TODAY’S DATE:
GENETICS PROJECT “DESIGN A PET DOG” DUE DATE: __________________
WORK ON YOUR OWN, YOU DO NOT WORK WITH A PARTNER WITH THIS PROJECT.
KEEP THIS WORK SHEET, IT IS YOUR DOG’S PEDIGREE PROOF! MUST BRING DOG AND THIS PAPER TOGETHER.
Heredity is the passing of traits from parents to offspring. Genetics is the study of heredity. Each offspring receives a
factor or allele from each parent. These alleles can be dominant or recessive. If the offspring receives two dominant
alleles (HH) or one dominant and one recessive allele (Hh) the offspring will inherit the dominant trait. If the offspring
receives two recessive alleles (hh) the offspring will inherit the recessive trait.
For the project you will use a coin toss with pennies to determine the traits of your pet dog. Toss two pennies then
record the results for each trait. If you toss two heads (HH) your dog inherited the dominant trait. If you toss one head
and one tail (Hh) your dog inherited the dominant trait. If you tossed two tails (hh) your dog inherited the recessive
trait. Circle the trait your pet dog inherited based on the coin toss.
Build your Pet Dog based on your results. The dog must be 3-D and must have a collar which has its name and its
owner’s name (You are the owner. If it is a girl, it should have a bow on top of its head or bows around the ears. Be
ready to share your dog and it’s traits on the due date and compare your dog to your peers. You will be asked to answer
questions regarding genetics and your project in class the day it is due. The answers to the questions will be graded and
will be a part of your project grade.
TRAIT
COIN TOSS
DOMINANT TRAIT
RECESSIVE TRAIT
Gender
Male
Female
Facial Shape
Square
Round
Eye Shape
Big and Round
Oval and Small
Eye Color
Brown
Blue
Ear Size
Short and Upright
Long and hang low
Eye Brow
Separate
Uni-Brow
Nose Shape
Triangular
Round
Spots
Spots
No Spots
Tail
Short Tail
Long Tail
Body Length
Short Body
Long Body
Leg Length
Short Legs
Long Legs
Fur Color
Brown
Yellow
Fur Length
Short- Hair
Long-Hair
DESIGN A DOG: Genetics Unit Project
Name:
Period:
Date:
1)
In your own words, describe why you were assigned the Design A Dog project.
2)
Why did we use the coin-flipping method to determine the traits for your dog? How does that relate to
genetic traits any living thing inherits?
3)
In knowing that dogs have 39 pairs of chromosomes, why did you need to flip TWO coins for every dog trait?
4)
What type of reproduction occurs when a male sex cell and female sex cell combine?
5)
How many chromosomes/genes came from the “mother” of your dog? From the “father”?
6)
What is the result and advantages for an organism when 2 sets of DNA combine to create it?
7)
Check out the other dogs at the “Dog Show”. Are any of the dogs EXACTLY like yours? Why or why not?
8)
Imagine that your dog has been selected for a breeding program to produce puppies as a gift for our newly
elected President. Pair your dog up with another of the dogs at the dog show and select any three traits to make
Punnett Squares that would guarantee: 1) a Homozygous Dominant trait to show up, 2) a Heterozygous trait to show
up, and lastly, 3) a Recessive trait to show up.