Create a Superhero Baby Activity
Purpose:
Use superhero traits and genetic crosses to help better
understand the genetic concepts of: genotypes, phenotypes,
Punnett squares and what possible outcomes are when two
parent organisms have offspring.
Instructions:
1) Pick two superheroes, one male and one female that you are going to use for this
project. You can use the internet to help you with this assignment. (Some examples
include Wolverine, Cyclops, Wonder Woman, etc.) Record the names on your data
sheet.
2) Develop a list of a minimum of 5 phenotypes (physical traits) that your characters
have. The traits can be a variety of physical characteristics, like eye color, hair color,
etc. You can do 10 or more for extra credit. On your list you must also use, gender
and blood type and you must include 2 “superpowers.” Record the list of phenotypes
on your data sheet.
Example:
Trait
Gender
Flying Power
Eye Color
Strength
Superman
Male
Fly’s
Blue Eyes
Super-strength
Cat woman
Female
Doesn’t Fly
Yellow Eyes
Regular-strength
3) Using your list of traits make a key and indicate the dominant and recessive allele
for each trait. You and your partner will be assigning what’s dominant and recessive.
For example:
Trait
Skin
Hair Color
Fly
Blood Type
Superhero Trait Chart
Dominant Trait
Recessive Trait
Fair Skin = W
Dark Skin = w
Black Hair = B
Blonde Hair = b
Flying ability = F
No flying ability = f
IA and IB
IO
Create a Superhero Baby Activity
4) Fill in the “FAMILY GENOTYPE/PHENOTYPE CHART” on your data sheet with the
genotypes and phenotypes for your superheroes. You must have some
heterozygous traits, some homozygous recessive traits, and some homozygous
dominant traits. If your superhero is a male he is XY and if your superhero is a
female she is XX for her gender genotype.
Example:
FAMILY GENOTYPE/PHENOTYPE CHART
Trait
Skin Color
Eyes
Hair
Fly
Gender
Male Superhero: Superman
Genotype
Phenotype
Ww
Fair skin
bb
Blue eyes
Hh
Black hair
Xf Y
Ability to Fly
XY
Male
Female Superhero: Cat Woman
Genotype
Phenotype
ww
Dark Skin
Bb
Yellow eyes
HH
Black hair
XFXF
No flying ability
XX
Female
5) Make a Punnett square for each trait by crossing the male genotype with the female
genotype for specific genes. So if you have 7 traits listed you should have 7 Punnett
Squares and the gender Punnett square and the Blood type
For example:
Skin trait
Superman = Ww
Cat woman = ww
w
w
W
Ww
Ww
w
ww
ww
Ww x ww
6) Then roll a dice. If the die lands on “1” then the baby receives the trait in box
number one, if your roll a “2” than the baby receive the trait from box 2 of the
Punnett square and so on. If the dice lands on 5 or 6 roll again. Highlight or circle the
box rolled.
1
2
3
4
Lands on #4 = Baby’s
Genotype is ww
Create a Superhero Baby Activity
Fill in the “Offspring Data Table” with the results. Look at the example below:
Trait
Skin
Eyes
Hair
Fly
Gender
Dice Roll
4
1
2
4
Baby Genotype
ww
Baby Phenotype
Dark Skin
7) Record the genotypes and phenotypes with the baby’s results onto the table with
the parents
8) Put all of your results onto a poster. Draw the offspring with the traits that resulted
from the dice rolls.
Checklist of Completed Project
 Your poster must include a colored picture of the male parent and female parent.
 A key for the dominant and recessive traits.
 A table listing the parent genotypes and phenotypes and the offspring’s genotype
and phenotype.
 The Punnett square for each trait indicating the genotype inherited (either circled or
highlighted)
 A table indicating the dice rolls of the baby’s genotype and phenotype.
 A hand drawn colored picture of the result baby.
 Neat, colored, and organized.
Superhero Baby Activity
GLUE THIS PAGE DOWN INTO
YOUR SCIENCE NOTEBOOK
Superhero Baby Activity
Superheroes to be used for this project:
Male superhero
=
_________________________________
Female superhero
=
_________________________________
Phenotypes to be used:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Blood Type
7. Gender
Traits Key showing dominant and recessive allele for each trait:
Superhero Trait Chart
Dominant Trait
Trait
Recessive Trait
FAMILY GENOTYPE/PHENOTYPE CHART
Male Superhero: _________________________
Trait
Blood Type
Gender
Genotype
Phenotype
Female Superhero: _________________________
Genotype
Phenotype
Superhero Baby Activity
Baby Punnett Square’s
OFFSPRING DATA TABLE:
Trait
Dice Roll
Baby Genotype
Baby Phenotype
Superhero Baby Activity
Analysis Questions:
Answer the following questions in complete sentences, re-stating
the question within your answer.
1. Can you accurately determine a person’s genotype just by observing their
phenotype? (hint: think about homozygous dominant and heterozygous)
2. Would you expect the other students in your class to have an offspring completely
similar to yours? Explain why or why not?
3. How might if possible for someone to have a trait when none of their relatives
shows it?
4. Do you think that anyone in your class will have the same genetic traits that you
have? (hint: think about our genetics unit and how genetics work)
5. How do you explain the chance of having a boy or a girl as always being 50-50?
Which parent is going to be responsible for determining the gender of the baby?