Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

Genetic Variation and Punnett Squares: A Study on Happy-Face Spiders, Lecture notes of Genetics

An educational activity for students to learn about genetics and Punnett squares through the study of Happy-Face Spiders. Students will act as captive breeders, determining how genes are passed on and predicting the resulting phenotype. The activity includes objectives, materials, and procedures for the simulation.

Typology: Lecture notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

damyen
damyen 🇺🇸

4.4

(27)

274 documents

1 / 9

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
Partnerships f or Reform through I nvestigative Science and Math
Happy-Face Spiders
1
Concepts
Genes are passed on
from one generation to
the next and this is the
concept of heredity.
Genes code for what an
organism will look like
and are carried by
chromosomes.
Chromosomes, which
occur in nearly identical
pairs in the nucleus of
every cell, are
responsible for passing
on hereditary
information. Depending
on which alleles an
organism has will
determine how the
organism will look and
behave.
HCPS III Benchmarks
SC 7.5.2 SC 7.5.3
SC 7.5.6
Duration
(2) One-hour periods
Source Material
PRISM
Vocabulary
Genotype
Happy-face Spider
Heterozygous
Homologous
Homozygous
Phenotype
Probability
Punnett square
Morphs
Happy-Face Spider Propagation
Summary
Students will act as captive breeders in order to simulate how genes
are passed on from one generation to the next. They will also
observe how small differences accumulate over time to produce
descendants that look very different from their ancestors. Students
will use the Happy-face spiders (Theridion grallator), a spider that is
endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and exhibits genetic variation.
Spiders on the island of Maui follow basic Mendelian genetic
patterns, so they will be useful organisms for this lesson. This
simulation will help students determine how genetic information is
transferred during breeding, and what the resulting phenotype (how
they look) will be. They will decide which traits are most important
to breed in order for better survival for the spiders. Students will also
be introduced to Punnett squares, which will be used to predict the
proportion of offspring with each trait.
Objectives
Students will learn about a species that is endemic to Hawaii
Students will simulate how genes are passed from one
generation to the next.
Students will act as captive breeders and choose which traits
will help the survival of the spiders.
Students will use Punnett squares to predict the proportion or
frequency of which genes will be passed on.
Materials
Pictures of Happy-face spiders that show variation in color.
Pink and Blue Card Stock-each group of 2 students should have a
total of 12 pink cards and 12 blue cards. (Size of playing cards).
Need one set for use in explaining concept to students.
Clear transparency to go over Punnett squares
Paper for student Punnett squares.
Hand-out of Happy-face Spider for students to color using their
color choice.
Making Connections
Students will recall previous knowledge they acquired in the previous
Exploring Human Traits lesson to delve further into the world of
genetic variation. The charismatic and native Hawaiian arthropod,
the Happy-face spider, will be used to explore the myriad physical
distinctions in spider appearances due to different genotypes (i.e.
genetic fingerprint, alleles).
GENETIC
VARIATION
pf3
pf4
pf5
pf8
pf9

Partial preview of the text

Download Genetic Variation and Punnett Squares: A Study on Happy-Face Spiders and more Lecture notes Genetics in PDF only on Docsity!

Happy-Face Spiders Concepts Genes are passed on from one generation to the next and this is the concept of heredity. Genes code for what an organism will look like and are carried by chromosomes. Chromosomes, which occur in nearly identical pairs in the nucleus of every cell, are responsible for passing on hereditary information. Depending on which alleles an organism has will determine how the organism will look and behave. HCPS III Benchmarks SC 7.5.2 SC 7.5. SC 7.5. Duration (2) One-hour periods Source Material PRISM Vocabulary Genotype Happy-face Spider Heterozygous Homologous Homozygous Phenotype Probability Punnett square Morphs

Happy-Face Spider Propagation

Summary

Students will act as captive breeders in order to simulate how genes are passed on from one generation to the next. They will also observe how small differences accumulate over time to produce descendants that look very different from their ancestors. Students will use the Happy-face spiders ( Theridion grallator), a spider that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and exhibits genetic variation. Spiders on the island of Maui follow basic Mendelian genetic patterns, so they will be useful organisms for this lesson. This simulation will help students determine how genetic information is transferred during breeding, and what the resulting phenotype (how they look) will be. They will decide which traits are most important to breed in order for better survival for the spiders. Students will also be introduced to Punnett squares, which will be used to predict the proportion of offspring with each trait.

Objectives

  • Students will learn about a species that is endemic to Hawaii
  • Students will simulate how genes are passed from one generation to the next.
  • Students will act as captive breeders and choose which traits will help the survival of the spiders.
  • Students will use Punnett squares to predict the proportion or frequency of which genes will be passed on.

Materials

Pictures of Happy-face spiders that show variation in color. Pink and Blue Card Stock-each group of 2 students should have a total of 12 pink cards and 12 blue cards. (Size of playing cards). Need one set for use in explaining concept to students. Clear transparency to go over Punnett squares Paper for student Punnett squares. Hand-out of Happy-face Spider for students to color using their color choice.

Making Connections

Students will recall previous knowledge they acquired in the previous Exploring Human Traits lesson to delve further into the world of genetic variation. The charismatic and native Hawaiian arthropod, the Happy-face spider, will be used to explore the myriad physical distinctions in spider appearances due to different genotypes (i.e. genetic fingerprint, alleles).

GENETIC

VARIATION

Happy-Face Spiders

Teacher Prep for Activity

  • Review background reading for Genetic Variation
  • Xerox Happy-face Spider Drawing page.
  • Cut out cards for the students: a group of two students will have one set of 12 blue cards and one set of 12 pink cards. Be sure to make a set to use as an example when explaining the activity to the students. Except for the set to be used by the teacher, the other sets of cards should remain blank since the students will be writing in the color traits that they will be using. These cards could be laminated and used year after year, if dry erase markers that could be cleaned off were used.
  • Have a clear transparency handy to go over the Punnett squares after they have finished the “card game”.

Background

Happy-face spiders are found in the rainforests of the Big Island, Oahu, Maui and Molokai. They are usually found on the underside of leaves. Happy-face spiders have a pattern on their body that resembles a smiley face. Every spider has a unique pattern and the body color differs from island to island. Some of the spiders lack the pattern of the smiley face altogether. These different morphs (forms) are caused by the different gene versions carried by the spiders. The combination of alleles on the homologous chromosomes (similar, paired chromosomes) that determine a specific trait or characteristic is the organism’s genotype. The way the information is expressed and how the spider looks is considered its phenotype. Genotypes and phenotypes of an organism can be determined with the use of a Punnett square which estimate the probability (likelihood) of genetic combinations being passed on to potential offspring. A Punnett square is created by crossing a pair of alleles on a grid. These can either be homozygous (two identical alleles) alleles, heterozygous alleles (two different alleles) or a combination of both. Researchers believe that the variation of color and pattern in Happy-face Spiders is a possible type of camouflage against birds, their only significant natural predator. In order for these spiders to escape predators they must be able to blend into their natural environment. If the student is to be the captive breeder they must decide what would be the best color for the spider to survive in the wild.

Procedure

  1. Split students into groups of two and pass out drawing sheet. One student will act as the MOTHER passing on traits to its offspring and they will receive 12 blank PINK cards. The other student will act as the FATHER passing on traits to its offspring and they will receive 12 blank BLUE cards.
  2. Before the students start working on the cards, have them draw a Punnett square (more information about Punnett squares can be found on pg. 257 in the FOSS readings at the back of the lessons) to determine what the probability of allele combinations will be (this can be done on the back of the drawing page). The students will have to choose if the dominant parent will be either heterozygous (Ww) or homozygous (WW or ww). They should work together on creating the Punnett square.

Happy-Face Spiders Name: ____________________________ Color the body of the Happy-Face Spider the color that was chosen to breed the spider for survival in the wild. Use the extra space behind the spider to draw the habitat where this spider can be found. Drawing by Bobby Hsu, UHH – PRISM Fellow

Happy-Face Spiders

Happy-Face Spider Pictures

Happy-Face Spiders

Happy-Face Spiders