Topic: Simple Patterns of Inheritance in Organisms
Duration: 45 minutes
Competency: Describe simple patterns of inheritance in organisms
Objectives:
Identify dominant and recessive traits in organisms.
Explain Mendelian inheritance and parental trait transmission.
Use Punnett squares to predict trait outcomes in genetic crosses.
Materials Needed:
Colored cards or beads (two colors: one for Dominant allele "A", one for Recessive allele "a")
Whiteboard and markers
Printed worksheet with Punnett square problems
Pictures of pea plants or organisms with distinct traits
Detailed Procedures:
1. Elicit (4 minutes)
Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and surface student ideas
Teacher writes on board:
“What are some traits you got from your parents?”
“Can some traits skip a generation?”
Ask students to raise hands and share traits they think are inherited (e.g., eye color, hair type).
Record answers visible to all, noting any misconceptions (e.g., “Mom’s eye color means you will for
sure have it”).
Ask: “Why do you think some traits appear in some children but not others?”
Transition: “Today, we’ll find out how these patterns can be explained by simple inheritance.”
2. Engage (5 minutes)
Purpose: Grab interest and introduce key concepts visually
Show 3 images on a slide or poster:
Pea plant with purple flowers
Pea plant with white flowers
A photo of parents and children showing a visible trait (e.g., eye color).
Ask students to observe similarities/differences.
Prompt:
“Do you notice that some traits (like flower color) follow a pattern?”
“Which color seems to ‘show up’ more often? Why?”
Brief whole-class discussion, building curiosity about dominant vs recessive traits.
3. Explore (8 minutes)
Purpose: Investigate inheritance through hands-on activity
Distribute colored cards/beads:
Red = Dominant allele “A”
Blue = Recessive allele “a”
In pairs, students randomly draw two allele cards for two “parents” and then randomly combine one
allele from each parent to simulate offspring genotype. Repeat 4 times, recording genotypes and
corresponding phenotype (dominant trait if “A” allele present, recessive trait if “aa”).
Teacher circulates, prompting observations:
“What combinations do you see?”
“Which trait is showing up more often?”
After 3-4 rounds, ask a few pairs to share their results.
4. Explain (8 minutes)
Purpose: Introduce terms and clarify concepts
Using a whiteboard or projector, define key terms clearly with examples:
Term Definition Example
Gene Unit of heredity controlling a trait Flower color gene
Allele Different forms of a gene “A” (purple) or “a” (white)
Dominant Allele that expresses trait even when only one present “A” (purple)
Recessive Trait expressed only when two copies of allele present “a” (white)
Genotype Combination of alleles (eg. AA, Aa, aa) Aa (heterozygous purple)
Phenotype Physical appearance from genotype Purple flowers if “A” present
Demonstrate a simple Punnett square for a cross:
Parent 1 (Aa) x Parent 2 (Aa)
Fill in squares and show how genotypes predict phenotypes.
5. Elaborate (7 minutes)
Purpose: Apply knowledge to new situations and deepen understanding
Provide prepared cross examples:
Example 1: Aa x Aa (2 heterozygous parents)
Example 2: AA x aa (homozygous dominant x homozygous recessive)
Groups quickly discuss the genotype and phenotype ratios for each cross.
Teacher facilitates discussion:
“What % of offspring show the dominant trait?”
“What % show the recessive trait?”
Relate to real traits in humans or peas to make it meaningful.
6. Evaluate (7 minutes)
Purpose: Assess student understanding
Hand out a short worksheet with 2 Punnett square problems:
Heterozygous (Aa) x Homozygous recessive (aa) cross
Heterozygous (Aa) x Heterozygous (Aa) cross
Students complete by predicting genotypes, phenotypes, and identifying allele dominance.
Circulate, offer help and collect worksheets for grading.
7. Extend (6 minutes)
Purpose: Spark curiosity for further learning
Briefly introduce that not all traits follow simple dominant/recessive patterns:
Mention incomplete dominance (blend of traits) and codominance (both traits visible).
Encourage students to observe their own families or pets for inherited traits, to be shared next time.
Suggest a fun question or homework: “Find one inherited trait in your family and describe if it follows
dominant or recessive inheritance.”
