Inherited Traits

Science                                                                           Grade Level:  6

Lesson Summary:

Teams of students will conduct surveys of inherited traits such as tongue rolling ability, earlobes, arm overlap, length of index finger, and thumb overlap.  They will create charts and graphs of the data collected.

Time Frame:

Approximately 1 week

Goals and Objectives:

·        Student teams will learn how to conduct a survey.

·        Student teams will analyze and organize survey results.

·        Student teams will determine dominant traits based on the survey results.

·        Student teams will create charts and graphs on Microsoft Excel with their survey data.

·        Student teams will calculate percentages.

·        Student teams will present their findings.

Materials and Technology:

Paper

Pen/Pencil

Microsoft Excel

Survey Form

Microsoft Excel How-To Sheet

Tally Inherited Traits worksheet

Rubric

Optional Materials and Technology: 

Internet/Email

Microsoft PowerPoint

Procedures/Activities:

1.      Discuss factors to be considered when choosing individuals to poll.  As a class, decide who to survey.  (Choices can include surveying your own class, another class, the faculty, another class in a different school, etc.)

2.    Assign teams of students and allow each team to choose a trait to survey. 

Traits to Survey

·        Tongue Rolling Ability

·        Earlobes (attached or free)

·        Arm Overlap when folding arms (either left or right on top)

·        Index finger longer or shorter than ring finger

·        Thumb overlap when folding hands (either left or right on top)

3.    Teams will conduct their survey and record results using the tally method on the attached Tally Inherited Traits worksheet.

4.    Teams will create a chart of their results using Microsoft Excel.

5.    Teams will create a graph from their charts on Microsoft Excel.  They will decide which type of graph best displays their survey results.  They will need to calculate the percentage and display it in their results.  If necessary, teach this skill at this time.

6.    Teams will present their findings and graphs to the rest of the class.  They can do this however they decide:  posters, PowerPoint, etc.

Outcome/Assessment:

Attached Rubric

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards:

Standard 2:
All Students Will Use Information, Technology, And Other Tools

Students will be using Excel, a spreadsheet program, to produce a chart and a graph.  They will be printing out the graph of their results and presenting it to the class.

Standard 4.1:
All Students Will Develop The Ability To Pose And Solve Mathematical Problems In Mathematics, Other Disciplines, And Everyday Experiences

Students will collect and analyze data.  The data will then be displayed in a graph which they will construct.

Standard 4.2:
All Students Will Communicate Mathematically Through Written, Oral, Symbolic, And Visual Forms Of Expression

Students will communicate their results through their use of the computer.

Standard 4.3:
All Students Will Connect Mathematics To Other Learning By Understanding The Interrelationships Of Mathematical Ideas And The Roles That Mathematics And Mathematical Modeling Play In Other Disciplines And In Life

Students will recognize that a mathematical model is applicable in this science situation and apply the appropriate model.

Standard 5.2:
All Students Will Develop Problem-Solving, Decision-Making And Inquiry Skills, Reflected By Formulating Usable Questions And Hypotheses, Planning Experiments, Conducting Systematic Observations, Interpreting And Analyzing Data, Drawing Conclusions, And Communicating Results

Students will refine their skills in information gathering and use technology to present their results.

Standard 5.4:
All Students Will Develop An Understanding Of Technology As An Application Of Scientific Principles

Students will realize that there are technology tools that can be used to do things better and more easily.

Standard 5.5:
All Students Will Integrate Mathematics As A Tool For Problem-Solving In Science, And As A Means Of Expressing And/Or Modeling Scientific Theories

Students will use tables and graphs to represent and interpret data.

Standard 5.7:
All Students Will Investigate The Diversity Of Life

Students will compare and contrast inherited characteristics.

Student Feedback/Evaluation of Lesson:

Please see attached document with comments from students.

Additional Activities

·        If students have Internet access, they can poll students in other schools.

·        Students can do a more elaborate survey of all of the students in their school.

·        Students can make two separate surveys, of males and females to compare and contrast gender differences.

·        Students can display the results of this activity on their school or class web site.

·        Students can take polls of other inherited traits such as hair color, eye color, freckles, widow’s peak, dimples, etc.