Mendelian Genetics
Curriculum Specifics
Click here for all Resources Specific to the
Mendelian Genetics Curriculum:
9 Days
RED INDICATES HONORS EXTENSIONS ONLY
Enduring understanding: Mendel’s Principles are based on probability and apply to all organisms
Essential Questions (1 day)



SC.912.L.16.1
Use Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment to analyze
patterns of inheritance.
What is meant by Mendel’s
Law of Segregation?
What is the Principle of
Independent Assortment?

How did Gregor Mendel
contribute to modern
understanding of genetics?


Explain why alleles separate from one another during gamete
formation.
Explain why genes for different traits can separate independently
from one another during the gamete formation.
Analyze Gregor Mendel’s contribution to genetics.
Enduring Understanding: The various models of inheritance can be caused by dominant, recessive, or codominant
alleles. There are polygenic traits, and some traits are caused by multiple alleles. Some traits are sex-linked.
Essential Questions (2 days)





What is the Principle of
Dominance?
How does Law of Dominance
to account for the variation
that occurs during gamete
formation?
What are sex-linked genes
and some examples?
Why sex-linked genes are
more commonly expressed in
males and more frequently
carried by females?
What are some exceptions to
Mendel’s principles to include
incomplete dominance,
codominance, polygenic, and
multiple alleles?
SC.912.L.16.2
Discuss observed inheritance patterns caused by various modes of
inheritance, including dominant, recessive, codominant, sex-linked,
polygenic, and multiple alleles.

Recognize traits as being homozygous and heterozygous.

Compare the difference between a genotype and a phenotype.

Recognize the Principle of Dominance.

Identify sex-linked traits, and explain why they are more frequent in
males than in females.

Identify and describe other patterns of inheritance to include
incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, polygenic
traits, sex-linked, epitasis, sex determination, and dosage
compensation.
Enduring understanding: Variations occur among all organisms. These variations originate from mutations and gene
shuffling that occurs during meiosis.
Essential Questions (2 days)



What is a mutation and what
are the ways in which they
occur?
What are the different kinds
of mutations?
How do mutations and the
gene shuffling during gamete
formation affect genetic
variation
SC.912.L.15.15
Describe how mutation and genetic recombination increase genetic
variation.

Explain what a mutation is.

Describe different types of mutations and how they occur.

Recognize that mutations and gene shuffling are the ultimate sources
of mutations.
Enduring Understanding: Many diseases are caused by genetic factors can have an influence on a person’s health.
The factors are passed from one generation to the next
HE.912.C.1.4
Analyze how heredity and family history can impact personal health.
Essential Questions (2 days)


How are inherited diseases
passed down from one
generation to the next?
How can information from a
pedigree chart be used to
infer a person’s genotype?

Use Punnett Square to predict the probabilities of genetic outcomes.

Recognize that a person can be heterozygous for a trait and not
express it.

Compare the difference between a genotype and a phenotype.

Construct and read a pedigree chart.
Enduring Understanding: Diseases and problems caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, and pathogens
can have significant impacts on individuals as well as public health system
Essential Questions (2 days)



How can environmental
factors influence the
expression of genetic traits?
How can diseases be caused
by pathogens, inheritance, or
environmental factors?
What affects can diseases
have on our public health
system?
SC.912.L.14.6
Explain the significance of genetic factors, environmental factors, and
pathogenic agents to health from the perspectives of both individual and
public health.


Define what a disease is.
Describe environmental factors influencing gene expression.

Describe and analyze how diseases can be caused by pathogens, the
environment, or genetic factors.

Analyze how the public health system helps in the control and
treatment of diseases.
Discuss how the environment can affect genetic outcomes in terms
of public health.
