. Inheritance is the key factor causing the similarity among individuals in a species population. Variation of Traits Variation among individuals of the same species can be explained by both genetic and environmental factors. Individuals within a species have similar but not identical genes. In sexual reproduction, variations in traits between parent and offspring arise from the particular set of chromosomes (and their respective multiple genes) inherited, with each parent contributing half of each chromosome pair. More rarely, such variations result from mutations, which are changes in the information that genes carry. Although genes control the general traits of any given organism, other parts of the DNA and external environmental factors can modify an individuals specific development, appearance, behavior, and likelihood of producing offspring. The set of variations of genes present, together with the interactions of genes with their environment, determines the distribution of variation of traits in a population. I make sure to use plenty of real world examples when planning so that students can relate to the material

Examples, observations, data

Synthesized Objective 1: When dogs give birth to a litter, the puppies do not all look alike and no not look exactly like the mother or father. We do not look exactly like our mothers or fathers, yet we notice some similarities. We have many breeds of dogs, yet they are all descended from a wolf. Synthesized objective 2: How is it possible that two red flowers produce a white flower? If both of my parents were not color blind, how could I be color blind? Synthesized Objective 3: Two parents neither have disease nor are carriers of it. However, one of their offspring is exposed to radiation that causes a frameshift mutation resulting in the disease forming within that person. Although two parents both have green eyes, all of their children had brown eyes. A frog was born normal, but an error occurred during DNA replication as the frog was developing and it ended up with an extra leg. Synthesized Objective 4: A Punnett square tell us that 50% of the offspring of two individuals will have brown hair. However, after using coins to randomly determine the outcome of the cross, only 25% of the offspring had brown hair. I draw student practices from the K-12 framework to ensure that students are developing essential science skills. These skills are not only valuable in my class, but can be applied to other classes as well.

Student Practices (K-12 Science Framework, p.3)

Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering) Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering) Engaging in argument from evidence I am familiar with and Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information comfortable using both state standards and the new national Objectives for Student Learning science standards Content Objective Michigan State Standards/NGSS Objectives
High School Content Expectations 1. B4.1c Differentiate between dominant, recessive, codominant, polygenic, and sexlinked traits. 2. B4.1d Explain the genetic basis for Mendels laws of segregation and independent assortment. 3. B4.1e Determine the genotype and phenotype of monohybrid crosses using a Punnett Square. 4. B4.3d Explain that the sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction result in a great variety of possible gene combinations from the offspring of two parents 5. B4.3e Recognize that genetic variation can occur from such processes as crossing over, jumping genes, and deletion and duplication of genes 6. B4.3f Predict how mutations may be transferred to progeny 7. B4.3g Explain that cellular differentiation results from gene expression and/or environmental influence (e.g., metamorphosis, nutrition). Next Generation Science Standards 8. HS-LS3-1. Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring. 9. HS-LS3-2. Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors. 10. HS-LS3-3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Type

Identifying Identifying Using Implications

Identifying Inquiry Identifying

Inquiry

Using

Application

I incorporate the new national standards into my unit planning because they are designed around crosscutting concepts and allow me tie units and concepts from other courses together

I define my learning objectives by combining state and national standards with student practices from the K-12 Science Framework.

Synthesized Learning Objectives

1. Students will ask questions in order to understand how traits are inherited from parents by means of Mendels Law of segregation and independent assortment. 2. Students will develop and use models to determine genotype and phenotype of a monohybrid cross between two parents and differentiate between the various types of traits. 3. Students will engage in argument from evidence in order to support a claim that genetic variations can results from multiple events including: crossing over, errors during replication, and mutations caused by outside factors. 4. Students will use mathematics and computational thinking to analyze and interpret variation and distribution data of expressed traits in a population and effectively communicate the information. I design frequent formative assessments before and after lessons to better understand student thinking, which allows me to III. Classroom Activities and Assessment reshape my planning

Assessment

Synthesized Objective 1 Assessment: Following the first main activity to start the unit, students will be required to answer several exit slip questions. The first of which will be: What have you learned today? The second question will be: What do you still want to know? This will be a formative assessment to make sure that the students are on the same page, what information they might already know, and what types of questions are similar between the students. Synthesized Objective 2 Assessment: Once the material for objective two has been covered the students will be given a quiz with several problems in which they must determine phenotypes and genotypes of offspring between mono and dihybrid crosses. This will determine how well they understand the models and how Punnett squares are used to predict the resulting cross from two known genotypes of a given gene. In addition, students will be given the opportunity to modify their initial ideas relating to the dog breed question. This will act a as a formative assessment to see how their initial ideas have developed or changed and in what way. Synthesized Objective 3 Assessment: This objective will also conclude with a quiz in which the students will be given several scenario-type questions in which they must explain with a written response sources of genetic variation that have occurred during the crossing of two individuals. Synthesized Objective 4 Assessment: Following the completion of objective 4, several assessments will be given. One of which will be a summative assessment exam covering all four objectives as a way of determining overall comprehension of the covered material. This exam will have several forms. One of which will resemble more of a traditional exam, quizzing students on their knowledge using a variety of question types (Multiple choice, short answer, essay). Another form will be a more complex genetic problem in which the students will be required to utilize data, draw a pedigree and perform some simple mathematical computations. By following the backwards planning model of Understand by Design, I am able to develop my summative assessment questions before the start of the unit

The third option will be to create their own scenario using a set of clear guidelines and developing a problem that they must solve. The other assessment that will be given will draw on the initial question that was posed at the beginning of the unit. Students will be asked one last time if they would like to modify their ideas about the dog question. They will then individually write a final written response to the question to be turned in. I use several tools with my activities, allowing me to visualize the changes in student thinking as the unit progresses and also help students connect the activities back to the bigger question A driving questing also provides organization for the unit and connects the activities together

Activities
Synthesized Objective 1 Main Activity: The unit will begin with a problem-based activity driven by the following question: If all dogs are descendants of the wolf, how did we end up with so many different breeds? Using this question to guide and jumpstart the unit, the students will be broken into groups of four or five students and each given a piece of poster board. Each group will be given 20 minutes to draw an explanation for the problem and can include some written descriptions as well. After this time, group members will have three minutes at each of the other groups posters to see what their ideas were. When each group has had a chance to see each of the other groups posters, the class will vote on which group they thought had the best ideas. This will then become the class set of ideas from which we will work for the remainder of the unit. Synthesized Objective 2 Main Activity: One of several substantial activities used to meet this objective will be a coin-toss inquiry activity. Students will be provided with a list of various dominant and recessive traits. Using data provided to them about a set of parents, they must predict the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring. Following this step, they must flip coins to generate an actual cross between the two parents and record the outcome of the offspring. At the end of the activity, the students must use their collected data to answer a series of questions. The end result is that they will learn that genetic variation results from random events while practicing monohybrid crosses using Punnett squares. Synthesized Objective 3 Main Activity: An activity used to meet this objective will focus genetic variation. Based on evidence from slightly different copies of the same gene for hemoglobin, students will discuss the differences in gene sequences arise and why they may or may not have an effect on the organism. The activity will be an application based lesson in which students use previous knowledge obtained from prior units to understand a new concept. To end the activity, a debate will ensue in which half the class will argue for why they think that genetic variations are good and the other half will argue the opposite. Synthesized Objective 4 Main Activity: To address the final objective, an inquiry activity will be used. Students will learn about the concept of pedigrees by finding patterns in several different problem sets. The class will first be presented with a few examples of pedigrees illustrating an autosomal dominant trait. They will then have to answer a series of question to help them discover patterns in the pedigrees. This process will be repeated again with autosomal recessive traits, sex-linked dominant traits, and sex-linked recessive traits. Following the

analyses of the data, a class discussion will ensue in which the patterns discovered are linked to the above mentioned concepts.