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Narrative
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A Royal Disease
Domain statement:
5.8.2 the Watson-Crick model of DNA
e) identify the role of genes and environmental factors in determining the features of an organism.
Prescribed focus area:
5.3 the applications and uses of science
d) give reasons why society should support scientific research.
Rationale:
Narrative is used to introduce students to the deterministic nature of genes. The use of a good story,
rather than didactic transfer of knowledge, can stimulate deep learning by increasing student
pleasure, motivation and retention of subject matter. Quality teaching in NSW public schools (DET
2003) lists the use of narrative as part of a quality teaching model in achieving high quality student
outcomes.
‘A royal bloodline’ is used to engage students in the topics of genes, hereditary disease and pedigree
diagrams. Hereditary genetics is used to illustrate the role of genes in determining the features of an
organism. The use of pedigree diagrams will help engage students with both verbal and visual
stimulus, and include students with different learning styles. Students will be interested to read
about disease in a European royal family and envisage the gruesome deaths that resulted.
A comprehension worksheet is used to test student understanding and literacy. This worksheet also
engages students with increasing levels of problem solving and comprehension skills. Some
questions are designed to lead students into thinking about the benefits of genetic testing and why
society should support scientific research (PFA 5.3d). Extension questions are also provided for
advanced students. Students are encouraged to combine textual and diagrammatic information to
come to conclusions about hereditary disease.
The find-a-word worksheet is a fun and simple activity to give the students a break from the mental
activity of the comprehension worksheet, while still encouraging students to remember the key
words of the narrative. The second part of the find-a-word tests the student understanding of the
terms and how well they have synthesised the information given in the narrative.
This narrative and accompanying worksheets are designed as an introduction to genes. The pedigree
of the royal family could be re-examined after students have learned about DNA, chromosomes,
inheritance and mutation.
EDST6713
Narrative
The New York Times, November 10, 1912:
Sasa Mitric, z3219355
EDST6713
Narrative
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EDST6713
Narrative
Sasa Mitric, z3219355
Haemophilia is a rare blood disorder caused by an inherited gene.
Haemophilia acquired the name ‘the royal disease’ due to the high number of
descendants of Queen Victoria afflicted by it.
Haemophilia figured prominently in the history of European royalty in the 19th and
20th centuries.
Queen Victoria, through two of her five daughters, passed the gene for haemophilia to
various royal houses across the continent, including the royal families of Spain,
Germany and Russia.
Queen Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
from 1837 until her death in 1901.
She married her first cousin, Prince Albert. She had
nine children. Twenty-six of her 34 grandchildren
that survived childhood married into royal and noble
families across Europe. This earned her the nickname
‘the grandmother of Europe’.
Until recently, being a haemophiliac meant that
even relatively minor injuries could be debilitating
or even deadly.
Victoria's eighth child, Leopold, was a haemophiliac who died at 30 from bleeding
after a fall.
Alexei, a great grandson of Queen Victoria, was murdered at the age of 13. His
parents and all four of his sisters were also murdered. It is believed Alexei's
haemophilia was one of the factors contributing to the collapse of Imperial Russia
during the Russian revolution at the time of World War I.
In 2009, DNA testing of Alexei’s family remains showed that one of his four sisters
had the gene for haemophilia.
Prince Rupert, another great grandson of Queen Victoria died at the age of 20,
bleeding to death after a car accident.
Brothers Alfonso and Gonzalo of Spain also died bleeding to death after car accidents.
Narrative
Pedigree diagram showing the lineage of Queen Victoria
and individuals afflicted with haemophilia (red shade)
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EDST6713
Narrative
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Worksheet 1: Comprehension Questions:
Answer the following questions using the newspaper article, fact sheet and pedigree diagram.
1) What are the symptoms of haemophilia?
2) What is meant by the term coagulation?
3) What is haemophilia caused by?
4) Modern tests are capable of showing us if someone has the gene for haemophilia. If these tests
were available in Queen Victorias time;
i) If a child was tested and found to have haemophilia, how would this affect their lifestyle?
ii) How might it affect Queen Victoria’s decision to have children?
5) i) What nickname is given to Queen Victoria?
ii) For how long did she rule?
6) What did Queen Victoria pass on to two of her five daughters?
a ____
7) Who were Queen Victoria’s nine children? List their names. Underline those who had the
haemophilia gene.
8) Alice is one of Queen Victoria’s daughters. Alice married Louis IV. How many children did Alice and
Louis IV have?
9) What is the relation of the following people to Queen Victoria?
i) Albert
iv) Waldemar
ii) Louis IV
v) Beatrice
iii) Irene
vi) Alfonso XIII
EDST6713
Narrative
Sasa Mitric, z3219355
Extension/ Homework Questions:
1) Which gender is more likely to exhibit the symptoms of haemophilia?
2) If Queen Victoria knew she had the gene for haemophilia, should she tell her husband and
children? Give reasons for your answer.
3) Haemophilia did not exist in Queen Victoria’s official parents' families.
What is a possible explanation for this statement?
4) Create a pedigree diagram of your own family using one of the two; hair colour or eye colour. Use
at least three generations of your family to create the diagram.
5) Write a 100 word biography on one of Queen Victoria’s descendants. Include if they had
haemophilia and how they died.
EDST6713
Narrative
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Worksheet 2: Find-a-word
1.) Find the following words in the puzzle;
bleeding
blood
children
clotting
deadly
disease
DNA
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2.) Write a short story about haemophilia using the words in part 1.
(If you are stuck with a word, use it in a simple sentence)
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