ACTIVITY: MEIOSIS PLAYDOH
CLASS
Objectives: Students will
 Create 3 double-stranded chromosomes for two different colors.
 Follow the chromosomes through Meiosis I, Meiosis II and Non-Disjunction in Meiosis I.
COPY
Directions:
 Obtain 2 different colors of Playdoh.
 Create 3 double stranded chromosomes (2N) of each color.
 Within one color, each chromosome should be a different lengths. (For example, roll 6 strands of yellow
play dough, stick them 2 matching sizes together 3 times.)
 The 2nd color chromosomes should match the first color in sizes.
Meiosis I:
1. An unused playdough container could be compared to what phase?
2. What phase are you representing as your are building your chromosomes?
3. What do we call a homologous pair grouped together?
Stamp: Prophase I
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Arrange their 3 homologous pairs into Metaphase I (this will represent tetrads).
4. How many chromatids do you have?
Stamp: Metaphase I
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Continue to manipulate the play dough chromosomes through Meiosis I.
Stamp: Anaphase I
Stamp: Telophase I/Cytokinesis
5. What is the goal of Meiosis?
6. Meiosis II is very similar to what?
Meiosis II:
 Take your cells through to the end of Meiosis II.
Stamp: Prophase II
Stamp: Metaphase II
Stamp: Anaphase II
Stamp: Telophase II/Cytokinesis
7. Draw a picture of your chromosomes in each phase of Meiosis I and II. Include the name of each phase.
Nondisjunction:
 Take a white board, white board markers and the playdoh. On the white board, draw the appropriate number of
cells to take you from Interphase I to Telophase I/Cytokinesis. Use the playdoh to model what happens to the 4
chromosomes when one of the tetrads does not separate in Anaphase I.
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8. What happens if one of your homologous pairs fails to separate properly?
Stamp: Non-disjunction in Meiosis I.
Repeat model all the way to end of Meiosis II.
Stamp: Non-disjunction as it moves through Meiosis II.
9. Draw a picture of your chromosomes in each phase of Meiosis I and II. Include the name of each phase.
10. How does “non-disjunction” differ from the first time your chromosomes went through meiosis.
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Return your play dough back into their appropriate colored containers.
Wipe off your white boards and return markers to the front.