Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Hardy-Weinberg Dry Lab

Content Area: Biology
Grade Level(s): 9
Content Standard Addressed: SB6. D. Develop and use mathematical models to support explanations of how
undirected genetic changes in natural selection and genetic drift have led to changes in populations of
organisms. (Clarification statement: Element is intended to focus on basic statistical and graphic analysis.
Hardy Weinberg would be an optional application to address this element.)

Technology Standard Addressed: ISTE 5. Students develop and employ strategies for understanding
and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and
test solutions. B. Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze
them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.

Selected Technology Tool: Google Sheets

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): sheets.google.com

Blooms Taxonomy Level(s):

Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

Level 1: Awareness Level 2: Exploration Level 3: Infusion Level 4: Integration
Level 5: Expansion Level 6: Refinement

Lesson idea implementation:

The project will be introduced after students have completed learning about the construction of Punnett
squares and all of the information needed to understand those. The teacher will go over examples and
explain the tenants of Hardy-Weinberg. Then the teacher will provide students with a container of cut up
squares of purple and yellow paper, representing petal color of peas. The teacher will guide students in
accessing the relevant google sheet template. No data entry formulas are in the spreadsheet, just headings to
facilitate grading.

Students will have a certain allotment of time to record the color of each strip of paper they pull out into a
Google Sheet under first generation and then their group number. After all groups have finished the first
round, the students will do that one more time and enter it into the second generation sheet and then their
group name. Students will then be instructed to download a copy of the sheet so individual groups can
analyze results on sheets 3 and 4, which correspond with data from sheets 1 and 2 respectively. Students will
answer questions on sheets 3 and 4. The lesson will conclude with students discussing potential reasons why
the population might not be in equilibrium, answering a critical thinking question that requires analyzing their
specific result based on the population data and taking a post-quiz for understanding (will likely need to be
given for homework).

The assignment should take one class period to complete, potentially 1 and a half if the class is not on the
block schedule. Student learning will be assessed through the accuracy of computing Hardy-Weinberg
variables and questions. The final project will be used to differentiate learning by revealing to the teacher
which students might need more help with the math portion and which might need more help with the
technology of the lesson.
Summer 2017_SJB
 Basic Productivity Tools (BPT)

Changing the subject matter to something more relevant would increase the LoTi level to a 4. For instance, a
connection to history can be made concerning eugenics and forced sterilization of the feeble-minded that
took place in the early 1900s. The answer to a possible question, developed by Pearson Education (n.d.),
about why this wouldnt be logical is tied to concepts related to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and will
really present a challenge to students. Feedback will be written down on post-quiz that students will turn in.

References
Pearson Education. (n.d.). Chapter study question. Retrieved from
http://wps.aw.com/bc_freeman_evol_5/253/64782/16584214.cw/index.html

Summer 2017_SJB