edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Genetics
_____________________________________________________________________________
Central Focus/Big Idea: Genetics
Subject of this lesson: Inherited vs Acquired Traits
Grade Level: 5th
NC Essential Standard(s):
5.L.3 Understand why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the
characteristics of the organism
5.L.3.1 Explain why organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the
characteristics of the organism.
Next Generation Science Standard(s):
3-LS3-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits
inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.
21st Century Skills:
Information and Communications Technology Literacy: The students are analyzing the data from
our survey and creating a bar graph.
Communication: Students need to communicate about their traits and the traits of others in the
class.
Academic Language Demand
Language Function: Categorize: Students will have to identify and categorize what traits
are inherited and what traits are acquired.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Interpret

Predict

Question

Compare/contras
t
Retell

Describe

Explain

Summarize

Scientific Vocabulary:
o

Trait, behavior, inherited trait, population, acquired trait, learned behavior

Instructional Objective:
Given a survey of the students traits and others traits, students will be able to identify inherited
physical traits and accurately analyze the data.

Prior Knowledge (student):

How to construct and read bar graphs
Content Knowledge (teacher):

Traits are observable characteristics that are passed down from parent to child.
An individual will have many traits they share in common with others.
An individuals overall combination of traits makes them unique.
Some traits are more common in a population than others.
Misconceptions: Some students may think that more common traits are better than others.

Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group):

Student with IEP: Student will have increased font sizes and checklists cut into cards to where he
can pick up the card he thinks contains the trait.
Materials and Technology requirements:
Copies of student pages for inherited traits
Poster board for bar graph
Markers/stickers for bar graph
PTC papers
Hard candies
Leaf Cut outs one per student
Tape
Scissors
Transparencies or large butcher paper
Learning About DNA by Debbie Routh
Total Estimated Time: 2 class periods
Source of lesson:
University of Utah
http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/heredity/docs/InventoryComplete.pdf
http://teach.genetics.utah.edu/content/heredity/html/tree.html
Safety considerations:
Tell students to be mindful of paper cuts and of tripping over things when getting up and down.
Students should be wary when cutting out paper leaves.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
Engage:
Read You are what you inherit (pages 25-26) from Learning About DNA by Debbie Routh.
Ask students:

What are traits?

How do we get our traits?
Are some traits more common than others?
Why dont we all get the same traits?

Key concepts for students to grasp:

Traits are observable characteristics that we inherit from our parents. Some traits are common
but others are not. We all have a different combination of traits that makes us unique.
Explore:
For the first three traits on the Inherited Traits-IMB Powerpoint, ask the students who have
those traits to stand. The traits are detached earlobes, if they can roll their tongue or not and if
they are right handed. For each trait, ask the students:

What observations do you have about the number of students standing in the room?
What does the number of students standing tell you about how common this trait is in our
population?

Flip through the rest of the PowerPoint so the students can see an image of each of the traits
listed in their survey.
Divide students into groups of four or five. Each group will complete the An Inventory of My
Traits Survey and categorize their traits along with the group. After completing the survey, the
groups will tally their results for each trait. Using the information gathered from the tallies, the
group will create a bar graph on their worksheet from their results.
Explanation:
Have each group elect a representative to share their data. Gather the group back as whole. We
are going to create a class bar graph to analyze their results. The students will help create a title
and label for the bar graph and then will use the colored circle stickers to fill in the graph with
the information from each group.

After the graph is completed, ask students:

What observations do you see in the graph?

What are the most common traits in our class?
Are more common traits better? Are they worse?

Elaborate:
The traits tree should be printed and be displayed in the front of the class.
Pass out PTC paper and explain that it is a harmless chemical that some people taste and others
do not. If you can taste the PTC, it will taste very bitter. Pass out hard candies for students who
do taste the PTC paper and need a palate cleanser.

Ask students why some people can taste the PTC paper and others do not.
o Students should be able to apply their knowledge and infer that it is an inheritable trait.

Give each student a leaf and ask them to cut them out. Provide an example of tongue rolling and
detached earlobes. Ask students to mark their leaves as appropriate.
Explain how the traits tree is labeled and provide your personal leaf marked with your traits as an
example to the students for where to place your leaf on the tree.
Ex. I have attached earlobes, cannot roll my tongue and taste PTC so I would be on the
second branch coming from the left.
Students should come and tape their leaf to the tree branch that is appropriate for their traits.
Some tree branches will be crowded and others may be empty or have very few leaves.
Give the students a minute to look at the tree and come up with personal observations about our
classs trait tree. Ask the students to share their observations.
Discussion Questions:

What is the most common trait combination for our class?

What is the least common?
How do these compare to our bar graph we made of individual traits?
Explain how you know which traits are more common.

Evaluate:
Informal: Students will create and exit ticket with three facts to concepts they learned about traits
and/or inheritance from this lesson.
During each activity, use student answers to the discussion questions as formative assessment to
see their understanding.
To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________