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Resource ID#: 128762

Primary Type: Lesson Plan

Non-Mendelian Genetics: Not All Genetic Crosses Are

Easy-PEAsy
Students will compare and contrast the non-Mendelian inheritance patterns of codominance and incomplete dominance.

Subject(s): Science
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, Interactive Whiteboard,
Overhead Projector, Microsoft Office
Instructional Time: 50 Minute(s)

Keywords: incomplete dominance, codominance, codominant trait, punnett square, genotype, phentotype,
homozygous, heterozygous, exceptions to Mendelian genetic patterns of inheritance, inheritance, patterns of
inheritance
Instructional Component Type(s): Lesson Plan

Resource Collection: FCR-STEMLearn Diversity and Ecology

ATTACHMENTS
FCR_Sort_PowerPoint.pptx
Codominance_PowerPoint.pptx
IncompleteDominance_vs_Codominance_Worksheet.pdf
IncompleteDominance_vs_Codominance_KEY.pdf

LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
1. Students will be able to distinguish between the non-Mendelian inheritance patterns of codominance and incomplete dominance.
2. Students will be able to predict and interpret incomplete trait and codominant trait Punnett square crosses.

Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
1. Students should have a firm understanding of genotypes and phenotypes.
2. Students should be able to convey that an organism's genotype determine its phenotype.
3. Students should be able to construct and analyze Punnett squares.
4. Students should have been introduced to the concept of incomplete dominance.

Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
1. How do genes interact to produce the expression of traits?
Each of the parent genes have 2 alleles for a particular trait. Randomly, one of these alleles is segregated by each parent to make up the genotype of the
offspring.
2. What patterns exist in inheritance?

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 Complete, incomplete, and codominance.
3. What are some non-Mendelian inheritance patterns?
Incomplete dominance, codominance, sex-linked traints, multiple alleles, and polygenic traits.
4. How do genotypes affect the phenotypes of non-Mendelian inheritance patterns?
In incomplete dominance, there is no dominant allele, therefore the heterozygous phenotype that result from a cross will be a blend/intermediate between the
2 parents. For example, a red flower x white flower results in pink flowers.
In codominance, there is more than one allele that is dominant, therefore, neither masks the other and results in each of the parental phenotypes being
expressed in the offspring. For example, red flower x white flower results in a flower that has red portions and white portions (no pink).
Example in humans: Blood type is an example in humans – A and B are each dominant – so AO = A, BO = B,  AB = AB, O is recessive.

Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. For more review and examples, see the following resources:
Incomplete Dominance & Codominance
IncOMpleTe & COdominANCe
Video: Incomplete Dominance Codominance (5:00, uploaded by Meredith Kersting)
2. (5 minutes) As a bell ringer, have students sort the images, looking for those that represent incomplete dominance. Walk around as they are doing this to ask
questions, probe and provide feedback. Show the images that would be considered to represent incomplete dominance (in the attached Codominance
PowerPoint under the review of incomplete dominance).
3. Ask students to pair and explain to each other what incomplete dominance is. Walk around and listen. Each student should get 30 seconds to explain. Bring the class
back together and address any misconceptions or errors you heard while circulating. Ask for the students to explain how crossing the homozygous parents result in
a third phenotype for a heterozygote. Use the incomplete dominance portion of the PowerPoint if re-teaching is necessary.
4. Ask the students if there are any other non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance.
5. Ask the students to identify how the remaining pictures are different from incomplete dominance and construct a working definition to be added to their notes. Go
through the PowerPointcodominance slides and write down the key characteristics forcodominance and practice solving these problems.
*You may use the whiteboards to check for understanding. Additionally, you can use a peer teaching method where one student in the pair works out a
problem step-by-step while explaining to the other student. When complete, the other student will teach using another problem. Walk around and listen as they
are doing this.
6. Students should be released to complete the attached Incomplete Dominance vs. Codominance Worksheet. If students need help, re-teach or provide
additional practice problems. When students have completed the worksheet, they should turn it in.
7. Finally, have students complete the exit ticket (see Closure section below).

Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Teacher will review the concept of incomplete dominance through use of the sort activity and review notes and provide examples (see PowerPoint).
The the students will brainstorm to formulate a working definition of codominance by looking at the results of the sort. Within the PowerPoint, there are some
practice problems, and students will solve the crosses on a white board so that the instructor can quickly see who needs additional guidance.

Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Students will complete the attached Incomplete Dominance vs. Codominance Worksheet (answer key also attached) to demonstrate their understanding of
incomplete and codominance.

Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Exit ticket: Have students provide a response to the following:

1. Explain how the genotypes of an incomplete dominant trait affect the phenotypes of the heterozygous offspring.
2. Explain how the genotypes of a codominant trait affect the phenotype of the heterozygous offspring.
The homework assignment could be to construct a Venn diagram or three column chart to compare and contrast the concepts of incomplete and codominant crosses.

Summative Assessment
The students will be given a worksheet that requires them to demonstrate their understanding between incomplete dominance (previously learned) and codominance.
See attached worksheet and answer key.

Formative Assessment
Ask questions as students complete the various activities. Picture Sort questions:

Why did you place that card in the incomplete/codominant trait?

How do the genotypes of a codominant trait cross affect the resulting offspring phenotype?
How do the genotypes of an incomplete dominant trait cross affect the resulting offspring phenotype?
How would you (the student) explain/differentiate between the expression of codominant traits and incomplete dominant traits?

Feedback to Students
Students will be given feedback as they are sorting the images. If they place something incorrectly, probe their thinking as to why they placed it there and how is it
similar/different to the other images in that group.
Practice problems will be done on white boards so that the instructor can see if anyone makes an error by quickly scanning the room. For additional practice, you
could have students partner up and one student will work through a problem while explaining the thinking behind each step, the other student will listen. If there is

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 an error, the other student can point it out and discuss it after the 1st student is finished with the explanation. The partners can then switch roles with a new
problem.
The exit tickets will be discussed prior to leaving the classroom.

ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Accommodations:
Students can use different colored chips to represent the alleles and the offspring.
For the note taking - the teacher can provide guided notes with key words missing so that the student will pay attention and fill in the blanks. Student can verbally
answer the summative questions as well.

Extensions:
The students can come up with some example questions and answer key to trade for Punnett practice.

Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Interactive Whiteboard, Overhead Projector, Microsoft Office

Special Materials Needed:

Card sort
Colored pencils, crayons or markers
white boards/markers

Further Recommendations:
The image cards need to be printed in color. It is ideal to have enough sorts so the students can work in pairs. sorts should be in a plastic baggie.
you can have the students make posters to represent/illustrate (using pictures) complete, incomplete and codominance.

Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Make sure you can access a color printer to print off enough sets of cards so that each pair has a full set. If you plan to use many times/periods, you may want to consider
using card stock and laminating. You could have the students write down their answers from the PowerPoint if you do not have access to color printing/copying.
The next lesson should focus on blood typing and codominance as well as understanding that blood types are an example of a trait that is due to multiple alleles.
The other non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance will be addressed separately.

SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION

Contributed by: elisha cohen
Name of Author/Source: elisha cohen
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Collier
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial

Related Standards
Name Description
Discuss observed inheritance patterns caused by various modes of inheritance, including dominant, recessive,
SC.912.L.16.2:
codominant, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles.

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