Background and use

Biology students often struggle to understand how it can be that the same two parents will produce genetically different offspring.  This lab exercise is a very visual way to demonstrate the "making of a monster" one gene at a time.  The resources include a full sheet of vocabulary and instructions, plus a data table to record the crosses.  For advanced students, you can take the activity further with a sheet of follow up questions.

This resource is fully open license, so you can change any feature, instruction, etc.  I also have a version of this activity that has students make an elf, that I use if we get to genetics before Christmas break.  

Resource Files

Preview

Let’s Make a Monster Genetics Lab:              Name: _______________________

Introduction

Monsters, like people, inherit their traits from their parents- Mommy Monster and Daddy Monster.

The guidelines are the same.  Some traits are dominant, some are recessive.  They can be expressed as a genotype or phenotype.  Review the definitions below:

Allele:  different form of a gene

Gamete:  cell used for reproduction; sperm or egg

Gene:  information about a trait, stored in DNA, passed to the next generation

Genotype:  exactly which alleles are present, expressed in letters

Heterozygous:  organism that has two different alleles for a gene

Homozygous:  organism that has two identical genes for the same trait

Hybrid:  offspring between parents with different traits

Independent assortment:  genes for different traits segregate independently into gametes

Phenotype:  what a trait looks like physically

Principle of dominance:  some alleles are dominant, some are recessive

Probability:  the likelihood that an event will occur, expressed as a percentage

Punnett Square: Diagram that can be used to predict the offspring of a known genetic cross

Segregation:  separation of alleles during formation of sex cells

Trait: a specific characteristic of an individual

Materials:  2 people, 1 data table, 2 coins, pencils, 1 blank paper

Methods:

1.  Pair up with a monster parent partner.

2.  Decide who will be the mom, who will be the dad. Each person should have their own coin.

3.  For each trait, each person flips their coin ONE TIME.  NO CHEATING!  Just like in real life, you get what you get!

                HEADS means a DOMINANT trait for that gene.

                TAILS means a RECESSIVE trait for that gene.

4.  For each flip of the coin, record the letter under “Gene from Mother” or “Gene from Father”.

5.  Put the letters together to fom a genotype.

6.  Decide what the phenotype (physical trait) for the offspring will be and write it in the table.

7.  After ALL DATA HAS BEEN RECORDED, work together to draw a picture of your bouncing baby monster.

8.  Write the baby’s name on the front of the picture, along with the names of the proud parents!

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Monster Lab Part 2                                                          Name:_____________________________________

1.  Since both the mother and the father were heterozygous for every trait, draw a Punnett Square below crossing two monsters heterozygous for height and write the probability in each square.

2.  make an additional column on your data sheet and calculate the probability of getting that genotype for each trait.

3.  multiply the probability of each trait by the next until you have the probability of getting that exact same monster again.  Write the probability on your portrait.

4.  compare with classmates to see who has the MOST RARE monster!

                1.  PUNNETT SQUARE DIAGRAM:

                2.  Write Results in Data Table

                3.  What is the probability of getting your same monster again?

                4.  Who has the most rare monster in your class?

                5.  Draw a Punnett Square that crosses two short monsters.  What do you get?

                6.  If a monster is tall, how could you know if it is heterozygous or homozygous?

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LET’S MAKE A MONSTER!  Data Table      Name of Mother:____________________        Name of Father: ________________________

                                                                                             Name of Monster: __________________________________