The Relationship between Genes and Chromosomes

1. Bellringer - The students will complete a K-W-L chart on what they know about how traits are passed down from one parent to another.  The teacher will share the document, “Inheritance K-W-L Chart” (found in resources), with the students. This can be shared digitally, printed, or completed on chart paper as a whole group. The students can work together or individually on the chart.  The students will just complete the K(now) and W(hat) part, but the L(earn) part will be completed at the end of the lesson. The information can be used to guide instruction to determine what the students already know and what they are interested in learning. If the students complete the chart digitally, it can be shared with the teacher and the teacher can create a digital copy for the class. If the students complete the chart on a printed version, the teacher should transfer the information onto a large chart paper of the students’ responses to revisit at the conclusion of the lesson. 
2. The teacher will review the essential question and performance indicator with the students to introduce the lesson to the students. 
3. Students will watch the video, “Heredity: Who Are You? | Science Trek” (Resource 1) - https://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/heredity-who-are-you-science-trek/heredity-who-are-you-science-trek/. The teacher will provide the students with the document, “Heredity Video Learning Activity” (found in the resources tab) prior to viewing the video. The teacher will review the document with the students so they know what to expect when watching the video. This can be completed digitally, printed, or in their science journals. The teacher will use the “Heredity Video Learning Activity Answer Key” to check for students' understanding. If any of the students’ responses match what they wanted to learn in the K-W-L chart, the students will put the responses on the L part of the chart. The teacher will provide feedback and review the correct answers with the students.
4. The students will complete the interactive lesson, “Life's Instruction Manual: Interactive Lesson | UNC-TV Science” - https://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilunctv18-sci-ilmanual/lifes-instruction-manual-interactive-unc-tv-science/. All of the activities, background information, and answers are located in the teaching tips section located in the support documents (https://scetv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilunctv18-sci-ilmanual/lifes-instruction-manual-interactive-unc-tv-science/support-materials/). The teacher should follow the directions from the teaching tips document as to how to have the students create a PBS Learning Media account and complete the activities. The teacher should use the document to check for understanding of the interactive lesson. If this cannot be completed digitally, the teacher should have the students answer the questions and complete the activities in their science journals. The teacher should use the document SUPPORT GUIDE 3.0 FOR SEVENTH GRADE SOUTH CAROLINA

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR SCIENCE - https://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/science/support-documents-and-resources/grade-seven-science-support-document/ (pages 56-57) to make sure the essential learning experiences are met. 

5. The students will complete the following gene activity. The teacher will tell the students the following facts:  Genes that contribute to a specific trait usually come in pairs. Each gene is called an allele. The genotype is the set of genes of an organism. The phenotype is the expression of the genes. Put the students in pairs. Tell them that each student is an allele. Assign each pair a letter. The students should research a trait that starts with that letter. Then the students need to report to the class their allele, their genotype (the pair of alleles), and their phenotype (the trait expressed like tallness or brown eyes). The students must be able to report on each part to the class. The students should take notes on the definitions of allele, genotype, and phenotype in their journal or digitally.
6. Culminating assessment - The students will create a presentation that discusses how chromosomes and genes are related to create inherited characteristics. The teacher should provide the students with the document “Chromosomes and Genes Presentation” (found in the assessment tab) so they know what to include in the presentation. The teacher should use the document “Chromosomes and Genes Presentation Checklist” to assess the students’ presentation. The students can create the presentation using digital software like PowerPoint or Google Slides.  The students can work together or individually to complete the assignment.
7. The teacher will review the KWL chart and complete the L part of the chart with information from the presentation. Also, the class should answer any W part of the chart that may not have been covered.  
8. The teacher should review the essential question with the class and the students should be able to answer it, in their own words, digitally, orally, or in their science journals.  

If you are using a cloud file storage system (Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or iCloud), I would recommend having the students create a digital folder for this lesson to save their notes and student work. It will help with organization.

Chromosomes and Genes Presentation - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TWVAdsHUB4L3Hp2uDVgHQ16WiX666KK1jzwtkYRXh1U/edit?usp=sharing 
 

Chromosomes and Genes Presentation Checklist - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VjmLfK07L3Xc0_mLO0QPnNNTIsNd5vC_vv_ydt9knWw/edit?usp=sharing