Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Lesson 5. Closer Look at Meiosis
Name:
Period ______
Laboratory Experience ##
Worth ### Lab Minutes
Date :
Bridge
Why does the process of meiosis have to be different from the process of
mitosis?
Objective:
To identify why
sexually
reproducing
organisms need
meiosis for
reproduction.
Essential
Question:
Why is mitosis
not good enough
for sexually
reproducing
organisms?
Mini Lesson
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Meiosis is the process of making sex cells (sperm cells in males (pollen in male plants) and egg
cells in females) that we call gametes. These gametes are responsible for carrying the genetic
information that may or may not become the offspring for the organism. Every other cell in our
body will undergo mitosis, not meiosis. Why is that?
Let’s take a look at these processes side by side. As we watch the video, list what they have in
common and what’s different and use this list to answer that question.
VIDEO #1
Take a look again at how recombination works in meiosis:
VIDEO#2
Let’s learn the meiosis song: sung to the tune of Frere Jacques (are you sleeping) have students
repeat after you for the second set
Meiosis, Meiosis
Makes gametes, makes gametes
4 at a time, 4 at a time
Half the genes, half the genes
Work Period
Directions:

Take the “imaginary organism” from your protein synthesis activity where you had to draw
the organism from the protein code. Pair up with another group and assign one to be the
boy (indicate the boy by placing XY on the paper) and one to be the girl (indicate the girl
by placing XX on the paper).

Show the process of meiosis in each of the organisms; drawing out the chromosomes at
each stage. You need to show crossing over in at least 2 of your chromosomes. Do this
on a separate sheet of paper.
What would have happened to the offspring of your organism if they had not gone through that
second division?
Summary
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Why is mitosis not good enough for sexually reproducing organisms?
Closing
Before we asked why it could be so detrimental to have a mutation during DNA replication as
opposed to during transcription or translation. We will answer that don’t forget it! But during
which of the processes, mitosis or meiosis, would a mutation have an effect on the offspring?
How do you know?
Independent Practice
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Reading on Genetic disorders: Trisomy 5 vs 18 vs 21 with questions (
Name:
Period ______ Date :
Name:
Period ______
Date :
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Title of Lab: ______________________________________________________
Exploration
Use this space to record observations that relate to the question being investigated. Also record
researched facts that might relate to the investigation as well.
Question
Record your question that you will be investigating here. It is best to write it in a “Does
__________________ affect ________________? Format so the variables are easy to identify (first
line is always the independent variable, second line is always the dependent variable)
Identify your Variables
Independent Variable:
Dependent Variable:
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Prediction/Hypothesis
Based on the question that you asked, record your thoughts on what the result will be and why. Use
the “I think ___________________________________, because ______________.” format.
Experimental Design
List the materials that you are going to use and the procedure (steps) you are going to take to test your
hypothesis.
Materials:
Procedure:
Data Collection
Use this space to organize and collect your data. Remember, data can be qualitative (descriptions,
words, observations) as well as quantitative (numbers, values). Use both kinds of data when you can.
Organize your data into a table with a title, make a graph whenever you can, and use the variables to
help you do this!
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Living Environment
Student Work
HARU Lesson #5
Data Analysis
Put your data into words. This will be a relationship of your variables: what happened to the dependent
variable when you changed the independent variable?
Evaluation
This is where you talk about your experiment. Discuss how your results compare to your hypothesis:
do you agree or disagree with your original thoughts and use evidence from your experiment to back
this up. Second, discuss sources of error (at least 2), or things that could have gone wrong in your
experiment. Finally, develop a further investigation question: based on what you found out in this
experiment, what else do you wonder about? Again, use your “Does ________ affect __________”
format for this question.
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