The GENETICS Project
Through the GENETICS Project, we developed instructional materials for teaching genetic concepts at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
Instructional Materials for the Elementary and Middle School Levels
Through Amazing Cells, students use microscopes to examine household items and develop an understanding of scale. They look at cells and learn that cells are the building blocks of living things.
State Your Traits is an introductory activity that leads students to learn about genetic variation through examination of some of their own genetic traits.
Traits Handout depicts several genetic traits examined in State Your Traits.
Through Pasta Genetics students model how genes are passed from parents to child using different shaped pasta pieces.
Build-an-Animal teaches basic principles of inheritance through the process of building a family of styrofoam animals.
Toothpick Fish teaches population genetics, genetic variation, and the effect of environment on a population of fish.
Instructional Materials for the High School Level
State Your Traits (High School) is an introductory activity that engages students in learning genetic concepts through examination of their own genetic traits.
Traits Handout depicts several genetic traits examined in State Your Traits.
Sickle Cell Anemia: A Case Study Approach to Teaching High School Genetics uses sickle cell anemia to teach the principles of inheritance, central dogma, genetic diagnostics, and bioethics.
Genetics of Taste guides students through developing their own research projects on taste.