Life Cycles
This lesson plan focuses on genes and heredity by relating it to each individual student's life. Students will document physical characteristics of their family members as a way of understanding how traits are passed on from one generation to the next. There is a section for vocabulary and assessment suggestions. This source also includes supplemental links to help facilitate background knowledge on genetics. Students will understand how traits are passed down from parents to offspring by looking at their own families for reference. This will also give an opportunity for students to discuss what is NOT passed through genes. For example, the teacher could include a section that talks about how environmental factors instead of genetics can influence favorite school subject or favorite sport.
