Lesson 1 of 4 · Inheritance and Traits
Experiment⭐ 30 XPGenes and Traits
Inheritance and Traits.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
Genes are segments of DNA that code for specific traits like eye color, hair texture, and blood type. Humans have approximately 20,000 genes spread across 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- colored pencils
Safety First
- Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Create a Punnett square to predict the offspring of two parents. Use a trait like eye color or seed shape. Calculate the probability of each outcome.
Observe what happens and describe it in detail.
Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is a gene?
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Genes and Traits
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
Full screen — no distractions
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