Lesson 42 of 84 · Genetics
Lesson⭐ 30 XPGenes and Traits (Part 3)
Genes and Traits (Part 3).
🎯 Your mission
Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.
⚡ 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
Natural selection is the process where organisms with traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully. Over time, this drives evolution.
Key Words
- DNA
- gene
Steps
Review the background information on Genetics before starting.
Survey your class for a genetic trait (attached vs. free earlobes, tongue rolling, hitchhiker's thumb). Create a bar graph of the results.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is natural selection?
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.
Checkout complete lesson on Genetics for 8th Grade
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